Let Nevada Smoke: Push to Legalize Public Marijuana Consumption

In legalized Nevada, marijuana smoking in public is still a revolutionary act—if your idea of raging against the machine is committing an “offense” that will barely raise an eyebrow among the people, while risking a $600 ticket from police. 

As in the four other states that legalized recreational marijuana in November, adults 21 and over can cultivate and possess cannabis in Nevada, but smoking in public is forbidden. Those who want to use cannabis legally in Nevada have no venue for their sessions aside from private residences. Smoking in public, consuming at a bar or club, a private party, a dab lounge—none of the above is a thing you can do with the blessing of the state.

This is a pain. It’s also patently stupid.

Las Vegas is set to become the capital for cannabis tourism in America. Medical cannabis patients from other states with a government-issued medical marijuana identification card can already patronize Vegas dispensaries. Once the city starts opening retail locations, the city will be swamped with weed tourists from all over the world, who will be welcomed by being forced to huddle in furtive circles underneath neon-lit casinos, sneaking forbidden tokes of a legal substance. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

State Sen. Tick Segerblom, who represents Las Vegas, recognizes the madness. So the state’s most-cannabis-friendly lawmaker, Segerblom is now pushing a proposal to allow some public marijuana consumption in Nevada, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

“If we’re going to bring people here for marijuana tourism, they need a place to use it,” he sagely told the newspaper. “We don’t want them walking up and down the Strip smoking. Let’s give them some place to go.”

When Nevada’s legislative session resumes on Feb. 6, Segerblom plans to introduce a bill that would allow cities and other local governments the ability to issue “public marijuana-use permits.” Similar to the pilot program in Denver, where bars, art galleries, coffee houses and other businesses can apply for public-use permits, Segerblom’s plan would allow music festivals, hookah lounges and “just about every possibility,” all the way down to designated marijuana-friendly streets, to acquire a pot-smoking permit—provided the local government be down.

As usual, marijuana-friendly lawmaking in the legislature will be a slog. The usual cries of “it’s too fast!” and “let’s see what other states are doing!” are already echoing throughout the state. (Other states, for the record, have put up with weed smoking in public and outlaw puffing on bar patios for four years, just like they did before legalization.)

Segerblom’s plan even has opponents at home in Clark County, Nevada’s most populous county (and, obviously, where Las Vegas is located). Mary Beth Scow, one of Clark County’s elected commissioners, believes “having it in a public square when we just passed it” is too much. Another commissioner, Steve Sisolak, told the Review-Journal that the county needs more time to handle pressing issues like the “odor from cultivation facilities” before it can figure out where people can consume cannabis legally.

You never hear complaints about the sour smell of brewed hops shutting down a bar, but ok, then. How much time? That’s not proscribed in Segerblom’s plan, which would merely give local lawmakers the ability to permit public use at such time when they see fit.

“If they want, they can take 10 years,” he told the paper.

Great. If that’s what passes for marijuana-friendly, see you at the Vegas dab lounge in 2027—if we’re lucky.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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STRAIN OF THE DAY 02/01/2017: HIPPIE CHICKEN (SATIVA)

CANNABIS STRAIN OF THE DAY 02/01/2017: HIPPIE CHICKEN (SATIVA)

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Latest Report Concludes Marijuana Is Effective for Alleviating Pain

A report released this month by the Washington D.C.-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) confirmed something that many of us already knew: marijuana is effective at alleviating chronic pain.

Considering that, as a nation, we are in the grip of a widespread opioid epidemic, this report is a welcome scientific confirmation toward finding a replacement for opioids and other health-damaging painkillers.

Naturally, this is important, pointed out Business Insider, because it has implications for how we treat pain and assess medical marijuana. The most common reason people seek out medical marijuana is indeed for pain relief.

The report also underscores how totally off the mark the DEA is in maintaining its Schedule 1 status (the same category as heroin, meth and ecstasy) of marijuana and its absurd claim that pot has “no currently accepted medical use.”

In addition to the NASEM study, there is a growing body of authoritative research that proves the DEA to be flatly wrong and blatantly lying. Check out the Free Thought Project’s  25 Lies about Cannabis on the DEA Website – Refuted by the DEA Itself in 2016 and see for yourself.

But back to NASEM’s report: Not surprisingly, doctors still want more research to help them decide when marijuana might help a patient and when something else is a better idea. That sounds responsible.

Pain is not only hard to explain but difficult to measure.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) tells us: “Pain is a very personal and subjective experience. There is no test that can measure and locate pain with precision.”

Painful sensations, no matter where they occur in the body, are associated with our brain, which is its way of telling us something is wrong. We also know that everyone reacts to brain stimuli differently, hence the seemingly endless methods for treating pain.

According to NASEM, studies show that cannabis, smoked or vaped, is effective in alleviating pain because of the natural cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, which doctors believe play a role in pain control.

The report, according to Business Insider, contains the most up-to-date research on cannabis available. Although, at the moment, the exact mechanisms showing how marijuana relieves pain are not fully understood yet.

Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of research and our radically reactionary government’s attempt to totally eliminate scientific thought and drive us all back to the Stone Age, it could be a while before needed answers are available.

Sadly, according to the NIH, some 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain—that’s one-third of the population. Pain is the leading cause of long-term disability, the NIH confirmed.

This naturally explains the country’s dependence on opioids.

The dangerous increase in opioid use has prompted some rational lawmakers, like Elizabeth Warren, to demand that the Centers for Disease Control undertake research on marijuana as an alternative to the opioids that are ravaging our country, from our young people to our senior citizens.

For all of HIGH TIMES’ medical marijuana coverage, click here.

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How to Get 100 Free Cannabis Seeds

Canada has some of the most liberal marijuana laws on the planet, but there isn’t nearly enough cannabis in Canada for Dana Larsen. 

The Vancouver, B.C.-area longtime marijuana activist and onetime dispensary owner is happy the country licenses medical-marijuana providers and that the current Liberal government has promised to legalize recreational cannabis, sure. That’s more than any other country is doing, aside from possibly Israel, but Canada still need a kick.

Legalizing is taking too long, and there’s no guarantee Canadians will be able to grow their own. (Medical-marijuana patients have to go through an onerous process to be allowed to have a home garden, which is why most don’t bother and go for medicine grown by one of the country’s 34 providers.)

So Larsen wants to blanket the country, from Yukon to Montreal, in five million marijuana plants. And he needs help, which is why his company will mail you 100 free seeds for your own “Ganja Victory Garden.” Provided you are in Canada.

Larsen and his organization, Overgrow Canada, have been at this for a while.

Last year, the company gave away 2.3 million cannabis seeds, he claims. This year, with Trudeau’s government taking its time figuring out how to legalize while renegade marijuana dispensaries in Toronto are getting raided, Larsen’s campaign for marijuana planting is meant to remind us all how we got here—civil disobedience.

“Cannabis liberation is about peaceful defiance, and st‎anding up against unjust laws, not only with words, but with concrete action,” he wrote on Overgrow Canada’s website. “So this is my rallying cry for all Canadians. If you love cannabis, if you love freedom, or if you just love your country, then plant some cannabis seeds this spring, and we will all reap a wonderful harvest together.”

Canada has been dragged this far only by citizens openly defying the laws.

Stores sold bongs and books about cannabis until police stopped bothering to bust them (even though those laws are still on the books). Citizen activists smoked marijuana in public, then gave it away and now there are hundreds of dispensaries across the country (which are still technically illegal, but the police are taking a half-hearted stand against them at best).

Call this latest step resistance by mass horticulture.

The seeds are for a strain called “Freedom Dream.” Biologically, it’s bona fide cannabis sativa—though most of us would call it “hemp.” The strain is supposed to have a “very low level” of THC and 10 percent CBD, Overgrow Canada claimed in a widely-circulated email.

So it’s the kind of weed—not psychoactive, totally legal—you used to see on TV in Trailer Park Boys. Then and now, it’s the look that matters, and a sea of green across the country sends a decisive message.

As Overgrow Canada’s Jennifer Cole put it, “the real goal… is to get cannabis plants in public places.”

“Sprout them at home, get them going, then put them in your yard,” she wrote, “or in front of city hall, or in community gardens, or anywhere else where they have a chance to grow and make a statement.”

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Pot Matters: Marijuana, the Great Unifier

Marijuana legalization is becoming the great unifier in an otherwise polarized political landscape, a rare issue with bipartisan and widespread public support.

Libertarians have long supported legalization, and state-level reform along with a greater awareness of racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests has solidified support among Democrats across the nation. Meanwhile, Republicans are becoming more and more sick of prohibition.

Inauguration Day developments, though, have called attention to support for legalization among many supporters of Donald Trump.

As reported by HIGH TIMES and other media, DCMJ, which launched the successful effort in Washington, D.C. to legalize personal marijuana use, had plans to give away five thousand joints during an inauguration day protest. The January 20 event was well-organized, and successful, and received considerable press attention.

The event lasted for about five hours, and expressed support for legalization at the federal level, as well as opposition to the nomination of Jeff Session for attorney general. According to Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ, the event received an “extremely positive reaction from everyone, including the police on site.” Video of the event can be seen here.

Widely overlooked in most news coverage, though, was that “everyone” in this case included many demonstrators who were in town for pro-Trump events. According to Eidinger “about one-third of our takers and givers of free cannabis identified as Trump Supporters.” One of the more noticeable groups of Trump supporters consisted of several dozen members of Bikers for Trump, who were in town for their own rally.

A review of protest activity that afternoon on Julie Mason’s The Press Pool on Sirius radio called attention to the popularity of the DCMJ event and the commingling of legalization advocates and Trump supporters, particularly the Bikers for Trump members.

Weed, it was observed, was the great unifier, a popular concept for many of the show’s listeners. The discussion was a bit tongue-in-cheek, as is frequently the case when it comes to marijuana and its popularity, but that actually gives even more credence to the analysis. In other words, this is so obvious it’s not really news.

The news is filled with reactionary attempts to fight, stall or otherwise opposes marijuana legalization, both in terms of legislative attempts to meddle with the decisions of voters and with respect to preventing other initiatives from taking place. But on the other hand, for example, legalization is now being pushed in Maryland’s legislature.

It’s the demographics of support for marijuana legalization that beginning to sink in for politicians.

Take a look at the October 2016 Gallup poll on legalization. Among national adults, support for marijuana legalization has grown from 35 percent in 2003/2005 to 60 percent in 2016. When itemized by political party, support has grown among independents from 46 percent to 70 percent and among Democrats from 38 percent to 67 percent. Among Republicans, legalization support has doubled, from 20 percent to 42 percent.

This is a long-term trend. Nationally, support for marijuana legalization was at 12 percent in 1969, 25 percent in 1996, 36 percent in 2005, and reflected a majority of Americans only as recently as 2013, when 58 percent supported legalization. Gallup observed that “it is unclear whether support has stabilized or it continuing to inch higher.”

America is reaching a consensus on two related propositions, that (a) prohibition is a failed, costly and unjust policy and (b) that marijuana should be legalized.

It’s becoming obvious that this is a widely held position, embraced across the political spectrum.  Think about this for a moment—DCMJ gave away thousands of marijuana cigarettes in the nation’s capital, and the police just watched and smiled because the lawful protest was peaceful and well-behaved.

More important—symbolically or otherwise—at a time when the supporters and opponents of the nation’s new president are sharply, emotionally and bitterly divided, marijuana brought some of them together in fellowship and solidarity.

Marijuana really is, in today’s America, the great unifier.

Previously in Pot Matters: Hemp on the Hill
For all of HIGH TIMES’ culture coverage, click here.

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The 10 Most Beautiful Cannabis Dispensaries in America

Cannabis dispensaries look a lot like normal retailers, but then there are some that make your jaw drop. Discover the most beautiful ones in America.

The post The 10 Most Beautiful Cannabis Dispensaries in America appeared first on Leafly.

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The Great Fear: Trump’s Real Ability To Wreck Colorado’s Economy

By now—just 10 calendar days into his first term—it’s well demonstrated that President Donald Trump will do whatever he wants whenever he wants—decorum, science and even basic Constitutional procedure be damned.

This has Colorado on its very best behavior and doing whatever it can not to wind up on Trump’s or soon-to-be Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s shit list. As the state’s marijuana advocates and those getting used to the boost to Colorado’s economy and state revenue are realizing, a vindictive or just plain bored Trump administration could rub it all out if it so desired, even on a whim.

Sessions is likely to be confirmed as attorney general as early as this week. Considering Trump just fired his acting attorney general for saying she would not defend his (very likely unlawful) executive order on immigration, the president may be inclined to push the Republican-controlled Senate to call Sessions for an up-down vote as soon as possible.

In his confirmation hearings, Sessions was deliberately coy about his plans for the states where the Controlled Substances Act is openly and flagrantly violated on an hourly basis. Ergo, nobody but Sessions knows what he plans to do about the country’s progress on cannabis, but it’s clear that “Jeff Sessions really does hate marijuana,” as Denver weed attorney Brian Vicente told the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. With this crew, hate is a very powerful motivator, as the international uproar over Trump’s hateful executive order on immigration demonstrated.

Remember that Colorado, a blue state that went for Hillary Clinton, has become so reliant on marijuana tax revenue over the past two years that cities are literally repaving their streets with weed money. It’s not hyperbole to say a federal crackdown could be “catastrophic to Colorado’s economy,” as the newspaper observed.

Colorado’s marijuana retail stores sold more than $1.3 billion in legal weed in 2016, according to a state estimate. Of that, more than $800 million was on the recreational market.

There are more than 1,000 businesses with recreational marijuana licenses alone, according to state officials, including cultivation sites, retail stores and testing labs. This means there are at least 18,000 people employed directly in marijuana, Vicente told the paper.

Colorado collected $141 million in direct tax revenue on its cannabis industry—but when ancillary industries like real estate, construction, grow-supply stores, lawyers, accountants and tech support are considered, cannabis has a total “economic benefit” to the state of close to $2.3 billion, according to Kristi Kelly, executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group, a marijuana trade association.

Denver is absolutely enjoying extended boom times, with real-estate prices steadily rising and housing construction to match. The LA Times fingers the state’s bullish marijuana market as a driver behind it all. This is why Kelly firmly believes that a Sessions DOJ-led crackdown on marijuana could send all of Colorado into a recession.

“Cannabis was credited at one point for resurrecting Denver’s commercial real estate market,” she told the paper. If it goes away, things might not fall apart overnight, but the pain will most certainly be felt in places like Edgewater, the Denver suburb that gleans 20 percent of its municipal budget from weed sales.

This brings us back to the billion-dollar question: Will he? Won’t he?

Skeptics point out that dismantling Colorado’s pot economy would be a titanic undertaking and a flagrant violation of the hallowed conservative principles of states’ rights and small government. It’s just too much. It would be too unpopular. It’s unthinkable! Just like building a big border wall and refusing to let Iraqis who worked for the U.S. military into the country.

@_cingraham pic.twitter.com/dLHCxdpKw1

— Tony X. (@soIoucity) January 30, 2017

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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What are Live Resin Cannabis Concentrates?

Learn about live resin, a type of cannabis concentrate that retains the plant’s original flavor and fragrance that other concentrates lack.

The post What are Live Resin Cannabis Concentrates? appeared first on Leafly.

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Sessions Appears Headed to a Full Senate Vote

Though the ultimate outcome—passage out of committee—was expected a week ago, few expected such a close tally.

The post Sessions Appears Headed to a Full Senate Vote appeared first on Leafly.

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3 Beginner Grow Tips of the Week | Jan. 31, 2017

Tuesday’s tips for beginner growers are brought to you by HIGH TIMES Cultivation Editor Nico Escondido. 

1. Because roots breath and use oxygen to grow, it is best to use breathable pot containers such as fabric bags or smart pots (pictured).

2. Fluorescent lighting is still a popular choice for clone and seedlings nurseries. CFLs or banks of T5 bulbs use little electricity, run very cool and actually provide a broad spectrum for young, developing plants.

3. Yellowing leaves in the last two weeks of flower is a normal occurrence, especially if you are flushing your medium regularly. However, leaves yellowing early on in the flowering stage is a sure sign of a nitrogen (N) deficiency.

Follow Nico on Social Media: @Nico_Escondido (Twitter) & @Nico_High_Times (Instagram)

Don’t Miss Last Week’s Tips!

Keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ grow coverage HERE.

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Is This the Next State that Will Legalize Marijuana?

The people of Maryland have spoken, loud and clear: Nearly two-thirds of them want recreational marijuana legalized in their state, according to polling released late last year.

In response, Maryland lawmakers—the men and women whose job it is to write laws that reflect what the people who voted them want—are indicating they may react to this clear mandate in the the way nearly every other lawmaker in America has done: By telling the people to go ahead and make their own law, if that’s indeed what they want.

As the Baltimore Sun reported on Monday, some Maryland lawmakers are pushing for marijuana legalization to be decided by a citizens’ referendum. This could happen as early as next year. If it happens, it seems a near-lock to pass: 61 percent of likely voters support legalization, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

For some people in charge, this is clear message that “it’s a matter of when” marijuana legalization happens, as state delegate David Moon, one of the main supporters behind deciding legalization by citizens’ referendum, put it. “It’s become very clear that this is no longer a fringe issue,” Moon told the Sun. “It’s totally mainstream.”

If only that were true.

Legalization is mainstream among voters, sure, but not among lawmakers. This is still such a touchy issue that the state’s elected officials will need strong convincing that passing off hard decisions like legalization to voters is a good idea.

Even this very modest step will be a hard sell.

As the Sun reported, there are more than a few shot-callers in Maryland’s state house—who would never touch legalization themselves—who aren’t convinced that letting the people give themselves what they want is a good idea. “It would be unwise for us to go down that path at this time, even before we have medical marijuana up and running,” said House Speaker Michael E. Busch, using the state’s nascent medical-marijuana program as an excuse.

There are some valid reasons why Maryland state delegates would want to foist legalization off on voters rather than be the ones responsible for giving the people what they want and passing a popular law themselves.

One is that lawmakers, be they Democrat or Republican, tend to be more conservative than the voters they represent. Supporting marijuana legalization will annoy law enforcement, and losing the support of police is still seen as an existential threat in a state legislature. Another is to boost turnout. Having legalization on the ballot in Colorado in 2012 is credited with helping Barack Obama win that state. Maryland Democrats want to toss out their Republican governor, and weed may be the way to do that.

But the realest and most valid reason is that this is the only way this can get done. For that, you can blame craven lawmakers as well as the legislative process itself.

Passing a constitutional amendment in the state house requires 60 percent support, rather than a simple majority. That’s a high bar—provided things get even that far. As the Sun pointed out, “bills to legalize marijuana have failed in committee for the past several years”—meaning someone, somewhere along the line decided the smart thing to do on legalization was to kill it rather than consider it.

If that weren’t maddening enough, the same could also happen with a marijuana legalization ballot initiative. In Maryland, there is no direct democracy. Citizens can’t put a law on the ballot via petition as they did in the eight others states that have to date legalized medical marijuana. State lawmakers have to agree to put it on the ballot. And there are some brave and true representatives of the people who think the people can’t be trusted with making their own decisions.

Per the Sun:

Sen. Michael Hough, a Frederick County Republican, said he objects to a referendum because it’s unwieldy and violates the principles of representative democracy.

“You could take every high-profile issue and throw it on the ballot just to get people to come out,” he said. “It’s really cute, but that’s not the way that you’re supposed to do this stuff.”

Forgetting for a second that an American elected official just dismissed people coming out to vote as “cute,” Hough is right. People like him are supposed to write and pass laws. When it doesn’t happen, citizens are supposed to take action—by voting anti-democratic stooges like him out, and passing their own laws by referendum, if need be.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Dear Dispensaries: How to Beat a Marijuana Ban

There are no marijuana dispensaries allowed in Fife, Washington, a city of under 10,000 people south of Seattle. Like many other small towns across Washington state, Oregon and California, Fife has a moratorium on the books banning recreational cannabis retail stores—except for the one going to open up in an old cigar bar in the center of town, run by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

That one’s on tribal land, and the local city council’s rules don’t apply. So there are no dispensaries allowed in actual, Fife-governed Fife—except for the other one, across the street from the tribal dispensary. That one, slated to open in March, is owned by a deep-pocketed marijuana entrepreneur who sued the city over its cannabis ban—and won the right to ignore it and open up a dispensary, in exchange for dropping the lawsuit challenging the ban.

Yes, other than those two dispensaries, marijuana retail stores are absolutely banned in Fife, Washington.

The local News-Tribune has been covering Fife’s thwarted attempts to thwart commercial cannabis sales within city limits. It’s a lesson in futility as much as it is a primer on land use.

There was nothing the city could do about the tribe’s decision to add a cannabis store to a portfolio that already included a casino, a hotel and two gas stations. As for choosing to let cannabis entrepreneur Tedd Wetherbee—who already runs marijuana outlets in two other cities—open up a dispensary, it appears to have been the prudent thing to do, legally and fiscally.

Fife elected officials passed a law banning marijuana retail outlets in 2014. Rather than give up and find another town, Wetherbee, who already ran dispensaries in two nearby towns, sued. (He pulled the same maneuver in another city when officials there tried to pass a ban.)

After losing a lower court decision, Wetherbee appealed—and Fife folded. In exchange for dropping the lawsuit and paying $35,000 towards the city’s legal bills, Wetherbee won an exemption from the ban.

Subir Mukerjee, Fife’s city manager, said the city gave up for three reasons. Wetherbee’s lawsuit was getting expensive, and the city was tired of paying lawyers. The tribal dispensary was going to open up anyway, meaning a mockery of the “ban” was already underway—but he also discovered data. As in, he looked around and found dispensaries “aren’t the crime magnet some people had predicted,” he told the newspaper.

Instead, Wetherbee is promising a cash magnet.

Once his dispensary opens in early March, Fife can look forward to “$150,000 in additional revenues annually,” he told the newspaper. Whether it’s the money or the whole saga’s inherent silliness, Fife mayor Winston Marsh is now asking the city council to take a “second look” at the marijuana ban, and perhaps, maybe, think about allowing other marijuana retailers in town.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Colorado Prosecutor Named to Group that Will Advise Trump on Pot

Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett is on the newly formed National District Attorney’s Association’s (NDAA) policy group, which along with 14 other DAs, will advise the Trump administration on pot policy.

Good luck gentlemen and women, if indeed there are any females in the group.

Following the swift firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates hours after she said the Justice Department would not defend Trump’s executive order to ban refugees and travelers from certain countries, it is becoming abundantly clear that the Trump administration will not tolerate dissent.

White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said Yates, a longtime career prosecutor at the Department of Justice, had “betrayed the Department of Justice” by refusing to defend Trump’s order and that she was “weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration.”

So, if this NDAA team appears weak on legal marijuana legalization, or weak on states rights, or weak on the Cole Memo, their commission could just as easily be done away by the likes of Steven Bannon, right wing extremist, Trump’s chief political strategist and now a member of the National Security Council or by Jeff Sessions, Trump’s presumptive attorney general who hates weed.

Reminder: the 2013 Cole Memo does not direct the United States attorneys to immediately send out its troops to round up the usual suspects in legal weed states, but then it also doesn’t direct them not to, if they feel like it.

AG Garnett, the only active prosecutor from Colorado in the group, said there will be DAs from California and Oregon, as well as from other legal pot states, in the in the group.

“It’s a reflection of the NDAA’s interest in having a fairly balanced committee, which will be largely advising on what our policy position should be in communications with the Trump Justice Department,” Garnett said, according to the Daily Camera.

Having said that, Garnett added that the NDAA is a conservative group, which is why he felt it was important to add his voice.

“I always end up on the more liberal position than anyone else, particularly on marijuana,” Garnett said. “I think one of the things that happens is that many of the people in states where there is no legalization have a complete misunderstanding of states like Colorado,” he said.

“For somebody from Missouri or South Carolina to tell Colorado how to handle an issue of its own choice, like legalization of marijuana, is not only bad policy, but it fails to respect the importance of local control and state rights,” he continued.

Garnett added that at the first meeting, some of the DAs wanted to send a letter to governors in states with recreational or medical marijuana telling them to shut down those businesses within 90 days.

Garnett, thankfully, thought such a move was “particularly unrealistic and ill-advised,” and said so.

Another member of the group, Tom Raynes, executive director of the Colorado District Attorney’s Council, said all prosecutors share basic common goals, which include keeping weed out of the hands of children, cracking down on impaired driving and curbing the black market.

Then, there is Jeff Sessions, who faces a senate vote as we speak.

“Assuming he gets confirmed, he would definitely be the recipient of whatever we come up with,” Garnett said. “Legalization has been largely successful everywhere it has been tried, so it would be a highly unpopular move and difficult to accomplish successfully. But I don’t know what to expect from the Trump administration on this issue.”

Join the club, sir.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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California Looks to Build $7 Billion Legal Cannabis Economy

The future of California's legal marijuana industry is being shaped in a retired basketball arena, where paper cannabis leaves sprout on file cabinets and a burlap sack advertising "USA Home Grown" dangles from a wall.

The post California Looks to Build $7 Billion Legal Cannabis Economy appeared first on Leafly.

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STRAIN OF THE DAY 01/31/2017: STRAWBERRY (SATIVA)

CANNABIS STRAIN OF THE DAY 01/31/2017: STRAWBERRY (SATIVA)

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Watch: Good People Smoke Weed

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote to confirm marijuana-hater Jeff Sessions as attorney general. While he remained vague on pot legality during his confirmation hearings, he’s still the same guy who declared “good people don’t smoke marijuana” last spring.

To remind us just how wrong Sessions is, the folks over at MEL Magazine made the following video to show all the naysayers that millions of good people—including Christians, veterans and the elderly—all smoke weed, too.

For all of HIGH TIMES’ culture coverage, click here!

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Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Program Needs More Money

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s medical marijuana program needs more money to help cover costs associated with being one of the most restrictive laws in the country.

The state’s Office of Medical Cannabis is seeking $500,000 over the next two years as lawmakers put together a $40 billion-plus budget. Top regulators say that money would help pay unexpected costs of a massive patient database and routine inspections without possibly increasing medicine costs for patients.

Minnesota is one of 28 states with a medical marijuana law on the books. The 2014 law bans the plant form, offers pills and oils only to patients with 10 severe conditions and requires secondary lab testing.

The two licensed manufacturers lost a combined $5.2 million in their

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Understanding Medical vs. Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensaries

Learn the differences between a medical cannabis dispensary vs. an adult-use (recreational) store, and pick up some tips to help you during your visit.

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Cannabis Legalization Takes Hold in Maine

It's legal to consume cannabis in Maine as of Monday. It's also legal to gift it, grow it, and possess up to 2.5 ounces. But retail stores? Not just yet.

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The Latest: Maine Alcohol Bureau to Have Marijuana Oversight

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the first day of legalized marijuana in Maine (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage says he’s using an executive order to shift oversight of licensing and enforcement relating to legal marijuana.

LePage sparred with state lawmakers about who should have authority over marijuana sales in Maine. He gave the authority to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations on Monday.

The order is an outgrowth of a row LePage had with lawmakers last week about his desire to move oversight from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations.

The Republican governor says the alcoholic beverages bureau has expertise in managing retail sales, licensing and enforcement, and thus should have oversight.

—

1:10 p.m.

A committee of Maine lawmakers that will work to implement the rules around legal marijuana will get started this week.

Maine Senate President Michael Thibodeau announced the members of the Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation on Monday.

The Waldo Republican says the committee faces a tremendous amount of work related to safeguarding public safety, regulating retail sales of marijuana and crafting state government oversight rules.

He says the committee will make recommendations to the full state legislature.

The state has until February 2018 to craft rules about legalization. Use, possession and home growth are all legal as of Monday.

—

11:20 a.m.

Opponents of legalized marijuana in Maine say they will continue fighting to make sure its implementation is done with public safety in mind.

It became legal to grow and possess marijuana in Maine on Monday. But the state rulemaking process will help determine where people can buy it and use it.

Voters narrowly passed the ballot question in November.

Scott Gagnon is director of Maine’s chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group opposed to legalization.

He says those who opposed the ballot question have gone “from a campaign to doing everything we can to mitigate the risk.” He says advocates will be there every step of the way as state legislators hammer out rules governing marijuana sales.

The state has until early 2018 to craft rules.

—

12:35 a.m.

It’s a green Monday in Maine.

The first tangible results of state voters’ decision to legalize marijuana are being felt as possession and home growth of marijuana becomes legal.

Voters narrowly passed the ballot question in November, and the waiting period between the vote and legalization has expired.

Contentious aspects linger, including what rules should govern businesses that will sell marijuana, such as retail stores and social clubs. But it’s now legal to smoke it, gift it, grow it and possess up to 2.5 ounces of it.

The vote was close, and opponents are continuing to push for restrictions.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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The Republicans Sick of Marijuana Prohibition And The Lawmakers Who Listen

Marijuana is bipartisan. We know this: In every session circle, there’s at least one person with a Ron Paul button stashed in a junk drawer or a Gary Johnson vote in his or her past (now hidden for all time, tucked away under the weight of a Trump presidency). 

But marijuana’s relationship with mainstream Republicans is complicated at best. 

Sure, you had presidential candidate Rand Paul stay true to the GOP’s small-government values and espouse marijuana legalization—and now we have Jeff Sessions and his avowed support for mandatory minimums and enforcing drug laws preparing to take over the Justice Department. 

But all politics is local, as they say, and local Republicans can apparently read the polls.

A majority of Americans support legalization, and an overwhelming majority believe in medical marijuana. This includes Republicans: 42 percent of GOP voters support marijuana reform, according to an October 2016 Gallup poll recently returned to our attention by Quartz. And, as this humble outlet has noted in the past, efforts to expand access to cannabis are happening in Republican-controlled statehouses.

There may be more closet Republicans at cannabis conventions and in dispensaries than we know.

Lifelong Republican Ann Lee, a silver-haired octogenarian from Texas, remembers participating in a pro-pot panel in 2012, one of many at which she’s spoke since backing California’s 2010 effort to legalize cannabis. (You may have heard of her son: Richard Lee, founder of California cannabis grow college Oaksterdam University and the main bankroller of Prop. 19, which paved the way for the successful marijuana legalization pushes in Colorado and Washington in 2012. Lee has used a wheelchair since a serious workplace accident in the early 1990s. Seeing how marijuana relieved his pain and helped him function was what made Ann Lee realize the drug war was built on untruths.)

After the panel broke up, she started talking politics with her fellow speakers, 60 percent of whom turned out to be fellow GOP voters. That blew Lee’s mind. To find other like-minded true conservatives into small government and personal liberty—and to avoid leaving one of the country’s two major political parties and becoming a Libertarian—Lee started a political nonprofit: Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition.

Things started slow. A few Republican lawmakers came out strong in favor of legalization. And one conservative Christian Republican, Jason Vaughn, presented a religious argument for cannabis reform. But with few exceptions, anti-prohibition right-wingers were rare mavericks. Then came the polls, and lo: Republicans across the country are falling in line.

As Quartz reported, Tennessee Republicans Jeremy Faison and Steve Dickerson are behind a proposal that would see medical marijuana cultivated in 50 grow houses across the state beginning in December. Medical marijuana’s main advocate in Missouri, Jim Neely, is a Republican, converted to the cause after his daughter died of cancer in 2015.

As usual, Congress is the slowest to catch on, but even the House of Representatives’ Cannabis Caucus has Republicans. One, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, is likely to take a lead role this year and act as the group’s spokesman. Whether that’ll lead to federal marijuana reform bills to actually be called for a hearing by the committee chairs in Speaker Paul Ryan’s Congress remains to be seen, but acting as human roadblocks impeding drug policy reform is becoming harder and harder—for all Republicans.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Senate Committee to Vote on Sessions Nomination Tomorrow

After a hectic first week of Donald Trump’s presidency, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a motion to forward the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general on to the full Senate.

Just a week ago, most Washington observers considered Sessions a shoo-in for confirmation. But after a spate of executive orders from the Trump administration that have raised legal questions and drawn fire from bipartisan members of congress, senators may give more scrutiny to the president’s nominees.

A staunch advocate of the war on drugs, Sessions remarked last year that “good people don’t smoke marijuana.” He praised a 1996 bill in Alabama that would’ve made drug dealers—including those selling cannabis—eligible for the death penalty. And he once joked that members of the Ku Klux Klan “were OK until I found out they smoked pot.”

In confirmation hearings earlier this month, Sessions stopped short of saying he’d target state-legal cannabis. Beyond emphasizing that the substance remains illegal under federal law, he  was noncommittal.

“Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state, and the distribution of it, an illegal act,” he told senators. “If that’s something that’s not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule.”

Sessions struck a similar tone in written responses to senators’ questions. Asked whether he intends to follow the Cole memo, a Department of Justice document that set a policy of not interfering with state-legal cannabis, Sessions declined to commit to anything more than his intent to “review and evaluate” the policy.

“While I am generally familiar with the Cole memorandum, I am not privy to any internal Department of Justice data regarding the effectiveness of the policies contained within that memorandum,” he wrote. His job if confirmed, he wrote, “will be to enforce federal law, under which marijuana is currently a Schedule One controlled substance—defined as a drug with no currently  accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

If approved, Sessions would have more control over federal cannabis policy than anyone but the president. Without pushback from Congress, he could target medical marijuana providers or even seek to overturn state cannabis laws, undoing decades of hard-won reform.

If Sessions’s nomination passes out of committee, it will be put to a vote by the full Senate. Want to make your voice heard on the issue? Below are the members of the Judiciary Committee and their office numbers.

Republican Members

Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) —  Chairman
(202) 224-3744

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah)
(202) 224-5251

Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
(202) 224-5972

Sen. John Cornyn (Texas)
(202) 224-2934

Sen. Michael S. Lee (Utah)
(202) 224-5444

Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas)
(202) 224-5922

Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.)
(202) 224-4224

Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.)
(202) 224-4521

Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
(202) 224-6142

Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.)
(202) 224-6342

Sen. John Kennedy (La.)
(202) 224-4623

Democrat Members

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) — Ranking member
(202) 224-3841

Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.)
(202) 224-4242

Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.)
(202) 224-2152

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)
(202) 224-2921

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
(202) 224-3244

Sen. Al Franken (Minn.)
(202) 224-5641

Sen. Christopher A. Coons (Del.)
(202) 224-5042

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.)
(202) 224-2823

Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii)
(202) 224-6361

Ben Adlin

Ben Adlin is an editor at Leafly who specializes in politics and the law.

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Legal Cannabis Sales Threaten Liquor Industry

The alcohol industry organization, the Wholesale Spirits and Wine Association (WSWA) is unhappy about legalized cannabis. At their recent 72nd meeting, a seminar entitled, “Everything You Need to Know about Marijuana Legalization,” took place in a packed room with an invite list filled with names from the government and the cannabis industry there to discuss the explosion of legal cannabis and what they can do about it.

Alcohol wholesalers attended this seminar because they can no longer ignore the fact that cannabis legalization is sweeping the country, and their long-held dominance over the world of intoxicants will be changing in the future.

Their anxiety over legal cannabis sales threatening liquor industry profits isn’t unfounded, as early metrics point to that specific market effect in states like Colorado, where adults voted for the right to choose marijuana as a safer alternative.Recent articles in the Mark Brown newsletter show beer sales in certain markets have been adversely impacted by the legal sales of cannabis, and the Cowen Insight states, “In adult use cannabis markets, there are clear signs that cannabis is weighing on beer category trends, with CO, WA and OR underperforming the overall beer market by ~260 bps, YTD. Mainstream beers are the biggest drag, while craft is also slowing.”

On January 12, Institutional Cannabis Investors held a gathering of investors at Cowen and Company in NYC, a 100-year-old Wall Street investment banking house who recently initiated coverage for the cannabis market. This groundbreaking event means that legal cannabis is now a big enough money-maker for traditionally conservative Wall Street to use as an investment vehicle.

New risk factors have been placed on stalwart liquor companies such as Molson Coors, Constellation Brands and Brown Forman, according to an article on Bloomberg that quotes Cowen analyst Vivien Azer saying: “The rise of marijuana is affecting many large companies in the alcohol industry, making it critical to study the topic.”

Cowen and Company’s recent 110-page report on the state of the cannabis industry further proves that cannabis sales do take a bite out of liquor sales, a fact that the powerful liquor industry cannot ignore.

Azer authored an article entitled “Legal Cannabis is Weighing Heavily on Beer’s Buzz,” stating “In our initiation on the U.S. Cannabis industry, we asserted that increased use of cannabis presents a risk to alcohol, in particular distilled spirits (that over-index to men) and mainstream/economy beer. Data for Colorado (Denver only), Washington and Oregon support this conclusion.”

The Nielsen (liquor industry) report shows definitively that beer volumes in Denver have fallen specifically because of legal cannabis sales at all levels of the industry, and Cowen and Company’s research further states: “To be sure, admitted annual adult cannabis use of 14% falls well below the 70% that drink alcohol, and the 25% that smoke cigarettes. However, with the category having added at least 10 million consumers over the last 12 years, and with momentum building in terms of popular support and legislation, the cannabis industry is poised to generate meaningful growth. Over the last decade we have seen incidence climb for both alcohol and tobacco, across the total population, though alcohol looks to be under pressure.”

Alan Brochstein, chartered financial analyst from the investment research firm New Cannabis Ventures said, “My own view is that the legalization of cannabis for adults is a long-term issue for the alcohol industry as consumers are allowed to substitute one intoxicant for another. The impact will be slowed to a great degree by the lack of legal social use. This is why I am watching the developments in Denver so closely, as three years after legalization, one still can’t go to a restaurant or bar and enjoy cannabis publicly.”

It would appear that the liquor industry will be paying close attention to cannabis as an unwelcome competitor going forward.

While society should be celebrating the reduction in drunks on the street, fewer car accidents caused by intoxicated drivers, falling rates of domestic abuse and increased productivity due to fewer hung-over workers, it seems that those negative consequences of alcohol abuse must be tolerated as long as the investor class continues to line their pockets with liquor profits—unless, of course, they can co-opt the cannabis market and cash in on that as well.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Maryland Lawmakers Propose Adult Use Legalization

State lawmakers in Maryland are introducing legislation today that would regulate and tax cannabis similar to alcohol. The proposal consists of two bills – a regulation bill and a tax bill – that will each be filed in the Senate and the House.

The regulation bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) and Del. Curt Anderson (D-Montgomery) would make possession and home cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis legal for adults 21 years of age and older. Public consumption of cannabis would still be illegal, as would driving under the influence.

The proposed bill would also take into account prior convictions related to cannabis. Adults 21 and older who possessed or grew amounts of cannabis made lawful by the bill would have those prior convictions expunged. The bill would also create a structure for licensing and regulating a limited number of cannabis retail stores, manufactures, testing facilities, cultivation facilities, and craft cultivators.

“This legislation will effectively end the failed policy of cannabis prohibition in Maryland and replace it with a much more sensible system,” Sen. Madaleno said in a prepared statement. “It establishes a thoughtful regulatory scheme and tax structure based on best practices and lessons learned from other states.”

The tax bill, sponsored by Madaleno in the Senate, and Del. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) in the House, would create a taxation structure for cannabis along with guidelines about how the revenue should be allocated.

“Colorado and other states are raising millions of dollars in new revenue each month and creating thousands of good jobs,” Madaleno said. “Maryland is not only missing out on the benefits, but enduring the many problems associated with prohibition.”

The tax bill would initially enact a wholesale excise tax of $30 per ounce, and a 9 percent tax on retail cannabis sales—which mirrors the state’s current tax rates for alcohol. More than half of the cannabis tax revenue will go to a community schools program: 25 percent for substance abuse treatment and prevention; 15 percent for workforce development programs; and 10 percent for combating impaired driving through public education and additional law enforcement training.

According to Del. Mary Washington, sponsor of the tax bill in the House, ending cannabis prohibition will generate a much needed boost in funding within the state.

“Tax revenue from cannabis sales will generate much-needed funds for our state,” Washington said. “Our tax bill will allocate half of the revenues from cannabis taxes to the community schools program, which benefits high-poverty schools across Maryland. It will also provide funding for treatment services that are needed to address our state’s battle with opioid addiction.”

Sen. William C. Smith, the primary co-sponsor of the regulation bill in the Senate, said that decriminalization simply does not do enough.

“African Americans are far more likely to be the subject of marijuana enforcement than other Marylanders,” Smith said. “Decriminalization reduces the number of Marylanders who are branded criminals, but it does not change the fact that marijuana laws are not enforced equally, and that people of color are disproportionately punished.”

He added: “Decriminalization also does nothing to stop the public safety issues that arise when a lucrative market is driven underground. It’s time to put marijuana sales behind the counter, and to let adults make their own decisions about using a substance that is safer than alcohol.”

Sixty-four percent of likely Maryland voters support making cannabis legal for adults, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted in September 2016.

Gage Peake

Gage Peake is a staff writer who specializes in breaking news coverage, politics, and sports.

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Should Marijuana Possession Cause Loss of Driving Privileges?

Virginia lawmakers are pushing a piece of modest marijuana reform this session that would eliminate the possibility of a person losing their driver’s license based on a conviction for marijuana possession.

According to a report from Capital News Service, there has been some action in the House and Senate to eliminate that pesky portion of the state’s current law that insists a person should not be allowed the privilege of operating a motor vehicle if they happen to get busted holding a little weed.

Last week, in a vote of 38-to-2, the Senate approved a measure supported by Democratic Senator Adam Ebbin and Republican Senator Bill Stanley intended to change this portion of the law. A House version of the bill, filed by Delegate Les Adams, also made some progress—successfully finding its way out of meeting with a leading subcommittee.

It is no secret that Virginia has some of the most severe pot laws in the nation.

First offenders caught with less than a half ounce of the herb can be slapped with a misdemeanor drug charge, which comes with a punishment of up to 30 days in jail and fines reaching $500.

What’s more is the state continues to punish these people long after they are released from the slammer—suspending their driver’s license for six months—even if they accept a plea deal and take part in a deferment program.

Reports show that nearly 40,000 people in Virginia lose their driving privileges every year as a result of drug related offense—most of which are for minor marijuana possession.

The goal of these bills is to ensure adult pot offenders are given a second chance after violating the state’s drug laws. After all, the loss of a driver’s license can prevent the afflicted from maintaining gainful employment and taking care of other important responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the bills were not designed to be a saving grace for those minors taken down by small time pot possession. If passed, the language would still permit judges to suspend a juvenile’s license as part of his or her sentence. However, it would not be mandatory for the courts to impose this portion of the penalty.

Although there is some support for this reform in the General Assembly, it is only going to be permitted to move forward if it does not interfere with the state’s ability to receive federal funding. If this action goes the distance, the state would require confirmation from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Anxious? Paranoid? It’s Probably Not the Weed

Park rangers, scientists and now immigrants have all weathered attacks from America’s new president. Make no mistake: if they’re not after you now, they soon will be. It’s right and proper to be anxious and paranoid in times like these, but at least one culprit for an ill wind bringing you to unease can be ruled out.

By itself, cannabis is “no more than a minor risk factor” for anxiety disorders, new research has found.

As Broadly observed last week, there are a number of research studies that conclude marijuana users may develop anxiety disorder symptoms at a rate higher than the general, non-using public. But when Conal Twomey, a professor of psychology and researcher at the University of Southampton in the U.K., took a look at the studies, he found them wanting.

Most of the studies that concluded marijuana is a risk factor for anxiety were “cross-sectional,” as opposed to longitudinal.

For the 99 percent of us unfamiliar with research terminology, imagine the difference between a snapshot and a full-length documentary. Cross-sectional studies look at a discreet point in time; longitudinal studies observe subjects over an extended period—months, years, perhaps even decades, if the funding keeps coming. (The landmark study that concluded there’s no link between moderate marijuana smoking and lung ailments like cancer and COPD was a longitudinal study; so too was the study from Jamaica that found children whose mothers smoked marijuana while pregnant showed no difference in functionality and brain development than children of nonsmokers.)

Such short-term, limited “studies therefore cannot tell us about the directionality of the cannabis–anxiety association,” Twomey told Broadly’s Gabby Bess. “Is cannabis use causing anxiety, or are people with anxiety more likely to use cannabis due to the reported stress-relieving functions of the drug?”

Great question. And one without a solid answer, which Twomey did not set out to provide.

Twomey sought only to see if the research that claimed there was a link was any good. Most of it, he found, wasn’t. Most of it was cross-sectional.

When Twomey looked at only the long-term studies and controlled for other factors with known links to anxiety—including mental health problems—he found that even frequent marijuana users were only 1.15 times as likely to develop “elevated anxiety symptoms.”

That is, there are “very small odds” that a heavy stoner may be jumpier or more paranoid than casual cannabis users or non-users—and, Twomey concluded, there’s no demonstrated link between smoking marijuana and the sudden appearance of anxiety symptoms.

“[C]annabis use is no more than a minor risk factor for the development of elevated anxiety symptoms in the general population,” he wrote.

As it happens, results from a three-year longitudinal study in Sweden looking into marijuana use’s connection to depression and anxiety were released last year. Researchers found no long-term link between cannabis use and either malady. And a cross-sectional study conducted in Colorado, results of which were released in December, found no link between marijuana and anxiety, either.  

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Why the Cannabis Industry Is a Magnet for Females Executives

Move over, lads, women want a piece of the green action—and they’re taking it.

According to a survey of 632 cannabis executives and professionals, women are in leadership positions in 63 percent of potency and safety testing labs and in nearly half of companies that make and sell edibles and other products. And this is just a start.

How does this compare with the gender ratio in other industries? Let us count the ways:

In tech startups, only nine percent are led by women; women fill 22 percent of senior management positions in mid-size U.S. companies; and only 5.4 percent of CEO jobs at Fortune 1000 companies, according to a 2015 Pew Research report.

So, why are women shattering the glass ceiling in the cannabis industry?

For starters, women’s ability to multitask and their tendency to be flexible come in handy in an industry where the rules and regulations are constantly changing, from state-to-state and from one election cycle to another.

Long before states began legalizing medical and recreational weed, studies suggested that men were more likely than women to consume cannabis. A study published by Columbia University confirmed that this is still true.

However, that and other studies have also shown women’s willingness to openly discuss marijuana has had a major impact on legalization.

Once marijuana’s medicinal powers for children began to gain international attention, women stepped up to the plate and demanded MMJ when they saw a need.

Kyndra Miller, a founding member of NORML’s Women’s Alliance, compared pot legalization to the 1920s when women banded together to end alcohol prohibition.

Neither alcohol, nor weed legalization, could be done without the full support of women, who make up slightly more than 50 percent of the voting population.

And now, with a new industry still in the making, women are taking the opportunity to break old traditions and work out the gender roles before their male counterparts pick up bad habits.

So far, women fill 36 percent of executive positions in U.S. cannabis companies that grow, test, sell and market pot products in this booming business, which is among the fastest growing in the country.

“It’s a new chance for many women who have been in the corporate world who couldn’t get to the next level,” said Becca Foster, an independent consultant with Healthy Headie.

“It’s not often that entire industries are born,” said Crystal Huish, an accountant and business consultant in the weed industry. “It’s an opportunity to break old traditions.”

And an opportunity for women to create more equitable rules.

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, notes that the industry is still new enough to not yet be influenced by insider, male-dominated networks.

“In long-established industries, you have generations of business that has been dominated by men, and that creates structures of advancement that are dominated by men,” West said in an interview with the Christian Science Monitor.

However, there’s still a ways to go.

In other areas of the cannabis industry, particularly cultivation and investment, women leaders are still in the minority. Despite data on female executives, some say there is still a glass ceiling.

“I don’t want to give the country a fallacy that there’s not a glass ceiling in the industry because there is,” said Greta Carter, an investor in 10 companies in Nevada and California that grow, process and sell cannabis.

She explained that women’s involvement in leadership positions tend to be in ancillary businesses, such as growing, packaging, marketing, advertising, design, law and accounting—rather than wholesale cultivation, which requires heavy capital investment and more risk tolerance.

Nevertheless, women’s involvement in ancillary businesses and testing labs is major progress—with the added benefit that these areas are the most profitable sectors in the industry. So, women are definitely well positioned.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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A Glance at Proposed State Spending for Marijuana Programs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Jerry Brown this month recommended spending over $50 million in his proposed budget for marijuana regulation. It’s anticipated the funds will be repaid after taxes begin coming in. Here’s a breakdown of some of the proposals:

– Department of Consumer Affairs: $22.5 million, to develop regulations for the transportation, storage, distribution and sale of legal marijuana, along with licensing and enforcement.

– Department of Food and Agriculture: $23.4 million, to develop regulations for marijuana cultivation, including licenses for growers.

– Board of Equalization: $5.3 million, to notify businesses of new tax requirements and update systems to process taxes.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

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Recipe: Bring the Heat with These Spicy Infused Chicken Wings

Looking to spice up your party spread? Search no further than this step-by-step recipe using California favorite Blue Dream: a buzzy, sativa heavy hybrid to keep you up and cheering for your favorite sports team.

I stumbled upon this recipe a couple of weeks back when my friend, Stephen Wilson, revealed one of his tried and true infused dishes, and what a perfect time of year to divulge in his extra-easy and delicious spicy infused chicken wings. He graciously opened his doors to us in order to pass on this delectable recipe to the rest of the world. It’s an excellent addition to any party (or even just a night on the couch). You can expect a light and sweet cannabis flavor that is complemented by a touch of heat without overwhelming the palate.

Recipe for Cannabis-Infused Spicy Chicken Wings

Yields: 12-14 Pieces of Chicken

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Time in Kitchen:  45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Dash black pepper
• Dash cumin
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce
• 1 pound chicken
• 1/3 cup cannabutter
• 1/3 cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce (separate from above)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together in large bowl.
3. Fold chicken into seasoning mix and place on lightly greased pan.
4. Mix together 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot in small bowl and dunk pieces of chicken into the mixture before replacing on pan.
5. Place chicken in oven, turning over once after 15 minutes.
6. Mix together 1/3 cup melted cannabutter and 1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot and heat – set aside.
7. Once chicken is out of the oven, drizzle cannabutter mixture over chicken wings.
8. Serve hot! Pairs well with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

Stephen’s tips for an even better chicken wing experience:

• Dry your chicken on a paper towel before covering in seasoning mix – the flour coating will stick much better to dried chicken.
• Drop in a little buffalo sauce for added flavor!
• Grab two pounds of chicken and set one pound aside (following all directions sans cannabutter) for a round of extra munchies.

Note: The amount of cannabis butter specified in this recipe is a very loose suggestion; the actual amount you use should be modified based on the strength of your cannabutter and the potency you desire. Dosing homemade edibles can be tricky, so the best way to test for potency is to start with one portion of a serving, wait one to two hours, then make an informed decision on whether to consume more. Always dose carefully and listen to your body, and never drive under the influence of cannabis.

Hannah Meadows

Hannah Meadows is an editorial intern at Leafly, where she contributes to lifestyle content.

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F You, Voters: Arkansas Senator’s Plan to Defy Electorate and Undo MMJ

Thirty-two of America’s 50 state legislatures have Republican majorities, and the party of President Trump has at least a split stake in deciding what laws are made and unmade in six more states.

Having Republicans in charge of American lawmaking doesn’t mean the end for drug-policy reform, far from it. Marijuana legalization and medical cannabis are winning in red states, where lawmakers—Republicans, even—have introduced bills to reduce penalties, allow access to marijuana oil and otherwise prove that ending cannabis prohibition is a bipartisan issue.

But then there’s Jason Rapert.

The Arkansas state senator is a Republican. No harm there; most voters in deep, deep red Arkansas are Republicans—and they just voted to allow medical marijuana in November. However, what the voters want isn’t sitting well with Jason Rapert, who is following the lead of other state lawmakers around the country—including Democrats—and finding ways to undermine voter-approved, voter-desired changes to the current unpopular and failed approach to marijuana.

One idea Rapert’s hit upon is to outlaw marijuana smoking.

Medical cannabis could be had in Arkansas, just only as an oil or a topical. Rapert explained his logic to the local Fox affiliate: Smoking (tobacco) is bad, so therefore smoking cannabis must be bad—just as bad as cigarette smoking, in fact. Let’s forget for a second all the evidence to the contrary and remember that this would be consistent with New York State, which also mandates medical marijuana can’t be in flower form. Dumb and unnecessary, but understandable—and something you can work with, at least for a while.

What you can’t work with is Rapert’s other plan.

Last Thursday, he introduced a bill that would delay Arkansas’s medical marijuana program until it became consistent with federal law. In other words, no medical marijuana in Arkansas until the federal government legalizes medical marijuana. A neat trick, and one that in both intention and effect is a big “fuck you” to the 53.66 percent of Arkansans who voted to allow legal medical weed.

As THV11 reported, Rapert is so concerned about weed that he’s willing to break from hallowed conservative values and prop up Big Government in order to keep it away from his constituents.

“When I took office I swore an oath to uphold the laws of the United States and the state of Arkansas. I do not intend to break my oath,” Rapert said in a statement. “We should have no laws at all if they are not going to be respected.”

This is a dishonest cop-out, as a glance at Rapert’s record with respecting several established American laws shows.

This is the same Jason Rapert who has so much respect for the laws of the land that he’s tried multiple times to undo Roe v. Wade (a law of the United States), reinstate bans on gay marriage (which would violate the Constitution)—and, just for a little dose of big crazy, once suggested that we win the war on ISIS by dropping nuclear weapons on the “barbarians.”

Oh, and Donald Trump’s recent ban on immigrants from seven, mostly Muslim, countries, a policy in such flagrant violation of everything America stands for that a court temporarily blocked part of it on Saturday, and the White House caved after two days of protests and allowed green card holders into the country?

Law-loving and law-respecting Jason Rapert loves it.

Friends – these Liberal politicians have gone completely insane. Keep up the good work @realDonaldTrump @mike_pence – We appreciate you! https://t.co/TouALx875O

— Sen. Jason Rapert (@jasonrapert) January 29, 2017

But what shot does the ingenious and nefarious plan of Jason Rapert, terrible person, to block the will of his constituents have? If his legislative record is any indication, it has no chance.

From THV-11: “Since 2013, Rapert has either sponsored or voted on a couple of proposed bills in the Arkansas legislature that have attempted to limit abortions in Arkansas. Each time, a court or judge ruled that the law was unconstitutional.”

In other words, Jason Rapert likes to push legislation that violates the most basic law of the land, and loses every time. Luckily for Arkansas medical marijuana, Rapert is also a terrible lawmaker. 

Let’s hope that track record of success continues with his most recent brain fart.

You can keep up with all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news right here.

from
http://hightimes.com/news/f-you-voters-arkansas-senators-plan-to-defy-electorate-and-undo-mmj/