Marijuana Legalization

But one example;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2aIZX5R3Ns

 

Marijuana retailers and growers in Colorado pay local, state, and federal taxes - however they can't open bank accounts so they pay their taxes in cash.

 

When California rolls out recreational marijuana on January first, there's going to be billions of dollars in cash floating around out there. The fear is that big hoards of cash will be irresistible to criminals. Lots of guns are going to be stuck into lots of faces and people are probably going to die.

So the California State Treasurer has floated some ideas. They include trying to increase marijuana industry access to the conventional banking sector, setting up a state-run marijuana bank if that isn't possible, and efforts to change federal law to remove marijuana from the schedule one list.

http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/cbwg/resources/reports/110717-cannabis-report.pdf

 

Here's something kind of funny. It's a TV advertisement for an Oregon marijuana home delivery business, that parodies those ubiquitous prescription drug TV ads we've all seen:

https://youtu.be/HrTcwOJpRk4

 

Ha ha! That's hilarious :smile:

 

Today's the day that California goes to pot!

Fewer than 100 retailers statewide (all of them existing medical marijuana dispensaries) have initial state retail-sales licenses. Here in the SF bay area, none are in San Francisco (surprising) but they are found in a whole strip of the East Bay in Oakland (long a hotbed of the marijuana legalization movement), Berkeley and Hayward I believe. In the South Bay, San Jose has several recreational pot dispensaries. There are none in the more upscale Silicon Valley suburbs on the peninsula. Berkeley is trying to position itself as the cannabis go-to spot for all of Northern California (lots of local tax revenue) so there are a whole bunch of places there.

A few in Sacramento and in rural parts of the far northern end of the state. Very little in the rest of the Central Valley. Santa Cruz is a hotbed of pot smoke. San Diego has legal dispensaries but LA doesn't. I heard somewhere that Abner's Santa Ana has them. West Hollywood (a separate city) looks to become LA's early dope-den. Both LA and SF plan to allow sales... but not quite yet. (SF is facing lots of resistance to the idea from the politically potent Chinese immigrant community and apparently wants to see how it rolls out elsewhere before they write rules. LA's just slow and disorganized.)

The event had reporters and TV cameras out to cover it, and they are reporting lines in Oakland and SJ. But my sense is that it isn't as frenzied as it was when Nevada rolled out retail sales a few months back. In Las Vegas it was a big entertainment production, with searchlights, booming music and big crowds.

Statewide this looks to be a $5-6 billion industry in the next 2-3 years, larger than beer.

http://www.thecannabist.co/2018/01/01/california-marijuana-legalization-rules/95673/

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/New-era-to-open-in-California-with-first-sales-of-12464823.php

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42532776

http://www.breitbart.com/california/2018/01/01/marijuana-now-legal-california-can-find/

 

Not to be techincal, but I live in a city bordering Anaheim Hills, though I like to hang out in Santa Ana! He he

 

I read in (Canadian) news that Donald Trump has just stated that drilling is good - and marijuana is bad. I'm told his intention is to facilitate large increases in offshore drilling - and reassert Government powers re: the Federal illegality of marijuana, despite States allowing it. Just like everything else lately, this looks like trouble...

I don't generally care one way or the other about pot, but somebody - PLEASE hand that man a dynamite spliff - and make sure he inhales! Oh yes, roll a super-fatty for Kim Jong-Un, as well.

J.

 

Blowback? Is there smoke, I hope? OK, roll a big 'un for Jeff, as well. He sure looks like he could use it. Him, Trump and Kim. "Joint" talks ... munchies and giggles for all.

 

I really liked the remarks about Alford's stupid statements by Sen. David Haley (related to Alex Haley, noted author.)

Sen. David Haley, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kan., and relative of author Alex Haley, said the type of commentary attributed to Alford reflected prejudices held by Americans for hundreds of years.
“Unfounded stereotypes have been the basis of racist and gender discrimination from inception of our country,” Haley said. “Unfounded statements that refer to race are an indictment of small minds.”

 

“Unfounded statements that refer to race are an indictment of small minds.” (Sen. David Haley)
Indeed. Perhaps Forrest Gump said the same thing in slightly fewer words: "Stupid is as stupid does, sir."

 

If Jeff Sessions conducts mass arrests in Colorado, that would likely cost the GOP at least one vote. Colorado has both a Democrat and a Republican Senator representing it. My understanding is that Senator Gardner has framed the whole thing as a "states rights" issue. Rand Paul has already come out and said that it is ridiculous that marijuana is scheduled as it is. If federal resources went this route, he would probably turn as well.

Trump's position is far more precarious than he might like to admit. Pissing off even a small group of GOP senators could spell doom for his administration.

 

I guess this just happened

http://www.ibtimes.com/vermont-legalizes-recreational-marijuana-use-ninth-state-do-so-2644051

 

Kiz - Where have you been?

 

Well Ted, the whole story in in the Missing Moderator thread. I'm glad to see that you've been well.

 

So then there's whole thing going on with hemp

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-extract-is-driving-a-hemp-gold-rush-but-is-it-legal/ar-BBIP0to?li=AA4ZnC&ocid=spartandhp

 

The San Diego Union Tribune has an interesting story about older marijuana users. That's one of the largest customer categories at the newly-legal pot dispensaries. One dispensary did a survey and its average customer was 58. Grey haired customers in their 60's and 70's are a common sight at the dispensaries.

Many of these people are primarily using marijuana for medical purposes, for pain, inability to sleep and stuff like that. The chairman of pain medicine at UC San Diego medical school says that he has no problem suggesting pot to his patients. He is convinced that it's safe and considers it a more conservative pain treatment than opioids. (But he says that dosage is important for pain relief, too little doesn't work and too much can make pain worse.)

Many other older patients are old hippies from the 60's and 70's, and this group is smoking it more for the high.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/marijuana/sd-me-senior-pot-20180131-story.html

 

That's intersting. I would rather have people on Marijuana than the highly addictive opiates. Docs give out opioids very liberally. I have a bad back several years ago, they gave me more and more high strength Norco. I eventually go addicted! I went through rehab and have been clean 4 years now.