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Spicey fabricates alternative mj facts
BY MONTEREY BUD ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2017 AT 9:45 AM
Rep. Blumenauer on Trump Administration’s ‘Alternative Facts'
Congressman Earl Blumenauer addressed Sean Spicer’s assertion that the Trump administration may cultivate “greater enforcement” of adult-use of marijuana.
After White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer finished pandering to the willfully ignorant during yesterday’s press conference, and creating more “alternative facts” about the relationship between adult use marijuana and opioid abuse, Congressman Earl Blumenauer of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus cultivated the following statement in response:
“I am deeply disappointed by Sean Spicer’s statement that he expects states to see ‘greater enforcement’ and crackdown on adult use of marijuana. The national prohibition of cannabis has been a failure, and millions of voters across the country have demanded a more sensible approach. I’m looking forward to working with the leadership of our newly formed cannabis caucus to ensure that Oregonian’s wishes are protected and that we end the failed prohibition on marijuana.”
Undeterred by fact-based evidence, Trump’s press secretary appeared to link the national surge in opioid addiction with the one substance that has been shown to reduce opioid abuse – marijuana. Drawing gasps of disapproval from around the country, Spicer’s ill-conceived comments also drew condemnation from The National Cannabis Industry Association.
“It would be a mistake for the Department of Justice to overthrow the will of the voters and state governments who have created carefully regulated adult-use marijuana programs. It would represent a rejection of the values of economic growth, limited government, and respect for federalism that Republicans claim to embrace.”
Not alone in their disdain for yesterday’s announcement by press secretary Spicer, the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus also released the following statement via email.
“Today’s statement by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer regarding marijuana policy reaffirms the need for the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. Last November, eight more states passed measures to increase access to state-legal cannabis, and today more than 300 million Americans live in states with access to adult-use marijuana or some form medical cannabis. Among them are four additional states that have fully legalized the adult-use of marijuana. We hope today’s comments do not reflect the views of the President and his administration. As co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, we stand ready to educate this administration on the need for more sensible marijuana policies and share the many experiences states have had with the legalization of cannabis. Together, we will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to reform our failed marijuana policies and provide a voice for Americans who have overwhelmingly voted for a more sensible drug policy.”
Despite Sean Spicer erroneously associating adult-use marijuana states with increased opioid abuse (read: fake news), a 2015 study published by Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) noted a dramatic decline in opioid-related deaths for those states that have embraced medical marijuana.
Though medical and recreational states differ greatly on who can access the beneficial herb, few would dispute that a few puffs a day keeps the addictive pills away.
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2017/02/rep-blumenauer-trumps-administrations-alternative-facts/
Mj states say Spicey's comments insult voters
Officials in Washington State are vowing to fight any federal crackdown on the state’s successful cannabis industry after White House press secretary Sean Spicer strongly implied that the Trump administration may crack down on states with legal recreational marijuana.
“We will resist any efforts to thwart the will of the voters in Washington,” said the state’s attorney general Bob Ferguson in an interview with the Seattle Times.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and AG Ferguson sent a letter last week to U.S. attorney general and outspoken pot-hater Jeff Sessions, asking to meet and discuss the issue.
“Our state’s efforts to regulate the sale of marijuana are succeeding,” they wrote in the letter, which was released Thursday. “A few years ago, the illegal trafficking of marijuana lined the pockets of criminals everywhere. Now, in our state, illegal trafficking activity is being displaced by a closely regulated marijuana industry that pays hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. This frees up significant law enforcement resources to protect our communities in other, more pressing ways.”
It is worth noting that Washington State’s recreational marijuana sales exceeded the $1.1 billion mark with sales tax revenue reaching $410 million in 2016.
This is not a fight Donald Trump and his administration should pick, Inslee said earlier this month. “They would be on the wrong side of history.”
Ferguson said his lawyers are already “quite prepared” to argue against a federal crackdown but will begin reviewing strategies now that Spicer has sent the administration’s first signals about recreational marijuana.
“When he talks about ‘greater enforcement,’ I take that seriously,” said Ferguson, whose legal team twice prevailed over the president’s lawyers in federal court when they halted Trump’s racist travel ban.
In his comments on Thursday, Spicer said Trump does not oppose medical marijuana, but “that’s very different than recreational use, which is something the Department of Justice will be further looking into.”
This focus on legal recreational weed seems to be a departure from Trump’s previous statements in favor of states’ rights. But following that logic would imply that the White House is following a consistent policy.
Spicer’s comments came on the same day as a Quinnipiac poll noted that 59 percent of Americans think marijuana should be legal and 71 percent would oppose a federal crackdown.
In Pueblo, Colorado, reported the Associated Press, legal marijuana has helped fund college scholarships, parks, jail improvements and school drug prevention programs, said County Commissioner Sal Pace.
“Most Americans agree on this issue; let the states decide,” Pace said.
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, from Oregon weighed in: “I am deeply disappointed by Sean Spicer’s statement that he expects states to see ‘greater enforcement’ and crackdown on adult use of marijuana. The national prohibition of cannabis has been a failure, and millions of voters across the country have demanded a more sensible approach. I’m looking forward to working with the leadership of our newly formed cannabis caucus to ensure that Oregonian’s wishes are protected and that we end the failed prohibition on marijuana.”
In Nevada, which recently legalized recreational pot, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford said in a statement Thursday that meddling in recreational pot laws would be federal overreach and harm state coffers that fund education.
“Any action by the Trump administration would be an insult to Nevada voters and would pick the pockets of Nevada’s students,” said Ford.
So, friends, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and defend the hard-fought gains of this movement.
http://hightimes.com/news/states-respond-to-trumps-impending-war-on-legal-weed/
Just making up mj issues like Richard Nixon
]
Feb 23, 2017
Spicey equates our country's opioid epidemic to recreational marijuana, and people believe him
"I think that when you see the opioid addiction crisis blossoming in so many states around this country, the last thing we should be doing is encouraging people. There is still a federal law we need to abide by in terms of when it comes to recreational marijuana.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2017/02/23/sean-spicer-wrongly-links-recreational-marijuana-with-opioid-crisis/#687758523ea9
Why America can't quit the drug war
After 45 years, more than $1 trillion wasted, and the creation of the world's largest prison system,
America still lacks the political will to change its failed drug policy
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-america-cant-quit-the-drug-war-20160505
Thanks for the cheap shares Spicey !
Just build big walls around the legal mj states
Drug Catapult Discovered Attached To US-Mexico Border Wall In Arizona
While patrolling in Arizona last week, U.S. Border Patrol agents located a catapult near the Douglas Port of entry area that was being used to hurl marijuana from Mexico to the United States.
According to officials, border agents noticed a number of people retreating from the area as they approached, and upon further investigation, they discovered two bundles of cannabis weighing over 47 pounds total. When the agents saw the catapult, they dismantled the apparatus, which was later confiscated by Mexican law enforcement authorities.
In 2013, The Guardian reported that a “marijuana cannon” had been seized from the border city of Mexicali after U.S. officers informed Mexican police that a large number of marijuana packages seemed to have been “fired” over the border. Mexican officials say they have confiscated several such devices in recent years.
You’re gonna have to make that wall a little bit higher, President Trump.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-16/drug-catapult-discovered-attached-us-mexico-border-wall-arizona
Spicey was asked for clarification on “greater enforcement”
Spicey says: "No, no. I know. I know what I -- I think -- then that’s what I said.”
C'mon man you're flip flopping again ?
Can't wait for the next SNL Spicey skit. He's hilarious
Trump may decide to build big walls around the legal mj states.
Who knows what's next ?
This is gonna be a good fight !
Spicey may come back tomorrow and take back his remarks.
He does that sometimes.
Spicey's prolly already on Trump's short list to get fired.
Hopefully, we can get some comments from Trump about legal mj states.
Spicey's press briefing will boost SNL ratings
Keep up the good work !
States rights rule. They can't do anything.
Spicey's off his meds again.
Just another wishy washy personal opinion
Maybe they'll be able to get Trump to answer this question now.
Tweeter in chief just tweets
States are depending on mj tax revenue.
It's already been calculated into their budgets.
California treasurer sent Trump a similar letter December 2nd 2016 seeking banking guidance.
Maybe a tweet would have got a tweet back ?
DEC. 2, 2016, 9:31 A.M.
California treasurer asks President-elect Donald Trump to address inability of pot firms to use banks
Just weeks after Californians voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana, State Treasurer John Chiang on Friday appointed a working group to figure out how to address problems caused by the unwillingness of federally regulated banks to handle money from pot businesses.
Chiang also sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and members of California’s congressional delegation seeking guidance in finding a solution.
Marijuana remains an illegal drug under federal law, and banks regulated by the U.S. government have refused to provide financial services to cannabis-related firms.
“This conflict between federal and state rules creates a number of problems for the states that have legalized cannabis use, including difficulties collecting tax revenue, increased risk of serious crime, and the inability of a newly legal industry under state law to effectively engage in banking and commerce,” Chiang wrote to Trump and those he asked to serve on the working group.
The working group is made up of representatives from law enforcement, the marijuana industry, banks, taxing authorities and local government agencies, said Chiang, who is a candidate for governor.
On Nov. 8, California voters approved Proposition 64, which allowed the state to join Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada, Alaska, Maine, and the District of Columbia in legalizing recreational use of cannabis.
Chiang noted that marijuana sales are expected to reach $7 billion annually in California and pot firms will have to pay about $1 billion in taxes to state and local governments.
“The standoff between states and the federal government means a lot of businesses will be hauling around a lot of cash with no place to deposit their money and putting themselves at the risk of robbery,” Chiang told reporters in a conference call.
Chiang downplayed the likelihood of creating a state bank, saying it would be a complex process that would involve thorny issues including collateralization.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-treasurer-asks-1480699532-htmlstory.html
Just more alarmist tales of reefer madness
Alarmism is excessive or exaggerated alarm about a real or imagined threat, such as the increases in deaths from an infectious disease.
In the news media, alarmism can be a form of yellow journalism where reports sensationalize a story to exaggerate small risks
Though hemp was grown as a fiber by the earliest American colonists, and cannabis was used as an ingredient in medicines throughout the 19th century, recreational cannabis smoking first took on a negative connotation in the American cultural imagination when people began to associate it with Mexican immigrants arriving in the country after the revolution of 1910.
Many Mexican laborers smoked marijuana to unwind, as a cheaper alternative to alcohol during Prohibition. The drug became associated with immigrants, tied up in xenophobic fears and resentments during the Great Depression.
Soon researchers claimed baseless links between marijuana use and antisocial behavior, crime, murder and insanity. One by one, states passed legislation outlawing the drug.
In 1936, the film Reefer Madness released. Originally conceived as a morality tale to warn parents against the dangers of cannabis, it was recut into an exploitation film, a lurid melodrama about a group of dope-smoking teens who descend into a hell of murder, suicide and madness brought on by the infernal herb.
Though Reefer Madness was the most famous anti-weed screed, it was soon followed by many imitators, including Assassin of Youth, where all-night marijuana parties lead to violence, and Marihuana, where an innocent girl winds up impregnated, addicted to heroin and planning a kidnapping, all because of a single puff.
http://mashable.com/2016/04/18/anti-weed-film-posters/
Trump Administration “Unlikely” to Go After Marijuana States, Says Press Secretary
Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spicer has spoken up for the first time regarding state marijuana laws.
With the recent confirmation of prohibitionist Jeff Sessions as the next U.S. Attorney General, there’s a lot of well-founded fear in the marijuana community about what will happen next. However, President Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spice says it’s “unlikely” the Trump Administration will attack states that have legalized marijuana.
“I think that’s unlikely” Sean Spicer told our D.C.-based reporter Rebecka Brian today when asked “can we expect the Trump Administration to enforce federal law in states where marijuana is legal?” Spicer chose not to answer any follow-up questions.
Obviously this doesn’t give us much to go off of, but the fact that Spicer is willing to say that a federal marijuana crackdown is “unlikely” is a significant indicator that the issue has been discussed among the administration, and that they are planning to respect state marijuana laws.
Still, “unlikely” doesn’t necessarily mean “it isn’t going to happen”, so there’s still plenty of reason to be cautious going forward. However, there are also reasons to be optimistic.
https://thejointblog.com/trump-marijuana-states-press-secretary/
Blum Reno grand opening
https://www.facebook.com/BlumReno/videos/1198301683558632/
Cabinet picks will implement Trump's agenda
Spicer: Cabinet Picks Will Implement Trump's Agenda, Not Their Own
Jan 10 2017 1L23pm As seen on Outnumbered
Incoming Press Secretary @seanspicer on Sessions' medicinal marijuana stance: "When you come into a Trump admin, it's the Trump agenda." pic.twitter.com/VX13Od7EIK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 10, 2017
Better news than expected
Previous attorney general confirmation hearings have not been mj friendly
Jeff Sessions is the first attorney general nominee to suggest changing the federal mj laws at his senate confirmation hearing. That took balls.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas !
The Vegas voters have spoken
The Inaugural #Trump420 Happy Friday
https://www.facebook.com/NowThisWeed/videos/1211098052305991/
You are cordially invited to join DCMJ for the inaugural #Trump420 taking place on Friday January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC
We will gather on the west side of Dupont Circle at 8am for coffee & tea and parade down to the National Mall at 10am. Along the way we’ll hand out 4,200 joints of legally grown cannabis! At 4 minutes and 20 seconds into President Trump’s speech we’ll light up! (unless President Trump comes out now in support of full cannabis legalization in all 50 States and DC!)
We legalized cannabis in Washington, DC and we are not going to let anyone take that away from us! This is an outreach opportunity to show President Trump’s supporters we are the marijuana majority! Join us for smokin’ fun time!
http://dcmj.org/
It's a civil rights protest.
This is the same group of Washington DC weed advocates that took weed to Jeff Sessions senate office.
The advocates said they will inform everyone about possibility of getting arrested at Trump's inauguration.
I think they are hoping to get arrested.
That's the point of the protest. Smoking weed should be legal.
Will inauguration security arrest over 4000 people for smoking a joint ?
Maybe the DC advocates should have kept their protest plans a secret.
We'll see how it goes.
Weed arrived at jeff sessions office
Eidinger asking group: who wants to roll a joint on the coffee table in @jeffsessions office? #smokesessions
Mj advocates handing out inauguration joints
WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of marijuana legalization advocates plan to hand out thousands of joints during President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Pro-marijuana organization DCMJ will begin distributing the 4,200 joints at 8 a.m. on Jan. 20 on the west side of Dupont Circle. The participants will then walk to the National Mall.
At four minutes and 20 seconds into Trump’s speech, DCMJ founder Adam Eidinger says protesters will light up.
He says the giveaway is legal as long as it’s done on District of Columbia land. Those smoking on federal land risk arrest.
Eidinger says the group wants to send a message that the federal government should legalize cannabis.
Marijuana advocates are concerned about what actions attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama would take on the issue. Sessions has previously spoken out against marijuana legalization.
http://hightimes.com/news/marijuana-advocates-to-hand-out-joints-at-trump-inauguration/
Craigslist ads offer plastic bags for sale
Craigslist ads offer plastic bags for sale filled with 'free' marijuana
By Daniel Uria Jan. 3, 2017 at 2:52 PM
Several Craigslist postings in Massachusetts have appeared, offering "free" marijuana gifts along with the purchase of empty plastic bags. The listings began appearing after a ballot question was passed allowing people over 21 to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana. The sale of marijuana remains illegal in the state, according to Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.
BOSTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Several Massachusetts Craigslist ads have appeared offering empty bags for sales with an additional gift of "free" marijuana.
One listing offered various sizes of plastic bags ranging in price from $20 to $90 while also advertising various "strains" of dispensary grade marijuana" as "free gifts" along with the purchase.
"I am selling you an empty bag. Marijuana placed In that empty sandwich bag is simply a legal gift," one listing states. "Not connected in anyway, to any sale."
The listings began appearing after a ballot question was approved allowing adults over 21 to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana in Massachusetts, although the sale of marijuana is still not permitted in the state.
Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan told NEPR the sellers' attempts to circumvent the law by offering the marijuana as gifts are misguided.
"The ads are illegal," he said. "To say an empty baggie costs $350 is ridiculous. I think it's a clear fraud on its face."
Corey Hampton, the person behind one of the Craigslist ads, told NEPR by text his friend checks the IDs of the buyers to ensure they are over 21 in compliance with the law and said it was "a shame" that law enforcement would look to impede the sale of marijuana.
"I just think it's foolish to waste any more of the taxpayers money on a harmless plant that helps people," he said.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/01/03/Craigslist-ads-offer-plastic-bags-for-sale-filled-with-free-marijuana/7581483470231/
Britain reclassifies CBD as medicine
While the DEA has been busy reclassifying cannabidiol (CBD) as a Schedule I drug—right up there with heroin—our friends across the pond are rightly classifying it as a medicine.
The decision made on Monday by Britain’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was based on credible claims that CBD successfully treats serious diseases.
The new classification means products containing CBD can now be legally distributed across the United Kingdom.
“We have come to the opinion that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) used for medical purposes are a medicine,” said an MHRA spokesperson on the agency’s website. “MHRA will now work with individual companies and trade bodies in relation to making sure products containing CBD, used for a medical purpose, which can be classified as medicines, satisfy the legal requirements of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.”
Throughout 2016, an increasing number of British Parliament members called for reform of Britain’s “failing drug laws,” arguing that an “evidence-based approach” should be central to effective drugs policies.
Alas, the government listened and acted accordingly.
Gerald Heddell, director of inspection and enforcement at MHRA, told Sky News: “The change really came about with us offering an opinion that CBD is in fact a medicine, and that opinion was based on the fact that we noted that people were making some quite stark claims about serious diseases that could be treated with CBD.”
This decision on the part of the MHRA comes only several months after the agency sent cease and desist orders to vendors and producers, ordering it to be “removed from sale in the UK.”
Although the UK does not recognize weed as having medical benefits, promoting the classification of CBD as a medicine is a step in the right direction.
In view of the fact that UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals has made huge strides recently with its CBD-based Epidiolex for rare, treatment-resistant epilepsy, the MHRA’s decision makes perfect sense.
So, what are we waiting for here in the U.S.?
It is not like we haven’t been exposed to the information. Indeed, U.S. researchers, including the American Epilepsy Society, have encouraged and/or undertaken relevant research.
In early December, researchers from the University of Alabama found that CBD oil reduces both the frequency and severity of seizures in children and adults with with severe, intractable epilepsy. In two-thirds of the 81 participants, the severity was reduced by at least 50 percent.
http://hightimes.com/news/britain-reclassifies-cbd-oil-as-medicine-while-america-throws-it-in-with-heroin/
Nobody cares :) Go Blum Reno !
Marijuana is legal in Nevada !
http://marijuanamajority.com/
Welcome to Hollyweed
By Sophia Rosenbaum
January 1, 2017 | 12:44pm | Updated
The iconic Hollywood sign gets changed to "Hollyweed."
Hollywood is starting 2017 on a high!
The famous “Hollywood” sign in Los Angeles was vandalized early Sunday to read “Hollyweed” — celebrating the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in California, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Surveillance footage caught one person dressed in all black sneaking up to the iconic sign around 3 a.m. and spending about an hour and a half transforming the “O’s” to “E’s” using white tarps, according to Sgt. Robert Payan of the Security Services office.
Payan said authorities are reviewing security footage to try to track down the trespasser, but have not made any arrests.
“We can’t even tell if it’s a male or a female,” he said.
He’s unsure how long it took the prankster to get up to the 45-foot sign, which sits atop Mount Lee and overlooks Hollywood.
“It’s a good hike,” Payan said. “And at that time of day, it’s very dark so it probably took a little longer.”
Recreational marijuana officially became legal in the state on Dec. 15. The state already had legalized medical marijuana for more than two decades.
This is not the first time the “Hollywood” sign has been changed to “Hollyweed.”
Back on Jan. 1, 1976, the sign was altered — again a visual commemoration of a marijuana law taking effect.
http://nypost.com/2017/01/01/welcome-to-hollyweed/
Go Blum Reno !
Terra Tech Announces Opening of Fourth Nevada-based Medical Cannabis Dispensary
GRAND OPENING OF BLÜM DISPENSARY IN RENO, NEVADA TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 12, 2017
NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/29/16 -- Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX: TRTC) ("Terra Tech") or (the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis-focused agriculture company, today announced that its new Blüm dispensary, located at 1085 South Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada, will open to patients on Monday, January 2nd, 2017 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time. The Company will also host a Grand Opening for the dispensary on Thursday, January 12th, 2017, at 9:00AM PT, with the ribbon cutting scheduled for 1:00 PM PT. Investors, media and customers are invited to attend the event to view the dispensary's selection of premium medical cannabis products.
The Blüm dispensary in Reno, Nevada is currently open to the public for preregistration. The dispensary will offer the Company's proprietary IVXX™ brand of premium medical cannabis, flowers, shatters, waxes and oils, among other high-quality cannabis products from a range of reputable providers of superior grade medical cannabis.
Derek Peterson, CEO of Terra Tech, stated, "It is our great pleasure to announce that Blüm Reno has successfully completed all of its inspections with the State of Nevada and officially received its Nevada State Medical Marijuana Establishment ("MME") Registration Certificate. Our dispensary in Northern Nevada successfully received the MME Registration Certificate without one deficiency and I am proud of our team for all its hard work getting us to this stage. This is our fourth dispensary in Nevada to open in less than a year, giving us a strong presence in the state. Moreover, in November 2016, Nevada took the historic step of approving the legalization of recreational cannabis. We believe that our efforts to establish Blüm as a leader in the medical cannabis market have uniquely positioned the Company to capitalize on the emerging market for legal cannabis, where we see significant opportunity for growth."
The Reno, Nevada Blüm dispensary follows the opening of the Desert Inn Dispensary in October, 2016, the South Decatur Boulevard, Las Vegas Dispensary in August, 2016 and the Western, Las Vegas Dispensary in April, 2016. The Company has also operated a Blüm dispensary in Oakland, California, since April, 2016.
Blüm Reno's hours of operations will be:
Sunday - Thursday: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM PT
Friday - Saturday: 9:00 AM to 12:00 AM PT
http://www.terratechcorp.com/news-media/press-releases/detail/177/terra-tech-announces-opening-of-fourth-nevada-based-medical
Nevada mj will be legal 12am New Years day
Recreational Marijuana Law Takes Effect New Year's Day
Posted: Dec 27, 2016 7:34 PM EST
Updated: Dec 27, 2016 8:50 PM EST
By Paul Nelson
Some news laws will begin on January 1, including one that will allow people to use recreational marijuana in Nevada. While the law will allow people, 21 years or older, to purchase, cultivate, possess, or consume a certain amount of marijuana or concentrated marijuana, it does not allow people to sell it yet.
"We allow people to use it but we don't give them a place to buy it," Will Adler, Executive Director of Nevada Medical Marijuana Association said. "So, the state's aware of that. We're aware of that as an industry and we're going to try to close that gap as quickly as possible."
Regulations and dispensaries must be in place by Jan. 1, 2018.
"I think the Department of Taxation is working on those today," Adler said. "Because we already have a gold standard for our medical marijuana law, I think they're just gonna modify that for recreational marijuana sales."
If that is the case, people will be able to purchase recreational marijuana at the same places that sell medical marijuana. If the regulations are the same, the only difference will be how it is taxed. A 15 percent excise tax can be put on recreational marijuana, along with other municipal, county and state taxes. Colorado has a 2.9 percent retail and medical marijuana sales tax, 10 percent marijuana special sales tax and a 15 percent excise tax. Nevada lawmakers have been paying close attention to Colorado's regulations.
"Yeah, everyone wants to tax the heck out of it but if you tax it too much, you won't have any sales," Adler said. "So, you've got to keep the taxes low enough but high enough so that the state gets something but the consumer thinks it's a fair price."
People will also be able to grow a certain amount of their own marijuana, as long as it is not within 25 miles of a dispensary.
"There's no recreational dispensaries come January First," Adler said. "So yes, people will be able to home grow it, but as soon as a dispensary moves into your location, you can no longer home grow in that area."
Adler says homegrown plants present some of the biggest issues, so the state will likely decide on dispensaries sooner than later. Zoning laws will be a part of the process, following the same guidelines as medical marijuana laws that prohibit them from being within 1,000 feet from a school.
California, Maine and Massachusetts also approved recreational marijuana in November's election. Since so many people visit Nevada, Adler expects most of the tax revenue to come from tourists.
"If you have something like 58 million tourists visit every year and you only have 3 million residents, you're going to believe that all the recreational sales are going to go to tourists," Adler said.
While Nevada residents will be able to use recreational marijuana, it will only be allowed in the person's home. There are already several Bill Draft Requests regarding marijuana for the upcoming legislative session. One of those would allow pot to be used in social clubs, events and concert arenas.
Employers will still have the ability to restrict the use of marijuana by their employees, despite the new law.
"Marijuana usage is legal but you're employing practices don't have to change," Adler said. "You can still drug test for marijuana and be drug tested for marijuana and it can still be a fireable offense."
While many have questions about the social and fiscal impacts of legalized recreational marijuana, Adler hopes regulations will keep possible problems to a minimum.
"We're a state that regulates things properly," Adler said. "We do a good job at it and our divisions are used to doing big challenges like gaming, prostitution and alcohol consumption. So, I think Nevada is going to do a pretty good job at it, and I think overall it's going to be a big nothing cake."
http://www.ktvn.com/story/34138227/recreational-marijuana-law-takes-effect-new-years-day
Nevada mj testing labs getting busy
NEVADA MARIJUANA TESTING LABS WILL SOON SEE A LOT MORE ACTIVITY
By Maureen Meehan December 29, 2016
When Nevada voted to approve recreational marijuana this past November, they had a provision, which ensured that municipalities will not be able to create their own prohibition laws, effectively making marijuana use legal all over the state.
Another aspect of Nevada’s transition to legal weed is that the cannabis industry wants to be tested. Hoping to avoid the pitfalls experienced in other legal states, voices in Nevada’s weed industry say they want the state’s stringent MMJ testing to be carried over to the recreational market.
All medical weed, legal since 2000, sold in Nevada must be tested by a third-party laboratory, so the attitude is that recreational weed might as well go through the same process.
“We need to make sure this product is safe. And the only way to make sure it’s safe is to test it,” said Kelly Zaug, lab manager at DV Labs in Las Vegas, at a panel discussion hosted last week by the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association.
One of the first labs to test weed in Nevada is the 374 Labs, located in Sparks, just east of Reno.
Lab supervisor Jason Strull, speaking on a local NBC TV station, said his is one of just two labs that test marijuana products in Northern Nevada and that it’s fully equipped to perform all of the tests required under Nevada law.
Strull said scientists at the lab test for microbial substances, like yeast, mold, e coli, and salmonella. He said they also screen for four different heavy metals: lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury.
The lab has machines to test various cannabis products for potency. They can test for both THC and CBD content.
“We test for nine different cannabinoids,” he said.
Scientists at 374 Labs are also equipped to test for at least 19 different pesticides and five micro toxins.
Unlike Oregon, California and Colorado, which did not implement testing regulations before they legalized MMJ or recreational weed, then had to play catch-up, Nevada rolled out the testing regulations first.
Nevada requires MMJ products be tested by independent labs on a regular basis. That type of regulatory barrier has only been seen in a handful of the 28 legal states. Some, like Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, have no testing requirements for medical marijuana.
Strull said Nevada’s strict testing requirements make it one of the safest states to buy weed products. “It’s a lot safer than the products [people] can get on the black market because it has been tested for pesticides…so that patients know that the product they’re getting is safe.”
They also test for terpenes, which are are fragrant oils that give cannabis its aromatic diversity and bind to receptors in the brain, giving rise to various effects.
Getting accurate doses is also important and can be tested for.
“If our numbers are off, then the dose is off and a potential customer is getting something way higher or lower then they anticipated,” said Strull.
Nevada lawmakers have until January 2018 to set guidelines for adult use of pot.
But, it’s on in Nevada, and the market is set to burst wide open.
With Las Vegas’ inherent tourist draw, the need for non-contaminated cannabis is magnified, said state Senator Patricia Farley at the panel discussion.
“We have 42 million people coming here,” she said. “We need to make sure they can purchase a safe product as well.”
http://hightimes.com/news/nevada-marijuana-testing-labs-will-soon-see-a-lot-more-activity/
Blum Reno getting ready to open !
Great downtown Reno location.
#TeamBlumReno was awarded its Registration Certificate by the State of Nevada. We passed with ZERO deficiencies, which is the first time EVER for Northern Nevada. We have our last operational inspection tomorrow morning at 8am.
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/teamblumreno
Judge rules state's mmj law tops federal law
Arizona voters approved medical marijuana in 2010 and have been fighting with local officials for a variety of reasons ever since.
The latest skirmish ended well for MMJ patients and their advocates when the state Court of Appeals ruled unanimously on Tuesday that local law officials cannot use federal anti-marijuana laws to put the kibosh on zoning for MMJ dispensaries.
While acknowledging federal law makes pot possession and sale a felony, the judges noted that states establish their own laws on the subject and the feds don’t get to intervene.
When Maricopa County attorney Bill Montgomery tried to argue that federal law trumps Arizona’s duly approved Medical Marijuana Act, he was told by Judge Donn Kessler that his claims had no legal basis.
Judge Kessler also rejected Montgomery’s sly argument that county officials who issue zoning permits for dispensaries would be aiding and abetting the violation of federal law.
The dispensary in question was the White Mountain Health Center, which had been seeking the necessary certification from Maricopa County.
The conflict took off back in 2010 when legal dispensaries were going through the usual red tape of setting up, which involved being properly zoned.
Back then Montgomery was already instructing county officials not to respond to dispensary requests. He misled the officials into believing they would be violating federal laws by facilitating anything to do with marijuana.
As Montgomery insisted, incorrectly, that the state cannot obstruct federal law, Judge Kessler pointed out the flaws in that argument—nothing in the Controlled Substances Act prohibits states from having their own drug laws.
“Arizona, like all other states, has the power to decriminalize certain acts and exempt certain actors for purposes of state law,” Kessler wrote, according to the Arizona Capitol Times. He said there is no conflict with federal law because nothing Arizona does precludes the federal government, if it wants, from enforcing its own laws.
Meanwhile, Montgomery recently said he expects Trump to crack down on medical marijuana laws nationwide and to “end the charade” of pot legalization. He also proposed that Arizona should be able to make its own laws on immigration, abortion, etc., and that “the federal government should stay out of our business.”
However, when it comes to medical marijuana, it seems Montgomery wants the federal government in his business.
Montgomery must not have gotten the memo—the Cole memo, that is, enacted in 2013 when it laid out an official policy of non-interference with state marijuana laws.
Arizona, which lost a bid to legalize recreational weed this past November, has some of the most draconian laws on the books when it comes to marijuana.
Possession of any amount of weed in Arizona, even for first time offenders, is considered a felony that could land an offender in prison for up to two years and/or fines of up to $150,000.
http://hightimes.com/news/judge-rules-federal-law-doesnt-trump-states-medical-marijuana-act/
DP named in 2016 Orange County top 100
Cannabis entrepreneur named among 100 most influential people in Orange County
By Brooke Edwards Staggs, Orange County Register NO COMMENTS
Posted on Dec 19, 2016
The Orange County Register is highlighting people who were game changers in 2016. This cannabis entrepreneur made the cut thanks to the rapid expansion of his publicly traded company, which is frequently recommended for investors in an industry that’s still shunned by major stock markets.
NAME: Derek Peterson
AGE: 42
ROLE: Chairman, CEO and president of Terra Tech
BIO: During the Great Recession, Peterson left behind a successful career as a Wall Street investment banker to launch his own hydroponics company with an eye to the marijuana industry. The Laguna Beach resident had turned to medical marijuana to manage pain after he broke his neck during a surfing accident, giving him empathy for other patients. His Newport Beach-based company Terra Tech now owns several brands that cultivate, produce and sell cannabis products from Northern California to New Jersey.
WHY HE IS AN INFLUENCER: In 2016, Terra Tech tripled the number of people it employs, with 180 workers across the country receiving solid wages and full benefits. Under Peterson’s direction, the company raised close to $20 million in capital. And in an industry that’s still shunned by the major stock markets, Terra Tech has managed to become one of the most frequently recommended cannabis-focused penny stocks, going from $6 million to $40 million in shareholder equities over the past year.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “It’s still banking and financial services,” he said, with marijuana’s federally illegal status forcing companies to operate largely in cash.
THOUGHTS ON THE INDUSTRY: “It sometimes feels like running uphill on ice.”
INSPIRATION: “To change the unchangeable.”
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT BESIDES MY PHONE: “My assistant is a rock star,” Peterson said. He and his wife plucked Hailey Williams from her job tending bar at Fig and Olive. He logged 800,000 miles in 2016, and without Williams, he said, “I don’t function.”
WHAT’S NEXT: California and three other states just legalized recreational marijuana, a trend that Peterson believes is going to spark “unprecedented competition” and “opportunities coming with it.” A big focus for Terra Tech in 2017 will be to get more Southern California cities to welcome cannabis businesses.
http://www.thecannifornian.com/cannabis-business/cannabis-entrepreneur-named-among-100-influential-people-orange-county/
CBD saved Sadie
Maine mj opponents give up vote recount
Maine Legal Marijuana Opponents End Recount, Conceding Defeat
BY TOM ANGELL ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2016 AT 12:38 PM | UPDATED: DECEMBER 17TH, 2016 AT 1:29 PM
More than a month after Election Day, the opposition to Maine’s marijuana legalization initiative is conceding defeat and ending its push for a total statewide recount of the votes.
“We promised folks that if we came to a point where we could not see any chance of reversing the result, we would not drag the process out,” Newell Augur, legal counsel for No on 1, said in a press release on Saturday. “We are satisfied that the count and the result are accurate.”
After the results were counted on November 8, the legal marijuana measure won by just 4,073 votes.
That was close enough for opponents to request a recount without having to pay for it themselves.
Through Friday, approximately 30 percent of the votes had been recounted — including from all of the towns that opponents hand-picked as areas they thought they could best gain support — but it wasn’t enough to reverse the result. According to reports, the result only shifted by about 70 net votes.
The recount effort had been slated to recess through the holidays until the new year, unless opponents decided to conceded defeat. That’s what they decided to to on Saturday.
“The trend was moving in our direction, especially after the first week,” Augur said, “but after the second week it was clear that the trend was not going to move at the velocity we needed to change the result.”
David Boyer, campaign manager for Yes on 1, told Marijuana.com that he agreed “it was clear that the recount was not going to change the result.”
“We are grateful that the No on 1 campaign has conceded and look forward to working together towards a successful implementation of Question 1,” he said.
The measure will allow Mainers to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to grow cannabis at home. It also legalizes storefronts where adults can purchase marijuana and clubs where they can consume cannabis together socially.
Legalization opponents, while conceding defeat on the ballot measure, vowed to play an active role in its implementation.
“This marks the end of the recount, but it does not mark the end of our efforts to protect the youth and communities of Maine,”Scott Gagnon, No on 1 campaign chair, said. “We look forward to dialogue with the Question 1 proponents and the lawmakers who will be involved in the rulemaking process. It’s imperative we put rules and regulations in place that will minimize the impact on our young people. That will continue to be our mission going forward.”
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/12/maine-legal-marijuana-opponents-end-recount-conceding-defeat/
Edible Garden adds two more contract farmers
December 15, 2016
NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/15/16 -- Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX: TRTC) ("Terra Tech"), a vertically integrated cannabis-focused agriculture company, today announced its subsidiary, Edible Garden (or the "Company"), a retail seller of fresh, hydroponic herbs and produce, has added two contract farmers to its cooperative of local growers of fresh and local produce. The addition of these new farmers, based out of Virginia and New Jersey, bring the Company's national contract farmer count to eight.
The new contract farmers will operate under the same strict quality standards as the Edible Garden's existing cooperative member farmers. By selecting only the highest quality farmers the Company ensures its produce is consistently of the highest standard. In addition to supplying their own very best herb and lettuce products, the farmers will also grow, cut, pack and ship Edible Garden's living SUPERLEAF™ Spring Mix lettuce, which is exclusively licensed to the Company, for supermarket stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
Derek Peterson, CEO of Terra Tech, stated, "Edible Garden plans to disrupt the existing lettuce space and to expand its presence in the U.S. national cut lettuce and living herbs market. We are confident that these latest additions to the Edible Garden family, which will produce our licensed SUPERLEAF lettuce, among other products, will contribute positively to our expansion plans. Edible Garden produce is only sold within a few hours' drive of our farms to ensure the Company's customers receive the freshest farmed produce on the market today. Adding new contract farmers in Virginia and New Jersey will expand our reach in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions."
Edible Garden produces local and sustainably grown hydroponic produce which are GFSI certified, Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Kosher. The Company also carries a line of USDA certified organic herbs, including the following potted living herbs: chives, basil, parsley, oregano, dill, cilantro, mint, rosemary, sage and thyme. In addition to Edible Garden's organic range of lettuces and herbs, the Company also features multiple vitamin and supplement brands.
http://www.terratechcorp.com/news-media/press-releases/detail/176/terra-tech-subsidiary-edible-garden-adds-two-contract
Massachusetts voters celebrate legal mj today
Legal-Marijuana Activists Celebrate New Massachusetts Law
By BOB SALSBERG, ASSOCIATED PRESS BOSTON — Dec 15, 2016, 3:52 PM ET
Legal-marijuana activists were in a celebratory mood Thursday as a new voter-approved law took effect in Massachusetts, allowing people 21 and over to possess, grow and use limited amounts of recreational pot.
It will be at least another year before marijuana can be legally sold by licensed retailers in the state, and some supporters of the measure are wary that Massachusetts officials might seek changes to the law or delay its full implementation over the coming months.
Police warned of a potential spike in people driving under the influence of pot and general confusion about what is allowed under the law.
"Yesterday this would have been a $100 fine," said Keith Saunders, as he held up a jar containing what he said was slightly less than an ounce of cannabis flower.
Saunders, a board member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, gathered with other activists outside the historic Massachusetts Statehouse to celebrate the law.
"Ultimately, we are moving toward taking the existing marijuana market in Massachusetts and bringing it above board," he said.
Massachusetts is the first U.S. state on the Eastern seaboard where recreational marijuana is legal, though Maine will soon follow if a recount upholds passage of a ballot measure there. Colorado, Washington and Oregon previously legalized recreational pot and voters in California and Nevada also approved ballot measures last month.
In Massachusetts, adults can possess up to an ounce of pot outside the home, up to 10 ounces inside the home and grow up to a dozen marijuana plants per household.
Having spent nearly three decades crusading for relaxed marijuana rules, Bill Downing admitted to a mix of satisfaction and trepidation.
"I am both celebrating and worrying that the law might not be implemented properly," said Downing, member liaison for the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition.
The concerns stem from public statements by Democratic legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker promising a review and possible changes to the law, which passed by a margin of more than 240,000 votes out of nearly 3.8 million votes cast.
The wishes of the voters will be respected, pledged Baker, who strongly opposed legalization. But he defended efforts that may lead to revisions.
"It was a 6,000 word ballot question written by the recreational marijuana industry for the recreational marijuana industry," said Baker, who spoke to The Associated Press before returning from a trade mission in Israel. "So I expect the Legislature will want to deal with things like potency, home rule. What are going to be the rules about where you can locate (retail) facilities and what local control does local government have about that?"
In a memo sent Wednesday to police departments in Massachusetts, Secretary of Public Safety Daniel Bennett said implementation of recreational marijuana "will create a complex web of different rules" that law enforcement must navigate.
"Within certain limits, the new law authorizes some conduct that had previously been prohibited. Beyond those limits, however, possession, cultivation and distribution of marijuana remain illegal under state law," wrote Bennett.
Marijuana activists dismissed critics who said legalization will lead to an array of social and public safety problems.
"The worst you could is maybe listen to Pink Floyd for two hours rather than one hour," one man joked Thursday as he serenaded supporters with pro-pot tunes in front of the Capitol building.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/recreational-marijuana-law-takes-effect-massachusetts-44204240
Canadian task force recommends legal weed
BY ROB GILLIES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s government said Tuesday it would study a federal task force’s recommendation that Canadians over 18 years old be allowed to buy marijuana for recreational purposes and would announce new laws in the spring that would legalize pot.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has long promised to legalize recreational pot use and sales. If passed, Canada would be the largest developed country to end prohibition of recreational marijuana. Voters in California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada voted Nov. 8 to approve the use of recreational marijuana, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, where it had previously been legalized.
The marijuana task force report, headed by former Canadian Liberal Health Minister Anne McLellan, recommended that adults could carry to 30 grams for recreational purpose and grow up to four plants. It also recommended that that higher-potency pot be taxed at a higher rate than weaker strains. And said recreational marijuana should not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco. Under the proposals, alcohol-free cannabis lounges would be allowed.
Trudeau said they plan to control and regulate the sale so that they keep it out of the hands of kids and so that they are able to remove a significant source of revenue for criminal organizations and street gangs.
“Until we change the law the law stands,” Trudeau said.
McLellan said they travelled to Colorado and Washington and spoke to government officials in Uruguay to hear directly from those who have enacted policies to legalize pot.
“We are only the second nation to move forward in this way,” McLellan said. She urged the Canadian government to use caution.
Colorado now allows adults 21 and over to have up to an ounce of marijuana, without needing a doctor’s recommendation for the drug. Colorado allows adults to grow up to six plants at home, and it requires the state to allow commercial sales.
http://hightimes.com/news/canada-task-force-makes-recommendations-for-legal-weed/
Mexican Senate votes to legalize medical marijuana
AFP December 13, 2016
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico's Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing medical marijuana on Tuesday after a national debate on narcotics policy in a country mired in brutal drug violence.
In a major policy shift, President Enrique Pena Nieto proposed legalizing medical marijuana in April after his government organized forums to discuss changes to the laws.
Senators voted 98-7 for the legislation, moving Mexico closer to joining several US states and other nations in Latin America in allowing cannabis for medical uses.
The bill -- which now moves to the chamber of deputies -- falls short of demands among some lawmakers and civil groups who argue that a wider legalization of marijuana use can help the country reduce drug-related violence.
But proponents said it is a major step that will address Mexicans' need of an alternative medical treatment.
The bill authorizes the health ministry to design regulations for the use, import and production of pharmaceutical products made from cannabis or marijuana, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant's main psychoactive ingredient.
The cultivation of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes will not be punishable.
Senator Cristina Diaz, of Pena Nieto's centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), said the legislation was a historic move that will "lay the foundation to establish in our country an industry for the national production of medicine with cannabis."
Senator Angelica de la Pena Gomez, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), said there was consensus to "do something different in drug policy" because prohibition "has generated high levels of violence, more than 100,000 deaths and the systematic violation of human rights."
But Senator Miguel Barbosa, of the PRD, lamented that the legislation was "well below the expectations of society" regarding reforms of marijuana laws.
A family in northern Mexico became a symbol of the push to legalize medical marijuana last year when the parents of a young epileptic girl won a court battle to import a cannabis-based treatment to stop her daily seizures.
In a separate major case in November 2015, the Supreme Court authorized four individuals to grow and smoke pot for recreational purposes.
Pena Nieto is opposed to a broader legalization of marijuana but he has proposed increasing the amount of the drug that can legally be possessed for personal consumption from 28 grams (one ounce) from five grams.
The Senate will draft separate legislation on raising the possession limit.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexican-senate-votes-legalize-medical-marijuana-005539537.html