| Some people are taking this quite literally. |
This weekend, Denver’s CBS4 reported about marijuana being advertised for free on Craigslist in exchange for donations or other offers, and questioned whether the practice was legal under Amendment 64; see the video below. But the folks behind 4 Strains Pipe & Tobacco are confident they’re doing nothing wrong in offering a small amount of cannabis as a bonus to folks purchasing other merchandise.
The text on the head shop’s most recent Craigslist ad reads in part:
COLORADO AMENDMENT 64!! COMPLIANT!
GET YOUR 2 GRAM SACK OF FREE NUGS WHEN YA GET $30
PURCHASE OF SMOKING ACCESSORIES OR TOBACCO ECTERA
IN OUR HEAD SHOP!
NO JOKE! ANYONE OVER 21 YEARS OLD WITH A ID FROM ANYWHERE.
NO MEDICAL CARD REQUIRED.
CASH ONLY
HOURS 12-7
4 Strains is run by Mike Paulk and Felicia L. According to Paulk, “We’re not a center; we’re two caregivers. We’ve been operating for almost three years. We started out just being caregivers and selling extra to centers. But in 2010, when they legislated caregivers out of being able to sell to medical marijuana centers, we kept our patients — we’ve had some of them assigned to us for two or three years — and went on Craigslist.”
This approach has been a success. “We’ve built from a garage to a 5,000 square foot building with a certificate of occupancy and a business license — we’re totally legit,” Paulk points out. Moreover, their attorney tells them that the current giveaway is just fine under the provisions of Amendment 64 that have already taken effect.
“If you read about the amendment in the voter-information packet that was sent to the public in 2012, the things about personal use and possession section are in place,” he allows. “Like the part where it states you can assist somebody in cultivating it as long as there’s no remuneration. So what we’re doing is offering people what they want anyway just to get them to come into our store to buy pipes, T-shirts and other things we have for sale.