| Wikipedia commons. |
With April 20th, or 4/20, falling on a Saturday this year, the annual pot smokers’ holiday saw events, festivals, and concerts crop up in cities and states across the country in celebration of all things cannabis.
With a recent Pew Research Center poll showing a 52% majority of Americans polled being in favor of legalizing pot, and with new medical marijuana legalization bills underway in ten states, a lot of critical eyes were on the weed scene this past weekend.
A good solid base, proper nutritional supplements, attention to detail, and experience – all important aspects of being a successful mixed martial artist, and also key ingredients in growing great weed.
Just ask longtime UFC referee, Josh Rosenthal, who agreed to a plea deal with the U.S District Attorney’s office in January of this year, after federal agents discovered 1,356 marijuana plants growing in a warehouse owned by he and an associate.
Facing charges of growing an estimated six million dollars’ worth of illegal weed, Rosenthal’s next scheduled court appearance is at the U.S. District Court, on May 17th to face sentencing. He had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges in October 2012, but struck his plea deal earlier this year, admitting his guilt. Rosenthal was facing 10 years in federal prison and a ten million dollar fine, but now he is expected to see that sentence reduced to around 3 years of jail time, stiff fines, and a 5 year probation that will subject him to random searches.
Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, with the Sal Sagev Hotel becoming the state’s first legal casino. Fast forward 82 years, and quite a bit has changed, not just in Las Vegas, but across the state.
In the home of Sin City, it’s hard to imagine being the “first” to do anything. But last weekend, Robert Calkin and the California-based Cannabis Career Institute did just that, when they hosted nearly 70 students for Nevada’s first-ever medical marijuana school.
In a time of extreme uncertainty in the marijuana industry, one thing is still certain, business is booming.
According to data released in a 180 page report last month by Medical Marijuana Business Daily, retail medical cannabis sales in the U.S. are predicted to rise between 10-15% over last year – potentially earning up to $1.5Billion in 2013. Fueled by legalization in Washington and Colorado, and favorable marijuana polling across the country, the Marijuana Business Factbook 2013 predicts that we will see that billion and a half in weed sales double in 2014, to $3Billion nationwide, and then double again to upwards of $6Billion annually by 2018.
| TokeoftheTown.com |
A Federal Bureau of Investigations study released in 2012 showed that police in America arrest someone for cannabis every 42 seconds. That’s around 750,000 arrests annually for marijuana alone. The enforcement, prosecution, and imprisonment of this never ending flow of low-level non-violent offenders are a drain on scarce resources for local and state governments.
Imagine if we could save all of that money and reassign law enforcement agencies to go after the real criminals. Now imagine if we could do all of that for the low, low cost of just 3.75 billion words.
Cannabis users across the state of Washington sparked up to celebrate the passage of Initiative 502 last year, which legalized the personal use and possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for anyone over the age of 21. I-502 still prohibits the consumption of marijuana in public places, and driving under the influence of marijuana, but along with the state of Colorado, Washington seems poised to blaze a new trail for marijuana legalization.
Despite overwhelming public support in favor of the decriminalization of cannabis, Hawaii’s SB472, which would have decriminalized small amounts marijuana in that state, was pronounced dead on arrival yesterday without even being granted a roll call for a vote.
Among the most blue of blue states in the nation, and enjoying Democratic Party-held Senate and House chambers as well as the Governor’s seat, Hawaii seemed poised to follow in the footsteps of 15 other U.S. states that have done away with arrests and jail time for low-level marijuana possession busts, opting to issue nominal fines instead.
Innovation is inevitable in any industry, and the field of medical marijuana is no different. With laws already in the books in 18 states and more on the way, investors who might not know their Blue Chips from their Blue Dream are flocking to these regions to stake their claim in what they see as the next big commodity.
White-collar Wall Street-types can certainly see the budding upside to sinking money into dispensaries, growing operations, and other cannabis related retail outlets. But those potential gains are often outweighed by the prospects of inventory control, employee management, product naiveté. And of course, the grey area that exists in all current state-level medical marijuana laws that fly in the face of Federal statute. Cue MedBox.
In an almost comical attempt to achieve pure political correctness, we have seen elementary schools across the nation go to the extremes by banning ridiculous items like Pogs, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and even kids playing tag – all in the name of student safety.
So while officials at Pomona Elementary School in Costa Mesa, CA were no-doubt busy busting kids for Pokemon cards and making sure that everybody wins at kickball, a sixth grade student at the school smuggled a potent batch of pot brownies right under their noses and onto the playground.
| Eric Holder. |
When pressed for an official response to Colorado and Washington marijuana laws yesterday in a Senate Subcommittee meeting, Attorney General Eric Holder again balked at giving any real answer – only to again say that his office will comment soon. All this just one day after former DEA chiefs and the United Nations demand that he take action to stop laws in Colorado and Washington.