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Browsing: Culture

Dutch Court Upholds Ban On Foreigners Buying Marijuana

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By on Culture, Global, Legislation

Radio Netherlands Worldwide
The “Wietpas” (Weed Pass) will exclude foreigners from the Dutch coffee shops where cannabis is sold

A Dutch court on Friday upheld a new law banning foreigners from buying marijuana in coffee shops in the Netherlands, possibly ending decades of “weed tourism” for which Amsterdam and other cities have become world-famous.

A Dutch judge in the Hague ruled that the new law is legal. The move to ban foreigners from buying cannabis is being fought in the city of Amsterdam, where the coffee shops are a major tourist draw and where many shops owners have vowed to ignore the law once it comes into effect.
The conservative government of the Netherlands seems hellbent on turning back the clock to a darker time in Dutch history — a time when the cannabis trade was underground and people had to depend on the black market for marijuana. According to expert observers, the ripples could reverberate internationally.
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4/20 Denver Whupped My Ass

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By on Culture

All photos by Bob Starrett


By Bob Starrett
That’s not true; I admit it right off. Replacing the radiator in my car whupped my ass, or rather my right shoulder and neck. So when we did arrive at Civic Center Park, too late to get a place in the ampitheater and me brandishing a new camera, it wasn’t long before I realized that my goal of getting a bunch of great shots of the event was in jeopardy; I could barely lift my right arm to manipulate the camera. A crippled wannabe cameraman with an erroneous date stamp on his pictures.
I bought a new camera small enough to slip into my pocket in case we had to mix it up with the authorities. Of course that never happened and I really didn’t expect that it would, and I wouldn’t have been able to do much mixing even if it had. The Denver 420 event was a permitted two-day event and the cops were a small and quiet presence on the perimeter.
Because of our tardiness we were relegated to the Stoners section of the park. That’s how I characterized it. Activists and Stoners. As my companion put it, “Those aren’t political people, those aren’t activists. Those are just kids getting stoned. Babies.” And she was right. Wrapped in the protection of a crowd that knows it is largely safe from raid or citation, the folks that we ended up with looked like high schoolers.
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Deep Green Fest: Educating, Enlightening, Inspiring [Photos]

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By on Culture, Products

All photos by Sharon Letts
Canna Comic Sherry Glaser on the main stage “Being Mother Earth.”

Photos and Story by Sharon Letts
Deep Green Fest II was held the day after 4/20 in the picturesque locale of the historic Craneway Pavilion, located just over the Richmond Bridge from San Francisco.
Joining up purposefully with Earth Day celebrations, Deep Green’s intent is to educate and enlighten on all things green – including Hemp, Cannabis, and holistic healing, with a healthy dose of politics thrown in for good measure.
Four stages featured music, lectures, and panels on everything from beekeeping to Cannabis, Hemp and legalization of both, Canna economics, responsible business models, and protecting children in the crossfire.
The star of the event was Stephen DeAngelo of Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, with his brother Andrew close by. Both were featured in the Discovery Channel’s Weed Wars, and promises of a second season of the hotly debated super miniseries were tweeted earlier in the week by Stephen, but quelled by event day with a promise of finding a new network.
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Hippie Hill, Golden Gate Park, 4/20: Toke Was There [Photos]

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By on Culture

All photos by Jack Rikess for Toke of the Town
The climactic moment: 4:20 p.m. on Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, April 20, 2012

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Maybe there’s no greater metaphor for what’s going on with marijuana in 2012 than the proceedings that took place with Friday’s 4/20 celebration in Golden Gate Park. To recognize marijuana or not, that is my question.
Last Wednesday I called the director of Golden Gate Park, wishing to speak to him about the annual 4/20 festivities and if the Park plans to do anything different on that day, e.g. add more trashcans, porta-potties, security, etc… 
I wasn’t allowed to speak to the director because all media questions are to be routed through the Park’s media person. When I asked if they were prepared for this Friday’s yearly gathering she explained that because there weren’t any permits or paperwork submitted, she didn’t know anything about the event.
I was thinking, is this the new “don’t ask, don’t tell?”
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Road Trip: In Search Of Good Medicine In Sac Town

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By on Culture, Dispensaries, Products

All photos by Sharon Letts

She’s The Brains, He’s The Strains: On The Road With Craig & Sharon


Story and Photos by Sharon Letts
Strain Review by Craig Carroll

•••••••

Introduction: Changing the Way People Think About Cannabis, One Bud at a Time

By Sharon Letts

Craig and I came of age in the 70s. He surfed and played guitar in rock bands, while I rode the waves on a Boogie Board and gardened.
Both of us reaped the benefits of cannabis: Craig for anxiety and undiagnosed autism; me for menstrual cramps and depression. I can’t speak for the boys, but we girls knew what worked each month, and pitied the girl relying solely on Midol and a heating pad.
Both of us watched as cannabis grew up to be good medicine, then was legalized in California in 1996. Neither of us rushed out to get a “Prop. 215 card.” I was busy raising my daughter; he was teaching high school and starting a family. Both of us stopped smoking for long periods of time. 
Surprisingly, it was age and health issues that brought the herb back into our lives. 
Heading into menopause, already suffering from digestive issues and weight gain caused by Thyroid Disease, I began using cannabis to relax my stomach where I hold my stress. 
Sleeplessness with menopause has become a huge issue for me, and a honey tincture provides at least six good hours of sleep a night, allowing me to write. 
While others may go the pharmaceutical route, we’ll stick to this simple herb. Our travels will have Craig looking for a pick-me-up for his chronic fatigue and relief for his chronic pain. I’ll be perusing the edible isles for sleep-aids and help with my flucuating mood swings.
Each trip will include a review of the top five collectives from the town we are visiting, while Craig reviews its top strains, deciphering aesthetics of the bud, and potential medicinal benefits.
We’ll also find a canna mover and shaker from that town and have a hang-out, chatting about what’s going on with the medicine in their world.
If your personal favorite club isn’t listed, not to worry, we’ll pass through town again! Send in your favorites and who knows, maybe your friendly neighborhood collective will make our list during our next trip.
So, sit back, relax, roll-up a fatty, and enjoy the ride!
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ASA: A Decade Of Advocacy For Medical Marijuana Patients

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By on Culture, Medical

Rebels With Just Cause Award

By Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Americans for Safe Access
Ten years ago today, I stood below the biggest free-standing billboard in San Francisco and watched volunteers drop a huge banner that said “Defend Medical Marijuana” right next to one of the busiest freeways in the city.
It was the beginning of a series of actions and media work in response to former Drug Czar Asa Hutchinson’s visit to the Bay Area. He was coming to town to gloat about raids at medical cannabis dispensaries and gardens, and we were determined to tell a different story. That’s how the nation’s largest medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization got its name – Americans for Safe Access v. Asa Hutchison or “ASA v. Asa.”
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Oaksterdam: ‘They Didn’t Knock Us Out – Just Down’

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By on Culture, News

Narfolaxer
Oaksterdam founder Richard Lee is fully separating himself from the school and his other cannabis-affiliated businesses

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Two weeks and a few days after the Federal Government raided Richard Lee’s world in Oakland, showing the Cannabis World who’s boss, Oaksterdam is back.
At a mid-morning press conference held in the last remaining quarters left to the University, Richard Lee officially stepped down as the school’s dean to pursue drug policy reform, on a national level, full-time. Dale Sky Jones, Oaksterdam’s executive chancellor, will continue the University’s commitment of quality training for the cannabis industry, as per Richard’s mission statement.  
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