A measly ten percent of Florida voters think the medical use of marijuana should remain illegal. The rest, for the most part, agree that toking up to relieve pain and suffering should be a right every Floridian should have.
A Quinnipiac University study released this week shows that 88 percent of voters want to legalize medical cannabis. Even senior citizens, who make up one of the largest anti-pot demographics in many other states, support the measure 6 to 1.
| AlexanderTorrenegra/FlickrCommons |
The internet was abuzz this weekend about the announcement from the New York Times regarding a series of editorial articles to be released in the upcoming week covering the argument in favor of legalizing marijuana nationwide.
Though the title of the series may not be too creative, “High Time” will consist of a week’s worth of interactive articles, web-based seminars, and Q&A sessions that promise to take an honest look at all sides of the debate.
| Denver Westword. |
Editor’s note: Our sister paper, the Denver Westword, runs a weekly marijuana advice column, Ask a Stoner. Today, we bring you one of the more frequently-asked questions:
Dear Stoner: My dad lives in Aurora, and we’re coming out for his 75th birthday party. My wife has never smoked pot (or anything, not even cigarettes) but suffers from chronic migraines. She wants to try a pot edible, but I heard that pot can only be purchased by non-residents in smokable form. Can non-residents buy edibles? –Randy
| More photos below. |
How to get rich quick from the marijuana boom without having anything to do with marijuana? Sell someone a pot-oriented domain name for big bucks! May sound like a long shot, but we found plenty of people on Denver Craigslist trying this tack, peddling sometimes clever/sometimes bizarre/sometimes stupid domain names for $100,000 or more — although bidding at one focusing on hemp starts at just 99 cents and others are more reasonably priced. Check out our ten favorites below, complete with links to the items plus original text and (usually but not always) the art from the ads.
See also: Photos: Four most important factors in a marijuana business investment
| Rand Paul. |
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul this week stood up for state medical marijuana rights, filing an amendment to Sen. John Walsh’s jobs bill that would allow the 33 states with some form of legalized medical cannabis to “enact and implement laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana for medical use” without the feds intervening.
| Use this, you’ll feel better. |
Minnesota’s Department of Health finally made its pick to head up the new medical cannabis program wednesday, choosing department vet Michelle Larson to lead the program as it prepares to launch over the next year. Larson comes to the program after nearly a decade with the department, and while she won’t have any say on new policy, she will help guide the shape and logistics of the cannabis program, which is set to go into effect in July 2015. There isn’t that much information out there about Larson, but what we do know is this: She’s been working in the state’s Department of Health since 2004 in varying capacities, starting as a planner and working her way up to deputy director. In her latest role, she’s primarily focused on two big issues: obesity and tobacco use.
Want to know more? Check out the Minneapolis City Pages.
| Flickr Commons |
| Homegrown Lemon Kush |
Stretching from the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, all the way to the western Arizona border, Riverside County in California’s Inland Empire has been rapidly rising in the ranks of the most populous counties in the entire nation.
In an almost synchronized timeline of events, the population explosion in Riverside County coincided with the massive growth of medical marijuana demand in the region, and local growers soon found the Mediterranean-esque climate to be more than adequate for growing their own crops. However, a newly proposed county-wide ordinance would put an outright ban on outdoor cultivation of cannabis.
| Greg Skidmore. |
| Chris Christie. |
Back in April, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ripped the quality of life in Colorado due to marijuana legalization — a statement that prompted Governor John Hickenlooper’s office to come up with a list of eight ways Colorado is way, way, way better than New Jersey.
Yesterday, Christie was in Colorado to stump for Bob Beauprez, Hick’s gubernatorial opponent, in the sort of visit calculated to raise his profile as a potential 2016 Republican presidential nominee. And when he was asked if he regretted ripping the state, his answer was a typically blustery and unequivocal “no.”
Read more over at the Denver Westword.
| Not actual explosion (duh). |
Sounds of an explosion at an old downtown warehouse prompted calls to the Los Angeles Fire Department last night. And when firefighters arrived they found flames raging on the third floor of the structure, said LAFD spokesman Erik Scott told us. But the real find came during the firefight when first responders, he said, discovered a “marijuana growing operation” at the location.
It all started about 8:17 p.m. in a 6-story building at 421 E. Sixth St., according to an LAFD statement. The blaze required the efforts of 100 firefighters, but they had it finished in 14 minutes, the department states.
More over at the LA Weekly.
Last week we told you about At Home Baked, a Colorado marijuana edibles company, being forced to recall their product because health inspectors had an issue with their extraction process. Namely: the old washing machine they were using to make large batches of icewater hash. Now co-owner A.J. “Hashman” Ashkar, says he isn’t sure why he’s been singled out and that he was operating a clean, safe environment. Further, he says that Public Health Inspections had no prevue over his operations – that job is up to the state Marijuana Enforcement Division. And finally, he says he isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary – everyone uses repurposed washing machines in the industry.
“We don’t see the appropriate connection between the concentrate we’re making and food,” Ashkar says. “We kept the washing machine in a separate room from the kitchen.”