Get ready, California. Legalization is heading to the November ballot. A voter initiative to (finally) legalize adult use in the state appears to have collected more than enough signatures to qualify. Barring any unforeseen obstacles, it will go before voters in November. The law would allow adults 21 and older to possess, transport, and use up to an ounce of cannabis as well as grow up to six plants. It has the backing of state Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom as well as the financial support of Sean Parker, the former Facebook president and a Napster co-founder. The country’s most dynamic cannabis market might soon be open to all of us.
Chris Christie throws another cannabis tantrum. The New Jersey governor, who dropped out of the GOP presidential race in February, said he would’ve arrested NFL rookie Laremy Tunsil over cannabis use. Tunsil found himself in the spotlight last week after video, taken years ago but leaked right before the NFL draft, showed him hitting a gas-mask bong.
Federal rescheduling isn’t good enough. Oregon attorney Vince Sliwoski explains why moving cannabis to Schedule II — on par with opioids and cocaine, and the move Hillary Clinton supports — is basically public policy purgatory.
There are now three songs about Seattle’s largest cannabis retailer. The owner of Uncle Ike’s says he’s especially fond of one, which he described as “old-school wiki wiki hip hop.”
Vancouver launches crackdown on medical dispensaries. The city has issued 44 tickets and shuttered 22 stores, according to CTV News. B.C. advocate Jodie Emery says many owners have refused to close down and are considering legal action to keep their dispensaries open.
Toronto’s taking aim at dispensaries, too. City official Mark Sraga says Toronto’s medical dispensaries, which have been popping up across the city, are illegal and could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. He pledged to step up enforcement in the coming months. Meanwhile, a new poll indicates that a majority of Ontario voters are in favor of the dispensary model, though support for home cultivation is down slightly.
Cannabis prices in Colorado are tumbling. We already told you what’s up with those $6 grams. Now here’s Denver alt weekly Westword with a closer look at market forces in the Rocky Mountain State.
Washington targets teens with anti-cannabis ads. The “Listen2YourSelfie” tagline already sounds a little stale — selfie was Oxford’s word of the year way back in 2013, people — but the intentions are good: The little evidence we have suggests that teen’s developing brains and cannabis don’t mix. (Hey, at least the state didn’t pull a Stoner Sloth.)
Canada may spend $25 million on medical cannabis for veterans this year. A government auditor is calling for Veterans Affairs to rein in the program and find a way to cut costs. Commercial suppliers were charging up to $14 per gram, the audit found.
Cannabis meets fine dining meets $500-per-person price tag. Chef Chris Sayegh is offering cannabis-infused private-dining menus at a premium price. Can’t swing it? Keep your eyes peeled for pop-ups around Los Angeles for a more reasonable cost of $20 to $200 a head.
You know the smell. Now Denver’s doing something about it. The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a strengthened odor-control ordinance aimed at cannabis cultivation facilities and other smelly businesses.
What’s up Wiz Khalifa’s sleeve? The 28-year-old rapper hopes to launch a line of beer, juice, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and non-alcoholic cocktails infused with hemp. He intends to sell the merch under the Khalifa Kush name, already a namesake strain.
It’s time for an informed debate amongst the Kiwis. Psychiatrists in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal say the country needs to have a real conversation about cannabis. Only a single product — a medicated mouth spray — is approved for use by MMJ patients in the country.
A cannabis-focused credit union will continue its legal fight. Colorado-based Fourth Corner, which we’ve told you about before, is appealing a federal judge’s decision in an effort to provide financial services to cannabis clients.
California’s anti-tax watchdog takes stand against cannabis. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is representing the Southern California city of Upland in its effort to fend off the California Cannabis Coalition, which wants to introduce a ballot measure challenging the city’s current ban on dispensaries.
And finally, it’s still not a tampon. Alternet says Foria Relief “has come to be known as the ‘weed tampon,’” which is unfortunate because that’s not what it is. As we told you a while ago, it’s a suppository aimed at easing menstrual cramps. And apparently, it’s lovely.
