Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given his first official order starting the process towards legalizing weed.
In a public mandate letter issued to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould Friday, Justin Trudeau listed the government’s top priorities, including working with the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health ministers to “create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana.”
The letter also calls for a review of sentencing reforms with the goal of reducing incarceration rates amongst Indigenous Canadians. Under Stephen Harper, the Conservatives imposed mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, including growing marijuana—a policy that has been widely criticized as “cruel and unusual.”
In the absence of an official cannabis policy change, police forces across the country are using their discretion when deciding whether or not to enforce current drug laws.
Nanaimo, BC RCMP recently ordered several medical marijuana dispensaries in the city to shut down or potentially face criminal prosecution. A compassion club in Saskatoon, where a police officer told VICE he would “charge on a leftover roach” if possible, was also recently raided.
In Vancouver, cops generally don’t lay charges for simple possession, but the city’s 100 or so pot dispensaries, which operate in a grey market, are being cracked down on through new municipal regulations.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada told VICE that it will continue to prosecute drug offences under the existing laws.
Anyone who has a pulse and has been paying any attention to the 2016 Presidential Election is bound to feel disenchanted with our options for the next leader of the free world, especially when you see which candidates are leading the pack, and what their views on marijuana are.
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Most of the time, when I listen to candidates speak, I find myself grinding my teeth and wondering if/how some of these people ever passed the fourth grade. Sometimes I don’t even watch. But this election season, I have been, closely, because marijuana is on the table.
In my eyes, it’s the only real silver-lining to this reality-TV-shit-show. Never before has the full legalization of marijuana been used as a serious debate topic on live national television. Never before have candidates been forced to explicitly state their views on marijuana.
It’s made for quite an entertaining debate season. Still, the nation as the whole has a lot of catching up to do (take Ohio as a recent example) when it comes to views on cannabis regulation, but for the issue of marijuana legalization to be discussed during the Democratic Debate, and medicinal marijuana to be discussed during the Republican Debates, is still impressive.
Obviously states like Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia, are trail-blazers for all other states to (hopefully) follow, but how close are we to voting in a President who is willing to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis for recreational (i.e. not just medicinal) reasons?
Is it possible that the next POTUS is going to change the game, end the war on drugs and join sophisticated and sensibly-minded countries like Holland, Portugal, Uruguay, Ireland and Germany in decriminalizing or legalizing the magical plant that is Mary Jane?
The voters in 2016 will decide.Hopefully, that means you will help decide.
In order to help inform ourselves on where our Presidential Candidates stand on the issue of full marijuana legalization, and what their views on marijuana are, I created an in-depth list based on meticulous online research.I have only included the top candidates because let’s face it: most of these ridiculous people have less than a 5% approval rating and should just go home already.
Republican Views on Marijuana
DONALD TRUMP
Donald Trump is a billionaire real estate mogul, business tycoon and Reality TV personality who claims America can be great again but clearly isn’t great now.He was born in New York City and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics in 1968.He later took control of his father’s company and built a successful real estate empire.
He has been married multiple times, mostly to women of Eastern European origin, and owns many casinos and hotels.He has been associated with the “Birther Movement” which actively promotes the idea that Obama was born outside of the US and should be removed from office.
In the past, Trump has supported and contributed to various Democratic and Independent campaigns but now seeks the Republican nomination for President. He is best known for financing his own campaign while refusing all donations, and for his racist/derogatory remarks against Latinos, Muslims and other groups.
He is ranked # 2 (formerly he had been in the lead) amongst Republicans because he harnesses most people’s distrust of political insiders and the traditional political establishment, and represents what some consider to be real change. Yet still for others, Trump is just extremely entertaining.
taxing some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals (and some corporations)
reducing the national debt by increasing cuts to social services
supporting the Second Amendment as the law stands now
fixing our mental health system
defending the rights of law-abiding gun owners
creating a nation-wide law to conceal carry
creating legislation that would allow military personnel to carry guns on military bases and in recruiting centers
enforcing harsh immigration laws
building a wall along the entire Southern border of the US and making the Mexican government pay for it
What does “The Donald” think about marijuana?
In 1990 Trump said he supported legalizing all drugs but now he claims he opposes the legalization and regulation of marijuana.He does however, show some support for the legal use of medical marijuana and has stated that he supports states’ rights to choose how to deal with marijuana reform without federal interference.
To quote Trump in 1990 & his views on marijuana:
“We’re losing badly the War on Drugs. You have to legalize drugs to win that war. You have to take the profit away from these drug czars.”
To quote Trump now:
I’d say [regulating marijuana] is bad. Medical marijuana is another thing, but I think it’s bad and I feel strongly about that.”
Donald Trump is one of the most controversial candidates running for the presidency, alongside Bernie Sanders (obviously for completely different reasons).Both are political outsiders who have done very well in the presidential run despite establishmentarians claiming they would fail.
BEN CARSON
Carson is a former neurosurgeon and the only African American candidate running for the presidency in 2016.He was born to a poor, single mother in Detroit. As a child he had problems at school and a very bad temper, but developed a love for reading instilled in him by his mother (who only had a third grade education).
This thirst for new literature bloomed into a life-long love of learning and allowed Carson to improve his grades, graduate from Yale and go on to medical school in Michigan.He worked at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for 29 years and was the first surgeon to successfully separate Siamese twins (attached at the head) in 1987.He has been accused of objecting to Planned Parenthood’s fetal tissue harvesting program, despite having worked in that field for a while himself.
banning abortion in all circumstances, including incest and rape
balancing the budget
keeping Guantanamo Bay open and fully funded
repealing Obamacare
protecting the Second Amendment
deepening our financial, political and military commitment to Israel
other conservative stances on issues ranging from education to reforming the tax code.
What does Ben Carson think about marijuana?
While Carson has shown limited support for medical marijuana he prescribes to the “gateway drug” theory and firmly stands against the full legalization of marijuana.He has claimed that he would enforce federal laws in states like Colorado.He has also said that if elected president he would not only continue the War on Drugs but actually “intensify it.”
To quote Mr. Carson & his views on marijuana:
“I think medical use of marijuana in compassionate cases certainly has been proven to be useful. But recognize that marijuana is what’s known as a gateway drug. It tends to be a starter drug for people who move onto heavier duty drugs – sometimes legal, sometimes illegal – and I don’t think this is something that we really want for our society. You know, we’re gradually just removing all the barriers to hedonistic activity and you know, it’s just, we’re changing so rapidly to a different type of society and nobody is getting a chance to discuss it because, you know, it’s taboo. It’s politically incorrect. You’re not supposed to talk about these things.”
When asked if he would continue the war on drugs: “Absolutely. I would intensify it.”
JEB BUSH
Jeb Bush is the younger brother of former US President George W. Bush and the son of former US President George H.W. Bush. He is the former Governor of Florida and a businessman.He married his college sweetheart, whom he met in a square in Mexico City while on a college semester abroad.
He has recently been mocked in the media for stating that his brother kept our country safe during his presidency and cannot be blamed for the endless war in the Middle East or the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. He trails in the polls behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
lowering taxes on “everyone” (including Big Business) so that we may be more competitive with China
stopping government overspending (he cites a bill Paul Ryan has endorsed)
defeating ISIS by expanding US military and diplomatic power in the region and getting help from our allies in the Middle East
improving border patrol infrastructure (including use of drones)
finding a way to initiate criminal and other background checks on immigrants already in the US
sending people home who have overstayed their visas,
improving the V.A.
approving the Keystone XL pipeline
increasing our reliance on the export of oil and natural gas.
Jeb is currently seeking to crawl out from under the Bush Family’s shadow.
What does Jeb Bush think about marijuana?
Bush’s stance on marijuana legalization is a bleak one: he has a long history of supporting the War on Drugs, he and his wife are on the advisory board for a far-right, anti-marijuana organization called the Drug Free America Foundation and despite admitting to smoking pot as a youth, he continues to oppose the legalization of marijuana including medical marijuana.
He does however, support the states right to choose how to deal with marijuana use and feels the federal government should not interfere in states decisions on this issue.
To quote Mr. Bush & his views on marijuana:
“I thought [legalizing marijuana in Colorado] was a bad idea, but states ought to have that right to do it. I would have voted ‘no’ if I was in Colorado.”
MARCO RUBIO
Marco Rubio is a Senator from Florida and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.He is a child of immigrants from Cuba who came to the US searching for the “American Dream.” He grew up in Miami and Las Vegas and watched his parents work their way up to the Middle Class.
His platform includes:
stopping the spread of Communism from Cuba and halting Chinese economic influence on the U.S. by clarifying our “moral stance” and reversing the Obama administration’s policies regarding these countries
reigning in government spending
ending Common Core
imposing hard-core immigration policies and stopping people from having “anchor-babies”
standing strong against Iran by ending the Nuclear deal
standing against ISIS through increased military presence
continuing to prop up and endorse the state of Israel
ending Putin’s aggression
putting an end to Sanctuary Cities
strengthening the Second Amendment, and more.
Senator Rubio has been trailing Carson and Trump in the polls but is still considered a viable contender for the Republican nomination, alongside Jeb Bush.
What does Marco Rubio think about marijuana?
Rubio is completely opposed to the legalization of marijuana and only supports medical marijuana if non-psychoactive forms of cannabis are used.He is one of the least marijuana-friendly candidates running for office and despite some polls claiming 58% of Americans support legalization, he will not budge on the issue.He believes that states that have legalized marijuana should be punished by the federal government and that the federal government is not enforcing the law the way it should.
To quote Rubio & his views on marijuana:
“I’m against the legalization of marijuana.”
“Marijuana is illegal under federal law. That should be enforced.”
Democratic Views on Marijuana
HILLARY CLINTON
Clinton is and has been well-known for decades.She is a former lawyer, the former First Lady (her husband Bill Clinton was one of the most popular US Presidents in recent history despite being impeached for lying about his extra-marital activities), former Senator from New York and she served as Secretary of State during Obama’s first term as president.
She holds sway over many voters because she is a strong woman and the only woman on the Democratic side who is running for the presidency.
She was favored to win the presidency in 2008 but failed due to the mobilization of millions of voters who typically don’t bother to show up and vote, who were swayed by Obama’s “Yes We Can” mantra.Hillary is hell-bent on winning the 2016 election and becoming the first woman president of the U.S.
However, many are disenchanted with her for various reasons, including but not limited to: her flip-flopping on numerous issues over the years, the Benghazi fiasco, her foreign policy, the scandal surrounding the Clinton Foundation funding and the fact that she comes from money and has been “bought” in the past by big industry and the big banks which she now appears to be trying to divorce her campaign from (despite accepting their donations).
including background checks (she is the most anti-gun candidate on the ballot)
making health care more affordable
immigration reform
campaign finance reform
creating a new student debt system (that sounds very complicated and doesn’t actually make college free)
criminal justice reform
making America “green”
Clinton espouses to believe all these things but hasn’t believed them for very long and many question her sincerity.However, if she means it, her platform is pretty good.
She recently claimed to be against for-profit prisons but it appears she may have accepted campaign contributions from the for-profit prison industry, although now she claims she is giving those donations to charity. Only time will tell if Hillary means what she says.
What does Hillary Clinton think about marijuana?
Clinton supports medical marijuana legalization but refuses to show support for full marijuana legalization. She claims states like Colorado are “laboratories for democracy” and that she feels that the legalization of marijuana should be dealt with by the states, not the federal government.
To quote Clinton & her views on marijuana:
“I really believe it’s important that states like Colorado lead the way, so that we can learn what works and what doesn’t work. And I would certainly not want the federal government to interfere with the legal decision made by the people of Colorado, and enforced by your elected officials, as to how you should be conducting this business that you have approved. So, no, I want to give you the space and I want other states to learn from you, what works and what doesn’t work.”
BERNIE SANDERS
Sanders is a U.S. Senator from Vermont.He is by far the most radical, transparent and consistent of the Democratic Party bunch, although many people have trouble with the label “democratic socialist”.People just read some books on it, it’s not that scary.
the idea of building a truly exceptional America – one in which our children will have the bright future they deserve.
Bernie has no Super PAC and all of the money his campaign has raised, $44.6 million in total since April 2015, has come from almost 1 million small-scale individual contributions of less than $200.
This implies he supports full legalization, even for recreational use.
Marijuana has been decriminalized in Vermont and as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Bernie made sure that the police force focused their efforts on preventing violence, rather than busting people for pot.
He has been extremely critical of the War on Drugs and has been very vocal about the need for a more progressive and humane way of dealing with true addicts.
He feels that the state has failed people by arresting millions of non-violent citizens and throwing them in jail for drugs, including marijuana and has stated that if he becomes president, the War on Drugs will end.Are you feeling the Bern yet?
To quote Senator Sanders at the Democratic Debate in Las Vegas:
“I suspect I would vote yes. And I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country too many lives being destroyed for non-violent offenses. We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs on Wall Street walk away, and yet we are imprisoning or giving jail sentences to young people who are smoking marijuana. I think we have to think through this war on drugs which has done an enormous amount of damage.”
Bernie makes a great point: it is time to start arresting the real criminals (i.e. the people who are responsible for crashing the economy in 2008 or murderers and rapists who inflict willful harm on others) and stop imprisoning people for their use of a plant.
Just to prove how committed he is to legalizing marijuana, putting a serious dent in the War on Drugs and supporting millions of Americans around the country who are tired of the government interfering in their private affairs, Senator Sanders filed a Senate Bill just this week that would give states total control over the decision about legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes and decriminalize marijuana on the Federal level.
If the bill passes the Senate it would mean that dispensaries and growers in states where marijuana has been legalized would be able to use federally-backed banking institutions and would be a landslide victory against the continuation of the War on Drugs.
MARTIN O’MALLEY
O’Malley is the former Governor of Maryland and in my humble opinion, his policies may or may not be directly responsible for the violence and police corruption that has plagued the city of Baltimore before and after the high-profile murder of Freddie Gray by police. However, he seems to think he can win the presidency despite his mediocre-at-best performance at the Democratic Debate last week.We shall see.
His platform is a decent one and includes but is not limited to:
100% renewable energy nation-wide by 2050
cutting youth and veteran employment rates entirely
a comprehensive (but maybe too complex) plan to combat the student aid crisis and new immigration reforms.
Sounds pretty good to me, Martin.Wait, except for one thing…
What does Martin O’Malley think about marijuana?
O’Malley does not support in any way the full legalization of marijuana, nor does he personally support marijuana for medicinal use or any other use.
Despite his personal opinion on marijuana, he did, however, as Governor of Maryland in 2014, sign laws into effect that decriminalized marijuana possession for small amounts and that created a workable medical marijuana program.
He claims that if he were elected President, he would try to get marijuana re-classified to Schedule II, down from Schedule I.
But, I doubt this since under O’Malley’s watch, Maryland has become 4th in the country for marijuana arrests and more people have been arrested there in recent years for marijuana than for all violent offenses.
To quote O’Malley & his views on marijuana:
“We’ve seen what drug addiction has done to the people of our state, to the people of our city,” O’Malley said. “This drug, its use and its abuse can be a gateway.”
Sounds like the same old shit to me, Martin.
Well, there you have it, a marijuana-lovers guide to the 2016 Presidential hopefuls and their views on marijuana.
I hope that this article helps those of you who wish to push cannabis reform forward, to make informed decisions regarding who you choose to lead the U.S. for the next four years. Happy voting marijuana-lovers!
As always, if you need some inspiration or need to do some real critical thinking as to who you want to lead our great nation, I recommend placing an order for delivery through Nugg! There app makes ordering cannabis an easy, reliable process, instead of the sketchy crap-shoot it is now!
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, called on Wednesday for marijuana to be removed from the federal government’s list of the “most dangerous” substances.
The United States has five categories for drugs and drug ingredients under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I is reserved for what the Drug Enforcement Administration considers to be the “most dangerous” drugs lacking currently accepted medical value and carrying the highest potential for abuse. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside substances like heroin and LSD.
Sanders said at an event at George Mason University in Virginia that marijuana should be taken off the Schedule 1 list. The Washington Post first reported the news.
“In the United States we have 2.2 million people in jail today, more than any other country. And we’re spending about $80 billion a year to lock people up. We need major changes in our criminal justice system – including changes in drug laws,” Sanders said at George Mason. “Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That’s wrong. That has got to change.”
Sanders’ chief rival for the nomination, Hillary Clinton, has said she wants to see how laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Colorado, Washington and other states work before supporting federal changes to how marijuana is classified. Four states and the District of Columbia have now legalized recreational marijuana, and 23 states have legalized the drug for medical purposes. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has said he’d reclassify marijuana to Schedule II, where substances like cocaine and oxycodone reside.
A Gallup poll from last week found that 58 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, but the poll question did not distinguish between recreational and medicinal legalization.
Sanders has previously hinted that he supports loosening restrictions on marijuana. During the first Democratic primary debate Oct. 13, he said he would vote “yes” on a statewide ballot initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use. The Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization group, has given the candidate an “A” grade for his stances on the issue.
“I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country too many lives being destroyed for nonviolent offenses,” he said. “We have a criminal justice system that lets CEOs on Wall Street walk away, and yet we are imprisoning or giving jail sentences to young people who are smoking marijuana. I think we have to think through this war on drugs which has done an enormous amount of damage.”
PRINCETON, N.J. — A majority of Americans continue to say marijuana use should be legal in the United States, with 58% holding that view, tying the high point in Gallup’s 46-year trend.
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Americans’ support for legal marijuana has steadily grown over time. When Gallup first asked the question, in 1969, 12% of Americans thought marijuana use should be legal, with little change in two early 1970s polls. By the late 1970s, support had increased to about 25%, and held there through the mid-1990s. The percentage of Americans who favored making use of the drug legal exceeded 30% by 2000 and was higher than 40% by 2009.
Over the past six years, support has vacillated a bit, but averaged 48% from 2010 through 2012 and has averaged above the majority level, 56%, since 2013.
[clickToTweet tweet=”A new Gallup poll says 58% of Americans favor legal marijuana use” quote=”A new Gallup poll says 58% of Americans favor legal marijuana use”]
The higher level of support comes as many states and localities are changing, or considering changing, their laws on marijuana. So far, four states and the District of Columbia have made recreational use of marijuana legal, and Ohio voters are set to decide a ballot initiative that would do the same this coming Election Day. The topic has been an issue on the 2016 presidential campaign trail, and several candidates have expressed a willingness to let states set their own marijuana laws even though federal law prohibits marijuana use.
Young Adults Consistently More Supportive of Legal Marijuana
Gallup has previously reported that two of the biggest differentiators of Americans’ opinions on legal marijuana are age and party identification. Younger Americans, Democrats and independents are the most likely of major demographic and political groups to favor legalizing use of the drug, while Republicans and older Americans are least likely to do so.
Younger Americans have always shown the most support of any age group for making marijuana legal, but this has grown from 20% of 18- to 34-year-olds in 1969 to 71% of those in the same age group today. But even older age groups today are more likely to favor legal marijuana than the comparable age groups in the past. For example, 35% of senior citizens today (aged 65 and older) are in favor of legalization, compared with 4% of senior citizens in 1969. Among all age groups, the increase in support has been proportionately greater over the last 15 years than it was between any of the earlier time periods.
These patterns by age indicate that one reason Americans are more likely to support legal marijuana today than they were in the past is because newer generations of adults, who are much more inclined to favor use of the drug, are replacing older generations in the population who were much less inclined to want it to be legalized.
But the increase in support nationwide is also a function of attitude change within generations of Americans over the course of their adult lifespans. Gallup’s historical data allow for a look at how views on marijuana legalization have changed over time among independent samples of those in the same birth cohorts. For example, Americans who are aged 65 through 79 today — born between 1936 and 1950 — are more supportive of making marijuana legal in 2015 than those born in the same years were 15, 30 and 46 years ago. This birth cohort’s support has increased from 20% in 1969 to 29% in 2000/2001, and is 40% today.
Americans born from 1951 through 1965 and from 1966 through 1980 are also more likely to favor legalizing marijuana than they were 15 years ago, with support growing a little more than 20 percentage points within each of these birth cohorts over that time. That exceeds the increases in support for older birth cohorts over the same time.
The oldest Americans, those born in 1935 or earlier, have shown far less change in their attitudes about marijuana over their life spans. The near-doubling of support between 1969 and 1985, from 8% to 15%, reflects the dying off of the oldest Americans in that birth cohort during that time period as much as it does attitude change among those from that birth cohort who were still living.
Implications
Americans’ support for legalizing marijuana is the highest Gallup has measured to date, at 58%. Given the patterns of support by age, that percentage should continue to grow in the future. Younger generations of Americans have been increasingly likely to favor legal use of marijuana as they entered adulthood compared with older generations of Americans when they were the same age decades ago. Now, more than seven in 10 of today’s young adults support legalization.
But Americans today — particularly those between 35 and 64 — are more supportive of legal marijuana than members of their same birth cohort were in the past. Now senior citizens are alone among age groups in opposing pot legalization.
These trends suggest that state and local governments may come under increasing pressure to ease restrictions on marijuana use, if not go even further like the states of Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in making recreational marijuana use completely legal.
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Oct. 7-11, 2015, with a random sample of 1,015 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.
Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.
Cannabis cures a variety of ailments, and while writer’s block isn’t on the list of medical ailments to get you a medical card in any state, recreational marijuana can still assist in artistic endeavors. If you’re looking to spark up something creative, try one of these tasty sativa strains, favored by writers for their brain-stimulating properties.
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Strawberry Cough combines the Strawberry Fields strain with Haze genetics to create a potent sativa blend. The skunky, berry flavors will capture your senses while the cerebral, uplifting effects provide an aura of euphoria that is sure to leave a smile on your face. Strawberry Cough has been a popular strain since medical and recreational decriminalization began, so it’s easy to find in dispensaries. This will quickly become your go-to strain to overcome creative obstacles.
DNA Genetics developed Chocolope by crossing Chocolate Thai with Cannalope. The hefty sativa buds give earthy, sweet coffee flavors that provide a dreamy, cerebral effect. Chocolope is your morning or dessert coffee and smoke rolled into one mocha-flavored blunt. It’s also a great strain to blend with tobacco for a quick spliff.
Moby Dick is a cross between indica-dominant hybrid White Widow and sativa Haze, creating a mostly sativa plant that delivers a charged buzz. The aroma is a sweet citrus from the Haze, which dominates the palate with vanilla and eucalyptus tones. Named for the literary whale, Moby Dick isn’t a myth you have to hunt – it’s the motorized, GPS-enabled submarine you’re hunting it in.
Maui Waui (or Maui Wowie) is a classic sativa straight from the shores of Hawaii. Lightweight sativa effects allow your mind to drift away to creative escapes, while Maui Waui’s motivating, active effects may be all you need to get outside and enjoy the sun. The first marijuana strain I ever smoked, Maui Waui is the perfect meditative bud to get you focused on creating a space in the world around you.
Also called “Lamb’s Breath,” Lamb’s Bread is a bright green and sticky sativa strain. The effects have been known to give mass amounts of energy and positive introspection. Even Bob Marley encountered this wonderful slice of cannabis genealogy while exploring his philosophical and political ideologies. Lamb’s Bread is one of my favorite fast-thinking smokes to get the mind revved up and thinking.
Sour Diesel, or Sour D, is an invigorating sativa named after its pungent, diesel-like aroma. This fast-acting strain delivers energizing, dreamy cerebral effects that have pushed Sour Diesel to legendary status. Many writers, musicians, and artists use Sour D to push beyond the walls of creative blocks, and it can have the same effect on you, if you’re over 21 and living in the right place.
Laughing Buddha is an earthy cross between Thai and Jamaican strains with a sweet, fruity smell broken up by hints of spice. It provides a rich, pungent smoke. As the name implies, the strain will leave you feeling giggly, so humor writers will enjoy smoking Laughing Buddha most while writing. Writers in other genres, however, will likely only need it for brainstorming.
Willie Nelson is a mostly sativa cannabis strain lauded for its euphoric, creative effects. This strain leaves you clear-headed, allowing you to perform artistically the way you want. There’s nothing worse than hitting that mental wall you can’t overcome. A walk will clear your head, as will a quick meditation and yoga break, but to prepare for all of it, you need Willie Nelson.
Mexican Sativa is a 70/30 sativa-dominant hybrid that offers an uplifting, clear-headed buzz alongside a fresh sandalwood aroma. Being raised on the Mexico/Arizona border, Mexican dirt weed was all we had to smoke back in the day. Though filled with stems and seeds, and not nearly as potent as today’s strains, Mexican Sativa inspired nearly everything creative I wrote from my late teens to mid-20’s.
Few strains compare to Green Crack’s sharp energy and focus as it induces an invigorating mental buzz that keeps you going throughout the day. With a tangy, fruity flavor redolent of mango, Green Crack is the perfect daytime smoke for writers looking for a creative boost. This strain will get your brain going, but don’t worry about the name – there’s no cocaine or baking soda anywhere near it, and there is no spoon.
If you need a long-term creative boost, you’re not going to find it in drugs. Working in the creative arts requires you to be a little unhinged, but if you’re fueled by substances, you’ll end up on the wrong path. For short-term help with creative projects, there’s no better natural and organic substance than cannabis. So head to your nearest dispensary, caregiver, or street dealer to find out if they have any of these strains in stock.
Brian Penny is a former Business Analyst and Operations Manager at Bank of America turned whistleblower, freelance writer, and troll. Penny has been featured on Huffington Post, Lifehack, The Street, Cannabis Now, and Hardcore Games.
The Santee Sioux tribe has already proven its business acumen, running a successful casino, a 120-room hotel and a 240-head buffalo ranch on the plains of South Dakota.
But those enterprises have not been immune to competition and the lingering effects of the Great Recession, so the small tribe of 400 is undertaking a new venture — opening the nation’s first marijuana resort on its reservation. The experiment could offer a new moneymaking model for tribes nationwide seeking economic opportunities beyond casinos.
Santee Sioux leaders plan to grow pot and sell it in a smoking lounge that includes a nightclub, arcade games, bar and food service and, eventually, slot machines and an outdoor music venue.
“We want it to be an adult playground,” tribal President Anthony Reider said. “There’s nowhere else in America that has something like this.”
The project, according to the tribe, could generate up to $2 million a month in profit, and work is underway on the growing facility. The first joints are expected to go on sale Dec. 31 at a New Year’s Eve party.
The legalization of marijuana on the Santee Sioux land came in June, months after the Justice Department outlined a new policy that allows Indian tribes to grow and sell marijuana under the same conditions as some states.
Many tribes are hesitant to jump into the pot business. And not everyone in Flandreau, about 45 miles north of Sioux Falls, believes in the project. But the profit potential has attracted the interest of many other tribes, just as the debut of slot machines and table games did almost 27 years ago.
“The vast majority of tribes have little to no economic opportunity,” said Blake Trueblood, business development director at the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. For those tribes, “this is something that you might look at and say, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ “
Flandreau’s indoor marijuana farm is set against a backdrop of soybean fields. If not for a security booth outside, the building could pass as an industrial warehouse.
Inside, men are working to grow more than 30 strains of the finicky plant, including those with names like “Gorilla Glue,” ”Shot Glass” and “Big Blue Cheese.”
Pot is prone to mildew and mold, picky about temperature and pH level and intolerant to tap water. So the Santee Sioux have hired Denver-based consulting firm Monarch America to teach them the basics.
Tribal leaders from across the country and South Dakota legislators will tour the Flandreau facility in mid-October.
“This is not a fly-by-night operation,” said Jonathan Hunt, Monarch’s vice president and chief grower. Tribal leaders “want to show the state how clean, how efficient, how proficient, safe and secure this is as an operation. We are not looking to do anything shady.”
Elsewhere, crews have begun transforming a bowling alley into the resort.
A marijuana resort open to the public has never been tried in the U.S. Even in states such as Colorado and Washington, where pot is fully legal, consumption in public places is generally forbidden, although pro-pot activists are seeking to loosen those restrictions. Colorado tolerates a handful of private marijuana clubs.
Unlike the vast reservations in western South Dakota, where poverty is widespread, the little-known Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation is on 5,000 acres of gently rolling land along the Big Sioux River. Trailer homes are scarce and houses have well-trimmed lawns.
The Santee Sioux hope to use pot in the same way that many tribes rely on casinos — to make money for community services and to provide a monthly income to tribal members. The existing enterprises support family homes, a senior living community, a clinic and a community center offering after-school programs.
Reider hopes marijuana profits can fund more housing, an addiction treatment center and an overhaul of the clinic. Some members want a 24/7 day care center for casino workers.
The prosperity that marijuana could bring to Indian Country comes with huge caveats. The drug remains illegal under federal law, and only Congress can change its status. The administration that moves into the White House in 2017 could overturn the Justice Department’s decision that made marijuana cultivation possible on tribal lands.
Meanwhile, tribes must follow strict security measures or risk the entire operation.
The marijuana cannot leave the reservation, and every plant in Flandreau’s growing facility will have a bar code. After being harvested and processed, it will be sold in sealed 1-gram packages for $12.50 to $15 — about the same price as the illegal market in Sioux Falls, according to law enforcement. Consumers will be allowed to buy only 1 gram — enough for two to four joints — at a time.
Want another gram? The bar-coded package of the first gram must be returned at the counter.
Since the Santee Sioux announced their plans, the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine signed a letter of intent with Monarch to build a cultivation facility for industrial hemp. The Suquamish Tribe and Washington state officials signed a 10-year agreement that will govern the production, processing and sale of pot on the tribe’s land.
In the long run, Reider is certain that the benefits will outweigh the risks of tribal marijuana enterprises.
The tribe, he said, must “look at these opportunities because in order to preserve the past we do have to advance in the present.”
On Wednesday July 1st, history was made. Oregon became the fourth state to legalize recreational pot with Measure 91. Oregon joins Alaska, Colorado, Washington and the capital, Washington D.C. as trailblazers in the recreational marijuana legalization movement. Oregonians will not be able to purchase marijuana from a retail location until sometime later this year, but that hasn’t stopped people from celebrating the win.
What you need to know for you next trip to Oregon:
1. It is not yet legal for anyone but medical cannabis patients to purchase marijuana
2. Adults 21+ can have up to 8 ounces of cannabis in private, and 1 ounce in public
3. Adults 21+ can grow up to 4 plants on their own property
4. No marijuana possession or delivery penalties for adults
5. No felony for minors
6. No buying, selling, or transporting recreational marijuana across state lines
7. Rumors are swirling that a bill is likely to pass on October 1st that will let many of the 250+ marijuana dispensaries sell to all adults in Oregon
8. Taxation won’t start until 2016 (tax-free for the last 3 months of 2015, boo-ya)
9. As of right now, you can give away marijuana and receive it as a gift
Oregon is setting a fast pace with a projected quick three month process of legality to sale (Washington took 18 months). Simultaneously, advocates are making moves for the legalization of recreational marijuana in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada to name a few.
Which states do you think will see progress in 2016?
Worried that cannabis isn’t coming to a state near you? Fear you’ve been left out? Don’t fear, because it turns out countrywide cannabis support is in full swing. Keep reading to learn how cannabis is growing with promise.
What you'll learn in this post:
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In an acknowledgement that the “Just Say No’ message is no longer relevant, the Colorado Department of Transportation has a new strategy to ensure safe and responsible marijuana use.
Starting with the 4/20 festival, law enforcement officers gave out snacks instead of tickets to revelers. The snacks included messages incurring cannabis users to munch, not drive, after indulging.
The agency also set up free arcade games at dispensaries that offered more tips on safely consuming cannabis.
While police around the country are being slammed for being excessive, it’s great to see at least one law enforcement agency finding innovative ways to protect the public and serve their community.
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy held a public forum at UCLA last night. A supporter of lifting the prohibition on cannabis, Newsom did say he had some concerns. “I don’t want to see big tobacco become big marijuana. I don’t want walk down the streets or walk to the playground with my kids and smell it.” he said.
The panel is looking at a number of issues that come with legalizing marijuana. They are studying how to regulate growers, how to ensure public safety and how to deal with individuals caught driving while impaired.
4/20 Kid Cannabis Sequel in the Works
Last year’s Kid Cannabis, the dark comedy about an Idaho teen that builds a marijuana empire, is getting a sequel. John Stockwell is in talks to return as writer and director of the film. The film will focus on Topher’s exploits and begins production in 2016. It will be released April 20, 2017.
Leonhart’s Exit Opens the Door for Change a DEA
News that Drug Enforcement Administration chief, Michele Leonhart is preparing to resign was met by jubilation by many in the cannabis community. As a veteran of the ‘drug war’, Leonhard refused to acknowledge that marijuana has any medical benefits. This opinion put her squarely at odds with her boss President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder.
Couple that with a long list of scandals and it’s easy to see why it’s her time to go.
As the country moves toward lifting the prohibition on cannabis, it’s important to find someone that has his or her finger on the pulse of today’s America. It’s our hope that the new DEA chief will understand the importance of studying cannabis, will allow states to execute their marijuana laws without intrusion and to finally reclassify cannabis.
Currently marijuana is considered a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. A Schedule I listing means that the substance has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Heroin, LSD and ecstasy are also classified as Schedule I.
Reclassifying cannabis would allow more studies on its benefits to be conducted and would recognize that there already is a healthy amount of evidence showing the healing power of cannabis.
