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Crosscurrents

Cannabis News Roundup: the extended post-4/20 edition

By Wikimedia user Monpirri. Used under license from Commons.wikimedia.org (cropped).
4 marijuana cigarettes

“Marijuana sanctuary” bill before Assembly ... Homeland Security chief changes his mind ... the fate of 4/20 event ... Scratch & sniff book for tokers ... and more

[Click the blue hyperlink headline to read the full story.]

LEGISLATION                                       

A “marijuana sanctuary” bill goes to the California Assembly // Daily Democrat

“Assembly Bill 1578 ... would prevent local and state police from using state resources to ‘investigate, detain, detect, report, or arrest a person for marijuana activity that is authorized by law in the State of California and transferring an individual to federal law enforcement authorities for purposes of marijuana enforcement, unless directed to do so by a court order,’ according to a public safety committee staff analysis.”

Legislature upset over Gov. Brown’s revision in marijuana laws // L. A. Times

“A proposal by the Brown administration to revise marijuana laws in California is drawing backlash from lawmakers and police chiefs who say it would repeal rules approved by the Legislature two years ago and benefit the pot industry over the public.”

State judges advised not to invest in cannabiz // Merced Sun Star

“Maintaining any interest in a business that involves medical or recreational marijuana is incompatible with a judge's obligation to follow the law, the court's Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions said.”

Mendo indoor cultivation rules now law // Daily Journal

“The provision, approved by the Board of Supervisors on Monday, dictates the six plants for personal use allowed by Proposition 64, legalized last year, be included in the 25-plant maximum set out by the medical ordinance. Those plants can only be grown within 100 square feet indoors, and are not allowed in rental units, except in a garage or accessory structure.”

Colorado walks away from cannabis clubs // The Cannabist

Colorado’s measure, which would have allowed users to bring their own pot to clubs, initially had substantial bipartisan support. But lawmakers ultimately sided with Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has warned that bold changes may anger federal drug enforcers.”

COPS & COURTS

Homeland Security head vows pot crackdown // The Hill

“Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly vowed that Department ... staff would continue to investigate and arrest those involved in illegal trade of the drug and called marijuana ‘a potentially dangerous gateway drug that frequently leads to the use of harder drugs.’”

Two days earlier he said on “Meet the Press” that marijuana is not a factor in the drug war, so take your pick.

BUSINESS

The Hood Incubator tutors non-whites in the cannabis industry // East Bay Express

“The Hood Incubator is a champion for equity in cannabis. Its focus is on community work, political and legal advocacy, and economic development through the pre-seed accelerator, which offers its participants 100 hours of training and mentorship from Oakland’s mainstream cannabis community.”

California issues first budtender certificate // CBS SF

There’s more to it than you might expect.

Vaporizer ads on TV don’t mention what they’re for // L.A. Times

Marijuana is still illegal on the national level, so the Federal Communications Commission would likely intervene if the main use of the product were mentioned.

San Francisco bar hosts 4/20 Bud Drop // SF Weekly

The most famous “ball drop” is the one in New York’s Times Square. This year saw the first 4/20 “bud drop” at San Francisco’s EndUp bar, featuring a countdown clock and balloons filled with cannabis samples. [See related story under Opinion.]

HEALTH

Medical marijuana now legal in North Dakota // KFYR-TV

“The measure allows primary care doctors and registered nurses to recommend medical marijuana to patients who have a card allowing them to purchase it from dispensaries.”

EVENT

4/20 gathering at Golden Gate Park now regulated // SF Chronicle

There were food trucks, toilets, fences and more security at San Francisco’s largest public park on World Marijuana Day yesterday, and not everyone was happy about it.

OPINION

Will growing legalization of pot turn 4/20 into another excuse to sell corporate products? // SF Chronicle

Cinco de Mayo is now an excuse to drink lots of beer, as is St. Patrick’s Day. Will commercial interests also swamp the original spirit of 4/20?

The uncertain future of marijuana laws // WNYC – “The Takeaway"

Yesterday was World Cannabis Day, AKA 4/20. Richard Baca talks about the present, and future of legalization, and the impact of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

IN OTHER NEWS ...

David Downs explains it all for you // California Today

“’There’s a very serious demand for basic orientation information,’ says The San Francisco Chronicle’s new cannabis editor.  ‘Cannabis is like its own planet and people want to visit but they don’t know how to get around or what the etiquette is, let alone what these products are and what they do. And so we’re going to be building that bridge for them.’”

The family that smokes together .... // Yahoo.com

“What’s clear from the Yahoo News/Marist Poll is that pot is now a bigger part of family life than ever before. Kids aren’t hiding it from their parents as much as they used to. Many parents aren’t even hiding it from their kids.”

BOOK 

This scratch & sniff book is not childish // KALW

“You might not take a book titled “The Scratch & Sniff Book of Weed” seriously. And you might not take the book’s thick pages, like those in books for babies, seriously either. But then you open the cover and find those pages packed with information.”

[First posted yesterday, on 4/20.]

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