Obscure weed

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According to the Arizona Department of Revenue, “there is a transaction privilege tax (TPT) rate and an excise tax (16%) on the retail sales” of adult-use recreational cannabis in the state.

Weed was legalized in Arizona in 2020 when 60% of voters approved Proposition 207, a ballot initiative that legalized recreational pot use in the state. Arizona was one of four states in 2020 in which voters approved legalization measures at the ballot. The other states that legalized cannabis during election time that year were Montana, South Dakota, and New Jersey.

Given the state’s very recent recreational legalization, those numbers aren’t looking too shabby. Just one year into legalization, Arizona has raked in over a billion dollars in tax revenue for the state. Pretty cool to see, eh?

Is Mississippi on its way to legal medical weed?

Many of the southern states have been extremely anti-cannabis for as long as we can remember, and that’s as true of Mississippi as it is for Texas, Georgia, or Louisiana.

But that may be changing for Mississippi at some point in the near future. There has been a long, drawn-out battle surrounding a medical cannabis bill in Mississippi — but it reached a major breakthrough in early January when members of the state House passed the legislation with overwhelming support.

The bill was passed by the state House with a vote of 104-14, according to the Associated Press. Members of the state Senate passed the bill the previous week with a vote of 46-5, “but the House made some changes,” and now senators will need to either accept those changes or bring the legislation to the negotiating table.

“This bill has been vetted probably more than any bill in my history for sure,” Republican state House Representative Lee Yancey told The Clarion Ledger.

Yancey, the chair of the state House Drug Policy Committee, has worked closely with GOP state Senator Kevin Blackwell on the legislation.

Earlier this month, Blackwell filed a 445-page bill that was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee for review.

According to the Clarion Ledger, Yancey “made three changes” to the bill, the most notable regarding the amount of cannabis a patient can procure. Blackwell’s bill permitted patients to purchase up to 3.5 grams of cannabis per day, but Yancey’s version allows for only 3 ounces to be purchased at a time.

A patient “can still purchase 3.5 grams of marijuana at a time, but only six times a week,” per the Ledger.

Whether or not that will be enough to placate the governor, who has said that he would prefer the limit to be lowered to 2.7 grams, remains to be seen.

Per the ledger, Yancey considers the number “just a starting point, and he expects the legislature to increase the amount of marijuana a person can purchase each month in future years.”

“This is an effort to start small and grow rather than start big and reduce,” Yancey said.

The Mississippi House-passed bill also “puts the entirety of the program under the Mississippi State Department of Health,” according to the Clarion Ledger, whereas the Senate version tasked the Department of Agriculture and Commerce to oversee “the licensing, inspection and oversight of cannabis cultivation facilities, processing facilities, transportation and cannabis disposal entities in the state.”

Almost 70% of Mississippi voters voted to pass a proposal in 2020 to legalize medical cannabis for patients in the state suffering from a host of conditions, including cancer, epilepsy or other seizures, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.

But while voters are in favor of medical legalization, the pathway to legal weed has been troubled. Last year, the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the ballot initiative, citing a technicality that rendered it unconstitutional.

In the wake of that ruling, state lawmakers sought to replace the initiative with a new medical marijuana law, but that too has been plagued by delays.

With the regular session now underway, the bill returns to the Senate –– but whether or not this current iteration of the initiative survives the conservative lawmakers in this state is anyone’s guess.

Texas (or the cool part of it, anyway) may be going decrim

The capital city of Austin, Texas may soon be on its way to earmarking its spot as the most liberal city in the state. And by that we mean a green light has been given to a cannabis decriminalization initiative that is now set to appear in an upcoming ballot.

In mid-January,Austin City Council voted to allow a ballot initiative known as the “Austin Freedom Act of 2021” to be included as part of an upcoming special election. This Act would stop local law enforcement from convicting residents of low-level cannabis offenses, and would also prohibit “no knock” warrants by police — both of which would be big changes for this metro area.

The initiative was the brainchild of Ground Game Texas (GGT).

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of the on-the-ground organizers from Ground Game Texas and partner organizations, Austin residents will soon have the ability to make lasting change to our antiquated and racist criminal justice laws,” said Ground Game Texas Political Director Mike Siegel. “With successful campaigns like these, Ground Game Texas will continue to empower and excite communities around progressive change—and deliver for the marginalized communities that too often get left behind.”

The group collected 33,332 signatures, although state law only requires 20,000 verified signatures.

“It’s official! Austin will hold an election May 7, 2022 on the Austin Freedom Act. Voters will be able to pass a new city law that (1) ends enforcement of marijuana possession and (2) bans dangerous ‘no knock’ warrants. Thank you to everyone who got us this far—now let’s win!” the organization wrote on Twitter.

The Austin Police Department first announced the end of cannabis convictions back in 2020, stating that citations would only be given “unless there is an immediate threat to a person’s safety or doing so is part of the investigation of a high priority, felony-level narcotics case or the investigation of a violent felony,” per KVUE.

What the Austin Freedom Act of 2021 does is it makes decriminalization official, stating that if passed by voters, Class A or Class B possession offenses would not be issued by law enforcement unless the situation involves a high priority “felony level narcotics case” or “investigation of a violent felony.”

If passed, the Act would also put an end to “no knock” warrants, which means that Austin police officers may not request, execute, or participate in the execution of any search warrant that does not require the officer to knock and announce their presence and wait at least 15 seconds prior to execution.”

We all know and love filmmaker Kevin Smith, who brought us classic stoner films like “Clerks” and the Jay and Silent Bob movies we’ve come to know and love. And now Smith is bringing us a heartwarming story about two familial stoners who happen to run into each other while buying bud at a local dispensary.

But wait, this one isn’t a film. It’s real life.

Smith, 51, ran into his daughter, actress Harley Quinn Smith, 22, during a random visit to iLyfted cannabis dispensary in Studio City, California, earlier this month.

Per the Irish Examiner, the filmmaker was pretty proud to run into his daughter at the same dispensary.

“When you’re at the weed store and you run into your kid,” Smith posted on his Instagram account. “Since Harley Quinn Smith got her own house, there have been moments when I ran into the kid by chance out in public. And tonight, after I ran into my only begotten daughter at the weed store, I was like ‘Someone raised that kid right’.”

Harley Quinn replied to the post, saying, “It was a surprise but also not a surprise at all.”

Harley Quinn is currently working on a series with her father, but there aren’t many details available on the project.

“It’s such a cool gift to be able to work with somebody you’re related to,” Harley Quinn told E! News in June. “We have pretty similar minds, so it’s kind of like you’re shooting with another version of yourself. It’s so much fun and we’re working on another thing together now which has been, in my opinion, the most fun yet, and I can’t wait for us to be able to share with the world what that is.”

“We’ve been writing together which is so much fun because that’s make pretend, right? Like I used to make pretend with her when she was a kid,” Kevin said. “Now she’s an adult and you rarely get to do that. But in this way we can, because it’s the same thing, you sit around going, ‘What if they did this, what if this happened, what if this happened?’ So you get to play again, which is a rare gift for a parent now.”

Tired of having the same old stoner movies on rotation? These 12 weird and wonderfully wacky films will earn you big kudos from your blazed-face friends during your next movie night.

When it comes to the essential stoner films, we all know what the top choices are. Ask any cannabis enthusiast and they’ll tell you that any Cheech and Chong film, and movies like “Friday,” “Jay and Silent Bob,” “Clerks,” or even “Soul Plane” belong in the stoner film canon. These films are not exactly a hidden stoner secret by any means.

But what happens when you grow weary of watching Harold and Kumar try to track down their missing car? What do you watch when the phrase, “You got knocked the fuck out!” no longer drives the belly laughs it once did? What is a stoner to do then?

Well, when that happens, it’s time to dig out the more obscure stoner films, of course. These films may not have been top of mind when you created the long list of stoner movies currently on rotation in your Netflix queue, but perhaps they should have been. After all, variety is the spice of life, and when you add in the less common stoner flicks, like “The Package,” you’ll never run out of movies to binge while you’re blazed.

To help get you started here are 12 obscure stoner films you need to watch during your next cannabis-fueld film binge.

#1. Akira

What to smoke: You’re going to need a clear-headed sativa for this one.

“Akira,” a film based on the beloved 1982 manga, is an excellent option to binge while stoned. Set in a dystopian future of 2019, this film revolves around a secret military project that gives a biker gang member incredible telekinetic abilities. This, in turn, endangers all of Neo-Tokyo.

If this plotline sounds a little complicated and out there, well, it is. And that’s why we love it. Akira is quite possibly the best example of how, when done correctly, it is possible to translate complicated source material from manga (or any other source) to the screen.

This film takes you across a fantastical post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world, exploring deep and foreboding concepts like nuclear war and the strong grip of the military-industrial complex. And, it somehow does so without teetering on the edge of being preachy or in your face.

Even better, though, is the fact that each frame is as brilliant as the one before it. And, it’s even better when you’re stoned, as the subtle nuances of the animated film come alive when your head is swimming with good ol’ THC.

#2. Mac & Devin Go to High School

What to smoke: In honor of Snoop Dogg, you’re going to want a heavy indica, duh

Not familiar with “Mac & Devin Go to High School”? Well, while this film isn’t as commonly cited as epic stoner material in the way that other films like “How High” are, it probably should be. After all, it has two epic stoner leads: Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa.

The plotline of Mac & Devin is pretty simple, which is why it’s OK to go with an indica for this one. You don’t need to use your brainpower to follow along.

So, here’s the gist. Snoop and Whiz are two high school students (in HIGH school, get it?), and Snoop Dogg must graduate — OR ELSE. To make that happen, Wiz Khalifa has to help out ol’ Snip Dogg while he’s also struggling to write his valedictorian speech.

Before we go any further in our promotion of this film, let me be clear about something: You should not attempt to watch this film while sober. This film is only tolerable if you smoke a little somethin’ somethin’ while watching it. Or a lot of somethin’ somethin.

And, if you’re stoned, it can actually be quite entertaining. That’s because there’s a little bit of everything thrown into the mix. You’ll get some weird musical scenes, some jokes, and a very weak plotline that will still make sense if you miss a little (or a lot). What more could a stoner ask for?

OK, maybe you could ask for a lot more. This film is honestly pretty bad, but it’s also very good when you’re stoned, which is why we love it. So maybe it’s best that you watch this one with your chatty stoner friends. They’ll distract you JUST enough that it’s funny when you tune in to Snoop’s antics.

#3. 2001: A Space Odyssey What to smoke: A hybrid that keeps your brain focused juuuuuust enough that you can process Kubrick’s insanity

If you aren’t familiar with “2001: A Space Odyssey,” are you even a stoner? This film by the man himself, Stanley Kubrick, is one for the stoner books. You almost certainly have at least one friend who swears by it. Just ask around.

But if you happen to be living in your own little world and have never ventured into watching this film, stoned or otherwise, here’s the gist, according to IMDB: “The Monoliths push humanity to reach for the stars; after their discovery in Africa generations ago, the mysterious objects lead mankind on an awesome journey to Jupiter, with the help of H.A.L. 9000: the world’s greatest supercomputer.”

That brief couple of sentences can’t possibly do the film justice, of course. What you need to know about this film is that it’s a total and complete mindfuck — and it gives you plenty of food for thought — so you need to be capable of rational thought (but must also be stoned) when you watch it. The rest will fall into place.

#4. Interstellar

What to smoke: Your call! Dealer’s choice!

OK, so let’s say you’re not ready to be mind-blown like you would be if you watched “2001: A Space Odyssey” while high off your gourd. That’s fair. Maybe you know what you’re playing with — and just don’t want to get that mind-melted on a Saturday. Well, you may want to opt for an “Interstellar” binge instead.

That’s because this film is a little dumb, but a lot easier to grasp when your head is high up in the clouds. Rather than being a trippy A.I.-filled journey into space and time, we’re dealing with a little bit of much Matthew McConnaughey and a whole lot of cosmology.

In this film, McConnaughey, who is a gotdang national treasure, opts to throw himself into a wormhole in anattempt to find another planet when life on Earth goes haywire. You’ll still get talk of black holes, tesseracts, and a bunch of other space nerd stuff like you would with “2001: A Space Odyssey,” but you won’t have the potential to be sucked into the black pit of existential despair that comes with every Kubrick film ever recorded. So that’s a win.

#5. The Package

What to smoke: Giggle weed. You’ll want giggle weed.

Looking for a somewhat terrible but totally entertaining black comedy? Good, good. Sounds like you’re looking for “The Package, a film about five friends-slashcrushes-slash-people — three dudes,

Sean, Jeremy, and Donnie — and two chicks — Becky and Sarah —who are on a camping trip. Thrilling, right?

Just wait. So these homies are camping in a booze-filled environment and everything is all fun and raunchy and dumb. BUT THEN someone loses an organ. Whoops!

That, of course, causes chaos to ensue as everyone looks for this missing body part — which, by the way, has to be found within a 12-hour window so it can be reattached.

It’s a mix of absurdity and stupidity and horror as the wolf pack of drunken morons try and fail to get to the missing schlong-a-dong-dong — and if you’re stoned, you’ll think it’s the best thing since sliced, pun intended, bread. If you’re sober, though? Well, in that case, you should enter this film at your own risk. We wouldn’t try it, but you do you, boo.

#6. Chef

What to smoke: You wanna get hungry? An indica.

Listen. If you aren’t aware of what an actual American treasure Jon Favreau is, were you even around for “Swingers”? And, he’s at it again in “Chef,” as Favreau — who plays Carl Casper — quits a cushy job at an L.A. restaurant to open a food truck with his best friend and son. Sounds a little boring, right?

Wrong.

This film is not just Favreau playing a chef at a food truck. He’s also a human who’s stuck balancing a love triangle with the characters played by Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara — and it’s a little spicy, if we do say so ourselves.

Now, we’re not saying “Chef” reinvents the feel-good love triangle wheel, but this predictable film is still filled with delicious shots of amazing food, and requires absolutely no brain power to absorb the plotline. As such, it’s kinda great. You can toss it on while stoned, get yourself some entertainment, and then fall asleep dreaming of all of the delicacies from the film.

In other words, the plot won’t keep you up at night while questioning your life, but the food imagery will — and that’s enough to sell us on this film.

#7. Moonwalkers

What to smoke: A dreamy indica

We’ll just warn you right now that “Moonwalkers” is a relatively trippy and slightly insane stoner film, but that’s also why it can be highly entertaining when you’re blazed.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s the deal with it. So, this film is set in 1969 and is about an agent, Tom Kidman, an unstable, hard-assed Vietnam vet who is tasked with finding Stanley Kubrick. The goal is to pay Kubrick a hefty sum of money and film a fake moon landing as a cover-up in case the Apollo 11 mission goes wrong.

In a bid to track down Kubrick, Kidman meets up with Johnny, a struggling musician who is dealing with some big money issues and a few loan sharks. Johnny tells Kidman he’ll arrange a meeting with Kubrick, but alas, that does not happen (as you may have guessed). Instead of producing Kubrick, Johnny has his stoner roommate act as a Kubrick imposter instead in order to get his hands on the money from Kidman.

As you may have guessed, things go a bit haywire thanks to all the lies and impostering and whatnot, and there’s a so-called loan shark named Iron Monger that’s eventually added to the mix.

It’s basically everything you’d want from a stoner film, from Kidman’s trippy, odd, and slightly frustrating character to all of the hilarity that ensues as the odd couple track down Kubrick — or faux Kubrick — or whomever else they’re tracking down.

#8. Bad Times at the El Royale

What to smoke: More giggle weed!

If you’re looking for a flat-out fun stoner movie, “Bad Times at the Royale” is it.

This mystery thriller, set in the 1970s, follows seven strangers who check in at the El Royale Hotel, a deserted old hotel that’s staffed by a single desk clerk. And, as you may have guessed by the fact that this is a mystery thriller, some of those guests are not who they appear to be — and some have nefarious reasons for checking into the hotel begin with. Each guest is hiding their own secret, and things emerge as they cross paths at the rundown hotel — which, of course, has its own dark past.

You can think of it as a Tarantino-esque ride through a mystery thriller, but it’s a whole lot more fun than some of Tarantino’s darker films. You’ll dig it. Especially if you’re blazed.

Now, this film isn’t particularly old or obscure, mind you — it first hit the box office in 2018 — but when it did, it flopped bigtime, and that’s a bummer. It’s completely underrated.

And, as a stoner film, it’s basically kind of perfect. You’ll get plenty of entertainment from the cast, which includes Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson and Cynthia Erivo — and while the plot may seem familiar at times, it’s a good familiar … the type of familiar that only a well-written stoner film can be.