Freedom Leaf Magazine - Issue 18 by Freedom Leaf

september 2016

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Lifetime Warranties on the Most Vital Parts of Each Model. Not believing any vaporizer should see the bottom of a junk drawer, replacement parts for all AccuVape models are available in-store or online. AccuVape also warranties the most vulnerable parts of each vaporizer, insuring when someone buys an AccuVape product, they can enjoy it for life.

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RETAIL WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION ELECTRONICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS PRODUCT SOURCING AND GUARANTEES PRIVATE LABEL SERVICES

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FEATURES LEGALIZE IT: GUIDE TO 2016 STATE BALLOT INITIATIVES DENVER SOCIAL-USE MEASURE ON BALLOT Kevin Mahmalji FL INTERVIEW: JOHN MORGAN - Steve Bloom & George Colombo SSDP CHAPTERS’ LEGALIZATION PUSH Frances Fu BACK-TO-SCHOOL ADVICE FOR ACTIVISTS Chris Thompson WILL HEMPFEST SURVIVE? Doug McVay HOW TO WIN THE WAR ON DRUGS Jesse Ventura

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NEWS & REVIEWS WORD ON THE TREE Mona Zhang DEAJà VU Paul Armentano

HEADS: A BIOGRAPHY OF PSYCHEDELIC AMERICA Roy Trakin STEPHEN MARLEY: REVELATION, PART II Roy Trakin

FORTY YEARS STONED: A JOURNALIST’S ROMANCE Catherine Hiller EVENT CALENDAR

C O N T E N T S COLUMNS ARE MARIJUANA RALLIES STILL NECESSARY? Allen St. Pierre WHY WOMEN GROW DOESN’T GET POLITICAL Leah Heise GREEN IS THE NEW NORML Randy Quast FEELIN’ ALRIGHT ABOUT AUMA Ngaio Bealum WASHINGTON STATE’S PESTICIDE CONTROVERSY David Rheins STOCKS HIGH ON HYDRO AND HEMP Matt Chelsea

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GROWING PAINS Rick Pfrommer ELECTION SEASON HIGHBALLS Cheri Sicard EARTHLY BODY’S HIPPIE HEMPIRE Erin Hiatt PIZZA FELLA Neal Warner NORML BUSINESS NETWORK Norm Kent

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FRANK BANK

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EDITOR’S NOTE Steve Bloom

EDITOR’S NOTE

Marijuana Ballot Initiative Fever Grips Nation This is a huge year for marijuana law reform. Nine states are voting on cannabis-themed ballot initiatives on Nov. 8: five for adult, or recreational, use (Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada), and four for medical marijuana (Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota). While there have been disagreements among activists in many states over the language of the initiatives, we stand firm at Freedom Leaf in support of each and every one, especially the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) in California. Some in our community would rather see it fail, but that’s not our viewpoint. The more states that legalize marijuana, the faster we move toward ending the federal ban on cannabis. Legalization in California will have an enormous impact, not just nationally, but globally. California has the sixth-largest economy in the world. Passage of Prop 64 will be an earth-shaking event, setting off tremors in countries far and wide, from Canada to Australia. We have so much to gain if it wins, and so much to lose if it doesn’t. We urge all Californians to set aside their differences and vote Yes on 64. This 18th issue of FL features a terrific section on the initiatives (page 30)—written by Allen St. Pierre, Amanda Reiman, Chris Goldstein and Russ Belville—that tells you everything you need to know. The section also features an interview with John Morgan, who has largely funded Amendment 2 in Florida, now for the second time; it lost in 2014 despite receiving 58% of the vote (Florida amendments require 60%). “A super-majority victory in the Sunshine State will be a huge deal for medical marijuana nationwide,” says Morgan, and we agree wholeheartedly. Also in this issue: An excerpt from former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura’s new book, Marijuana Manifesto; back-to-school reports from SSDP’s

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Mona Zhang busy at work. Her “Word on the Tree” column begins on page 8.

Frances Fu and from Freedom Leaf’s Chris Thompson, who just graduated from Purdue University earlier this year; Cheri Sicard’s cannabis cocktails created especially for the election season; Doug McVay’s review of the 25th Seattle Hempfest; St. Pierre’s opinion on whether marijuana rallies are still necessary in the age of legalization; California residents Ngaio Bealum and Rick Pfrommer’s takes on AUMA; Paul Armentano’s analysis of the DEA’s recent refusal to reschedule cannabis; and columns by NORML’s Acting Director Randy Quast and Women Grow’s new CEO, Leah Heise. I’m particularly excited to welcome Mona Zhang to our team. For the last year, she’s been painstakingly covering all aspects of the drug war with her email newsletter, Word on the Tree. Starting with Issue 18, Mona’s WOTT will appear in the news section (pages 8–11). Next month we will reveal whom we’re supporting for president.

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Steve Bloom

Editor in Chief

ISSUE 18

SEPTEMBER 2016

FOUNDERS Richard C. Cowan & Clifford J. Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Bloom ART DIRECTOR Joe Gurreri NEWS EDITOR Mona Zhang COPY EDITOR G. Moses SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR Paul Armentano

PUBLISHER & CEO Clifford J. Perry VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Ray Medeiros VP OF OPERATIONS Chris M. Sloan VP OF SALES & MARKETING Charles Mui VP OF ACTIVISM & COMMUNICATIONS Allen St. Pierre NONPROFIT LIASON MANAGER Chris Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS: Erik Altieri, Ngaio Bealum, Russ Belville, Matt Chelsea, George Colombo, Frances Fu, Chris Goldstein, Leah Heise, Erin Hiatt, Catherine Hiller, Norm Kent, Mitch Mandell, Beth Mann, Doug McVay, Lex Pelger, Rick Pfrommer, Randy Quast, Amanda Reiman, David Rheins, Cheri Sicard, Roy Trakin, Neal Warner Copyright Â© 2016 by Freedom Leaf Inc. All rights reserved. Freedom Leaf Inc. assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained in this magazine. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without permission is prohibited.

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DOMESTIC NEWS

Elizabeth Warren Backs Question 4 in Massachusetts Massachusetts is known to be fairly 420-friendly, at least by East Coast standards. With Vermont’s failure to legalize adult-use cannabis through the legislature earlier this year, could Massachusetts become the first state in New England to do so? That question is being put to voters this November in the form of Question 4, the initiative that would legalize the cultivation, possession and distribution of cannabis in the Bay State (see the stateby-state initiative guide on page 30). Regarding Question 4, on Aug. 25, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren stated: “Massachusetts is in a very difficult position because we have decriminalized marijuana. That means it’s widely available, but there’s no real regulation of it. I think that what we really need is to have some regulation. That means I would be open to the possibility of legalizing marijuana… because I think that the problem we have right now in Massachusetts is that we’ve decriminalized it, which makes marijuana available, but there’s no regulation over it for safety. I think we should learn from the other states that have already done this.” Warren also commented on the recent decision by the DEA to not reschedule marijuana (see “DEAjà Vu” on page 12): “There’s access to marijuana openly, and yet we can’t even do serious medical research on it because of the way the federal government classifies marijuana. I think that makes no sense at

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“What we really need is to have some regulation.” all. We need an opportunity to study the drug better.” The Democratic senator previously stated that she was interested in looking “into the impact of legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths.”

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Employee Rehired After Being Fired For Smoking Pot A Connecticut state employee who was fired for marijuana use will get his job back thanks to a state supreme court ruling on Aug. 19. In 2012, Gregory Linhoff, a maintenance worker at the University of Connecticut Health Center, in Farmingdale, was seen smoking pot from a glass pipe on campus, in a stateowned vehicle. Police nabbed him with three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis. Three months later, Linhoff was dismissed for violating his employer’s drug-free policy. At an arbitration hearing, Linhoff testified that a recent cancer scare and marital problems led him to smoke cannabis to calm his anxiety. He also said he brought the cannabis to work by accident, a claim that the arbitrator found “disingenuous.” Nevertheless, the arbitrator concluded that his firing “did not correspond with the notion of just cause” and ordered that he be suspended with-

The Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford.

out pay for six months and subjected to random drug tests for a year after returning to work. That decision was appealed by the state and overturned by a superior court judge. The Connecticut Employees Union Independent SEIU Local 511 then appealed on Linhoff’s behalf to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which backed the arbitrator’s original decision that his return to the workplace would not “create a danger” to other employees, and that his actions would not prevent him from being a “satisfactory and productive employee.”

Study Says Cannabis Consumers Have Lower Incomes A study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Drug Issues, based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2013, found that heavy cannabis users are poor and less educated. “Most people who have used marijuana in the past year are in full control of their use, and are happy with that use,” study co-author Jonathan Caulkins stated. “Consumption is highly concentrated among the smaller number of daily and near-daily users, and they tend to be less educated, less affluent and less in control of their use.” According to the study, nearly 30% of all marijuana use is among households

earning less than $20,000. These users spend one-quarter of their income on pot. In 2013, a Gallup poll found that those with lower incomes were more likely to be current cannabis users. But that result was attributed to the fact that cannabis use is more prevalent among young people, and young adults generally have lower incomes.

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Marion Barry’s Son Dies of Mysterious Drug Overdose Christopher Barry, the son of late Washington, D.C. former Mayor Marion Barry, passed away on Aug. 14. He was 36 years old. The police report states that after Barry smoked a mix Christopher Barry of K2 (synthetic cannabis) and PCP, he started “‘acting crazy/different’ and then he suddenly ‘dropped.’” He died several hours later at George Washington University Hospital. An official cause of Barry’s death has yet to be announced. While nobody has ever died as a result of a marijuana overdose, synthetic cannabinoid products like K2 and Spice are another matter entirely. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 deaths were caused by synthetic marijuana overdoses in the first half of 2015; poison control centers received a 229% increase in synthetic cannabinoid calls in 2015 compared to the previous year. Recently, an alarming surge in K2 overdoses made headlines in New York City. Unlike cannabis, synthetic marijuana does not show up on standard drug tests. Barry had a history of drug-related run-ins with law enforcement. In 2011, he was sentenced to 18 months probation for possessing PCP and marijuana. The elder Barry (D.C. mayor from 1979–1991 and 1995–1999) had his own legal problems with drugs, serving a six-month sentence for possession of crack cocaine. After doing his jail time, he made an unlikely political comeback to serve as a D.C. City Council member and was again elected mayor in 1994. Christopher Barry also ran for D.C. City Council, but lost in 2015.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

New Medical Regs Announced by Health Canada On Aug. 11, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) replaced the older Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations in Canada. These new regs were issued in response to the Allard v. Canada case in the Supreme Court of Canada, which in February ruled that medical marijuana patients have a constitutional right to grow their own cannabis, and are no longer required to purchase it from licensed producers. “The ACMPR is designed to provide an immediate solution required to address the Court judgment,” Health Canada reported. “Moving forward, Health Canada will evaluate how a system of medical access to cannabis should function alongside the government’s commitment to legalize, strictly regulate and restrict access to marijuana.” Prior to this decision, Health Canada set up a system of licensed producers—LPs—who provided medical cannabis to patients via mail order. Now, those who wish to grow their own medical cannabis must register with Health Canada. The number of plants a patient can cultivate depends on his or her doctor’s recommendation and plant yields. Lisa Campbell, who recently organized a “potluck” in Toronto to celebrate the new regulations, calls ACMPR a “huge win” for patients. However, under the new rules, patients who have had a drug offense in the past 10 years cannot apply. “As a stigmatized veteran, who has a record for growing my own marijuana because of problems with pharmaceutical drugs, I don’t know what to think,” states Ottawa resident Clayton Goodwin, who has a possession charge on his record.

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Was Cannabis Used In Ancient Siberian Brain Surgery? A man’s skull found at an archeological site in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia was subject to brain surgery during the Bronze Age. Dr. Sergey Slepchenko, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk, Russia told the Siberian Times that it was critical for the patient to enter an “altered state of mind” for the operation to be carried out. He says the “most obvious” plant that would help bring about this altered state was cannabis. Other means of achieving this state might include consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms, drumming or “ecstatic dancing.”

Drug War Gets More Barbaric In The Philippines Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte— the “Trump of Asia”—made international headlines leading up to his election on June 30. Outrageous drug war statements helped propel his candidacy; he even said he’d have his own children killed if they used illegal drugs. Duterte has been making good on his campaign promises by ordering and turning a blind eye to killings of drug users and dealers, and more than 1,800 people have lost their lives since he took office. “Please feel free to call us, the police, or do it yourself if you have the gun, you have my support,” the despot recommended in a televised speech suggesting that people take lethal action against drug users—and many have. Since Duterte assumed office, a reported 660,000 people connected to the drug industry have surrendered to the police rather than risk death. The extrajudicial killings prompted the U.N. to express its concern over human rights abuses. “I join the United

The Siberian skull in question.

The patient lived long enough after the operation for the wound to start healing, but Slepchenko surmises that he or she succumbed to “subsequent complications, such as wound abscess, meningitis and brain abscess.” There’s increasing evidence that cannabis played a large role in early civilizations, dating back some 2,700 years. In 2008, researchers discovered an ancient stash at the Yanghai Tombs in China (see “Busted in China” in Freedom Leaf #15). Nations Secretary-General in condemning the apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killing, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms,” Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime stated on Aug. 3. Duterte has vowed to continue his appalling tactics in the face of mounting international criticism, and has threatened to declare martial law if the Philippines Supreme Court interferes with his deadly crusade against drugs. Philippines Senator Leila de Lima has opened an inquiry into the killings. “What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity,” she told Reuters. Duterte’s War on Drugs has created alarming conditions in the country’s jails. Overcrowding at the Quezon City Jail in Manila is extreme: The prison was built to accommodate 278 inmates, yet more than 4,000 (60% for drug offenses) are currently packed into its cells. Mona Zhang publishes the daily cannabis newsletter Word On The Tree. Sign up for WOTT at wordonthetree.com.

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Hash was confiscated and burned during the DEA’s Operation Albatross in Afghanistan in 2008.

DEAjà Vu Federal drug agency refuses to reschedule or deschedule marijuana, again. By Paul Armentano On Aug. 11, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declared that it had rejected a pair of administrative rescheduling petitions challenging the federal classification of cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical utility. Their decision keeps marijuana in the same category as heroin under federal drug laws. Former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and New Mexicobased nurse practitioner Bryan Krumm filed the petitions that triggered this latest DEA decision. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970—the cannabis plant and its organic cannabinoids are classified as Schedule I prohibited substances, the most restrictive category under the law. By definition, substances in this category possess “a high potential for abuse” and have “no currently accepted medical use.”

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Substances that don’t meet these criteria are categorized in less restrictive federal schedules (Schedules II through V), and are legally regulated accordingly. Alcohol and tobacco, two substances widely acknowledged to pose far greater dangers to health than cannabis, are not classified under the CSA. The DEA previously rejected several other rescheduling petitions, including a 2002 petition filed by a coalition of marijuana law reform and health advocacy organizations, and a 1972 petition filed by NORML. In each case, the DEA determined that cannabis must remain in Schedule I. In its latest decision, the DEA reiterated its longstanding contention about marijuana: that “the drug’s chemistry is not known and reproducible; there are no adequate safety studies; there are not adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts; and the scientific evidence is not widely available. There is no evidence that there is a consensus among qualified experts that marijuana is safe and effective for use in treating a specific, recognized disorder. At this time, the known risks have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy.” Chuck Rosenberg, the DEA’s Acting Administrator, piled on with this comment: “This decision isn’t based on danger. This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and

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effective medicine, and it’s not.” Despite all this negative news, the DEA did comment on the gateway theory that marijuana use is a path to hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, adding, “Little evidence supports the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances.” But the real silver lining in the DEA’s announcement was revealed in a separate decision designed to expand the production of research-grade cannabis for FDA-approved clinical studies. Presently, any clinical trial involving cannabis must access source material cultivated at NIDA’s research facility at the University of Mississippi. Now, for the first time, the DEA will consider applications from multiple parties, potentially including private entities, to produce marijuana for FDA-approved research protocols, as well as for “commercial product development.” Rosenberg noted: “As long as folks abide by the rules, and we’re going to regulate that, we want to expand the availability, the variety, the type of marijuana available to legitimate researchers. If our understanding of the science changes, that could very well drive a new decision.” However, upon closer inspection, the DEA’s ultimate goal appears to be the domestic production of pharmaceutically produced medical cannabis products, and the agency is enabling this process by providing a roadmap for Big Pharma to enter the marijuana drug development market.

Historically, this interest in commercial cannabis drug development has largely been limited to the creation of synthetic agonists that mimic natural components of the plant, such as the FDA-approved drugs Marinol, Cesamet and Syndros. But with the DEA’s new policy, pharmaceutical firms can become involved in developing and/or patenting medicines derived from the actual plant itself, either in the form of standardized cannabis strains or extracts. Ultimately, the DEA’s decision to keep marijuana in Schedule I is a political one. While facilitating research access is a significant step toward expanding clinical investigations into cannabis’ therapeutic efficacy, ample gold-standard clinical evidence already exists to remove cannabis from Schedule I, and to acknowledge its relative safety compared to other scheduled substances, like opioids, and unscheduled substances, such as alcohol and tobacco. Since the DEA has failed to reschedule marijuana, it’s incumbent upon Congress to act swiftly to amend cannabis’ criminal status in a way that comports with both public and scientific opinion. Failure to do so continues the federal government’s “Flat Earth” position on pot that willfully ignores the well-established therapeutic properties of cannabis, and laws in 26 states that recognize marijuana’s therapeutic efficacy.

“This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and effective medicine, and it’s not.” —DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg

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Paul Armentano is Deputy Director of NORML and Freedom Leaf’s Senior Policy Advisor. He’s the author of The Citizen’s Guide to State-by-State Marijuana Laws. A portion of this article originally appeared at alternet.com.

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DOUG MCVAY

Are Marijuana Rallies Still Necessary?

An attendee flaunts the peace sign at the 25th Annual Seattle Hempfest in August.

By Allen St. Pierre An article at mynorthwest.com leading up to the recent 25th Seattle Hempfest suggested that this “may be the last” Hempfest due to the event’s financial problems. The author, KIRO radio host Jason Rantz, opined: “I’m OK if it is.” A veteran of well over 100 pro-cannabis rallies all around America, I’ve always seen them as an integral part of an effective effort to help end cannabis prohibition in our lifetimes. However, in the states where ganja is now a legal and taxed commodity for adult consumption, large cannabis-centric rallies should pivot from being important protest vehicles over a failed public policy to responsible adult celebrations of cannabis products, in a manner similar to the ubiquitous beer, wine and whiskey festivals. States that have staged large public pro-pot rallies can now help lead the charge. Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska—your days of hosting rallies against pot prohibition have thankfully come to an end. Logically, the resources and effort once put into such events in these now-reformed states need to be directed to states still gripped by pot prohibition (like Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio)—where the sacred herb is illegal and enforcement continues. The focus of such events should be on legalization, and not on niche issues like medical access or

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industrial hemp. Flipping these politically important states is a more efficient strategy for reformers than slogging it out for decades in states like Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia and the Dakotas. A few years ago, Seattle Hempfest branched out with the idea that they could replicate the event’s tremendous success in other states. With legal cannabis sales in Washington State now totaling nearly a billion dollars, Hempfest should consider taking the battle to Austin, Tallahassee, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City, where the staff’s organizing skills and political moxie is really needed these days. (See our coverage of the 2016 Hempfest on page 48.) A good example of the pivot from protest to celebration has occurred in Portland, Ore., where, for over a decade, the state’s cannabis consumers and producers/sellers have come out of their smoky closets annually for Hempstalk (this Sept. 24–25), a public protest against the long-failed and unpopular prohibition of pot. Two years after full legalization in the state, and some necessary negotiations with city officials, Hempstalk has morphed from a protest rally into a public celebration of cannabis. That’s the move that other such events should follow. Allen St. Pierre, the former Executive Director of NORML, is Freedom Leaf’s VP of Advocacy and Communications.

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Why Women Grow Doesn’t Get Political The upcoming election could dramatically change the face of cannabis. Nine states are slated to vote on either adult or medical use this November. During this election season, Women Grow Jazmin Hupp has often been asked to of Women Grow support state or local ballot initiatives. While our chapters are often actively involved in local politics, at the national office we have a policy of abstaining from lending our voice to the Mia Di Stefano and Jyl Ferris welcome attendees to the recent Women Grow Signature Networking Event in New York. debate. We take this stance for a number of reasons: We like to spark conversation around all kinds of topics, Women Grow is a for-profit politics included. However, we organization. As such, we recwant our monthly Signature Networking ognize that advocacy is oftenEvents, now in 40 cities in the U.S. and times better left to the nonprofit arena. Canada, to be safe places where people Many nonprofit groups—such as the can debate all facets of a particular issue National Cannabis Industry Association without Women Grow advocating a par(NCIA), Minority Cannabis Business ticular position or guiding those discusAssociation (MCBA), Students for Sensisions. I’m not saying that Women Grow ble Drug Policy (SSDP), Marijuana Policy will never take a stance on a political Project (MPP) and NORML, to name a issue. We obviously support legalization, few—do amazing work to advance the women and a focus on issues affecting legalization of cannabis. In order to best minorities. But we believe that change support these groups, Women Grow starts from the bottom up, not the top does not interject itself nationally. down, and that grassroots politics is a vital part of the foundation of democracy. Down the road, I envision the develTrue grassroots politics reopment of a 501(c)(4)—a tax-exempt quires lots of time and knowlsocial welfare organization—to bring the edge. Offering a national voice Women Grow voice to the political arein support of legalization, and being part na. In the meantime, we’ll continue to of the conversation, is much different encourage our community to get out and than being knowledgeable about all the vote, to advocate for their positions and ramifications of a particular political isto be the difference they want to see in sue on the state or local level. It would be the world. a disservice to our community to take a side on a particular issue without having Leah Heise is the CEO of Women Grow. expert knowledge of that issue.

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TODD HINDEN

By Leah Heise

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Green Is the New NORML By Randy Quast I have been a board member and the Treasurer of NORML for just over two years. Due to the recent departure of our former Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, in July I was appointed by the NORML board to serve as Acting Executive Director until our search committee appoints a permanent one. I’m honored to help NORML in any and every way possible, because when I faced the legal system due to my personal daily use of marijuana, NORML was there for me. I began working for my family’s trucking company, Quast Transfer, in 1979. The following year, when the trucking industry was deregulated, our small business with one service center employing 10 people quickly grew to a company with more than 600 employees located in 23 service centers across 10 Midwestern states. In 1988, I became Quast Tranfer’s sole shareholder. Ten years later, I sold the company. One fateful day in 2008, I got kicked out of the cannabis closet through no choice of my own. I’d just purchased four ounces of black-market pot, locked it in my safe and went out to dinner. While I was out, a thief broke into my Minneapolis home and tried to haul my safe through the backyard. Spotted by my neighbors, the thief ran away, leaving the safe in the middle of the yard. I returned from dinner to find cops all around my home. While investigating the burglary, they found an aluminum one-hitter I’d left in the bathroom. Based on that, they secured a search warrant, hauled my safe to the police department and returned in the morning SWAT-style to charge me with felony possession of marijuana. Fortunately, I had the means to hire a good attorney. I received a stay of adjudication, and in 2010, after completing

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Randy Quast’s marijuana arrest prompted him to get directly involved with NORML.

two years of probation, my felony charge was dismissed. That September, I attended the NORML Conference in Portland, Ore., and started the process to form Minnesota NORML. In 2014, I was elected to the National NORML board of directors, and in 2015, I moved to Oregon and co-founded Portland NORML. This November, five states will vote on marijuana legalization, and another four will vote on medical marijuana. These changes are happening largely because NORML continues to educate the public and lobby legislators. More than ever, people realize that marijuana is safer than alcohol. I encourage you to join NORML and continue the fight to bring legalization to the entire country. Visit norml.org and donate $50 for 50 Legal States, and let America know that Green Is the New NORML.

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DOUG MCVAY

Madeline Martinez and Ngaio Bealum inside the Hemposium tent at Seattle Hempfest.

Feelin’ Alright About AUMA By Ngaio Bealum California will get its third chance to legalize recreational, er, adult use of cannabis in November. And while two Prop 19 initiatives, in 1972 and 2010, both failed, this year’s Prop 64 has a good chance of succeeding. Polls show 60% of voters support the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). The initiative is well funded and backed not just by activists, but by groups like the NAACP and politicians like California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. Of course, AUMA has its naysayers. Most of the complaints are about how restrictive the new rules will be, or about how Big Agriculture, Monsanto and Big Pharma are going to take over the weed trade. This is hogwash: While the legalization of marijuana will present a set of challenges for those not inclined to follow any set of rules, the truth is that the black market isn’t going away, especially for those that specialize in interstate trade. Until Georgia, New York and Texas legalize weed, California’s pot outlaws will always have a place to send their harvest. As for big corporations taking over the cannabis industry, Prop 64 ensures that small-scale “boutique” grows have a spot in the marketplace. It may help to think of the new connoisseur paradigm

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the same way we think about beer. Sure, mass-market brands like Budweiser and Coors have a big share of the market, but where I live, we all drink local microbrews. Craft cannabis is an emerging market niche, and growers with skill (and a good marketing plan) should have no trouble finding buyers, especially with the explosion in demand that legalization may bring. Prop 64 is just a step. If it passes, it doesn’t mean that pot activism is over. There’s plenty more to do. We still need to get people out of jail, and there are folks awaiting trial on marijuana charges right now that could probably get them dropped if AUMA passes, such as longtime canna-activist Todd McCormick, who in August had his cultivation case delayed until after the election because prosecutors didn’t want to spend time and money prosecuting him if weed is going to be legal anyway. Freeing cannabis captives should be reason enough to vote for Prop 64. With the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in San Francisco on Aug. 16 reaffirming the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment (that keeps the DOJ and the DEA from spending federal money to go after state-legal medical cannabis businesses), it’s more important than ever for California to have a comprehensive set of regulations. Prop 64 is a good start. Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento-based comedian and activist who regularly appears at cannabis events.

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Washington State’s Pesticide Controversy By David Rheins Jeremy Moberg, an outspoken Eastern Washington outdoor pot farmer and the founder of the Washington Sun-Grown Industry Association, thinks that the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) should take the lead in managing the regulations for the use and labeling of pesticides in the cannabis industry. And, for the first time, the state agency seems to agree. Moberg made his remarks at a panel discussion, “The Clinch on Cannabis: Immature Markets Grow Up,” in Bellevue, Wa. on Aug. 9. The event, organized by Front Runner Data and the Marijuana Business Association, featured laboratory owner Gordon Fagras, whose company, Trace Analytics, validated tests by top Washington retailer Uncle Ike that revealed many products being sold at the popular Seattle pot shop were tainted with prohibited pesticides. After the story ran in The Stranger, the State Liquor Control Board contacted the parties involved and brought in Trace Analytics to conduct the testing. Fagras’ lab confirmed residue of banned pesticides, which resulted in the recall of products from two of the state’s top producers. Two other figures in the controversy also participated in the panel: April Roth, Uncle Ike’s procurement manager; and Erik Johansen, a WSDA pesticides expert. The issue of which regulatory agency should oversee the state’s legal cannabis industry has huge ramifications. Up to this point, it’s been a political hot potato, particularly with regard to the medical marijuana industry, which the Department of Health has shied away from regulating. Much has changed since the passage of I-502, the voter initiative that legalized the sale of adult-use marijuana in Washington State in 2012.

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WA grower Jeremy Moburn at the MJBA and Front Runner Data seminar in Bellevue.

A key question raised during the panel discussion was if cannabis should be regulated by the state Department of Agriculture. Johnson agreed that it is indeed under the purview of the department, and that the WSDA is the logical agency for the job. He added that the agency recently complied a list of pesticides that meet WSDA criteria for use on marijuana (go to bit.ly/2bUn6Xd). “Let’s not burden the producer/processors with repeat testing requirements that are just overly expensive and exhaustive,” Moberg maintained. At the Front Runner seminar, regulators, growers, lab owners and retailers were united in their desire to enhance their communities and to minimize the impact the cannabis industry has on the fragile ecosystem—and on the health of workers and consumers. David Rheins is Executive Director of the Marijuana Business Association, based in Washington State.

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STOCKS & BUDS

Mainstream Stocks High on Hydro and Hemp Scott’s Miracle-Gro, Compass Diversified Holdings and Stevia Corp. are making major moves in the cannabis space. By Matt Chelsea Tesla Motors has a limited track record and no annual profits, yet it’s valued at more than $32 billion because of the enormous potential of self-driving electric cars. Indeed, the stock market offers investors the chance to get behind many evolving industries. A tale of cannabis riches remains elusive among most companies listed on the exchanges, particularly blue-chip stocks. But a few leaders are emerging for investors to mull. They’re far from pure-play investments in legal cannabis, but they offer some limited exposure for investors looking to place early bets. Here are three to keep an eye on.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Fertilizer giant Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE: SMG), via its Hawthorne Gardening Co. subsidiary, has made a number of significant acquisitions over the last few years.

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It purchased California-based General Hydroponics for $130 million in 2015, and this year acquired 75% of Dutch lighting company Gavita Holland BV for $136 million, and Arizona-based nutrient and hydro firm Botanica. Combined these businesses will ring up $250 million in sales for the parent company in 2016, which is about 5% of Scott’s $5 billion market cap. While hydroponics and lighting are still not a big piece of their overall business, Scotts offers double-digit growth and plenty of upside—something that investors can get behind. At press time, the company had just started to roll out its Black Magic potting soil at 165 Home Depots. The TV spot for Black Magic features hip-looking millennials growing vegetables in urban settings and looking a bit pouty—maybe because they can’t smoke any of the products shown in the commercials. “We’re not getting into pot growing,” CEO Jim Hagedorn told Forbes in July. “We’re talking dirt, fertilizer, pesticides, growing systems…. For a lot of conventional companies, I don’t think they want to take the risk.” Hagedorn admits to using “hallucinogens,” marijuana, speed and cocaine during his years growing up in New York. His father co-founded Miracle-

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Gro in 1951; Hagedorn took over as CEO in 2001, six years after the merger with Scotts. The company has a lot of work to do to get marijuana growers on their side. Cultivators rarely use Miracle-Gro due to its chemical content, and Scotts has made huge profits distributing Monsanto’s infamous glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup; glyphosate is listed by the U.N.’s International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable carcinogen and Roundup is now banned in many countries. Those are two big strikes against them.

Compass Diversified Holdings Nearing the $1 billion mark in stock market value after about 10 years as a holding company, Compass Diversified Holdings (NASDAQ: CODI) currently owns eight niche businesses. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods, which Compass purchased for $101 million in 2015, acquired Hemp Oil Canada Inc. for $32 million in December. However, Elias Sabo, a founding Partner and Manager at the Compass Group, told Wall Street analysts on Aug. 4 that Manitoba Hemp has been suffering from “a lack of supply of organic seed to meet the level of demand. We believe the business has positioned itself well

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with respect to its organic seed supply. We won’t receive top-line impact of those efforts until late in 2016 and early 2017 as these crops are harvested and processed…. We remain confident in Manitoba’s long-term growth prospects. We will continue to invest in this business.”

Stevia Corp. A microcap with a market value of about $3.5 million, Stevia Corp. (OTC: STEV) mostly focuses on the plant-based sweetener stevia. Real Hemp LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stevia, manufactures food, cosmetics and fiber products, as well as cannabinoid extracts. “Real Hemp aims to play a major role in developing the industrial hemp market in the U.S.,” its website touts. It’s currently legal to import and sell industrial hemp products in the U.S. While growing hemp remains prohibited federally, 29 states have legalized it and several have provided cultivation licenses to farmers.

The Skinny The stories behind Scotts Miracle-Gro, Compass Diversified Holdings and Stevia Corp. remain compelling, with potentially large businesses to tap. But for now, that’s mostly in the future, with more excitement than profits to show. So proceed with caution. Unlike Las Vegas, you rarely lose all your money if your stock investment goes sour; unless the company goes belly-up, stocks usually retain some value. But it’s certainly not wise to bet your life savings on stocks with too many unanswered questions.

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Freedom Leaf’s guide to the ten statewide marijuana initiatives— from California to Maine—that will be voted on this Nov. 8.

Arizona Name: Arizona Legalization and Regulation of Marijuana Act Ballot Number: Prop 205 Front Group: Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona Backer: Marijuana Policy Project Key Provision: Home growing of up to 12 plants in one household is allowed.

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Like many states, Arizona has its share of marijuana activists fighting for legalization. Unfortunately, the activists who did not succeed in putting their ideas on the ballot are now actively working to subvert the activists who did. The story begins with the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), which has successfully placed four legalization initiatives on this November’s state ballots, including their Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona (CRMLA). During early campaign deliberations, the existing medical marijuana industry objected, claiming that MPP’s new legalization scheme would put them at a disadvantage. Dispensary owners threatened to go forward with their own legalization plan, until negotiations with MPP led to a measure that medical businesses and national funders could agree on. Specifically, CRMLA mandates a limited number of commercial licenses that would be offered first to existing medical marijuana growers, processors and retailers. That led to grassroots activists crying foul about the collusion of big-money players leaving out the little guy. In turn, they formed Arizonans for Mindful Regulation (AZFMR) and embarked on their own legalization initiative campaign. But CRMLA made the ballot (in August), and AZFMR did not. Jason Medar and the folks behind AZFMR subsequently formed Marijuana Consumers Against Fake Marijuana Legalization (MCAFML), a group openly opposed to CRMLA—along with police, sheriffs, drug rehabs, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Republican Party. Prop 205 is fairly similar to the four other adult-use initiatives proposed this year (see California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada). Adults 21 and older could possess up to an ounce of flowers and up to five grams of concentrate). Adults could cultivate six cannabis plants each, with a limit of 12 per household, and possess all the resulting harvest from those plants at the home. The cultivation allowances are huge news for Arizona’s medical marijuana

patients, who are currently banned from home growing within 25 miles of a dispensary. Also included in Prop 205 are protections for child custody and organ transplants for marijuana consumers. There’s even a prohibition on punishing adults for the detection of marijuana metabolites in their body, which would seem to nullify Arizona’s DUID law with regard to cannabis. Marijuana would be subject to a 15% point-of-sale excise tax. The number of retail stores would be limited to one for every 10 liquor stores (a total of 149 pot shops). Localities could ban new licensees by passing an ordinance, but they can’t stop existing medical marijuana licensees from getting recreational licenses. There’s even an allowance for pot lounges by 2020. — Russ Belville

Arkansas Name: Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act

Ballot Number: Issue 7 Front Group and Backer:

Arkansans for Compassionate Care Key Provision: “Affordable dispensing” will give price breaks to low-income patients. The state that gave the Clintons a career in politics could vote to legalize medical marijuana in November. It will be the sec-

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ond such effort; the first lost by a slight margin in 2012. So far, about $150,000 in cash has been raised for Issue 7, with the Marijuana Policy Project and the Drug Policy Alliance kicking in $25,000 each. Arkansans for Compassionate Care submitted more than 117,000 signatures to secure ballot placement placement for for the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act (AMCA). Issue 7 would allow patients and caregivers to possess 2.5 pounces. Patients who live more than 20 miles away from a dispensary could grow up to 10 plants under the “hardship cultivation clause.” More than 50 qualifying medical conditions are included, such as ADD, bipolar disorder, insomnia, lupus, migraines and PTSD. Patients and caregivers would register with the Arkansas Department of Health. Non-profit cannabis care centers would dispense the marijuana. A new trend for safe-access laws is to include specific provisions for low-income patients. States that operate restrictive systems often end up with expensive products, which is why “affordable dispensing” is included in Issue 7. In addition, it contains strong workplace and parental protections for patients. Opposition to Issue 7 starts at the top with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who ran the DEA under George W. Bush. The Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Family Council Action Committee have sued to stop the ballot measure. As if that weren’t enough, at press time, a competing measure, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment (AMMA), was certified for the ballot. It’s a less developed plan that leaves significant parts of the law up to the Arkansas legislature, the Department of Health and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; calls for home growing and more aggressive taxes; and provides no real safeguards for low-income patients. Polling shows 58% support for Issue 7. But AMMA’s last-minute addition to the ballot could dilute Issue 7’s momentum, making this race too close to call. — Chris Goldstein

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California Name: Adult Use of Marijuana Act Ballot Number: Prop 64 Front Group: Californians to Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana While Protecting Children Backer: Sean Parker, former president of Facebook Key Provision: Convicted marijuana offenders can have their charges expunged.

While marijuana measures are being voted on in nine states across the country in November, none is as potentially society-shifting as California’s Prop 64, which stands to legalize the adult use of marijuana in the sixth-largest economy in the world. If it passes, California would place an additional 39 million residents under the umbrella of legalization—and that’s a big deal. In addition to laying the foundation for taxing and regulating marijuana sold in stores, similar to the regulations governing medical dispensaries that exist in the state, Prop 64 allows adults to grow six plants per household, keep all of the bounty from these plants, leave the house with an ounce of flowers and/or eight grams of concentrate and share an ounce with other adults. Most importantly,

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anyone with a marijuana conviction can apply for expungement, those in jail can ask for early release and people on probation for marijuana crimes can seek to get off probation. Plus, Prop 64 doesn’t disqualify a person from obtaining a license in the new industry solely due to a drug felony. The Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation will become the Bureau of Cannabis Regulation, and will implement the licensing for cultivation, manufacture, testing and distribution of marijuana for both adult use and medical purposes, with the same agencies—Food and Agriculture, Public Health, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Board of Equalization—overseeing both programs Prop 64 establishes a microbusiness license that allows those cultivating less than 10,000 square feet to participate in all marijuana activities (except testing) under one license. It also establishes a large-scale cultivation license that will be available five years after the program goes into effect. Unlike the state’s medical marijuana licensing structure, Prop 64 allows for vertical integration by not requiring independent distribution between each tier of activity (production and retail). It calls for a 15% excise tax on sales in addition to sales tax and local tax. Patients would not be charged sales tax in adult-use stores. Social consumption will be allowed in order to provide safe places for people to consume—something absent from regulations in Colorado and other legal states. Prop 64 maintains current DUI laws while earmarking revenue for research into scientifically valid methods of testing driver impairment, rather than the arbitrary five-nanogram limit. It also solidifies the rights given to patients under Prop. 215, and adds protections for parents from Child Protective Services. Prop 64 has significant financial backing ($11.5 million, $2.3 million from Sean Parker) and consistently polls around 60%. This is clearly a case of the third time (with losses in 1972 and 2010) being the charm for California and marijuana legalization. — Amanda Reiman

Florida Name: Use of Marijuana for

Debilitating Conditions Initiative

Ballot Number: Amendment 2 Front Group: United for Care Backer: Trial lawyer John Morgan Key Provision: Has qualifying debilitating conditions in language.

Because of Florida’s importance as a bellwether in American politics, the outcome of this medical cannabis state voter initiative—the second in the last two years—has national implications second only to California’s legalization ballot measure this year. Passage of Amendment 2 would permit qualified patients to possess and obtain cannabis from state-licensed facilities. The permitted conditions are: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, PTSD, ALS, Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and “other debilitating medical conditions.” Cannabis would be produced and dispensed at Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers registered with the Department of Health. No home growing would be allowed. In most other states where the initiative process was successfully employed by reformers to legalize medical access, a bare voter majority was all that was needed to effect massive socio-legal

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changes. However, United for Care has chosen instead to attempt to legalize medical cannabis via a voter-approved amendment to the state’s constitution— out of deep distrust of the legislature and governor to “do the right thing” regarding cannabis. Constitutional amendments in Florida must be passed by 60% of the voters. In 2014, United for Care came within two percentage points of prevailing, with 58% support—a political slamdunk in other states. This year’s version of Amendment 2 differs slightly from the previous one; it limits how many patients a cannabis caregiver can treat, better defines what a qualifying debilitating condition is and clarifies the rules for parental consent for minors being treated with medical cannabis. Cannabis law reformers have rarely drawn opposition from an anti-pot billionaire. But, vexingly, because the stakes are so high for so-called social conserva-

Maine Name: Marijuana Legalization Act Ballot Number: Question 1 Front Group: Campaign to

Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Maine Backer: Marijuana Policy Project Key Provision: Allows for home growing of up to six plants.

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tives attempting to maintain a “national” marijuana prohibition, reformers are again facing over $5 million in opposition funding from right-wing Nevada casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Without this infamous political gadfly’s out-of-state financial support, medical cannabis very likely would already be a reality in the Sunshine State. John Morgan’s law firm, The Morgan Firm, has donated $2.6 million to United for Care—two-thirds of the campaign’s $3.8 million war chest. The opposition is backed by Adelson, who has funneled money to Drug Free Florida (which has contributed $1.8 million to defeat Amendment 2); Mel Sembler ($1 million); and the Carol Jenkins Barnett Trust ($800,000). Jenkins is the daughter of George Jenkins, the founder of the Publix Super Markets chain. According to a recent statewide poll, 68% of Florida voters support passage of the amendment. — Allen St. Pierre Maine has been a vanguard state in cannabis legislation for the last 40 years. It was one of the first states to decriminalize pot possession (1978) and to legalize medical access to cannabis (1998), and voters have historically supported nearly every cannabis law reform effort placed before them. With a functional medical cannabis industry, and polls generally supportive of legalization, Question 1 has a good chance of passing. The proposed measure would allow adults to legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to cultivate up to six mature plants (and keep the entire yield for their own personal use). The measure would also establish licensing for the commercial production and retail sale of cannabis, which would be subject to a 10% sales tax. Non-commercial transactions and/or retail sales involving medical cannabis would not be subject to taxation. Currently, the only significant public opposition (as is always the case with state cannabis law reform ballot measures) is coming from the drug-rehab industry and Project SAM. Republican Governor Paul LePage has also taken a

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stand against Question 2. As in Massachusetts, cannabis law reform is so popular a concept in Maine that until early spring there were two competing legalization initiatives, with a local effort overrun by those who already possess a competitive advantage in the emerging cannabis space (Maine has eight operating medical cannabis facilities), and funneled through MPP—a similar modus operandi also employed

Massachusetts Name: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act

Ballot Number: Question 4 Front Group: Campaign to

Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts

Backer: Marijuana Policy Project Key Provision: Allows for home growing of up to six plants.

Based on recent history and current polling, of all the pro-cannabis law reform initiatives before state voters this year, Massachusetts’ legalization initiative has the prospect of winning. Massachusetts voters historically have provided the largest margins of victory for state cannabis law reform efforts, with 63% endorsing decriminalization in 2010 and 65% voting for medical access

by the group this election season in both Arizona and Nevada. The NORML Foundation has donated $50,000 to the measure, and is helping to coordinate a “Let’s Legalize Marijuana” tour featuring NORML board member, best-selling travel author and TV host Rick Steves. At press time, polls showed Question 1 leading by a 54% to 43% margin. — Allen St. Pierre in 2014. At press time, polls in the Bay State showed Question 4 leading by a 48% to 42% margin. Additionally, Massachusetts voters have the opportunity each election to endorse or decline non-binding ballot questions, and local cannabis activists associated with MassCann/NORML have placed numerous cannabis law reform questions on the ballot over the years that have passed with overwhelming support (which bodes well for binding ballot questions, such as Question 4). Earlier this year, several competing legalization initiatives emerged, but the MPP-backed Question 4 simply has had more financial resources (derived largely from companies and individuals already in the legal cannabis market in Massachusetts and other states) than local grassroots marijuana law reform organizations. While cannabis law reform has always proven popular with Massachusetts voters, a triumvirate of the commonwealth’s most powerful politicians— Republican Governor Charlie Baker, Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Democratic State Attorney General Maura Healey—has been waging a public campaign in favor of continuing the long-failed policy of pot prohibition. This group of out-of-touch politicians has joined with the drug rehab industry (and its front group, Project SAM), police and prosecutors in an effort to defeat Question 4, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana outside of the home and up to 10 ounces of marijuana securely locked up in one’s residence. The measure would permit adults to cultivate up to six

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enclosed plants in their household (and to possess all of the marijuana the plants produce). Currently, Massachusetts has seven operating medical cannabis facilities. Question 4 would create a framework for commercial production and retail sales for adult use. Rick Steves and the NORML Foundation have each chipped in $50,000 to the effort. The opposition may have big names on board, but their total lack of financial backing to keep prohibition alive in Massachusetts speaks volumes. — Allen St. Pierre

Montana Name: Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative Ballot Number: Initiative 182 Front Group: Montana Citizens for I-182 Backer: Montana Cannabis Industry Association Key Provision: Allows marijuana to be sold at dispensaries. Voters in Big Sky Country have the opportunity to restore the medical marijuana law they voted for in 2004. But one rich man in Montana would prefer to repeal the law altogether.

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When Montana passed its law, like other early Western medical marijuana states, Initiative 148 was silent on the issue of retail access. But it did allow caregivers to cultivate and distribute marijuana to patients; from that arose a system of collective grows and retail stores serving the patient population. Montana’s vast rural spaces make getting patients to doctors who would recommend medical marijuana extremely difficult. This situation led to enterprising providers taking doctors to the patients, where hundreds would gather at a rented meeting space to get their recommendations. Soon, another provider began offering recommendations via video examinations conducted on Skype. The combination of unforeseen dispensaries, doctor caravans and video visits was too much for the Montana legislature, and in 2011 it passed a bill to completely repeal the 2004 initiative. Only the veto pen of then-Governor Brian Schweitzer saved the program. Rebuffed, the legislature came back with Senate Bill 423, which the governor signed. That law seriously scaled back the Montana program, including limiting caregivers to serving just three patients, which destroyed the viability of the dispensaries. The law also subjects doctors to medical board scrutiny if they recommend marijuana for more than 25 patients in a year. Voters had the chance to fix this in 2012 when medical marijuana activists got IR-124 on the ballot, which would have overturned SB 423. However, it was one of those confusing election situations where one had to vote “no” in order to express “yes, overturn the bad law,” and IR-124 got an insufficient 57% of the vote, maintaining the SB 423 restrictions. The activist community has now placed Initiative 182 on the November ballot. It would fix the problems created by SB 423 by allowing providers to cultivate and dispense marijuana in storefronts by removing mandatory oversight on doctors’ recommendations and by limiting the ability of law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections. The Montana Cannabis Industry As-

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sociation has ponied up most of the more than $50,000 contributed to the I-182 campaign. But they’re being out-raised by Billings car dealer Stephen Zabawa, who’s contributed $100,000 to defeat I-182. His own Initiative 176, under the aegis of the group Safe Montana, sought to repeal the medical marijuana law altogether, but it failed to make the ballot. — Russ Belville

Nevada Name: Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana

Ballot Number: Question 2 Front Group: Campaign to

Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Nevada Backer: Marijuana Policy Project Key Provision: A patient or caregiver living 25 miles from the nearest dispensary can grow up to eight plants. Nevada’s legalization initiative was the first to officially qualify for the 2016 ballot, and Nevada is a key state in the Marijuana Policy Project’s adult-use push during this presidential election cycle. States like Colorado have a straightforward ballot process that can be undertaken in a single calendar year. But

in order for Nevada residents to have a chance to approve retail cannabis sales this year, MPP had to start back in 2014, gathering the required 101,666 valid signatures from voters; in the end, the campaign submitted more than 200,000. Instead of heading directly to the Secretary of State for final approval, Nevada election laws required the initiative to go before the state legislature in 2015. Lawmakers had the chance to pass the bill under this scheme, but when they failed to take action, the measure was then certified for the ballot. Under Question 2, adults aged 21 and up would be able to possess up to one ounce of flowers and 3.5 grams of hash oil or other concentrates. Home cultivation of up to six plants would be allowed, but only if a resident lives more than 25 miles away from a retail store. However, making extracts at home would result in some harsh fines. Taxes would be set at a 15% excise between cultivators and the retail stores, plus the state’s sales tax, which ranges from 6.85% to 8.1% on retail items. A major factor in the race has been ultra-wealthy prohibitionist Sheldon Adelson’s purchase of the Las Vegas Review Journal, Nevada’s largest newspaper, last December for $140 million. In 2014, the newspaper’s editorial board opined in favor of legalization. Apparently bowing to the pressure of the new owner, the Review-Journal has now reversed its position. MPP and the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Nevada are planning to spend more than $800,000 on local advertising in the final months of the campaign. At press time, a poll released by Suffolk University showed 48% of Nevada voters approve of Question 2, while 43% oppose it. If there is a strong turnout on Election Day, the measure will likely pass. “The more young people who vote,” says MPP’s Steve Fox, “the better we’ll do.” — Chris Goldstein

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Denver Social-Use Measure Makes Ballot As many predicted, 2016 is proving to be a historic year for marijuana law reform around the country. With 10 statewide initiatives approved for the November ballot, more Americans than ever before will have a chance to vote to change their state’s cannabis laws. In states that have already passed adult-use legislation, the focus has shifted. With cannabis readily available in Colorado, Washington and Oregon (and soon, Alaska), activists have begun to push the envelope on social consumption. However, their opinions vary regarding the ideal social-use model. At press time, two social-use initiatives were vying to get on the ballot. While they shared the goal of providing marijuana consumers with safe and legal spaces in which they can responsibly use marijuana socially, there were significant differences in how each initiative is attempting to achieve this outcome. The Responsible Use Initiative— supported by NORML and prominent local businesses like Natural Remedies, Grassroots California, Kind Love and Craft 710—aimed to create a private club model, and a permitting process that allows users to consume marijuana products of their choice. “Denver is long overdue on solving the issue of social consumption,” campaign manager Jordan Person tells Freedom Leaf. “The community support we’ve received has been incredible, and is proof that now’s the time to come up with a solution

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for adults to have a responsible place to smoke.” While marijuana is legal in Colorado, its use is prohibited in public or commercial spaces, such as bars and clubs. Person maintains that her group’s measure focuses on satisfying the needs of marijuana consumers while being mindful of the integrity of Denver’s neighborhoods. However, the proposal failed to get enough signatures and was not certified. Instead, on Sept. 1, a competing measure—the Neighborhood Approved Cannabis Consumption Pilot Program— backed by the Marijuana Policy Project, Denver Relief, Sexpot Comedy and a coalition of marijuana business attorneys—was certified after they submitted 10,800 signatures. The measure would permit businesses to allow people to vape in designated private areas away from the public. “Combustion of cannabis can only happen outdoors,” Kayvan Khalatbari— the measure’s primary sponsor, who owns Denver Relief—explained to Westword. “It can’t be seen from the public right of way, or from where children congregate. And indoors, business owners who want to participate would be able to do it in ways that won’t interfere with people who don’t want to be around this.” Regardless of the outcome, both efforts have succeeded in making social use of marijuana part of the upcoming election’s conversation. — Kevin Mahmalji

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SUPPORT

Medical Marijuana in Florida

ON NOVEMBER 8TH VOTE: CONTRIBUTE to help the campaign push back on the lies and keep voters informed. www.UnitedForCare.org/contribute

BECAUSE: 1.

Licensed physicians, not politicians, should be making health care decisions in Florida.

Patients should not be criminalized for seeking access to the medicine they need to alleviate their symptoms from debilitating conditions.

Our stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws should be guided by compassion for the sick and suffering.

Pd. Pol. Adv. paid for by People United for Medical Marijuana, 20 North Orange Avenue, Suite 1600, Orlando, FL 32801

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Freedom Leaf INTERVIEW

John Morgan The crusading attorney and leading backer of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amendment 2 medical marijuana measure explains why it will win the second time around.

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You’re expecting a different outcome for Amendment 2 in November compared to 2014, when a similar measure was defeated. What did you learn from the last effort? The demographics have changed. Literally, the older voters are leaving us, and the 18–35 voters, who support us, are realizing the importance of voting. And public opinion has also changed. The people of Florida have seen that the legislature is incapable of acting. There are going to be a bunch of people who vote “yes” this time that didn’t last time because they thought the legislature should do this. In 2014, it definitely did not go as planned, but that’s OK. Life rarely goes as planned, but that does not equal bad. I think we’ll win this time.

still, Tallahassee politicians did not act. So, we’re back at it again. I would tell activists in other states to not be afraid of failure, but be terrified by inaction. What other lessons have you learned from these two campaigns that would be relevant for activists in other states? Sometimes, you’re going to find that you’re the only one out there doing what you’re doing, or at least it will feel that way. But you have to keep going because you know there are so many people who are going to benefit from medical marijuana. You have to remember why you started the fight. For me, that’s my brother and father, and now, the hundreds of people I’ve met along the way.

“A super-majority victory in the Sunshine State will be a huge deal for medical marijuana nationwide.”

Florida allows for a referendum process to get something like medical marijuana on the ballot. How much of a difference did that make in your willingness to personally take on this issue? It made all the difference. I was not going to go to Tallahassee and fight with the politicians. After [United for Care campaign manager] Ben Pollara came to me with the poll showing that the majority of Floridians supported a medical marijuana law and program, I realized what I needed to do. I’m for the people, and the people know this is a viable option.

Will success in Florida represent a tipping point on the medical marijuana issue nationally? Florida is a bellwether for the country. A super-majority victory in the Sunshine State will be a huge deal for medical marijuana nationwide. Who in Florida is pushing back on this issue the hardest?

Would it be possible to do this in Florida without a ballot referendum? What advice do you have for activists in states without that option?

Drug Free Florida is the organization that’s running the No on 2 campaign. At this point, they’re mostly funded by Mel Sembler, who ran Straight Inc.—or, as I like to call it, the organized child torture center; and Carol Jenkins Barnett, the heiress to the supermarket chain Publix. Over 8,000 people have given to our campaign. The people are on our side.

No. In 2014, we received 58% favorability from the voting population, and,

Steve Bloom and George Colombo conducted this interview.

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SSDP Chapters Gear Up for Fall Activism Push Student canna-activists have their work cut out for them, with nine legalization initiatives on the November ballot. Arizona State University: Pos-

session of any amount of cannabis or paraphernalia in Arizona is still an automatic felony charge, unless you have a medical marijuana card. The ASU chapter (pictured above) in Tempe began working on changing cannabis policy as soon as the group was founded during the 2012–2013 school year. Although it had a very slim chance of making the ballot, the chapter collected signatures in 2013–2014 for an initiative led by Safer Arizona to legalize cannabis for adult use. This was an opportunity for SSDP members to familiarize themselves with the ballot initiative process, and learn the ins and outs of organizing efforts necessary to the adult-use initiative (Prop 205) that is on the November ballot. ASU SSDP also works with the medical marijuana community in Arizona.

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Florida Int’l University:

This Miami -based chapter is leading the way among the 12 SSDP chapters in the Sunshine State, registering and educating young voters about the upcoming ballot initiative (Amendment 2) to legalize medical cannabis in Florida. FIU SSDP has spent most of 2016 registering voters on and off campus to help ensure that wholeplant medical cannabis is legalized in Florida in November. Miami-Dade County is home to large populations of millennial voters and Hispanic voters, two groups well represented on the FIU campus, and it’s the chapter’s mission to make sure that these voters show up in force at the polls in November.

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Georgia SSDP Chapters:

The SSDP chapters at the University of North Georgia–Gainesville, the University of North Georgia– Dahlonega and the University of Georgia in Athens have banded together to form one of SSDP’s most effective and dynamic state networks. Earlier this year, their advocacy efforts helped lead to cannabis decriminalization in Clarkston, thanks to firm support from the mayor and town council members. The chapters followed this victory by testifying at city council meetings in Athens and Gwinnett County, and plan to work with as many local communities as possible to push for decriminalization or policy changes making cannabis the lowest law-enforcement priority.

University of California, Berkeley:

This chapter is creating a student-organized class called “Rethinking the Drug War: Historical Context, Framing and Education.” The course, which will be facilitated by Rhana Hashemi, Lalitha Thirunagari and Anthony Carrasco, will provide an overview of how the War on Drugs has failed, from the prohibition of alcohol and the “reefer madness” scare of the 1920s and 1930s to the contemporary era of mass incarceration and the American prison-industrial complex. They’re also drumming up support for AUMA (Prop 64), the adult-use state measure on the November ballot.

Minnesota State University, Mankato:

This SSDP chapter plans to launch an adult-use cannabis ballot initiative for the city of Minneapolis in the near future. Chapter leader Joe Dosch has proved to be an effective and successful drug policy reformer over the last academic year, during which he implemented naloxone-carry for first responders to drug overdoses on campus, working with the student government and administrators to put the life-saving policy into place. This fall Dosch will be collaborating with a coalition of allies from around the state—including other SSDP chapters, the Marijuana Policy Project and local advocates—to develop a campaign plan for a ballot initiative in Minneapolis to legalize adult-use cannabis, like many other cities across the country have done.

University of Connecticut: Last spring, mem-

bers of UConn SSDP provided written and oral testimony in support of HB 5236, a bill that would tax and regulate adult-use of marijuana in Connecticut. While the bill didn’t pass, the Storrsbased chapter is working with lead sponsor State Rep. Juan Candelaria, as well as with other SSDP chapters at Yale University and Quinnipiac University, on developing a strategy to reintroduce the bill in the upcoming legislative session.

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UC–Berkeley’s SSDP chapter.

Wayne State University: University of San Diego School of Law: Over

the summer, the school’s SSDP chapter leader Daniel Bremer got involved with Americans for Safe Access, attending their monthly meetings and tabling at “Local Sesh” medical marijuana events. He also volunteered at the Southern California Cannabis Conference and Expo to network with individuals in the cannabis community, and was hired as an intern with the Ringgenberg Law Firm, where he researched constitutional issues related to the cannabis industry. With Prop 64 on the ballot, getting out the vote in California is more critical than ever. To raise awareness of the initiative, Bremer is representing AUMA in a television advertisement.

Virginia Tech:

Last semester, Virginia Tech SSDP launched a new youth-driven campaign to end marijuana prohibition in Virginia, called ReVAMP. Unlike the states that have legalized marijuana, Virginia does not have a ballot initiative process, and any policy change has to happen through the legislature. Virginia is one of only eight states without adult-use legalization or whole-plant medical marijuana on the books. The chapter is partnering with University of Virginia SSDP and other students in Virginia to build ReVAMP into an impactful campaign.

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The SSDP chapter on WSU’s Detroit campus is working with campus police to increase availability of and access to naloxone, the life-saving overdose reversal drug. Chapter leader Ahmad Khasawneh has reached out to the SSDP network around the state to develop a training seminar for all campus first responders on how to effectively administer naloxone. Khasawneh and other chapter members spent the summer focusing on this program, and expect to see it implemented during the fall semester.

INTERNATIONAL Dublin City University:

Over the past several months, students from DCU SSDP have been invited to provide recommendations to the Irish government on the new national drug strategy. The students have primarily pushed for decriminalization of all drugs and the creation of safe injection facilities all over Ireland, both of which were approved by the Irish Parliament in 2015. The chapter has been in close contact with policymakers in Ireland, and will continue to make recommendations. Frances Fu is SDDP’s Pacific Region Outreach Coordinator.

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Back-to-School Advice for Student Activists

A recent college grad shares what he learned during four years at Purdue.

By Chris Thompson

Millions of students are at their college campuses for another year of lectures, exams, student activities and partying. As a recent graduate of Purdue University, in Indiana, I’m distinctly aware of the pros and cons of campus life. Here’s a a useful list of do’s and don’ts for student activists.

Be Safe

This is absolutely the most important advice I can offer: You can’t be an activist on your campus if you get busted and kicked out of school. It’s also harder to be taken seriously if a majority of the campus has seen you in handcuffs. So if you live in a prohibition state, be safe. Don’t smoke in the dorms, don’t openly consume on campus and never puff while driving. Take it from someone who was caught and got lucky: Put your education first, and getting high second.

Become Educated

Use the Internet to learn as much as you can about cannabis reform. There are countless arguments for ending prohibition, and anyone can become a knowledgeable activist simply by doing research online. Some good starting points are sites like NORML.org and SSDP.org, and publications like Jack Herer’s The Emperor Wears No Clothes—and, of course, Freedom Leaf magazine.

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Get Involved on Campus

Doing simple things like attending sporting events, going to student government meetings and joining student clubs can dramatically increase your network of local activists. This also helps you interact with many groups of people and spread the message of cannabis reform to a diverse audience.

Be a Voice for Legalization

It’s hard to convince people that marijuana is nothing to be ashamed of when you won’t openly advocate for it on campus. In the era of legalization, upstanding college students who wouldn’t normally be associated with marijuana are needed to be out-front activists. One of the best things you can do is talk about cannabis reform with your friends and fellow students in everyday settings—at lunch, in the dorm or just walking around campus. If you’re comfortable speaking about the subject and treat it like any other of your interests, you’ll find that other people will follow your lead.

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Be involved on campus, pay attention in class, get good grades and don’t be the one who always smells like weed in the lecture hall.

Don’t Be a Stoner Stereotype

Don’t Forget Why You’re an Activist

Just because you’re involved in marijuana reform, people automatically assume things about you. Some stoner stereotypes are cool, like always being happy, chill or relaxed. But other stereotypes—being lazy, stupid or a “druggie”—are not so cool. My advice is to be a shining example of the opposite of a stereotypical stoner: Be involved on campus, pay attention in class, get good grades and don’t be the one who always smells like weed in the lecture hall. This doesn’t mean you can’t listen to Bob Marley or watch SpongeBob SquarePants when you’re high, but beware of the negative stereotype associated with cannabis. The better you present yourself, the better people will view marijuana activism.

Every activist has been there: Your monthly meeting had less than 10 people show up. A group walked by your booth, laughing and pointing. An instructor has a preconceived idea about your academic performance based on your activism work. It’s times like these when you can have second thoughts about being a marijuana advocate. But in those moments, remember why you’re an activist in the first place. Millions of Americans have had their lives ruined by marijuana prohibition. Thousands of patients are unable to get the medicine they need because the government won’t allow them access. Our veterans are suffering from PTSD and chronic pain, but

Don’t Be Rude or Annoying

No one likes constantly being bombarded with claims about how amazing marijuana is. Being passionate about cannabis reform is one thing, but being annoying about it is another. Be ready and willing to talk about activism and to take people slightly outside of their comfort zone. But don’t push it if they aren’t responsive, and don’t get all up in their face if they disagree with you. The best way to handle being called a stoner or a pothead is to have a levelheaded response ready, backed up with facts and research. If they still don’t agree, smile and tell them to have a good day. Being rude only hurts the legalization cause. most can’t legally use medical marijuana. These, and many more, are the reasons why you’re an activist. Never lose hope, and never give up the fight until marijuana is fully legalized. If you’re not already involved with a college activism group, find your local SSDP or NORML chapter. If there isn’t an active chapter on your campus, do what I did and start one yourself. I can say with absolute certainty that founding the NORML chapter at Purdue was one of the best decisions I ever made. And one more thing: Your time at college can be the best years of your life, so don’t forget to have fun while you’re out there being a marijuana activist. Chris Thompson is Freedom Leaf’s Nonprofit Liaison Manager.

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Will Hempfe

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est Survive? After 25 years of protesting, Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere pot event fights to stay alive in Seattle. Text and Photos by Doug McVay

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Clockwise from top left: Ngaio Bealum munches on a pot cookie, the main stage, Hempfest Activist of the Year Joy Beckerman and Canada’s Jodie Emery.

he annual Seattle Hempfest has hit a rocky patch financially. Minus a major sponsor, and many medical dispensaries—now out of business—that previously supported the event, Hempfest is struggling, despite the attendance of thousands of stoners at the 25th anniversary of the iconic “protestival” in Myrtle Edwards Park on Aug. 19–21. Executive Director Vivian McPeak told Freedom Leaf that it was “going to cost $850,000 to produce Hempfest this year.” A free event, Hempfest relies on sponsorship money and donations, which

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in 2015 added up to an average of $0.46 per attendee. “We’ve been so successful at legalizing marijuana here in this state that there are cannabis events springing up all over the region,” says McPeak. “I see another one advertised every couple of weeks in the summer. The problem is, those are for-profit events. They’re going to get in, make their profit and get out. We’re a community values-based event. We’re a completely different model.” Rapper and Seattle native Sir Mix-aLot was this year’s musical headliner, and Freedom Leaf contributors Ngaio B- ealum, Russ Belville, David Rheins, Amanda Reiman, Susan Squibb and

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Clockwise from top left: Ed and Jane Rosenthal; a bong-toking dinosaur; Susan Squibb and Ed Forchian; and Vivian McPeak and Rick Steves.

this writer were among the many speakers scheduled throughout the event’s three days. Some people have asked if Hempfest should just pack it in now that Washington State has legalized adult use of cannabis (see “Are Marijuana Rallies Still Necessary?” on page 16). “In Germany, every year they have Oktoberfest, and as many as a million people celebrate the culture of beer, and I’m not sure that beer’s ever been illegal in Germany,” McPeak points out. “So we don’t see any reason why, if marijuana was completely legal, that there wouldn’t be a reason to have a huge culture celebration of all things cannabis.”

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Should a successful event be discontinued just because a little progress gets made toward some of the goals that organizers have set? Those goals, according to Hempfest’s 2016 platform, at hempfest.org, include reparations for people who have been convicted of marijuana offenses; tenant and employment protections; and much more. Even in a legal marijuana state like Washington, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. Doug McVay edits DrugWarFacts.org. and hosts talk-radio shows on KBOO in Portland, Ore., and on the Drug Truth Network.

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how to win the

War on Drugs

In this excerpt from Jesse Venturaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marijuana Manifesto, the former Governor of Minnesota contends that the only way to put the Mexican cartels out of business is to legalize all drugs. 54 www.freedomleaf.com

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believe there is a way to win the war against the drug cartels: America and Mexico would have to legalize all drugs that have the potential for substance abuse, just like we do with tobacco and alcohol. Legalizing marijuana alone isn’t enough. Even if we just decriminalized all drugs, we could significantly help addicts get the care they need in clinics and hospitals. Drug addiction should be treated medically because addiction is a medical condition. Putting drug addicts in jail doesn’t solve the root cause of the problem. As the famous quote goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” This type of insanity describes the socalled War on Drugs perfectly. We continue to treat drug addiction criminally. However, if we treated it as a medical condition, I think you’d see our incarceration rates drop dramatically due to the fact that we are not putting these people in jail, but in hospitals and rehab facilities. I think you’d see the drug war death tolls drop dramatically, too. In 2009, Mexico decriminalized the possession of small amounts of all major narcotics, from marijuana to cocaine, to heroin, to Ecstasy, to crystal meth. Instead of arresting people caught with drugs, the police advise them to get clean and even give them the addresses to the nearest rehab clinics. When I say small amounts of drugs, however, I mean really small amounts, what I would consider a nearly insignificant amount of drugs: cocaine was set at 0.5 grams, heroin at 50 mg, methamphetamines at 40 mg and marijuana at five grams. These amounts are all considered acceptable “personal use” amounts—meaning if a person is caught with this amount, it is clear that the person isn’t intending to sell it (which

is still illegal) and is intending to use it. Unfortunately, the law didn’t achieve very much because the police wanted the drug dealers all along, not the small-quantity buyers. Case in point: 60% of the 254,108 people in Mexico’s prison system are incarcerated due to drug-related crimes. Six months out of the year, I live completely off the grid in Mexico, on the Baja peninsula. I live in a solar-paneled house. I’m about an hour from paved roads and any building powered by Mexico’s electrical grid. You might be surprised to know that the majority of Mexicans think it’s shameful to admit to or be accused of drug use. Being called a marijuano, or pothead, is considered an insult. When it comes to marijuana in particular, the United States has—to put it lightly—a very sensitive relationship with Mexico. Our government is constantly putting the blame on our Southern neighbors when it comes to our illegal drug problem. Our politicians say Mexico is lax in confiscating illegal drugs that are produced in the country and then shipped into the U.S. Mexico is quick to respond to these accusations with the obvious: There would be no illegal drug problem between our borders if the demand from American drug users didn’t create this lucrative market in the first place. And I agree. This is about supply and demand. If American drug users didn’t want Mexican drugs, they wouldn’t buy them. The Drug Policy Research Center at the RAND Corporation states that in 2008, Mexico was responsible for as much as two-thirds of the marijuana consumed in America each year, but because it is now legal for people to grow pot in the U.S., Mexican marijuana accounts for less than a third of the total amount consumed in the U.S. today. If I can purchase weed legally from a store, why on earth would I risk getting arrested to purchase it illegally from another country? There isn’t much reliable data right now to determine how much marijuana is being produced in Mexico—or rather how

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The amount of Mexican marijuana seized at the U.S. border in 2015 declined 28% from 2014.

much less weed is being produced—due to the limited legalization of marijuana in America. But we do know that the amount of weed that is being confiscated at the U.S. border has decreased. So has the amount of weed that has been found and destroyed in fields by the Mexican government. According to the Mexican Attorney General’s office, in 2015 the Mexican government eradicated about 12,000 acres of illegal marijuana, which is down from more than 44,000 acres in 2010. And although drug seizures at the border only represent a tiny fraction of what actually gets imported into the U.S., Customs and Border Protection seized about 1,085 tons of marijuana at the border in 2014, which is less than the previous four years, with 1,500 tons confiscated each year. And when it comes to arrests, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is seeing declining numbers, as well. The Los Angeles Times reports that the number of arrests by DEA agents involving foreign-grown marijuana dropped from 4,519 in 2010 to 2,367 in 2014. I suspect that these numbers will continue to decrease as Americans continue to buy homegrown, legal marijuana. Also interesting to note is that the price of Mexican marijuana has decreased dramatically, which again follows the typical economic principles of supply and demand. Within the last four years, since there hasn’t been as much of a demand

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for Mexican marijuana, the amount that Mexican farmers receive per kilogram has fallen from $100 to $30. There’s one more thing that no one seemed to anticipate when weed was legalized in certain parts of the United States: quality of product. U.S. and Mexican growers now compete not only on price, but also on quality. Mexican weed is, without a doubt, the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality. First of all, it’s not as fresh as what you’d get in your local smoke shop. Secondly, it’s typically pressed tightly together due to the way it’s transported—and it’s full of seeds. When you’re looking for quality weed, look no further than cannabis grown in the U.S., because our legal weed distributors take great pride in their products. Legalization has also created demand for unique strains of weed. If Mexico and America legalized marijuana, would it make the Mexican cartels go the way of the dodo bird? Well, if Mexicans are allowed to grow it in their own backyards and Americans are allowed to do the same, then who needs to purchase pot illegally? Now that marijuana is being regulated in the states where it is legal, it is being inspected and tested for pesticides and other harmful chemicals, just like any other consumer good. Would you trust a Mexican drug lord to be up front about how the plant was grown? When something is legalized, you take the power away from the criminals,

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and you know the purity of the substance because it’s being regulated. If people no longer have to rely on Mexican drug cartels for their weed, then there will be one less illegal substance responsible for all the death and destruction the drug trade has caused. It’s no secret that Mexican cartels make more money selling heroin and meth than they do pot. A 2010 RAND study claimed that marijuana only accounted for 15% to 26% of cartel revenues. I’m sure that percentage has decreased even more now that America is busy growing the Rolls-Royce of weed strains. Even though poppy plants (what heroin is made from) are a more labor-intensive crop than weed, require more water and take longer to mature, and the seeds are more expensive and difficult to acquire, the profits are greater. There is a heroin epidemic in America, and we are driving up the prices for the underground market yet again. The Mexican cartels are already shifting from marijuana fields to poppy fields due to the principles of supply and demand. Mexican drug cartels typically subsidize the cost of heroin with their ready source of easy income: marijuana. Even though Mexican pot is cheap to buy, it’s often considered the “cash crop” for Mexican cartels because it is grown abundantly in the Sierra mountain region and requires no processing. However, pot is bulkier to carry and it has a very particular smell, which makes it difficult to conceal no matter how it is transported. There’s a huge difference between those who smoke pot and those who use heroin. Heroin is extremely addictive—just one use and a person could be hooked for life—whereas marijuana isn’t an addictive substance at all. In fact, pot can be used in rehab situations to help a person kick heroin addiction. When Mexican drug cartels first started producing meth, they stashed the product in cocaine and marijuana shipments to the U.S., and they let their usual customers try it out for free. Today, the drug sells for so much money in the U.S. that the cartels don’t even bother shipping it to Europe. Compared to pot,

meth is much easier to smuggle into the United States because it isn’t bulky, it doesn’t smell and it sells out instantly. Meth is more addictive than cocaine, and it is much more expensive to purchase than marijuana. Needless to say, I’m against meth use 100%, but just because I’m against it, that doesn’t mean people won’t use it. All we’re doing by making it illegal is helping the Mexican cartels get more rich and powerful. So just how powerful are the Mexican cartels today? The New York Times Magazine reports that the cartels bribe a host of senior officials—from mayors and prosecutors to governors, state police and federal police, to the Army and the Navy. To give you an example of how high up the chain of command this bribery extends, in 2008, President Felipe Calderón’s own drug czar, Noe Ramirez, was charged with accepting $450,000 each month from the drug cartels. But the bribery doesn’t end there. Our guards at the U.S. border are also pawns in the system. From 2004 to 2012, there have been 138 convictions or indictments in corruption investigations involving members of Customs and Border Protection. True to our capitalistic nature, our government employees are certainly not above being bribed by the cartels in the so-called War on Drugs. It’s high time we consider some alternatives to whatever our strategy has been in the never-ending War on Drugs. We’ve been at “war” with drugs since President Nixon proclaimed us to be in 1971. That’s 45 years ago! On average, we’re spending about $51 billion a year trying to eradicate drugs from our country. Meanwhile, the DEA has been successful in capturing less than 10% of all illegal drugs that enter the U.S. How much more money do you think it will take to stop the other 90%? Too much. Does $51 billion a year for a 90% failure rate seem like a good investment of our tax dollars to you? I know that $51 billion per year has done nothing to change the fact that illegal drugs are readily available and people are continuing to use them nationwide. I also know that we spent

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According to Ventura, “Mexican weed is, without a doubt, the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality.”

over $900 million in the first week of 2016 alone on the War on Drugs. For what? We might never know. You can check for yourself to see how much we are spending each day on a second-by-second basis at the Drug War Clock: drugsense. org/cms/worldclock. What is wrong with our country? How can the War on Drugs possibly be worth it? Addiction is a mental health issue. It should not be treated criminally. That’s why we have prisons that are full, and that’s why we’re paying hundreds of millions of dollars for these people to stay in jail instead of getting them the help they need. The drug war is not working. We have to start looking at all drugs as a necessary evil, not just select drugs like tobacco and alcohol. The only way to fight back is to educate and treat people. Incarceration doesn’t work. Allowing drugs to be managed by criminals doesn’t work. There’s a lot of money to be made from the legalization of marijuana. If we legalize marijuana nationwide, then we’ll create more jobs than the Keystone Pipeline ever could. But not everyone sees it that way. Remember: Always follow the money. The War on Drugs is happening because Democrats and Republicans are getting paid to keep it going. Who is making money off of the War

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on Drugs right now? Do you really think the DEA is going to turn around and say, yes, let’s end this war? Why on earth would they? They’d all be out of a job! Think of all the committees and task forces, too. Hillary Clinton is running for president, claiming it’s time for prison reform, but in case you forgot, when her husband was president, he did a great job of creating today’s prison problems—like increasing mandatory minimum sentencing for minor drug offenses. If we want to end the War on Drugs, we need to elect the right people who truly want to reduce government, the people who truly want us to pay less in taxes. This war is happening because the people in power right now are being paid off to keep it going. Could you imagine how many people would be out of a job if the War on Drugs ended today? People in high places are making money by keeping drugs—including marijuana—illegal, and it isn’t just the cartels and the Mexican authorities.

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MENDO DOPE

Growing Pains What will legalization mean to California’s cannabis cultivators? By Rick Pfrommer

Traveling though Northern California these days and talking to growers, one hears everything from excitement to outright dread. In November, voters will be asked whether they want to legalize cannabis. Prop 64 easily qualified for the ballot, and polls show it enjoys 60% support. What’s not to support? Cannabis has already been legal in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska for several years, and the Earth has not stopped revolving around the Sun. At this point, what’s the big deal? Nevertheless, the hardworking growers in the Emerald Triangle have mixed feelings about Prop 64—the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). The apprehension many growers are feeling has its roots in the bill itself. Funded largely by Sean Parker of Napster and Facebook fame, AUMA, on its surface, seems like a no-brainer: Anyone over 21

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may possess up to one ounce of flowers and cultivate up to six plants for personal use; concentrates are allowed, up to seven grams; the law removes any financial penalty for these amounts. Cannabis flowers have been decriminalized for years in California, with a $100 fine for possession of up to an ounce. The fact that a member of the billionaire class is funding Prop 64 doesn’t impress old-school growers like Swami, who has his own Swami Select brand of sun-grown marijuana. “I just don’t trust that these gazillionaires are looking out for our best interests,” he says. Swami’s feelings are echoed by many others in a region that’s weathered government invasions, Child Protective Services raids, crop rippers and all the other challenges associated with decades of cultivating world-class cannabis. A strong commonly held belief is that legalization will just

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MENDO DOPE

pave the way for large corporate interests to come in and dominate the industry— something that’s happening even under the current medical guidelines. Adding further confusion is the fact that in 2015 California passed the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (see “The MMRSA Effect” in Issue 16). The law goes into effect in 2018, and is designed to bring uniform statewide regulations to the massive and largely unregulated medical cannabis market. As growers scramble to comply with the upcoming regulatory environment, the looming specter of complete legalization has many of them bewildered. “I’ve been farming weed in Mendocino for over 30 years, and now I have to spend many thousands of dollars to comply with a system that might ultimately exclude me anyway,” an exasperated grower named Nicole, who says her clients have included Barbra Streisand and Whoopi Goldberg, recently told me during my visit to Humboldt County. The most common fear is that larger, better-funded players will be able to acquire the land, jump though all the regulatory hoops and ultimately produce cannabis for cheaper than the original farmers do. There’s an unprecedented land rush going on in Northern California. Prices have doubled or even tripled in areas that are prime cultivation spots, and many landowners are cashing in and leaving for Oregon or Washington, or even moving out of the country. One of the chief concerns is that, even with a 64-page initiative, many rules regarding cultivation, production and distribution are opaque to non-law-

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yers. Even among the professional legal class, opinions differ. Most agree that there will definitely be a place for smallscale boutique, or craft, growers (at least for the first five years), but no one has any idea how large that niche will actually turn out to be. The smarter growers have been hard at work branding their farms and cannabis strains for the last few years. As Swami walks through rows of towering cannabis plants, he explains how he helped found Flow Cana, a company that delivers high-grade medical cannabis, identified by both the strain and the farmer, to the Bay Area and Los Angeles. “We really saw that if we wanted to survive, we needed to create something distinct and different to make our ganja stand out,” he says. Innovations like these are essential for any grower trying to survive the coming changes. The future of many small-scale cannabis growers in California is currently as uncertain as it was during the CAMP raids in the mid-1980s. Between the intense regulatory environment and the costs associated with compliance, and with the threat of larger companies dominating through economies of scale, the small grower does indeed have cause for alarm. But cannabis growers are some of the most adaptable and heartiest people. If Prop 64 passes, they’ll find a way to be part of California’s new Green Rush. Rick Pfrommer is the former director of education at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, Calif., and is the Principal Consultant at PfrommerNow.

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Election Season HIGHBALLS

Recipes by Cheri Sicard • Photos by Mitch Mandell If ever there was an election to drive a stoner to drink, the 2016 presidential contest is the one. With that in mind, I thought it would be especially appropriate to explore the topic of cannabis-infused cocktails. For me, no cocktail personifies this election season more than the Dirty Martini. However, when I asked Warren Bobrow, author of Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations, which potent libation best symbolizes the current campaign, he was quick to respond: “The Long Island iced tea is the Donald Trump of cocktails. Six to seven extra-cheap liquors mixed together and finished with corn syrup cola. It’s foul and cheap with golden embellishments!”

How to Infuse Liquor with Cannabis Follow these instructions to medicate most any hard liquor, which allows you to make cannabis-infused versions of all your favorite mixed drinks. Using alcohol is an efficient way to extract THC and CBD, along with other cannabinoids and terpenes, from the plant. Just as when infusing butter or oil, use trim or buds when infusing liquor. As with all cannabis dosing, determine an amount that’s reasonable for you and your friends based on the strength of the cannabis and the tolerance of the imbibers. Imbibing edible (or drinkable) marijuana is never a one-size-fits-all scenario. Here’s the basic recipe: To infuse two cups of an alcoholic beverage (such as vodka, rum, tequila or bourbon), use four to six grams of flowers, or six to eight grams of trim (or shake).

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Decarboxylate First! Be sure to decarboxylate the cannabis before infusing in alcohol. Place crumbled plant material in an ovenproof baking dish and heat at 250 degrees F for about 20 minutes. This transforms the non-psychoactive THC-A in the raw plant into psychoactive THC. Many instructions on the Internet recommend finely grinding the plant material, but I find it’s more effective to simply break it up with your hands. You’re extracting what’s on the plant, not what’s inside it. Also, with finely ground cannabis, it’s harder to strain out all the plant particles later. Pour the decarbed cannabis into a sealable glass jar and cover with liquor

(two cups per 4–6 grams of flower). Gently shake to agitate the material, and store in a dark cabinet for a minimum of three days to a maximum of two weeks; gently shake the jar every day or two. Pour the infused liquor through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to remove the plant material, and you’re ready to start drinking. In Cannabis Cocktails, Bobrow includes directions for a quicker electric stovetop/double-boiler infusion method that requires much more care, as alcohol is extremely flammable. He also shares his formulas for infused versions of numerous cocktail mixers, like simple syrup, milk, cream and maple syrup. He even has a recipe for medicated cocktail cherries.

Simple Syrup Made Simple Simple syrup is a combination of sugar and water used to sweeten cocktails (granulated sugar is hard to dissolve in cold liquids). To make it, simply mix one cup of sugar with one cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat over low flame until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Chill in bottles until ready to use.

Alcohol Fun Fact During alcohol Prohibition, the U.S. Treasury Department authorized doctors to write prescriptions for “medical liquor,” much like they write medical marijuana recommendations today, except the alcohol ’scripts had to be renewed every 10 days.

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Cannabis Cocktails These recipes are bound to appeal to a wide variety of party guests. Judiciously medicate any of your favorite mixed drinks by infusing different types of liquors. The sky’s the limit.

Dank Democratic Fizz

Combine canna-vodka and Blue Curaçao in a tall Champagne flute. Fill with cold sparkling wine and garnish with a skewer of fresh raspberries.

This blue champagne cocktail represents Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. It’s traditionally thought of as a “ladies’ drink.” But, like Clinton, this cocktail packs an extra-strong punch. 1 oz. cannabis-infused vodka 1/4 oz. Blue Curaçao liqueur 5 oz. chilled brut sparkling wine or Champagne Fresh red raspberries for garnish

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Highball Warning!

These are not your grandfather’s highballs. Keep in mind that you’re mixing two intoxicants together when you imbibe a cannabis cocktail, and it can take an hour or so before the cannabis portion starts to kick in. Go slow and have plenty of water, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks on hand. Limit yourself to one cocktail, at least until you know how your body reacts. Beware: These drinks are very strong.

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Ripped Republican Blood Orange Old Fashioned Just like Trump, this cocktail is a little bit red and a whole lot orange. It’s also old-fashioned. I use blood oranges for their flavor and reddish hue, but a regular orange will suffice. 1-1/2 oz. cannabis-infused bourbon 1/2 oz. blood orange juice 1 tsp. simple syrup 2 dashes bitters or orange bitters Club soda Blood orange slice and maraschino cherry for garnish Ice Combine simple syrup and bitters in a cocktail tumbler. Fill with ice, add cannabourbon and orange juice and give it a shake. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with orange and cherry, and serve.

Independent Indica Coconut Margarita Third-party candidates like Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein offer presidential choices. This creamy white coconut margarita is as pure as their alternative politics. 2 oz. cannabis-infused tequila 1 oz. Cointreau or triple sec 1/2 oz. Amaretto 1-1/2 oz. sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez) 1-1/2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup sweetened coconut for rimming glass (optional) Ice

For a presentation that will wow your guests, toast sweetened coconut in a 350-degree F oven for about 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Dip the edge of a large cocktail glass in the coconut cream and then into the toasted coconut to rim the glass. Set aside. Fill half of a large cocktail shaker with ice. Add canna-tequila, Cointreau or triple sec, cream of coconut and orange juice. Shake vigorously and pour into rimmed cocktail glass.

The Dirty Green Martini Olive brine is the ingredient that makes an ordinary Martini “dirty.” While this drink is usually clear, the cannabis infusion gives it a lovely green tint. 1-1/2 ounces cannabis-infused vodka Splash of dry vermouth 1 tbsp. olive brine Green olives for garnish Ice Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add canna-infused liquor, vermouth and olive brine, and shake. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with green olives. Cheri Sicard is author of The Cannabis Gourmet Cookbook and Mary Jane: The Complete Marijuana Handbook for Women. Visit her blog at CannabisCheri.com.

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Earthly Body’s “New Hippie” Hempire By Erin Hiatt After losing their small business in California’s 1994 Northridge earthquake, Kevin and Mare Wachs used the relief money to start Earthly Body. They began by making 100% vegan and natural cosmetics, and hair care and body care products in their garage, using hemp seed oil. Their choice of hemp was somewhat controversial in 1994, but now, Kevin Wachs says, “The world has realized that hemp seed oil contains high levels of essential fatty acids, provides nourishing protection and has high moisture content that helps smooth and soften dry, damaged skin.” In 2013, the pair moved the company to Chatsworth, Calif., where Earthly Body continues its dedication to sustainable, green and cruelty-free products. “All aspects of our organization reflect our eco-friendly values,” Biana Lerman, Earthly Body’s Marketing Coordinator, tells Freedom Leaf. “From the use of recycled packaging and planting trees for the future, to the installation of solar panels and electric car charging stations, our company is committed to reducing our carbon footprint.” They’re also committed to making a difference. Earthly Body’s Get Together Foundation “serves as an intermediary between donors and charities, ensuring that all monies get to the intended beneficiaries,” Lerman explains. “The basis of the foundation is the fusion of the ’60s mantra of peace, togetherness and love combined with the ideals of quality, intelligence and technology.” Lerman describes the company ethos Miracle Oil Blend of 100% natural essential oils Price: $11.99

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The Earthly Body staff assembles outside their corporate office in Chatsworth, Calif.

as “new hippie.” While social media and online sales have increased their accessibility, she says the “human aspect” of building and maintaining business relationships has become more difficult. The eclectic Earthly Body product line includes lotions, butters, lip balms, makeup and fragrances. Their 3-in-1 massage candle, Naked in the Woods, is jam-packed with hemp seed, coconut, apricot, jojoba and avocado oils, and smells like pine needles and lemon; it can be used as a daily moisturizer or to freshen the air, but is best employed as warm oil to apply during massages. Their Miracle Oil, another powerful emollient, is intended more for scars, stretch marks and scaly skin, and as an after-shave soother. In addition to hemp seed oil, it contains tea tree and eucalyptus oils. Constantly striving to innovate, and to sustain and expand their connections with stylists, buyers and clients, Earthly Body plans to release several new products for the holiday season. Check out their complete product line at earthlybody.com. Erin Hiatt writes about the cannabis industry. Follow her on Twitter @erinhiatt. Hemp Seed Hair Styling Elixir Hemp Seed and Coconut Oil styling formula Price: $22.99

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Miracle Oil On the Go Spray Blend of 100% natural essential oils Price: $8.99

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REVIEWS

Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America By Roy Trakin For those of a certain age, initiation into acid culture came during a Grateful Dead show—a fact that author Jesse Jarnow takes as the starting point for the psychedelic experience in America. With Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann’s famed LSD bicycle trip in 1943 as its foundation, the drug became synonymous with the rise of the ’60s counterculture, along with well-known early chemists like Dead soundman Owsley Stanley, as well as more obscure underground LSD producers like Nick Sand (creator of Orange Sunshine), Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin and Mayan quilter Sarah Matzar.

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Jarnow, whose first book, Big Day Coming, centered on the band Yo La Tengo and the rise of indie rock, here takes us back to the Beatnik Acid Test roots of the Dead, and examines their inner and outer circle, and how they fueled the hip LSD economy, which paved the way for such cultural phenomena as New York graffiti art, EDM rave culture, Burning Man and even the rise of the Internet. With a nod to Humbead’s Revised Map of the World, which displays the centers of psychedelia (San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, New York, Cambridge, North Africa and Southeast Asia), Heads offers a shifting cast of characters related to the Dead. They include monklike archivists (tapers), twirling dancers (spinners) and theorists, as well as hippie entrepreneurs, who turned the parking lot at each Dead show into their own popup bazaar, dubbed Shakedown Street. Heads connects the microdots that have radiated out from the LSD experience, including psilocybin mushrooms and peyote, and MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly), which has fueled thousands of raves and Phish concerts. The Grateful Dead served as the musical messengers of the psychedelic revolution, their marathon sets providing the perfect peak-andvalley dynamic for the acid experience, with Jerry Garcia as the benevolent guru and lyricists Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow providing the aspirational wordplay. Jarnow makes a good case that acid helped lay the groundwork for today’s technological revolution, with experiments like the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab and the San Francisco- based message board WELL, which provided early electronic communication channels for Deadheads to exchange set lists, lyrics and, of course, drug information. The book’s cast of characters represents a who’s-who of counterculture icons, from Hugh “Wavy Gravy” Romney, Ken Kesey and Timothy Leary to Dead archivist Dick Latvala, LSD philosopher Terence McKenna and blotter acid curator Mark McCloud.

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By the time Garcia was on his last legs, Phish were there to receive the torch and begin boasting their own intricate history and traveling caravan of Phish phans. Heads does an excellent job of tracing the drug culture lineage— though it doesn’t delve into the actual effects of the various drugs—and its reverberations in pop and, eventually, mainstream culture. The Dead and psychedelia remain inextricably linked, up to and including last year’s sold-out 50th anniversary “Fare Thee Well” concerts, which highlighted how relevant the band still is. It’s the perfect conclusion to a book whose premise is that it’s “high time” the psychedelic experience is accepted, and not demonized, by society. Clearly, the hunger for transcendent experiences continues to hold sway over the human psyche to this day. Without LSD and the Grateful Dead — whose notion that things should be free

Like modern shamans, the Grateful Dead helped usher in the psychedelic revolution.

was transformed by Silicon Valley nerds into the idea of shareware—there might not even be an Apple; Steve Jobs was a noted Deadhead and acid aficionado. Jarnow’s detailed history is the literary equivalent of Humbead’s view of the psychedelic world, retracing the Dead’s long, strange trip while bringing to life its colorful cast of characters. Roy Trakin is the former Senior Editor of HITS magazine.

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REVIEWS

Stephen Marley Revelation, Part II On this sequel to his Grammy-winning Revelation, Part I: The Root of Life, Bob Marley’s second-eldest son, Stephen “Ragga” Marley, stakes his claim to the family business with an album that transcends its roots to embrace other musical forms. Much like Rastaman Vibration, his father’s 1976 breakthrough album, Revelation, Part II: The Fruit of Life, connects the dots between Jamaican riddims and classic soul and R&B. On “Father of the Man,” a sampled Nina Simone intones, “I’m the keeper of the flame”—and Marley is more than up to the task. Bracketed by an intro and outro of Charlie Chaplin’s famed anti-fascist soliloquy from his 1940 classic, The Great Dictator, he frames his sprawling, cameo-filled fourth studio album with political fervor—from the tension-filled “Babylon” (with Dead Prez insisting, “It’s a war zone/You’ve got to do what you can to survive”) to the anti-capitalist “So Unjust” (with Rakim asking who’s responsible for 9/11), to the in-your-face “Ghetto Boy,” a pointed rant about how poverty begets gun violence, featuring toasters Cobra and Bounty Killer.

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At numerous points throughout the album’s 21 songs (plus three remixes), Marley plays the role of classic soul crooner. “Walking Away” is an achingly sensuous blues number with a mid-’60s Memphis feel, and “Pleasure or Pain” contrasts Quiet Storm yearnings with bawdy Busta Rhymes boasts. The insinuating R&B of “Perfect Picture,” with its lyrical allusion to Nat King Cole’s classic “Mona Lisa,” and the crisp Motown-style “So Strong,” featuring Shaggy rapping where Smokey Robinson once crooned “My Girl,” both offer a nod to reggae’s roots as well as its future directions. There are also flashes of EDM and disco on the dub-heavy “Rock Stone” and the club remix of “When She Dances.” The commonality of reggae and rap’s roots in battling adversity and overcoming hardship emerges on “The Lion Roars,” with Rick Ross—the Big Belly Man— setting the stage (“Penthouse suite, great bowl of weed, blue mountain coffee… The son of a legend, and his message is the same”). On “Scars on My Feet,” Marley compares stories of “ragga” to riches with Waka Flocka Flame, who proclaims, “Now my bank account [is] full of commas,” over an exotic Middle Eastern chant. Like his brothers Ziggy, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani, Stephen Marley has big musical shoes to fill. He accepts that destiny with characteristic humility, and a “no problem” shrug on the closer, “It’s Alright,” when he sings: “And what’s it all for?/I don’t know… The sun will rise and rise, and rise and rise again.” — Roy Trakin

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REVIEWS

Forty Years Stoned: A Journalist’s Romance Tom Huth’s Forty Years Stoned is an exuberant memoir that any marijuana enthusiast will relish. A former Washington Post reporter, Huth details how he became a hippie dropout and wooed Holly, a Connectitcut debutante. For years, they lived the good life (with her reluctant young sons) in a Colorado mountain town. Tom and Holly took frequent trips to exotic places so he could write magazine travel pieces. In Costa Rica, they posed on a beach in 1994 for famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, wearing only shells and leaves—the image on the book’s cover. Then Holly got sick. Stricken with

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Parkinson’s disease, she embarked on a medical marijuana regimen. Weed not only helped Holly cope with her neurological condition, but also made Tom a better caregiver. They both drew “immeasurable sustenance from a secret habit that can elevate us one toke at a time above the drudgeries and distresses of our mortal fix.” Huth credits cannabis with “providing untold tens of thousands of sweet reprieves that continue to give me the pizzazz, at 74, to go deep into extra innings with her.” This book is especially relevant to seniors—those who consume cannabis now, who smoked it in their youth or who might like to try it for its health benefits. For caretakers, Forty Years Stoned shows how, with the help of marijuana, you can wring maximum delight from difficult responsibilities. — Catherine Hiller

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Jodie Emery

Tommy Chong

TO B

E R 1 3-1 4, 20

Gabor Maté

Brendan Kennedy

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA • CANADA

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EVENTS

SEP

07 09 SEP

12 13

SEP

17 18

SEP

17 18

SEP

24 25 SEP

27 28 OCT

01 02

Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo Los Angeles Convention Center cwcbexpo.com

Arcview Investor Pitch Forum New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge arcviewgroup.com/events/ newyork

OCT

03 04

OCT

Boston Freedom Rally Boston Common masscann.org/rally

07 09

OCT

Dabolition Derby Southern California Fairgrounds, Perris, CA bit.ly/29TPl7k

07 09

Hempstalk Harvest Festival Waterfront Park, Portland, OR hempstalk.org

Big Industry Show Mana Wynwood Convention Center, Miami bigindustryshow.com

46th Great Midwest Harvest Festival Library Mall, Madison, WI madisonhempfest.com

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Vancouver will host two events in October.

OCT

08 09

OCT

13 14

The Canadian Marijuana Boom in Indigenous Territory Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, BC nativenationevents.org Women Grow Wellness Weekend Salishan Spa & Golf Resort, Gleneden Beach, OR womengrow.com New York Harvest Festival & Freedom Fair Edgewood Mountain, Laurens, NY damnsam.org High Times Medical Cannabis Cup NOS Event Center, San Bernardino, CA cannabiscup.com/socal Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s High Tea McNichols Building, Denver bit.ly/2abmg8i

International Cannabis Business Conference Hyatt Regency, Vancouver, BC internationalcbc.com

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LEGALIZE IT: THE 2016 STATE-BY-STATE BALLOT INITIATIVE GUIDE Continued from page 37

North Dakota Name: North Dakota Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative Ballot Number: Measure 5 Front Group: North Dakotans for Compassionate Care Backer: Marijuana Policy Project Key Provision: A patient or caregiver living 40 miles from the nearest dispensary can grow up to eight plants. Dust off your old DVD of Fargo because North Dakota finally has a chance to vote on to legalize medical marijuana in November. North Dakotans for Compassionate Care, with support from the Marijuana Policy Project, led the successful effort to win ballot placement by gathering more than 18,000 petition signatures. Comprising a massive chunk of the Great Plains, North Dakota is home to only 750,000 people. Current marijuana laws in the Peace Garden State are extremely harsh; possession of more than one ounce of flowers is treated as a felony. Simply ingesting hash or concen-

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trates is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Possessing any amount of cannabis oil is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Measure 5 is a fairly complete law that includes an initial set of regulations to create a medical cannabis system. It calls for a network of non-profit cultivators and dispensaries, along with modern laboratory testing. Patients would register with the state Department of Health, and any licensed physician could recommend cannabis therapy. Once registered, residents would be able to possess up to three ounces. Qualifying conditions include: cancer and its treatments, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, ALS, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s, fibromyalgia, spinal stenosis, chronic back pain, neuropathy, glaucoma, epilepsy, cachexia, wasting syndrome, severe debilitating pain, intractable nausea, seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms and multiple sclerosis. The proposed law comes with a system for caregivers, who may aid up to five individuals. Only when patients live more than 40 miles away from the nearest dispensary is home cultivation of up to eight plants allowed. Measure 5 proposes subsidizing access for low-income patients. Because health insurance companies have yet to cover the cost of medical cannabis, it’s important that state systems find ways to serve the less fortunate. The measure could also open the door to Native American tribes accessing the compassionate use program. Neighboring Montana and Minnesota already have limited medical marijuana laws. North Dakota also shares a long Northern border with Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to enact national legalization very soon. “Why should our neighbors have to leave their families, their hometowns, their home state to become medical refugees for their children or themselves?” asks North Dakotans for Compassionate Care’s Anita Morgan. — Chris Goldstein

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JOE GURRERI

It’s Time for the NORML Business Network By Norm Kent The cannabis industry is exploding, both nationally and internationally, and it needs an industry trade group dedicated to protecting marijuana consumers. To fill this need, NORML has created the NORML Business Network to ensure that cannabis smokers and entrepreneurs are protected. As far as marijuana is concerned, this is the first time in American history that we’re talking about incorporation instead of incarceration. As our society begins to responsibly regulate marijuana, we’ll continue to call on state agencies to create business models that advance best practices and safe delivery systems. We’re turning our energy and efforts toward becoming the Better Business Bureau for America’s cannabis consumers, and advocating for their rights instead of just fighting for their freedom. Joining the NORML Business Network is the equivalent of receiving our seal of approval. The marijuana movement is no longer about awarding the High Times Cannabis Cup to the best new strain of Purple Diesel. It’s about creating a business model that will fuel economic growth for an emerging industry of diverse professionals and enterprises, from cultivation to retail sales. The goal of the NORML Business Network is to act as an advocate for cannabis consumers—in the same way that Ralph Nader has advocated for car consumers. We want to partner with investors and entrepreneurs who have a social conscience, and with producers who deliver clean cannabis (without

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pesticides). We want businesses held accountable; equitable taxation; and tax revenues earmarked for building schools, rather than more prisons for our nation’s pot users. We’ll license and lend our name to those businesses that best serve the cannabis consumer. NORML will continue to fight for justice and fairness, now on expanded terrain, and we’ll form strategic partnerships with companies that have a higher purpose. In the future, growers who did time for cultivation could be your budtenders. Cannabis users who were drug-tested by probation officers will manage dispensaries. Former police officers who investigated drug deals might provide security in retail cannabis stores. Ongoing research and development will lead to healthier ways to consume cannabis, from vaporizers to edibles. The NORML Business Network only asks that your business has a conscience, contributes to the community— and remembers the epileptic child, the veteran with PTSD and others who could be helped by cannabis. We’ll be ushering in an era of marijuana consumer advocacy, normalization and legalization. Let’s do it the righteous way. It’s a whole new world we’re entering, together. The NORML of tomorrow begins today. For more information about the NORML Business Network, go to: norml.org/business-network. Norm Kent is a criminal defense attorney and publisher based in Ft. Lauderdale. He is Vice Chair of the NORML board of directors.

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VANCOUVER, BC

OCTOBER 13-14

Jodie Emery

Jennifer Hanser

Brendan Kennedy

Kirk Tousaw

541.864.0090 InternationalCBC.com september 2016