“So what’s the point of having another big smoke-in?’ one attendee complained. He was referring to the annual April 20 mass counterculture gathering, intended to protest in favor of unrestricted access to legalized cannabis.
I can see his point, now that so many states have legalized or at least decriminalized pot– 38 for medical uses only, but 24 for recreational purposes too. It’s a trend expected to continue.
“The thrill is gone,” he griped. “We already won, man.”
For us, 4/20 is an opportunity to take a quick look at the state of cannabis culture.
For instance, were you aware that the District of Columbia is taking steps to ease current restrictions on commercial cannabis? Wait– I thought pot was already legal in DC. Apparently not. Although ironically, there are plenty of shops in DC where you can procure cannabis products without breaking the law.
Here’s an overview of just how this weird circumstance came about:
D.C. ‘gifting’ shops undergo mass transition to medical marijuana
In brief, Congress made it legal to use pot, but not to sell it. So creative entrepreneurs developed a plan to ‘gift’ pot products to customers who purchased other items in their stores. The bigger the purchase, the more substantial the ‘free gift’ of cannabis that came with it.
Now the stores are getting licensed, essentially to be what they already are– pot shops. I wonder if they’ll offer toasters and clock radios with your pot purchase.
Meanwhile, on the research front: The Veterans Administration announced that after review of the latest studies, they’ve decided NOT to approve cannabis as an effective treatment for PTSD. The reason: a lack of clear evidence that it works. Here’s a press release:
New meta-analyses show mixed findings on cannabis and PTSD
By the way, CNN provides a good overview of the current research on the value of cannabis in treating common health problems. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Most scientists seem far less enthused than advocates would lead us to believe.
Last but not least, a well-known former NBA player turned cannabusinessman explains why he himself is an enthusiastic user of so-called “medical” marijuana.
“For me, being a person who lives a very stressful life, in a very stressful environment, managing multiple things, it’s good for me get home at the end of the night, sit down, relax and medicate…”
Um, that’s not exactly what medical is supposed to mean, my friend. He’s using medical in the way someone does when they show up at the bar after work, joking with the bartender that it’s time for a nightly dose of ‘medicine’– which comes in a shot glass with a beer chaser.
