Marijuana Blog

Got the Munchies? A New Pot Eatery Opens in Ore.

Category: Medical Marijuana | Posted on Fri, May, 4th 2012 by THCFinder

After scraping together a mound of zucchini, broccoli, beef, pineapple and noodles on a big round Mongolian grill, Kevin Wallace measured out a shot of grapeseed oil infused with hashish and poured it over the steaming food, setting off a sizzle.

Thirteen years after Oregon became one of the first states to make medical marijuana legal, Wallace and business partner Michael Shea think they've found a way to fit in the big gray area between making a living from medical marijuana and going to jail.

Marijuana is indelibly associated with food, whether it is chemotherapy patients using the drug to try to develop an appetite, or, farcically, a couple of stoners with an overpowering case of the munchies in "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle." Secret "herb dinners" with appetizers, entrees and desserts are reported in newspaper food sections. One restaurant chain, CHeBA HUT, is based on a marijuana theme. And patrons of the World Famous Cannabis Cafe in Portland can get a burger or lasagna packing a pot punch in between choruses of karaoke.

But restaurants where marijuana is the focus have had trouble gaining traction. The customer base is, after all, limited to medical marijuana cardholders. And any enterprise associated with medical marijuana will quickly come under scrutiny.

At the Earth Dragon Edibles Restaurant & Lounge in Ashland, Wallace and Shea are trying to bring Mongolian barbecue dosed with medical marijuana to a higher level, though they are still feeling their way through the fuzzy legalities of it all.

An Oregon medical marijuana card is required to get in the door. Inside, the place looks and operates pretty much like any other little Asian-style restaurant, with the smells of teriyaki and sounds of the grill filling the air. A wall hanging at the back depicts ganja guru Bob Marley. Diners go through a check list of vegetables, sauces, meats and tofu, and whether their bowl will be regular, large, or unlimited. One difference is the boxes to check for medicated or unmedicated. If medicated, there are three strengths. Cheesecake, candies and cookies, medicated or not, are also available.

While they wait, diners can use the hash bar, choosing from an assortment of glass pipes, a vaporizer, or a bong, hashish or bud. Marijuana donations are encouraged.

(Source) http://abcnews.go.com

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It's Just WeedTatstic

Category: Culture | Posted on Fri, May, 4th 2012 by THCFinder

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Medical Marijuana Crackdown In Santa Barbara

Category: Dispensaries | Posted on Fri, May, 4th 2012 by THCFinder

Police and federal agents in Santa Barbara, California have executed raids on 4 medical marijuana dispensaries in the area in the last couple days. The operation was spear-headed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the I. R. S.

As usual, no arrests were made but cannabis, money and property were seized. Dispensaries raided include Miramar Collective and Pacific Coast Collective. PCC’s operator is already faces separate charges involving the dispensary, and his home was visited by law enforcement as well.

Sgt. Riley Harwood, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara Police Department, said, “Detectives have used a variety of means to investigate these locations, including interviewing customers, conducting undercover purchases of marijuana, and searching facilities. In every instance thus far,” he said, “their investigations revealed that these storefronts were operating as for-profit business enterprises; conducting retail sales to customers, or ‘members,’ and purchasing from wholesale vendors bulk quantities of marijuana grown outside of the region.”

These allegations have yet to be proven, but if they are true they point out one of the flaws in CA Proposition 215, and that is this whole concept of “non-profit” businesses.

Yes, it makes medical marijuana dispensaries seem like charities or benevolent medicine fairies. But it’s time to step into the real world. The U.S. economy is stagnating and profit creates jobs. People need jobs to make money and put food on the table for their families. Profits spur efficiency, innovation and most importantly, expansion.

Without people striving for profits this country wouldn’t have had the greatness that is now slipping away. It’s time to get the feds out of medical marijuana and stop treating California like it’s some sort of hippie commune. Let’s bring marijuana into the 21^st century and fuel the engine of growth.

For now the federal government is making sure many dispensaries and collectives in CA are the purest form of non-profit businesses: businesses that don’t function at all.

Source: http://independent.com

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