Culture

What is the California market worth? Let’s look at what we know from 2016; Washington did just under $1.2 billion and Colorado did $1.3 Billion, both with roughly 2,500 licenses each. The two markets combined are worth $2.5 billion with 5,000 licensees; and 2019 California will be five times bigger? Ten times? On the low-end, that’s $10 billion. The smart money is making moves in the background laying the groundwork to be a first mover to capitalize and capture customer loyalty.  

But that’s the fun and exciting part, the other side…not so much. As a licensee or business operator, now you have to figure out reporting to the Cannabis Activity Tracking system (CAT), comply with several agencies, know your local jurisdiction’s regulations, hire some staff, make some mistakes, and figure out how to make it all work while keeping your head above water.

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/cannabis-activity-tracking-californias-cannabis-maze/

The world-famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a drug-free zone. Wipe that smirk off your painted face—at least try; sit down in the chill-out tent and have a drink of water first, if you must—because it is, really.

This applies to legal drugs like medical and recreational cannabis. The festival has declared itself off-limits to marijuana for years, and this hasn’t changed.

“Sorry bro,” the Coachella website explains, using the language of the people to get its point across. “Medical marijuana cards are not valid at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Even in 2017 and beyond.”

Lest you think this is a big joke, last year, 143 people were arrested for drug-related charges at the festival, including marijuana possession, according to the Desert Sun. While possession isn’t a crime anymore, it can still get you kicked out of the fest—and for some people, having your wristband cut off early on the first day may be a punishment worse than arrest and citation.

Read More:http://hightimes.com/culture/marijuana-legalization-still-doesnt-apply-at-coachella-heres-the-workaround/

The Gateway Show is a comedy show based in Seattle and began a few years ago.  I had not heard about this comedy show until recently, and got to attend my first (of what I hope will be many) a few months ago and laughed so hard I cried!  This show is a fairly typical comedy show with a twist as the comedians perform after cannabis consumption.

The concept is simple: the comedians come in and each perform a set of comedy.  Then, they take an intermission and go off site and get dabbed out of their brains.  Rip City Remedies helps with the product and Hermetic Botanicals helps with the edibles and their other products.  After their sesh, the comedians return to the venue (the Funhouse Lounge is who hosts these shows in Portland) and each do a second set of comedy while under the influence.

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/cannabis-comedy-converge-gateway-show/

I’m an adult who likes to smoke marijuana for fun. There is nothing shameful about that.

But there are some people in America who do think smoking marijuana to get high is somehow an unseemly act.

What’s worse is that some of them are supposedly on our side.

Some of the supporters of medical cannabis, for instance, are fond of saying that they are “Patients, Not Criminals” or “Patients, Not Potheads.” They’ll explain how what they’re fighting for are sick and disabled people’s access to medical cannabis, which they’ll assure the listener “isn’t about some stoners just trying to get high.” Those fighting for access to cannabidiol make sure to stress that it’s “not going to get anybody high.”

Oh, no, God forbid somebody uses marijuana to get high!

Read More:http://hightimes.com/culture/radical-rant-only-marijuana-legalization-fulfills-the-promise-of-medical-cannabis-and-industrial-hemp/

It’s no secret that history repeats itself, it’s just not always obvious while it’s actually happening. Case in point: America’s seemingly endless war on marijuana can trace its roots directly to the prohibition era, which was a spectacular disaster in every way.  This is a topic that TWB has posted about before, and also one that is certainly tied to why we, as an industry, call this plant cannabis and not marijuana.

But, do you ever wonder why alcohol (one of the most lethal, destructive, and addictive substances in the world) is perfectly legal and marijuana isn’t? For answers, it’s helpful to look back on America’s failed experiment with alcohol prohibition (spoiler alert: prohibition didn’t stop people from drinking!).

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/why-is-alcohol-legal-but-not-marijuana/

Jane West is the CEO of the cannabis lifestyle brand Jane West, where she designs and develops accessories and home goods that invite mainstream consumers to experience the benefits of cannabis and take part in the legal lifestyle.

West has a prominent place in the establishing of the legal, business-minded cannabis industry. Prior to launching her consumption-friendly cannabis events company Edible Events in 2014, Jane was a working mother rising through the management ranks as a corporate event planner. After her employer spotted her vaping on CNBC, she was quickly fired.

West took this opportunity to fully immerse and invest herself in the cannabis industry full time. She founded Women Grow, the cannabis industry’s largest professional networking organization, and is now the CEO of her eponymous cannabis lifestyle brand Jane West.

Read More:http://www.theweedblog.com/cannabis-lifestyle-brand-jane-west/