cannabisnews.com: Counting The Days Till Marijuana’s Legal
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Counting The Days Till Marijuana’s Legal
Posted by CN Staff on November 17, 2012 at 12:48:05 PT
By Kirk Johnson
Source: New York Times
Seattle -- Stoner humor just got a lot more complicated. Back in the days when Cheech and Chong were more risqué than wrinkled, it wafted along as one of those cultural subgenres, with its own nudge-and-wink punch lines. If you got it and laughed, you implicated yourself — and laughed again. The police mostly kept their faces straight. But now the prospect of legalized marijuana in small amounts for personal use — approved by voters in Washington State and Colorado on Election Day — is creating a buzz of improvisation, from local law enforcement agencies up through state government.
Devising from scratch a system for legal sales and informing the public about the law are both tasks, state and local officials say, that require the turning over of a new leaf. And the Seattle Police Department — through blog posts written by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee, 29, a former crime reporter for a Seattle alternative weekly called The Stranger — is leading the charge. Bilbo Baggins from “The Lord of the Rings” lends a hand too, shown in a film clip on the police blog relishing a smokable product of uncertain provenance called Old Toby, which Bilbo says, with a blissful sigh, is “the finest weed in the South Farthing.” The goal: official communications in language that the hip, young, urban and quite possibly stoned audience that Mr. Spangenthal-Lee wrote for at The Stranger might actually want to read. Worried about what happens if the police pull you over after Dec. 6, when the law, I-502, takes effect, and you are sober but they smell that bag of Super Skunk in your trunk? Mr. Spangenthal-Lee’s “Marijwhatnow” post has the answer. “The smell of pot alone will not be reason to search,” he writes. Another question: “December 6th seems like a really long ways away. What happens if I get caught with marijuana before then?” Answer: “Hold your breath.” Question: “SPD seized a bunch of my marijuana before I-502 passed. Can I have it back?” Answer: “No.” “There’s no handbook for any of this,” Mr. Spangenthal-Lee said in an interview. Meanwhile, the “Marijwhatnow” post has gone closer to viral than perhaps any official police communication in history, with 26,000 Facebook “likes” and more than 218,000 page views as of Friday. Whether full legalization will actually occur as envisioned by the law — up to an ounce is allowed for use by an adult — is hazy. Possession remains a federal crime, but Gov. Christine Gregoire, after meeting with Justice Department officials last week, said federal prosecutors gave her no clear indication of what they would do either before or after Dec. 6. “We are following the will of the voters and moving ahead with implementation,” Ms. Gregoire said in a statement. “Implementation” presents some high hurdles. The law allows only one year for the state to create a system of licenses for growers, processors and sellers, and to resolve equally confusing issues like the potency levels of the various products and the prices. Teams began meeting right after the election at the Washington State Liquor Control Board, which has been assigned to create and administer a marketplace. Mr. Spangenthal-Lee, who has been writing for the Seattle Police Department’s crime blog, SPD Blotter, since March, said he tried to imagine all the questions people would ask about the new law and then follow his own nose as a newsman in getting the answers. Will, for example, police officers be allowed to smoke marijuana? “As of right now, no,” he wrote. “Marijuana legalization creates some challenges for the Seattle Police Department,” the post said, “but SPD is already working to respond to these issues head on.” A version of this article appeared in print on November 18, 2012, on page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: Counting the Days Till Marijuana’s Legal.Source: New York Times (NY)Author: Kirk JohnsonPublished: November 18, 2012Copyright: 2012 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.comWebsite: http://www.nytimes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/8ekebqFPCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on November 19, 2012 at 14:48:00 PT
Schmeff
That's funny!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #17 posted by Hope on November 19, 2012 at 14:02:50 PT
Lol!
I'm not a Twinkie fan either. It's just that it used to be so commonly correlated with a major "munchy". So it does seem ironic. Sort of thought Twinkies were forever.Broccoli is a better, smarter munchy. Or popcorn.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by schmeff on November 19, 2012 at 13:24:49 PT
On Second Thought
I believe I misspoke. I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure it IS illegal to eat an endangered species.My bad.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #15 posted by schmeff on November 19, 2012 at 13:17:59 PT
I Guess We're Even-Steven
I love me a sweet Cupcake, but I love a sweet bud even-steven more. Plenty of other options for empty calories.So Ho-Ho eat 'em if you got 'em...they're not illegal or prohibited. They're just an endangered species.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by Hope on November 19, 2012 at 12:45:08 PT
Isn't it ironic?
Twinkies gone when legalization happens. I thought the same thing.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by FoM on November 19, 2012 at 11:09:31 PT
schmeff
I thought the same thing!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by schmeff on November 19, 2012 at 10:54:21 PT
Oh, the Irony!
Hard to imagine...like two ships passing in the night, cannabis becomes legal again, and the Hostess Twinkie becomes extinct.The munchies lose a dear, dear friend. R.I.P Ding Dongs, goodbye Ho Ho's. You'll be missed.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by FoM on November 19, 2012 at 07:00:06 PT
John Tyler
That would be nice.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by FoM on November 19, 2012 at 06:59:22 PT
RevRayGreen
It's great to see you and I wish your state the best of luck.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by The GCW on November 18, 2012 at 22:07:44 PT
RevRayGreen,
Thanks for the poll.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by John Tyler on November 18, 2012 at 20:44:45 PT
hoping for some good music now
I hope this will inspire a whole new batch of really good music.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by RevRayGreen on November 18, 2012 at 19:05:17 PT
A new sun has dawned over a new nation......
TODAY'S POLL IN IOWADo you think marijuana should be legalized? http://www.desmoinesregister.com/poll/2012-11-19/6701083ALL YOUR BUDS ARE BELONG TO US-AYBABTU #0 WingMegatoke w/Animal,Kermwreck,Frankenbud - IOWA NICER 2012 - http://youtu.be/RWMWdTB1ZMs
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on November 18, 2012 at 15:49:37 PT
FoM...Opps..
You can get rid of that extra post if you want too.I clicked on the "confirm post", went into another room for a while, came back and it was still uploading...clicked the "confirm post" again, within nano-seconds a double post occured...
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by Had Enough on November 18, 2012 at 15:44:55 PT
We will sail home…
Expectations…For years I kinda expected this is how the prohibitionists and their machine would respond once this point had been achieved…But too me it is like music to these ears…after listening to decades of propaganda campaigns…as nasty and putrid as it is….hearing them spew these sounds is sweet-sweet harmonic music too me…With victory of these major battles, the door has been kicked open…this time by common sense of reality…The authorities declared this war on their own people…the worst trip we’ve ever been on…and now the people are fighting back…the authorities are getting slapped and pushed back…if they don’t listen up they might get keel-hauled in the process…I believe we are on the verge of re-scheduling (removing it all together makes even better sense)…that is their only way to save political and budgetary face for themselves…And the jack-booted thugs along with their masters serving the machine can start filling out new resumes…or learn to swim…The fight is still not finished…but the people who seek this freedom just got a lot of wind put in their sails…time to paint the jib sail ‘Emerald Green’, adjust the main sail, steady the rudder, and maintain the course while the seas are rolling in the proper direction…for too long the bow has been into the wind, dodging torpedoes at the same time…calm seas ahead will be the reward in the end…So hoist up the Sails of Freedom…we just want to go home…************Sloop John B – The Beach Boyshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQxA_UKXes
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by Had Enough on November 18, 2012 at 15:36:41 PT
We will sail home…
Expectations…For years I kinda expected this is how the prohibitionists and their machine would respond once this point had been achieved…But too me it is like music to these ears…after listening to decades of propaganda campaigns…as nasty and putrid as it is….hearing them spew these sounds is sweet-sweet harmonic music too me…With victory of these major battles, the door has been kicked open…this time by common sense of reality…The authorities declared this war on their own people…the worst trip we’ve ever been on…and now the people are fighting back…the authorities are getting slapped and pushed back…if they don’t listen up they might get keel-hauled in the process…I believe we are on the verge of re-scheduling (removing it all together makes even better sense)…that is their only way to save political and budgetary face for themselves…And the jack-booted thugs along with their masters serving the machine can start filling out new resumes…or learn to swim…The fight is still not finished…but the people who seek this freedom just got a lot of wind put in their sails…time to paint the jib sail ‘Emerald Green’, adjust the main sail, steady the rudder, and maintain the course while the seas are rolling in the proper direction…for too long the bow has been into the wind, dodging torpedoes at the same time…calm seas ahead will be the reward in the end…So hoist up the Sails of Freedom…we just want to go home…************Sloop John B – The Beach Boyshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQxA_UKXes
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on November 18, 2012 at 13:08:51 PT
NY Times going into withdrawal
>>>Stoner humor just got a lot more complicatedIn other words - our cruel propaganda charade against cannabis is no longer viable! Whatever shall we do now! Jeeves, bring more wine!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by The GCW on November 18, 2012 at 08:05:45 PT
Denver Post Column
Kowtowing to federal authority on Amendment 64http://www.denverpost.com/carroll/ci_22005898/carroll-kowtowing-federal-authority-colorado-pot-law?source=rss"M'lord," they might as well have written, "the people have spoken decisively, but we humbly await your paternal word on whether they will be allowed to exercise their freedom."
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on November 17, 2012 at 15:36:40 PT
Marijuana Legalization Benefits Now Include Profit
Potential For Wall Street Investors: ReportRelieving pain, slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and fighting depression are some of the benefits marijuana can offer patients, some studies claim. Now, a group of pot activists is envisioning a new benefit: legal profits.The Greenleaf Compassion Center in New Jersey received a permit to begin growing medicinal marijuana. The Election Day proposition that legalized small amounts of marijuana for personal use in Colorado and Washington. The states will also provide data on how much money the marijuana trade makes, a number that’s been hard to determine due to drug laws that ban the possession and sale of marijuana.In 2010, CNBC reported that the marijuana business in America grossed about $40 billion annually. Legalization, the report said, could expand that business into a $100 billion industry, with some economists predicting higher numbers, depending on how governments levy taxes on the sale and distribution of plant.That estimate is bolstered by a CBS News study from this year that found that marijuana use had increased 80 percent in the years between 2008 and 2012, statistics that weren’t available to CNBC researchers in 2010.Pot advocates are hoping for a domino effect of sorts now that Washington and Colorado voters have approved ridding their states of criminal laws. Public opinion seems to be swaying in California after legalization was denied in 2010, with the San Francisco Chronicle advocating a change.“Though it may seem the dust has barely settled from California's failed effort in 2010 to legalize marijuana under Proposition 19, the winds of change may be blowing here again, this time from the north,” wrote editorialist John McKay, a former U.S. attorney in Seattle.“Washington state voters, along with those in Colorado, have voted to legalize marijuana for adult use and to regulate within state borders production, transportation and sales. We plan to capture much-needed revenue while moving from a law enforcement model to a public health approach, emphasizing treatment and education over handcuffs and jail.”Wall Street would agree. After a positive review of Medbox, a company that sells dispensing machines to legal marijuana outlets, Market Watch reported that the company's share price jumped from $4 to $250, a 3,000 percent increase...http://www.ibtimes.com/marijuana-legalization-benefits-now-include-profit-potential-wall-street-investors-report-887146
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