This week, weed can relax a bitâSessions seems to have no immediate plans to go after marijuana, which he calls âonly slightly less awfulâ than heroin (and new stats show more people are being jailed for federal cannabis crimes than heroin-related ones). Also: dreams of a ganja island paradise destroyed by Kickstarter, government weed is the worst, and a rabbi, a priest, and an atheist get stoned together. Read on...
Sessions Calls Cole Memo Valid, Enforcement Resources Limited
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says that he is now reviewing the Cole Memo (which sets the policies for federal prosecution of marijuana laws in different states), but has no immediate plans to scrap it, since, he hinted, federal enforcement of prohibition in states where weed is legal would be not be feasible (cue collective âphewâ from the cannabis industryâfor now).
Because we canât seem to go a week now without some kind of ridiculous statement from Sessions about cannabis, hereâs a zinger in a speech he made about heroin and violent crime on Wednesday:
âI am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuanaâso people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another thatâs only slightly less awful. Our nation needs to say clearly once again that using drugs will destroy your life.â
What a great new motto: âMarijuana: Only Slightly Less Awful Than Heroinâ
Government-Grown Weed Sucks
Government marijuana looks nothing like the real stuff. See for yourself. https://t.co/UKNSYwqPWQ pic.twitter.com/IbQv8p5NWu
â Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 13, 2017
What is this stuff? It looks like a pizza topping, or tea thatâs been left in the cupboard too long. Cluttered with stems and leaves, poorly clipped, no sign of buds, and rife with mold and yeast, this is federally grown marijuana supplied to researchers like Sue Sisley in Arizona, a physician who is using it to study PTSD, according to an article from the Washington Post.
Needless to say, when Sisley opened the package to find this sad excuse for weed, she was disappointed: âIt didnât look like cannabis. It didnât smell like cannabis,â she said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
Cannabis Sentencing Statistics Released
The US Sentencing Commission just released their data: during the Obama administration, federal convictions for cannabis crimes dropped by almost half, although it appears that more people are still being jailed for cannabis related crimes than heroin crimes.
The Washington Post also published a fascinating piece about how an attempt to reduce first-time marijuana possession sentences to misdemeanors in Arlington, Virginia can put undocumented immigrants at risk.
Vape Use on The Rise; Flowers Fading
According to the 2016 State of Cannabis Report by Eaze, flower sales are down by almost 20 percent, while vaporizer purchases have increased by 24 percent.
Kickstarter Suspends Funding for Ganjaland
The dream of finding a communal island paradise where stoners can roam free has gone up in smokeâfor the time being, at least. Ganjaland, a âcannabis themed crowdfunding projectâ that promised, among other rewards, timeshares and âpermanent citizenshipâ on the island paradise, has been suspended by Kickstarter. Maybe itâs for the betterâapparently, they haven't seen The Beach?
Have a Heart Ranked No. 1 on Leafly List of Best Washington Dispensaries
The Leafly list of top dispensaries and stores in Washington State is outâand the winner is Have a Heart - Skyway, which rated a 90.75 on their index based on consumer reviews, product variety, and menu accuracy.
A Rabbi, a Priest, and an Atheist Start Smoking a JointâŠ
This isnât the beginning of a joke, but of this hilarious and charming video where they all get very stoned and talk about God. Check it out: