While it was a serious bummer week for the fate of the American health-care system, weed seemed to make it out ok. Congress has made sure Sessions and the DOJ can’t go after weed in states where it’s legal, Trump supporters and May Day protestors shared a joint in downtown Seattle, Tom Marino is out as drug czar, and Miley Cyrus quit weed. Read on.
Congress Blocks the DOJ From Going After Weed
Part of the spending bill passed by the House on Wednesday blocks Attorney General Jeff Sessions from being able to clamp down on medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Sessions, who has hinted in the past that the DOJ will go after weed, will apparently have to come up with the dough himself—maybe ask Mexico? (Who will probably decline, since they’re on their way to legalizing medical).
Marino is Out as Drug Czar
Tom Marino is out as possible drug czar for the Trump administration. The Pennsylvania Republican withdrew his nomination, citing a critical illness in the family as the reason. But it could also have something to do with the allegation that back in his county prosecutor days, he went “judge shopping” to help get a cocaine charge expunged for a friend. In any case, he’s gone. Who’s next in line?
Pro- and Anti-Trump Protestors Share a Joint in Seattle
Leave it to weed to bridge the political divide! It started as a lot of yelling that threatened to erupt into a fight when protestors and Trump supporters met at Westlake in downtown Seattle during the May Day protests earlier this week. But it ended with a “peace joint” being rolled on the back of a protest sign.
Pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters rolling joints on back of protest sign at Westlake… most #Seattle thing ever? pic.twitter.com/6JH35SSTqv
— Henry Rosoff (@HenryKIRO7) May 2, 2017
In the video, one of the protestors is heard saying: “Look we all fight, but then we roll some weed and come together.”
Vermont House Signs Marijuana Possession Legalization Bill
A bill that legalizes possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults age 21 and older has been passed by a thin margin in the house. The state is taking the incremental approach for now, effectively decriminalizing weed while holding off on creating a full regulatory system for selling it like other states where it’s legal. The bill is making its way through state senate and most likely take months to become law.
No Highway Adoption for the High
Highway clean-up volunteers from the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival were told that they can’t adopt a highway by the state’s department of transportation.
The reason? Even though medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania, recreational cannabis is not. “Our district executive felt it would not be appropriate to allow the promotion of an illegal substance on a commonwealth-owned sign,” said PennDOT spokesman James May.
Volunteers say it’s the stigma of marijuana that informed PennDOT’s decision more than anything else. “We’re not saying, ‘Come out here and smoke. We’ll smoke while we clean up.’ No, we’re picking up garbage,” said one volunteer.
Coffins: Don’t Put Your Weed in There
Border Patrol Agents found 67 pounds of marijuana concealed within a coffin inside a hearse, heading towards…you guessed it: Tombstone, Arizona.
Stop the Presses…Miley Cyrus has Quit Smoking Weed!
She joins Woody Harrelson, Mark Wahlberg, Neil Young, and Natalie Portman on the list of celebrity quitters. How is Cyrus dealing with being weed-free so far? Pretty well! It’s been three weeks!
I fucking hate it when people can’t adjust. I used to [resist changing]. But I haven’t smoked weed in three weeks, which is the longest I’ve ever [gone without it]. I’m not doing drugs, I’m not drinking, I’m completely clean right now! That was just something that I wanted to do.
Is it hard to not smoke?
It’s easy, dude. When I want something, it’s fucking easy for me. But if anyone told me not to smoke, I would have not done it. It’s because it was on my time. I know exactly where I am right now.
Best of luck on your journey, Miley!