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Crosscurrents

Cannabis News Roundup: K9 corps still sniffing

By Pixabay user stuarthampton Licensed under Creative Commons CC0/cropped.
Untitled (Jimi Hendrix & the Summer of Love)

California considers combined sales of medical and recreation cannabis ... “Marijuana breathalyzer” catches two ... Sniffer dogs still on the beat ...”lazy stoner” image challenged ... and more. 

[Click the blue hyperlink headline to read the full story.]

LEGISLATION & REGULATION

Office of Cannabis progresses // SF Examiner

“Mayor Ed Lee introduced legislation last week to create the Office of Cannabis within the Office of the City Administrator, a mayor-appointed position currently held by Naomi Kelly.

“Kelly would have the power to appoint the director of the new marijuana department. The Office of Cannabis is expected to include three staff positions costing a total of $472,465 in salaries.”

Gov. Brown proposes selling medicinal and recreational marijuana from the same location // L.A. Times

“’Being able to co-locate is much more cost-efficient for operators,’ said Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Assn.”

North Coast State Senator proposes cannabis budget trailer bill // Record-Bee

“Working with his colleagues ... [State Senator Mike] McGuire has worked to develop solutions to some of the biggest challenges as recreational use begins to become reality.”

Click on the blue headline above to see aspects of McGuire’s comprehensive bill.

Over a quarter of California marijuana users may stay in black market // Alternet.co

"’It's going to take some time,’ [Bureau of Marijuana Control director Lori] Ajax said. ‘While it's unlikely that everyone will come into the regulated market on Day 1, we plan to continue working with stakeholders as we move forward to increase participation over time.’"

COPS & COURTS

Marijuana is illegal and Justice Dept. plans to keep it that way // Washington Times

“’We follow the law and the science. From a legal and scientific perspective, marijuana it is an unlawful drug,’ [Deputy Attorney General Rod]  Rosenstein said Tuesday during an appearance before a Senate appropriations committee.’

Attorney General Sessions lobbied Congress for permission to prosecute dispensaries // Washington Post

The Department must be in a position to use all laws available to combat the transnational drug organizations and dangerous drug traffickers who threaten American lives,” Jeff Sessions said in a letter to Congress.

“Marijuana Breathalyzer” nabs two in San Diego // NBC-TV, San Diego

“New technology being used by the San Diego Police Department has lead to two arrests of people suspected to be driving under the influence of marijuana.”

Drug sniffing dogs still on the beat // SF Chronicle

“At first, it might seem like California’s legalization of recreational pot would render canine units’ weed-sensitive noses obsolete. Indeed, some dogs are being pulled from routine patrols, and new ones are sometimes not trained on pot. But police agencies say their drug-trained dogs still have plenty of value, especially when it comes to taking down large-scale drug operations.”

BUSINESS

Closing dispensaries connected to crime increase // Jrln. of Urban Economic

“Contrary to popular wisdom, we find an immediate increase in crime around dispensaries [in Los Angeles] ordered to close relative to those allowed to remain open.” 

HEALTH

Study: Lazy stoner image not the whole picture // Civilized.life

“The study found that the average annual household income among California cannabis consumers is $93,800, compared to $72,800 for ‘acceptors’ and $75,900 for ‘rejecters.’”

EVENT

New national NORML director visits San Francisco // NORML

Meet the new director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws at this June 22 fundraiser.

OPINION

Marijuana taxes will not fund all of our financial needs // Modesto Bee

“We’ve heard of medical marijuana dispensary owners carrying garbage bags full of cash. We’ve read that 1.5 million Californians already have medical cards; if they buy an ounce a year ($170 per), that’s $3 billion in sales and $450 million in state excise taxes.

“But we’re going to need more than smoke and mirrors to solve all our long-term financial issues – from crumbling roads to runaway pension costs. … nothing replaces careful planning and budgeting.”

Marijuana acceptance leads to safer use // L.A. Daily News

“The overwhelming public support on the state level has been undercut by the local sentiment that no one wants a cannabis dispensary on their block.

“In order to bridge this divide, we need to reintroduce the theory of harm reduction into the debate, and admit that marijuana exists in the context of drug use and abuse that has existed in different manifestations and with different substances in the U.S. since at least the 1870s.”

IN OTHER NEWS....

“Weediquette” manners // Boston Magazine

Much of this is common sense. But as we know, common sense isn’t always that common, so you can refresh your memory.

High school pot possession on the rise in Ukiah // Daily Journal

“’This year, in particular, (marijuana) possession has increased,’ [Ukiah Unified School District Superintendent Debra] Kubin noted. She said while instances of marijuana use on campus have remained about the same, instances of possession reported in the school district have more than doubled in the past two years, jumping from 35 in the 2014 school year to 75 this year.

“This is despite the fact that a school resource officer and a drug-trained K9, Bugsy, are employed to deter students from carrying drugs, conducting searches about once a month.”

Keeping up with the times // Mechanics Institute

San Francisco’s venerable Mechanics Institute (founded 1854) has “a new series that features a question or issue … with experts and aficionados.” The question this week was “The Future of Cannabis.” But the series is called “Think & Drink,” with a post discussion social” at a neighboring bar.  Maybe they need an offshoot named “Vape & Vent.” 

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[New content is posted on Fridays.]

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