Many social movements have been taking hold in our nation recently. For example, same-sex marriage has moved from social acceptance to being fully legal. Cannabis law reform is a hot topic in politics and the media, as well as more and more states jumping onboard. Times are good, and there is much fulfilling work to be done on these and other humanitarian fronts. However, I am making a public call to action, asking for your participation in these movements. It isn’t hard, there are events happening all the time.
The 4th annual conference hosted by Marijuana Business Daily was recently held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio Hotel and Conference Center. The event was attended by more than 5,500 people, representing all 50 states and 23 other countries. With a highly regarded group of exhibitors and speakers, such as Ralph Nader, Steve DeAngelo and Tripp Keber and two huge expo halls packed full of exhibits—the show was a must see for anyone with an interest in the cannabis industry.
“These attendance numbers far exceeded our expectations. It reinforces the investment, innovation and optimism in the legal cannabis industry moving forward,” says George Jage, Marijuana Business Daily president.
Nevada’s had medical marijuana laws in place for 15 years, but the market has suffered from a lack of retail stores. Only recently has Nevada written regulations permitting dispensaries to operate. Currently there are four dispensaries serving patients from around the country, Nevada’s law allows all state-certified cannabis patients to purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana. There are also dispensary tours, social clubs and other ancillary businesses in operation.
Go Nevada, and go Marijuana Business Daily for hosting your fall show here to showcase this new marketplace.
Marijuana Business Daily isn’t done yet either. In the spring, they will host another conference in Orlando, Florida. It will be a great time to get information and share ideas with the cannabis crowds, which will include the kindest, friendliest, most fun-loving, open-minded people in its ranks. You will want to get your tickets early as early bird discounts apply and the show is sure to be a sellout.
The Drug Policy Alliance got in on the act recently as well, with their biennial conference. This hybrid organization made up of many other groups focuses on harm reduction and drug policy issues. More than 1,500 people from 40 states and 70 countries around the world descended on Washington D.C. for four days of lobbying congress, inspirational seminars and displays of freedom and human rights included a protest on the National Mall near the Washington Monument. In October 2017, the conference will make an appearance in Atlanta, Georgia, home of some of the nation’s most restrictive drug laws.
So get involved however you can. Go to a local NORML meeting, a protest, or perhaps a more organized conference. I will see you there.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2015.
It seems that so Much has changed in culture in acceptance. In religion we see Pope Francis doing the unheard of washing the feet of a teenage girl in juvenile detention for Easter instead of the Bishops that has been the way in the past. To purge out the establish practice that allowed for abuse and concealment to the best of his ability truely a different time we are in. There are still opponents in the Vatican that oppose the action of Pope Francis. He has let them defend themselves and their actions as they dwindle in numbers. Pope Francis understands it is the populace that make the faith and power to the church not the the Church itself. Detroit has a majority Muslim City Council and the established constabulary is worried about that.
So now we are approaching legalizing Marijuana or the delusion of legalization. We are going to be ask and conjoiled into a panacea of freedom to partake. We all know really that in a short time there will be a regimented therapy for giving Marijuana in a medical setting. This will not include any kind of smoke therapy it will all be FDA certified growers and labs and processing under the rule of pharmacology standards. It will be an oil edible vaped some vehicle of consumable that controls amount and duration of effect. This will be way out of the a realm of a Marijuana dispensary and right into a Pharmacy. Leaving the Dispensaries a recreational and unconventional medical market. When the federal government forces the DEA to change the schedule rating it is a different story.
So we are being ask to change the constitution of the State of Arizona to allow for the formation of a” Department of Marijuana”. This is being billed as progress where if your read the proposition the populace is giving up so much for the establishment of the CHURCH the ” Department of Marijuana” that will have no oversight on rule making and be immune from it till 2022. Basically setting the distribution and retail of marijuana collecting taxes to control markets prices distribution. this is a constitutional amendment it cant be redone easily and little judicial or legislative oversight till 2022 and then it will have to go to review. Lets talk about the the interests that are funding the movement the PVI (police and vested interests) they are a financial minority telling us they are defending the populace we just don’t know how yet as they have done such a fantastic job in the past lets just keep it going huh.
This will mostly be border states countries illegal and legal competition for the marijuana dollar and building a constabulary to enforce the arbitrary regulatory laws that will be in conflict of intrastate regulations 14th amendment of equal protection when collecting a tax dollar the product that paid that tax and be denied use in a municipality basis. All of the monies collected will go to protect a select few a Oligarchy
While so much has changed has it really do you see the truth here I guess some things never change
If anyone really has an interest in this take a moment and watch SAFER AZ They like Ralph Nader are grassroots consumer advocates. http://saferarizona.com/
They too want a Department of Marijuana which I am against. It is not that unique of a material that it would require overlapping long established State Departments of Agriculture,Commerce, Health Welfare, Revenue, Enforcement, Prosecution, Licensing, Educational properties though the University system.
Not a word about what is best for the patients. AZ has turned this program into a “cash cow”.
No control or regulation over inspection and certification of product purchased. That is like the FDA saying , here take this medicine. I don’t know what is in it, but just take it.
How does that serve patients? Get a grip AZ. Control this program. Regulate and certify all products for sell under this program.
For those that advocate full legalization, what criteria will be used for conviction of DUI.
What will be an honest tax for this. Not 24% like Colorado.
Think about it Arizona.