With medical marijuana now legal in 29 states (including Arizona) and recreational marijuana legal in nine states, it's pretty clear that weed is marching toward mainstream acceptance, no matter what U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says about it.
Sure, there will be legal bumps in the road, but most of the resistance comes from an older generation. Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center released a survey showing that 61 percent of Americans favor decriminalization of marijuana. That's about double the number who felt that way back in 2000. And the kids are especially eager to see it happen: 70 percent of Millennials, 66 percent of Gen X-ers and 56 percent of Boomers support it.
As legalization gains momentum, so does the science behind cannabis. While federal law still makes it challenging to study marijuana's medicinal effects, the dispensaries are learning more about how to create extracts and how the plant works. We look at the trend toward extracts in our cover package. We also report on how dispensaries are moving to expanded locations around town as certain state legal restrictions are lifted. We've also got the results of the "Tucson Weedly's" Cannabis Bowl, a reader poll of the best dispensaries.
Elsewhere in the book: Staff writer Danyelle Khmara looks at how teachers are reacting to Gov. Doug Ducey's proposal for a big raise. Tucson Salvage columnist Brian Smith spends a night at midtown's Bambi lounge; arts writer Margaret Regan checks in on the many shows in the downtown warehouse district; movie critic Bob Grimm is wagging his tale over the Isle of Dogs; food writer Mark Whittaker travels to a new Middle Eastern paradise in north-central Tucson; staff writer Jeff Gardner dials in Downtown Radio's Psych-Out!; and, as always, there's a whole lot more.
Smoke 'em if you've got 'em, and we'll see you next week!
— Jim Nintzel Executive Editor
