Thread: LAS VEGAS HAS STRIPPERS, SHOWS AND NOW LEGAL WEED

• In Lincoln, Colorado officer says legalizing marijuana is a bad idea

• By Joe Duggan / World-Herald Bureau
• Nov 13, 2015

LINCOLN — Before Colorado voters legalized marijuana three years ago, advocates argued that the move would afford police more time to crack down on really serious drug offenses.

Put that argument in the “mythical” category, a Colorado drug investigator said Thursday during a presentation at the Nebraska State Capitol.

Legal pot shops have failed to wipe out the black market for marijuana, where there’s still money to be made, said Sgt. James Gerhardt of the Thornton Police Department. But now criminals often try to hide behind the state’s personal and medical use laws, which makes investigations more difficult than before legalization.


“Our resources are not being freed up,” he said. “They’re absolutely being consumed by marijuana investigations.”

Gerhardt, who supervises undercover drug investigations in the north Denver metro area, has shared the law enforcement perspective on Colorado’s marijuana experience in other states considering similar legislation. On Thursday, he gave his hourlong presentation to a group of Nebraska state senators and law enforcement officers, urging them to stand against a bill that would legalize medical marijuana when it comes up for debate next session.

Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, the bill’s sponsor, said it’s impossible to compare Colorado with what is proposed in his legislation. His bill would prohibit patients from growing their own plants or even smoking cannabis — they could take it only in a pill, liquid or oil.

“There’s a dramatic difference between recreational use and very limited use of cannabis for a limited number of medical conditions,” said Garrett, who said he had to attend to work Thursday and could not attend the presentation.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson invited Gerhardt to Nebraska after hearing him speak at a conference. Peterson said that while he feels compassion for those seeking relief from their ailments, he firmly believes that the drug needs to go through the FDA approval process like any other medicine.

The attorney general also said he’s convinced that marijuana advocates will push for broader legalization in Nebraska if they win approval for medical cannabis.

“There’s a multibillion-dollar industry that wants every state to drop its guard on marijuana,” Peterson said.

Colorado voters first approved medical marijuana in 2000, and for eight years, the program was limited in scope. But in 2009, after a court ruling removed limits on the number of patients a caregiver could supply, the program exploded in the number of patients — from about 6,000 to more than 100,000 — and the number of commercial dispensaries.

Ever since, law enforcement authorities have found it harder to track whether the drug is being illegally diverted for recreational uses, Gerhardt said.

Colorado voters made recreational marijuana legal, effective in 2014. In the nearly two years since, impaired driving and traffic fatalities linked to marijuana have increased, as have pot-related emergency room visits, he said, citing statistics compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, an agency funded by the National Office of Drug Control Policy.

As for the impact it has had on children, Colorado now ranks third in the nation when it comes to youths between the ages of 12 and 17 who use marijuana, Gerhardt said. Drug-related school suspensions increased by 40 percent in 2013, compared with the 2008 school year.

Some of the edible products — cookies, candy bars, sodas — contain high concentrations of THC, the compound in marijuana that produces the high. Not surprisingly, the edibles appeal to kids, Gerhardt said.

He described a case in which middle school students brought marijuana to school and another in which a 10-month old child was hospitalized after eating marijuana-infused trail mix. Other incidents had tragic results, such as an 18-year-old high school student who stabbed himself to death after smoking a highly potent strain of pot.

“As more of these products are available and more of our culture is accepting of marijuana, we’re also seeing a lot of collateral increases in problems,” he said.

About a year ago, Nebraska and Oklahoma filed suit against Colorado, challenging the state’s legalization of marijuana on the grounds that it affects bordering states. The Supreme Court has not indicated whether it will consider the suit.

Gerhardt said Thursday that he hopes Nebraska ultimately wins the challenge and returns Colorado to the days when pot was illegal.

http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/i...c66846989.html

Marijuana devastated Colorado, don’t legalize it nationally



USA Today 7 August 2017

Family First Comment:

Great article – one that should be read by ALL kiwis! “Our country is facing a drug epidemic. Legalizing recreational marijuana will do nothing that Senator Booker expects. We heard many of these same promises in 2012 when Colorado legalized recreational marijuana. In the years since, Colorado has seen an increase in marijuana related traffic deaths, poison control calls, and emergency room visits. The marijuana black market has increased in Colorado, not decreased. And, numerous Colorado marijuana regulators have been indicted for corruption. In 2012, we were promised funds from marijuana taxes would benefit our communities, particularly schools. Dr. Harry Bull, the Superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools, one of the largest school districts in the state, said, “So far, the only thing that the legalization of marijuana has brought to our schools has been marijuana.” In fiscal year 2016, marijuana tax revenue resulted in $156,701,018. The total tax revenue for Colorado was $13,327,123,798, making marijuana only 1.18% of the state’s total tax revenue. The cost of marijuana legalization in public awareness campaigns, law enforcement, healthcare treatment, addiction recovery, and preventative work is an unknown cost to date.” www.saynopetodope.nz


Last week, Senator Cory Booker introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in an effort to legalize marijuana across the nation and penalize local communities that want nothing to do with this dangerous drug. This is the furthest reaching marijuana legalization effort to date and marks another sad moment in our nation’s embrace of a drug that will have generational consequences.

Our country is facing a drug epidemic. Legalizing recreational marijuana will do nothing that Senator Booker expects. We heard many of these same promises in 2012 when Colorado legalized recreational marijuana.

In the years since, Colorado has seen an increase in marijuana related traffic deaths, poison control calls, and emergency room visits. The marijuana black market has increased in Colorado, not decreased. And, numerous Colorado marijuana regulators have been indicted for corruption.

In 2012, we were promised funds from marijuana taxes would benefit our communities, particularly schools. Dr. Harry Bull, the Superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools, one of the largest school districts in the state, said, “So far, the only thing that the legalization of marijuana has brought to our schools has been marijuana.”

In fiscal year 2016, marijuana tax revenue resulted in $156,701,018. The total tax revenue for Colorado was $13,327,123,798, making marijuana only 1.18% of the state’s total tax revenue. The cost of marijuana legalization in public awareness campaigns, law enforcement, healthcare treatment, addiction recovery, and preventative work is an unknown cost to date.

Senator Booker stated his reasons for legalizing marijuana is to reduce “marijuana arrests happening so much in our country, targeting certain communities – poor communities, minority communities.” It’s a noble cause to seek to reduce incarceration rates among these communities but legalizing marijuana has had the opposite effect.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, arrests in Colorado of black and Latino youth for marijuana possession have increased 58% and 29% respectively after legalization. This means that Black and Latino youth are being arrested more for marijuana possession after it became legal.

Furthermore, a vast majority of Colorado’s marijuana businesses are concentrated in neighborhoods of color. Leaders from these communities, many of whom initially voted to legalize recreational marijuana, often speak out about the negative impacts of these businesses.

Senator Booker released his bill just a few days after the Washington Post reported on a study by the Review of Economic Studies that found “college students with access to recreational cannabis on average earn worse grades and fail classes at a higher rate.” Getting off marijuana especially helped lower performing students who were at risk of dropping out. Since legalizing marijuana, Colorado’s youth marijuana use rate is the highest in the nation, 74% higher than the national average, according to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Report. This is having terribly negative effects on the education of our youth.

If Senator Booker is interested in serving poor and minority communities, legalizing marijuana is one of the worst decisions. There is much work to be done to reduce incarceration and recidivism, but flooding communities with drugs will do nothing but exacerbate the problems.

The true impact of marijuana on our communities is just starting to be learned. The negative consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana will be felt for generations. I encourage Senator Booker to spend time with parents, educators, law enforcement, counselors, community leaders, pastors, and legislators before rushing to legalize marijuana nationally. We’ve seen the effects in our neighborhoods in Colorado, and this is nothing we wish upon the nation.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...umn/536010001/

Actually, I misspoke, I believe Heroin is a schedule 2 drug, whereas marijuana is a schedule 1.

Just wondering -----

Maybe marijuana would replace a lot of expensive prescription drugs - big pharma doesn't like that idea.

If it were made legal, and people could just grow their own, think about how much heroin, cocaine, etc., might not be bought.
That would cut into the profits of a lot of very big guys.

Just thinking -

Originally Posted by nntrixie

Actually, I misspoke, I believe Heroin is a schedule 2 drug, whereas marijuana is a schedule 1.

Just wondering -----

Maybe marijuana would replace a lot of expensive prescription drugs - big pharma doesn't like that idea.

If it were made legal, and people could just grow their own, think about how much heroin, cocaine, etc., might not be bought.
That would cut into the profits of a lot of very big guys.

Just thinking -

Did you even read the last two articles I posted in this thread? Legalizing one damaging drug over another in the hopes of reducing the damage of other illegal drugs doesn't make sense to me. Marijuana is bad, cocaine is bad, heroin is bad ...... they're all bad. IMHO, our society would be better off without any of them because they all cause much more harm than good.

Beer vs. Weed: Alcohol industry lobbies against legalizing pot - Red ...

Sep 16, 2016 - Beer vs. Weed:
Alcohol industry lobbies against legalizing pot ... wine, and beer companies are afraid that pot will cause a decline in sales and ...

Originally Posted by MW

Did you even read the last two articles I posted in this thread? Legalizing one damaging drug over another in the hopes of reducing the damage of other illegal drugs doesn't make sense to me. Marijuana is bad, cocaine is bad, heroin is bad ...... they're all bad. IMHO, our society would be better off without any of them because they all cause much more harm than good.

I agree they are all bad.

In a perfect society, we would have none.

I don't really believe 99% of what I read that is written by 'experts'. They usually have a horse in the race - of one kind or another.

It is job security for many law enforcement, legal professionals, for profit prisons,etc.

But how much money do we spend trying to wage the 'war on drugs'? An enormous amount and it isn't working. It's an absolute and utter failure.

So what is the solution?

View image on Twitter

Kyndell Nunley
✔@KyndellNews3LV

Nevada’s first recreational/medical MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DRIVE-THRU just took an order from the driver of a red Ferrari. #Vegas.
-@ NuWu Cannabis Marketplace
12:02 PM - Nov 10, 2017

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http://kfoxtv.com/news/offbeat/recre...gas-11-10-2017

Paiute tribe ushers in drive-thru pot

by Jeff Gillan and Kyndell Nunley
Friday, November 10th 2017

Nevada’s first recreational/medical marijuana dispensary drive-thru, located at NuWu Cannabis Marketplace, has now opened. (Kyndell Nunley | KSNV)

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — We waited.
And waited.

And waited, until Clover Marquinn pulled up and made marijuana news.

View image on Twitter

Jeff Gillan
✔@jgillanNews3LV

Clover, here, is Nevada’s 1st drive-thru pot customer @News3LV @NuwuCannabis. Drice thru at NUWU Cannibis opened today.
4:17 PM - Nov 10, 2017

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“You're the first one,” said the voice behind the thick glass of something you’d see at any bank in Nevada.

“Really? Sweet,” Marquinn said, in return.

She's the first drive-thru pot transaction in Nevada and this customer couldn't be happier.

“I love it. It's a real good idea. It makes it fast for us - order online and pickup,” she told me, sitting in her car.

The Paiute nation opened the largest dispensary in the state on Oct. 16.

That was the "soft opening."

View image on Twitter

Jeff Gillan
✔@jgillanNews3LV

No bank here. NUWU dispensary’s drive thru- first in Nevada @News3LV @NuwuCannabis open for biz today
4:13 PM - Nov 10, 2017

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RELATED | Paiute Pot: First dispensary on Nevada tribal land opens to public

Friday was the official grand opening.

And to mark the occasion, the tribal chairman took a spin through the drive-thru this morning.

“Smooth, you know. Place my order online. Came in. Took all of under a minute to get my product,” said Benny Tso.

Inside the dispensary, customers on two legs think a drive-thru is a great idea.

I asked D’Angelo Williams if his next purchase will be done on four wheels.

“Yes, most definitely,” he said. “I use it for food.”

View image on Twitter

Kyndell Nunley
✔@KyndellNews3LV

Nevada’s first recreational/medical MARIJUANA DISPENSARY DRIVE-THRU just took an order from the driver of a red Ferrari. #Vegas.
-@ NuWu Cannabis Marketplace
12:02 PM - Nov 10, 2017

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  77 Replies
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  4242 Retweets
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  7171 likes

This is the latest leaf in an industry whose sales are getting higher.

In July, the first month adult sales were legal, Nevada sold $27 million in recreational pot.

In August, $33 million -- a 24-percent jump.

We're selling more than other states that made pot legal, sooner.

No surprise, says our marijuana godfather, State Senator Tick Segerblom, who paved the way for pot sales.

“We're looking for increases of 10-percent a month - and we're already above what the Governor predicted we'd have two years from now,” the Senator says.

View image on Twitter

Jeff Gillan
✔@jgillanNews3LV

Sign says it all. You order online, come to the drive thru to pay and pick up. @News3LV
4:14 PM - Nov 10, 2017

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At NuWu, to drive through, you order online first. It's convenient for people with disabilities, “medicinal patients – patients that aren’t able to come into the store,” the Chairman says – or, just people in a rush, he adds, “industry workers – people getting out of work not wanting to come inside the store. Being able to look at our online selection, selective online menu, and having them take a look and pick up their products.”

You pay cash-only and pick up at the window, and behind the window, you may meet Asia Tso, who, together with Marquinn, ushered in Nevada's new marijuana chapter, just after 1 p.m.

“It’s really cool. This is my first time in the industry and being part of history is really exciting,” Tso says.
History, which today, drove off, and promises to come back for more.

http://kfoxtv.com/news/offbeat/recreational-pot-dispensary-offers-drive-thru-in-las-vegas-11-10-2017

Former US House speaker to promote legalizing marijuana

Originally Posted by Judy

No one has died from weed while 60,000 Americans are dying ever year from opioid overdose, so with facts and death tolls in hand, they're legalizing pot and going after the medical industry prescribing killer narcotics.

Well, there's a whole lot of spin. True, there may be no deaths from OD, but how many accidents have killed people, driving or industrial? That's like claiming HIV-AIDS hasn't killed anybody. It's always other ailments that result from it.