Terrible Stoner Ideas circa 1975 - "Ways to Turn Bad Weed to Good" (Actually, Making Bad Pot Worse)

Now that marijuana is available in convenient retail establishments, quality is up and it's hard to find *bad* weed in Washington state. New cannabis edibles, extracts including shatter and alternative formats like cartridges are proliferating. It's the Cambrian explosion of pot evolution, and weed is morphing from a commodity to a category of differentiated value-added products.

Much of the branded cannabis sold as flower has excellent organoleptic qualities, but frankly, I hadn't smoked cannabis in over a year until the terrible vape-lung epidemic began a few months ago. I no longer smoke cigarettes, and unconsciously moved away from smoking cannabis in lieu of vaping or eating it. For some reason, the vape-lung epidemic made me nostalgic for the old-fashioned ritual of smoking.

"Too much bad weed is in the garden" - Junior Murvin lyrics

But I digress...

From the bygone era when groovy folks rolled grass into reefers, here is some vintage advice from the annals of stoner history. These ideas range from bizarre to terrible, and are probably quite puzzling to young cannabis aficionados who have never faced a bag of low-grade marijuana.

See below for the information exactly as I found it, spelling errors and all.

===============-==

WAYS TO TURN BAD WEED TO GOOD WEED 

1. Place the dope in a container which allows air to enter in a restricted 
fashion (such as a can with nail holes punched in its lid) and add a 
bunch of dry ice, and the place the whole thing in the freezer for a 
few days. This process will add a certain amount of potency to the product, 
however, this only works with dry ice, if you use normal, everyday 
freezer ice, you will end up with a soggy mess... [whf? SL]
2. Take a quantity of grass and dampen it, place in a baggie or another 
socially acceptable container, and store it in a dark, dampish place 
for a couple of weeks (burying it also seems to work). The grass will 
develop a mold which tastes a bit harsh, and burns a tiny bit funny, 
but does increase the potency.       [NOOO - don't do it! SL]
3. Expose the grass to the high intensity light of a sunlamp for a full 
day or so. Personally, I don't feel that this is worth the effort, but 
if you just spent of your friend's money for this brick of 
super-Colombian, right-from-the-President's-personal-stash, 
and it turns out to be Mexican dirt weed, and you're packing your bags to 
leave town before the people arrive for their shares, well, you might 
at least try it. Can't hurt. [maybe?  SL]
4. Take the undisirable portions of our stash (stems, seeds, weak weed, 
worms, etc.) and place them in a covered pot, with enough rubbing 
alchol to cover everything.  [Choose Ethyl Alcohol (not rubbing) - SL]
Now CAREFULLY boil the mixture on an ELECTRIC stove or lab burner. DO 
NOT USE GAS - the alchol is too flammable. After 45 minutes of heat, 
remove the pot and strain the solids out, SAVING THE ALCOHOL. 
Now, repeat the process with the same residuals, but fresh alchol. 
When the second boil is over, remove the solids again, combine the two 
quantities of alcohol and reboil until you have a syrupy mixture. 
Now, this syrupy mixture will contain much of the THC formerly hidden 
in the stems and such. One simply takes this syrup then throughly 
combines it with the grass that one wishes to improve upon.

=========================
Oy vey! Please don't try these ideas at home.

Let's consider these suggestions point-by-point:

1) I don't understand why CO2 from the dry ice would improve the potency of  bad weed that is dried and cured and in the bag. CO2 supplementation is used to facilitate indoor marijuana horticulture-prior to harvest.
2) No! (And, ewww!) Don't mold your bad pot in an ill fated attempt to improve it. Most terrible marijuana from yesteryear was terrible because it was moldy. Encouraging mold is more likely to degrade the psychoactive and aromatic properties of the marijuana and that isn't the objective here. Plus, toxic mold could grow.
3) Blasting bad weed with a sunlamp might drive off some of the musty character, but won't enhance potency via any logical mechanism. Proper drying and curing procedures are vital to ensuring good smoking quality and potency, but isn't a magic technique. Allowing time to 'air-out' cannabis with any type of aromaatic off-note or mustiness is a fine idea.
4) Alcohol extracts are a time-tested technique for making use of cannabis scraps... but use ethyl alcohol, not rubbing alcohol! Rubbing alcohol in the US is either isopropyl alcohol, or a denatured ethyl alcohol specially treated with bitterants/ adulterants intended to make it taste terrible. Use Everclear® or another highly concentrated alcohol intended for consumption available. When Everclear® is not available, high proof (>100) vodka is another alternative that will not add much flavor; 151 Rum is another widely available high-proof choice.

I have no idea who penned these tips, or where they originated. If anyone is aware of the original provenance, please drop us a line and I will update this article to give credit where credit is due.

DIY Bunker Door by Jack B. Nimble

These questionable 'tips' were included in a trove of  forbidden information available for 99 cents on the darkweb [250+ B@nned Books - Drugs, Scientology, Hacking - instant download!]. I'm a curious soul who couldn't miss an opportunity this good. Other gems included design plans for a re-enforced metal door, fashioned with automobile springs able to withstand a battering ram and (my favorite) husbandry & 'milking' instructions for the psychedelic Sonoran toad.

I'll end this dispatch with a few thoughts for readers of Stoner Living. I suggest that if you need a door that can withstand a battering ram, you are probably not living like you should. Also, while reptile husbandry is a worthwhile hobby, torturing toads by squeezing the living daylights out of them so you can get high is totally unacceptable. Kindness and decency is sexy; harming small, helpless animals makes you a jerk.

On the subject of 'bad weed', remember the obvious -  you can't polish a turd. If your cannabis is bad/moldy/frumpy, just throw it out! It's that simple. This is an ancillary public health benefit of legalizing marijuana, because when the clandestine market commands astronomical prices north of  ~20$/gram, consumers will smoke that moldy (or otherwise contaminated) weed, health consequences be damned.

I am grateful to live in Washington State, where regulated retail stores sell safe cannabis products, free from adulterants (like vitamin E) added by unscrupulous black market profiteers. I believe the federal legalization of cannabis will provide needed consumer protection and save lives. Let's make it happen.

(c) 2019 Stoner Living Blog.

NW Cannabis Market: America's Only Daily Cannabis Market

Stoner Living Field Trip Report: NW Cannabis Market
New Galaxy Location
2329 Rainier Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98144

The new Galaxy Location of the NW Cannabis Market opened on February 13th, 2013 and it was business as usual when we stopped by on Tuesday, February 26th. The NW Cannabis Market serves the medical cannabis community and a proof of medical authorization is required for entry. The market is open 7 days a week, with a group of 'core vendors' up front, and an area in back with rotating vendors offering a variety of changing inventory including clones, extracts and even a 'dab lounge' where extracts can be sampled on the spot in special vaporizing devices (the dab lounge wasn't open for our visit). It is uncertain how the implementation of I-502 will impact existing medical marijuana access point operations such as this.

Interpretation of a typical vendor's booth by Seattle artist Hubba Hubba

The paperwork at the front desk was simple; they examined my medical recommendation paperwork and identification. The people at the reception desk were very friendly and gave a sample of cannabis for being first time visitors/patients.

The first booth upon entering is Peoples Champz Medicated Edibles. The cheerful proprietor let me sample all four flavors of his medicated juices including grapefruit, cherry/apple, tangerine and strawberry/lemonade. Think of the quality of beverages like Naked or Odwalla, but made with fine cannabis extracts and available in 1 gallon containers for a $40 donation. The tangerine was excellent - crisp and vibrantly flavorful, and I purchased a glass ($7). He sold us the last of his Black Berry (4.5 grams) for his 1/8 oz donation of $35. The Black Berry was light and fluffy, with a soft sugar dipped look. Its loose, resin crusted clusters reminded me of the early afghani hash strains.

Next door was the Modus Vivendi booth. They had a variety of extracts including ominously packaged Rick Simpson oil in a syringe that showed the dark blacky greenish tar like goo within; warming it under warm water was recommended to loosen it up. A dab 'the size of a grain of rice' is all that is needed, or so we were told by several vendors. Rick Simpson is a famous California cancer survivor who claims he healed himself with this formula. The edible oil has been heat activated and is a whole plant food grade extract - chlorophyll and all.

KRS One Capsules

I was intimidated by the $30 syringe (it looked like the plunger on the thing could easily discharge in my bag) and opted for a package of KRS One kif and extract capsules which they promised offered a significant body effect. They gave me a 1 g sample of the cannabis of my choosing for being a first time customer. I chose 'Green Crack'. The 'green crack' sample was comprised of two buds - one larger, dense bud about an inch long by a quarter inch; and the other about a quarter inch square. It produced a thick, hearty smoke and a euphoric happy high.

The Van'Z ice cream booth occupies a prime spot directly across from the market entrance. In addition to their flashing lights, Van'Z  had an assortment of glassware, clones, medibles and cannabis. The ice creams I sampled were outstanding. I tried the Peach Cobbler and the Dark Aztec Rocket Fuel. The rocket fuel came out darker than intended, they confessed, but I loved it and bought a 1/2 pint ($15). They had a wonderful glass waterpipe which looked phallic to me, but my friend saw it as a  cannon...'yeah...people see a lot of things in that one' the gentleman behind the counter remarked.

The Urban Healing Collective was next, offering a good selection of cannabis including elusive strains such as 'Girl Scout Cookies'. At the counter, I heard something about 'Pineapple Dog Shit'. I thought it was a joke until I saw the jar of it proudly displayed with a suggested donation of $11/g. I laughed and the guy who was buying the Girl Scout Cookies said he liked the Purple Dog Shit very much; that it offered an unmatched all-day high that didn't need 'topping off. But alas, there was only the Pineapple Dog Shit, so I opted for an 1/8 oz sampling of  the Super Lemon Haze which presented nicely with mid sized buds and silvery white frosting. The citrus aroma is pronounced in an almost lemon-pledge way and the high is cerebral and wirey. I also tried their Cascade Goo, for a little indica heavy hybrid variety.

No Sea Bird Poop Was Used to Fertilize the Cannabis in these Brownies

They Guys from Seattle's Best Cannabis Medical Cannabis Co-Op were next door with their spectrum of 'vegan organic' cannabis. So, what exactly does that mean, I asked? I inquired specifically about the use of guano - manure - a staple in organic farming. The gentleman said that he uses bat guano (they eat fruit and stuff) but not sea bird guano (they eat anything). He had a variety of strains, including lovingly handled, non compressed, fresh and organic product. I imagine these guys will become one of my regular providers of medical cannabis. But I had already purchased my allotment of cannabis for the day, so sampling their wares will wait for a later visit. They did provide samples of their vegan, organic chocolate brownies.

Grassroots Seattle had an Impressive Booth

The Grassroots Seattle booth was professional, and their knowledgable salesperson discussed Rick Simpson oil with us and let us sample some medibles. I got a package of four medicated chocolate peanut butter cups ($20) and sampled their Snickerdoodle cookies, which were excellent too.

Overall, TheNW Cannabis Farmers Market New Galaxy location has done well to avoid most of the flea market dinginess that could easily plague such an operation. Vendors have official looking booths - not just folding card tables. Some are a bit tacky with flashing Christmas lights, but most are standard retail fixtures. The 'dab lounge' will certainly be worth checking out, and a variety of vendors will bring seasonal variation.

The Galaxy location of the NW Cannabis Market is open 7 days a week and is located behind the legendary Italian Borachini's Bakery at 2329 Rainier Ave. South, in Seattle (2 1/2 miles south of the heart of Downtown Seattle).

Article by Greta Kraftt, field reporter for Stoner Living Blog.
Illustration courtesy of Seattle artist Hubba Hubba, you can check out his art here or visit his Etsy store.

--------------(c) 2013 Stoner Living Blog

The author is in no way affiliated with the NW Cannabis Market.

My First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Visit

I selected The Green Door, my neighborhood dispensary, for my first medical marijuana 'access point' experience. In addition to their convenient location, they had over 40 reviews online and were voted best medical marijuana dispensary by the Seattle Weekly in 2011. They are discreetly tucked into a multi level strip mall at 12th and Jackson in the International District.  The exterior could be mistaken for a spa - I went past it twice before locating it.

The Green Door: discreetly tucked away in a strip mall in Seattle's International District

I rang the bell and was buzzed into the humid, skunky smelling waiting room. The walls were green with dark wood accents and a flat screen television playing a Bob Marley documentary. Mike, the gentleman working there, introduced himself through the glass window. He was an easy going 30ish guy with long dreadlocks tied up in a turban. He reviewed my medical authorization paperwork and my drivers license. I had to complete a single page of paperwork which included a reminder of the limits of how much marijuana I can legally posess in Washington State (24 ounces of dried cannabis) and a statement to the effect of designating the Green Door as one of my medical cannabis care providers through some sort of collective gardening agreement. After reviewing my paperwork, they took my photograph and ushered me back toward the bud room.

The legal marijuana experiences I've had in Europe were heavily slanted toward hashish - coffee shops in Amsterdam and the open air hash market in Christiana, Denmark have relatively little cannabis flower selection. But the Green Door is a legitimate enterprise with a wonderful selection of cannabis. There were over two dozen different varieties of dried cannabis available - not including concentrates.

Really?? Really... Collards with Cannabis! Fun new product from CannaHaute cuisine

The bud room was well organized, clean and inviting. One wall had all the dried cannabis arranged in jars from 100% Indica to 100% Sativa, with hybrids in between. Another Mike, a mid-twenties gentleman with short brown hair, served as my budtender. I followed Dr. Z's advice and described my condition to him and asked for recommendations. I wanted to try a range of different products, so I selected a full indica, a full sativa and a few hybrids. Information about the producers and analytical data on the strains were not available.

For the full Indica, I went with one of Mike's recommendations and selected the Grandaddy Purple.  The medium sized buds were indeed quite purple and had the classic floral sweet 'purple' aroma and a decent frosting of crystals. It gave a soft, pleasant smoke that conveyed a fragrant 'purple' taste with a bit of a kick to it.

Cannabis from the Green Door

I decided to go with the Sour Diesel for a Sativa dominant strain (90% Sativa, 10% Indica). The buds were small and compact with an aroma dominated by a waxy fuel-oil aromatic note which was disappointingly subdued. A slightly musty aromatic note came through during smoking that tasted a bit flat. This Sour Diesel was intensely psychoactive, but not a flavor I'd seek out again.

My favorite strains tend to be Indica dominant hybrids and I've been curious to try some of the 'cheese' strains I have heard about these past few years. The Blue Cheese (80% Indica, 20% Sativa) came as nice chunky nuggets, but they lacked the aroma intensity I would expect from a strain named after something as pungent as blue cheese.

Medibles from the Green Door

The best strain in the bunch was the Ace of Spades (70% Indica, 30% Sativa). I asked Mike the budtender about the provenance of the strain, and he told me was a hybrid of Jack the Ripper and Black Cherry Soda. The aroma intensity of the Ace of Spades was stronger than the other strains I obtained from the Green Door. The smoke was thick and strong, without being harsh or hot in the throat. Psychoactively speaking, this delivered a pleasant buzz that was relaxing without giving the partial lobotomy feeling. I did, however, get the Motorhead song 'Ace of Spades' stuck in my head for a few days which didn't make me feel like much of a genius either.

In general, prices ranged from $10/gram to $12/gram, some strains were on special for $8/gram. Volume discounts are available for all strains. For being a first time patient, I received one pre-rolled joint - I chose the sativa strain Cynex as my free gift.

There was a case of medibles which were all expensive ($10 for a brownie, $8 for a bon-bon, $10 for a soda) but I tried a few products anyway. I was a little disappointed in the chocolate caramel brownie from The Chocolate Cure. Its portion was generous and its potency was good (one brownie was at least two, and probably more safely four doses). Unfortunately, the cannabis butter flavor was a bit dirty - something that could be easily improved by incorporating an additional water washing step in their oil/butter extraction process to suck out some of the chlorophyll contributing to that grassy taste.

All of my medicine was labeled with my name and the name of the strain. While Mike was weighing and packing my order, I thumbed through a copy of 'The Emperor Wears No Clothes' by Jack Herer. Thinking back to reading the book back in college about 20 years ago, I was saddened that hemp is still not legal in the US. But I was heartened when I realized that I was purchasing better quality marijuana, at a better price, from a better selection than ever before. Maybe the legalization of industrial hemp is next!

-------------(c) 2013 Stoner Living Blog

My Medical Marijuana Experience- a lupus patient comes clean about going green

As a sufferer of a chronic ailment - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - I've had medical professionals unofficially recommend cannabis for years. This week I decided to get assessed to see if I was eligible for an authorization to use medical marijuana in Washington State.


'Green Wellness' Medical Authorization Clinic had an established online presence in addition to offering 24 hour a day, 7 day a week phone verification service. In order for a patient to visit a medical cannabis provider, the provider needs to verify the medical recommendation.  A specialty clinic that offers easy verification is desirable because a medical marijuana patient can spontaneously visit any medical cannabis provider (including farmer's markets) without having to wait two days for a doctor's office to return the phone call.

The Green Wellness online intake form was straightforward. After submitting it, they called me within an hour and sent a confirmation email saying I was 'pre-qualified' and offered me a variety of appointment times. I scheduled my appointment for the following afternoon. I did not have a copy of my medical records, so I was told my fee would be $178 ($20 less if you have your records). Although they did not take health insurance, they accepted cash, debit and major credit cards.

Their Seattle location is on the ground floor of a high rise at the foot of Capitol hill tucked by the freeway. Their lobby was a standard higher-end medical practice waiting room with leather couches and a pod style coffee maker. The office demeanor was professional, and I was given seven pages of paperwork to complete along with an authorization to release my medical records from my doctor (in my case, my rheumatologist).

The paperwork asked about the condition I was seeking to use cannabis for, along with questions about if I had tried cannabis for the condition. They were particularly interested in conditions where I could reduce my use of other drugs by using cannabis. Ironically, I had to add a section to their form because I find that using cannabis can help me stay compliant with one of the medications I take (Methotrexate) which is effective but has unacceptable side effects.

Medical Authorization to Use Cannabis in Washington State

Dr. Z came out and invited me back to the consultation room. We discussed my lupus: the onset of symptoms in 2004, the difficulty of getting diagnosed (common with autoimmune diseases) and the impact of my symptoms on my quality of life. My biggest complaints are joint pain (particularly in hands and wrists, but the hips, knees and feet too) along with appetite loss and fatigue. I explained the symptoms that came on in 2004 - a rash on my face I mistook for adult acne that wouldn't go away, fingers turning blue (a condition I would learn is called Raynaud's phenomena) and debilitating arthritis which developed primarily in my hands. I had always been healthy and strong, a bit of a tomboy and the one time recipient of a perfect attendance award at school. The formal diagnosis of lupus came in 2005 after my  blood chemistry showed a variety of antibody markers typically used to diagnose lupus.

Lupus is incurarable, and there hadn't been a new treatment approved for lupus in 50 years until Benlysta was released last year. Many of the medicines used to treat lupus (like Methotrexate) are off-label uses doctors have found to be effective. Methotrexate is prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis - a condition related to lupus. Methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug,  I take it orally once per week (in doses about 1/100th of the dosage used when give for leukemia). Although it helps reduce my inflammatory arthritis and some of the skin issues; the nausea, appetite loss and patchy hair loss are unpleasant. To reduce these side effects, my rheumatologist has also prescribed a drug called 'leucovorin' which I take 5 hours after taking my weekly methotrexate dose. The leucovorin hasn't been particularly helpful. Other suggestions to deal with side effects weren't viable (like taking it on Sunday so I could feel terrible on my day off instead of on a work day) or learning to inject it ('you'd only have to do it once a week!'). Benlysta, the new lupus drug, is an 'infusion' drug which is delivered through a multiple hour intravenous infusion every month along with an annual price tag approaching 30k.

I have a prescription for opiate pain medication, Vicodin, which I take for major flare-ups. But narcotics are habit forming and constipating and something I would like to use with moderation. I explained that cannabis seemed to make the vicodin more effective and that the marijuana was oddly effective in its own right. I don't think it actually quells the pain, but it makes me not care about the pain either.

Over the years I've learned to cope with pain, but appetite and related issues had taken the greatest toll on my overall well being and quality of life. Over the years my appetite faded and eventually disappeared; at the same time, horrible sores in my mouth made it excruciating to eat. I lived on coffee, instant breakfast and gelato. Food had once been the central theme of my life - I am a food scientist by vocation - and now I would forget to eat for hours at a time. I stopped making plans to eat meals with others because I couldn't eat.

Marijuana absolutely, unequivocally improves my appetite. Not every type of marijuana out there, but most of them. Now that I am eating again, I realize what a significant effect the lack of eating was having on my life. From a mood perspective, I imagine I was a beast to be around. With lupus, I am accustomed to aches and pains, so perhaps I just lumped the bad feeling from not eating into lupus  malaise. I had forgotten the joy of a delicious meal enjoyed with family and friends.

Routes of Administration for Medial Cannabis

Dr. Z recommended medical cannabis to me and provided some advice about how to use it. As a past cigarette smoker, he suggested I might consider a vaporizer to spare my lungs further damage. He also said that while he could not recommend a dispensary directly, that I should check out reviews online from other medical patients (there are a number of sites like leafly.com had such information available). He said there were a wide range of levels of quality in the dispensaries out there, but that at a good one the 'budtender' would be able to recommend ideal strains or products for my specific complaints.

I got an extra certified copy of my medical recommendation (a total of 3). I will keep one copy in my wallet, one at home and one will go to a care provider if I find someone willing to grow plants for me. A certified copy of my recommendation letter and my WA state identification is all I need  to begin exploring the dispensaries and farmer's markets sprouting up all over town.

Next Article: My first dispensary visit

------------------------(c) 2013 Stoner Living Blog

Consistency, Cannabis and Keeping it Cottage

The legalization of marijuana will change a lot of things, and one concern of cannabis connoisseurs is what I'll call the 'Budweiser effect': the standardization and homogenization which could come as large players enter the market and displace the current cottage industry. At public comment meetings related to the implementation of I-502 in Washington State, the fear of losing the boutique nature of the marijuana industry is often expressed with the analogy of microbrewed beer versus Budweiser. Given the immense popularity of marijuana, it seems likely that small, medium sized and large companies will all have a place in the emerging industry. There's a place for our beloved microbrews, but there is plenty of room for Budweiser too.

Fresh Hops in the Hands of a Brewmaster

Big brands like Budweiser deliver their product with consistency, reliability and accessibility - very comforting attributes to a consumer. You may think what you will about the flavor (or lack thereof) of the King of Beers, but you can order a Budweiser in Milwaukee, Seattle or Sioux City and it's going to deliver the same product experience every time. Familiarity instills a sense of comfort, it's a fact of human nature leveraged by marketeers every day, and is part of the reason Budweiser, McDonalds and  franchises in general are successful.

Hop Pellets offer Consistency

Hops are closely related to marijuana and are also members of the botanical family Cannabaceae. Consider the differences in how microbreweries typically use hops versus how hops are incorporated by large, corporate breweries. Hop pellets and fresh hops can both make beer, but hop pellets look like gerbil food.

As marijuana becomes commercially available, it is inevitable that product lines will develop to meet consumer expectations in terms of consistency and reliability. The existing tobacco smoking products industry (cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco) does a remarkable job offering consistent products to their consumers. Tobacco is an agricultural product, subject to effects of differing crop years and an ever increasing international market for raw materials. But the industry has developed technologies to ensure the consistency their consumers expect.

A Cigarette Sacrificed for Educational Purposes

Blending is the tobacco industry's strategy for delivering consistency to their smokers. Different varieties of leaf including Bright, Burley and Oriental (in the case of cigarettes), along with other components are mixed together to create a final blend. Within a single type of tobacco - say 'Bright' - a blend may have a mix of different crop years, and leaf from different continents. Rather than patenting formulas and having the details become public, most blend recipes are closely guarded trade secrets.

A Wet Mango Blunt Wrap from Royal Blunts

One dirty little secret in the art of tobacco blending is the inclusion of reconstituted or 'sheet' tobacco. Tobacco scraps and dust are ground into a slurry and turned into sheets in a process akin to paper making. This 'sheet' product can be produced very consistently, making it a great tool for a leaf blender trying to create a consistent smoking product. A robust industry exists supporting such technologies. Blunt wrappers are just squares of flavored sheet tobacco.

The future of the cannabis industry is history in the making, and much will depend on how the foundations are laid in Washington and Colorado. The cottage industry nature of NW cannabis culture can be preserved if the community demands it. The marijuana industry is destined for greatness, and there is room for players of all sizes.

The Author with Wild Hemp (2010)

Article by Heather Hjorth. Heather is the Principal Consultant at Hjorth Product Research - the world's first consumer and product research consulting firm dedicated to serving the legal cannabis industry.

Disclaimer: This article references Budweiser only as a reference for our audience. The author is not affiliated with Budweiser in any way; this article does not imply any knowledge of past, present or future business or marketing plans of Budweiser or Anheuser Bush.

--------------(C) 2013 Stoner Living

I-502 Consulting Services to Washington State Liquor Control Board: Update from the Bidders Conference

A crowd of approximately 100 attendees sparsely filled two large ballrooms at the Tacoma Convention Center as potential bidders asked questions pursuant to contract K430 for Initiative 502 consulting services for the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB). I-502 is the initiative which passed in November 2012 legalizing recreational marijuana use in Washington State. The WSLCB issued a request for proposals to support implementation of four key areas of I-502 on January 17th, and the bidders conference was held January 30th; all bids are due by February 15th.  Attendees asked questions of the WSLCB and took advantage of the opportunity to network with each other in anticipation of finding or filling sub contracting opportunities

Bidders Conference for Contracting Services for I-502 Implementation with Washington State Liquor Control Board

The state contract K430 (which Mr. John Farley, a contract specialist with the WSLCB, occasionally referred to as 'K420' in an adorable Freudian slip) will ideally be awarded to one main contractor who will undoubtedly require the support of some sub-contracting services, given the unprecedented nature of the I-502 initiative.The state's strong preference for hiring one main consultant versus four different consultants for the different categories of expertise makes sense given the tight timelines required to make the deadlines stipulated in the text of I-502.

The four categories of expertise sought by the WSLCB are:
- Product Industry Knowledge
- Product Quality Standards and Testing
- Product Usage and Consumption Validation
- Product Regulation

Due to obvious conflicts of interest, the winning contractor will not be eligible to apply for producer, processor or retailer licenses under I-502 during the time they are under contract with the WSLCB. A number of strong candidates for one or two of the categories were present, but it seems clear that a team will need to be assembled with members who have expertise (and who meet the minimum qualifications) in each of the four categories of expertise. A number of small to mid-sized consulting companies were present, along with a handful of experts in analytical testing services, lawyers and an assortment of cannabis cultivators.

The Federally illegal nature of marijuana presents unique issues for a state contract, as some of the most qualified candidates have ancillary baggage such as felony convictions or other inconveniences. There were thought provoking questions like "my cannabis testing facility was raided by the Feds in 2011...as a non-profit under investigation by the FBI, can I apply using my existing business license, or should I apply for a new one?" One gentleman present presented me (a potential bidder on the K430 contract) with a photograph of his graduating class from Oaksterdam University as his credentials for sub-contracting opportunities.

Members of the WSLCB seem genuinely interested in making I-502 succeed. Mr. Farley was absolutely believable when he told the audience "we want you guys to be successful - we don't want you going to jail for doing what the LCB has asked you to do". Of course, just because the WSLCB wants to see successful implementation of I-502 doesn't mean the Federal government isn't going to get their knickers in a knot once licenses start getting issued and things start happening. There are absolutely no guarantees of how the Federal government will act over the course of I-502 implementation. Perhaps President Obama, an alumnus of the Choom Gang, will take the opportunity of his final term in office to address re-scheduling of Cannabis (from a Schedule I drug to anything else). Only time will tell - but the tide is turning in favor of marijuana legalization and Washington State seems to have the needed support of local legislators.

------------(c) 2013 Stoner Living Blog

This article may be re-published with permission of the editor - stonerlivingblog@gmail.com
 

Mayor McGinn, I-502 and the Legalization of Cannabis: let's be good neighbors

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) held its first educational event in Seattle at the swanky Washington Athletic Club on January 28, 2013 with special guest Mayor Mike McGinn. While the mayor tried to play off as any other meeting with a trade association "like the Realtors or something", the press presence loomed large, making it difficult to ignore the historic nature of the post-prohibition business meeting.

Mayor McGinn: Advocate of the Legal Cannabis Industry and a Neighborly Guy

McGinn's message to the industry was positive, but also reinforced the importance of the industry being good neighbors to everyone else.  After all, 45% of the voters in Washington state voted against I-502. The mayor suggested that the best way to proceed was to be "really thoughtful of the concerns of others." And this would seem to include the concerns of the Federal Government. McGinn was excited - almost exuberant - as he spoke about the possibilities of the legal marijuana industry. He gushed about the local music scene and the new micro-distilleries springing up across the state. But as much as he wanted to share the wealth, he did caution that cannabis tourism touched on interstate tourism (and other stuff squarely in the camp of the Feds) and that avoiding such sensitive areas was the best way to avoid the attention of  the Federal government.

Some of the folks in McGinn's camp seem ready for any such Federal showdown. One such ally, representative Roger Goodman (D, Kirkland), an attorney, stood by during the question and answer session to assist McGinn with questions. He said he was willing to argue the case before the US supreme court, if needed.

McGinn was the first mayor of a major US city to come out in support of full on legalization of marijuana. As he explained it, he didn't even realize the pioneering nature of his stance; while running for office he made some statement about how if everybody who held office that had ever tried marijuana was to vote for legalization it would be legal. It didn't come up again until after he was elected.

A few points were clarified throughout the evening. Vending machines will not be allowed under I-502. Existing medical marijuana vendors will not be grandfathered in and issued retailer's licenses (they won't necessarily be excluded, but they aren't guaranteed a retail license). Existing dispensaries not adhering to the 1000 foot rule specified in I-502 are not exempt from the 1000 foot rule, so the opening of retail 502 stores may bring enforcement to non-compliant medical vendors.

Overall, the tone of the evening was positive and upbeat. McGinn took time to marvel at how quickly legalization of cannabis was progressing. He realized that we have arrived at a "new normal". McGinn, a resident of Greenwood, remarked on the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in his own neighborhood. "They're really putting the green in Greenwood."

Crowd at NCIA Meeting with Mike McGinn

During opening remarks, Aaron Smith of the NCIA reminded attendees that "before it was an industry it was a movement". McGinn encouraged attendees to let the progressive values of Seattle help shape the new legal cannabis industry. He called out the traditional values of Seattle - local, crafted, authentic, small provider/not big chains, no GMO, fair trade - and called on the founders of the new industry to use the values that shaped our local heritage as we create the world of legal cannabis.

As the mayor himself said,  "We can't ask for anything else but to be good neighbors".

--------------- (c) 2013  Stoner Living Blog

I-502 Public Forum on Marijuana Producer Licenses Packs City Hall

The public forum on the licensing of marijuana producers and processors had an overflow turnout at Seattle's City Hall on Thursday night, January 24th, 2013. The crowd filled the Bertha Knight Landies room to capacity and extra seating was provided in the city council room upstairs with video viewing of the proceedings. Representatives from the Washington State Liquor Control Board greeted the audience and made it clear this was a 'public forum' - not a formal rules making session - and that they were in 'listening mode'. Sharon Foster, chair of the board, kicked things off by thanking the public for their interest and noting how unusual it was for any meeting to have such robust attendance (indeed, they seemed to have to scramble to arrange the overflow seating area as such heavy attendance was not anticipated).

Crowd at I-502 Public Comment Meeting at Seattle City Hall (January 24, 2013)

Members of the WSLCB present seemed ready to take on the daunting task of overseeing the legalization of marijuana for the first time in modern history. They were engaged and respectful of the audience; their efforts to hold the lengthy list of speakers to their respective two minute limit was appreciated by at least this attendee as the session went from 6 PM to after 9:30 PM. Some of the board members present were Sharon Foster, Ruthann Kurose, Chriss Marr, Brian Smith, Samantha Trotter and Pat Kohler.

Key themes emerged throughout the evening. Some of the suggestions were not relevant given the nature of the initiative process and the process for changing provisions requiring a 2/3 legislative approval. The board members pointed this out politely at several parts of the evening. Some key themes emerged, and some points were clarified by the board.

Themes and Major Issues Addressed by Public:

• "keep it cottage" - don't cut out small scale production operations
• the whole world is watching
• address federal issues including federal tax filing guidelines needed
• regulated system must out compete black market to succeed
• processor license & tax step  - does it make sense*
• limiting plant numbers isn't a bad idea, most numbers were ~100-200 plants, up to 1000
• concerns about not letting major corporate entities dominate the market
• need for analytical testing of THC, cannabinoids, molds, pesticides
• banking, insurance and public safety service availability for producers/processors
• dont limit license #s
• drug war vetran amnesty for marijuana felons - allow them to participate
• recycling facilities for toxic grow bulbs
• being able to smoke in public (bar scenarios or sanctioned locations - not everywhere)
• more research needed on per-se DUI laws
• info on interactions with other pharmaceuticals (antidepressants, antipsychotics) requested
• a special license class type may be needed for research/breeding operations
• clarification on medical industry status

One of the themes repeated often throughout the evening was brought up by the first public speaker, Richard Dent, whose message was 'don't forget the little guys.' The cottage industry nature of the Washington marijuana scene was evident in the large number of ma-and-pa operations represented at the meeting, which may come to a surprise to some who believed the marijuana market to be dominated by gang and mafia type interests. That was certainly not the impression given by the room tonight. The famous producer Uncle Mickey summed it up when he exhorted the audience to "remember the love - this is not about money."

But, of course it is about money too - and getting along with the Federal Government, and paying taxes and a bunch of stuff less sexy than love. But passion, expertise and a lot of optimism filled the room. There were collective owners, cultivators, medial patients, lawyers, an addiction medicine specialist, entrepreneurs and more than a few veterans of the drug war who wanted to make sure their dedication to the product they loved and their expertise would not be forsaken by the I-502 rules.

Valid concerns about clear guidelines for product testing and labeling products were brought up repeatedly. A number of interests representing testing services and associated groups were in attendance. Brad Douglass from The Werc Shop, a group providing quality control and analytical services to California companies (but contemplating an expansion into Washington) mentioned the scary fact that 20-30% of the product tested by his group found mold - and pesticide residues are a concern to smokers too. He pointed out that some pesticides go right into the smoker at smoking temperatures. Organic certification options were brought up by several speakers throughout the evening.

Concerns about privacy came up several times, both because of personal privacy concerns but also in the lens of a product category that is still against Federal law. Phil Bocel spoke to suggest implementing some of the new security registry technology being developed at University of Washington to protect citizen privacy while also allowing some sort of registry.

Bo Odyssey Recommends the Book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"

Bo Odyssey, the legendary 'scarf guy' and regular at City Hall meetings made a few comments reinforcing the important role of hemp in American culture, and recommended Ed Rosenthal's book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes" to the audience. There were several other citizens interested in industrial hemp concerns who spoke.

Concerns about the "inevitable Federal showdown", as Anthony Gibbs, an attorney, so eloquently put it, also came up repeatedly. Late in the evening, a comment was made that the States Attorney General Ferguson is drafting some sort of state lawsuit to defend Washingtonians in some way - details will surely follow.

The wonderful Dawn Darington, a medical marijuana patient advocate from Choice Wellness and a part of 'All Day Live' was there, bringing her indomitable spirit. She pointed out that humans were meant to be assoicated with the marijuana plant - the human brain has receptors for the compounds in cannabis. As Dawn pointed out, our brains have cannabinoid receptors, but we don't have cabbage receptors.

One positive note for producers closely following this was the clarification by board member Chris Marr that the current LCB interpretation of the initiative was that producers who were also processors would not have to pay the 25% tax step between producing and processing, unless the product was further processed. He said this interpretation was being reviewed by the Attorney General.

Note - this is a breaking news story, please email any corrections to stonerlivingblog@gmail.com

 ----------(c) 2013  Stoner Living Blog

I-502 Comment Period Open Rules for Marijuana Producer Licenses in WA State

Dear Concerned Marijuana Cultivators,

Now's the time to submit your input to help shape the face of the legal marijuana industry! Hearings about the I-502 'producer', 'processor' and 'retailer' licenses will be held separately. First up is producing...

This rulemaking will address rules regarding marijuana producer licenses and the requirements for those licenses as stipulated by I-502. Additional rulemaking will be filed at a later date to address the other new licenses created in the initiative.

I-502 Implementation

 The Liquor Control Board encourages you to give input on the rules. The Rules Coordinator will set up at least two meetings to collect stakeholder input prior to drafting proposed rules. As required by the initiative, rules for implementation of I-502 must be complete by December 1, 2013.

 Look for more information at http://www.liq.wa.gov/laws/laws-and-rules under Proposed Rules.

The meeting schedules will be posted on the LCB website once the dates are established. The Washington State Liquor Control Board has entered into the initial stage of rulemaking to begin implementing Initiative 502 by writing rules to implement marijuana producer licenses and their requirements. You have a unique opportunity to stand up and help shape the future of marijuana legalization!

The procedure for establishing the "producer"license rules goes like this:

Following the comment period (which ends February 10, 2013), the agency will send out and publish proposed rules, establish a comment period on the proposed rules, and hold at least one public hearing before rules are adopted.

Public Comment on Producer Licensing: Now through February 10, 2013

e-mail:  rules@liq.wa.gov

By mail: Rules Coordinator 

Liquor Control Board
P.O. Box 43080
Olympia, WA 98504-3080

Don't miss your chance to be a part of history in the making! The Stoner Living Blog is not affiliated with the Liquor Control Board, but we do encourage our readers to make a difference by participating in the process.

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(c) 2012 Stoner Living