Pubdate: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 Source: Nisqually Valley News (WA) Copyright: 2011 Yelm Online Contact: http://www.yelmonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5278 Author: Mark Ryan Note: Mark Ryan is owner of Yelm Smoke and News. He is referring to the Publisher's Column of Friday, Aug. 5 regarding the use of the word "marijuana" over "cannabis" in news coverage. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) YELM IDEAL SITE FOR MARIJUANA COLLECTIVES In your column last week, you are right about everything. Keep it simple, stupid and other sayings that mean the same in the big picture of life are good rules. One of my mentors called it basic blocking and tackling. Mr. Graves, you are right about everything. I would not dare to get into a word war with a wordsmith. True, the general public perceives no difference between medicinal cannabis and recreational marijuana. No matter what each of us calls it - same stuff. I am not an editor with multiple responsibilities. You have a very tough job. Your readers know you like your job and I bet you had a good time kicking my butt. It was deserved. I like my job too. True, sometimes I write like a lawyer. It is necessary at times, like the death penalty. There is a good joke in there somewhere. I hope it is not on me. My tagline has always read "golf pro, preacher, poet/philosopher and businessman." Folks who know me add "stubborn, opinionated, idealist." Most of my audience is a subset of yours at the Nisqually Valley News. I hope the NVN honors them by providing space to explain the legal difference that provides tremendous opportunities in the future. And the city would get a big cut. Medicinal cannabis is legal in Washington state. Senate Bill 5073 amending RCW 69.51 made it so. Our elected eyes and ears in Olympia are paying attention. They clearly understand marijuana is not legal federally and in Washington state, but not for long. Three blue bloods have introduced a referendum to legalize marijuana in Washington. Professional predictors think this one is good and will become effective in February 2013. Sooner, if Olympia signs on stopping the referendum from becoming an initiative to the people. Washington state will lead again as it did removing alcohol prohibition. I will skip the history specifics. Washingtonians led and have a long time. That referendum will not allow marijuana cultivation, unless holding cannabis documentation. Therein lies the difference. A subtle difference. Ask any business person if they don't survive, flourish or die on subtle differences. Every collective's product will have a change to become the "Microsoft" of the preset nanogram level and probably pre-rolled product known as marijuana. Law enforcement will require documentation and two new systems TBD. No documents and excess possession or body THC levels go to jail or get a ticket. Like it or not Yelm is geographically perfect for a collection of collectives. Separated from the world by military and tribal lands, history can be made here. Visualize the old-fashioned grange and farm bureaus. Since the beginning folks have banded together. Or perhaps my idealism shows when I long for the days when we did not pay insurance companies to be our friends; the days when if your barn burned down somebody brought the chicken and somebody else the nails. And the children learned the definition of the word "community." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom