Pubdate: Thu, 27 Nov 2014
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

GIVING THANKS FOR DANK

Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert. 
Email him questions at  Advertisement

Happy Danksgiving! What are you thankful for?

- -Topher Key

I am glad you asked! There are so many things to be thankful for this 
year. The most obvious are the marijuana legalization initiatives 
that passed in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. Dude. I am so 
happy for them. This legalization thing is becoming a pretty big 
deal. And keep in mind, cannabis law reform isn't just about the 
right to possess or grow pot. These new laws keep people out of jail 
and make it harder for law-enforcement officers to profile and harass 
ordinary citizens. Now, thanks to the good people that actually took 
the time to vote, we get to carry weed and we get prison law reform. 
Give thanks. The jobs and the money generated by the new legal 
cannabis industry will be nice, too.

I am thankful for this year's harvest, which seems to be one of the 
best ones in recent memory. Up and down the West Coast, the outdoor 
farmers are producing amazing, mind blowing, quality cannabis. I was 
just at the Humboldt Hemp Fest, and I tell you that the only thing 
better than trying all the fantastic strains is listening to growers 
chat and argue about growing techniques. You get to hear things like 
"I don't grow plants. I grow dirt," and "The only thing two growers 
can agree on is that the third grower doesn't know what the hell he's 
talking about." I am thankful that I can walk into a medical cannabis 
dispensary and find umpteen different high-quality, reasonably priced 
cannabis products on the shelf.

I would like to thank the politicians that are supporting marijuana 
law reform. Folks like Congressmen Earl Blumenauer from Oregon and 
Dana Rohrabacher from Orange County. Not only do they support 
marijuana legalization, they talk to their colleagues about it. 
According to recent reports, they were at a meeting of House members 
to talk about changing marijuana law at the federal level and it went 
like this:

Blumenauer: "There were many close elections across America last 
week, but there was one clear winner-ending our failed prohibition of 
marijuana, and instead legalizing, regulating and taxing adult use. 
It's not more dangerous than methamphetamines or cocaine."

Rohrbacher: "Or tequila."

I thank them not only for being on the right side of cannabis law 
reform, but also being a pretty good comedy team.

I would like to thank all the good folks at the Sacramento News & 
Review. I have been banging out this column pretty much once a week 
for almost three years, and it has been a great honor and joy to be a 
part of this fine institution. Here's a shout to Nick, Rachel, 
Anthony, Raheem, Jonathan and everyone at SN&R. Thanks.

And thank you for reading my column and asking good questions. And 
for talking to your friends about cannabis. And for voting. Have a 
great Danksgiving.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom