Pubdate: Thu, 14 Jul 2016
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Column: The 420
Copyright: 2016 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

NO TO LOW THC

Hey I heard some folks in Colorado were trying to change their pot 
laws. Can I get an update?

- -Pueblo Boulder

There were a few concern trolls, calling themselves the Healthy 
Colorado Coalition, that wanted to put an initiative on the ballot 
that would do a few things, but the biggest issue was an attempt to 
keep THC levels in commercial cannabis below 16 percent. This is one 
of the dumbest ideas ever. Consider this: Most commercially grown 
cannabis comes in between 15 and 19 percent THC. Some strains get 
into the low 20s and a rare few will hit 25 percent. Mandating 
superlow THC content would be like telling boozers that they could 
only have 3.2 percent alcohol-by-volume beer, none of this crazy 6 
percent or 9 percent ABV barley wine. And no hard liquor.

It's just a dumb idea. I will say this one more time for the folks 
that don't pay attention: High THC cannabis is not known to be 
inherently bad for your health. In fact, smart people will smoke less 
pot if the cannabis contains a high level of THC; it's easier on the 
lungs. And this: Yeah, you got way too high, but did you die? No. 
There is no known lethal dose of marijuana. Getting too stoned will 
teach you a lesson the same way a hangover will keep (some of) you 
from overindulging the booze.

Trying to limit the THC content of pot is just another example of 
"prohibition through regulation." Forcing commercial growers to 
produce bunk weed would go a long way toward a creating a resurgence 
in Colorado's black market. Fortunately for us, and for 
right-thinking people everywhere, Healthy Colorado Coalition couldn't 
drum up any support or any money, and, last week, announced that it 
was going to withdraw the initiative. Yee!

Did I hear right? Is Coalinga on the medical marijuana bandwagon?

- -Ray Zen

Yes and no. Last week the Coalinga City Council voted to allow for 
commercial cultivation of medical cannabis. The council also decided 
to sell the city's old, defunct prison to cannabis concentrates 
manufacturer Ocean Grown Extracts for $4.1 million. According to The 
Fresno Bee, this sale immediately erased all of Coalinga's 
outstanding municipal debt (said to be between 3.3 and 3.8 million 
bucks) and they had a little bit of money left afterward. Plus, there 
will soon be 100 more jobs that don't involve locking up citizens 
over trivial things. Coalinga still has a ban in place on storefront 
dispensaries and delivery services, but city officials are looking to 
have new rules in place this year. How wild and surreal would it be 
if Ocean Grown had a spot-a former prison, no less-where you could 
try dabs (and eat food; that prison probably still has a kitchen)? 
Maybe all that dab smoke will clear away the bad juju from the prison walls.

While I have concerns about the real estate boom that will happen as 
giant companies look to gobble up prime cannabis cultivation sites, I 
congratulate Coalinga for being smarter than all of the other towns 
in Fresno County that have continued to ignore the prosperous new 
times that await those cities that embrace the cannabis industry.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom