When I hear people stressing out about the millions of Americans who use marijuana on a regular basis, a little voice pops into my head. It belongs to the comedian Chris Tucker. "Ain't nothing wrong with smoking weed," his character, Smokey, said rolling a joint in the movie "Friday." "Weed is from the Earth. God put this here for me and you. Take advantage, man, take advantage!" In California, many of us do just that. (Not me, though. I swear!) [continues 457 words]
Pills Have Led to Overdoses Across Sacramento, Central Valley Authorities Suspect Traffickers From Mexico Are to Blame With Legal Weed Flourishing in U.S., Cartels Focusing on Opioid Addicts Dr. Angella Barr spends her days in East Sacramento, talking to an ever-growing group of people who are "sick and tired of being sick and tired." Opioid addicts who have hit rock bottom. She helps housewives who've developed a tolerance to prescription painkillers, but are terrified by heroin. She helps college students who have already turned to the illicit drug. And the IV drug users who wear long-sleeves because they don't want to be judged by their track marks. [continues 1180 words]
Black People Are Behind, Left Out of Legal Cannabis Industry Only 1 Percent of U.S. Dispensaries Are Owned by Blacks Some See Sacramento Pot Tax As a Way to Help Bigger Problem It was on Good Friday when Derrell Roberts, co-founder of the Roberts Family Development Center, told me how he felt about weed. Specifically, an initiative on the June ballot that will ask Sacramento voters to approve a 5 percent tax on commercial marijuana cultivation. The money, as much as $5 million a year, would be set aside for programs for at-risk youth, including for early childhood education, tutoring, gang diversion and arts activities. Programs that his Roberts Family Development Center in Del Paso Heights always struggles to fund. [continues 1016 words]
Thousands Attend Emerald Triangle Festival for Cannabis Industry With New Regulations for Medical Weed Coming, Many Are Happy Others Are Wary of Changes That Will Cost Them More Money, Time Tim Blake shook his head in awe as he stepped out of the smoky shadows and into the spotlight of a stage at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Behind him, two huge red banners, each emblazoned with a cannabis leaf, hung unapologetically above the tables of trophies made to look like intricately blown glass bongs. Before him, thousands of weed aficionados were on their feet, cheering. A thick curl of pungent blunt smoke wafted by, not that anyone else besides me turned around to find the source. [continues 679 words]
I never thought I'd see our leaders engage in an honest discussion about the merits of legalizing marijuana, especially here in the Midwest. But then along came Paul Whitesell. "If it were up to me, I do believe I would legalize it and tax it," the superintendent of the Indiana State Police told the State Budget Committee on Tuesday. He was responding to a question from state Rep. Sheila Klinker about the possibility of letting Hoosiers have a small amount of the drug without the threat of criminal penalties. [continues 577 words]
Rather Than Look The Other Way, Employers Can Step Up To Help Nobody likes a tattletale. That's what we learn in grade school. Unfortunately for substance abusers in the workplace, we never really unlearn that childhood code of ethics as adults. "I've had some patients say to me, `My employer knew about this and looked the other way,' " said Dr. Victoria Sanelli, associate medical director of the Ignatia Hall Acute Alcohol & Drug Treatment Center. "There gets to be that don't-narc-on-your-colleague syndrome," she added. [continues 720 words]
