Leaf Doctor's 420 Big Reveal: Gold Leaf

 

By Ben Horner

Who is the Leaf Doctor? Well, if you are a longtime reader of the MM Report then you may have heard about this award-winning Detroit cannabis grower. Do you aspire to be one of the best growers in the world like he is? In this feature article we will unpack the legacy of Marcel Sanders, aka the Leaf Doctor, and reveal one of his new secrets to his success, Gold Leaf, a one-part nutrient solution that he has used to crank out four more trophies at the MM Report 420 Growers competition last month.

It all began many years ago. As a kid, before becoming the Leaf Doctor, Marcel spent much of his youth being raised in his maternal grandmother’s home. From the south, Marcel’s grandma came from a region where farming and gardening was a way of life and a big source of the families’ income. 

Nostalgically, the Leaf Doctor explains, “While living at my grandmother’s house she had a garden in the backyard. If I misbehaved one of grandma’s punishments was to do chores in the garden. A section was blocked off that I was not allowed to go in and at the time I really didn’t care. One day, while I was over at her house, she had a phone call and I was told by my uncle to go get her. She was in the garden working and when I went to tell her she had a call.  I walked into the part of the garden she told me to stay out of. I saw it for the first time.  The marijuana plant was about three feet tall, a big bush that was dark purple and covered in sugar leaves. It was love at first sight, and I became obsessed with the plant instantly.” 

The Leaf Doctor boasts 88 total awards, starting in 2012 with MM Report Caregivers Cup where Marcel won 2 awards, 1st place for Raw Man Diesel and 3rd for the Grape Stomper. In every year that followed Marcel entered and won many trophies for his amazing strains. Whether it was one of this magazines’ events, High Times Cannabis Cups or one of the many other local cups, the leaf Doctor has been recognized as one of the very best. Always committed to perfecting his craft, the Leaf Doctor continues to test various strain genetics, growing techniques and different nutrient formulations for feeding his plants.  

“Gold Leaf is fire,” explains Marcel fervently “When I first heard about Gold Leaf being one
part, I was skeptical. So, me being who I am I gave it a try and ran it below the recommended dose, and made sure it did what it said. I use it in a grow with tap water and a few additives and shit everything came out fire winning 4 cups from the first run with it and hitting 28.4% THC, according to PSI labs in Ann Arbor!”

Father and son team, Will and Brad Greiner, from Ohio are responsible for giving the Leaf Doctor this product which he used to win the four cups at the 420 growers competition.  

“When I founded this company, I recruited some very good, hardworking and dedicated people. My son, Brad, who recently turned 43, has always had a very strong work ethic. I watched as he developed excellent sales, marketing, communications and logistical skills throughout his career. I wasn’t sure he would want to join this new company, but I needed someone with his experience. I was delighted when he accepted my offer to bring him in as a partner.”

“Gold Leaf is a highly concentrated single-step liquid fertilizer that is used from seed to harvest in all growing mediums of soil, coco coir and hydroponics (except aquaponics). No other nutrients are required but may be added as it is compatible with all amendments.

Gold Leaf is pH optimized and maintained throughout the growing process; therefore, it does not require any pH adjustments. It also INSTANTLY removes chlorine and chloramines from water so that tap water may be used.

Gold Leaf is extremely low in sodium and will not clog feed lines and pumps. It is also extremely low in heavy metal content producing medical grade products. 

Gold Leaf is chelated with organic acids and may be used with organic amendments and growing mediums as it feeds good microbes. As a single-step product, it ELIMINATES the need for two-part products such as ‘Grow Part-A,’ ‘Grow Part-B,‘ ‘Bloom Part-A,’ ‘Bloom Part-B.’  The process is very simplified. Just shake well, mix and apply. It does not get any easier than this!

We receive a lot of great comments from customers that are very heart-lifting. Many are skeptical at first, thinking that Gold Leaf sounds too good to be true,  but after using it, they call us up and talk as if we’ve been friends for years. We’re forming hundreds of great relationships (and new friends) across the country.” 

Gold Leaf is the most unique new product on the market. High quality plants of all types can be grown with a single bottle that provides every nutrient a plant needs,  and very importantly, when it needs it. There’s no need to mix up multiple solutions for each stage of growth. No need to dechlorinate tap water. No need to pH the water throughout the growing cycles. It has the complexities of multiple nutrients and multiple processes combined in one solution. You simply shake, mix, and apply.

When you call our office, you will not go into an automated system. You will speak with one of our staff, oftentimes Brad or me. And, we encourage our customers to call us directly anytime they need assistance. We also have a short response time for inquiries and orders. Most orders are shipped within one day. Brad makes sure of that.”

Gold Leaf is starting to hit the shelves at the best grow stores around Michigan, but can easily be ordered online at www.GoldLeafFertilizer.com or call (513) 608-3005

His best advice, “Love your plants and they will reward you later.” Leaf Doctor loves to share his knowledge, sources and great genetics. Remember genetics is half the battle. You can reach him through Instagram @leafdoctor1.

World News - May 2021

 

Coffee to Themselves?

Amsterdam - Will Amsterdam only allow residents of the Netherlands to enter their 166 coffee shops? Many tourists have sought out Amsterdam coffee houses for decades to legally buy marijuana.

The residents only proposal is being discussed by local politicians in the country to help reduce large amounts of traffic in Amsterdam’s famous red-light district. It would only allow citizens of the Netherlands with valid passports to enter the countries coffee houses.  Recently, there has been an uprising of tourism in the city from the United Kingdom.

How this ban to the coffee house would reflect on the tourism business in Amsterdam is left to be seen. A report published by the Dutch Office for Research showed British, German, and French citizens would stop visiting the country if they can have no coffee pass.

London Calling for New Marijuana Laws

England - Marijuana is becoming a Global commodity.  As the United Kingdom is
contemplating changing cannabis laws, the stocks for marijuana are rising on the London Stock Exchange. Cannabis stocks have risen in the U.K. twenty-six pounds per share, which is equivalent to $35.94 U.S. dollars.

As the country begins opening their doors to discussion of medical marijuana legalization, the sight of tax revenue behind the door could be a reason for the beginning talks. The United States has proven the tax revenue and countless benefits from Marijuana sales is successful.

Perhaps with the sight of extra revenue for the country from taxation of cannabis, England will see the benefits of full-blown legislation. This could help boost the United Kingdom’s economy in a now Brexit state.

CBD Benefits for Women

World - According to a recent article in the CBD World News, CBD can help with anemia and low blood pressure.

CBD with hemp seed oil combined to it will help with iron counts.

The article states that a survey on 88 patients with sickle cell anemia revealed that “36 percent of them used cannabis to treat the symptoms, 52 percent used it to ease the pain. In contrast, 77 percent used it for sedating and relaxing effects.” It also stated that cannabinoids will aid with the pain from sickle cell anemia and “showed that cannabis helps stabilize the mast cells, leading to swelling and pain in your body.”

You can read the full article here to find out more about the benefits and dosage levels for treatment of anemia and low blood pressure: https://cbdworldnews.com/2021/01/22/the-use-of-cbd-in-supporting-anemia-and-low-blood-pressure-in-women/.

Canada Grows Outside

Canada - According to Marijuana Business Daily more Canadians are growing their marijuana outside.

Recent data from Health Canada, a federal cannabis regulator, reveal that licenses to grow outside are on the rise.  Currently, there are 110 outdoor marijuana cultivation licensees in the country. The number of outdoor licenses issued is up by 42 outdoor licenses from a year ago. Also, important to note, is that there was more licensed outdoor cannabis production in 2020 than there was indoor production.

The first outdoor cultivation license to grow marijuana outside was issued by Health Canada in April 2019.

The types of approved outdoor licenses issued by Health Canada include cultivation licenses, micro-cultivation licenses, and nursery licenses. 

Marijuana publicly traded Canadian businesses largely invested in indoor facilities before Canada’s recreational legalization in 2018; however, the interest towards growing outdoors is climbing.  The country has plenty of space to keep on growing. 

Michigan News - May 2021

 

Flushing Protest Leads to Cooperation

Flushing - On Monday, April 12th, a protest spearheaded by Clio Cultivation’s Buddy Dalton, and later comments heard at the Flushing Township Office, led to a peaceful solution.

For two hours patients, caregivers, and advocates, waved American flags and protest signs on the lawn of the township office along Seymour road.  Curious parties stopped and asked questions, and drivers honked in support.  All agreed that the new proposed rule set did not make sense, and would restrict their ability to grow on their own private land.

Police present kept their distance, while protesters peacefully assembled.  Flushing Township Officials had initially proposed an outdoor meeting to accommodate Covid restrictions, but then decided to continue with an indoor meeting.

The event concluded in cooperation, member William Mills agreeing to create a planning commission that will include advocates who can help create a set of rules that will make both sides happy.

Social Equity Efforts Alive Despite Judges Freeze

Detroit - Adult-use cannabis sales may be up in the air in Detroit, but efforts to improve the
community march on.

Nonprofits such as the Detroit Cannabis Project, a group who helps Detroiters become successful marijuana business professionals, have decided to take a different approach to the idea of social equity.  “We just wanted to go above and beyond.  If we do good for people, they’ll be good to us.”, stated DCP founder Rebecca Colett to the Detroit Metro Times.  The organization has purchased abandoned homes and plots in Detroit and plans on turning them into useful community gardens and parks.

Other areas of the state are seeing similarly creative takes on social equity as individuals and organizations come up with projects and ideas that transcend government mandates.

Virtual Hash Bash 2021

Ann Arbor - Hash Bash split into two events this year, one of which was a free online ‘variety show’ that took place virtually.  Organizers cited a new variant of Covid-19, public health concerns, and “the identification on the University of Michigan’s campus” as the reasons for the decision to host the event on the internet.

Master of Ceremonies Anqunette Sarfoh led a star-studded list of participants including Calvin Johnson, Darren McCarty, Joel Zumaya, Al Harrington, Laith-Al-Saaid, and Tom Wall.  Also on the schedule were Democrat politicians Gretchen Whitmer, Dana Nessel, Debbie Dingell, and Jeff Irwin.

Cannabis activists too joined in on the digital party such as Decriminalize Nature A2, Rick Thompson and the Social Revolution, Jazz Cabbage Cafe, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, The Redemption Foundation, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, “and more.”  Michigan’s own John Sinclair attended both online and in-person Hash Bash celebrations.

While most outlets were happy to report only 500-1000 people were on the diag at noon, attendance for the virtual event is not reported in news articles.  The event streamed on Twitch and Facebook, and internationally on Roku Television.  A look at the twitch.tv/a2hashbash channel (at the time of this writing) reveals a total of 178 followers, with view counts on “popular clips” ranging from 2 at lowest to 41 at most.  The four hour video of the live show on YouTube has 57 views and 4 likes.  A five hour video called the “2021 Virtual Hash Bash Sizzle Reel- The People and Music of 2021 Hash Bash!” has 89 views and 3 likes.

John Sinclair - Free the Weed #119 - May 2021

 

A Column By John Sinclair

Hi everybody, happy May Day, and welcome to the brave new world of marijuana legalization in the state of Michigan.  Last month, as we reported in our previous issue, hundreds of people protested state and federal marijuana laws on April 3rd at the 50th annual Hash Bash on the UM Diag in Ann Arbor, despite public health orders limiting such gatherings.

 

The participants in Saturday’s “smoke-in” protest split from organizers of the Hash Bash, who made the event virtual in 2020 and again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  They broadcast their Zoom Bash with a slick presentation of speakers, music and sloganeering like last year.

The fact is that we started the Hash Bash in 1972 as a protest against the resumption of anti-marijuana laws on April 1, 1972 under the rubric of “controlled substances,” as determined by the Michigan legislature on December 9, 1971 anticipating the success of my appeal of a 9-1/2 to-10-year sentence for possession of two joints.

The legislature refused to legalize or even decriminalize marijuana at that point and onward, succumbing only to the expressed will of the people by means of successful ballot initiatives legalizing medical marijuana in 2008 and recreational marijuana use in 2018.

Adam Brook, organizer and spokesman for Hash Bash for about 35 years, put together Saturday’s smoke-in and told MLive.com that in-person protest is still the purpose of the event.  For example, Michigan permits adults to buy and consume cannabis products but not in public places, where it’s banned by the current law. 

“This just shows that we still have a lot to fight for,” Brook said Saturday. “We moved the ball forward, but we still have a long way to go.”

Brook himself had his tenure as Hash Bash organizer and official spokesperson interrupted several years ago by a two-year sentence at the state Prison of Southern Michigan in Jackson.

Ben Horner reports that the public information officer for the university’s Division of Public Safety and Security, Melissa Overton, claimed that between 500 and 700 people were on the Diag, the gathering was peaceful and police made no arrests.

In national news, a new Quinnipiac University poll found that 69% of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, an all-time high.  A majority of Democrats, Republicans, independents and people from every age and racial demographic in the survey are on board.

Accordingly, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said his forthcoming federal marijuana legalization bill will be considered on the Senate floor “soon.”

Marijuana Moment’s Bill Tracker is already watching 1,076 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress for 2021 sessions.

At least 23 marijuana and drug reform bills are scheduled for committee hearings over the next week.

Gus Burns of Mlive.com reports that, for the first time, Michigan recreational marijuana sales are on pace to surpass $1 billion in the next year.  With new monthly sales records set in January and February, at about $67 million each, the latest statistical report shows revenue boomed again to a never-higher $97.6 million in March, a 44% increase from the previous high.  And industry insiders don’t expect things to slow down any time soon.  “What’s more, sales should hit a new record in April of 2021.  Michigan reported $10.1 million in single-day marijuana sales on 4/20 this year, versus $3.7 million in 2020.”

As of April, there were 265 licensed recreational marijuana retailers and nearly 400 medical marijuana dispensaries.

A Michigan State University industry analysis published in March 2020 forecast industry sales to eventually surpass $3 billion per year.  Based on March sales figures, recreational sales were on pace to hit nearly $1.2 billion over the next year, nearly $1.8 billion with medical marijuana sales included.

Gus Burns of Mlive.com also reports that the City of Detroit intends to give preferential marijuana business licensing consideration to longtime residents, but officials say they’ll scrap the entire program if the courts won’t let them.

Detroit’s City Council, despite being criticized for being slow to engage with the new industry, took great care and time to draft the ordinance that ensures the city’s marijuana market isn’t overrun by wealthy outsiders.  It created what it calls a “legacy” program.

Detroit Councilman James E. Tate Jr., the former long-time police officer, spearheaded the city’s long-awaited plan that offers first access to legacy residents.

Detroit continues to offer resources for marijuana business applicants on its website, but closed the application portal.“We are not allowed to accept license applications until granted by the court.” Detroit’s licensing ordinance states no license will be issued or renewed if any portion of the law is struck down or deemed unconstitutional.

Legacy applicants are defined as those who have lived in Detroit for 15 of the last 30 years; have lived in the city for 13 of the last 30 years and are low income; or have lived in the city for 10 of the last 30 years and have a marijuana conviction or a parent with a marijuana conviction.

Legacy residents receive a 99% discount on licensing fees in 2021, a 75% discount on licensing fees in 2022 and the opportunity to purchase city-owned land for 25% of the market value. They were also given early access to apply and guaranteed no less than 50% of the 75 new retail business licenses available.

Crystal Lowe, a prospective applicant who’s lived in Detroit for a third of her life but falls short of qualifying as preferred applicant, filed a civil lawsuit against the city on March 30 alleging Detroit’s process violates various state and federal laws.

The filing prompted U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman to issue an order temporarily prohibiting Detroit from processing any applications. The request for a temporary restraining order could significantly delay Detroit’s licensing plan.

In her motion for a restraining order, Lowe called the ordinance “pure economic protectionism” that illegally punishes the “fundamental right” to intra- and interstate travel, as well as portions of the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

The ordinance “reveals a clear effort to assist residents who have been most harmed by the criminalization of marijuana-related conduct and to limit the monopolization of adult-use licenses by those who have not experienced the systemic effects of the War on Drugs, which began in earnest in the 1990s,” reads the city’s brief in response to a motion for a restraining order. “Through its legacy provision, the ordinance balances the interests of those Detroiters who would have most acutely felt the impact of criminalizing marijuana with those of others who may be interested in holding a license.

“The ordinance does not bar persons outside the city from applying for a license.” The vast majority of Detroit’s licensed medical marijuana businesses—42 of 46—are owned by people who live outside Detroit, the city said in a court filing.

At a March 29 Detroit City Council meeting, the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department reported that 400-plus legacy applicants had already been certified.

In closing, I’d like to thank Ben Horner and the people at the Vehicle City Social Club for hosting the annual 420 Party in Flint this year. I was the guest of honor and had a wonderful time celebrating the holiday with my homies at the Vehicle City. Keep up the good work and Free The Weed!

—Detroit

April 25, 2021

© 2021 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.

Tinfoil Hat Time! May 2021

 

"You have to look beyond the mirror to see yourself."

-Kimto Oche Emmanuel

Many of us thought marijuana legalization meant the simple act of making a plant socially acceptable and not punishable by law.  Turns out marijuana legalization is all about racism.  At least now that the celebrity party politicians and TV stars are talking about it, that is. 

States that have legalized Mary Jane are not just granting everyone access to the beneficial naturally occurring organic organism that they never should have stolen, nope.  They are now correcting for past racism.  They are providing opportunity to people of specific colors.  They are uplifting the oppressed majority minorities.  From the mountain top the act of passing medical marijuana law, that leads to adult-use law that includes social equity law, is touted as one of the boldest steps toward uplifting blacks and latinos a government body can take in 2021 (aside from dismantling police departments and conditioning healthcare workers).  Nevermind the fact that stereotyping these two races as pot smoking drug dealing criminals was considered racist a decade ago, things have changed, and now they were all absolutely pot smoking drug dealing criminals by racial imperative.  And thus, legalizing marijuana helps all blacks and latinos, blanket statement, big broad brush.  As Erik Altieri from NORML puts it, “Black and brown lives matter and we owe it to our country and to ourselves to take tangible steps toward dismantling many of the power structures that perpetuate injustice.”  

This, of course, is all a blatant lie.  Not only is stereotyping based on race still racist, when closely examined one will find that the process of marijuana legalization, from patient to approved adult-use social equity applicant, is riddled with layer upon layer of restrictive racism.  It is high tinfoil hat time someone took a harsh look at the bigoted nature of the legal marijuana movement, and revealed its ultimate goal of replacing old racism with new racism.

In the time before legal marijuana no one asked for state issued identification and no one placed limitations on participation.  One simply had to prove one was not a cop, and any limitations were generally the fault of supply, a dead pager, lack of pay phone, having no hook-up, a bad drug dealer, or issues with a grow.  People of all races bought and sold marijuana to and from one another, uplifting each other on a personal level, smoking, getting to know each other, and participating in an open system.  Anyone who wished to break into the industry simply had to acquire products and customers, and anyone who wished to participate simply had to find a dealer.  No forms, no fees, no IDs, no approval, no tracking, no limits, no government.  No racism.

Then it all comes crashing down as legalization efforts begin with medical marijuana, the seed from which injustice grows.  In this Jim Crow era style system sick people with medical conditions are asked by the state to show identification.  Not only does it require people of specific colors to acquire a state issued identification and provide it at the time of participation, they must also show private medical records to prove they are sick, all in an effort to pay two to three times the price of the first ID for a second identification card.  Those wishing to participate under false identity, or who do not hold residence in that state, or those who do not have an initial ID, are denied access to the second ID.  Anyone privileged enough to make it past this gauntlet of restrictive racism must then, in a move two times as racist as the first, show not one, but two identification cards any time they wish to participate.  On top of all this, each individual is tracked and the state cuts participants off when they have reached the limits of the law.  For caregivers, the heap of identifications they must keep and be ready to show, and the restrictive limitations to which they must adhere in order to participate, are staggering.  It is a system of verification the KKK itself could be proud of.  As if these racially oppressive hoops for consumers and growers were not bad enough, those who wish to sell medical marijuana in a retail environment have to show ID multiple times over the course of breaking into the industry.  They endure fees, forms, licenses, inspections, background checks, character scrutiny, board approvals, rental agreements, and sign up for utilities, all of which hinge on proof of citizenship, residency, and person.  Once they have the blessing of their multiple oppressors, in most cases, they must then adhere to strict rules and very specific timeframes.  In retrospect it is a wonder marijuana legalization ever got off the ground with such clearly racist and restrictive beginnings.

With the arrival of recreational pot the situation seems to get better but a glance beneath the surface reveals a drastic increase in restrictive racism.  While the two ID system is discouraged under adult-use, it is not yet completely abolished.  To add to the madness the pool of individuals required to show state issued identification increases exponentially.  These harsh and unnoticed racist policies explode onto the general populace like a hydrogen fire as millions of adults age 21 and up are asked to prove just that, in person or delivery.  Their participation is tracked on an individual basis, linked with their identification and limited at the whim of the state, or outright denied when they fail to produce a valid, current, not expired, state issued identification card.  In the case of delivery the bigots actually refuse to hand over the weed to anyone but the ID holder.  So well hidden are these hate filled policies that unsuspecting millions, including those of African and Latin descent, spend money at retail facilities month after month, the unknowing subjects of blatant racism.  

 

But the horrors do not stop there.  With adult-use licensing comes the same, if not more, hurdles of injustice as medical marijuana business owners.  Not only must an ID be shown and identity proven time and time again, but in many cases the individual is asked to prove their financial status, and in every case asked to pay tens of thousands for licensing.  Effectively locking participation behind a show ID and pay to play wall.  Classic racism.  Then, as if Adolf Hitler himself was putting pen to marijuana law, a red herring known as ‘social equity’ is tacked on that requires not only proof of identity via ID, but also proof of financial status, residency, and proof of criminal record.  What is billed as helping majority minorities is simply a trick, a devious plot to herd people of specific colors into a system where they will be required to reveal state issued identification and other highly sensitive documents over and over, and over.  Racism on repeat.  Don’t want to show ID?  Don’t have ID?  Your ID does not contain the information they are looking for?  Well then, you do not participate in social equity.  Period.  

This is what we call correcting for racism?  Blanket stereotyping people by race?  Adding secondary IDs?  Forcing individuals of specific colors to show IDs every time they participate?  Demanding those IDs contain specific information?  Creating a system where majority minorities are blocked by a paywall, state issued ID and private personal information being their only way around?  How can we expect lawmakers, like those in Georgia, to understand how racist their voting laws are if we ourselves can not lead the way?

Marijuana legalization has done nothing but transmute old government racism into new government racism.  Never before were state issued IDs and personal information required.  Never before have there been paywalls beyond the cost of product in this industry.  Never before did one have to prove one was of a certain age, sick, poor, rich, lived in a certain area, or had a criminal record, in order to gain access to consuming, growing or selling this naturally occurring plant.  Never before has it been cool to promote racial stereotypes.

If awareness is the key to ending racism then we must become savvy to the tricks, the lies, and the hypocrisy.  The entity in the mirror has to change in order to change the world.  The legal marijuana movement must come to grips with how truly racist it is and remove all limitations, tracking, ID requirements, health requirements, personal information requirements, criminal record requirements, financial requirements, and licensing requirements from participation at all levels.  Until then, a racist system that stereotypes by race and enacts new layers of restrictive racism where none existed prior can not be credited with ending racism.  No matter how many party politicians and TV stars say so, it’s quite the opposite.

Fortunately there is still a bright light shining in the darkness.  The racists, in an effort to smear its name, have dubbed this bastion of inclusivity as ‘the black market’.  A wide open segment of the movement that places no restrictions on it’s participants.  It asks for no IDs, and never needs proof of income or condition.  It cares not where you live, or what color your skin is.  It treats majorities, majority minorities, and minorities all the same.  It embraces all with open arms, and zero limitations.  It is accepting of everyone, caring, and often offers services, products and information for free.  No forms, no fees, no ID, no approval, no tracking, no limits, no government.  No racism.

Is Delta-8 THC, CBD on Crack?

 

A headline in the April 12 issue of the “Chicago Sun -Times” declared: “An unregulated, weed-like drug dubbed ‘CBD on crack’ has spiked in popularity, Now the legal pot industry is calling for a crackdown” 

Concerns about Delta 8 CBD products, which are “unregulated” have also surfaced recently in insider publications such as Politico, Leafly, Merry Jane, Green Market Report and Michigan’s own MIRS News (Michigan Information Research Services). 

According to the Sun-Times “a growing number of Chicago businesses are now exploiting a loophole in federal law that appears to allow unfettered sale of a trendy hemp by product called Delta-8-THC, which has commonly been described as “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed.”

The newspaper went on to explain that unlicensed retailers all across Chicago such as gas stations, smoke shops, convenience stores and coffee shops are selling Delta 8. “Some places are even dosing food and drinks and allowing consumers to consume on site”

What is Delta 8 THC?

According to a report in Washington DC based “Politico”  in the March 25th issue, “Delta 8 THC is an isomer of Delta 9 THC, the compound responsible for marijuana’s intoxicating effects. That means the two are largely the same compound, with slight atomic differences. The vast majority of Delta 8 products aren’t extracted from cannabis. Producers convert plant derived CBD into Delta 8 THC using a chemical process called isomerization. The process combines CBD with a solvent, acid and heat to cause the reaction that turns CBD into THC”. 

Politico goes on to say the CBD in question is derived from the HEMP plant, which is legal on a
federal level, all across the USA. Hemp in and of itself has such tiny amounts of THC, it is practically impossible to get high from smoking it. One can only get the desired effect via scientifically processing the CBD in Hemp into Delta 8 THC.

MIRS News, a credible Lansing, Michigan based subscriber only political publication, (costing $2,700 per year for the latest daily scuttlebut on Michigan politics) first sounded the alarm in the Great Lakes State on March 26th. The headline read: “Cannabis Manufacturers Want Cannabis -High Mimics to be Regulated”.

The MIRS story reported on a demand from the “Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association” (MCMA) and its lobbyist Steve Linder, that Michigan “close the loophole of allowing hemp distillate or cannabis plants that mimic a cannabis high to be consumed...outside the formalities of the cannabis industry.” The story went on to say that states such as Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Utah and Rhode Island have already made Delta 8 illegal. It is said a crack down is beginning in Oregon.

However, no one has gotten sick and died from Delta 8 in Michigan or anywhere else.

“I think what’s going on here is Delta 8 is cutting into the sales of big (cannabis) producers” said Chad Morrow, owner of the “Smokers Alley” smoke shop in Westland, which sells the product.  “It produces a workable high” which is oftentimes much milder than regular THC and does not last as long”  he explained.

Cannabis reform activist, medical patient and entrepreneur Anquenette Sarfoh said “I use Delta 8 every night and Richard (her spouse) likes the gummies better than regular THC ones. I sell Delta 8 on my website and Green Genie in Detroit sells it from my line as well. I love Delta 8 and this so-called crisis is bs. How about starting with an age restriction instead?”

Long time activist and canna business person Jamie Lowell expressed some skepticism about the Delta 8 phenomena. He said in so many words, that Delta 8, if it is pure and properly produced, is a good thing but there is no guarantee this can happen in the real world. He said Delta 8 can be contaminated with “other agents” by unscrupulous dealers, and people will be buying something “without knowing what you got.”

Sam Slosburg, a partner in Michigan based “Delta 8 Oils” agreed with the Politico description of how Delta 8 is produced. He conceded that any unscrupulous person can concoct anything they want and call it whatever they choose, but real Delta 8 is impossible to fake and contains no dangerous chemicals. In simple terms, a chemical derivative called “Lewis Acid” which is found in many compounds including ammonia and baking soda, have the ability, when heated, to bond with CBD molecules and extract them from hemp. Once extracted, the essence is “washed down” with saline and voila-- you got Delta 8. It is then used as an oil or put in candy form such as gummies.

Cutting to the chase, as part of the “research” for this column I consumed a Delta 8 gummi containing 25 mg of Delta 8. 

Within 35 minutes after ingesting the candy, I noticed a change in consciousness. Things began to slow down and become more contemplative. I was no longer anxious about things I could not control. I was simply grateful for the sound of the rural stillness around me. In a couple hours I was really enjoying dinner. Had a great conversation with my wife and later called a buddy and we talked about life and politics for an hour or so. Four hours after ingestion, I was feeling very peaceful and cheerful as the “high” began to dissipate in an easygoing way. Watched some TV for a bit, and then went to bed. Woke up in the morning alert and ready to go.

In retrospect, I took my first toke of herb in 1970 in a college dorm room and never stopped enjoying it for the rest of my life. I know some old timers who long for simpler days where no government regulations existed. For all practical purposes, unless you got busted by a cop, or purchased some bad shit from time to time, there were no real consequences. When I got a bad batch I’d sometimes cough and wheeze, and the “high” (if you could call it that) was disappointing. Got knocked on my rear end a few times from eating brownies too quickly without knowing the THC content. That said, myself and my contemporaries are as successful as we chose to be in life.

National News - May 2021

 

Will Biden Say No?

Washington, D.C. - White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, on March 30th stated that President Biden’s position on marijuana has stayed the same. She stated Biden, “spoke about this on the campaign” and that he “believes in decriminalizing the use of marijuana, but his position has not changed” on other marijuana reforms.

The briefing can be seen on YouTube link: https://youtu.be/uNRNjQY4TQQ with specific questions from reporters about Biden’s current stance on federal marijuana reform and Psaki’s response.

Gallop and Pew Research Center polls show 70 to 80 percent of Democrats, and 55 percent of Republicans in the United States, are in support of federal legalization.

With Senator Chuck Schumer’s, Democrat, New York, support, and the recent high Republican support in Washington, a shift in Biden’s view would seem likely to follow; however, it seems unlikely.

It is still an unanswered question if Biden will sign a vote to federally legalize marijuana.

Tobacco State Meets Marijuana

Virginia - Virginia Democrat, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, voted and ended the 20-20 lock to legalize the possession of an ounce of marijuana right in time for the beginning of summer, on July 1, 2021 in the 300-page bill. The vote was backed by Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam. The original date was set for January 1, 2024.

The birthplace of America is still debating on when it will be legal to purchase cannabis at dispensaries, though it was voted that Virginians can legally grow up to four marijuana plants beginning July 1st as well. A debate on when consumers can purchase from dispensaries is still going on.  As it stands now, cannabis cannot be purchased at a dispensary until 2024. It should be noted, with the new law, medical dispensaries will not be able to sell to all adults.

Climbing the Hills to Legalize in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania - Legislation is beginning with several Pennsylvania House Representatives to legalize cannabis. The idea proposed would be to have a state store system.

The Bill was sent to the House Liquor Control Committee. Residents of the state of trees over the age of 21 could purchase marijuana with proof of age.

Tax revenue (they proposed a 19 percent sales tax by the customer) for the state, lowering small possession charges, the dollars the state will save processing the small charges, and creating jobs are reasons the Bill is being pursued.

Senate Wants to Celebrate 4/20 2022

Washington, DC - Chuck Schumer, Democrat, New York, on the Senate floor on 4/20 2021 called for federal prohibition on Marijuana to end on 4/20 2022.

On his Twitter account @SenSchumer he wrote: “We must end the federal prohibition on marijuana and repair the damage of the War on Drugs.” Also, on the tweet he wrote: “I’m proud to work with @SenBooker & @SenBooker on comprehensive marijuana reform legislation in the Senate.”

Senator Ron Wyden, on April 21, Democrat from Oregon, responded to Schumer’s tweet. He wrote:” It’s past time to end the federal prohibition of cannabis. @SenBooker @SenSchumer and I are working hard to get it done this year.”

Cory Booker, Democrat Senator of New Jersey, also on April 21, wrote on his Twitter account: “It’s about time we have a focused conversation about legalizing marijuana across this country. But in the same breath, we must talk about restorative justice & the urgent need to uplift minority communities that have been destroyed by the failed drug war.”

Maybe with the push from these three far reaching Senators 4/20/22 will be a Federal marijuana celebration. 

Free the Weed #118

 

A COLUMN BY JOHN SINCLAIR

Hi everybody and welcome to the annual Hash Bash issue of the MMR, this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the marijuana legalizationevent that takes place on the Diag at the Universityof Michigan every year except 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation as a live gathering.

Ryan Stanton of mlive.comreports thatAnn Arbor’s 50th Hash Bash will be a virtual event for the second straight year because of the pandemic, but a traditional smoke-in protest is also planned by veteran marijuana activists.

According to Stanton, organizers of the annual Hash Bash marijuana rally in Ann Arbor are planning to hold the event virtually for the second year in a row, featuring a long list of speakers and entertainers hosted by former TV personality and contemporary weed activist Anqunette“Q” Sarfoh as master of ceremonies.

The Hash Bash Planning Committee bills the online livestream as a free, variety-show-style production featuring activists and entertainers from around the state and country, with former Fox 2 News anchor AnqunetteSarfoh as master of ceremonies.

As for which event will be the official 50th Hash Bash, the people behind the virtual edition have been among the official Hash Bash organizers for the past decade, organizer Nick Zettell said.

With the continuing spread of COVID-19, organizers of the virtual event want to make sure they’re doing their best both as stewards of the tradition of Hash Bash and also as community members who want to protect attendees, Ann Arbor residents and UM students, Zettell said.

“The last thing we would ever want is to contribute to the spread of this virus during the pandemic,” he said. “It would be absolutely irresponsible of us to organize a large-scale event like Hash Bash has been in the past.”

The speakers’ lineup includes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, former Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty, former Detroit Lion Calvin Johnson, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, state Sen. Jeff Irwin and John Sinclair, a poet whose imprisonment for pot led to the organization of the first Hash Bash protest in 1972.

Entertainment is being provided by Michigan musicians such as Laith Al-Saadi and Tom Wall, as well as a performance by outrageous cannabis enthusiast and drag queen LaganjaEstranja.

Brook said he’s not planning any speeches or entertainment for his April 3 protest on the Diag and he doesn’t expect it to be a huge rally like Hash Bash has been in the past.

But Brook says he’s not sitting out another year and he’s organizing what he considers the “official” event: a smoke-in protest on the University of Michigan Diag.

“If you ask me, Hash Bash happens on the Diag, so I would say that the official Hash Bash is on the Diag, and these people who are afraid to appear in public are now doing something virtually,” Brook said. “I’m at war with these people.”

Brook has created a “50th Annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash” event page on Facebook, announcing plans for an in-person protest at the traditional spot on the Diag at high noon on Saturday, April 3.

There’s no planned program of speakers or entertainers and Adam isn’t sure how many people will actually show up or what will happen other than cannabis enthusiasts lighting up joints and conversing. But so far over 500 people have responded they’re “going” and another 1,100 said they’re “interested.”

Brook encourages anyone who shows up to observe COVID-19 social-distancing guidelines and wear masks.

“There won’t be anybody passing joints — you’d be a fool to do that today — but you can unmask and smoke a joint safely, just like you can sit in a restaurant and unmask,” he said.

“It’s a smoke-in. By being there, we are protesting the current laws associated with marijuana. That’s how it started, it’s always been about that, and you can’t protest virtually.

Among his gripes about current laws are that it’s still illegal to smoke pot in public, Brook said. 

“The protest isn’t going to end just because a few laws may be passed in our favor,” he said.

There won’t be an amplified sound system, as the university requires a student group to pull a permit for that, but no permit is needed to assemble, Brook said.

“The Constitution is our permit for assembly,” he said, adding the right to protest doesn’t go away in a pandemic. “So, I don’t expect any concern from the police.”

UM Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton referred questions about the protest to the university’s public affairs division, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

University of Michigan police parked their cars on the UM Diag to prevent anyone from attempting to participate in what would have been the 49th Hash Bash on April 4, 2020. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, organizers instead hosted a virtual event in keeping with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-home order at the time.

The last in-person Hash Bash in April 2019 — the first with marijuana legalized in Michigan — drew a record crowd of well over 10,000 people from around the state and beyond.

While Brook estimates thousands still could gather on the Diag while remaining socially distanced next month, he’s not really looking to draw a big crowd, he said.

“There are hardcore activists who will show up,” he said. “I expect John Sinclair to show up. He and I will be there, and past that I can’t tell you much,” Ben Horner and Tim Beck from MMR are also expected to attend, Brook said.

“Of course, this opposing group has decided to call us traditionalists. If I’m considered a traditionalist, then they’re newbies. We don’t get this virtual thing.”

The virtual event will commemorate accomplishments and focus on the need for federal legalization and repairing harms inflicted by the war on drugs, organizers said.

They’re partnering with businesses to make it a successful broadcast, expected to last several hours, and benefit two charities: the John Sinclair Foundation and the Michigan Cannabis Prisoner Freedom Fund.

“We’re really excited about the virtual Hash Bash,” Zettell said. “We really want to provide people the opportunity to attend Hash Bash and see a lot of different speakers — politicians, athletes, local community members — in a virtual protest against current marijuana laws that still need to be reformed.”

Among the factors that contributed to the decision to host Hash Bash virtually again were the identification of a new COVID-19 “variant of concern” in Michigan and the fact that it has been identified on the UM campus, organizers said.

If some people choose to skip the virtual broadcast and head down to the Diag, Zettell said he hopes they do it in the spirit of protesting cannabis laws. But that will be a focus of the virtual event, including speeches by formerly incarcerated people talking about how brutal the war on drugs has been and policy updates from lawmakers, he said.

“We’ll be able to talk about state laws and local laws that need reforming, because the marijuana law in Michigan is still not right,” Zettell said. “And that includes some issues with expungement that we really want to see, and also greater access to research, and advancing the social equity aspects of the cannabis industry — the inclusion of communities of color and communities that have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the war on drugs.”

While his focus is on doing that virtually right now, Zettell expects a big in-person Hash Bash in April 2022.

“And while this is the 50th Hash Bash, next year will be the 50th anniversary of the first Hash Bash, and we really hope to make it a blowout and a really exciting community day,” he said.

Turning back to Adam Brook and our seasoned colleagues in the struggle to make Hash Bash count, we can pretty much assure you of its continuing success. After all, we’ve had 50 years of practice so far!

FREE THE WEED!

—Detroit

March 25, 2021

© 2021 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.

Chickens Coming Home to Roost

 

No, MM Report readers, this column is not an April Fool’s joke.

Effective April 1, 2021, police in Michigan will now be required to issue an “appearance ticket” for a slew of misdemeanors, for which the penalty is one year in jail or less. Under the old rules, practically any misdemeanor (such as small time drug violations)  meant the cuffs were on, your rear end was in the back of a squad car and you were on your way to the lock up. Under the new rules you now get the equivalent of a traffic ticket, requiring you to show up in court and face the charges.

For some reason this important development has not been treated as “news” in the mainstream media.

I found this out as Moderator of the Safer Michigan Coalition (SMC) listserve. SMC consists of 350+ cannabis reform activists, attorney’s, canna business persons, CPA’s, lobbyists and public policy makers. It is primarily a news feed for cannabis related media stories, legal and public policy developments. It is also a forum for respectful commentary.

One of our members monitors Michigan State Police news and legal updates. He came across this gem of information in the March 18, 2021 issue of the “Michigan State Police Legal Update.”

The publication reads: “Public Act 393 of 2020, effective April 1, 2021, amended MCL 764.9c to require persons arrested for certain misdemeanors and ordinance violations having a maximum penalty not exceeding 1 year in jail to be issued and served an appearance ticket and be released from custody.” 

The bulletin goes on to say release is required  “unless (1) issue of an appearance ticket is  expressly prohibited...or (2) the officer is able to articulate the presence of one of the allowable circumstances authorizing the officer to take an arrested person before a magistrate and promptly file a complaint. MCL 764.9c(4)”

So what does this mean in plain English? What is “expressly prohibited” from getting an appearance ticket?

It means almost immediate incarceration for misdemeanor domestic violence, assaultive crimes, skipping bond, flashing a gun, stalking, breaking and entering, 4th degree child abuse and indecent exposure. If you are sloppy drunk driving a motor vehicle, fail to follow a “reasonable” instruction from a cop, or refuse to produce identification, nothing changes. You are still on your way to jail.

Beyond the kinds of misdemeanors noted above, if a cop does not issue an appearance ticket, the burden of proof is on the criminal justice system and it gives you a better shot at acquittal. A sympathetic judge could even dismiss the case. While one cannot collect damages solely for a cop’s failure to issue an appearance ticket, if other misconduct is present and you are found not guilty, your chances of prevailing in a police misconduct lawsuit are now magnified in your favor.

For me personally I get a chuckle of satisfaction from all this. For the record, I was arrested three times in my life. Each time I spent a night in the lock up. I have no official criminal record.

In  2001, I got into a verbal altercation with a cop and called the man an asshole when he was engaged in an illegal traffic stop. I was arrested for “disorderly conduct” housed in the lock up and my car was impounded. The case was so ridiculous, the City of Detroit Law department failed to prosecute the matter. The case was dismissed “with prejudice” (to the City of Detroit) therefore I was free to sue the City in Federal Court for false arrest. The City decided to settle and I cashed a check for $17,500

On another occasion, I was caught in a massive traffic jam at Detroit Metro Airport and they say I was spotted by a hidden camera toking on a roach. That led to my arrest, a trip to the lock up and a couple other charges. I refused to cooperate. In the end, the blood test for weed came up negative, and my blood alcohol content was under the legal limit. I pleaded out to refusing to take a PBT (Preliminary Breath Test), paid a $400 fine to Romulus District Court and my record was officially expunged.

Finally in 2010, I was parked on the side of I-94 near Jackson talking on the phone. It was a warm summer day and my car windows were open. I was so into the phone call with a reporter from M Live, I did not notice a state police car had pulled up. The cop walked up to my auto and spotted a flask containing a splash or so of Jack Daniels. I refused to cooperate, confess to any crime or take a PBT. As the drama continued, crude back and forth insults were exchanged by both parties. Among other things, I questioned the cop and his partner’s sexual identity. Comments like that may not have been helpful, but I figured I was screwed anyway, so what the hell. When all was said and done, the court ordered blood draw came up zero for drugs or alcohol. I paid a $300 fine for open intoxicants and the record was expunged.

I like to imagine these incidents could have been more easily resolved if the “appearance ticket” rule was on the books. Justice would still have been served for far less expense, rancor, and time for all concerned.

What does all this mean for cannabis aficionados reading this column, who happen to be growing a little too much weed or engaging in small time business transactions without a license? It means life will be easier in a law enforcement encounter.

“Any simple misdemeanor marijuana violation” now falls into the appearance ticket zone, explained prominent Benton Harbor defense attorney Daniel Grow. He went on to say that this package of legislation passed last year, dealt not only with appearance tickets, but also ended the practice of automatic loss of one’s driver’s license for a drug conviction. “Those days are over” explained Mr. Grow.

Lapeer cannabis defense attorney Bernard Joncuns, cautioned however that anything involving “drugged driving” or getting busted behind the wheel with THC in one’s system “is still dangerous and there’s no guarantee you will get an appearance ticket.”

“I’m sure the Michigan State Police are not happy about this,” Mr. Joncuns continued, “ but it is the result of too many years of police abuse. Young people in college towns, working persons and persons of color are going to benefit the most.”

So does this mean all cops are going to obey the spirit or letter of the law? Of course not. 

However, it does mean those of us who pride ourselves in understanding our rights, can smile knowing we have another legal tool to work with--  and avoid becoming helpless victims.

Sometimes it takes a while for the system to change bad things in a positive way. On a karmic level though, the chickens eventually come home to roost.

Tinfoil Hat Time! April 2021

 

“The basic approach of positioning is not to create something new and different, but to manipulate what’s already up there in the mind, to retie the connections that already exist.”   

-Al Reis, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

Ask around.  Pretty sure the general consensus, among those not profiting directly or indirectly, is that the military industrial complex is a bad idea.  

Names like Ford, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, or Halliburton, to name a few, have all been heard before.  These defense contractors make money off war, or the takeover of new territory, and have a vested interest in its continuation.  They use those earnings to influence law and to promote what is profitable to them, and pay politicians and media on all sides (of the aisle and the conflict) to dream up reasons to convince the people to let them buy and use their uber pricey products with the money stolen from peoples’ paychecks.  Reasons we later come to find out were almost always not entirely truthful, or all out lies.  Suffice to say there is enough word on the street to conclude that manipulating public opinion in an effort to profiteer wealth or power off ‘war’ and ‘defense’ is something most people are not down with.  Until it is marketed right, that is.

Because the harsh reality is these companies only get away with it when enough people buy the sales pitch.  And when enough of us finally catch on?  Well, it’s time for a brand new marketing strategy and a brand new sales pitch.  From fighting an evil enemy, to promoting freedom, providing defense, offering aid, spreading democracy, stopping terror, safeguarding health, and ensuring safety, there is always an award winning positioning campaign behind every war.  Then some time later another award winning positioning campaign will come around and convince everyone that the old campaign was wrong, and that they are wrong for believing it.  It’s marketing.  It’s positioning.

At Tinfoil Hat Time we understand that an unfavorable public opinion of tinfoil hat wearers is one of our biggest hurdles.  We believe it is the unfortunate result of decades of negative stereotypes, mostly due to the imagination of Hollywood fiction.  Our marketing strategy should include education dispelling the myths about tinfoil hat wearers.  All marketing materials should assuage pre-existing fears with relatable messages that promote the idea of tinfoil hats as normal, relying heavily on the pre-existing humorous, fun, and satirical aspects of tinfoil hats.

It’s not about selling a product, it’s about changing perceptions.  Perception is the name of the game, a fact taught openly in marketing classes, and the job of the marketer is to alter it.  In the case of ‘Positioning’ as Al Reis, who is co-credited with being the first to use the idea in marketing, so eloquently puts on the cover of his book, it is the battle for your mind.  

All this being said, it is reasonable to assume that a brand new U.S. based military industrial complex, involving foreign investment, aimed at U.S. citizens, would require a brand new marketing strategy, right?  An effort to alter perception in order to create a need, some reason for it to seem like a good idea to the people.  Oh, but who in the heck would want to do that, you ask?

“As Knightscope looks over a multi-decade planning horizon, we believe there is an opportunity to build a $30 billion company analogous to a defense contractor, but instead focused inward on operations on our own soil.”

Yes, Knightscope.  A U.S. based company who cites, get this, Sandy Hook as the reason for it’s “master plan to make the U.S. the safest country in the world”.  However, it’s main investors include the number one telecommunications company in Japan DOCOMO (nttdocomo.co.jp/english/corporate/about/outline/index.html), a Chinese communist but U.S. sanctioned tech firm called NetPosa whose goal is to create AI surveillance cities (en.netposa.com/), the Japanese based global corporation Konica Minolta that boasts of just under one trillion in annual sales (konicaminolta.com/global-en/corporate/glance.html), an investment firm called Proud Ventures whose website is headed with a picture of Knightscope robots in front of the now heavily guarded and off-limits U.S. Capital (proud.ventures/), and, well, just about anyone who wants:

A recently appearing flood of online ads depicting 328 million Americans as being woefully under policed by only 2 million law enforcement officers asks the common laborer to “Join Us and Be a Force for Good!” by crowd funding a company with a valuation of $447 million.  In return for a speculative, illiquid, high risk investment that they may lose in its entirety, the people can help Knightscope alleviate that problem.  

That’s right, the problem of too few cops in America.  Perfectly following a summer of defunded police departments and cops being stereotyped, intimidated, and bullied into retirement over isolated incidents before they even went to trial, at the encouragement of media companies who make their money off advertising dollars.  A summer where a masterful positioning campaign depicted human police officers as uniformly racist and in need of replacement, as a problem to be solved as a whole.  A problem that Knightscope just happens to have the perfect product for.  A product that an enitity which sees its future self as “a $30 billion company analogous to a defense contractor” has been “multi-decade horizon planning” since 2015.  A product, by the way, that functions.  Their first units shipped in 2015, and by 2018 Knightscope had 36 contracts.  Boasting over one million hours of actual real life robot security and surveillance, their Autonomous Security Robots (ASR) guard areas like parking lots, corporate campuses, shopping malls, and yes, even work for the police. 

Meet the K5 unit.  This particular autonomous, weatherproof, ramp traversing, 360°
microphone and camera with night vision having, face recognizing, thermal anomaly detecting, automatic license plate reading, 24/7/365 operating, “force multiplying physical deterrence” robot works for the Huntington Park Police in California.  The K5 “achieves measurable results” such as a 46% reduction in reported crime, a 68% reduction in citations, and a 27% increase in arrests.  That’s right, an INCREASE in arrests of twenty seven percent.  Interested in a demo?  Visit: https://www.knightscope.com/k5/

Science fiction?  Nope, just a brand new military industrial complex for a brand new world.  A world in which war is a thing of the past and your homeland is the most dangerous place on Earth.  Where fellow countrymen are the scapegoats by which defense contractors sell fear and gain lucrative profits.  How long until they incorporate weed detectors and merge them with quadcopters in order to protect people from ‘black market’ growers?  As Knightscope states on their  startengine.com page, “Humans can only see so much - but robots can see much more.”

Certainly, if the history of war tells us anything, when the time comes the people will fall prey to the positioning campaign.  They will latch on to the narrative, sieze the moral highground, perpetuate the stereotypes, and shout down anyone who sees things otherwise.

Until enough of us finally catch on.

Michigan News - April 2021

 

Detroit Overwhelmed by Legacy Applicants

Detroit - Friday, March 26th, was the final day for ‘Detroit Legacy’ qualifiers to submit paperwork to the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity department, which has become overwhelmed, according to officials.   

Close to six hundred applicants had applied at the time of this writing, with two more days before the cut-off.  The response was “far more than we expected”, stated Erica Hill, the departments director, to the Detroit News mid March.

At this rate, and with a cap of 75 licenses, Detroit will have to deny at least 526 ‘Legacy’ applicants in order to approve any non-legacy licensing.

Traverse City Sued Over Recreational Licensing

Traverse City - It looked like the city was on a fast track toward recreational marijuana, but then officials decided to cap the license limit to four.  Twelve local medical shops are suing in an effort to change the laws.  The lawsuit is still pending, and a judge has banned sales until it is settled. 

“It seems like people are under the impression that medical-use facilities were just gonna be able to transfer over to recreational.  I don’t remember having that conversation.”, stated Mayor Jim Carruthers.

Michael DiLaura of House of Dank disagrees with the decision, and believes the market should determine numbers, “Most municipalities don’t decide that, based on population, they only need three coffee spots.”  His answer to the City wanting safe sales is simply to let them operate.  “We’ve been here a year, there’s been no trouble, nothing has changed.  Traverse City is still this world-class town that people want to visit and live in.  Cannabis hasn’t altered that.”

The City currently has a merit system to determine the four recreational license holders.  Social welfare projects funded by pot businesses, such as building housing, are scored and tallied to determine who gets licensing, leaving the courts to also decide what constitutes as ‘merit’.  That will be a difficult task according to the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Matt Abel, “What you might perceive as something that’s beneficial, someone else might perceive differently.”

Traverse City did not receive any money from the State this year for recreational marijuana sales.

Power Struggle for Michigan Weed Supply

Michigan - As supply over paces demand the fight for control of that supply of weed and what it will cost rages on in Michigan. Here are the major players: 

Team Blue is mostly led by the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCiA). Its core members came primarily from MACC, the Michigan Association of Compassion Centers. Robin Schnider is the bridge that has helped several owners of the original compassion clubs transition into the licensed market.  They are the oldest folks in the Michigan business cannabis space. They have been very supportive and connected to the Executive branch in Michigan, specifically for Governor Whitmer and AG Dana Nessel. With social equity benefactor Ryan Bassor in connection with the Gage group which has recently gone public and is valued at $350 million, and seeks to be listed in Canada as well, team blue appeals to social equity players in the big cities. They are in direct competition with team red, and profess to care about  bringing small business owners into the cannabis business space, and to care about cannabis culture. Spokesperson of team blue, Rick Thompson, reports in his blog, the Compassion Chronicles, that its team red that is trying to sell out team green. 

Team Red is mostly led by the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA). Its core members came primarily from the business world and venture capitalists that seek to limit the amount of players in the market. Their lobbyist, Steve Linder, entered the cannabis space at the same time as the state MMFLA which established the marijuana facilities licenses act. He has a strong connection to the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Heavily leveraged, its members are the most well funded players in the industry and are backed by huge money, some of which is coming from Canada. They despise team blue and team green, seeking to highly restrict new businesses from entering the market by lobbying for restrictions in state and local governments. Team red does’t give a fuck about street cred, and is targeting team blue with big money schemes to destroy any competition.

Team Green has no leadership structure. Medical marijuana caregivers and home growers are starting to pay attention to how both team blue and team red are throwing them under the bus, by lobbying municipalities to restrict cultivation through the Michigan Municipal League. These folks grow and sell weed, mostly on the black market, and are really good at it. Consumers are split between the legal and black market. They will buy from the team that best represents them, like fans of a sports team. Activists are also joining teams, and some are double agents, like Rick Thompson, who is pretending to be on team green. The Democrat Party in Michigan will take money and votes from anywhere, and are pretending to be on all teams, when in all actuality they are aligned with team blue. Virtual Hash bash is team blue. The real Hash Bash is team green.