A few weeks ago I said that rather than bringing an end to cannabis acceptance in the US, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions was going to unite the Republican party against him and prove once and for all that support for the plant is bipartisan. Now some members of the GOP are getting antsy about the renegade and speaking out publicly. I’m still holding my breath.See, earlier this month: The gargoyle climbed down from his perch on the corner of the Robert F. Kennedy building long enough to write a memo that reversed Obama era policies which protect states where cannabis is legal from federal prosecutors. His long, ribbon-like tongue licked his eyeball and he sighed with contentment.But the memo only told federal prosecutors that they were free to go go after whomever they liked, state laws be damned. It was a policy change rather than a law change, and so far, no dispensaries have been tear gassed by stormtroopers. What did happen: Republican Sen. Cory Gardener, of Colorado, told Rolling Stone that Sessions had guaranteed that “marijuana would not be a priority for this administration.” Gardener is reportedly mad as hell and even went to have a sit-down with the old bastard. Apparently the meeting was fruitless, since Gardener told reporters that neither he nor Sessions had changed their positions and that he looked forward to a “resolution.” Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, told CNN earlier this month that Sessions “betrays the people who have had faith in him,” presumably speaking about the Trump administration.And in an absolutely out-of-left-field move last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers came out in the open in the House of Representatives to criticize Sessions and show support for pro-cannabis bills.Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) introduced a bill titled the “REFER Act,” which would effectively reverse Sessions’ reversal of the Cole memo, barring federal law enforcement agencies from prosecuting cannabis producers and consumers in states where it’s legal (as long as certain safety restrictions are observed). The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Don Young (R-AK), Dina Titus (D-NV) and Jared Polis (D-CO).But here’s the big one: The “Marijuana Justice Act,” introduced by Reps. Lee and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). It’s a companion piece to a bill introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) last year. This bill is supported by a dozen House Democrats and would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances. Furthermore, it promises to provide “restorative justice,” meaning the federal government will begin making reparations to communities disproportionately affected by the drug war. And, if it isn’t already shocking enough, the bill proposes creating a $500 million fund to create job training programs to help create a base for the industry.Will the bill go through? I mean, I don’t want to jinx anything, but I doubt it. What it does is get people buzzing about it and realizing that Americans want cannabis legalized.
Baked Goods: Edibles Mistaken For Candy At Abq School
Colorado passed a law last year banning producers from making their edibles look like animals, people or fruit. They did it as a safety precaution to keep children from mistaking them for candy and accidentally dosing themselves.I heard some grumbles from people I know in the community, but I thought it was a good idea. I’m an adult. You can make it look like a pile of dog doo and I’ll still eat it (well …). But it didn’t seem like an issue that was at the front of anyone’s mind, yet.Well, I bet that just changed for a lot of folks when it happened here. Seems a fifth grader at the Albuquerque School of Excellence brought a box of candies to share with her classmates last week that turned out to be cannabis edibles. The school’s dean told reporters that the child handed out candies to five children in all, causing some to become “giggly,” and some to get sick. The 9-year-old allegedly found the box of edibles at her home. Whether the candy was produced locally or not has not been made clear.The school contacted paramedics, the parents of the children, Youth and Families Department and the Albuquerque Police Department. Teachers and faculty were given an impromptu class on identifying cannabis edibles and students were warned about the dangers of eating unknown foods. The school’s policy of not allowing outside food or drink was apparently reiterated. All five children were sent home with their parents and have returned to school with seemingly no lasting effects.Nevertheless, it would do us well to remember to keep our meds in a safe area where children can’t find them. Hopefully, when we’re done arguing about whether to legalize or not, we can start looking at real issues, like installing common sense in producers.