If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed the frail tapestry of reality has been fraying at the edges for the past couple of years. The world of fantasy seems to have collided with its ugly twin, reality, and the two have been awkwardly wrestling for our entertainment on the nightly news. Yes, I’m talking about the complete memetic takeover of the “way things are” by the collective weirdness of the world’s subcultures as they’re thrust into the harsh sunlight of the internet. When furries, transgenics and augmented reality have become passé, it isn’t surprising that cannabis seems like less of a threat to the general status quo than it did some 50 years ago.And maybe that’s why more and more policy makers are signaling that they’re warming up to the idea. A bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced a bill into the House and Senate last week that would protect the cannabis industry in states where it’s been legalized for medical or recreational use. The STATES (Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States) Act would amend the Controlled Substances Act to limit the number of federal actions against these states that are available to the Drug Enforcement Agency. The legislation was introduced with 13 Democratic and 13 Republican cosponsors in the House.There seems to be a rising number of GOP members who support cannabis reform right now. This is notable, as the issue is finally leaving the bounds of partisan rhetoric. Forbes recently reported that the House’s top Republican on criminal justice issues, co-sponsor of the STATES Act and House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Doug Collins, said it was “incumbent on Congress to clarify these issues and reform our federal laws.” According to Rolling Stone, Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate, claims he already spoke to President Donald Trump and convinced him to endorse a state’s rights approach to marijuana reform. This sounds likely, considering Trump’s support of a previous version of the bill last year.And that means that we all need to stop buying into the “Republicans versus Democrats” argument that has dominated political discourse in this country—at least in this instance of cannabis reform. I highly doubt there’s some comic book supervillain out there purposefully planting this divisive argument to cause discord among the ranks, but if there was, then it would be the perfect plan.Decrim Bill SignedThrow your hats in the air and celebrate the little victories.Last week Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB 323, officially decriminalizing the possession of marijuana. The law states that anyone caught with less than a half ounce of cannabis or paraphernalia in their possession will be subject to a $50 fine and issued a penalty assessment (which is not considered a criminal conviction). First-time offenders with more than half an ounce but less than an ounce will be found guilty of a misdemeanor and punished with a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $100 or by imprisonment for no more than 15 days. First-time offenders with more than an ounce but less than eight ounces will be found guilty of a misdemeanor and punished with a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for less than a year. Anything more than that will be a fourth degree felony. This is good news, to be sure, but it’s not great news. In fact it feels like a bit of a slap following the failure of two legalization bills during this year’s legislative session.Don’t get me wrong—it’s great that less people will be jailed for something that shouldn’t be illegal in the first place, but it’s proof that our leaders are still holding onto outdated and, frankly, foolish ideas surrounding the drug.I don’t know why I’d be shocked. Abortion is still technically illegal in New Mexico. I mean, really.Strain CornerA week of hiking and picking up heavy stuff had left my muscles sore and my back in disarray. I limped my way into Cannaceutics (4316 Carlisle Blvd. NE Ste. D) with pain relief on my mind. I hadn’t been by in a while. They’ve finally expanded the waiting room and added an actual showroom, which made the experience way easier and more comfortable. I picked out a gram of Back to the Future (THC: 27.14%, CBD: < 0.1%—$11/gram) and headed home with the idea of smoking it while watching the film with the same name. Back home, I fired up the movie and packed a bowl. The buds were sticky and dense. It smelled pungent and sharp, with a light hint of cat piss. An indica-dominant hybrid, this cross of Road Kill Skunk and Allen Wrench tastes incredibly sour and skunky. Its powerful effects were evident almost immediately.Before the DeLorean had even made an appearance, I was already feeling like jelly. The body high from this strain is incredibly pervasive and instead of pain, I felt a light tired looseness in my joints and back. I stayed very spacey and unfocused through the first half of the movie and finally gave up when my eyelids turned into sheets of slate and demanded that I take a nap. I only budged once—when I heard the classic “Hello, McFly”—but I kept my eyes closed.This strain is perfect for those suffering from pain, inflammation or sleeplessness.
Baked Goods: Getting Along
States Bill And Bipartisanship
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