Portland Pickles First Sports Team To Sell THC Products at Games

The Portland Pickles—a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat team based in Portland, Oregon—will become the first sports team in the U.S. to legally sell THC products at live sports events.

The baseball team announced Tuesday an exclusive partnership with Cycling Frog, makers of hemp-derived THC-based seltzer drinks. The team began selling the infused drinks at Walker Stadium in Portland on June 18. Cycling Frog was founded in 2021 and sells a range of hemp-derived, full-spectrum cannabinoid products including THC seltzers, gummies, softgels, and microdose mints

The Oregonian reports that Cycling Frog’s drinks contain 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBG per can and will be available in passionfruit and lemon flavors inside the ballpark.

“The Portland Pickles have a responsibility in the sports industry to take leaps and set a precedent of innovative partnerships,” Ross Campbell, VP of Business Development for the Pickles, said in a statement. “As we saw in 2019, becoming the first team to ever partner with a CBD company, and quickly teams all the way up to the Major League level across sports follow suit.”

Since Cycling Frog’s drinks contain hemp-derived THC, people who purchase them must be 21 years of age or older to purchase. How is this legal? According to a statement, the Pickles have consulted on regulations with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) and Portland Parks and Recreation, which owns the stadium.

The Portland Pickles play at Walker Stadium when they play home games.

KGW reports that the seltzers will be sold at three different locations throughout the stadium: The Jack Daniels Party Deck Bar, Dillon’s Hideaway Bar and a third standalone pop-up inside the gates. People must be 21 years old or older to purchase. 

Stephen Colbert Name-Drops Portland Pickles and THC Drinks

Stephen Colbert even got in on the action, following the news about the Portland Pickles. During the Thursday episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Toward the end of his opening monologue, Colbert joked about it being the first day of summer, which means baseball.

Colbert joked about the New York Mets, the McDonald’s mascot Grimace throwing out a first pitch at one of their games, and this not being the first time a McDonald’s mascot helped out the New York team.

“Back in 1986, the Hamburglar was their coke dealer,” Colbert said. Switching to baseball’s minor leagues, “and the minor leagues of drugs,” he went on to note that the Portland Pickles have become the first sports team to legally sell THC products at games..

Colbert then said Portland Pickle fans “won’t be sparking up in the stands, you’ll be sparkling up, because instead of smoke-able products, they’ll be selling THC-based seltzer drinks.”

The Portland Pickles X account posted a clip of the video.

we made it. again. pic.twitter.com/Z1QmuXREcS

— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) June 21, 2024

Colbert then went on to say that Coca-Cola used to be infused with cocaine, so a THC drink really isn’t all that far-fetched.

That might sound odd, Colbert said, “but remember, Coca-Cola used to have cocaine in it, and ginger ale originally contained the blood of a redhead.”

Cannabis Sales in Portland

Cannabis sales in the city of Portland fell in 2022. According to an OLCC database, Portland, Oregon area pot sales hit the lowest number of sales in three years. However, some experts blame the drop in sales on the temporary pandemic hump.

In June 2022, retail cannabis shops across Multnomah County, the state’s most populous area, made the lowest monthly profit they have since early 2019—hitting just $27,000 on average.

The price of cannabis flower is the lowest it’s been since April 2019. The county’s average gram sells for just $4.29 a gram—quite a bit lower than you’d find in most other states. Some have blamed the drop in value on Oregon’s oversupply problem, while others say the state’s oversupply problem wasn’t quite so bad as reported.

Portland residents bought $21 million worth of flower in July 2020, in the middle of the pandemic—and it was the most cannabis ever purchased in the state in a single month.

In general, cannabis sales increased at a steady pace since they began in 2016, but they skyrocketed in 2020, partly due to working from home and stimulus checks. In the span of only five months, cannabis sales in the county  increased by 79%. On average, cannabis shops raked in $48,000 per month in Multnomah County during the month of July 2020. But sales plunged shortly after, marking the lowest number recorded since June 2019.

Now that cannabis will be available at Portland Pickles games, local residents in the area can now have another way to get THC-infused products.

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Connecticut Man Busted with $8.5M Worth of Shrooms

A Burlington, Connecticut man was busted for allegedly growing psilocybin mushrooms in a large, commercial-style factory with an estimated $8.5 million in street value. Weston Soule, 21, is accused of allegedly growing millions’ worth of psilocybin mushrooms. He was charged with possession with intent to sell narcotics and the operating of a drug factory.

An unidentified person snitched out Soule, police said. Agents from the DEA Hartford Task force and state police detectives received a tip that suggested a man was operating a clandestine psilocybin mushroom growing operation at a home on Lyon Road.

WFSB Hartford reported that law enforcement agents descended upon Soule’s home on Thursday morning. Once there, authorities said they talked to Soule and saw ventilation equipment throughout the residence that are consistent with psilocybin operations.

Soule led investigators to a detached garage on his property and police found his large mushroom growing operation, where Soule claimed he was simply growing a different type of mushroom.

When Soule initially denied police entry to his home, police submitted a search warrant to New Britain Superior Court, which was granted. Once the search warrant was approved, investigators said they found a large “mushroom factory” with multilevel racks neatly lined up with substrates, inoculation chambers, grains, nutrients, and other supplies. The grow factory contained psilocybin mushrooms in various stages of growth, with an estimated total street value of $8.5 million.

Soule was taken into custody at the scene and transported to state police headquarters in Litchfield, Connecticut where he was processed and charged. Neighbors say a series of factors indicated a grow operation was taking place.

“They were running air conditioners when it was a cold day which didn’t seem right. They had air conditioners in the top windows and front of the house. You also saw more cars there during the day which made it seem like a place of employment rather than someone sleeping there at night,” an eyewitness neighbor told WFSB Hartford.

UNH Criminal Justice Professor and retired FBI agent Kenneth Gray says that’s a usual sign in this operation. “In a marijuana grow house, the house is usually filled with lamps. In this case, mushrooms don’t need a lot of lamps, instead, they need a lot of ventilation,” Gray said.

Soule was held in jail on a $250,000 cash/surety bond and was scheduled to appear for arraignment at New Britain Superior Court on Friday.

Psilocybin Reform in Connecticut

People in Connecticut are also attempting to regulate the cultivation of it legally. In 2021, Dr. Bronner’s pushed for psilocybin reform in Connecticut. New Approach PAC, a lobbyist group, funded $14,000 in 2021 to local firm Grossman Solutions to promote drug policy reform in Connecticut. Dr. Bronner’s is among New Approach’s biggest donors.

CT Insider reported that a task force in Connecticut is examining the efficacy of psilocybin mushrooms for use in therapeutic settings. House Bill 6296, sponsored by Representative Josh Elliot and four other representatives, created a task force responsible for studying the efficacy of psilocybin for a variety of conditions—a key step in legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic purposes. Grossman Solutions will help New Approach engage with Connecticut’s psilocybin task force.

CEO David Bronner is the grandson of company founder Emil Bronner. He said his goal is to free psychedelics, specifically legalization of psilocybin for therapeutic purposes, adding it’s exactly what his grandfather would have done. “The passion of my grandfather was to unite spaceship earth,” Bronner said. “We honor that legacy in different ways,” among them “integration of psychedelic healing in medicine and therapy.” Bronner also said that he believes “psychedelic medicine can really help people heal and wake up, and grapple with pressing problems.”

A pilot program on the benefits of synthetic psilocybin for mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is launching soon at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. 

A study cohort will consist of 50 patients, mostly veterans and first responders, who are with mental health concerns like depression and addiction. Participants will take 25 mg of synthetic psilocybin, and after the psychedelic effects wind down, they will discuss issues and progress (or lack thereof) with trained therapists.

Connecticut Post reports that the goal is to fulfill the need for state data that has been lacking, according to state Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington). “We need to have the data to show that there is documented proof of what that therapy does,” Cook said. “We know that it has some incredible outcomes when it is done right, when it’s done by people that are trained in how to use it for treatment of PTSD and so forth.”

Cases like Soule’s would disappear if people in Connecticut gained access to regulated psilocybin as reform bills make their way through legislation.

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Cannabis Conviction Pardons Praised in Maryland

Advocates and organizations praise the recent wave of 175,000 pardons by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, showing the importance of helping those with current cannabis convictions on their records.

Baltimore, Maryland-native Shiloh Jordan was originally pulled over by law enforcement for not wearing a seatbelt, according to an interview conducted by The Associated Press. The officer said that she smelled cannabis in his vehicle and used a piece of tape to discover “cannabis crumbs” on the floor. Jordan believes that she had picked up less than a gram in crumbs. “She was just like, ‘Yep, you’re going to jail,’” Jordan recalled. “I’m like what? Are you serious? At the time I did feel like, you know, it was just a petty weed charge. I’m like man, whatever, it’s a little petty weed charge. And then, like I said, just later on it was affecting me when I applied for a job.”

Later on, Jordan got a new job to start fresh, but they let him go due to conducting a background check and having a misdemeanor conviction on his record. “I felt defeated. I felt upset a little bit, you know.” Jordan said. “I was disheartened because, like I said, for the last couple months I did not have a job so… I was just trying to, you know, do the right thing.”

He persevered and took part in a job readiness program which led him to go back to school and play football in college. Now he works with the Baltimore-based Center for Urban Families, a nonprofit organization that assists local families.

Although Jordan was able to pave his own path, and became one of the 175,000 recently pardoned Marylanders will help so many people who are currently struggling. “I just feel like this is a big opportunity for people, you know, to not let struggles get in their way,” Jordan explained.

Moore issued the pardons on June 17, stating that this was a necessary decision to help thousands of people get back on track and to right the wrongs from the War on Drugs. “This is about changing how both government and society view those who have been walled off from opportunity because of broken and uneven policies,” Moore said. “Legalization does not turn back the clock on decades of harm that was caused by this war on drugs. It doesn’t erase the fact that Black Marylanders were three times more likely to be arrested for cannabis than white Marylanders before legalization. It doesn’t erase the fact that having a conviction on your record means a harder time with everything, everything, from housing, to employment to education.”

Jordan stood with Moore at a news conference on June 17 when the pardons were issued. “It means a lot, because I know a lot of people that have been convicted for petty cannabis charges, and it really affected their whole way of life and their whole way of thinking,” Jordan said.

Although the pardons are welcome, they are not the same as expungements. If a person seeks to have their record expunged, they need to do so in court so that their record is clear. The Associated Press stated that Xavier Conaway, Circuit Court for Baltimore City, said that they are committed to offering services that allow people to pursue expungement. “Our office is committed and ready to provide all necessary assistance to ensure that pardoned individuals in Baltimore City can navigate the expungement process smoothly and efficiently,” Conaway said. They added that the governor’s action “acknowledges the importance of the fair administration of justice in removing educational, housing, and employment barriers that have long disproportionately affected the lives of many Baltimoreans.”

Baltimore is the most highly populated city in Maryland, and an estimated 39,865 of the 175,000 pardons are for people residing in that area.

Praises were issued across the board from a variety of advocates and organizations. Maryland Legal Aid chief legal and advocacy director, Somil Trivedi, called the move a “gargantuan step” to right the wrongs caused by the War on Drugs. “It’s also, meaningfully, a recognition of that past and a way to move forward,” Trivedi said.

The editorial board of The Washington Post wrote an op-ed about the pardons, calling it “a model for the country.” “Marijuana consumption shouldn’t be celebrated; recent health studies suggest it should be discouraged,” the news outlet wrote. “But neither should it be harshly punished by the criminal justice system. It, much like other harmful but legal and regulated substances such as alcohol and tobacco, it simply doesn’t do enough damage to merit upending lives over simple possession. Mr. Moore has recognized this, and so have executives in nine other states and multiple cities. More should follow suit.”

The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) also released a statement about Maryland’s pardons. “It has been nearly a year since Maryland passed full cannabis legalization, and at the same time that some are poised to profit off of this burgeoning industry, millions more remain burdened by the collateral consequences of a cannabis conviction,” LPP wrote.  “LPP is proud to be part of today’s historic announcement which is a crucial step in beginning to right the wrongs of our failed approach to cannabis policy.”

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Arizona Governor Approves Bill To Allow Workers’ Compensation for MDMA Treatment

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs recently signed Senate Bill 1677, which will permit both firefighters and certified peace officers to receive workers’ compensation to cover the price of MDMA therapy if they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill only takes effect if or when midomafetamine (MDMA) becomes federally legalized though.

According to the bill, the Industrial Commissions of Arizona would be directed to provide “reimbursement values in its schedule of fees and publish guidelines on billing and  reimbursement practices for midomafetamine.”

If or when enacted, it would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to first approve MDMA, which would allow the workers’ compensation to be approved. However, the bill currently does not create any regulatory framework for MDMA therapy. “If an independent medical examination reveals a treatment protocol of midomafetamine is deemed a reasonable and necessary treatment and follows the treatment guidelines established by the Industrial Commission of Arizona, workers’ compensation coverage may include on complete course of a treatment protocol of midomafetamine as prescribed by a psychiatrist,” the bill stated.

Sen. David Gowan, sponsor of SB-1677, believes that MDMA will be beneficial to many people if it can be legally used in a therapeutic setting. “At the end of the day, it’s about saving lives hopefully, saving our first responders lives who are out there protecting us each and every day,” Gowan said in February.

At the time, three lobbyists who represented insurance companies, spoke against the bill. “If this treatment comes out, [and] it works, it will be widely adopted in the workers’ compensation system,” said lobbyist Marc Osborn. “But we just don’t know.” He added that using opioids for pain management in the early 2000s was a disaster, and recommended that legislators “take it slow, be careful.”

Another lobbyist, Mike Williams, made a claim that increased accessibility of MDMA won’t help. “While they’re debating whether this is the right modality or that’s the right modality and then they want to go to an independent review, I’m just hoping that the firefighter doesn’t get so depressed that that he or the police officer commits suicide and leave their family,” Williams said in February.

Legislators such as Sen. J.D. Mesnard ultimately voted against the bill due to concerns. “I think we all agree we want the best treatment for our first responders,” Mesnard said. “This may be it—I don’t know. But I am just uncomfortable making that decision right now rather than letting the normal process play out.’”

On June 18, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed House Bill 1570, which would have permitted psilocybin use in designated treatment centers. According to Hobbs, there isn’t enough evidence to confirm that psilocybin can be safe and useful for veterans. “The state’s psilocybin research advisory board established last year recently issued its annual report, with a clear message: although psilocybin may be a promising treatment in the future, we do not yet have the evidence needed to support widespread clinical expansion,” said Hobbs. “Arizonans with depression and PTSD deserve access to treatments that may be seen as outside the mainstream, but they should not be the subject of experiments for unproven therapies with a lack of appropriate guardrails.”

In 2023, Hobbs’ budget included $5 million dedicated to psilocybin research, but HB-1570 would have also added an additional cost of $400,000.

HB-1570 sponsor T.J. Shope told a reporter from The Center Square that he is disappointed that the bill didn’t pass, especially since it received overwhelming support in both the House and the Senate. “If we were still in session, I’d be pushing to override her veto but I’ll have to settle for trying again next year,” Shope said.  I won’t stop fighting for our veterans and first responders to get the mental health care they deserve in these clinical settings. Sadly, Arizonans will now have to continue leaving their own state and country to receive this type of treatment. It’s truly a sad day for those who have put everything on the line for us.”

Meanwhile in California, SB-803 (also called the Heal Our Heroes Act) was announced on June 17 by sponsors Sen. Josh Becker and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones. Recently, SB-803 was amended to include restricted language about who would qualify under the psilocybin therapy program. The use of “first responders” in the bill text has since been changed to “former” first responders, as well as defining that anyone who is in active duty cannot apply. Previously, there were a number of professionals who could administer psilocybin, but now the language has been reduced to include just physicians and surgeons.

Many studies on psilocybin and MDMA continue to show how it can be an effective treatment for a variety of conditions. A recent study published in Clinical Case Reports shows how both psilocybin as well as MDMA can benefit those who are suffering from COVID Long-Hauler’s symptoms, including severe anxiety, depression, debilitating headaches, and cognitive difficulties.

Another study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in February showed that MDMA can help increase feelings of happiness during a positive social interaction, which could also potentially assist PTSD patients as well.

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New Report Showcases Potential of Pennsylvania Adult-Use Industry Following Legalization

Responsible PA, a Pennsylvania-based advocacy group, recently partnered with FTI Consulting to determine important data about the state’s cannabis industry potential.

FTI Consulting analyzed trends exhibited in other states surrounding reform and legalization and came to the conclusion that adult-use cannabis sales in Pennsylvania could reach anywhere between $1.7 billion to $2.8 billion within its first year of operation.

The report was released during a digital news conference held on June 20 by Responsible PA. “There’s an enormous economic impact the state of Pennsylvania has left on the table year after year,” said Responsible PA spokesperson Brit Crampsie.

FTI Consulting stated that the sales projection includes the assumption that the state may implement a 6% retail sales tax, in addition to a 15% excise tax and other applicable taxes to consider. Additionally, the projection estimates that the state would collect $420 million to $720 million in cannabis tax revenue during the same time period.

A surge in legal cannabis businesses would also bring a slew of job openings, and FTI Consulting stated that legalization would lead to 26,250-44,500 new jobs. “Nearly two-thirds of the jobs supported by the adult use market would be direct cannabis jobs, with the remaining third supported indirectly or through induced spending,” the report stated.

The report also added that the state would need to approve 43-100 retail licenses in order to properly serve the state as a whole.

Adult-use cannabis has not yet been legalized in Pennsylvania, but there are numerous efforts trying to get legalization passed.

On June 17, Rep. Aaron Kaufer and Rep. Emily Kinkead announced the introduction of their bill. Currently it doesn’t have a numbered designation, and will not receive one until later this month, but a report from WVIA said that according to Kinkead, it will be called House Bill 2500. If passed into law, the bill would “foster job creation and generate significant tax revenue for the Commonwealth, while helping eradicate the illicit market plaguing many communities.”

According to Kaufer, the Pennsylvania medical cannabis program would serve as a foundation for adult-use legalization. “This bill underscores our commitment to responsible regulation of the cannabis industry while addressing the diverse needs of Pennsylvania’s communities,” said Kaufer. “By prioritizing public safety and consumer protection, this legislation will build on the successful regulatory structure of the state’s medical cannabis program, continuing stringent standards for product quality, packaging and labeling to ensure the well-being of all consumers.”

Kinkead stated that adult-use legalization is long overdue. “It is well past time for the Commonwealth to legalize cannabis for recreational use, address the injustices of the failed War on Drugs, and ensure that Pennsylvanians can benefit from this industry in the same way our neighboring states have,” said Kinkead. “Our bipartisan effort to provide specific language that takes the best practices from other states is the next substantial step in finally getting this done.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro revealed his 2024-2025 budget proposal (approximately $48.3 billion in spending) earlier this year in February, which included a call to legalize cannabis. “I ask you to come together and send to my desk a bill that legalizes marijuana. But that bill should ensure the industry is regulated and taxed responsibly,” Shapiro stated. “We’re losing out on an industry that, once fully implemented, would bring in more than $250 million in annual revenue. And our failure to legalize and regulate this only fuels the black market and drains much-needed resources for law enforcement. It’s time to catch up.”

If cannabis is accepted in Shapiro’s budget, it would legalize adult-use cannabis starting on July 1, 2024, with an estimated sales start date on January 1, 2025. His pitch includes a 20% tax on adult-use cannabis, which would net more than $250 million in annual tax revenue. He also included the need for expungement for those who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes and stated that the Department of Agriculture would helm the adult-use cannabis program. Additionally, the legislature would need to come up with the rest of the details.

However, Shapiro’s budget is due by June 30 and news reports show that cannabis legalization is likely not going to be included. Rep. Dan Frankel said that passing legalization is “probably not a realistic timeframe,” however, he did tell Spotlight PA that they “are on a path to get this done.

Another bill, Senate Bill 846, was first introduced in 2023 by Sen. Dan Laughlin and Sen. Sharif Street, and would permit medical cannabis businesses to sell adult-use cannabis while also implementing rules to assist social equity applicants who want to take part in the industry.

Additionally, A House Co-Sponsorhip Memoranda was published on June 17, which calls for adult-use cannabis legalization and the implementation of regulations, product packaging requirements, law enforcement funding, farmer support, and job generation. “Accordingly, we believe that now is the time for Pennsylvania to move in a similar direction and our bill establishes strong tenets for an adult-use market,” the bill text stated.

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Brand Spotlight: Tonic

As someone who started in the medical cannabis space, I was completely freaked out when the hemp CBD craze emerged. To this day, there’s no head of the hemp world. That’s why, for many years, when someone asked for a reliable CBD topical for sore muscles or a tincture for mental calm, I recommended TONIC. I interviewed the founder, Long Island native Brittany Carbone, for an article that centered around the tours she’d hosted at her hemp farm in 2018, and the more we talked, the more I was impressed. Carbone and her husband grew and harvested their own hemp, processed the plant material themselves, and formulated their own products. Carbone was among the only independent CBD brands growing their own hemp in 2017, and she was also an early face at cannabis-related events in general, helping build a new cannabis community of people looking to get into the legal cannabis or hemp game.

In addition to inviting tours out to the farm, Carbone is passionate about empowering people to make the most of their newfound right to grow cannabis at home and connecting good people, like when she helped Housing Works, New York’s first legal shop, get in touch with trusted, licensed brands when they were frantically filling shelves for launch. Now, TONIC has a THC line of vapes, gummies, and pre-rolls stocked in New York dispensaries in addition to their hemp CBD offerings, which is a damn good thing because while I am a fan of their gummies, their CBD face oil remains my skin’s favorite weed-related product.

Excerpted with permission from Green Scenes by Lauren Yoshiko, published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2024.

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The Art of Cannabonsai

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, Davin Carvalho was always drawn to the outdoors. He and his friends would skateboard, surf, and explore Oʻahu’s west side, enjoying the warm sun, breezy tradewinds, and cool waters around Mākaha Beach. As he grew older, he sought new hobbies that would keep him outside, and eventually discovered gardening. Today, Carvalho is known for his cannabonsai trees, which possess a Zen-like aesthetic and offer an enlightened high through the flower that they provide.

Carvalho’s journey as a gardener started early, when he began growing kalo as a kid. Kalo, or taro in Hawaiian, is a root vegetable that is inextricably linked to Hawaiian culture. According to mythology, the kalo plant represents the original ancestor and elder brother of all Hawaiians. For Carvalho, who is indigenous, growing kalo bound him to his familial roots. With around 100 plants in his garden, he could happily spend over an hour watering, fertilizing, and pruning on a daily basis.

For reasons unknown, in late 2020 Carvalho began to experience debilitating panic attacks. After two months of agony and countless emergency room visits, he discovered that gardening was a tool he could use to manage his anxiety. A friend sent him some traditional bonsai videos, which were relaxing and educational at the same time. Before long, Carvalho bought a couple ficus and juniper trees and began to seriously study Chinese and Japanese bonsai as a form of therapy.

During that same period, Carvalho decided to apply for official documentation with Hawaiʻi’s Medical Cannabis Registry, allowing him to grow marijuana for personal use. After realizing that traditional bonsai requires decades of devotion, he decided to adapt bonsai techniques to pakalolo which allowed him to grow beautiful, medicinal plants in a shorter period of time.

Through research on the topic, Carvalho learned that the bonsai “effect” comes as a result of training a plant. In the world of cannabis, training is nothing new. It’s common practice for growers to train plants for a higher yield and denser buds. By gently manipulating branches or tilting the pot the plant is in, Carvalho can create the bonsai effect as a result.

“My objective when I’m training my plants is to make it look like a replica of a full-size tree,” Carvalho said. “I try to think, ‘How many branches do I want? What do I want the canopy shape to look like? Do I want it to be a taller tree, a shorter tree? A bushier tree or a lankier tree?’ I keep all that in mind.”

Although he does not necessarily speak to his plants, Carvalho spends a lot of time in close proximity to them. Doing so promotes the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, with both parties benefiting in the process. By providing for his plants and helping them thrive, he hopes that they will return the favor.

“Gardening itself is a language. I might not speak verbally to them, but there is nonverbal communication with the plants in my garden and myself,” Carvalho said. “It’s a constant sending and receiving of messages in order for us to achieve understanding and reach a common goal, which is for the plants to flower and produce beautiful buds.”

In his most recent run, Carvalho incorporated rose quartz and amethyst, a crystal that is said to promote calmness and relaxation. When preparing for a new harvest, he is intentional about the overall aesthetics the cannabonsai will have, from top to bottom of the plant.

“I’ve done a little bit of research, but I’m definitely no expert. I wanted to make sure that if I was gonna use crystals, I wanted to know which combinations of crystals can go together,” Carvalho said.

When it comes to cultivating a successful cannabonsai tree, genetics play a huge role. To capture the bonsai aesthetic, Carvalho grows indica-leaning strains as they are shorter, bushier, and have tighter internodal spacing than sativa-leaning strains.

After three years of research and experimentation, Carvalho believes that each cannabonsai run has improved from the previous one. As much as gardening is an outlet to relax, it also provides a challenge that keeps him wanting more. No matter how much knowledge and experience he gains while growing, there are inevitably hurdles that humble and teach him along the way.

“If it was as easy as putting a seed in the ground and watering it, it wouldn’t be as fulfilling to me,” Carvalho said. “Anybody could do that. But to really have the commitment, dedication, passion, and drive, that’s what really gets me. I like something that’s not so easy to obtain but is something that if I work hard at it, I can either get it, or get something close to it and have something that I am happy with.”

This article was originally published in the June 2024 issue of High Times Magazine.

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Psilocybin Treatment Centers Bill Vetoed by Arizona Governor

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill on June 18 that would have permitted the use of psilocybin in designated treatment centers.

If House Bill 1570 became law, it would have granted $5 million in annual funding to go toward psilocybin therapy. The Department of Human Services would have been in charge of the program and developing a regulated approach to licensing therapy centers as well as facilitators who would be trained to assist patients through the experience. Additionally, the Arizona Psilocybin Advisory Board would have also been created, consisting of a variety of members such as the governor, attorney general’s office officials, military veterans and first responders, physicians, and researchers. It would be the responsibility of the board to make recommendations for the law, conduct studies, and ultimately develop a program with which to train staff to work at therapy centers.

According to her veto statement, Hobbs explained her stance on the bill. “The state’s psilocybin research advisory board established last year recently issued its annual report, with a clear message: although psilocybin may be a promising treatment in the future, we do not yet have the evidence needed to support widespread clinical expansion,” Hobbs said. “Arizonans with depression and PTSD deserve access to treatments that may be seen as outside the mainstream, but they should not be the subject of experiments for unproven therapies with a lack of appropriate guardrails.”

In her letter, Hobbs continued by adding that the cost of $400,000 per year was not included in the FY25 budget. “Last year’s budget included $5 million for psilocybin research which will be allowed to continue with this year’s budget,” she concluded. “This will allow research to take place with a goal to ensure that those who seek psilocybin treatment are doing so confidently and safely under proper supervision of qualified professionals with documented and verified research to support the treatment.”

Cameron Arcand, a reporter for local Arizona news outlet The Center Square, published a screenshot of a text sent to him by the bill’s sponsor, T.J. Shope, on social media. “Well, it’s a disappointing result after months of hard work and the overwhelming bipartisan support this received in both houses of the Legislature this year,” Shope stated. “If we were still in session, I’d be pushing to override her veto but I’ll have to settle for trying again next year. I won’t stop fighting for our veterans and first responders to get the mental health care they deserve in these clinical settings. Sadly, Arizonans will now have to continue leaving their own state and country to receive this type of treatment. It’s truly a sad day for those who have put everything on the line for us.”

Arizona now joins California in having bipartisan support on a psilocybin treatment centers bill being vetoed by its governor. Similarly in October 2023, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 58, which would have decriminalized possession and use of psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, and mescaline for adults over 21. While Newsom confirmed that he supports new methods of treatment to tackle mental health conditions, the bill was not yet ready to be passed, in his opinion. “California should immediately begin work to set up regulated treatment guidelines—replete with dosing information, therapeutic guidelines, rules to prevent against exploration during guided treatments, and medical clearance of no underlying psychoses,” Newsom explained in a statement at the time. “Unfortunately, this bill would decriminalize possession prior to these guidelines going into place, and I cannot sign this.”

SB-58 sponsor, Sen. Scott Weiner, expressed his disappointment for the setback, although he plans to continue to fight for alternative drug treatments for veterans and first responders. “This veto is a huge missed opportunity for California to follow the science and lead,” Weiner stated. “This is not the end of our fight, however, and given the Governor’s commitment to work with the Legislature on legislation with a therapeutic focus—and openness to future decriminalization legislation—I look forward to introducing therapeutic-focused legislation next year.” Weiner introduced new legislation under Senate Bill 1012 in February, but currently the last action taken was in May so far.

While Oregon was the first state to legalize licensed psilocybin treatment centers back in November 2020 (although the first license wasn’t approved until May 2023), the program overall appears to be struggling. Between June 2023-June 2024, an estimated 3,500 people had participated in a legal psilocybin therapy session, which is projected to increase to 7,000 people by the end of 2024. However, one treatment center owner, Tori Armbrust of Satori Farms PDX, said that treatment centers may begin to close due to lack of consistent customers. Starting in 2025, Oregon will permit out-of-state business owners to obtain licenses to operate treatment centers, which will create more competition for local business owners.

Another Oregon-based psilocybin treatment center owner, Matthew Wissler, added that most patients come to Oregon from out-of-state or even out of the country to try out the treatment.

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California State Fair To Feature Weed Sales, Consumption Lounge

This year’s California State Fair will feature weed sales and a cannabis consumption area in the latest sign of marijuana’s growing acceptance by mainstream America. This year marks the first year that cannabis sales have been permitted at the event, which begins in Sacramento on July 12.

The California State Fair welcomed weed to the festivities for the first time in 2022 with an exhibition and competition, much like many of the state’s famed agricultural products including wine, cheese, olive oil and craft beer. The pot-friendly events will be expanded this year, with a broadened marijuana products competition, a weed consumption lounge and onsite sales operated by licensed cannabis retailer and event concessionaire Embarc.

“The California State Fair took a historic leadership position in 2022 with the introduction of a cannabis exhibit and competition,” Tom Martinez, CEO of the California State Fair, said in a statement. “This year, we’ve expanded our offerings to include onsite sales and consumption in a designated area to provide a platform to amplify California’s rich agricultural bounty and facilitate storytelling for farmers from diverse backgrounds and experiences.”

Shopping for Weed at the State Fair

This year will be the first time in the 170-year history of the California State Fair that cannabis sales and consumption will be allowed. The cannabis exhibition hall, which is restricted to adults aged 21 and up with government-issued identification, will include farm displays and educational information about California’s storied cannabis history. 

Visitors will be able to scan QR codes to learn more about Golden Bear award winners, add cannabis products to a virtual shopping basket and purchase them at Embarc’s on-site dispensary. The area will feature a 30,000-square-foot consumption lounge, accessible via a designated walking path, to give attendees over the age of 21 an opportunity to try winning products from diverse farms and brands from throughout the state.

“Hosting cannabis sales and consumption is a groundbreaking milestone in destigmatization by facilitating a deeper connection between consumers and the farmers who cultivate their products with such care,” said Lauren Carpenter, co-founder of Embarc. “Joining James Leitz, pioneer of the educational exhibit and competition for the past two years, on an expanded competition and experiential dispensary is a major step forward for responsible normalization.”

Organizers of the event say that visitors to the onsite consumption area may be surprised by how the exhibit hall has been transformed for the event.

“‘Designated smoking area’ is the required terminology,” Carpenter told the Los Angeles Times. “But that makes it sound like people standing around outside of a building smoking. This is intended to be experiential and fully built out and produced with a stage where we will have a ceremony for our [cannabis] award winners. [And] right now, our theme is ‘oasis’ — because, in case you missed it, it’s really hot in Sacramento — and our intention is to make this a respite.”

“This initiative spotlights the significant role of cannabis in California’s agricultural industry, marking a major milestone in the state fair’s 170-year history,” said James Leitz, executive producer of the cannabis competition and exhibit. “Expanding the competition to include all form factors and providing patrons the opportunity to directly engage with and consume winning brands is transformational for public understanding of the plant.”

The California State Fair kicks off on July 12 at the California Exposition Center in Sacramento and runs through July 28.

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Panther Power

Paris was born and raised in San Francisco, California, the Bay Area’s big sister city to Oakland, home of the Black Panther Party (BPP). Founded by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in 1966, the BPP closely monitored the behavior of the Oakland Police Department and fought against police brutality. Paris organically stumbled upon the teachings of the Nation of Islam and the BPP, informing his music and ultimately placing his voice among Public Enemy and other revolutionary hip-hop groups at the time.

“I never got into this to be an activist,” he explained. “I just wanted to make music that banged and wasn’t silly; the conscious angle happened organically. I came up on Gil-Scott Heron, Curtis Mayfield. Parliament-Funkadelic, The Isley Brothers and Stevie Wonder—artists who made statements in their own respective ways—and I wanted to have a catalog that wasn’t disposable. Then Public Enemy came out and blew the lid off. That was it for me. After that, I never wanted to waste time on the mic or squander my voice.”

And Paris’ voice was loud. His debut album, 1990’s The Devil Made Me Do It, was so controversial, the title track was banned on MTV. Some record stores even refused to carry the album due to its graphic cover art featuring a police officer placing a young Black boy in a chokehold.

But like any provocative art, Paris’ work created a conversation and boldly reminded America just how racist and corrupt it is, especially on songs such as “Panther Power” and “The Hate That Hate Made.”

The senseless police killings of Black citizens such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain continue to reverberate throughout the country as people grapple with the overt racism still prevalent in a post-Trump America. Needless to say, Paris has work to do. In October 2020, he returned with Safe Space Invader, the follow-up to 2015’s Pistol Politics. Par for the course, the 10-track project took aim at current socio-political issues that, sadly, still resonate today. As the title suggests, “Baby Man Hands” directly addressed the former president, but Paris says he was only a “symptom” of what America has always been about—’’racism and class warfare.” He believes Joe Biden is essentially cut from the same cloth.

“Biden is no different,” he said. “The racism is less overt and Kamala Harris is a worthless straw man. People, in general, stay disappointed and chronically divided in this country because its societal mechanisms are never intended to provide real relief; there’s always something or someone preventing change that actually helps people. Culture wars are inflamed to provide a necessary diversion for America to continue doing what she’s always done—infect other countries with imperialism, wage war and seize resources.”

If Paris sounds like he’s spent ample time researching the issues that plague the nation, it’s because he has. Armed with a degree in economics from the University of California-Davis, the studious MC religiously used his music as a vehicle for educating the masses while educating himself. Three decades later, Paris’ politically-charged hip-hop can be heard on the FX series Uncovered, the Netflix documentary Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell and the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-fronted sitcom Young Rock, to name a few.

“It feels excellent on the one hand that productions are using material from my catalog and spotlighting my newer music,” he said. “It’s all bad at the same time, though, because social conditions haven’t improved. The fact that the content on these songs is still relevant is a shame, really. Racism, classism, police brutality, war, poverty, gentrification—they’re all still issues that are going on, increasing in many cases.”

Naturally, Paris has his opinions when it comes to the cannabis industry, too, saying he’s all for it even though his smoking days are behind him.

“I used to smoke a tiny bit in high school a thousand years ago [laughs],” he recalled. “But then I got involved heavily in religion for a spell and pretty much stopped everything. Then I left religion and never really tripped off of weed for the longest. Now, I have some edibles around the house for hijinks every now and then, but nothing serious.

“I will say I’m feelin’ the decriminalization of it and the widespread acceptance and profitability it’s brought about. A lotta my peers are doing well with cannabis—[Cypress Hill’s] B-Real, Xzibit and Kurupt and gang of others. If we can get a fed law passed embracing it, we’ll ease concerns a lot of people still have about its long-term viability from a business standpoint and from law enforcement; that and a retroactive dismissal of weed-related convictions would be the shit.”

Meanwhile, Paris is juggling his own endeavors at Guerrilla Funk Recordings, a label he’s owned since 2002. Artists such as Public Enemy, George Clinton, E-40, The Coup, dead prez, Immortal Technique, Tha Eastsidaz, The Conscious Daughters, DJ True Justice, Mystic and MC Ren are among the many notable artists who found a home at the imprint.

“I started Guerrilla Funk in response to the constrictive cultural environment that we found ourselves in during the aftermath of the 9/11 terror shit,” he said. “Artists who expressed dissent were systematically silenced by self-imposed censorship at many labels, so I created a lane with Guerrilla Funk to provide many voices a platform.”

He’s also waist-deep in multiple television projects that are in development but not quite ready to be unveiled.

“There’s a lot I can’t really go into,” he admitted. “I continue to license material out of Guerrilla Funk’s catalog, of which I own 100 percent. Additionally, I’ve contributed music recently to Blindspotting on STARZ, All Day and a Night on Netflix, The Purge series, The Deuce on Showtime, Get Shorty on Epix and more.”

Putting that economics degree to good use. he continued, “This is a prime example of why it’s important for artists to maintain ownership of what we create, to properly register and protect our rights, and to maintain our publishing and the administration of our works. You don’t have to be a loud peacock and clout-chase in the industry to create a profitable lane, but you do need to handle business wisely.”

While Paris has built a lucrative career for himself independently, there are plenty of people who perhaps aren’t aware of just how much he’s contributed to hiphop culture. In 2016, the late Nipsey Hussle and Compton rapper YG dropped a song via Def Jam Recordings called “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump),” a scathing, anti-Trump anthem. The bones of the song were pulled from The Conscious Daughters’ track “Something To Ride To (Fonky Expedition),” which Paris produced for the duo’s 1993 debut, Ear To The Street—and that’s just one example.

“I don’t know if people are aware of my contributions,” he said with a laugh. “I just feel fortunate to have avoice. I’ve sold millions of records and am comfortable with the fact that I haven’t sold out my values or beliefs in the process. Besides, when all is said and done, the only thing that matters is control. Those who have control will be the ones who benefit the most. They’ll also be the ones who write the history of this slice of culture we call hip-hop. That’s why control is important.”

Although Paris isn’t exactly sold on the idea of releasing another solo album, he’s not short on studio time. The 53-year-old is living out his childhood dreams by producing an album for Parliament-Funkadelic, some of his musical heroes.

“Hopefully, that will be approved as a Parliament album, a throwback to the Funkentelechy and MotorBooty Affair-era when they had hits like ‘Flashlight’ and ‘Aqua Boogie,’ shit I grew up on,” he said. “It’s a bucket list project for me that continues the mythology of Dr. Funkenstein, Sir Nose and Starchild. Those who know, know.”

But Paris’ work is far from over. Mainstream rap music sorely lacks any kind of political voice like the one that put Public Enemy and Paris in the hip-hop history books—and he suspects he knows why.

“People can’t miss what they never knew and because outlets pay attention to and embolden the bullshit that’s out,” he concluded. “The streets don’t dictate the culture—corporations do. The streets simply respond to what’s given. And what’s given is accepted as the new normal because, to many people, there’s no visible alternative. But there is. And we are.”

FACTOID: Paris was dropped from Tommy Boy Records and distributor Warner Bros, in 1992, just as his sophomore album, Sleeping with the Enemy, was ready for release. Time Warner, Warner Bros, parent company, had discovered the album included fantasy revenge killings of then-President Bush and racist police officers. They also took issue with the album insert, which depicted Paris waiting behind a tree, holding a TEC-9, as the president was waving to the crowd.

This article was originally published in the December 2021 issue of High Times Magazine.

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From the Archives: African Khat (1978)

By A. Craig Copetas and Gary Putka

Khat: the cocaine of Africa—the mint green leaf of the shrub Catha edulis—is a way of life in the new nation of Djibouti and the ancient land of Yemen. Grown on large farms resembling old-world tea plantations in Ethiopia’s rainy and embattled southeastern Harrar Province, its rough, bushy plant also thrives in the cool mountains of Yemen, where glossy-eyed Arabs ruminate its invigorating leaf like so many campesinos chewing coca.

After cultivation and harvest, branches of leaves are rushed to Diredawa, Ethiopia’s civil-war-torn transportation hub, for the night flight to clients across the Djibouti frontier. In Yemen the precious crop comes down from the mountains the quickest way possible, for the khat leaf is perishable and must remain fresh or lose its potency. It’s efficacy after cutting lasts for roughly 24 hours, and then only if the leaves are kept moist.

Not even the Somali-led insurgency in southeast Ethiopia has interrupted the rapid transshipment from Diredawa to Djibouti. The khat run has been a twice-daily affair on Ethiopian Airlines. It is so lucrative that African observers are confident it will continue unhindered even if the Somalians win the siege of Diredawa. Meanwhile, the cargo is increasing daily and stands presently at eight tons a day. When khat arrives in Djibouti, the normally listless tropical port explodes into a bustling metropolis.

By late morning, motorbikes, trucks and cars carrying wholesale traders make the three-mile speedway dash to the airport to buy up the natural stimulant by the bag as soon as it is offloaded.

Although khat has been illegal in Djibouti ever since the country gained its independence in 1976, the newly-vested authorities have followed the colonial French example of looking the other way. Indeed, using the tactics employed by the Americans in Vietnam, France tacitly encouraged the chewing to keep the natives quiet. In the century of French occupation, the use of khat in the former territory of the Afars and Issas grew from an occasional diversion for a few Issas tribesmen to a national pastime for the male population.

Pick-up hour in Djibouti.

Today French soldiers are on hand at Djibouti’s airport to help the importers carry away the prize goods for street auction. Buyers flock around the sunsheltered stalls to bid for bags. In less than 20 minutes the airport is empty again, as buyers rush back to town. The first to return is thought to have the freshest load to offer retailers, who sell khat from mini-stands or stalls throughout the city.

Women, according to tradition, abstain from chewing khat because they don’t like the taste. Men of all ages start their daily dreams at noon, after the airport rush, when the stuff is readily available on the street.

The khat habit puts some families in a bind, as a bunch costs nine French francs ($2), a third of a day’s wages for most laborers. There are many unemployed in the new nation, but the chewing tradition hasn’t changed, so such purchases impose a hardship on the poor families who make up most of the khat-consuming population in the tiny republic.

In turn, khat provides a relief for the unemployed, helping them forget their troubles. To sit all afternoon chewing khat until the sun goes down at dinnertime is as common in Djibouti as decadent café life in Paris.

Chewing takes place only after the user selects the good leaves and casts off the undesirable ones with the stems. As with coca, the mastication process slowly takes place as the wad of leaves is alternately chomped and swished around until it dissolves and a new supply is needed. Most chewers prefer to use only one cheek for their khat, causing a sort of national epidemic of “hamster” facial malformations. Khat also colors teeth a yellowish green.

Coca-Cola or Pepsi is sipped along with the hr outage, for the combination of caffeine and khat makes an exciting high. In addition, users like to smoke contraband American cigarettes with their afternoons of fun and forgetting.

Khat has been classified by the French Narcotics Bureau in the B category (marijuana has the same classification), meaning that possession can be subject to fine or jail. The stimulant is legal in the United States, but climatic conditions in most of the country do not favor its cultivation. As no formal studies of khat have ever been made, long-term effects of its use are not known.

The new government in Djibouti, under President Hassan Gouled, has hinted that it would take measures against the khat traffic. Government ministers, however, have had their own special loads of leaf flown to them at conferences in other parts of Africa and Europe.

Just across the border in Ethiopia, growers are happy their produce is still a cherished item in Djibouti, for without the foreign buyers they would be hard-put to find a new market. Only a small amount is chewed in Ethiopia, and the government is not too happy about the profitable crop. Peasants devote huge acreages to khat, depleting land needed for vital food crops.

In the past, fresh leaves were transported by train, but a group of rebels blew up a bridge on the strategic railway between Djibouti and Ethiopia in June 1977, and the line has not been repaired. So now the air run is the only practical route to convey fresh khat to Djibouti. Nomads sometimes traverse the desert border by night in illegal camel caravans that arrive the next morning with small loads.

Last year Ethiopia exported 1,400 tons of khat by air, which represents more than a quarter of Djibouti’s foreign agricultural imports, listed at 5,400 tons annually. No one knows how many tons of leaf reach the new republic clandestinely.

The khat scene in the Yemeni capital of Sana is similar to Djibouti’s, but with several picturesque and debilitating differences. Unlike Djibouti, Sana has special khat houses, seedy cafés or inns found off the sidewalk, where users may take their daily doses while puffing on water pipes and drinking cola for more soothing kicks. You can buy khat over the counter in these funduks and even chew all night with lodgings at your disposal for the total lull.

The situation is more intense in Sana because khat chewing has engulfed the town with funduks, enticing users to so cialize with other chewers and communi cate with the madhar (water pipe) that replaces the American cigarette used in Djibouti. The inns encourage more inten sive and numerous uses of khat, but the biggest reason why users outnumber their kind in lJjibouti is that a bunch of leaves costs about half as much. Yemen, directly across the straits of Bab a! Mandeb from Ethiopia and Djibouti, grows its own khat bushes in a similar climate, but there is no foreign commerce in the leaf.

The bushes grow in the mountains where the famous mocha coffee once thrived. But the coffee is slowly disappearing because Yemeni farmers have decided to concentrate on the profitable, easy-to-care-for khat, planting seedlings as soon as a row is plowed.

Because khat can be cut easily and is sold quickly on a daily basis, business is booming. As soon as the crops are cut. baskets come down from the mountains, sometimes in cars, jeeps or trucks, sometimes on muleback, to be sold in the open market and at street stalls or in specialty shops that sell nothing else. Farmers usually deliver the crop directly, and they must pay a fixed “khat tax.” according to the weight of a load entering Sana.

As in Djibouti, it’s a mad rush to town before noon to catch the first customers with the freshest batches, wrapped in husks to keep them moist. Yemenis stop work promptly at 12:00. rush to the nearest market and buy their daily needs. The stalls and shops are only open for 12 to 14 hours for the quick sales of leaves cut in fields early that morning.

Khat time in Yemen is midday to midnight. People rush home to chew their troubles away or share them at the local funduk. Because of this tradition, nothing is open after noon, and even offices close down until the following morning.

Everyone chews—workers, policemen, soldiers, bureaucrats and merchants. In Sana there is even a minority of women who indulge, a rare instance of nondiscrimination in the sexist Arab world. The government that came to power in 1974 would like Yemenis to kick the habit and transform plantations back to fruit and coffee crops, something which may be physically impossible to do because the land has been ravaged by so many years of khat growing.

Khat was once a social problem for the neighboring People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen), the only Marxist Arab state, but the government outlawed it. However, users in South Yemen so far have had no need to fear any legal reprisals. Although khat is forbidden there, it is tolerated.

In northern Somalia, which has a climate like neighboring Ethiopia, some khat is grown but there are few chewers. Djibouti, Yemen and Ethiopia are the only countries in the world where significant amounts of khat are consumed, posing a sociological problem for the Horn of Africa, now in the throes of violent military problems. As the military situation worsens, some top officials are pleased to ignore the favorite pastime of euphoric citizens, and an increasing number are glad to join them for the traditional, allday high.

High Times Magazine, February 1978.

Read the full issue here.

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Odor Alone No Grounds for Warrantless Vehicle Searches, Minnesota Court Rules

Police across the country continue to pull drivers over for one reason, then choose to search their vehicle for an entirely different reason—if it smells like pot. But it isn’t holding up in court as justification for probable cause. A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, one of several ruling affirming the decision, suggests police in the state will be barred from citing cannabis odor alone as reason to search a vehicle. 

The 5-2 decision in State v. Torgerson rules that cannabis odor is insufficient to constitute probable cause for police officers to conduct a warrantless search of a vehicle. The 26-page opinion was written by Justice Anne McKeig and explained the reasons why odor cannot constitute probable cause.

In Litchfield, Minnesota in July, 2021, Adam Lloyd Torgerson was driving a car that had a light bar on its grill with more lights than are permitted under state law. A cop saw his car and determined that Torgerson might have an equipment violation. Police say the vehicle’s grill had more auxiliary driving lights than are permitted under Minnesota law under an obscure rule.

The officer pulled him over and said he smelled pot, asking Torgerson if there was any reason for the odor. Torgerson said there was not. A second officer arrived and was alerted about the smell. He agreed.

A subsequent search found meth and drug paraphernalia, and Torgerson was arrested and charged. While Torgerson happened to be in possession of meth and a pipe. The first officer searched the vehicle and found a film canister, three pipes, and a small plastic bag in the center console. The plastic bag contained a white powder and the film canister contained meth, which was confirmed in a field test. But the officers failed to gather enough probable cause in order to legally search the vehicle, a court ruled. 

Torgerson was with his wife and a child, so he was charged with possession of a meth pipe in the presence of a minor and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance after the unwarranted search of Torgerson’s vehicle. High Times covered the case in September 2023.

Minnesota Supreme Court Ruling

McKeig ruled that police lacked sufficient probable cause.

“The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment of the district court granting Defendant’s motion to suppress evidence found during a search of his vehicle, holding that the odor of marijuana emanating from a vehicle, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement,” McKeig’s opinion summary reads.

“After a traffic stop and subsequent search of his vehicle Defendant was convicted of possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia in the presence of a minor and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance,” the opinion continues. “Defendant moved to suppress the evidence, arguing that the odor of marijuana, alone, is insufficient to create the requisite probable cause to search a vehicle under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. The district court granted the motion and dismissed the complaint. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that evidence of medium-strength odor of marijuana, on its own, is insufficient to establish a fair probability that the search would yield evidence of criminally-illegal conduct or drug-related contraband.”

In an earlier ruling filed in the State of Minnesota Court of Appeals on Sept. 13, 2023, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that cannabis odor does not constitute probable cause to search a vehicle.

MinnPost reports that  authorities are questioning whether odor can be used by police as justification to search vehicles and detain drivers.

Tom Gallagher is a cannabis advocate and a practicing defense attorney for 35 years. “It’s a recognition of a big change in marijuana law,” Gallagher told MinnPost. “In law school they talk about line-drawing, where do you draw the line type of problem? Now we know. We’ve drawn the line, finally.”

Similar cases impacted people in other states. An Illinois judge, for instance, ruled in 2021 that the odor of cannabis is not sufficient grounds for police to search a vehicle without a warrant during a traffic stop.

Daniel J. Dalton, Associate Judge of the 14th Judicial Circuit, issued a ruling in response to a motion to suppress evidence in the case of Vincent Molina, a medical cannabis patient arrested for cannabis possession last year.

In that case, Molina was arrested despite the decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis in Illinois in 2019 with the passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. 

Torgenson’s case highlights the legal grounds in which police can search a vehicle simply based on if it smells like pot. The rulings represent the rights of citizens when they are pulled over by police, even if there are hard drugs involved.

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The Fellowship of the Flower

Warm and authentic Michael Koehn of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club of San Francisco gives the best hugs. Koehn and his partner David Goldman are longtime medical marijuana activists and always wear matching baseball caps with pot leaves on them. At a press conference in San Francisco announcing the upcoming arrival of SF Hash Week, Goldman tells me that wearing the hats has enabled them to meet like-minded people all over the world. Koehn and Goldman were the first people I met in the cannabis community at a protest for the rights of medical marijuana patients in 2012. Weed has brought us together for more than a decade, and after all the changes we’ve seen in cannabis policy over this time, it still feels like our hearts are aligned. 

Cannabis is a powerful tool for building camaraderie, something that feels even more precious following the collective traumas we experienced during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Times have been particularly challenging for California’s cannabis industry in recent years. After the legal cannabis marketplace opened in 2018, sales showed their first drop from the previous year in 2022 and saw another drop in 2023. First reported by SFGate, recent data released by cannabis analytics firm BDSA shows that Michigan sold more legal cannabis products than California this March. Those companies that have managed to survive the transition from California’s medical marijuana program to the adult-use legal marketplace continue to have hope for the industry and search for opportunities to band together. The gathering to announce SF Hash Week on Wednesday felt like a hash-filled homecoming. Held at the headquarters of Meadow in San Francisco—a place stacked with memories, including a hash-making class I took with Frenchy Cannoli in 2015—the event was a preview of the week of events planned around the holiday for cannabis concentrates, 7/10, aka July 10. Following this April’s first SF Weed Week, SF Hash Week is turning 7/10 into a seven-day celebration of all things heady.

“The plant does so much for us, and for us to be able to gather in honor of what it can produce, it’s pretty incredible,” Meadow’s David Hua said at the SF Hash Week kickoff event. “[San Francisco] is not just a special place; it’s a special group of people. I’m extremely humbled to be sitting here amongst everyone that’s still standing, that’s still fighting, that’s still pushing. It’s not easy, but the quality is insane.”

Photo by Chris Romaine, @kandidkush

Everything is Written in the Resin

In 2015, Frenchy told me and the other people in my hash-making class that “everything is written in the resin.”

 “The whole story of six, seven months — it’s right there in your hand,” he said, describing making hash as “really being able to take that pure essence of the plant.”

Frenchy was an artisan who was passionate about collecting the resinous trichome heads off of cannabis plants and was always quick to credit the farmers who grew the flowers he worked with for his creations. As part of SF Hash Week—a first-time event incorporating concentrate releases at cannabis lounges throughout San Francisco—there will be a screening of his film “Frenchy Dreams of Hashish” at Meadow on July 11. 

“It was all about planting the seed of the plant,” Kimberly Hooks, aka Madame Cannoli, said of her late husband’s legacy. “He really felt that the plant was here to kind of save humanity, and it was through community involvement like this, of us getting together and smoking and having a wonderful time.”

As much as SF Hash Week will provide opportunities to connect with old friends, it’s also a way for companies to introduce themselves to newcomers.

“We’re trying to reach more and more people that don’t even smoke hash,” said Jeremy Richarson, owner of Forté. “I really appreciate everybody coming out to and being a part of the community because everybody that’s out here right now has been fighting and fighting. We all know what we’re up against, too, so bringing the real culture to it is really what we’re all about.”

Photo by Chris Romaine, @kandidkush

Terryn Buxton, the owner of Oakland Extracts, echoed that sentiment.   

“Opportunity to hang out with the customers, it’s always a good thing,” Buxton said. “Hanging out with people who love the product, fans of cannabis in general, spending time with them. I think personally the best part of the event is just things like this. Actually being able to hang out with people who have been in the business for so long. Hash makers are a special breed… there’s a lot of OGs here. The fellowship, to me, is the best part of Hash Week.”

Angela Pih, chief marketing operator at CCELL, said her company was eager to support the upcoming event. 

“What really makes today special is seeing our brand partners like Nasha come in, take the best of their craft into the best of our technology, and bringing it to all of you so that you can enjoy it,” Pih said. “So where craft meets technology meets community, that’s just a perfect trifecta.” 

In his remarks, Ben Grambergu, the director of operations at 7 Stars in Richmond, California, praised SF Hash Week founder David Downs, a longtime cannabis journalist and award-winning author who is now a senior editor at Leafly. 

Photo by Chris Romaine, @kandidkush

“Number one, I believe in you, David, and I think we all do as well,” Grambergu said. “Number two, I believe in all of us. You know, look at this. When’s the last time that something like this has happened in the Bay Area? We’re going to have competing events. We have to decide where to go to go smoke hash in the Bay Area? Like what is this?”

Representing the brand Ember Valley, Mikey Tebb built upon the theme of camaraderie.

“Being a part of a community like this and getting involved is not only how brands grow, but how brands stay alive,” Tebb said. “Everybody out here is just an absolute warrior for going through what they’ve been through to even just survive and stay in the green and stay positive.” 

Photo by Chris Romaine, @kandidkush

Keeping the Flame Burning

While I joked that I only came to the event to eat Chronic Kitchen’s smash burgers, smoking hash with my weedy friends on a sunny San Francisco afternoon was the biggest draw. I was able to try the rosin featured in an image shot by Chris Romaine, aka Kandid Kush, set to be included in his hash photo opening on July 10. Another highlight included a dab of rosin from Arcata Fire created from Ridgeline Farms’s award-winning strain Lantz. That dab was my last puff and floated me through the streets of San Francisco on my journey home via the 16th Street BART station. 

Photo by David Downs

Despite the challenges the California cannabis industry faces at this time, SF Hash Week shows that optimism for the future remains bright. During the press event, Downs continued to spotlight the activist organizations that continue to fight for cannabis legalization and social justice. 

“We know that only 45% of the legal market is being served by the legal market; the rest is still underground,” Downs said. “So you look around here, these producers, think about this industry being three times as big on the legal side and then the ancillary side of it being five, ten times bigger. We’re really still on day one for this and what we do through groups like the Brownie Mary Democratic Club and California NORML at the state and local level is going to be the difference in how fast we get up that hill.”

The post The Fellowship of the Flower first appeared on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/culture/the-fellowship-of-the-flower/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fellowship-of-the-flower