Cannabis Chronicles National High lights:

      Cannabis Chronicles

National High lights:

     In the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. 

     The small talk coming out of the back rooms on the political trail signals that a new alliance between Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz might become the most significant catalyst for the cannabis industry to date. Industry experts are literally buzzing about the potential impact of their collaboration, which could pave the way for sweeping changes in cannabis legislation and open the floodgates for market growth across the US.        

     As Harris and Walz advocate for reforms that could reshape the regulatory landscape, their efforts might finally bridge the gap between federal and state policies…

     Snoop Dogg, who rarely smokes a joint he doesn’t love, has tripped the light fandango with his new chain of cannabis stores aptly named “Smoke Weed Every Day.” The legendary rapper, known for his love affair with the plant, is bringing his iconic style and influence to the retail cannabis market. But this will not be just another celebrity-branded business. Snoop Dogg’s stores promise a unique shopping experience, blending high-quality products, hip-hop culture, and exclusive offerings that reflect his personality. Word is pot aficionados and casual consumers alike are already lining up to take a toke…

Local High lights:

     It could very well be true that time passes more slowly when you’re smoking a joint, but the same may be said for the retail rollout in the VI of the legalization for adult-use recreational cannabis, which was signed into law by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the Virgin Islands Legislature on January 18, 2023.  

     Of course all of this recent US and USVI cannabis legislation is still warp speed ahead of what the hippie counterculture of the 1960’s thought might be the legalization timeline. The thinking during that pot-crazed era was that in a few years, five to ten at most, weed would be legalized. 

     “I think pot should be legal. I don’t smoke it, but I like the smell of it.” Andy Warhol, circa 1965.

     But it took close to 60 years before Americans realized that pot should not be classified as a dangerous drug, placed in the same category as cocaine and heroin.   

     The Virgin Islands Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs’ Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) states their mission “is to allow for the beneficial use of cannabis in a regulated system, safe for adult and sacramental users and for patients in alleviating symptoms caused by debilitating medical conditions and their medical treatments… We envision a future dedicated to protecting and ensuring consumer access and products that are safe, quality tested, and accurately labeled.”

     A recent post on the OCR Facebook page states: “Attention VI Cannabis Entrepreneurs. The Office of Cannabis Regulation will be opening business license applications soon. Are you ready to apply?”

     As Presidential candidates Harris and Walz are looking to widen the gates of acceptance to marijuana sales and ultimately its usage; and as Virgin Islanders stand at the threshold of the doorway to the retail sale of marijuana, it might do well to reflect on the thoughts of other influential leaders. 

     Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, told a meeting of the American Society of Magazine Editors in 2006:     

     “Look, you know when I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” 

     Obama’s remarks to the Magazine Editors was an obvious comical punch at President Bill Clinton’s statement in a 1992 interview, which quickly became a national joke punchline on the late night circuit, when Clintom claimed: 

     “I experimented with marijuana a time or two, but didn’t inhale and never tried the drug again.”

     Yet, in an earlier debate at a New Hampshire High School when Obama was running for the highest office in the land, he told the audience: 

     “There were times when I got into drinking and experimenting with drugs. There was a stretch of time where I did not really apply myself…when I left for college I realized I wasted a lot of time using drugs. It’s not something I’m proud of. It was a mistake as a young man.”  

     George Washington, First President of the United States, who was a lifelong grower of hemp, made this statement:

     “Make the most you can of the hemp seed and sow it everywhere.”

     Whether he got high on the derivatives of the plant is unknown. 

     Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States, declared a ‘war on drugs’ in 1970, but by 1972 the Nixon appointed Shafer Commission found that alcohol was much more dangerous to one’s health than marijuana. The commission recommended that the use and possession of cannabis no longer be a criminal offense. 

     “The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior,” the Commission concluded.

     Nevertheless, Nixon shelved the report and went on with his ‘war on drugs’ campaign which had its roots in his political agenda.  

     William F. Buckley Jr., famed American conservative author and commentator may have summed it up best:

     “Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.” 

     So it would seem the allowance of retail sales and the acceptance of marijuana’s usage into mainstream society has been debated up and back for decades. Even to this day, the debate  rages on. But for Virgin Islanders the time will “soon come.” when it will be sold in signature shops and nondescript strip malls like alcohol and tobacco. Nonetheless, it’s a big step. Make no mistake about it. Let’s recognize the fact, the potency of the pot today is not the same as the potency of the 1960s. There is no doubt much stronger strains of marijuana have been cross-bred for today’s consumer market. So there is a lot to be considered: THC levels. Effects on the mental health of the VI youth. Effects on the community as a whole. Granted, there is a need to exert caution. But there is possibly a lot of good that can come from loosening the vise-like grip governments have exerted over the years. The question is whether our society, or for that matter, our world, has thoroughly examined the positive effects that cannabis can bring to the table. 

     True, the point at which we are at today certainly has been long overdue. But, then again, if we need to take our time to examine the pros and cons, to think about the best and smartest methods of implementation of the recreational sale of cannabis, then so be it. Such eventual decisions could be hard to walk back. The only thing that matters is getting it right. So let’s not screw it up. 

     “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.” Bob Marley.