Tony Rebel reflects on effect before exemption

There was mirth at the launch of Rebel Salute 2016, held earlier this month at the Marriott Courtyard, New Kingston, when Justice Minister Mark Golding handed over a letter of marijuana exemption for the festival's next staging to Tony Rebel.

"What has been going on informally can now go on legitimately," Golding said to Rebel, to laughter from the persons who filled the room.

With marijuana now legal in some form throughout 23 states, the number of Americans who fatally overdosed on the drug last year was significant:

Like many commuters in Denver’s city core, Marty Otañez can’t assist but smell the pot smoke as he rides to work along the Cherry Creek bike course downtown.

“A couple years ago it was just under the bridge at Colfax and Speer,” Otañez stated of the clouds emanating from public tokers. “Now it’s practically every 100 meters.”

Increased pot smoke swirling around city streets and parks is among the most recognizable effects of Modification 64– which legislated the leisure use and sale of marijuana in Colorado– specifically since public consumption remains illegal.

As a regular segment on my live weekday marijuana news/talk-radio program on CannabisRadio.com, I dig deep into the Drug War Data Mines to find the surveys, polls, studies, and statistics to help you make the case to end adult marijuana prohibition nationwide. Here are the ten most important marijuana data topics I’ve covered in 2015:

1 in 5 Coloradoans Tried Legal Marijuana Last Year [2015-02-24 Tue] – 2015 marked the first year we could see a full year’s worth of data coming in from the first two states to legalize marijuana. Figures from Colorado show that despite almost 1 out of 5 Coloradoans having tried legal pot, the sky did not fall.

Marijuana has gone from a substance used exclusively by those associated with the counterculture to a somewhat mainstream drug. It’s been medicalized, legalized, and decriminalized in many places across the U.S., and most of the associated research has focused on how various legalization policies impact access to and use of the drug. But gauging the effect of a formerly illicit drug is no easy task, as highlighted by a new study out of the University of Washington, which sought to know how legalization affects the use of alcohol — America’s favorite drug.

Complement Or Substitute

According to the “United States Organic Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018” report, growth for the United States organic food market is likely going to continue until 2018 with a CAGR of 14% on the industry. Also, the report states that the Western side of the United states is driving the organic food market revenue and increasing awareness.

Limited recreational marijuana sales began in Oregon on October 1. Since that time, customers have not had to pay any tax on recreational marijuana. That changes next week when a recreational marijuana sales tax goes into effect in Oregon. Per Oregon Live:

Recreational marijuana consumers in Oregon should prepare for sticker shock starting Monday when a 25 percent sales tax kicks in.

New Mexico will move one step closer to legalizing marijuana in the new year. A state representative has pre-filed a bill that would legalize marijuana and hemp in the state, Albuquerque’s KOB TV reported Tuesday, and he plans to introduce the bill during the Legislature’s next session in January.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill McCamley, would allow people age 21 and older to purchase and use pot legally. It would also legalize the production and sale of industrial hemp in New Mexico. Under the proposed legislation, the state would be permitted to regulate marijuana growers and distributors.

A small Italian town has decided to pay tribute to reggae legend Bob Marley by selling cannabis-flavoured ice cream. The producers claim that the “high” ice cream “tastes good and it does good.”

The exotic yummy will be issued by the ice cream shop in the small town of Alassio in northern Italy. And the producers hope their customers will try ‘Bob Marley’ ice cream before the New Year, RT.com reported.

The delicacy, which includes peeled hemp seeds as a base, was created together with Canapa Ligura, a local association that promotes health benefits associated with hemp.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Some recreational marijuana users may want to stock up by Jan. 4 when pot sales start getting taxed.

People with medical marijuana cards won't have to pay the tax and will also be able to buy larger quantities. When OLCC-regulated stores begin popping up next year, those sales will only require a 17 percent tax, plus a possible 3 percent could be charged by local cities and counties.

"It's going to be a nice shock to the system when people that don't know get that rise in price that they're not expecting," Jay Baker with Fresh Buds said.

Other changes for 2016? By the end of the year, you won't be able to buy recreational pot at a medical marijuana dispensary -- there will be separate shops for both purposes.