Why Tommy Chong, At Age 82, Is The Reigning Cannabis Legend
The Canadian actor, who rose to fame as part of the Grammy-winning comedy duo Cheech and Chong, is more active than ever.
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California announced this week that grant applications are now available to promote public health and economic justice for communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. And those grants are being funded by legal marijuana tax revenue.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development said the California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) program is meant to give eligible health departments and community-based nonprofit organizations resources to support “job placement, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, system navigation services, legal services to address barriers to reentry, and linkages to medical care for communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies, also known as the War on Drugs (WoD).”
“The mission of the CalCRG program is to advance health, wellness, and economic justice for populations and communities harmed by the WoD,” the solicitation says.
The state also described the guiding principles of the grant program:
Marijuana excise and cultivation taxes are funding the program. For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, $30 million in grants will be made available. That will increase to $40 million for 2021-2022 and then $50 million for 2022-2023. It will remain at $50 million for subsequent years. Last year, the program made its first round of awards, amounting to $9.6 million in support for 69 separate grantees.
The online portal to submit an application for this year’s grant round will open September 28 and close November 2.
The drug war “has disproportionately impacted communities of color, particularly low income African American/Black and Latino/Hispanic populations,” the solicitation says, detailing how people use and sell cannabis at similar rates across racial lines but that “African American/Black and Latino/Hispanic individuals have historically been arrested more frequently for marijuana violations.”
“Harsh federal and state drug policies enacted during the WoD led to the mass incarceration of people of color, decreased access to social services, loss of educational attainment due to diminished federal financial aid eligibility, prohibitions on the use of public housing and other public assistance, and the separation of families,” the document says. “Individuals from populations and communities in California that were disproportionately impacted by the WoD represent the CalCRG program priority populations. The CalCRG program aims to be a resource to address and repair the multi-generational impacts of the WoD.”
The same office behind this grant program also announced in April that it would be providing $30 million in funding for cannabis entrepreneurs from communities disproportionately impacted by the drug war.
As more states legalize cannabis, there’s been increased interest in ensuring that tax revenue from the market helps promote social equity for people from communities targeted by prohibition’s enforcement.
In May, for example, Illinois announced that it was distributing $31.5 million in restorative justice grants funded by marijuana taxes. The funds are designated for community assessment and planning initiatives as well as service delivery for those in economically distressed areas.
Meanwhile, local jurisdictions are also considering ways to revise where cannabis tax dollars should go.
A new budget proposal released in King County, Washington this week would shift $4.6 million in cannabis tax revenue away from the sheriff’s department and instead use the funds to vacate prior convictions for marijuana, among other programs.
In June, the Portland City Council approved an amendment to a proposed budget that would divest cannabis funds from the city’s police department.
This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.
Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
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How To Turn Down Invitations During COVID Without Being Awkward
An unexpected challenge of the pandemic has been the urge of wanting to take care of our health while still being polite to our friends.
The post How To Turn Down Invitations During COVID Without Being Awkward appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
If the bill is signed, thousands of Michigan residents could see immense benefits.
How To Relax When You Don’t Know How
Trying to relax when you’re stressed isn’t easy to do, but here are some tips that can help.
The post How To Relax When You Don’t Know How appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Top 5 Fresh Toast Stories Of The Week: Sept. 25, 2020
ICYMI: Here are the headlines making news this week on The Fresh Toast.
The post Top 5 Fresh Toast Stories Of The Week: Sept. 25, 2020 appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Federally legalized cannabis may finally happen in our lifetimes. In fact, it may come sooner than many of us expect: The US House of Representatives was supposed to vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, on Monday, September 21, 2020. But less than a week prior, House Democrats delayed the vote until after the election. Regardless, the fact that US Congress is voting on cannabis legalization is historic. Even if it doesn’t push through the Senate, the MORE Act is a general sign that federal weed legalization is at our fingertips.
We don’t have a crystal ball, so it’s unclear what will transpire following federal legalization. But, we can make some educated guesses. A new white paper titled “The Coming Cannabis Recovery,” written and researched by Gram by Gram, a full-service creative agency specializing in cannabis and emerging markets, offers tangible insights about the impact federal cannabis legalization will have on the United States.
What Is the MORE Act, Exactly?
The MORE Act is designed to legalize cannabis across the US. Hemp, the type of marijuana that doesn’t get anyone high, was federally legalized by the Farm Bill in 2018. The MORE Act, however, would legalize all cannabis with more than 0.3 percent THC — you know, the heady cannabinoid we all know and love.
Best of all, the MORE Act removes cannabis from federal drug scheduling altogether. That means many of the red-tape and hurdles small businesses face, like crushing federal tax rates, would disappear overnight. Medical doctors would have the freedom to recommend medical cannabis without fear of losing their professional licenses. And scientific researchers could finally delve into the plant’s secrets without unnecessary federal interference.
Currently, the US government classifies cannabis (or “marihuana”) as a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive drug category. This means that federal law considers cannabis more dangerous than cocaine or methamphetamine — the latter two drugs are classed as Schedule II.
With cannabis removed from the Schedule I substances list, states would be free to implement their own medical or adult-use cannabis programs without fear of federal crackdowns. State governments could even choose to keep cannabis outlawed, or they could remove some restrictions while maintaining others.
How Will the MORE Act Benefit the Economy?
One of the most intriguing parts of the MORE Act is its immediate potential to spike the US economy. If cannabis were federally legalized, investments into the industry, as well as ancillary industries (soils, lighting, fertilizers, etc.) would skyrocket. Increased demand for cannabis products will surely trigger massive job growth, too.
According to Gram by Gram, legalizing cannabis nationwide could create 1.63 million new jobs by 2025. The legal cannabis industry currently employs around 250,000 Americans.
(Courtesy of Gram by Gram)
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 13 million Americans are jobless. An additional 1.63 million quality, good-paying jobs would reduce the current unemployment figure by nearly 13 percent—which isn’t half-bad in an economy where automation and outsourcing destroy American jobs faster than it creates them.
Right now, the US is desperately in need of new jobs and financial stimulation. The COVID-19 pandemic destroyed over five years worth of US economic growth in less than five months. According to the Brookings Institute, bankruptcies are on the rise, unemployment remains incredibly high, and small businesses have, on average, lost 20 percent of their revenue.
COVID-19’s economic impact gravely affects state budgets, too. With unemployment high, Americans have less money to spend. In general, Americans are spending less due to financial uncertainties, which means state budgets are suffering due to lack of sales tax revenue. In other words, when Americans aren’t spending money, local governments suffer alongside small businesses.
Drastic cuts in public education, road maintenance, health care, and other social programs are already happening across the country. According to statistics outlined in the White Paper, states like New York and California face nearly 40-percent budget shortfalls due to COVID-19, or over a third less of the budgets they worked with in 2019.
(Courtesy of Gram by Gram)
How Will the MORE Act Contribute to Social Justice?
Besides giving our economy a much-needed boost, the MORE Act will also correct many of the wrongs caused by the failed War on Drugs. Convicts serving hard time for nonviolent cannabis crimes will qualify for early release. In addition, the US government will expunge criminal records for nonviolent cannabis offenses, so, former felons will have an easier time finding jobs, housing, and affordable loans.
Former Drug War convicts, as well as those who live in neighborhoods most devastated by racist drug policies, will also get first dibs on special business loans offered by the US government. These low-interest loans will help Drug War survivors start new businesses in the nascent cannabis industry, effectively giving these folks a large slice of the proverbial pot pie.
In other words, the MORE Act will help correct the nation’s course. Although the bill will not return the countless lives lost to the Drug War, nor will it make up for convicts’ lost time, it will, at the very least, get our nation back on track so that our politicians and law enforcement can focus on much bigger problems—like corruption or climate change.
Which Politicians Currently Support the MORE Act?
The MORE Act is the brainchild of Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Kamala Harris (D-CA). Harris, as you know, is currently the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
The MORE Act currently has 113 co-sponsors, which overwhelmingly includes prominent Democrats such as Reps. Barbara Lee (CA), Maxine Waters (CA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Tulsi Gabbard (HI), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Earl Blumenauer (OR). But one Republican sponsor stands out: the diehard Trump loyalist, Matt Gaetz (FL).
His support of the bill suggests that Republican legislators who have traditionally opposed cannabis legalization may be warming up to it. In addition to Gaetz, at least two members of the GOP—Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Don Young (R-AK)—said they’d vote for it, too. Hopefully their support inspires more GOP legislators to vote in favor of legalization, considering 53 percent of Republicans want federal legalization, according to a survey conducted by Data for Progress and Justice Collaborative Institute.
Even the most powerful Republican, President Donald Trump, said he’d sign the MORE Act into law if it’s passed by the House and the Senate. We’ll see how this election goes—and how far the MORE Act gets through Congress.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The MORE Act must pass a majority vote from the US House of Representatives, which will likely happen. Afterward, the US Senate must vote on its version of the MORE Act. If the Republican-dominated Senate approves the act, it goes to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Given that the House floor vote has been postponed to an undisclosed date after the election, it’s not too late to write to your representatives and demand that they pass the MORE Act. Just be sure to also write to your senators and demand the same thing. Oh, and be sure to let them know that the MORE Act will not only help fix an economy wrecked by COVID-19, but it will also remedy a century of injustice against BIPOC.
Federal cannabis reform is long overdue, and it’s high time that our representatives finally execute the will of the people. Two-thirds — or 67 percent — of all Americans support cannabis legalization. The time for debate is over. Free this plant, and free our country right along with it.
**To access “The Coming Cannabis Recovery” click here.
Ugly lighters aren’t just for collecting. They’re also for doing deep analyses on all the stoners you’ve ever met.
The post 6 terrible stoner personas as represented by ugly lighters appeared first on Leafly.
How To Develop Routines That Reduce Anxiety
Experts believe daily routines can reduce anxiety and improve your mental health. Here’s how to get started.
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Regular medical cannabis use has no impact on cognitive performance, according to a new study published in the Drug & Alcohol Review journal.
A team of Israeli researchers set out to discover whether regular medical marijuana use could interfere with the cognitive functioning of older adults. To conduct the study, researchers recruited 63 chronic pain patients who were using legal medical marijuana to treat their symptoms. As a control group, researchers recruited 62 chronic patients who were not using cannabis. All patients were 50 years or older, with an average age of 61.
“Cannabis exposure is becoming more common in older age but little is known about how it is associated with brain health in this population,” the study authors explain. A recent study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal estimates that cannabis use among adults over age 65 has grown by as much as 75 percent between 2015 and 2018, and a 2019 study found that use of pot among seniors increased tenfold between 2007 and 2017. A third study found that cannabis use among 50- to 64-year-olds doubled between 2006 and 2015.
For the present study, researchers used a standard battery of tests to assess each subject’s psychomotor reaction times, attention, working memory, learning abilities, and other cognitive performance factors. The results from the medical cannabis users’ tests were then compared to the results of the non-users. Additional tests were conducted among the cannabis users to assess whether dosage, cannabinoid concentrations, or frequency of use had any impact on their cognitive performance.
The researchers found “no significant differences in cognitive function” between the medical marijuana users and the control group, NORML reports. “In addition, no significant associations of various aspects of MC (medical cannabis) use patterns, including THC/CBD concentration, frequency and length of use, dosage and length of abstinence with cognitive performance were detected. Moreover, both MC licensed and non-licensed patients performed relatively similar to a standardized population with no chronic pain.”
The study’s researchers say the results suggest that using whole plant MC doesn’t have a widespread impact on cognition in older chronic pain patients. “Considering the increasing use of MC in older populations, this study could be a first step towards a better risk-benefit assessment of MC treatment in this population. Future studies are urgently needed to further clarify the implications of late-life cannabis use for brain health.”
“With greater percentages of seniors both turning to, and returning to, the use of cannabis, it is important that scientists begin to focus greater attention [on] this unique and frequently overlooked group of consumers,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano in a statement. “We already know that many seniors suffer from ailments that may be effectively treated with cannabis, and this emerging data suggests that they can do so in a manner that poses little if any risk to their cognitive well-being.”