Richmond’s Mayor Levar Stoney wrote a letter with an impassioned plea for cannabis justice.

Registered voters in Arizona will determine the fate of cannabis legalization in their state.

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On November 3, Arizona voters will have a chance to bring taxed and regulated cannabis sales to the Land of Enchantment.

Last month, Smart and Safe Arizona submitted around 420,000 signatures on a petition to place a cannabis legalization measure on this year’s general election ballot. This week, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs announced that 255,080 of these signatures were valid – just barely exceeding the 237,645 signatures needed to qualify.

Proposition 207, as it is officially titled, would direct the state health department to issue business licenses and regulations covering legal adult-use cannabis sales. Adults would be allowed to possess up to an ounce of pot each, and would also be able to grow up to six plants for personal use only. Regulators would be given the authority to decide if home delivery or other services would be allowed.

The measure would tax legal weed sales at 16 percent, and this revenue would be used to fund the cost of implementation and regulation. Any additional revenue would be divided equally among funds for community colleges, justice programs, infrastructure, firefighters, and cops. The measure also includes provisions to create a social equity program for cannabis businesses and to allow former pot offenders to have their criminal records cleared.

Arizona actually voted on an adult-use legalization ballot measure back in 2016, but it failed by a narrow margin, with 48 percent in favor and 52 percent opposed. But this year, polls are indicating that the tide of support has grown. A poll conducted in June found that 65 percent of voters were in favor of legalization. Even more promising is the fact that the measure saw majority support in every demographic, including Republicans and adults over age 50.

Governor Doug Ducey and other Republican politicians are doing their best to discourage support for legal weed, though. The governor printed a series of arguments against legalization, which will be mailed to every voter in the state. Like most prohibitionists, Ducey is relying on myths and scare tactics to block the measure. In the mailout, Ducey argues that legalization has been linked to an increase in teen pot use – even though numerous research studies have shown that the exact opposite is true.

Arizona is joining several other states in voting on major drug reform initiatives this year. New Jersey and South Dakota will also vote to legalize adult-use pot and Mississippi will vote on legalizing medical marijuana. Campaigns to legalize adult-use in Montana and medical pot in Nebraska also look likely to succeed, as well. Washington DC will vote to decriminalize natural psychedelics this fall, and Oregon will vote on two major initiatives to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy and to decriminalize all drugs.

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The Democratic Party of Vermont has created a 2020 draft platform that includes planks to legalize sales of cannabis and decriminalize drug possession. The document also addresses racial inequity in drug policies and lays out means of taking restorative measures — including police reform and no longer turning to law enforcement for dealing with social issues. 

The draft platform, obtained by Marijuana Moment, calls for action to “ensure that cannabis is appropriately regulated and taxed in a manner that rights the historic wrongs of the War on Drugs and that recognizes the disproportionate impact prohibition has had on minority communities.”

Vermont decriminalized weed possession in 2018, but still hasn’t set up a system to regulate sales. A bill to establish such a program has already passed the House and Senate and is now the subject of a special session that hopefully will go into effect by the end of next month.  

In larger terms of drug reform, the document declares “We must end the criminalization of poverty, addiction, and otherness, [and] adopt an approach to the possession and misuse of drugs that is motivated solely by the principles of public health and harm reduction, rather than punishing undesirable private behavior, while avoiding the criminal justice system.”

In addition, the draft seeks to create “a system to automatically expunge criminal records, so that those who have repaid their debt to society can make a fresh start” and to “prioritize, in our state and local budgets, the use of mental health and substance use counselors, social workers, and other non-police interventions, in order to more effectively provide people in crisis the help they need, without introducing unnecessary force or additional trauma.”

Dave Silberman, a cannabis advocate running for Vermont High Bailiff who served on the drafting committee, said the planks came about “following extensive outreach to subject matter experts and advocates in the field, and are intended to reflect the priorities and values of Vermont Democrats at the grassroots level, who’ve been calling for fundamental reform to our broken criminal justice system.”

The Vermont Democratic Party Convention is set for September 12, where lawmakers will debate, discuss, and possibly refine these points before they become official policy.

Derek Harris is to be freed after spending a decade in prison for something that shouldn’t be a crime in the first place.

As the wild world of vaporizers continues to evolve, high tech gadgets like complicated vape pens, e rigs, and even laser-powered e-nails have taken center stage. However fun these future forward products can be, sometimes you just need a simple, reliable oil vape where you can pop in a cartridge (or fill your own) and hit the road..

Enter the Exxus Snap VV oil vaporizer. This sleek device is the new and improved version of the Snap, a popular model Exxus released prior. Both easy to use and highly functional, fill the oil cartridge or use the magnetic extender to pop in, and toggle between voltages with the press of a button. Within moments you have a custom vape at a price point most can afford. 

Whether you’re in the market for a new vape or just curious as to what the buzz is about, here’s our guide to the Snap VV vaporizer by Exxus. 

What is the Snap VV? 

The Snap VV is an oil cartridge vaporizer by Exxus Vape, a California brand known for creating high-quality vaporizers since 2014. This device shines in its attention to customizable details, like 8 color finishes, 4 voltage settings, cartridge adapters and even an empty cartridge for your own oil. 

Whether you choose a discrete black unit or its flashy rainbow counterpart, the Snap VV is simple and compact. Standing at a mere 3” tall by 1” wide, it maintains discretion in any color with magnetic thread adapters that accommodate cartridges up to 11mm. 

At $39.99, who could resist?

What comes with the Snap VV?

The Snap VV comes equipped with everything you need to enjoy the pinnacle of an oil cartridge vaporizing experience. 

The Exxus Snap VV includes: 

• Exxus Snap VV Cartridge Vaporizer
• Atomizer 
• Long Magnetic Connector
• Short Magnetic Connector
• Micro USB Charging Cable

What can you vape with the Snap VV?

Thanks to two magnetic connectors, one long and one short, the Snap VV is compatible with oil cartridges up to 11mm. The empty Snap VV cartridge included can be filled with the oil of your choice.  

How do you use the Snap VV?

Now that you know what the Snap VV brings to the table, how exactly do you use this new device?

Charging the Snap VV

First charge: Upon opening, charge the device for 2 full hours before your first hit using the micro USB charging port on the battery.

The indicator light will turn from red to white when the device is fully charged. 

WARNING: After the initial charge, never let the Snap VV charge for more than one hour. Leaving the Snap VV charging for long periods of time can damage the battery or ruin it completely. 

Loading oils into the Snap VV Cartridge

1. Remove the Snap VV mouthpiece from the cartridge.

2. Load the desired amount of oil into the glass cartridge.

3. Attach desired magnetic adapter to the glass cartridge.

4. Twist on the mouthpiece.

5. Put the cartridge back into the chamber.

Adding extenders to cartridges

Simply screw the metal extenders onto the bottom of the cartridge of your choice and slide into the chamber. The magnetic threading will lock the cartridge in, and you’re ready to roll. 

Changing the voltage

• Turn on the device by pressing the power button 5x. 
• To adjust the voltage, press power button 3x. Indicator light will change according to voltage: 
  • Red: 4.0V
  • Yellow: 3.8V
  • Green: 3.6V
  • Blue: 3.4V
• To engage 15 second preheat cycle: press power button 2x. TheLED will stay the selected voltage color.
• Press power button 1x to stop preheating.

How to clean the Snap VV

Clean the Snap VV like you would any other vaporizer or concentrate device, with cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol. All parts of the Snap VV are removable for separate cleaning. 

What’s the appeal?

When it comes to my judgement of a vaporizer, it comes down to the basic questions: is it a quality, reliable product, and is it cool? 

Since I’ve been using mine casually throughout the past week, I’ve only had to charge it once. It’s convenient and always delivers a solid hit — it’s also cute enough to be noticed by my friends. And it’s super inexpensive, which makes it even cooler. 

Merging simplicity and customization into an intuitive, it’s a well made vaporizer that can be easily modified to become whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re a discrete business person taking poofs between conference calls, or an iridescent party monster vaping into the wee hours of the morn, the Exxus Snap VV is designed to keep up with whatever your life entails. 

The post Everything you need to know about the Exxus Snap VV appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Pregnant Marijuana Use Linked To Children With Autism, Study Finds

Children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing autism, a new Canadian data study found.

The post Pregnant Marijuana Use Linked To Children With Autism, Study Finds appeared first on The Fresh Toast.