#CannabisJournalism Twitter Recap
“Next steps for implementing Denver’s social pot use law” by Jon Murray for the Denver Post discusses some of the challenges associated with the implementation of initiative 300. Initiative 300 is a 4 year test program that grants licenses for business such as yoga studios, bars, or cafes, to allow the consumption of cannabis on the premises.
This would allow those who cannot use cannabis in their condos or apartments, and tourists, a space in which they can legally smoke. This initiative seeks to reduce the illegal public consumption of the drug by those who are incapable of smoking in the confines of a private space. However the initiative does require that you bring your own cannabis.
Opponents of the initiative believe that cannabis use in establishments that also sell alcohol could create a higher frequency of drunk and stoned driving. In addition the rules for what constitutes a “public space” are ill-defined. City Attorney Kristin Bronson said officials would consult other laws defining public spaces, as well as the restrictions included in amendment 64, in order to find ideal areas in which social use could be legal.
Unfortunately license applications will not be accepted until the process is completed and the rules and regulations have been clearly defined.
“Whoa, grandpa. Wanna talk weed? This new adult marijuana use study may shock you” by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, for Kaiser Health News, discusses increasing number of baby boomers that are consuming cannabis.
The findings of a study published Monday, in the journal Addiction, showed that overall use among adults 50 years of age and up, increased significantly from 2006, to 2013. This study was carried out by researchers from the NYU School of Medicine, and was based on 47,140 responses collected from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
This increase in usage closely parallels the increasing acceptance of cannabis by the general public, and the push of legalization groups towards mainstreaming the drug. A recently released Gallup poll shows that 57% of Americans believe cannabis should be legalized. When the group first asked in 1969, only 12% of people were pro legalization.
One reason Baby-Boomers could be using cannabis is the desire of those who are ill, and not being helped by prescribed medication, or are addicted to painkillers and other drugs, to find an alternative to ease pain associated with disease and aging.
However the study also found that half of users picked up the habit before the age of 18, and 90% before age 36.
Cannabis use to ease pain is backed up by scientific consensus, and as the Boomer population ages, it is likely that usage rates will increase as more and more people seek alternative remedies for ailments.
