Pubdate: Thu, 27 Dec 2012
Source: Sacramento News & Review (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://newsreview.com/sacto/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/540
Author: Ngaio Bealum

IT'S LIST TIME

Hey, it's the end of the year. You wanna do a recap of the highs and 
lows? A top 10 list?

- -Softball Sammie

You got it, Sammie. But 10 seems like a lot of work. How about a few 
top three lists? Let's start with the lows:

1. All these bans on growing medical cannabis in your own backyard. 
Sacramento may have a workable ordinance, but Fresno and Butte 
counties and a few other places do not. Prohibiting medical-cannabis 
users from growing their own medicine in their own backyard is no way 
to show compassion.

2. The harassment of law-abiding, politically active medical-cannabis 
dispensaries by the feds. El Camino Wellness Center in Sacramento was 
raided and shut down. Harborside Health Center in Oakland is fighting 
it out in federal court as I write this column. These two clubs have 
done everything right under California law: They had or have the 
support of the city they are in, and they provide good jobs and pay 
taxes to the state and the federal government. Oh, yeah, and they 
help sick people! This ridiculousness has got to stop.

3. The continued recalcitrance of the Sacramento County Board of 
Supervisors. I don't even want to talk about it. These people are 
costing their county money and jobs. Most of them need to be voted out.

And then, the mids:

1. The re-election of Barack Obama. While he was a better choice than 
Mitt Romney, his support of cannabis-law reform has been tepid. He 
paid lip service to respecting state law, but U.S. Attorney General 
Eric Holder and the Drug Enforcement Administration have been going 
after law-abiding California cannabis collectives with a vengeance 
over the past two years.

2. Oregon and Arkansas. They came so close. Oregon almost legalized 
recreational cannabis this year. Arkansas was the first southern 
state to get a medical-cannabis initiative on the ballot. It didn't 
pass, but it's a step in the right direction.

3. I don't really have a third one for this segment.

And the highs:

1. Washington and Colorado. Hell to the yes! Legal weed is here! And, 
barring any federal interference, weed stores are on the way. This is 
so exciting! It remains to be seen how these two states will regulate 
cannabis sales, but people can no longer be arrested for possessing 
up to 1 ounce of weed. Woo-hoo!

2. The rise of "sun-grown" cannabis. That's the new brand name for 
outdoor pot. Whatever. I don't care what you call it, I just enjoy 
it. Well-grown outdoor weed is the best. You indoor people can talk 
all the smack you want, but plants should grow in real sunlight with 
real dirt. The growers in southern Oregon's Rogue Valley could give 
Mendocino and Humboldt counties a run for their money. This year's 
Emerald Cup cannabis competition had more than 200 entries, and all 
of them were top-shelf. Sun, rain and dirt for the win.

3. 3 Kings. This is my favorite new strain of 2012. It's a mix of 
Trainwreck, Diesel and Headband, I think-growers like to keep their 
secrets. Mostly sativa, but with a great Kush-y flavor and a smooth, 
mellow-but-not-dopey high. It's kinda hard to find, but well worth the hunt.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom