cannibis cafe in Portland

[bbqboy]

http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/ne/woo ... hood_feud/

On Friday the 13th, at 4:20 p.m., the nation's first Cannabis Caf?, run by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) opened its doors in the Northeast Portland neighborhood of Woodlawn. Housed inside the historic Village Ballroom, inside the former restaurant/private events club called Rumpspankers, the caf? welcomed NORML members with their medical marijuana and membership cards. There were no protests?not much fanfare?surrounding the opening. Despite the fact that representatives from NORML thought otherwise, a neighborhood association meeting held a week before the opening, showed that there was more to the story than they originally thought.

The only thing clear at the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association meeting on November 4th, was that no one was clear on what was bothering them. The meeting was originally scheduled to talk about some of the parties being hosted by Rumpspankers, a business that seems to have gone through a couple of different business models in their short time there. The day before the meeting, however, a newscaster from FOX 12 appeared on the front steps of area residents, asking them for their opinion on the Cannabis Caf? opening inside Rumpspankers. This changed the meeting agenda quite a bit.
cont....

[LenexatoKCMO]

Rumpspankers?    Are you kidding me?

[DanCa]

Sounds like the same thing we have all over Denver.  They're called "medicinal marijuana dispensaries" here, but they have all sorts of food with pot in it, you can buy it to smoke, then they have party rooms/decks, music, etc.  From what I've heard, all you have to do is say you have pain somewhere and you're in!  I don't know how many there are in Denver, but I'd guess over 50 and under 100.  We have one coming to the Stapleton neighborhood soon.  They're very unregulated and the one in Stapleton will be less than a block from a high school, so the city council will be making a few rules soon.  Seems like the real problem with these "pot bars" is that they get robbed a lot.  I think there have been 3 robberies in the past month in Denver. 

[bobbyhawks]

Sounds like the same thing we have all over Denver.  They're called "medicinal marijuana dispensaries" here, but they have all sorts of food with pot in it, you can buy it to smoke, then they have party rooms/decks, music, etc.  From what I've heard, all you have to do is say you have pain somewhere and you're in!  I don't know how many there are in Denver, but I'd guess over 50 and under 100.  We have one coming to the Stapleton neighborhood soon.  They're very unregulated and the one in Stapleton will be less than a block from a high school, so the city council will be making a few rules soon.  Seems like the real problem with these "pot bars" is that they get robbed a lot.  I think there have been 3 robberies in the past month in Denver. 

Just heard about this on NPR a few days back.  "Broadsterdam."  I had no idea Denver was as much on the heels of LA and San Fran.  Venice Beach in LA is littered with hippies holding signs that say, "The Doctor is In!"  For both areas, though, you need to be a resident of the state.

[DanCa]

Just heard about this on NPR a few days back.  "Broadsterdam."  I had no idea Denver was as much on the heels of LA and San Fran.  Venice Beach in LA is littered with hippies holding signs that say, "The Doctor is In!"  For both areas, though, you need to be a resident of the state.

Denver's apparently quite the pot haven!  I know we voted to make marijuana possession/use a "lowest priority" for Denver police, legalized medicinal marijuana in CO, and I'm pretty sure it's legal to possess up to an ounce.  The Mile High City is getting higher!

[LenexatoKCMO]

Denver Nuggets suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. 

[bobbyhawks]

Denver Nuggets suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. 

And, per the title of this thread, so does a Nuggets/Blazers matchup.

[bbqboy]

http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 16/-1/NEWS

By Howard Huntington
Grants Pass Daily Courier
December 17, 2009

GRANTS PASS ? "Not Frank" doesn't want his real name getting around. It could cost him his crop, even if it's behind a 6-foot electric fence. And "Not Frank" isn't completely legal himself.

Elsewhere, James Bowman says he's just another farmer, with Tasers, surveillance cameras and pepper spray, after a plot to steal his crop at gunpoint failed.

"Not Frank" and Bowman legally raise cannabis under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

Demand among patients for OMMA cards to get relief from AIDS, glaucoma and other chronic conditions has mushroomed since a 55 percent majority of Oregonians approved the act in 1998.

As of Oct. 1, 23,873 people statewide had cards, a nearly fourfold increase since 2000, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The department fielded 13,083 new applications for cards and denied 851 in the past year.

"As more and more people fall between the cracks, they can't afford pharmaceutical drugs" and are not up to wrangling with the bureaucracy to get them, Bowman says.

"So for them, folk remedies tend to be ? and have been for millions of people around the world ? alternative solutions to what we consider the symptomatic solutions in our modern medicine."
cont.....

[DanCa]

I just heard on the news this evening that 197 permits have been issued in Denver in the past month for marijuana dispensaries in just the past month   I think part of the reason is because new regulations in January will prevent them from being near schools, or using it on site.  However, stores already in business will be exempt from the new regulations.  And ironically, as I was typing this, I received a robo-call from the State of CO that then connected me to a live town hall phone meeting about medical marijuana in Colorado!  Talk about timing. 

Issues being discussed on this call: 

Regular pharmacies can't dispense pot because they're regulated by the Feds and federal law prohibits them from doing so.  Since it's a state law to legalize it, it can only be dispensed through state regulated outlets. They're currently just not regulated very much.

-The state basically wants the tax money from pot and this is the easiest way to do it.

-Apparently suburban cities are banning them, so most are opening in the city of Denver.

-Main concern by citizens is the amount of robberies taking place at these shops.

-Denver residents seem pretty supportive of these shops. 

I've never received a call like this that connected me to a live call where I could ask questions.  Very interesting concept.