6. ‘Halloweed’ candy hysteria is unfounded and insulting, so let’s stop: There has been an inordinate level of fear, and perhaps confusion, flooding the news about the high risk of “Halloweed” candy being given to our children, and it threatens to take away a great holiday from not only those of us in the industry but families from around our community. It gives us one more reason to doubt our humanity, to close doors and to fuel our distrust of our neighbors and friends. Read the full opinion piece.
7. Stop the public shaming of parents’ personal cannabis choices: As The Cannabist reported last week, a group of parents are threatening to stand guard outside Aurora’s first recreational marijuana shop to enforce their personal moral code on law-abiding citizens — to see if they recognize anyone, to take photos to share with one another, to “publicly shame those who think pot is cool.” I bit my tongue on responding because this small fringe group, if it even exists, barely deserves the attention. I changed my mind because it is important that the parents who choose to exercise their freedom to consume cannabis in the state of Colorado know that they are supported by me and many other parents around the country. Read the full opinion piece.
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8. Brandon Coats ‘was fired for legally relieving pain in his own home’: When it comes to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens of Colorado, I believe we all share a fundamental value: that those who are ill should not have to choose between their doctors’ recommended medical treatment and earning a living. Unfortunately, a recent case heard in the Colorado Supreme Court threatens to undermine this fundamental value. The case involves a quadriplegic employee of Dish Network, Brandon Coats, who consistently received outstanding employee evaluations in his clerical role with this large, Colorado-based company. Due to his serious medical condition, Mr. Coats used medical marijuana outside of work hours, under the care and recommendation of his doctor. There is no allegation that Mr. Coats used marijuana at work or that his work suffered in any way. However, Mr. Coats’ medical marijuana use outside of work to treat his spasms and seizures was in violation of Dish Network’s drug testing policy — and the company fired him after he tested positive for marijuana. Read the full opinion piece.
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9. Dr. Drew was wrong when he said pot ’causes severe addiction’: My professional experience — where I worked as a residential addiction counselor and studied cannabis pharmacology in university — tells me differently. And when my Crohn’s Disease was in remission I quit using marijuana and never experienced a single withdrawal symptom. So trust me, good doctor, you couldn’t be more off base. Read the full opinion piece.
10. On sexism in pot industry: We are your peers, not merely ‘hot chicks’: We didn’t start calling this behavior out because we believe the cannabis industry is particularly biased, but rather because we want to make something better. You refer to yourselves as “The Next Great American Industry.” Make that greatness equitably available to everyone who is helping build it. Read the full opinion piece.
