Cannabist Show: Her pot parties are legendary; He crafts brands and ads

Featured guests: Mason Jar Event Group founder Kendal Norris and Blank Space creative director Zac Cohen.

What we’re talking about: The many obstacles an event planner faces when throwing 420-friendly dinners and brunches; the cannabis marketing trend that promotes moods over strain-specific info; what’s really happening with New York’s brand-new, ultra-restrictive medical marijuana program; and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s recent change of heart on his ban on pot clubs.

TOP MARIJUANA NEWS

• Three of the four marijuana lawsuits filed against Colorado officials and businesses were organized and at least partially funded by out-of-state anti-drug organizations and socially conservative law firms, a Denver Post analysis shows. For those who oppose Colorado’s marijuana laws, the out-of-state money offers a chance to fight back against what they characterize as a well-heeled marijuana lobby that sends misleading messages. But supporters of the law say the money gives outsized influence to secretive coalitions of drug-rehab professionals, for-profit prison owners and others with a financial stake in keeping pot illegal. –Report by The Cannabist’s Ricardo Baca

• One of the much-touted arguments for marijuana legalization has been an eradication of the black market. After two years of recreational pot sales in two states, what do we know? While it’s impossible to calculate the exact size of the black market, new data reported recently by the Los Angeles Times suggests that Mexican pot production is in decline — backing up previous anecdotes that Mexican cannabis farmers are steering away from marijuana crops as legalization efforts north of the border cut into their profit margins. –Report by The Cannabist’s Ricardo Baca

POT QUIZ

Test your current-events knowledge on weed-centric TV shows, marijuana lawsuits in legalized states and unusual drug-smuggling tactics.