This Ivy League doctor sees cannabis’ medical promise, wants it rescheduled
Ivy League doctor-professor David Casarett understands and believes in marijuana’s true medical promise, and here’s why he wants it rescheduled.
Ricardo Baca
Ricardo Baca is a contributing editor for The Cannabist. He was appointed The Denver Post's first marijuana editor in November 2013 and spearheaded the formation of The Cannabist, a division of the Post. Fortune magazine ranked Baca as one of the seven most powerful people in American cannabis while the Brookings Institution said he's one of 12 key people to watch in marijuana policy. Considered by Vice as 'the nation's most prestigious weed editor,' Baca is also the subject of the feature-length documentary 'Rolling Papers.' Baca also founded music blog Reverb and co-founded music festival The UMS.
- Twitter: @bruvs
- Facebook: Ricardo Baca
- Google+: Ricardo Baca
- Email: rickbaca@gmail.com
Recent posts by Ricardo Baca
Pennsylvania prisons spend millions to house less than 100 pot offenders
Published:
Auditor: Pennsylvania, a state contemplating medical marijuana legalization, shouldn’t spend millions to imprison 97 nonviolent inmates on weed charges.
Colorado pot shops sold $88 million of cannabis, accessories in January 2016
Published:
As Colorado pot sales dip after a big December, experts tout high hopes for school-bound tax revenues to top $40 million, as anticipated in the voter-approved Amendment 64.
Bernie Sanders talks candidly about the multiple times he tried marijuana
Published:
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was campaigning in Michigan on Monday when he suddenly opened up about his own history with marijuana.
High Times Cannabis Cup leaves Colorado for greener lands in 2016
Published:
High Times magazine’s flagship event, the U.S. Cannabis Cup, is leaving Colorado for more 420-friendly pastures in April 2016, The Cannabist has learned.
Grenade-shaped marijuana grinder tagged by TSA at Sacramento airport
Published:
You’d think it common sense, choosing to leave your grenade-shaped marijuana grinder at home before flying out of Sacramento International Airport — especially if the grinder was full of weed.
Mike Ditka knew his Chicago Bears players got high, says Jim McMahon
Published:
“Mike Ditka would say, ‘Oh, all you guys, you pot smokers,’ That’s what he’d call us,” former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon said recently. McMahon has turned to medical marijuana to help him kick the prescription painkillers he used after retiring.
Bernie Sanders volunteer gifted ounce of pot as ‘thanks’ while canvassing
Published:
While volunteer Greg Duran was canvassing his neighborhood for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, a neighbor thanked him with an ounce of pot.
Colorado’s fourth pesticide recall: Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine
Published:
Colorado issued another pesticide-related recall of marijuana, its fourth in less than a week, affecting Golden pot shop Rocky Mountain Organic Medicine.
What Hillary Clinton’s merch might look like if she wanted pot legalization
Published:
If Hillary Clinton was campaigning on a more 420-friendly platform, perhaps her campaign merch would look something these buttons.
High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup plans a possible move to southern Colorado
Published:
After having its Denver-area permit rejected last week, the U.S. Cannabis Cup is looking to move to southern Colorado in April 2016.
Can pot help with the opioid crisis? This U.S. senator wants to know more
Published:
As unintentional painkiller deaths remain a significant concern in the U.S., Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to have another look at medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids for pain treatment.
Colorado marijuana sales skyrocket to more than $996 million in 2015
Published:
$996,184,788 — that’s the final tally for Colorado marijuana sales as December 2015 pot tax figures show a record-setting finish.
Exclusive: Pot biz conference ICBC to expand to Berlin, Vancouver and more
Published:
The International Cannabis Business Conference isn’t the largest marijuana event, but it is among the most respected. Now the ICBC is going international.
RiverRock will release Wiz Khalifa’s new line of weed in Colorado on 4/20
Published:
Rapper Wiz Khalifa will release his first-ever line of regulated marijuana products in RiverRock pot shops throughout Colorado on April 20.
LivWell, one of America’s largest weed businesses, just got a lot bigger
Published:
LivWell, one of America’s largest marijuana businesses, just got a lot bigger. The cannabis business just opened its fourth LivWell store in as many weeks.
Medical pot patients are more likely to vaporize, eat edibles than rec users
Published:
Study: Medical pot patients are much more likely to ingest their cannabis via vaporizers and marijuana-infused edibles than their recreational counterparts.
Chelsea Handler: ‘When I’m stoned, I don’t ever wanna do anything sexual’
Published:
Chelsea Handler tells all in her new Netflix series “Chelsea Does”: “When I’m stoned, I don’t ever wanna do anything sexual.”
No, Arsenio Hall will not narc on his weed-smelling Uber driver in D.C.
Published:
While in our 420-legal nation’s capital this week, stand-up comic Arsenio Hall was taken aback by the “overpowering” smell of cannabis when he got into his Uber.
Colorado pot lawsuit twist: Gov, other state officials out as defendants
Published:
A federal judge this week removed the governor and other state and Pueblo County officials as defendants in a high-profile racketeering lawsuit that is attempting to stop legal marijuana in Colorado.
Mexican pot production is declining as legalization in the U.S. flourishes
Published:
New data suggests that Mexican pot production is declining dramatically as 420-friendly U.S. states find their footing.
What it looks like when Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau smokes pot
Published:
Justin Trudeau talks on one of the last times he smoked marijuana: “We had a few good friends over for a dinner party… and one of our friends lit a joint and passed it around. I had a puff.”
Border police find 2,493 pounds of weed in fake carrots
Published:
On Jan. 10, U.S. border police found more than a ton of alleged marijuana inside “carrot-shaped packages.” The fake carrots held 2,493 pounds of pot.
Did Colorado pot shops sell $1 billion of weed in 2015?
Published:
Did Colorado pot shops sell $1 billion of weed in 2015? December’s data hasn’t yet been reported by the state, but here’s our best estimate.
Annual Colorado marijuana sales near $900 million mark in November 2015
Published:
Annual Colorado marijuana sales for 2015 are nearing the $900 million mark through November, according to state statistics. Nearly $700 million of medical and recreational marijuana was sold in Colorado in 2014.
Hiring: Two very different ways you can work on weed legalization issues
Published:
Now Hiring: Cannabis industry hiring news from two different organizations working tirelessly on weed legalization issues – one in favor, the other against.
Mason Jar Event Group throws the swankiest, most luxe cannabis parties in America
Published:
There has been a cornucopia of 420-friendly events in Colorado’s legalized era — arty dinners, joint- and sushi-rolling classes and even speed dating happy hours. But no entrepreneur has yet figured out the tricky cannabis event space as well as Kendal Norris, whose Mason Jar Event Group will soon throw another luxe bash.
The story behind David Bowie’s 1976 weed arrest — and legendary mugshot
Published:
David Bowie and Iggy Pop in 1976 were arrested on weed charges in New York, a Class C felony. They even landed a court hearing on 4/20. READ THE FULL STORY
EPA: This pesticide is killing bees. (Pssst, it’s also in some of your weed)
Published:
Popular pesticide chemical imidacloprid kills bees, according to a new EPA report. (Pssst: It’s also quite possibly in some of your weed.)
Watch: Kevin Hart, Conan O’Brien and Ice Cube go weed shopping with a pal
Published:
What happens when Kevin Hart, Conan O’Brien and Ice Cube give a friend a driving lesson and then swing by the weed shop? Pure hilarity. Watch the video:
Anti-pot racketeering suit settles, opens door for future RICO claims
Published:
A high-profile racketeering lawsuit against a proposed Summit County marijuana shop and companies that did its banking, bonding and accounting settled in U.S. District Court earlier this month — a substantial victory for cannabis opponents hoping to stun legalization efforts in America.
Teen pot use: Colorado leads U.S., but state’s youth use remains unchanged
Published:
As legal marijuana sales debuted in 2014, teen pot use in Colorado didn’t change. Yet the state jumped from No. 3 to No. 1 in a survey of youths. What’s up:
Marijuana biz EdiPure issues fourth edibles recall in less than two months
Published:
Marijuana business EdiPure voluntarily recalled more of its cannabis-infused edibles on Monday over concerns they contain potentially dangerous pesticides banned for use on marijuana in Colorado. The recall was EdiPure’s fourth in less than two months — and the city’s 15th in as many weeks.
Watch: Aussie gov’s odd ‘Stoner Sloth’ ads tell youths ‘You’re Worse on Weed’
Published:
Stoner Sloth is the protagonist of one Australian state’s anti-drug campaign. If you think Stoner Sloth is a well-executed hoax, think again.
Nellie McKay talks on her new single ‘Weed (All I Want for Christmas)’
Published:
Indie chanteuse Nellie McKay is best known for her provocative and thoughtful pop compositions, but there’s no question as to what inspired her latest offering — ‘Weed (All I Want for Christmas).’
Colorado AG unimpressed with brief, expects SCOTUS decision in January
Published:
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman is unimpressed with the U.S. Solicitor General’s recent brief urging the Supreme Court to not hear neighboring states’ challenge to Colorado’s recreational marijuana laws.
Top fed lawyer to SCOTUS: Reject Colorado marijuana suit
Published:
The U.S. government has taken Colorado’s side in a dispute with neighboring states over marijuana legalization and is urging the Supreme Court to not hear a major challenge to the state’s recreational cannabis laws.
Amazon, Margaret Cho are developing ‘Highland,’ a sitcom about a weed shop
Published:
Amazon and Margaret Cho are getting into the weed business. Rather, the e-commerce giant and the stand-up comic are developing a sitcom about the weed business — a show called “Highland,” about dysfunctional family running a marijuana shop, according to a new report in Variety.
Testing lab Gobi responds to EdiPure slam: We don’t want anyone recalled
Published:
After being slammed by a pot-infused edibles company suffering the blow of its third pesticide-related recall, a marijuana-testing laboratory in Colorado has a message it wants known: “We don’t want to see anyone in the industry have their product recalled or quarantined,” Gobi Analytical said in a statement released to The Cannabist this week.
Legalized life: 25 stories that define Colorado’s weed era since 2012
Published:
On Dec. 10, 2012, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed Amendment 64 into our constitution. And here we are three years later, a slightly changed society.
Welcome to harvest season: Colorado marijuana sales see drop in October
Published:
Recreational and medical marijuana sales in Colorado took sharp dives in October 2015, according to new data from the state’s Department of Revenue.
Marijuana Enforcement Division boss Lewis Koski promoted; MED is hiring
Published:
Lewis Koski, the director of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, is being promoted within the Department of Revenue, The Cannabist has learned.
Pot pesticides: What exactly are these chemicals, and why are they banned?
Published:
The five most common state-banned pesticides seen in the marijuana recalls issued by the city of Denver in 2015 — and what we know about them.
Are you consuming pesticides or other contaminants in your cannabis? Colorado recall list (updated 2/16/18)
Published:
Do you have any pesticide-peppered pot in your stash? Find out here: An updated list of all marijuana companies going through product recalls in Colorado.
True or False: A federal study will pay you $3,000 a week to smoke weed
Published:
Viral news: the federal government is prepping a marijuana study and will pay big bucks for participants to get high — did you share this fake news?
Planned Parenthood suspect may have liked pot; Anti-pot groups react
Published:
Robert Dear — the man accused of killing three and injuring nine in a shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs on Friday — might have enjoyed marijuana when he used to live in North Carolina, the New York Times reported this weekend. And now some legalization opponents are blaming cannabis for these murders — and others in Paris and South Carolina.
Yelp terminates Denver massage studio’s ad contract over use of ‘THC’
Published:
Review site Yelp terminated an advertising agreement with a Denver massage studio last week because the business offers massages with lotions infused with THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
John Mayer and his Dead & Co. pals take weed tour while touring Colorado
Published:
Before John Mayer and his Dead & Co. bandmates take the stage in Denver on Tuesday, they toured one of Colorado’s largest marijuana cultivation facilities.
Cannabis Wedding Expo: Plan a weed wedding at this first-of-its-kind event
Published:
The first-of-its-kind Cannabis Wedding Expo in Denver will introduce attendees to 420-friendly wedding vendors, with an on-site consumption lounge to boot.
World Premiere: ‘Rolling Papers’ hits theaters February 2016
Published:
Documentary ‘Rolling Papers’ spotlights Denver Post and Cannabist writers as they cover the first year of legal marijuana in Colorado. The film debuts in theaters on Feb. 19.
