I remember saying when I was a kid “I want to be a fireman” and I remember saying when I was young “I want that fire man”… Now this guy, he gets the best of both worlds. How cool is that? He is a fireman, and gets to inhale that fire man. What an awesome work bonus, getting stoned at work, and staying drug test safe!

Grandpa smokes weed for the first time in his life…

The City Council of Seattle, the largest city in the state of Washington, voted to establish a municipal licensing and regulation system for medical marijuana distribution under a new state law that takes effect later this week.  A spokesman for Mayor Mike McGinn said he expects to sign the measure quickly, making Seattle a beacon of compassion and forward-thinking surrounded by several other municipalities who have placed all kinds of restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities.

According to Reuters:

The 8-0 vote in favor of the measure comes nearly three months after Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law a new measure allowing cities to regulate and license production, processing and distribution of medical marijuana on a limited basis.

That statute, which takes effect on Friday, requires storefront dispensaries and other medical pot suppliers to reorganize themselves as small, cooperative ventures serving up to 10 patients. These “collective gardens” are confined to growing 45 plants total but no more than 15 per person.

A spokesman for the mayor said he anticipates the mayor will sign this ordinance today, Tuesday the 19th, and the measure would go into effect in another 30 days.  It would be my guess that the local economy in Seattle will have a slight “boom” in a months time.

Do the math yourself.

According to the Reuters article,  there are more than 25,000 medical marijuana patients in Seattle.  The article also states that there are currently 80 dispensaries already in operation.  Those existing places of business will only be allowed to provide service to 800 patients, leaving the additional 24,200 with no place to go and creating a potential need for another 2,420 shops to open their doors to fill the need.  I do not know exactly how many individuals each medical marijuana dispensary and the required grow houses will employ, but even if they only employ ten people each this will create around 25,000 new jobs and generate a huge amount of new, taxable income for the city, state, and even the federal government.

Anytime a new law or ordinance creates this large of a boost to the economy, local or national, it is obviously something that is long overdue.

There are so many reasons to love Willie Nelson, I can’t even begin to count them.  The grizzled Texas outlaw country singer-songwriter, legendary for his music, is an unabashed cannabis smoker and legalization activist.  Willie recently teamed up with NORML, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, for an informative Public Service Announcement concerning marijuana.  You can check it out below.

Amsterdam without weed?

What is the first thing that most North Americans think of when considering traveling to the Netherlands?

Some people think of tulips, windmills, and bicycles.  These are a mandatory and unavoidable part of the Dutch experience.

Some people think of the famous Red Light District located in one of the most beautiful and oldest parts of Amsterdam.

For the rest of us, we think of the famous coffee shops and the great times to be had within.  Well, it seems the Dutch government no longer wants our tourism money and wants to increase the local crime rate.

On Friday, May 27th, the Dutch government decided to restrict access to cannabis coffee shops so that tourists will no longer be able to enjoy a relaxing smoke break between visiting over priced museums and avoiding rain showers.

The rest of this story can be found here, at 420News.co

Marijuana Has No Lethal Dose! Douglas Hiatt: I-1086 Legalize Marijuana Washington

Clusterstock’s “CNBC: The Whole Country Needs A Bong Break” from AlleyInsider on Vimeo.

Even the money market mainstream knows we need the green. So why do the political power markets still not understand?