# Recreational Marijuana now legal



## heavyiron (Jan 1, 2014)

DENVER - A gleaming white Apple store of weed is how Andy Williams sees his new Denver marijuana dispensary.

*LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGALIZED MARIJUANA IN COLORADO
*
Two floors of pot-growing rooms will have windows showing the shopping public how the mind-altering plant is grown. Shoppers will be able to peruse drying marijuana buds and see pot trimmers at work separating the valuable flowers from the less-prized stems and leaves.

"It's going to be all white and beautiful," the 45-year-old ex-industrial engineer explains, excitedly gesturing around what just a few weeks ago was an empty warehouse space that will eventually house 40,000 square feet of cannabis strains.

As of Jan. 1, Colorado is the first U.S. state to allow recreational marijuana sales. Hopeful retailers like Williams are investing their fortunes into the legal recreational pot world - all for a chance to build even bigger ones in a fledgling industry that faces an uncertain future.

Officials in Colorado and Washington - the other state where recreational pot goes on sale in mid-2014 - as well as activists, policymakers and governments from around the U.S. and across the world will not be the only ones watching the experiment unfold.

So too will the U.S. Department of Justice, which for now is not fighting to shut down the industry.

"We are building an impressive showcase for the world, to show them this is an industry," Williams says, as the scent of marijuana competes with the smell of sawdust and wet paint in the cavernous store where he hopes to sell pot just like a bottle of wine.

Will it be a showcase for a safe, regulated pot industry that generates hundreds of millions of dollars each year and saves money by not locking up drug criminals, or one that will prove, once and for all, that the federal government has been right to ban pot since 1937?

Cannabis was grown legally in the U.S. for centuries, even by George Washington. After Prohibition's end in the 1930s, ending a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages, authorities turned their sights on pot. The 1936 propaganda film "Reefer Madness" warned the public about a plant capable of turning people into mindless criminals.

Over the years, pot activists and state governments managed to chip away at the ban, their first big victory coming in 1996 when California allowed medical marijuana. Today, 19 other states, including Colorado and Washington, and the District of Columbia have similar laws.

Those in the business were nervous, fearing that federal agents would raid their shops.

"It was scary," recalls Williams, who along with his brother borrowed some $630,000 from parents and relatives to open Medicine Man in 2009. "I literally had dreams multiple times a week where I was in prison and couldn't see my wife or my child. Lots of sleepless nights."

That same year, the Justice Department told federal prosecutors they should not focus investigative resources on patients and caregivers complying with state medical marijuana laws - but the department reserved the right to step in if there was abuse.
In Colorado, the industry took off. Shops advertised on billboards and radio. Pot-growing warehouses along Interstate 70 in Denver grew so big that motorists started calling one stretch the "Green Zone" for its frequent skunky odor of pot.

The city at one point had more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks coffee shops, with some neighborhoods crowded with dispensary sign-wavers and banners offering free joints for new customers. Local officials have since ratcheted back such in-your-face ads.

But the marijuana movement didn't stop. Voters in Colorado and Washington state approved recreational pot in 2012, sold in part on spending less to lock up drug criminals and the potential for new tax dollars to fund state programs.

The votes raised new questions about whether the federal government would sue to block laws flouting federal drug law. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper famously warned residents not to "break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly," and activists predicated a legal showdown.

That didn't happen. In August, the Department of Justice said it wouldn't sue so long as the states met an eight-point standard that includes keeping pot out of other states and away from children, criminal cartels and federal property.

Colorado law allows adults 21 and older to buy pot at state-sanctioned pot retail stories, and state regulations forbid businesses from advertising in places where children are likely to see their pitches.

Only existing medical dispensaries were allowed to apply for licenses, an effort to prevent another proliferation of pot shops. Only a few dozen shops statewide are expected to be open for recreational sales on New Year's Day.

Legal pot's potential has spawned businesses beyond retail shops. Marijuana-testing companies have popped up, checking regulated weed for potency and screening for harmful molds. Gardening courses charge hundreds of dollars to show people how to grow weed at home.

Tourism companies take curious tourists to glass-blowing shops where elaborate smoking pipes are made. One has clients willing to spend up to $10,000 for a week in a luxury ski resort and a private concierge to show them the state's pot industry.

Dixie Elixirs & Edibles, maker of pot-infused foods and drinks, is making new labels for the recreational market and expanding production on everything from crispy rice treats to fruit lozenges.

"The genie is out of the bottle," says company president Tripp Keber. "I think it's going to be an exciting time over the next 24 to 48 months."

It's easy to see why the industry is attracting so many people. A Colorado State University study estimates the state will ring up $606 million in pot sales next year, and the market will grow from 105,000 medical pot users to 643,000 adult users overnight - and that's not counting tourists.

Toni Fox, owner of 3D Cannabis Center in Denver, anticipates shoppers camping overnight to await her first-day 8 a.m. opening. She's thinking of using airport-security-line-style ropes to corral shoppers, and suspects she's going to run out of pot.
A longtime marijuana legalization advocate, she knows it's a crucial moment for the movement.

"We have to show that this can work," she says. "It has to."

The challenges, activists and regulators say, are daunting in Colorado and Washington state.

One of the biggest questions is whether they have built an industry that will not only draw in tens of millions of dollars in revenue but also make a significant dent in the illegal market. Another is whether the regulatory system is up to the task of controlling a drug that's never been regulated.

There are public health and law enforcement concerns, including whether wide availability of a drug with a generations-old stigma of ruining lives will lead to more underage drug use, more cases of driving while high and more crime.

As state officials watch for signs of trouble, they will also have to make sure they don't run afoul of the Department of Justice's conditions.

To stop the drug from getting smuggled out of state, regulators in both states are using a radio-frequency surveillance system developed to track pot from the greenhouses to the stores and have set low purchasing limits for non-residents.

Officials concede that there's little they can do to prevent marijuana from ending up in suitcases on the next flight out. The sheriff in the Colorado county where Aspen is located has suggested placing an "amnesty box" at the city's small airport to encourage visitors to drop off their extra bud.

To prevent the criminal element from getting a foothold, regulators have enacted residency requirements for business owners, banned out-of-state investment and run background checks on every applicant for a license to sell or grow the plant.
Whether the systems are enough is anyone's guess.

For now, all the focus is on 2014. This being Colorado, there will be more than a few joints lit up on New Year's Eve. Pot fans plan to don 1920s-era attire for a "Prohibition Is Over!" party.

Williams says he's done everything he can, including hiring seven additional staffers to handle customers. All he has to do is open the doors.

"Are we ready to go? Yes," he says. "What's going to happen? I don't know."

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Marijuana now legal in Colorado | 9news.com


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## IronAddict (Jan 1, 2014)

Way to go Colorado! Now onto California!









In under 24 hours, legal weed becomes a reality in the United States of America thanks to the incredibly dank state of Colorado. Consequentially, anyone over the age of 21 from any state, country, or planet will be allowed to purchase recreational cannabis from one of about 20 recreational dispensaries tomorrow.


And at the dispensary 3D in Denver, the first ever sale will go to ?Sean Azzariti, a Denver-based Iraq war veteran (served in the Marines) who can now legally use marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.? While there it may not be exactly the first purchase in Colorado (there will be simultaneous 8 AM purchases tomorrow), it?ll surely be up there!

Our huge congrats go out to Sean who probably never thought enlisting in the Marines would allow him to cut the world?s longest lines to buy marijuana?and do it legally.

It?s a historical moment for both the United States and the entire world?and we can?t think of a better, more ironic way (see: federal prohibition) to kick it off!

What do you think Sean should buy?


Marijuana Strains, News, Products & More | Marijuana.com


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## OldSchoolLifter (Jan 1, 2014)

Colorado here I come. 

Powered by EliteBodyTuneup.com using tapatalk.


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## charley (Jan 1, 2014)




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## D-Lats (Jan 1, 2014)




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## Swiper (Jan 1, 2014)

*Marijuana now legal*

it's good to see liberty being legalized.


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## ldzp (Jan 1, 2014)




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## IronAddict (Jan 2, 2014)

So This is What Legal Weed in Colorado Looks Like...







The first ever recreational purchase at 3D in Denver, by Marines veteran Sean Azzariti.

History has been made and America will never be the same: legal weed is here in Colorado and it?s here to stay, grow, and flourish. The first purchase of the day was made by veteran Sean Azzariti, who bought an 1/8 of Bubba Kush and a truffle. Azzariti, who uses marijuana medicinally to treat PTSD, looks simply ecstatic to have helped ushered in this new era.









Based on reports from the field and the Twittersphere, it?s a very calm, peaceful zoo out there. No one?s been hurt or arrested, everyone seems to be jovial about waiting in the cold/snow for hours on New Year?s Day, so, so far so good.

But it is certainly organized, unprecedented chaos. All told, there?s 1-3 hour lines to buy weed, depending on the location, and most of the buyers come from out of state. Based on the look of these lines, these shops will sell out of weed sooner rather than later:

People choosing to wait outside of Breckenridge Cannabis Club for weed rather than hit the slopes:






Like father, like son (and that?s dedication):











There?a a lot to take in here, and a lot to consider. History has been made, and it?s a proud, tear-jerking moment for any one in the world who understands marijuana?s power. But it?s just the beginning.

This is, aside from an economy booster, a case study and for the rest of America (and even the world). While the lines are wild, they?re not unexpected. It?s January 1! No one has work today, it?s the biggest travel week in the country, skiers always flock to Colorado at this time of year, and then you have the kids in town for jam bands and Pretty Lights.

So while these lines won?t guy away (at least not till more than 20 recreational shops are open), this will calm down and resemble something reasonable in the coming weeks and months. But quite frankly, today?s lines were a blessing and we thank those who waited, as it?s garnered the media attention this story deserves.

The down side of these massive lines: as mentioned earlier, these shops are going to be dry very soon because THERE IS A LOT OF MARIJUANA BEING SOLD TODAY. The city of Denver just needs more weed.

As for the out of staters, well, as expected, they?re here not just for the microbrews and Broncos, but for the legal cannabis. The problem is: where the hell are they supposed to smoke the weed since public consumption is strictly forbidden. If we had to guess, Denver?s hotels must reek of weed right about now.

Thus, we can?t stress this strongly enough: please, smoke your weed where it?s legal to and in as a discrete, respectful way as possible. Do not bring your weed across state lines, and represent our community the right way.

Its an honor you deserve to to say you legally purchased weed in the United States of America. But the microscope is on Colorado, and on every individual who buys recreational weed in Colorado.

Please, don?t blow it for this industry, the rest of the country, and Colorado. Everyone is waiting for us to fuck up?but we cant and we won?t let that happen.


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## jacmo (Jan 2, 2014)

When I look back at all the trouble alcohol has gotten me into over the years and compare that to my pot problems there's no comparison. Although I did think of robbing a Dunkin Donuts once while stoned!


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## need2lift (Jan 2, 2014)

OldSchoolLifter said:


> Colorado here I come.



Swing by when you get here...I have a couple _dispensaries_ within walking distance of my house!


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## Arnold (Jan 2, 2014)

If the Feds would legalize weed every state would follow except probably Utah.


www.IronMagLabs.com


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## heckvr4 (Jan 2, 2014)

need2lift said:


> Swing by when you get here...I have a couple _dispensaries_ within walking distance of my house!



Ha... theres more dispensaries than gas stations now... 

 I dont smoke but im not against it...


 What i dont get is why pay double at the store when yiu can probably get it cheaper from your ol'  dealer


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## maniclion (Jan 2, 2014)

Wait, I thought it was legal here in Hawaii for years    maybe I should stop smoking in my yard and hide in my bathroom and blame the smell on farts....


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## dogsoldier (Jan 2, 2014)

It was on the news that some pot is going for $400 an ounce  in the stores. I remember that everyone was pissed off when on ounce climbed to $30 back in the day.


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## need2lift (Jan 2, 2014)

heckvr4 said:


> Ha... theres more dispensaries than gas stations now...
> 
> I dont smoke but im not against it...
> 
> ...



There are more dispensaries then Starbucks here....

And why pay anything when you know dudes that grow!


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## Big Smoothy (Jan 2, 2014)

Good on CO, but remember folks, Washington made it legal in December.


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## Swiper (Jan 2, 2014)

I bet the states, WA, CO are going to tax it even more creating another black market driving it back underground.


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## maniclion (Jan 2, 2014)

OfficerFarva said:


> Damn, they must be taxing the shit out of that.  I pay tops $150 for an ounce of prime BC kush.



I heard 25% in CO....but at least it isn't a gamble for what your getting from a dealer...


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## crawfBigG (Jan 3, 2014)

True.... I wonder how long till more states come around?


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## SFW (Jan 3, 2014)

IronAddict said:


>



That Pizza shop next door is going to have epic sales.


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## SheriV (Jan 3, 2014)

I always got busted being stoned because I'd have cheetos hand prints on my ass ..and never knew they were there cuz I was stoned


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## SheriV (Jan 3, 2014)

I had smoked laced weed once...like literally almost twenty years ago.
it was horrible.


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## SheriV (Jan 3, 2014)

you make an interesting point.....


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## blergs. (Jan 3, 2014)

about time!


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## IronAddict (Jan 3, 2014)

You gotta remember, they are going to be regulated, they're still going to have the Top, mids and bottom shelf. But  this is going to be grown and cured correctly, and you're not going to have the mites that are commonly found on weed just grown in the yard without being cared for diligently.


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## Big Smoothy (Jan 3, 2014)

Why are people even talking about this?

But what should be discussed is that the BULK OF DRUGS COMING OVER THE BORDER FROM MEXICO IF _MARIJUANA._

De-criminalization is good for many reasons. People will smoke regardless.


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## heavyiron (Jan 3, 2014)

Big Smoothy said:


> Good on CO, but remember folks, Washington made it legal in December.



I don't think WA has been able to implement legal recreational pot yet. Pretty sure there are no dispensaries there selling to the public yet. WA is slacking.


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## IronAddict (Jan 3, 2014)

Big Smoothy said:


> Why are people even talking about this?
> 
> But what should be discussed is that the BULK OF DRUGS COMING OVER THE BORDER FROM MEXICO IF _MARIJUANA._
> 
> De-criminalization is good for many reasons. People will smoke regardless.



Yup! prohibition of anything does not work.

The benefit of legalizing MJ, and if they do this right, they can obliterate the need for that mexican rag weed or dirt weed all together. There is a major differecne in quality, taste, smell and just over all dankness!

Big, big difference from that crap out of mexico.

Only thing is...coming out of mex is coke, heroin and meth. if you really want to take the cash out of the cartels hands all together, you have to legalize that cause people are going to do what they desire.

It's been like this since the beginning of time, and they lie to you about that, too.


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## charley (Jan 3, 2014)




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## maniclion (Jan 4, 2014)

OfficerFarva said:


> What's a gamble?  I honestly can't remember ever being sold bunk weed.  Also, I highly doubt anyone's lacing it with something like crack or meth.



Couch vs mids vs mental vs wtf_hell yes! .  I can tell the slightest variation between nuggets from the same grow on separate plants...  I've had some give me a headache....some transport me, all claiming to be top shelf...  Luckily most of my weed is given to me or traded for more potent concoctions..

I mean gamble for the young and inexperienced, they might end up with oregano drenched in synthetic shit from China...not knowing any better they take bong rip after rip and now are running through the train station nude punching faces on ads with hands broken to pieces....


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## DOMS (Jan 5, 2014)

Meanwhile in Colorado...


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## LAM (Jan 5, 2014)

charley said:


>



because of you I had to order one of those vap pens!


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## charley (Jan 5, 2014)

I've been using the 'Pax'....   was about $250......    works great, & I'm amazed how nice it is.






..Maybe you could get her to show you how its done !!!


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## IronAddict (Jan 6, 2014)

maniclion said:


> Wait, I thought it was legal here in Hawaii for years    maybe I should stop smoking in my yard and hide in my bathroom and blame the smell on farts....


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## Dale Mabry (Jan 6, 2014)

charley said:


> I've been using the 'Pax'....   was about $250......    works great, & I'm amazed how nice it is.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have the Pax, it's the best.  I tried one of those pens, it was good but it's hard to get a small rip and I don't want to deal with cartridges.


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## Arnold (Jan 6, 2014)

The reason to go to a good dispensary is they analyze all of the weed under magnification, so u know u r getting grade A weed without any crap on it that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
The other reason is because yes u will pay a little more at the dispensaries, but buying it is legal. Unless u have your med card it's illegal to by it from an individual. 



www.IronMagLabs.com


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## blergs. (Jan 8, 2014)

charley said:


> I've been using the 'Pax'....   was about $250......    works great, & I'm amazed how nice it is.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I KNOW HER!  she makes good porn, think he rname is lisa ann.  

you got rippe doff though for that price though IMO.  i would have rec the arizer Solo or even the Iolite and it would cost less if you look around.   but I heard the pax is not too bad.


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## IronAddict (Jan 8, 2014)

And you can buy your particular strain that works in accordance with your ailment, not just what your guy happens to have at the time.

For my ptsd I require an indica, although I like those other strains, indicas are real heavy and work wonders for it.

Another good thing about dispensaries is no matter where you go, all those people and you have something in common. And I have met a lot of people, both males and really good looking cool as shit females.


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## charley (Jan 8, 2014)

.....Don't forget to 'share the WEED' !!!


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## blergs. (Jan 10, 2014)

charley said:


> .....Don't forget to 'share the WEED' !!!


HEY! dont you know the rules!?!?  These go here in MY thread!! >>>>http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/anything-goes/181538-cannabis-marijuana-sexy-stoner-thread-15.html

LOL


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## blergs. (Jan 10, 2014)

I cant even give you guys reps... gotta spread some around, been lazy i guess.


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## Gregzs (Feb 21, 2014)

http://laughingsquid.com/clever-gir...-outside-a-san-francisco-cannabis-dispensary/

Clever Girl Scout Does Brisk Business Selling Cookies Outside a San Francisco Cannabis Dispensary

On Monday 13-year-old Girl Scout Danielle Lei set up a table outside The Green Cross, a cannabis dispensary in San Francisco, and sold 117 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in 2 hours. Lei was accompanied by her mother, who had cleared the endeavor with the dispensary in advance. When contacted by Mashable, the Girl Scouts of Northern California said they had no problem with Lei?s endeavor, though the Girl Scouts of Colorado recently tweeted that they forbid Girl Scouts in their state from selling outside of a dispensary.


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## Gregzs (Feb 27, 2015)

Jamaica Legalizes Pot, Finally 

http://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/jamaica-s-parliament-finally-legalizes-pot-in-small-amounts

Quick, raise your hand if you knew pot was illegal in Jamaica. And be honest.

Jamaicans have been growing and smoking weed for so long it's hard to imagine anything more synonymous with the Caribbean island (maybe Bob Marley? The beaches? Bobsled!) than ganja. Yet amazingly, until yesterday it was totally against the law.

No more. Last night, the Jamaican parliament finally took Peter Tosh's advice and voted to legalize it. The Associated Press reports that Jamaica?s governor-general will officially sign the act -- which decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana -- into law in the next few days. Additionally, a ?cannabis licensing authority? will be established to regulate medical marijuana.

So, what do you need to know before your big trip to Sandals Montego Bay? Simple, while it'll be totally legit to light up, getting caught with more than two ounces of Mary Jane (do people still say that?) remains a petty offense; you can only have five or less plants growing in your hotel room; and finally, no dealing abroad is allowed, in case you had any ideas.


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## Bendingbars79 (Mar 17, 2015)

Should be legal in the entire U.S. IMHO.... I'm sure everyone has seen what alcohol can do to a person when they drink too much not to mention it can kill u if u drink too much...I know marijuana has never killed anyone and it surely doesn't cause people to act the way alcohol does. Just my .02


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