Good afternoon!
So I hit a new career high when I got to chat with famed science guy Bill Nye for a preview of his new season on Netflix starting Dec. 29. What a great man!
Nye opens season two of his Netflix series, Bill Nye Saves the World, with an episode on cannabis. He is 62 years-old, so he uses some dated phrases like “I bought some dope” — but still, we need such science luminaries to help align cannabis policy with fact in America. Nye’s season opener already feels like one of those watershed moments in the culture, alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN specials.
Speaking of watershed moments: Monday is New Year’s Day — meaning commercial cannabis sales will open to all adults 21 years or older in California. People have hundreds of questions, and we’ve done our best to run down all the answers in our California Cannabis Legalization Launch Guide, now live on the site.
What a roller coaster of a year it’s been for all of us. A special thank you to the readers who’ve asked great questions and shared their stories. We can’t wait to wow you in 2018. — David Downs
WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT
The GreenState California Cannabis Legalization Launch Guide. Find out where to buy legal marijuana, what the new law entails, a shopping checklist and tips, how much taxes will cost you, what happens to medical marijuana, and why so few stores are open. Plus, we check our own hype.
MONEY | POWER | FAME
Cannabis is blooming in California’s desert cities, GreenState reports. Places that allow football field-sized farms promise to upend the agricultural order of the state.
California’s former top cop Bill Lockeyer has switched from adjudicating cannabis growers to distributing their crop. Via Los Angeles Times.
California officials are in discussion with federal regulators to allow banks to serve the state’s potentially $10B legal marijuana market. Via Los Angeles Times.
FASHION | ART | DESIGN
Los Angeles area dispensary brand MedMen rolled out a new series of billboards with a solid message — and no pot leaves.
The U.S. Postal Service has ruled to ban any images of marijuana on postage stamps, despite allowing images of alcohol, tobacco and weapons. Via Marijuana Moment.
Jewelry artist Third Eye Assembly customized a cannabis-themed Rolex with hand-engraved leaves that recently sold for $30,000. Via HighSnobiety.
VIRAL
The former controversial White House intern turned activist Monica Lewinski took to Twitter to celebrate a strain named in her honor.
WELLNESS | HEALTH
Earthbody spa in San Francisco has tipped us they’re now offering massages with cannabidiol-infused oils — which could really zap tension and inflammation.
A study by the American Journal of Psychiatry finds that cannabis can help patients with schizophrenia by mitigating psychotic symptoms. Via NORML.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
STRAIN: If you see Forbidden Fruit on legal store menus, buy it! Our sample from Paradiso Gardens smelled so pungently fruity it was a revelation. . . . EDIBLE: Enhance your stay-at-home movie nights with some THC-infused popcorn from Yummi Karma. . . . HARDWARE: if insomnia is keeping you from achieving a good night’s sleep, take a few spritzes of Sleepytime Spray by AbsoluteXtracts.
REVIEW
We at GreenState tried Lowell Herb Co.’s $300, one-ounce cannabis tasting flight. Here’s what we learned.
FOOD | TRAVEL
Cannabis mouth drops can run $100 per bottle, so why not make your own? GreenState’s Laurie Wolf shows you how.
After decades of playfully referencing stoner culture in their ads, Jack in the Box is now directly serving pot smokers with a new late-night value meal sponsored by the website Merry Jane.
NEWS
The Harborside shop in Oakland aims to sell California’s first legal recreational gram of marijuana in history. But they have competition in Berkeley. Via GreenState.
Don’t bring cannabis near the U.S. border where federal laws apply, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
HIGHLY DUBIOUS
More than 90 percent of California cities and counties are missing the commercial sales launch, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. GreenState looks at what happened.
WATCH | PLAY | LISTEN
The drummer for leading Bay Area band Beats Antique revealed to us that he doesn’t use cannabis for a rock and roll lifestyle. It’s his seizure medication.
Comedic icon Dave Chappelle will release a surprise New Year’s special on Netflix. Via Entertainment Weekly.
And tune in to our Facebook page as we live broadcast on Launch Day in California, Monday, January 1 at 2 p.m. PST. With special guests, we’ll recap the morning festivities.
Best wishes for a relaxing, rewarding weekend, David Downs + Oscar Pascual | Photo courtesy Canndescent