Before it became a reality, legalization felt like a promised land. I was a longtime cannabis patient who thirsted for a world where this helpful plant could emerge from the shadows.
Instead, a capitalist vortex swirls around it as isolated, cannabis-themed retreats and classes became common fodder in adult-use states. I read about these intriguing offerings and I can’t help but think back to those original hopes and dreams. This is not what they looked like.
Weed yoga and cooking classes are valid and fun, but I find myself wishing for integration. In San Francisco during the medical cannabis days, certain bar patios were known to look the other way on pot–but regulations quashed those havens. Now, cannabis lounges are regulated to high heaven until we’re sitting in windowless hotboxes far outside of town.
I long for a world where lighting up a joint on a smoking patio with a friend sipping a beer is the norm. Walking into a yoga class sporting a mindful high without feeling shunned would be a dream. Why can’t we have both?
Cannabis leaves room for growth
Looking at the modern cannabis landscape, I can’t help but wonder where weed took a wrong turn. There are some instances of attempts to integrate weed into mainstream culture, like gardens at Outsidelands. But even those remained roped off and often obscured from view. Instead of opening people up to the beauty of weed, regulations seem to have locked it up. I could harp on over-taxation for hours, but let’s focus on the consumer side, where three things specifically grind my gears.
Weed was legalized in 2012 in Washington state, where I live, but home grow remains illegal for non-patients. The notion of having delivery or lounges is actually laughable to most who consume or work in weed here. As I ponder how 12 years of legalization has become stagnant, I think back to an interview with Terrance Alan, co-owner of San Francisco dispensary Flore.
Alan mentioned that legalization and overregulated stores, lounges, events, and other offerings have placated consumers from wanting more. This resonated. Cannabis consumers are forced to be thankful that they have anything.
As more Americans approve of the plant, perhaps this is no longer the case. Rather than complain about how regulated weed is not working (and oh, could I complain), it is time to kindly pester elected officials who can make actual change.
How to change your local weed industry
At this point in an article, I would often research and provide advice on the next steps. However, these action points will vary from state to state. The most effective way to shape the cannabis industry in any region is to contact the elected officials and make their opinions known. Show up at senator and representative offices, emails are easy to ignore, but constituents in the waiting room are not.
Meet your state senator by scheduling a tour, persistently booking a meeting, or attending a gallery session. Being heard is most probably in a one-on-one meeting. Regulators are knee-deep in figuring out how to manage a weed industry. Without feedback from their communities, the needle will likely never move.
Regulated cannabis has provided many people with safe access to products, and legalization has expunged records in many states. Unfortunately, almost every legal consumer still has their complaints. I say, despite issues, the time for complaining has ended. Let’s take action to create a cannabis space that reflects our wildest dreams.
