The frosty Great Mitt of the North, with its Upper Peninsula looking affably toward its Southern end, has joined the most wonderful of states that have legalized recreational marijuana. Three cheers to thee! Hail Michigan! Hail Michigan! Hail Michigan!

The referendum passed easily (56% for, 44% against) as citizens have realized the folly of arrogant prohibitionist policy. It is a shame that all these changes tend to happen via popular vote rather than elected official vote. There must be a massive discrepancy in voting for a representative and voting in one’s own self-interest, a clear disadvantage of the “representative” part of democracy.

Here is a list of United States, Territories, and Native Tribes that are cool:

1. Alaska
2. California
3. Colorado
4. Maine
5. Massachusetts
6. Michigan
7. Nevada
8. Oregon
9. Washington
10. District of Columbia
11. Northern Mariana Islands
12. Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe
13. Suquamish Tribe
14. Squaxin Island Tribe

                              For more info, check out this Wikipedia article. 
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A few other states were almost cool. Missouri and Utah voted to allow medical cannabis in certain situations but stopped short of full legalization. Also, a measure in North Dakota that would have legalized recreational used failed, meaning the state will have to do more work to make sure their regulatory and enforcement measures satisfy their constituents.

The coolness is spreading! The trend lines are obvious (unless your job depends on maintaining prohibition) and hopefully the New Congress will take steps to give the rights of cannabis regulation to the states where it belongs. Using alcohol legalization as a model, we can go state by state and experiment with different regulations, giving the districts the right to decide for themselves. 

In a miracle of all miracles, the Canadian government has decided to legalize marijuana for recreational use. This mean you can…*gasp*….buy and consume cannabis! And while the 14 people who still think prohibition is a good thing are cringing and finding a nuclear bunker to hide out in, most of the rest of us are excited for the change this brings. Canada, our silly neighbors to the north, have done one of the bravest things a country can do. Instead of being bullied and pressured into defining their drug laws like the US, they have decided to do the right thing and decide for themselves.

America is watching. So many states have reconsidered prohibition and decided that at the very least, a medical marijuana program is necessary. Our massive prison population here in the States indicates a remarkable lack of freedom for the Land of the Free. Most experts agree that the only reason prohibition has been able to last this long is because our science education is also quite terrible.

If the phrase “Make America Great Again” were to mean anything substantial, perhaps it will be a harkening back to a time when substances were not made to be illegal, when our prisons weren’t so full up, and when we didn’t systematically tear parents away from their children in the name of drug law enforcement.

God is smiling down on Oh, Canada! He lights his bud in a burst of confidence in the human race. This is the beginning of the dominoes that are bound to fall. The destiny of marijuana prohibition is the same as that of alcohol prohibition. I’m sure the Federal Government will get around to taking action in the name of justice…right after they’re done calling each other names and splitting the country in two!
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Please remember to VOTE in November. Enough is enough, and it’s been enough for the last 40 years. 

Ah, Democracy! The advent of the Commoner’s Rule might indicate a presumption of personal autonomy, however it has not in recent years in the United States. The War on Drugs has usurped such personal autonomy and given it to the Federal Government. State governments have slowly been taking it back, and one can only assume that eventually, the individual will again have control over themselves. 

Marijuana, a drug that causes infinitely more incarcerations than it does deaths (literally because it has caused zero deaths and a finite number of incarcerations), has been the centerpiece of the War on Drugs, which some argue is simply a war on our own citizens. Some argue that marijuana prohibition has fundamentally racial origins. They point to the fact that racial stereotypes were weaponized to bring public opinion around. Poor white women succumbing to the charm and marijuana smoke of black Jazz musicians…
Also, they point to the disproportionate amount of minorities in prison as evidence of a broader systemic racism.

Now, we know better than to keep such a benign drug illegal, but government policy has been slow to adapt to public opinion in this regard of personal liberty. Since about 2010, public opinion has favored legalization over prohibition (Thanks, Obama!) and only since then has the problem of mass incarceration been reduced. Whispers throughout Capitol Hill and the White House have been to take the issue back to the states. Such a move would be a great victory in the name of liberty and justice for all!

The graphic is a courtesy of our friends at Medical Marijuana 411. Also important, register to vote so that the will of the people wins out in the November elections.   

Does the opioid crisis get you down? Do you ever just feel like the system of prohibition has not helped AT ALL? Well great news! A sit-in has occurred in good ol’ Washington D.C. whereby protestors have decided to smoke cannabis in the office of DC Councilmember Andy Harris. This creative form of protest may just *spark* a broader discussion of how cannabis may be used to help patients wean themselves off opioids.

Research indicates that states with some form of legal medical cannabis also have less overdose deaths, which is promising. The fact that NO ONE has ever died from a marijuana overdose is also promising. Just think if you replaced the drugs that killed 72,000 people in 2017 with a drug that has never killed anyone. It may not be as effective at controlling pain, but cannabis has a lot of positive medical benefits, and it should be up to doctors to prescribe it nation-wide.
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We don’t know for sure how effective cannabis would be at dealing with the opioid crisis, but the methods of science can solve this dilemma so its worth a try. Afterall, we cannot be as ineffective as we have using criminalization in reducing overdose deaths. The death toll of the epidemic keeps rising. May as well start lighting up right now. To me, this seems a brilliant form of peaceful protest. Here’s to the Smoke-In!! 

Indeed, it may seems that the current climate of man is of no more significance than the budding of a humble seed. This is where hero, emboldened by the minds of the folk, rests. Johnny Appleseed, for whom the blazing courage of Jimi Weedseed gets his presence, has had a fortuitous existence. Claiming to be based on the actual human being known by his Christian name of John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed has long entered the collective conscious of Americans as a servant of the land, and a beautiful example of the pioneers that helped the country spread harmoniously westward. 

I have come across the original scriptured telling of such a man, and choose to share it with the reader today. Never before has such a man existed, and perhaps never again. As the mythology of such a person bonds to new light and enters a different space of light and love, we see how important the basic essence of boldness and humility climb into a re-freshened state of grandiosity. 

Thus, for the readers enjoyment, we present to you, the Original Johnny Appleseed, for whom Jimi Weedseed owes his incarnation:

                             https://archive.org/details/johnnyappleseedp00hale

In the fight to end the War on Drugs and to restore rights to patients who want to medicate with marijuana, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) stands at the forefront. In addition to giving certification training, high level advocacy and consulting, and membership benefits, they sponsor an annual conference known as the "Unity Conference". This year's conference was not to be missed!

Jimi Weedseed attended, and watched a wonderful symposium on the legal history of cannabis prohibition. The talk ventured into the territory of modern Federal raids on dispensary and grow operations.  You see, while some state have legal pot for medical or recreational purposes, it is still Federally illegal...what a shame! This means that the Federal government can come in unannounced, destroy the product you may or may not be trying to sell, and generally ruin everybody's day. Silly Feds! When will they learn that America is a place of FREEDOM?!  

Jimi would like to thank Americans for Safe Access for hosting a wonderful conference, providing the world with brave advocacy for patients' rights, and allowing for a place to burn some sage afterwards. Medicate on, my friends, medicate on!

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Is Cannabis legal in your state? With any luck, you get to answer emphatically, "YES!"

And if luck is not on your side, you can always just get into a car and drive to one of these fine locations that have some form of legalization beyond medicinal.
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1. Washington: the Pacific Northwest is certainly high on Jimi's list of where to visit. Not only is medical marijuana legal, but recreational users can partake as well. They have become so successful business-wise that their recreational weed has earned $1 billion since 2012. 

2. Oregon: home to Portland and possibly other cities as well, Oregon counted an amazing $85 million in marijuana-related tax revenue in 2017, which it turned into funds for schools, public health, and other government functions. Jimi highly recommends this state for all bud-enthusiasts. 

3. California: some might argue this state is actually five different states smashed together. With their largeness and astute  constituency, California has been leading the country in legalization efforts, first legalizing medical marijuana in 1996.

4. Alaska: Jimi has fought several grizzly bears in Alaska and has needed to smoke up afterwards, (by "fight" we mean "throw salmon at and run quickly in the opposite direction"). Luckily, the most northern of states legalized weed in 2015, and has since seen tourism flourish, where an estimated 2 million people visit each year.

4. Colorado: for the Rockiest of Mountain Highs, visit snowy Colorado! Jimi once saved a group of starving hikers from eating each other by giving them cookies instead. We hear the marijuana there is tastier than human flesh, enjoy!

5. Nevada: with Las Vegas in the middle of amazing natural wonders, Nevada is a host to all kinds of experiences. We assume that their weed selection is no different! 

6. Maine: also known as "Olde Massachusetts" Maine rivals Alaska as "Northern most state" but falls slightly south. You can possess as much as 2.5 ounces of this plant that grows in the ground, yet still the Governor hates plants and vetoed a bill  that would legalize the sale of marijuana and help the state collect tax revenue. Enjoy your accounting books being in the red, Maine!

7. Vermont: also known as "that state where Bernie Sanders comes from", Vermont rivals Maine as being "part of New England". I understand that it also snows there. This state was the first to legalize via legislation rather than a ballot initiative, showing just how slow state legislators can be at interpreting the will of their people. Incidentally, Bernie Sanders has co-sponsored Cory Booker's "Marijuana Justice Act" and we all hope it will pass in 2018!

8. Massachusetts: a state that 9 out of 10 Americans agree contains the city of Boston, up to 12 plants can be grown by a person, though legal and taxed marijuana legislation has slowed recently.

9. Washington, D.C.: literally our nations Capitol! That's right folks, if you ever get bummed about the lack of freedoms in our blessed Land of the Free, just go to our great nation's Capitol and buy yourself a sticker, the pot is a gift! A breath of fresh air accompanies the natural feeling of freedom as you stroll past Congress, the White House, and even the Supreme Court.

We hope you enjoy your legal pot experiences! Tell us about them in the comments below, and check out this Business Insider article for more info: Click Here!