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U.S. NEWS Saturday 23 december 2017

Joy to the weed! Marijuana legalization comes bearing gifts

give it away for Christmas,” pot industry. December
said James MacWilliams, of sales accounted for 9.38
Portland, Maine, who start- percent of sales revenue in
ed growing weed when it Colorado last year, which
became legal and is giving is one percentage point
away fancy jars of his stash above average, accord-
this year. “I told my friends, ing to statistics provided
you’re all getting a little bit by the firm. California’s re-
of pot for Christmas.” Oth- tail laws begin next month,
ers plan to give marijuana- while Massachusetts’ retail
infused baked goods or laws are scheduled for July
even decorations made of and Maine’s are still being
pot plants. Statistics about developed. Legalization
legal sales of marijuana means pot lovers can le-
suggest a modest bump gally do something they’ve
around the holidays. In the always done, which is give
four states where it was al- away marijuana to people
ready legal, Alaska, Colo- they love, said Aaron Smith,
rado, Oregon and Wash- executive director of the
ington, it has been “gener- National Cannabis Indus-
ally a good month,” slightly try Association. “People
ahead of November and consume cannabis on the
In this Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 photo, James MacWilliams prunes a marijuana plant that he is
growing indoors in Portland, Maine. “I figure, I’ve got all this pot, I might as well just give it away January, said Roy Bingham, holidays and they always
for Christmas,” said MacWilliams, who started growing weed when it became legal and is giving chief executive officer of have,” Smith said. “Now
away fancy jars of his stash this year. “I told my friends, you’re all getting a little bit of pot for BDS Analytics, a firm that they are doing so through
Christmas.” compiles data about the a regulated system.”q
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
By PATRICK WHITTLE ed in Nebraska, on Tues-
Associated Press day with about 60 pounds
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — of marijuana in their pickup
Peter Bernard’s Yuletide truck they told police they
plans include dressing up in planned to give as Christ-
a tuxedo emblazoned with mas gifts.
marijuana leaves, donning The couple, 70-year-old
a green Santa hat and dol- Barbara Jiron and 80-year-
ing out cookie bars made old Patrick Jiron, told au-
with marijuana to his friends thorities they were traveling
from a big pillowcase. from California to Vermont
“That’s me exercising my and were unaware it was
right to give marijuana this illegal to transport mari-
Christmas,” said Bernard, juana in Nebraska. Court
a Taunton, Massachusetts, records didn’t list attorneys
pot lover who heads the for them. Marijuana is still
Massachusetts Growers illegal in most states, but
Advocacy Council when voters in California, Ne-
not doubling as “Pot San- vada, Maine and Massa-
ta” at events for weed en- chusetts voted to legalize
thusiasts. recreational marijuana last
Not everyone’s plans are year, and some residents
quite so flamboyant, but of those states will legally
for many pot lovers, this stuff stockings with spliffs
Christmas is much more for the first time this Christ-
about reefer than wreaths. mas. Because retail sales
Gift-giving has long been a are operating in only one
part of marijuana culture, of those states — Nevada
and the drug’s newly legal — Bernard and others ex-
status is a source of Yuletide cited about legalized pot
celebration in four states. said homegrown marijua-
For others, trouble with the na is one particularly popu-
law has killed the holiday lar gift. “I figure, I’ve got all
buzz. A couple was arrest- this pot, I might as well just