Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 29 September 2017
Legal loophole in D.C. creates bizarre pot bazaar

By ASHRAF KHALIL of DCMJ, a pro-legalization anesthesiologist and mem- ity without risking arrest or an event going on,” said
Associated Press group that helped draft ber of the conservative having to maintain a rela- Gregory Moorer, whose
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s the initiative’s text. Freedom Caucus, remains tionship with a dealer has Laid Back Lords company
hard to justify $45 for an All District laws are subject a staunch opponent of brought a wave of con- offers marijuana gifts to
ordinary black cotton T- to review by a congressio- recreational marijuana use sumers of all ages and de- accompany $50 baseball
shirt, but the customer at a nal committee, which can and has no regrets about mographics. caps and $80 sweatshirts.
store in Washington D.C.’s veto them or alter them complicating the District’s And that wave of demand One such event, known
Adams Morgan neigh- as Cannemania, happens
borhood does so without weekly at a closed Ethio-
question. The clerk grabs pian restaurant. Inside isn’t
a clear plastic box con- so much a stoner party as
taining about one gram a fairly businesslike trade
of marijuana and drops show. On a recent night,
it into the bag, reciting a about 150 people crowd-
practiced line: “Thank you ed in to peruse about 25
and here’s a gift for you to different vendors’ tables
have as a souvenir.” offering large jars of buds
It’s another satisfied cus- and a huge variety of
tomer in the so-called edibles, from brownies to
District of Cannabis, the marijuana-infused gummi
unique legal and commer- bears. There were also
cial space spawned by marijuana vape pens and
the District of Columbia’s “concentrates” —a sub-
unusual approach to mari- stance that looks like can-
juana legalization. dle wax and requires a wa-
A 2014 ballot initiative to terpipe and a blowtorch to
legalize recreational use consume.Vendors hawked
passed overwhelmingly. their wares like THC som-
But unlike the eight states meliers and offered free
that have legalized rec- hits of concentrates. But
reational use, the Wash- there was, according to
ington initiative also main- In this Sept. 11, 2017, photo, jars of marijuana buds are displayed in Washington at a closed Ethio- the rules, no smoking of
tained it was still illegal to pian restaurant at a “gifted” marijuana event. In the so-called “District of Cannabis” it’s legal to marijuana buds. For the
buy or sell the drug. grow and consume marijuana, but illegal to buy or sell it. most part everyone kept
So instead of the straight- Associated Press to the necessary gift loop-
forward marijuana store- by attaching riders to fed- legalization model. has brought a wave of hole script: your money
fronts common in Colora- eral appropriations bills. “I think the District of Co- new suppliers. technically bought you a
do or Nevada, Washington After the initiative passed, lumbia made a bad deci- In addition to the doz- raffle ticket, some expen-
has developed a thriving Rep. Andy Harris, a Re- sion,” Harris said in an in- ens of different businesses sive rolling paper or, in one
“gift economy” marijuana publican from neighboring terview. “I would hope the working through the gift case, the baseball card of
industry. These businesses- Maryland, introduced a District comes to its senses loophole, there are now former Cleveland Indians
-many offering delivery-- rider prohibiting the District and realizes the dangers.” hundreds of marijuana- shortstop Julio Franco.
sell everything from coffee government from spend- According to marijuana themed public events tak- Despite the ubiquity of the
cups to artwork--all over- ing any funds or resources merchants, the change ing place across the city drug, it would be inaccu-
priced and all coming with rate to describe the District
a little something extra. as some sort of marijuana
It’s a curious legal and se- free-for-all. Mayor Muriel
mantic tightrope, and one Bowser’s government has
the District’s politicians and worked hard to establish
police seem determined to clear lines on what is and
keep walking.“It’s definite- is not permitted. It remains
ly unique,” said Morgan illegal to smoke in public.
Fox of the pro-legalization Arrests for public consump-
Marijuana Policy Project. tion have actually spiked
“The DC city council and since the legalization ini-
the city government don’t tiative came into effect.
want to be busting people Bowser also personally
for weed. They want this to lobbied the city council
work and work smoothly.” to defeat a proposal to
Washington’s local gov- permit pot smoking in bars
ernment didn’t choose to or restaurants — fearing
make the District a real- it would lead to private
time sociology lab for al- cannabis clubs.The police
ternative legalization. The have also pounced on
roots of this strange legal entrepreneurs who push
middle ground lie in the things too far. In late 2015
District’s tortured relation- they arrested Nicholas
ship with the federal gov- In this Sept. 11, 2017, photo, a display of Creatos, Weed-Itz and Flavorblaster marijuana infused “Kush God” Cunningham,
ernment. edibles in Washington, at a closed Ethiopian restaurant at a “gifted” marijuana event. who had deployed a fleet
“We would have regular Associated Press of cars covered in marijua-
stores if we had the normal on developing a regula- has resulted in spiraling — most openly advertised na-leaf decals that would
rights of a U.S. state,” said tory or taxation system for supply and demand. The on social media.“Seven hand out pot edibles in ex-
Nikolas Schiller, co-founder marijuana sales.Harris, an relative ease of availabil- days a week, you can find change for “donations.”q