Colorado Cannabis Tours

New Cannabis Laws Free Prisoners

March 8, 2018 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Prisoners Charged With Cannabis Offenses Are Being Released

Since California’s legalization of medical cannabis, in 1996, several states have followed suit and provided a more modern approach to dealing with cannabis.

From medical use to recreational use in 22 states and Washington D.C., you can now legally use marijuana! In many states, it has also become decriminalized, protecting minor offenders (who would have previously been prosecuted for a dime bag) from the headache of an unnecessary arrest.

As a country, overall in the past 25 years, we have come a long way in the fight for legalizing marijuana. For those of us who are free and able to partake in these new legal marijuana outlets, it is wonderful and is a time for celebration.

Some of our brothers and sisters did NOT make it to the GREEN AGE of legalization, without a detour through prison.

Across the country thousands of men and women still sit behind bars, serving out time on minor marijuana offenses. Some of them are even being SLAPPED with the label of felons. Since the changing of many laws, some of these so-called “offenders” have been able to have their sentences overturned and are being set free.

There have been many “cannabis offenders” throughout the years, go to prison and be released.

Here are a few updates on those who were imprisoned due to marijuana or are currently on their way out.

Jeff Mizanskey

One of the most talked about prisoners released after new marijuana laws were implemented, Mr. Mizanskey spent two decades in prison for a non-violent marijuana charge. He was arrested in 1996 for the intent to distribute nearly 6 pounds of marijuana. Mr. Mizanskey was charged with a life sentence with no option for parole. Although it is still illegal to distribute marijuana without proper protocol and licensing, this sentence was quite harsh even for the time. Jeff was a non-violent offender who only had two previous, minor arrests on his record, which were also non-violent. In 2015, the new Governor of Missouri, where Mizanskey was serving his time, reversed the decision of the court and allowed him to walk free.

James Tranmer

In 1993 James Tranmer was sentenced to 420 months or 35 years in prison for conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana. He has continued to promote the benefits of marijuana from behind bars and is still active in his Rastafarian based faith. James was sentenced for helping his son financially with a marijuana smuggling venture. His son also served time for the same case. He pled his case to President Obama, seeking Presidential clemency. In 2017 Tranmer received his wish and was granted clemency in President Obama’s last round of clemencies. He was released on May 19, 2017, at the age of 73 after spending 24 years in prison.

Paul Free

Paul Free was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance in 1995. This non-violent charge that was weakly substantiated has led to a decades-long fight for freedom. Paul has been incarcerated in California trying to find a lawyer that can help him successfully overturn his charges for the past 22 years. When he was originally charged, there were multiple witnesses that stated he was not the person who distributed them marijuana, as well as having multiple pieces of evidence which place him away from the scene of the crime. Finally, in 2017 Free was given a glimmer of hope when he was granted clemency by President Obama. He is set to be released in the next few years and will be able to assimilate back into normal life with his brother down in Mexico.

Craig Frazier

In 2005 Craig Frazier was charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a non-violent offense. Frazier was caught in an unfair situation where he was charged, on the premises, that he had WAY more marijuana in his possession than he actually did. Even based off of the amount of marijuana he had, Frazier was charged with four times the mandatory minimum for his case. He was treated this way in the Montana court system. After 7 years in prison with a clean record, Frazier was granted clemency and released on December 18, 2016. He plans to attend college back in his home state of Montana.

Dustin Costa

Our last update on a marijuana prisoner does not end as well as the previous few. Dustin Costa is still incarcerated at the Lompoc prison in Lompoc, California. He was running a small-scale marijuana grow farm that catered exclusively to patients. Costa stuck strictly to the rules laid out in prop 215 but was still arrested. He was charged with several different marijuana offenses and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Costa is now 71 years old and has been in prison since 2005. Not only were his crimes non-violent, but he was also helping around 300 patients have access to the healing, medicinal qualities of marijuana at the time of his arrest. Costa is still an avid cannabis supporter and looks forward to the future when it is legalized everywhere. Although he may never see life beyond prison bars again he is grateful for the support of others through letter correspondence and continues to enjoy advocating marijuana in any way that he can.

With new laws being implemented throughout the states we can only hope for more stories the end in 100% release for non-violent cannabis charges.

The harsh, draconian laws of the past no longer need to be upheld. As marijuana becomes legalized for medical and recreational use across the country, it will at the very least lead to fewer marijuana arrests and fewer prisoners in general. Violent drug offenders should most definitely STILL be prosecuted! However, for non-violent marijuana situations, there is no need for ANYONE to serve out the rest of their life behind bars.

Prohibitions Influence On The Legal System

March 1, 2018 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that the US 1920’s ALCOHOL PROHIBITION did NOT work at all!

For those thirteen years, vast amounts of wealth were created illegally on the black market. The basic law of economics teaches us that where EVER there is a demand, a supply will be created.

Perhaps an even more destructive prohibition in the U.S. has that of hemp and cannabis medicine. For eighty years, cannabis prohibition has plagued the American people – a prohibition set into action based almost entirely off of lies, racism and crooked cronyism interests.

Cannabis Prohibition First Takes Hold

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was one of the most manipulatively convoluted and misunderstood laws to ever hit the books. Just about everyone who has read or seen pieces of media such as Reefer Madness can now understand how absurd these claims were. The sad part is, back then – people actually believed that ‘one toke can turn youths into marijuana addicts’ and that ‘the devil’s weed, with its roots in hell, led wealthy white women to leave their husbands for black jazz musicians.’

The ringleader spinning this web of lies was a vile man by the name of Harry Anslinger. Anslinger served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department‘s Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). The FBN eventually evolved into what we now know as the DEA. He was a perhaps the most vocal and outspoken supporter of the criminalization of drugs. Without him, cannabis prohibition might never have come to pass.

Somehow, Anslinger held office for 32 years in his role as commissioner until 1962. After that, he was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Narcotics Commission for two years. In addition to inciting racism, Anslinger told an abundance of lies to representatives of a political system that believed it. In so doing, the waters of people’s understandings of the differences between non-psychoactive hemp and cannabis medicine were so muddied; most Americans didn’t know the difference at the time. In fact, the term ‘marihuana’ was virtually invented by these government goons at this time period. Later the made-up word evolved into what most people call it today – marijuana.

Before this, the plant was mostly called hemp in the west, with some more educated people referring to it as its scientific name, cannabis. Not only did Anslinger and his cohorts prevent access to cannabis medicine, but also restricted access to hemp – which is one of the most versatile plants on the planet.

Hemp’s Historical Uses

As you might already know, the non-psychoactive hemp plant has an abundance of uses dating back centuries. More than half of states in the U.S. currently allow the growing of hemp with a license. The Federal government passed a farm bill was 2014. This legislation allows farmers in legal states to grow industrial hemp, provided it clocks in at under 0.3% THC.

Popular Mechanics magazine called hemp a “billion dollar cash crop” back in 1938.

Ironically, this was right around the time that cannabis/ prohibition was taking hold of the country. Even though cannabis prohibition has stifled much of the potential advancements involving the versatile plant, American-grown hemp has been proving itself as a cash crop once again. Sales of hemp products reached over $500 million nationwide in 2015, reports the Boulder, Colorado-based Hemp Business Journal.

How Prohibition Influences The Legal System

As previously stated, the parasite of marijuana prohibition has been embedded into all Americans for 80 years now. As destructive as it was back then, it’s arguably even worse now. According to the ACLU, marijuana arrests make up more than half of all drug arrests in the United States. Police made 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010. Of those arrests, 88% were for simple possession – not for selling it, or for property damage, or hurting anyone else.

The War on Drugs was initially put into place by President Nixon, and Regan amped it up with the “Just Say No” campaigns of the 1980’s. Along with a plethora of propaganda and fear mongering delivered to young children through the D.A.R.E. campaign, the drug war has needlessly claimed thousands of lives of otherwise law-abiding citizens that most Americans agree should be offered treatment instead of punishment for drug use if they weren’t hurting anyone else. The war on drugs has cost the American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and has effectively taken law enforcement attention away from real crimes with real victims.

Thankfully, there are many sensible officers, current and former, who are against the war on drugs because they see how it takes away their resources that would otherwise be focused on real crimes. One of such groups is Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), formerly known as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. To say we need more sensible, compassionate, and educated officers like these who understand the vast harms brought on by drug prohibition and advocate an end to its stranglehold on the American people.

Despite the fact that sixty percent of Americans now favor the end of cannabis prohibition, President Trump’s new drug czar Jeff Sessions has vowed to crack down on drug users, stating, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.” Sessions even made the outright statement that there is “no evidence of medical uses for marijuana,” which is a bold-faced lie. Does Sessions actually believe these ridiculous statements, or is he pandering to the forty percent of Americans who somehow favor the continued prohibition on cannabis and the war on drugs? You be the judge.

Who Benefits From the Continued Prohibition of Cannabis?

With all of the overwhelming evidence of the destructive nature of cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs, what is taking so long to end it? Many people have made speculation and will continue to do so. Some people think it’s the pharmaceutical industry whose corporations stand to lose millions from the outright legalization of medical cannabis. Others point to for-profit private prisons making a fortune on jailing weed smokers. With so many people being arrested for marijuana possession and being pushed through the legal system by essentially being forced into plea deals that involve treatment as terms of probation, drug counseling services also stand to lose out when cannabis prohibition finally ends. Then there are also the DEA and police unions who oppose legalization because they understand how much money is being drained from arrestees in the form of fines, court costs, and legal fees.

While cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs is still very much entrenched in the American culture and the legal system, we have seen some great strides over the past few years – and we’ve come a long way. Hopefully, the senseless prohibition of cannabis won’t last too much longer, as it has a negative impact on the U.S. in so many ways.

California Wine and Weed Tour partners with Cannavines

January 17, 2018 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Colorado Cannabis Tours and California Cannabis Tours are pleased to announce a new partnership with CannaVines Cannabis infused wine. We will be serving select varieties of this biodynamic cannabis-infused wine. These marijuana-infused wine tinctures will be available as part of the Bay Area Wine and Weed Tour.

There has been a long tradition of high-end boutique vino, particularly in California’s wine country. Now with recreational marijuana in Califonia, we are open to offering this delicious and robust pairing to our guests. We are ecstatic to bring you a wine that takes pounds of specially grown cannabis and blending at just the right moment in French oak barrels.

Let us know what else you would like to see on the new California Wine and Weed Tour.

Things To Do in Denver While You’re Stoned

February 18, 2017 by Colorado Cannabis Tours 1 Comment

While visiting Denver, there’s plenty to do from sight-seeing and dispensary-hopping, to checking out the local food scene. In between all of that, you might want to get in on a little culture as well. Here’s 7 things to do while stoned in the Denver.

-Arcades are a fun way to interact, whether you’re getting stoney or not. Denver offers a few grownup game-centric spots. If you’re in the mood for something a little less mainstream than say, Dave & Buster’s, the infamous OneUp has two locations. Both close to downtown, it’s a great spot to check out on the weekends and during the week. With a more of a dive bar feel, OneUp offers everything from pinball to giant jenga. FTW is a game-friendly gastropub on 16th St. Mall. While being a newer spot, it also offers a variety of activities close by with the Denver Pavilions movie theater and Lucky Strike Bowling Alley next door.

-If movies sound more your speed, Denver has lots of options. The previously mentioned UA Denver Pavilions Stadium 15 theater has snacks galore, and a great view of downtown. Several art house theaters such as the Mayan or the Esquire boast a unique cinema experience with interesting architecture, and the Mayan has a bar as well. The Planetarium is a great movie opportunity to relax while you expand your mind in comfy reclining seats, and take in the world of science for an afternoon.

-Speaking of mind expansion, I love going to museums when blazed. It’s a great way to zone out and zen in to the information in front of you. It can be easy to get distracted, but the The Science and Nature Museum is a great distraction for whatever your interests. From dinosaurs to Egyptians to mind control games, the museum hosts multiple floors of interactive exhibits, and is actually home to the planetarium, as well. After wandering through the space odyssey exhibit, make sure to take a gander at the view through the Petrino Family Atrium. The gorgeous view of the Denver skyline through City Park will take your breath away.

-Checking out a show at the Hi-Dive on Broadway, or the Meadowlark in RiNo is a great way to get a feel for the local music scene. Lots of people-watching and drink specials, while bands serenade the patrons. Other spots like Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox offers a more jazzy-lounge vibe, and Lost Lake Lounge on East Colfax brings hipsters of all genres together.

-One of the magnificent art galleries, like the Denver Art Museum, or the Museum of Contemporary Art is a great way to spend a stoner-friendly afternoon. The MCA has a cozy rooftop cafe and bar to enjoy the lovely city views. Over in the Santa Fe Arts District is mix of art galleries, eclectic restaurants, and small businesses to peruse.

-If you’ve got a car access, a day trip to one of the many local hiking spots around Denver is a great option too. The extra drive is worth it for the experience of these hikes. Red Rocks is a great daytime jaunt, and is very popular for locals looking to stay fit as well. Chautauqua Trailhead in Boulder is about an hour away from Denver, and offers an easy hike; if you’ve got the time and the lung capacity to manage, I highly suggest one of these. The views are well worth it.

-Being high is even better when you’re around funny people. And going to see a comedy show while stoned is a great choice in my opinion. Denver has a couple of comedy joints, and I personally love catching a show at Comedy Works or at the Voodoo Comedy Playhouse. The hole-in-the wall spot known as Deer Pile, above City o’ City, has a free comedy show the last Wednesday of every month, and hosts local comedians, as well as occasional big names as a surprise act; the restaurant downstairs boasts some of the best vegan pizza if you’re looking for late night munchies.

Single Stoner’s Guide to Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2017 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Being single on one the most romantic holidays of the year, Valentine’s Day, can be a real drag
or some of us still hanging out in the singles pool. And while it may seem easy to get down in
the dumps around this time, here are some tips for making sure to take good care of yourself on
this day of love. If you find yourself single this Valentine’s Day, fear not, because it’s not all
about the romance.

If you’ve got the afternoon free, beat the rush, and treat yourself to a fancy lunch somewhere, or
meet up with a friend if you’re not the only single folk you know. If outdoors are more your
speed, spend a little time meditating in a park, and envisioning all the great things you love
about you. And then treat yourself to a picnic of some of your favorite foods, and maybe even a
few tokes while you take in the beauty of nature.

Spark up, and head to a movie. Buy tickets ahead of time so you can bypass the teller at most
theaters, and I like to eat a low dose edible to maintain my buzz while watching a flick. Then you
can pig out on all the popcorn and munchies you want, and you’ll be too enthralled in the feature
to worry about much. Oh, and if you get paranoid in public about people knowing you’re high, in
my experience they only know if they’re a little high too, so embrace the theater experience,
and drift off into cinematic bliss.

Pamper yourself with an infused spa treatment at home. Light some candles, slather on this
easy hemp avocado face mask, roll a heady joint, and spend the evening in an infused bubble
bath, taking in some tokes, and letting the world go. Make sure the ambiance is right with some
low key tunes, and light some incense or add a few drops of essential oil to your bath to
enhance your aromatherapy experience. Check out this CBD bath soak made with lavender
from Ambary Gardens for a heightened level of relaxation.

http://www.thecrunchychronicles.com/avocado-hemp- oil-face- mask/

https://ambarygardens.com/shop/soothing-salts- cbd-bath- crystals/

Plan a smoke sesh with some other single friends. Have everyone bring snacks or something to
sip on, and plan a few board games, or pick out some anti-Valentine’s Day cinema like some of
these classics. You can Netflix and chill in a more literal, friends only sense, and make it comfy,
casual, and more fun than sitting in an overcrowded restaurant eating a prix fixe meal with some
date you recently swiped right on in last minute desperation.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/13/11-of- the-best- anti-love- films-to- watch-this- valentines-day-

5679078/

Make sure to buy yourself plenty of flowers, like the weed kind, and maybe a beautiful bouquet
of your favorite buds too. Save some moolah by checking out the floral section at your local
grocer, and get creative with what’s leftover. You might find a love for your new hobby of floral
arrangements, or you might just get a pretty bunch of flowers to enjoy. I like to smoke a joint of
something uplifting and more sativa dominant to help the creative juices flow; I usually smoke
heavy citrus and tangie strains to get an out of-the- box focus for new projects.

Hopefully, these spark some ideas about how to enjoy this couple-y holiday in a more fun, plant-
enhanced way. If the single Valentine’s Day blues do start to get to you, watch this video and
teach yourself how to make a homemade gravity bong, and make sure you have plenty of girl
scout cookies stocked up because it’s that time of year. Above all this Valentine’s Day, just
remember that you are loved. Loving yourself, and taking care of the one person who’s always
going to be there, you, is one of the most evocative things you can do.

Top 5 Restaurants in Denver

February 7, 2017 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

When in the Mile High City, one is apt to get the munchies. In a fast changing city such as Denver, it’s good to have a few solid spots to go for grub. People often ask me about my favorite spots, and while it’s hard to pick, these places have certainly found a special place on my restaurant go-to’s.

Forest Room Five

forestroom5.com

2532 15th Street

(303) 433-7001

Forest room five is a unique joint just as you’re making your way into the bustling highlands neighborhood. Rustic vibes, quirky decor, small plates, and elegant cocktails are bound to entrance even the most sober of patrons. While the outdoor patio sports a few cozy fire pits, the ambiance really makes this place special. An occasional discreet toke amidst the campy outdoor scene can really enhance the experience.

Dae Gee Korean

daegee.com

460 Broadway

(720) 542-3164

Dae Gee Korean BBQ is a great for small groups, and there’s a ton of food for a relatively reasonable price. Not for the timid, however; the Korean BBQ experience is one of teamwork and trying new things. Making sure no one’s brisket gets burned while testing different side dish combos is a flavorful experience of multi tasking. And while it can sound overwhelming, you find your flow after the first round or two. The lunch time unlimited bbq special is probably my favorite, but come hungry.

Casa Bonita

casabonita.com

6715 W Colfax Ave

(303) 232-5115

Casa Bonita offers an authentic only-in-Colorado experience. The zany theme park esque vibe of this spot is a must for those looking to really get weird in their dining experience. Typical Mexican restaurant cuisine makes up the menu, but this isn’t really a spot you come to for the food. From cliff-diving gorillas, puppet shows to gunfights, this spot even has an arcade to keep the shortest attention span entertained.

Sushi Rama

sushirama.com

2615 Larimer Street

(720) 476-4643

-Sushi Rama in the always growing Rhino district gives those with an appetite for something light an interactive way of choosing their meal. Menu items are made fresh, and circulated around the booths via a slow moving conveyor belt. Take what looks good, and you can request things from the menu as well. The real deal is hitting up this spot for happy hour where cocktails and rolls are appetizingly affordable.

Rebel

rebelrestaurant.com

3763 Wynkoop Street

(303) 297-3902

Rebel restaurant offers innovative twists on classic dishes and maybe some brand new favorites as well. While the decor is simple and minimal, the dishes are anything but. While the menu changes seasonally, the combinations are always on point. The complementary drink menu, friendly staff, and always-improving seasonal cuisine make this one of my favorite spots in Denver.

Marijuasana

December 12, 2016 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Pulling up to the Lumber Baron Ballroom during the holidays is like getting to check out that cool decked out house at the end of the block you always wanted to see inside of growing up. The tall wooden doors make for a grand entrance way to this grand old home turned B&B. We are led up a few flights of stairs and into a delightful airy studio at the top of this regal Denver homestead. We are headed to the Marijuasana class, held here every month. Marijuasana is a sensory experience that involves yoga, personalized stretching, breathing, and a few CBD breaks in between. They offer complimentary herbal CBD tea and a few CBD vapes are passed around to instill the grounded feeling of wellness even further.

The class is just getting going, and people are finishing their complimentary CBD infused tea from Pure Hemp Botanicals before taking their places on their mats. A lo-fi soundtrack sets us up to stretch a bit before we go into some more traditional poses. Stacey Mulvey, founder and director of Marijuasana tells me a little bit about why she wanted to bring these two elements together.

“I believe CBD and yoga are both medicine because of the deep healing they promote. There is a natural synergy between the two because of the endocannabinoid system inherent in our bodies.”

One of the Marijuasana attendees, Kristin Hersh, shared why she felt so comfortable in this CBD- centric yoga event,”

“I’ve done yoga before, and most classes felt stuffy, or even a little pretentious. I don’t get that feeling here. Being here felt completely sincere, and she broke it down in a way that anyone could get in touch with their inner selves. Even if I had never heard of downward dog, I think I’d feel accepted.”

Walking into a brand new yoga class can be intimidating, but Marijuasana sets itself apart with a relaxed vibe, and Stacey’s beginner-friendly guidance keeps everyone moving at their preferred pace with personal touches encouraged.

About a third of the way through the session, after some cat-cow repetitions, we found a stopping point and were invited to partake of some CBD vape, and rehydrate with a warm cup of rejuvenating Pure Hemp Botanicals herbal tea. The pause in between kept the feeling light, and made for a fun social experience amidst our stretching. I hit the CBD vape pen a few times, and felt ready to continue stretching without the stress.

Back to the mats for the last round of poses, Stacey led the group through backbends, twists, and some turns I wouldn’t have thought I could make when the evening began. Something about the relaxed ambiance, light stretching, and CBD enhanced environment, moving felt easier, more natural, and maybe even a little lighter. The benefits of the combining cannabinoids, psychoactive or not with physical activity is becoming one of my favorite things. I look forward to more CBD-minded stretching and socializing at the next Marijuasana event!

You can book a private group Marijuasana through Colorado Cannabis Tours. Call 303-420-TOUR (8687) to check availability and book today!

Tommy Chong’s Choice in Politics and Cannabis

December 6, 2016 by Colorado Cannabis Tours 1 Comment

When you’re talking to one of the biggest figures in mainstream cannabis culture for your first celebrity interview, it can be a little intimidating. However, Tommy Chong is a class act, and has a knack for making most people feel welcome in his presence. I had this opportunity not only at the packed Chong’s Choice launch party in November, but also during our interview. Tommy shared with me his thoughts on many things from politics to the face of cannabis in years to come.

Current Culture

Question: So you were a staple of cannabis culture from really the very beginning. How does it feel to see the country transition towards more of an acceptance of cannabis culture?

Tommy: Well, you know I mean it’s the whole world, not just the United States. It starts in California. You know, when California goes legal, like it has, it just sends a message around the world, you know, that you can have a product that was once demonized by the United States and now it’s going to be undemonized (sic), and it’s going to create a lot of things that the world needs you know like jobs and a nice peaceful attitude. Because what pot does is it works on the brain…and it makes the smart people smarter, and dumb people less dumber.”

This weed maestro certainly has a way with words. I couldn’t help but ask his thoughts about the party shift and the incoming president elect.

Brace Yourself

Question: How do you feel the upcoming administration is going to take on the burgeoning cannabis industry with it still being federally illegal? Do you think there will be a lot of pushback?

Tommy: Oh yeah, Trump has already embraced it. He already said it’s up to the states. Trump is a pragmatist, you know, as President Obama said, and so you know he’s not going to pick a fight with him. He’s not that stupid. He knows that most of his people were on cannabis when they voted for him.

Question: I do know it has been a question that I’ve gotten a lot, so I wanted to ask you about that.

Tommy: Well you know that’s the feared thing that the liberals…you know I was a liberal until he got elected. Then I saw through his lies. The thing everybody forgot is that Trump doesn’t lie out of habit. He lies purposely, you know? He’s a brander of being. You know you can brand good, and you can brand bad. You know, he can make you look good or he can make you look terrible. And that’s what he was doing, and he was showing the lies. That’s why the Republican Party put him down. The Republican party had a Trump thing going, and then he gets elected, and the Republicans are you know, jumping all over the place, so everyone’s thinking they got a Republican in the office, but they don’t. They have a maverick that is not afraid to lie, and I think it’s good. I really like it. I really like it because…the rest of the country is not going to just respect him, they are going to fear him. They are going to be afraid of what this guy will do, you know? And that’s helpful, you know, because when you have a…man like Obama in the White House, you admired him and you enjoyed him, and you listened to him, and you wondered about his great way of speaking, but you didn’t fear him, at all, you know. And that’s why, you know, Russia was just running all over the United States and every country. You know, and that’s what he was talking about the wall in Mexico. It was symbolic, but what it did, it shook everybody to the core, and especially the Mexicans that are here semi-legally you know. Now they have to get here legally, you know, purposely. And it’s not that they’ve anything against, you know, illegals and that, but that’s what the press and everybody wants to make it look like, you know. And his daughter, his daughter really said everything right. If you listen to her, and you play it back what she said, you know like all that sex stuff with Trump, she said that’s really not my father. That’s not him and that’s not the man I know. And that’s not the man that’s going to govern the United States either, you know. He’s going to shock the shit out of everybody. He is, because he’s a builder, you know. And builders need to build. And if anything America really needs its building. You know, we need bridges. We need railroads. We need all that stuff. And sure there’s going to be corruption, you know. There’s going to be cronyism, and all that stuff, but at least we are going to have a railroad or an airport at the end of the administration. You know all these other liberals, you know, they can’t point to one thing they built other than Obamacare and Trump is going to fix that, or the Republicans are. And believe me, he’s not stupid. He’s not going to mess with anything that works. You know he’s not a right wing Christian that believes in God…He’s the kind of guy to run up to a group of Christians and say ‘oh hey that’s the greatest book ever written, the Bible, next to mine’.”

Really Tommy?

Tommy’s got a point about Trump and his probable Bible politics, but I’m still not thoroughly convinced on his confident point of view.

Tommy: I’m at odds with my family ya’ know. They are threatening to take away my Twitter ability because I was tweeting exactly what I thought, you know, that he’s going to surprise everybody. He surprises everybody now. Like everybody thinking that he’s going to pick the worst guy….you know what the key to what Trump said? He calls his followers ‘poorly educated.’ Thats a key because what’s the opposite of poorly educated? Educated. You know, and educated means that you studied the truth. You know, you can study lies, but you’re studying and you learn the truth about whatever you’re doing, you know, whether it’s music, or building, or architecture or politics. And so I’m a born again Trump head.The thing about Trump is what happened when he got elected, the Apprentice got picked up for four years. That’s really what happened. And if you look at his show, it’s about assigning people tasks, and then if they don’t do the tasks they get fired. Doesn’t that sound like the president?”

I see his point, but have a hard time believing a reality TV star is fit to lead one of the most powerful countries in the world. However, his persuasiveness has me partially convinced that this guy might be more fit for the job than we know.

Tommy: “Yeah, yeah, of course he is. Just watch when he walks in the board room, you know, he comes in there like he’s the president! The only thing is they don’t rise, but now, they will….He doesn’t need to campaign anymore. He’s won it.”

Doobs

As the discussion made its way back to cannabis culture, being someone who had used cannabis medicinally, I asked if Tommy thought it important to continue to seek out consistently-dosed cannabis or if there was still no better medicine than an old fashioned doobie?

“Well it depends on the person. Like if you’re a little child with epilepsy, you can’t smoke a doob. The methods, that’s what they are looking at. When I was being treated for cancer, you know, I told all the oncologists and the workers that I’m using cannabis. But they couldn’t help me because they had nothing on the books to show you how to use it, or what to use, or how much to use, and so on. So I just worked on talking to people that had had success with it in the past. But now we are getting to a point where all the research is going to be done, all the techniques are going to be approved, and the world is going to…if nothing else, nothing’s going to change but everybody’s attitudes. And that’s a big change. Instead of closing time fights at the bar because drunks are too stupid to go home, they are going to have the bar closing early, and people getting up earlier, and you know….I think it will be a win win no matter how you look at it,” Tommy said.

Back to the Future

Last, but not least, I wanted the cannabis guru’s insights into the future. I asked him where he saw the cannabis industry five years from now.

“Five years goes by real fast. so I would say I think there’s going to be some big, big announcements in the medical field and they’re going to be groundbreaking to the point where whoever does it is going to be looking at the Nobel Peace Prize because I really believe this, and I’ve said it many times that cannabis is going to save the world in many ways. I’m going to share certain ideas through my art on how to attack certain problems we have, homelessness, and you know the problems facing us. And I’ll smoke some really good Chong’s Choice, and come up with some solutions that I can’t divulge until they get going.”

Those are some wise words for taking in these fast-changing times in cannabis and politics. Tommy Chong stands to better society whether it be through quality cannabis, or through his artistic articulation of cannabis culture.

アメリカ合衆国税関および国境警備局とのやり取りについての、知って得するノウハウをご紹介します。

September 24, 2016 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

ここ数年で、コロラド州は、嗜好品としての合法大麻（マリファナ）が楽しめる“時代の最前線”として注目を集めてきました。大麻ファンにとってだけではなく、地球上で他に存在しない個性溢れる体験に興味のある旅行者にとっても、魅力的な場所だと言えるでしょう。ここを訪れる人のほとんどがアメリカ国内からの旅行者ですが、それでも、世界各国からの来訪者が増加傾向にあることは事実です。この素晴らしき国アメリカへの入国、そしてここからの出国を楽々にこなすためのポイントをご覧下さい。

アメリカ合衆国への入国

アメリカの地に降り立ったら、まず税関を通過する必要があります。ここでは、滞在期間と来訪の目的が尋ねられます。持ち込もうとしている荷物についての申告もここで扱われます。これらの質問は、あなたがアメリカ合衆国に入国するのにふさわしい人物であるかを吟味するためのものです。コロラド州では、大麻の嗜好品としての使用は合法ですが、連邦法の観点から見ると、これは規制物質のスケジュールIに該当します。

入国者管理官に対して、予め、大麻を使用することをほのめかす証言をすることで、これが原因で入国不適切とみなされる可能性があります。大麻使用のために渡米したと伝えるのは、得策とは言えないでしょう。

さらにもう一点、検討しなければならないことがあります。それは、宿泊予定地の証明です。「大麻OK」のホテル探しを行なう際には、旅行代理店担当者に、“大麻と関係していることを示唆しない”よう配慮が施された宿泊証明書を用意するように伝えて下さい。もちろん、私どもは「大麻OKの宿泊場所」であることには触れない形で、書類をご用意させて頂きます。

入国管理局は合法的に、あなたの携帯電話やパソコンの中身を調べる権限を持っています。誤解を招きそうな写真は削除し、携帯電話にはパスワードによるロックを施しましょう。誰もが閲覧できるSNSでの投稿を行なうのも避けた方がいいでしょう。

アメリカ合衆国滞在時の注意点

常にパスポートは携帯するようにして下さい。ディスペンサリー（大麻を販売する場所）に入店し、大麻を購入するには、有効な身分証明書が必要となります。アメリカ国籍を持っていない人であれば、必ずパスポートを携帯することをお勧めします。ただ、過度な心配はご無用です。ディスペンサリーでは、購入者の情報を記録・保管することはありません。ただ、購入前にその人物の適正を調べるだけなのです。（MED：Marijuana Enforcement Divisionにより特定の政府発行の身分証明書のみを受け付けるよう規定がなされています）購入者が海外からの旅行者である場合には、単純にパスポートが身分証明書として機能します。

結局、正直になることが最善策でしょ…？

答えは「いいえ」です。正確には状況にもよりますが。この例について言えば「いいえ」となるでしょう。入国管理局職員には、ある程度の裁量が認められていますが…それでも、あなたが入国不可の項目に該当してしまったら、その先には、非常に長く、困難で、そして値の張るプロセスが待ち受けています。静かに、また、丁寧かつカジュアルに接し、必要以上の情報は提供しないようにして下さい。注意深く、聞かれた内容にだけ応答しましょう。決して、今まで、大麻を利用したことや、それに関わったことがあるという言及は行なわないで下さい。それを使用した状況とは一切関係ありません。

たとえ、それが合法に使用された場合だとしても、それに触れるべきではありません。連邦法と州法の間に矛盾が生じていることは事実ですが、過去に大麻を使用した経歴のある人物に対する入国許可は、アメリカ合衆国税関・国境警備局が、意図的に規制物質への関与を見過ごす行為だとみなされてしまうのです。

まとめ

現行の方針には異論がありますが、それでも、入国関連の法律の改正には驚く程の時間がかかるものです。

カナダはアメリカ合衆国に対し、入国基準を見直すように働きかけています。というのも嗜好品としての大麻がカナダ全体で合法化されようとしているからです。アメリカ合衆国の法律見直しが急いで進められてはいますが、まずは個人が意識して問題を未然に回避するのが得策でしょう。

Patient Story: Diana

September 21, 2016 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Sometimes, you meet people who change your life in unexpected ways. One beautiful Colorado morning, Diana and her husband signed up for a Colorado Cannabis Tour to round out their weed-centric vacation. I noticed them immediately as I hopped on the bus. “I LOVE your pants. They have bongs on them, with bows!” I exclaimed probably a little too excitedly. Diana seemed momentarily taken aback by my enthusiasm, which happens occasionally, but we quickly connected and were sharing shopping tips right off the cuff. Sometimes, you’re lucky enough to hit it off with people. As the tour continued and the afternoon riders bounced and smoked around Denver, I spent much of my time enthralled in conversation with this young couple from the East Coast.

Diana

Diana is a relatively normal woman in her mid twenties. She (obviously) has great fashion sense, likes to travel, and loves trying new things. Her and her husband were having an even better time in Colorado than they thought, and when I heard their story, I found it impossible to not make myself a resource where I could. The devout conversation about Diana’s illness and how cannabis helped her during her time here, hit home with me. And with her permission, I felt I had to share a little of her story.

In May of 2013, at 23 years old, Diana tried cannabis for the first time. She never touched it growing up, and was taught to believe that “potheads” were lazy and stupid, a reasonable misunderstanding, given the D.A.R.E. years and the conservative nature of her hometown especially. After meeting her soon-to-be husband in 2012, and seeing the how even with casual use, his demeanor did not seem to be dramatically affected, Diana decided to give it a whirl. After all, the numerous prescriptions weren’t helping, and at times, were making her worse. This very young woman was already at her wits end with the physical pain and endless doctors visits. At this point, she had been searching for an answer going-on three years in her so-far 6-year journey of various misdiagnoses and undiagnosed symptoms. Diana said what she experienced from that questionably sourced, unregulated East Coast bud was so profound she hasn’t stopped hoping and fighting since.

You see, Diana suffers from a number of things from severe digestive and pelvic issues, chronic anxiety, depression, insomnia, as well as OCD. She suffers from a variety of symptoms that cause her chronic pain, social discomfort, and personal issues as well. After discovering how beneficial the use of this plant was for a lot of her conditions, Diana and her husband decided to take a vacation to Colorado. And while she was here, they both found the difference astonishingly undeniable.

“Cannabis allows me to eat more than 500 calories a day, use the restroom regularly, and cope with pain from my pelvic and digestive conditions, as well as daily pain from nerve, joint, and muscular problems. It allows me to break myself of OCD cycles.”

The years of pain, tests, and inadequate treatment options have taken it’s toll on Diana, and she is partially in a wheelchair. The discussion of if she had IBS, Crohn’s, endometriosis, or something else entirely all started to feel like more guesswork was happening. While no doctor has been able to fully diagnose her conditions, she says that cannabis is the only remedy that has been able to positively affect so many of her symptoms. “The topicals I tried in Colorado helped my feet, legs, and pelvis more than any modern prescription has that [my primary care doctor] has given me. Cannabis has allowed me to at least relax my mind and muscles enough for short spans of time. You really take for granted things like your intimacy capabilities, walking, going to the store, so many little things until you’re unable to perform them because of ailments.”

Facing a Stigma

Back at home, the idea of cannabis as a medicine is still a pretty off-limits topic. Her parents don’t feel comfortable admitting that this plant has played a role in their daughter’s improvement, and the current pharmaceutical-based medical care system is all that they have known. When Diana tried talking to her mother about her new medication, she said, “All I know is my daughter was 26 and on the verge of disability, and for whatever reason modern medicine didn’t work for you. You’ve found something that I can tell is helping you, and that’s all I care about”. Her father, a conservative preacher, has been less apt to discuss the issue at all. For now, Diana feels hopeful about swaying opinions through living her truth, and following what she feels is the right path for health. Her family and friends don’t necessarily understand her healing relationship with cannabis, but Diana certainly hasn’t let that stop her. “I’ve accepted that I’ve chosen a life and a medicine that not everyone will understand at first. I love my family so much and I don’t fault them for not understanding just yet. I hope one day I can turn their opinions, thoughts, and views completely around.”

On this particular tour that started out like many others, I met a strong young woman who inspired me, and reminded me of why it is I do what I do. Giving people a place to feel comfortable consuming, to ask questions, and to get insight on navigating this shift in our culture is important to me. It’s when lives like hers and her husband’s are changed for the better that make the long days worth it. I guide to help people find answers, find connection, and to help them share their stories. When people open up to me, I feel honored that they share their journeys, and privileged to help them along their path when I can. Diana and her husband were so emphatic about her improvement health-wise while she was able to medicate sufficiently here in Colorado, they have made the decision to follow their path of cannabis as a medicine, wherever that may lead.