DETAILS CANNABIS
CLEARING
THE AIR ON
CANNABIS
Written by Gagan Kaur
48
Washington State is the talk of the town when it comes to a progressive
environment: standing strong in the tech industry, real estate market, and
now the controlled legalization of recreational marijuana. Relief is provided
in multiple holistic ways without having to possess a green medical card,
lending a helping hand to stay out of the way of hard drugs, alcohol, tobacco,
and chemically-based pharmaceuticals.
While smoking does cause harm on the body, there are plenty of less
harmful ways to consume cannabis, such as tinctures, edibles, and
marijuana pills. Our ancestors have been using the cure in the kitchen for
centuries. Known for its healing powers, cannabis benefits people who
suffer from a broad spectrum of ailments: from physical injuries to mental
traumas, some forms of cancer to sexually transmitted diseases, and even
the common nightmare. Conservative stigmas have denied the stress
relief that cannabis provides to the human body; however, due to extensive
medical research, there is an abundance of support towards the plant.
Recreational use of cannabis has been a great debate worldwide since
the dawn of time, but mentalities aren’t the only things that have changed
over the years: the plant itself has changed. Research has blessed us with
custom strains to benefit each condition. No longer can one ask simply for
marijuana; there are now many specifics involved. The options vary from
sativas, hybrids, and indicas. To the average person it might sound like
you're shopping for a vehicle type, rather than a medical strain. Luckily those
who work in shops are generally very helpful and knowlegable, and are more
than happy to help you find what’s best for your lifestyle.
There’s a bit of confusion when it comes to the difference between
a retail shop and a medical shop. For retail you have to be 21, but with a
doctor’s note you can get a prescription at the age of 18 for medical usage.
There is a law restricting how much can be purchased from a retail shop:
one ounce of cannabis, 16 ounces of cannabis-infused product in solid
form, 72 ounces in liquid form or some combination of each. Retail shops
are public places and customers are not allowed to try or open the products
on store premises, following the rules of the Initiative 520.
Although the herb has been negatively viewed in the past, society's
opinions are changing because of people like Tera Martin, the General
Manager of Green-Theory, which was the first recreational retail shop on
the Eastside based in Bellevue, WA. One can label Martin as a visionary with
a revolutionary flair. She didn’t just want to make change; she placed herself
with the weight of generating change in a conservative environment.
Martin may run a legitimate business, but Green-Theory still finds ways
to provide a little comic relief to their customers. They offer specials on
“Sunday Funday,” “Munchie Monday,” and for the rest of the week as well.
As some may feel uneasy or overwhelmed walking into a reta [