TNMNews Live Broadcast: October 26th, 2018 Cannabis News Week in Review
Happy Friday everyone and I am going to say it now, happy Halloween! Halloween may be the most satisfying day of the year for all of us cannabis enthusiasts. Nothing answers the munchies’ call like a giant bucket of candy. You can always tell when you have visited the home of a major marijuana lover when you see they have way more candy than they ever could possibly give out. There is nothing quite so awesome as sitting on your couch on Halloween night, watching some silly horror movie and bingeing on candy while ((stoned) or (feeling nice and lifted))! It is October 26th, 2018 and I am Todd Denkin with The National Marijuana News and I am here to bring you your weekly update on what has been happening in the world of weed.
First up, one of the most anticipated midterm elections is just on the horizon. In fact, in some states like Florida early voting is already happening. These elections represent a real opportunity for marijuana legalization advocates to make a massive push towards legalization. It is putting the pressure on states around the country and the federal government to fully legalize cannabis and so it is important we all get out there and vote. Let’s talk about some of the recent news concerning politicians and their stance either for or against marijuana legalization.
66% of Voters Support marijuana legalization according to most recent gallup poll
If you want to understand why marijuana has become one of the most significant issues in our country, look no further than the people. According to the most recent Gallup poll, 66% of voting Americans support full on marijuana legalization in our country. That is what is referred to as a super majority which really grabs the attention of politicians. Gallup has been taking these polls since 1969 when only 12% of the people supported marijuana legalization. In 2005, a third of the people supported marijuana legalization but now more than two thirds of the country think cannabis should be legal nationally. One of the most significant demographics that has traditionally been against marijuana legalization but has now come around are seniors. 59% of people 55 years of age or older support marijuana legalization. It is no wonder considering medical marijuana may benefit the older generation more than anyone else and has clearly shown that the propaganda surrounding marijuana prohibition is false. These sorts of numbers are impossible for politicians to ignore, hence why marijuana legalization is such a big issue for the country.
State Sen. Jim Dabakis eats marijuana edible here in Las Vegas on Facebook Live
Utah will vote during this midterm election to legalize a moderate medical marijuana program. They have tried before but too much fumbling by legislators has prevented it. Utah really feels the pressure to legalize considering they are surrounded by states that have legalized recreational marijuana. In fact, us here in Las Vegas really grab the attention of the people in Utah and they love to come for visits. Tourists from around the world come to visit Las Vegas and adult-use marijuana has become one of the biggest draws. Most recently, Utah State Senator Jim Dabakis showed up here this week wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt, they are playing in game 3 of the World Series tonight by the way and have a 2 to nothing lead over the Dodgers, to try out some of our top quality chronic. He bought some marijuana gummies at a dispensary and did a very interesting Facebook Live video where he ate half a gummy on camera stating that he thought at least one of Utah’s politicians should try marijuana since they are making policies around it. He gave full disclosure that he would not be driving anywhere and that he would not be bringing the gummies back to Utah with him. An hour and half later he did not feel much of anything so ate some more and ultimately told viewers he hardly felt anything. You can checkout our article on TNMNews.com and watch the video there to see more.
South Korean Canadian Embassy Warns South Koreans Visiting Canada Not to Smoke Weed
Moving to a quick international story. As you are all well aware by now, Canada started selling recreational marijuana to adults on October 17th and nearly ran out of weed on the first day. It has been a big hit but now that legalization is settling in, some other stories are surfacing. The South Korean embassy warned any South Koreans in Canada not to consume any marijuana while there. South Korean drug laws are very strict and apply to South Korean residents even when they are out of the country. People from South Korea have been caught consuming marijuana on social media and the internet by their government and when they got home have been arrested. South Korean celebrities have even been paraded in front of the media and banned from performing when they were caught consuming weed overseas. They can be fined $44 thousand dollars and serve 5 years in prison. The stigma surrounding marijuana is still very strong in some places and the legalization of cannabis up in Canada is still astonishing to some people.
MedMen buys PhamaCan for $682 million
Finally, one of the most well know cannabis brands here in the US is MedMen and they just made the largest marijuana purchase in US history as they continue their efforts to dominate the cannabis industry. MedMen spent $682 million dollars to buy PharmaCann. MedMen currently has 14 dispensaries, one here in Las Vegas, but mostly in California. With the acquisition of PharmaCann, an Illinois based company with 10 dispensaries located in the midwest, MedMen have now almost doubled their footprint. PharmaCann has dispensaries in Michigan and voters there will decide whether to legalize adult-use marijuana next month. Illinois is also seriously debating legalization as well. MedMen has made moves over on the east coast as well, with a dispensary on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Now MedMen has 79 marijuana licenses across 12 different states.
That is it for this week folks. Make sure to follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account @NationalMJNews. Go subscribe to our YouTube channel too. There are a lot more great stories on TNMNews.com to checkout as well. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween. This is Todd Denkin with The National Marijuana News.
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canada marijuanacannabis newsGallup pollmarijuana legalizationMedMenMichigan vote on marijuanaPharmaCannSouth Korea marijuanautah marijuanaUtah State Senator Jim Dabakis
