The Walmart of Weed does battle with regressive marijuana laws in Washington and Amsterdam
HOW did you celebrate 420 – the date when Americans stage a cannabis smoke out. Most stoners are, of course, inside watching daytime telly. Organising the stoned is akin to herding cats.
America’s attitude to weed is strange. On April 2, 2012, U.S. marshals raid Oaksterdam University in Oakland, Calif, which teaches people how to grow marijuana.
Back in March, we went to see WeGrow founder Dhar Mann pose inside the WeGrow store in northeast Washington DC – the “Walmart of Weed”.
And over in Amsterdam, there are protests. The government want to stop non-residents of Holland from buying marijuana. From May 1, you will need a so-called “weed pass” to enter one of the “members only” marijuana cafes in Southern Holland. On January 1, 2013, the rule goes nationwide.
It’s not so much a case of freedom to get bombed for the Dutch, more a way to stymy weed tourism. I remember being at Amsterdam airpot and hearing one young American blade asking the female customs guard where the coffee shop was. She laughed. On another day, she might have taken him to the holding bay and turned him inside out.
Maybe if the Dutch stop the tourists, the tourist will go elsewhere. The Hamburg apple pie industry may be set to explode.
Image: WeGrow franchisee Alex Wong, left, and WeGrow founder Dhar Mann [You Da Man], right pose inside the WeGrow store in northeast Washington, Thursday, March 29, 2012, as they prepare for its Friday opening. A company dubbed the “Walmart of Weed” is putting down roots in America’s capital city, sprouting further debate on marijuana _ medical or otherwise. Just a few miles from the White House and federal buildings, a company that candidly caters to medical marijuana growers is opening up its first outlet on the East Coast. The opening of the weGrow store on Friday in Washington coincides with the first concrete step in implementing a city law allowing residents with certain medical conditions to purchase pot.
Posted: 23rd, April 2012 | In: Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
