Did you hear? Recreational marijuana is now available in Maryland! To those “adults” 21-and-over, of course (no chance the legal stuff will find its way to anyone younger in MD, wink wink). And specifically, the skunk, the green, the ganja, the “fire” is now legal and ‘recreational’ in Montgomery County, MD.
Yes, nanny-state, neurotic, top-down controlling MoCo, MD. Yes, the Montgomery County that banned outdoor smoking of cigarettes and cigars about four years ago, adding yet another regulation to bars and restaurants:
Oh, and flavored vapes or e-cig nicotine cartridges? Banned county-wide. But now 21? Do you want some strawberry-and-grape-flavored Kush hybrid? You can buy cannabis-infused gummies, chocolates and more – just don’t “leave it around the kids”. You can buy up to an ounce and a half, and puff puff pass, as desired. You can get yourself top-of-the-line marijuana that exceeds 25% THC content and fire it up in a new $150 glass piece.
Well, sort of. Only on “private property”. And the County’s “leadership” team wants to remind you not to “take it across state lines” because it is still illegal under federal law. Oh, and Marc Elrich says he’s against “advertising it” to consumers or some other nonsense. Per MyMCM, (Maryam Shahzad reporting) —
“Elrich said he opposes letting dispensaries advertise products, prices, or effects of the products, to prevent “predatory advertising aimed at children.”
“This is a drug at the end of the day just like cigarettes and alcohol, and glamorizing it is not something we should be doing,” he said, adding he hopes regulations can be put on advertising.”
Utterly laughable. And hypocritical, as is normal for the County Exec. This is the same Montgomery County liquor monopoly that, through its Alcohol Beverage Services social media and print media, sends out colorized liquor mailers advertising the selection and prices of all kinds of liquor and wine. Do they honestly think children or teens aren’t exposed to these adverts?
Heck, MoCo ABS just ran this on its Facebook page today, July 24th, 2023:
Buy buy buy our Tequila! Get it cheaper in MoCo! Support your local County government monopoly.
So, yes, the same out-of-control nanny-state county that banned “single use” plastic straws in 2021, you know, to save the sea turtles or some such incoherence, is now trying to embrace the legal marijuana and become a vice-supporting suburb.
“Just be careful” the politicians say – but buy buy buy. You have to “support our schools” through vice!
Next up: a casino and house of burlesque in Bethesda? Why not?
Back on “Cannabis Opening Day” July 1st, Trulieve Cannabis Corporation, “a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States”, proudly issued a press release celebrating new recreational sales at its Rockville, MD store.
All locations will offer specials including a “Trulieve Recreational Starter Flight,” Clones in a variety of strains available for sale, local cultivation managers onsite to talk with customers and great swag giveaways including Khalifa Kush t-shirts and a raffle for a Khalifa Kush bong.
Trulieve will kick off festivities at its Rockville location starting at 8AM today with a ribbon cutting by the company’s leadership and state lawmakers, DJ Tiara LaNiece and complimentary breakfast provided by local legends Call Your Mother Deli.
Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Ann Sayles (Democrat, At-Large) was in attendance to help celebrate the “opening”, based on images on her Twitter feed. Did she win the “Khalifa Kush bong”? Other state lawmakers were there as well. These are some of the same MD and MoCo-based politicians who banned “planned balloon releases” and will fine you $500 for attempting such on your property. These are the same state lawmakers who throw ridiculous “firearm security” laws at legal gun owners yet will say nothing, nada, about how a parent or guardian should “store” legal marijuana food products away from their kids or pass penalties if they don’t do so correctly.
Back to MyMCM.com’s brief reporting on the hypocrisy in Nanny State, Vice Promoting MoCo:
“Legal does not equal healthy,” County Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis said, noting that while there are a few health benefits with medical cannabis in specific cases, there are health risks like depression, anxiety and lung problems. She encouraged residents to “go slow and start low” as it is potent.
Elrich said the county will engage in a public education campaign over the next several months with the state cannabis administration.
Are you choking on the sanctimony and incoherence of what is being presented by Elrich and his team? Or something else?
As someone who supports private property rights and a truly free, robust, legal market for products and services exchanged between consenting (and hopefully, mentally functioning) adults, cannabis legalization is fine and should have happened long ago. Other plants and organics besides cannabis deserve their day in the sun, as well.
However, the incoherence on display as MoCo politicians try to celebrate “legal” pot while banning “flavored vapes” and outdoor smoking on private property is a sight to behold. Some would call it institutional madness.
More to come.
