First U.S. marijuana cafe opens in Portland

[w1z4rd]

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The United States' first marijuana cafe opened on Friday, posing an early test of the Obama administration's move to relax policing of medical use of the drug.

The Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Oregon, is the first to give certified medical marijuana users a place to get hold of the drug and smoke it -- as long as they are out of public view -- despite a federal ban.

"This club represents personal freedom, finally, for our members," said Madeline Martinez, Oregon's executive director of NORML, a group pushing for marijuana legalization.

"Our plans go beyond serving food and marijuana," said Martinez. "We hope to have classes, seminars, even a Cannabis Community College, based here to help people learn about growing and other uses for cannabis."

The cafe -- in a two-story building which formerly housed a speak-easy and adult erotic club Rumpspankers -- is technically a private club, but is open to any Oregon residents who are NORML members and hold an official medical marijuana card.

Members pay $25 per month to use the 100-person capacity cafe. They don't buy marijuana, but get it free over the counter from "budtenders". Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., it serves food but has no liquor license.

There are about 21,000 patients registered to use marijuana for medical purposes in Oregon. Doctors have prescribed marijuana for a host of illnesses, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and Tourette's syndrome.

On opening day, reporters invited to the cafe could smell, but were not allowed to see, people smoking marijuana.

"I still run a coffee shop and events venue, just like I did before we converted it to the Cannabis Cafe, but now it will be cannabis-themed," said Eric Solomon, the owner of the cafe, who is looking forward to holding marijuana-themed weddings, film festivals and dances in the second-floor ballroom.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5AD06O20091114?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

And all of a sudden.. America is not so crappy

Congrats to Portland going green!

 

[genetic]

Pass the dutchie to the left!

I somehow don't believe that this will catch on in the states. The feds simply won't allow it.
It won't be long before this cafe catches too much of the wrong attention.

 

[w1z4rd]

Pass the dutchie to the left!

I somehow don't believe that this will catch on in the states. The feds simply won't allow it.
It won't be long before this cafe catches too much of the wrong attention.

Obama has told the feds not to prosecute or get involved in this kinda stuff. Which is why states and cities are starting to go green.

 

[Good Life]

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5AD06O20091114?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

And all of a sudden.. America is not so crappy

Congrats to Portland going green!

Would be interesting to see the type of folk hanging out there....

 

[matt loves telkom]

yeah but you need to be a certified medical marijuana user?

what about the average joe who wants to blaze

 

[w1z4rd]

Well the last three presidents of America all have at least one thing in common. Bill Clinton, George Bush and Obama all smoked weed at some point in their life.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Well the last three presidents of America all have at least one thing in common. Bill Clinton, George Bush and Obama all smoked weed at some point in their life.

And I think it was Lincon who actually grew it on his plantations as well.

 

[Palimino]

I somehow don't believe that this will catch on in the states. The feds simply won't allow it.
It won't be long before this cafe catches too much of the wrong attention.

Believe it! This is just the start. The credit crunch is biting. The whole (well 65%) of the economy of California depends on it (they’re deep in the financial s**t). It is semi-legal there, mainly contradictions between state and federal law (the state is tolerant [California] while the fed (America) is intolerant). There are even academies and universities (which pay taxes – the fed benefitting from an ‘illegal’ enterprise <startled>) on pot growing. Housewives do it – especially with the credit crunch. How else can they make a buck. Most of the tragedy surrounding it is **because** it is illegal.

The thing is, the reason it’s lucrative is because it is illegal – demand exceeds supply. If it is made legal, the profits normalise (although I imagine it will still be in demand). But imagine if a regular cigarette company takes it up. They have the infrastructure and marketing mechanisms. “Smoke ‘Acapulco Gold’ for that relaxed feeling – specify strength of mix”.

 

[w1z4rd]

No More Federal Marijuana Raids Under President Obama
http://www.healthnews.com/no-more-federal-marijuana-raids-under-president-obama

Raids by the federal government on legally sanctioned medical marijuana facilities will become a thing of the past. President Obama is averse to using federal funds for this purpose, particularly when state law provides for medicinal marijuana use. Moving forward, decisions on medical marijuana raids will be left up to state government. Most states individually have their own laws regarding medical marijuana distribution and supply, but to the federal government it is illegal and under President Bush the federal government had used their laws and power to override the individual state laws regarding medical marijuana.

I see peeps keep bringing the feds into this.. I just wanna clear this up.