Looking Ahead

As the hot summer
weather and scattered storms cross our country, winding down summer, I can’t
wait to bring out my jackets and scarves again—I quite like scarves. Even
though it’s muggy and hot out, I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy, in part because
this weather is forcing me to stay active and interact with nature (sweating
quite a bit more than normal), but also in part because the government is
interacting with the cannabis industry in a seemingly positive way, offering
more support for research, wider acceptance nationwide and creating more rules,
regulations and testing requirements, as more and more states choose to
legalize recreational and medical cannabis use.

The government is
going slow and steady on the cannabis front, as to be expected; step by step,
finding small pathways to stroll down, toward the eventual destination of
legality, access and acceptance.

President
Obama recently called for an overhaul of the prison system, asking to end
minimum sentencing, but primarily focused on nonviolent drug offenders, and
reduced the sentences of 46 inmates convicted of nonviolent drug crimes. Senator
Elizabeth Warren has publicly urged feds to support MMJ research, along with
seven other senators. A new bill was introduced to the Senate, to give cannabis
shops actual access to banks under a new legalization.

These
signs of a larger mainstreaming and acceptance of cannabis in our country may
be small in size to some, but they are significant in the history of this fight
for us. They also show us that the future is bright for cannabis reform and
legalization, as well as the market and industry as a whole.

I
can’t help but look ahead with a smile on my heart, hoping for the cool breezes
of the upcoming fall and winter seasons, an escape from this sweltering heat
and humidity. But, at the same time, with these positive steps forward, I am
also looking ahead, patiently waiting for the inevitable rescheduling of
cannabis, federally, and the many other states that will soon accept cannabis
medically and recreationally.

Sincerely,

Evan
A. Senn

Editor-In-Chief