Yesterday, voters in Colorado and Washington made history by being the first states to approve cannabis for recreational use. Colorado’s Amendment 64 will allow those 21 and older to purchase up to one ounce at specially regulated retail stores. Possession would be legal but not public use.  In Washington, one ounce of marijuana will be legal as of Dec. 6, and the state will begin a year-long process of creating the taxing and regulatory structure for sales. Massachusetts joined the ranks of medical states, while an Arkansas ballot measure failed by a surprisingly small margin, and the cities of Detroit and Grand Rapids passed their own decriminalization statutes — there’s no denying it, the tide is turning against prohibition.  And depending on the outcome of the Americans for Safe Access vs. DEA case currently being considered by the DC Circuit Court, we may also be approaching the day when cannabis is no longer a Schedule 1 drug.

None of these exciting events will directly affect our day-to-day operations, but we’re feeling very positive about the progress that is being made. Every step towards mitigating the terrible harm these prohibitions have done is a good one, and we look forward to the day when everyone can have safe access to this amazing source of healing and wellness.