Before sunrise on New Year’s Day, cashiers welcomed the first legal sales of recreational marijuana in California, launching a new industry expected to bring in billions of dollars while accepting new regulations and taxes.

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1:13 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: I have no problem with making marijuana legal, to me it’s the smoke equivalent of alcohol. If you make one legal, then it is only fair to make the other legal as well. But the problem that comes in is sobriety. Remember those grainy, old videos of people celebrating the repeal of Prohibition way back in 1933? They were ecstatic to get legal alcohol back again. Then American and the world watched as legal alcohol created legions of alcoholics that grew with each passing decade. Legal pot? If that’s your thing, enjoy it. But the Bible calls us to be sober in these last days, not drunk or high. And you can’t smoke pot and stay sober. 

The day has been long anticipated by cannabis advocates who pushed for voters to pass Proposition 64 in November 2016, largely decriminalizing marijuana and allowing — starting Monday — for the commercial sale of products to adults 21 or older.

In Berkeley, Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Democratic state Sen. Nancy Skinner joined a couple dozen people outside the Berkeley Patients Group for the first sales.

“I’m stoked about this historic moment not just for Berkeley but for the state of California.” Arreguin said. “This is a long time coming.”

The first sale happened at 6 a.m. Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris, longtime marijuana advocates, bought three joints as the crowd cheered “Happy New Year!”  They spent $45.37 on the three joints, weed named after Jack Herer, their friend and now decreased advocate for legalized marijuana.

Some people stayed up all night to get a spot in line. Others went to bed early to get there before 6 a.m.

Anthony Moraga, 28, drove from Merced on Sunday so he could be in line at 4 a.m. — the first customer in line at Berkeley Patients Group. But he was the second to make a purchase. The store had selected longtime activists Conrad and Norris to be first.

He spent $120 on marijuana flowers or buds, and with a $32 tax added on the total came to $152 dollars.

“It’s historic,” he said “it’s the first time we can come out in the public … Paying taxes on our legal purchase.”

Moraga said he felt like it was a huge weight off his shoulders to be a legal recreational buyer. He said it’s time to demonstrate responsible healthy use, “rather than the party crowd we have been demonized as.”

The handful of shops making recreational sales on Monday acquired both local and state licenses. They included Harborside, Purple Heart and Blum in Oakland; Berkeley Patients Group and Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley; 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center in Richmond; Mercy Wellness in Cotati; and SPARC and Solful in Sebastopol.

Former federal attorney Henry Wykowski bought one gram of the Neville’s Purple strain from Harborside in Oakland for $20.01 after Harborside founder and longtime cannabis activist Stephen DeAngelo proclaimed, “We’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

The dispensary staff cheered as hundreds stood in line outside the club, waiting to shop and celebrate.

Additional locations are expected to offer recreational marijuana in coming days and weeks, including outlets in San Francisco. But many cities are expected to bar the sales altogether.

At some shops, the coming-out party was expected to feature live music, coffee and doughnuts, prizes for those first in line and speeches from supportive local politicians — a far cry from the days when the cannabis trade operated in the shadows.

Marijuana remains illegal by federal standards. But several states, including Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, and now California, have legalized both medicinal and recreational use.

As of November 2016, California law allows adults 21 or older to possess and transport up to one ounce of cannabis flower, as well as up to eight grams of extract or infused foods. Smoking in public is still prohibited.

Medical marijuana will continue to be available through existing dispensaries to those with a valid I.D. and a doctor’s recommendation.

But as of Monday morning, all customers buying cannabis products will pay a 15 percent state excise tax, which is expected to eventually bring in $1 billion or more a year for marijuana research, addiction prevention and boosted law enforcement, among other things.

Recreational customers must pay sales tax as well, unlike those with a state-authorized medical identification card. In addition, cities can choose to impose local cannabis taxes.

In Oakland, taxes for most customers will increase from 14.25 percent to 34.25 percent, according to Harborside officials. Bulk buys are not allowed, with state law limiting daily purchases to one ounce of cannabis flower, eight grams of concentrated cannabis, and six immature plants per customer. source

People in a Bible study group in Centennial, Colorado say they get high to better reach the almighty. They are called the Stoner Jesus Bible Study and they pass on Bible verses and joints

“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (KJV)

EDITOR’S NOTE: First off, the idea that Jesus was a “stoner” or got high or drunk in any way is a satanic thought. The Bible says He was “in all points tempted” like we are – but – without sin. Since you cannot smoke pot and be sober at the same time, the 420 life it is a violation of multiple Biblical commandments. If you’re saved, Jesus loves you in spite of your sins, but at no point does He ever confirm you in your sins. The “Stoner Jesus Bible Study” is absolute living proof that the last Church in the end times would be hopelessly confused, self-focused and luke warm. Colorado stoners, prepared to be spewed out. 

Group member Mia Williams says, “We are just a bunch of stoners that come together and learn about Jesus and the Word of God.” Longtime member Mark Button says the group has “really good spiritual conversations in this setting. We get really deep; deeper than I have ever gotten before. It’s the perfect setting.”

The “Tree of Sin” may be a lesson in the Bible, but this Bible study group views the marijuana plant as a blessing. For Button, weed helped pull him closer to God and away from an addiction.

“God is what got me through that. Thanks to him, I’ve been sober eight years. I don’t drink or do hard drugs anymore. I do smoke marijuana sometimes,” Button said.

Pastor Greg leads the group in prayer and says they all believe in worshipping outside of church. They are all Christians as well as professionals or students. They admit there is a stigma attached to marijuana, but they also say some Bible studies offer wine and cheese, so they don’t understand the difference. One member says, “Marijuana has less calories and no one leaves drunk!”

Newest member JeTaun Brown says reading the Bible stoned enables people to relax and focus. She says, “I think you have a deeper thought process which makes you better understand.”

Button, who has always been a devout Christian, says he has heard the word of God “over and over and it never clicked (and now) it clicks.”

They study various sections of the Bible which they say have a direct link to smoking out. They say pot smokers are open-minded people and God’s word is also for open-minded people. For example, Pastor Greg says the Beatitudes teach the group “to be kind and loving and have mercy on other people; not to be judgmental and that’s why we like the 4/20 crowd because we are open minded.” source

The Denver Police Department cautioned parents about marijuana edibles on Halloween in a video posted to its YouTube page Monday

In the video, Patrick Johnson, owner of Urban Dispensary, says that edibles, or candy coated in habiscus hash oil, account for anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent of his gross sales, and are indistinguishable from regular candy.

Manufacturers typically infuse knockoff candy bought in bulk, so Johnson said parents should toss any candy that isn’t in familiar packaging or in a tampered package.

“Once that candy dries, there’s really no way to tell the difference between infused and candy that’s not infused,” Johnson said. “Some of these products look so similar to candy that’s been on the market that we’ve eaten as children that there’s really no way for a child or a parent or even anybody, even an expert in the field, to tell you whether or not a product is infused or not.”

Manufacturers typically infuse knockoff candy bought in bulk, so Johnson said parents should toss any candy that isn’t in familiar packaging or in a tampered package.