The journalists at Lansing’s City Post were heroes on Thursday morning. Laden with kind joints, the paper’s employees gave friendly greetings to those passing by City Hall and offered them the gift of free cannabis. Yes, the newspaper handed out joint to celebrate legalization!
It only took an hour to run out of jays, but not everyone was accepting the offer. More than half (56 percent) of Michigan residents voted yes on the cannabis legalization law and that’s presumably in the ballpark of people taking free weed from the alternative newspaper.
Related: Michigan Poised To Become 10th State To Legalize Recreational Cannabis
“We wanted to do something to celebrate this occasion,” said City Pulse reporter Kyle Kaminski to the Lansing State Journal, adding that his view that fewer people getting arrested and prosecuted or even incarcerated for cannabis offenses was a good thing
The new law says that if you are 21 or over, you may now grow or possess small amounts of cannabis. Because of the strict age enforcement and common sense, the City Pulse crew made sure to check IDs before dispensing the marijuana.
If you’re wondering if the newsies and their new found friends were sparking up on the street, that would be a no. It’s illegal to smoke in public areas in Michigan, but it is legal to give away small portions of cannabis in public.
In fact, giving pot away is the only true way to keep legal as it now stands. It will likely take years for Michigan to implement an adult use marketplace and in the meantime sales between friends or even strangers is not allowed. Gifting the plant is, however, so it is able to exchange hands.
Related: Ted Nugent Is ‘Hardcore’ Against Michigan Legalizing Marijuana
The best news out of Michigan is that now possessing or growing herb will not get you penalized and all adults have access. Plus, not every state that goes recreational or medicinal has laws in place to grow your own, so that is a major advantage for Michigan residents who enjoy the plant and its inner workings.
Ben Schwartz, Publisher of City Pulse, said that the paper obtained the cannabis from a Lansing based dispensary, Pure Options. He also commented on the normalization of cannabis as a whole, “People are taking it in stride. If we were Colorado, the first to legalize, I think there’d be a big party today. I think people have accepted for a while that this bound to happen.”
Congratulations for the newspaper handed out joint to celebrate legalization and may they print for years to come!
