Under Trump in 2018, a farm bill effectively but unofficially legalized marijuana nationwide

Under the 2018 farm bill, it became fully legal to produce and sell cannabis products containing "THC-A"(which does NOT get you high). But there's a catch, and a loophole.... This is an issue that's been poorly described, so I'll try to explain how it works in layman's terms:

The main active ingredient in marijuana is "THC delta 9". But the chemical THC delta 9 starts out its life as "THC A", and when heated up beyond approx 300°f, it goes through a chemical reaction called decarboxylation, which converts THC A into THC delta 9. This is, and has always been what occurs when marijuana is smoked(ie. burned). It's also why marijuana must be heated up before being used to make edibles(like when pot was simmered in butter before the butter was added to pot brownie recipes).

So you can buy extremely powerful marijuana strains at many smoke shops and vape shops all over the country, which are the same exact strains sold at medical marijuana facilities, with the same THC A → THC delta 9 contents and chemistry, ie. it's legal marijuana available to anyone! I recently sampled a 20% THC A indica hybrid called "Fruit Loops", which I bought at a vape store. Its powerful but mellow stuff!

There's also a couple/few other psychoactive THC variants sold in smoke shops in concentrated form(example: THC 8).

IMO Biden was a decent president but he could easily have pushed for changing the schedule category for pot to enable its use of federally-backed banks. People are killed because criminals know pot shops have large amounts of cash on hand. It's so unnecessary.

ModerationNow! said:

Under the 2018 farm bill, it became fully legal to produce and sell cannabis products containing "THC-A"(which does NOT get you high). But there's a catch, and a loophole.... This is an issue that's been poorly described, so I'll try to explain how it works in layman's terms:

The main active ingredient in marijuana is "THC delta 9". But the chemical THC delta 9 starts out its life as "THC A", and when heated up beyond approx 300°f, it goes through a chemical reaction called decarboxylation, which converts it into THC delta 9. This is, and has always been what occurs when marijuana is smoked(ie. burned). It's also why marijuana must be heated up before being used to make edibles(like when pot was simmered in butter before the butter was added to pot brownie recipes).

So you can buy extremely powerful marijuana strains at many smoke shops and vape shops all over the country, which are the same exact strains sold at medical marijuana facilities, with the same THC A → THC delta 9 contents and chemistry, ie. it's legal marijuana available to anyone!

There's also a couple/few other THC variants sold in smoke shops in concentrated form(example: THC 8).

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Pretty good explanation.

There are some states trying to crack down on hemp products though, which is what weed with minimal quantities of delta 9 are classified as. Some of the states with approved, taxed, and controlled legal dispensaries are keen on this. You can probably guess why.

Lursa said:

IMO Biden was a decent president but he could easily have pushed for changing the schedule category for pot to enable its use of federally-backed banks. People are killed because criminals know pot shops have large amounts of cash on hand. It's so unnecessary.

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Big Pharma is terrified of a national MJ decriminalization law. Their lobbyists are constantly harassing lawmakers to keep it criminal. Pharma is worried people will turn to weed for ailments they take expensive happy pills for currently. The last thing Trump will ever do is take on big Pharma. He can afford his Adderall.

StarvedForChange said:

Big Pharma is terrified of a national MJ decriminalization law. Their lobbyists are constantly harassing lawmakers to keep it criminal. Pharma is worried people will turn to weed for ailments they take expensive happy pills for currently. The last thing Trump will ever do is take on big Pharma. He can afford his Adderall.

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In most states, people can do that now...the headaches and danger are for the producers and shops themselves because they are restricted in banking and have to keep large amounts of cash on hand.

Lursa said:

In most states, people can do that now...the headaches and danger are for the producers and shops themselves because they are restricted in banking and have to keep large amounts of cash on hand.

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Yeah, I know. It's a security issue. My favorite dispensary in the PNW just had to install concrete barriers all around their store to protect themselves from a "smash and grab" scenario.

StarvedForChange said:

Yeah, I know. It's a security issue. My favorite dispensary in the PNW just had to install concrete barriers all around their store to protect themselves from a "smash and grab" scenario.

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And they've also seen armed robberies, during business hours, where at least one worker was shot and killed. It's just so unnecessary.

Lursa said:

And they've also seen armed robberies, during business hours, where at least one worker was shot and killed. It's just so unnecessary.

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<shrug> The big pharma lobby is crazy powerful!

StarvedForChange said:

Big Pharma is terrified of a national MJ decriminalization law. Their lobbyists are constantly harassing lawmakers to keep it criminal. Pharma is worried people will turn to weed for ailments they take expensive happy pills for currently. The last thing Trump will ever do is take on big Pharma. He can afford his Adderall.

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No, there not.

I literally know the lobbyists. It’s not an issue.

Threegoofs said:

No, there not.

I literally know the lobbyists. It’s not an issue.

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I tend to believe you on this. Almost 80% of the states allow medical marijuana. Almost half allow recreational marijuana. If Big Pharma was concerned, the lobbyists would be trying to persuade the fed to enforce their existing laws, if anything.

I think most of the resistance to THC-A products comes from the legal, licensed weed industries within those states where weed is legal. Though some from the few states that are just completely opposed to marijuana in any form.

Lursa said:

In most states, people can do that now...the headaches and danger are for the producers and shops themselves because they are restricted in banking and have to keep large amounts of cash on hand.

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Transporting bag(s) of cash to the bank is actually the same thing that regular privately owned stores have had to do every day for over a century! Most of them don't have to carry SO MUCH cash at once, but many of them weren't required to start our with the wealth and political connections that allow them to overcharge their mostly lower income customers for a f***g LEGAL product!

The legal marijuana game is rigged so that it only includes folks who are already well-to-do, and who have connections with the right people. I may be wrong, but maybe their buddies in govt require them to keep large quantities of cash on hand to make it simpler to hand some of it over in exchange for being given the privilege of being permitted to fatten their wallets SO RAPIDLY by overcharging poorer folks for LEGAL pot!

They have very little of the risks to personal freedom of producing and/or selling illegal drugs, but they still charge as if they do! I shed no tears for them.