Pot sales higher than ever, Snoop + Willie BFFs 4ever, budtender job training woes, Andrew Garfield on being stoned in Disneyland & more

Jan. 6: Pot sales higher than ever, Snoop + Willie BFFs 4ever, budtender job training woes, Andrew Garfield on being stoned in Disneyland & more [The Cannabist] [thecannabist.co] | [@cannabist] | [fb/cannabist] [Business is booming: North American marijuana sales up 30 percent in 2016] Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have or will soon have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Use of recreational marijuana is legal in eight states. As its popularity has grown, so have profits. In 2016, sales of legal marijuana in North America totaled $6.7 billion, an increase of more than 30 percent. The number is projected to rise to $20.2 billion by 2021. --------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE: Did you catch this newsletter on the web or get it via a friend? [Click here to get these updates in your inbox]. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson’s bromance just got adorably elevated] For years now, the 83-year-old king of outlaw country and the 45-year-old hip hop star have maintained a warm, humorous and utterly adorable friendship, formed over – but not necessarily defined by – their mutual love of marijuana, which both have long celebrated in their songs and public appearances. Most recently, Willie thanked Snoop on Twitter for his Christmas present: a sweater with “Smoke Weed Every Day” emblazoned on it. [I made my autistic son cannabis cookies. They saved him.] A mother shares her story of seeking peace for her autistic son, and her fears for his future: “We left Rhode Island with almost a liter of cannabis-infused oil, but, even though we measure it out in drops, it won’t last forever. And because my son had to turn in his medical-marijuana license when we moved (from Rhode Island), we can’t go back to get more.” [Nevada man arrested after attempting to bribe cops to ignore his illegal grow] The Nye County Sheriff’s Office says a Pahrump man has been arrested after offering a deputy $30,000 to avoid arrest for his marijuana growing operation. 51-year-old Robert S. Behrens went to the sheriff’s office and asked to meet with a sergeant. Behrens told the sergeant that an inmate at the county jail had told him the officer was “shady” and asked the sergeant if he’d be willing to ignore Behrens’ illegal marijuana plants. [Do pot shop staffers lack training? What one study shows] A study co-authored by several California researchers suggests that many staffers at medical marijuana dispensaries may not have received much, if any, training for their jobs. The study found that 30 out of 55 staff members surveyed had received at least some formal training for their current jobs. Twenty percent of those surveyed reported receiving medical training on the health effects of marijuana, and 13 percent said they had been trained on the science of cannabis. [California hopes to take lead on fixing marijuana banking troubles in 2017] California has created a new working group focused on finding a solution to conflicts between state and federal laws that force marijuana businesses to operate largely in cash. “We need quick action and practical solutions,” said State Treasurer John Chiang, who formed the Cannabis Banking Working Group. “California is willing to assume a leadership role nationally to effectively achieve this goal.” [Second-largest Nevada city considers one-year moratorium] The Henderson City Council is proposing the moratorium to give officials time to weigh concerns about zoning and public health. Council members have also discussed a six-month ban. The council will likely address the issue next week and vote on it in February. [Colorado’s marijuana czar and fellow top regulator make leap into consulting] Andrew Freedman, the state’s director of marijuana coordination and Lewis Koski, Colorado Department of Revenue deputy senior director of enforcement have formed Freedman & Koski LLC. Freedman said the new venture will focus on assisting government bodies in implementing regulations. Such public-to-private moves are not uncommon — and typically don’t present a conflict of interest — but they do pose public policy concerns, ethics experts say. [Marijuana advocates mobilizing in advance of Sessions confirmation hearing] Marijuana legalization activists are organizing a national “Day of Action” on Monday to protest the potential confirmation of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as the nation’s attorney general. Sessions, a 70-year-old Republican who has served as a U.S. senator for nearly two decades, has been outspoken against the legalization of recreational marijuana, among other issues. His Nov. 18 nomination by president-elect Donald Trump was a cloud on the horizon for legalization proponents who, just 10 days earlier, hailed the passage of cannabis legalization measures in eight U.S. states. [Crystal ball time: What will 2017 bring for California marijuana?] California regulators have a year to get regulations in place and start handing out licenses for shops to legally sell recreational marijuana. Questions abound, including: Which cities will welcome businesses, and which ones will regulate them into oblivion? How much will licenses cost? Will corporate growers take over? Will the Trump administration interfere? And will the state actually stick to that 12-month deadline? Industry insiders weigh in with their best guesses. [Want to grow Arkansas medical marijuana? Here’s how much you’ll need to pay annually] The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission has decided that residents hoping to grow medical marijuana will have to pay an annual fee of $100,000 to operate a cultivation facility. The commission also decided that people who apply must have $1 million in a bond or assets, and be able to show $500,000 in cash liquidity. These requirements are in addition to a $15,000 application fee the commission approved last week. [NFL drug policy drama: Cowboys’ Randy Gregory gets 1-year ban for substance abuse] Dallas defensive end Randy Gregory was suspended for at least a year Thursday for another violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. The latest of three suspensions this year makes him ineligible for the playoffs, which start Jan. 15 for the NFC's top seed. The suspension is for one calendar year, meaning Gregory could be eligible for the 2018 playoffs if the Cowboys have a stellar season without him. [Andrew Garfield dishes on stoned Disneyland escapade with Emma Stone and crew] Andrew Garfield recently shared an epic tale from his 29th birthday party at Disneyland with eight friends, including then-girlfriend Emma Stone. Garfield reminisced: “They came out to L.A. to surprise me. We went to Disneyland. We ate pot brownies. It was literally heaven. How about Space Mountain three times in a row?” he recalls. “I freaked out on It’s a Small World. I was like, ‘It IS a f-ing small world.'” --------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at The Denver Post. Please add "members@mail.denverpost.com" and "members@direct.denverpost.com" to your trusted senders list. To unsubscribe from this mailing, [click here.] To change your e-mail preferences, [click here]. To view this newsletter on the web [click here.] The Denver Post 101 West Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80202