Teen usage trends amid legalization, Oregon bill protects consumers from feds, cannabis church in Alabama, celeb pothead leaves the fold & more

March 22: Teen usage trends amid legalization, Oregon bill protects consumers from feds, cannabis church in Alabama, celeb pothead leaves the fold & more The Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to sign up yourself, just go here: [(. To view this on the web or share a link, [click here.]( [One big thing marijuana opponents warned you about is definitely not happening]( A state-run survey of 37,000 middle and high school students in Washington state finds that marijuana legalization there has had no effect on youngsters’ propensity to use the drug. The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey found that the 2016 rate of marijuana use was basically unchanged since 2012, the year state voters approved legalization of recreational marijuana. The data from the first states to enact adult-use laws strongly suggest the legalization experiments are not causing any spike in use among teenagers. Lifestyle [Woody Harrelson gives up weed after “30 solid years” of partying]( Actor Woody Harrelson has given up marijuana after decades of what he calls partying too hard. Harrelson tells Vulture that he hasn’t smoked pot in nearly a year. He cites “30 solid years” of partying for his decision to quit. Still, he has nothing bad to say about marijuana, which he calls “a great drug.” + Still funny: On "SNL," a poncho-clad, dreadlocked Harrelson [celebrates a change in New York City pot laws](. [The top 12 social media platforms for cannabis enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to connect]( For the weed-loving community, photos of flowers, profiles of dispensaries and lists of upcoming cannabis events aren’t tough to track down on mainstream social media platforms. But Facebook and other giants in the space have been known to abruptly shut down pages promoting cannabis. Here are places where you can connect with like-minded folks. [In Alabama church, marijuana is part of spiritual and healing journey]( With a stained-glass window behind them, a lineup of speakers stepped to the front of the church and talked about the potential health benefits of legalizing plants that are currently outlawed in Alabama. “I smoke cannabis on a daily basis for my pain,” said Janice Rushing, president of the Oklevueha Native American Church of Inner Light in Alabama. “If I did not, I’d be on pain pills.” She and her husband founded the Oklevueha Church in 2015 and claim that it has a legal exemption for its members to smoke marijuana and ingest hallucinogenic mushrooms and peyote cactus. Numerology 27 That's the [number of medical marijuana dispensary permits that will be issued for the entire state of Pennsylvania.]( A flurry of about 900 applications came in to the Pennsylvania Department of Health to meet the Tuesday deadline. What's available: 27 retail licenses and 12 growing licenses. Regional Politics [Oakland city council meeting gets heated over marijuana biz residency requirement]( In a tense council meeting on Tuesday, longtime residents clashed with cannabis business owners over a requirement that pot permit applicants must have lived in Oakland for at least three years. The residency issue was part of a months-long overhaul of how the city regulates its pot industry. The new laws are designed to [help African-Americans disproportionately arrested]( for drug crimes or living for years in neighborhoods torn apart by the U.S. war on drugs open a business by obtaining an “equity permit. [Colorado pot clubs bill passes through House committee, showdown with governor likely]( A Colorado House committee voted 8-3 this week to approve a bill giving local governments a roadmap to allowing private marijuana clubs. The clubs could allow indoor smoking, if they have fewer than three employees. The bill has Republican supporters who say clubs would keep pot smoking out of parks and other public areas, and it has already passed the GOP Senate. But Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper opposes the provision for indoor smoking. [Oregon senate approves proposal to shield weed buyers’ data from feds]( A proposal to shield the names, birthdates, driver’s license numbers or any other identifying information of potentially thousands of recreational pot customers cleared its first major hurdle at the Oregon Legislature this week amid worries over a federal marijuana crackdown. [North Dakota medical marijuana supporters say Legislature overriding voter intent]( Backers of an overwhelmingly successful North Dakota citizen medical marijuana initiative said Tuesday that lawmakers have changed the intent of the measure against voters’ will. A bipartisan bill removed a provision that would have allowed registered patients to grow marijuana, and made a change to allow patients to smoke cannabis only if a physician finds that no other form would help. [Ohioans ask state to issue scarce marijuana cultivation licenses to residents only]( Some Ohioans wanting to start a medical marijuana business are urging regulators to add a residency requirement, at least initially, for businesses getting the state’s few lucrative cultivator licenses. The Ohio Department of Commerce currently plans to award up to 12 large grow licenses and 12 small grow licenses statewide. “Allowing people from outside the state is not benefiting Ohio or Ohioans or our unemployment,” said Kelly Mottola, owner of Hydro Innovations in Hilliard. [Arkansas House rejects proposed ban on marijuana edibles]( The Arkansas House has voted against a bill to ban marijuana edibles in the state. The bill, which failed 52-40, would have specifically banned commercial production of edibles. Just last week, [the Arkansas Senate voted down a ban on smoking MMJ.]( [The hypocrisy of embattled Oklahoma Sen. Shortey regarding marijuana]( Stillwater News-Press editorial: Long before he was arrested and charged with three prostitution-related crimes after being caught in a hotel room with a reportedly 17-year-old boy and marijuana, Ralph Shortey had been widely known as a “values” legislator. Shortey’s Senate bio lists his priorities as “personal liberty, fighting illegal immigration and strengthening public safety.” The idea of personal liberty flies directly into the face of his many morality-based initiatives. #AllThingsWeed [Oregon issues first marijuana recall over high pesticide levels]( The Oregon Liquor Control Commission issued its first recall of recreational marijuana after test samples were found to contain a level of pesticide residue above the state limit. The Blue Magoo strain was sold at Buds 4 U in Mapleton. An Oregon regulatory official said a wholesaler shipped the pot to the store before the test results were entered in the tracking system. [Rural Colorado county’s sheriffs say legal marijuana makes their job more difficult]( The sheriff in Yuma County, Colorado, faces a budget-strapped department with few officers, a vast area to patrol, and criminal acts that run the gamut from hog theft to methamphetamine distribution. Complicating the patrol of the vast county that ends at the Nebraska and Kansas state lines is confusion about Colorado’s marijuana industry that leads to complaints from residents about legal pot grows, and rules that make it difficult to determine whether a grow is state-sanctioned or weed destined to cross state lines illegally. [What’s the easiest way to grow marijuana? Weighing the options]( A reader wrote in to ask: "I’ve never grown a marijuana plant before. Can you give me the basics of where I should start? Seed or clones? Special soil or the good stuff from my vegetable bed? An affordable but quality light recommendation?" Our [master cultivator Jorge Cervantes]( responded with the easiest ways to get started. 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