PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - The United States' first marijuana cafe opened on Friday, posing an early test of the Obama administration's move to relax policing of medical use of the drug.
The Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Oregon, is the first to give certified medical marijuana users a place to get hold of the drug and smoke it -- as long as they are out of public view -- despite a federal ban.
"This club represents personal freedom, finally, for our members," said Madeline Martinez, Oregon's executive director of NORML, a group pushing for marijuana legalization.
"Our plans go beyond serving food and marijuana," said Martinez. "We hope to have classes, seminars, even a Cannabis Community College, based here to help people learn about growing and other uses for cannabis."
The cafe -- in a two-story building which formerly housed a speak-easy and adult erotic club Rumpspankers -- is technically a private club, but is open to any Oregon residents who are NORML members and hold an official medical marijuana card.
Members pay $25 per month to use the 100-person capacity cafe. They don't buy marijuana, but get it free over the counter from "budtenders". Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., it serves food but has no liquor license.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5AD06O20091114?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNewsI Belief the one's in Amsterdam is a little bit better
Pot could lead a state like Calif out of their fiscal crisis. Tax is not the only revenue potential. Imagine the tourist boost that legal weed in San Diego, Los Angles, San Fran at AL, would create
If Ca could get a 5% tourist bump, it would be huge for state and commercial revenues.
I know where I would be warm-weathering. what kind of symptoms does a person need to get a script? Any doctors here???
GTO
