I-502

Amsterdam in Ballard: Herbs House offers juice, smoothies, coffee and cannabis

Guest — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:12:01 +0000

Guest (not verified) Wed, 11/06/2013 - 11:12am

Holly Déjà making a delicious apple, carrot, and beet juice.

Photo by Shane Harms

By Shane Harms

North Seattle medical cannabis patients have a new safe access point: Herbs House, Ballard’s new cannabis collective on NW 65th St, opened last September.

Owner Sharon Jacobson, is new to the industry, but was inspired by what she wasn’t seeing at most cannabis collectives.

“I think that a lot of shops are very masculine with the dark leather sofas and six-foot glass shelves for the product. … Some of them are shady, so I wanted to provide an environment where someone can come and enjoy a space that is friendly and inviting and have a cup of coffee or smoothie, while also a patient can come upstairs and get their medicine,” said Jacobson.

Jacobson leased the space that was once Emerald City Orchids, redesigning the space to be what she calls “a boutique style collective.”

“I think how this place looks and the general feel of it has opened the eyes for some people that thought a business like this was going to be something else. But people come in and check it out and then they come back,” said Jacobson

With many friends and associates in the industry, many of whom belong to the support and networking group, Women of Weed, Jacobson stresses she has some of the best medical grade cannabis available.

“We work with producers that grow very high quality product that have patients well being in mind and use organic methods. All of our other products like oils or bubble hash are made with the best cannabis available. Quality assurance is a top priority,” said Jacobson.

Budtender, Golda Hall using chop stix to avoid touching the cannabis for quality assurance./Photo by Shane Harms

With I-502 licensing looming, Jacobson is planning to apply for a recreational retail license. With a location already under lease she has a better chance of getting that license than applicants with no lease. However, Jacobson is concerned with the quality of the recreational cannabis.

“I’m a little nervous for the start in terms of the quality that the state will be providing, because it could go down from being mass produced. … Right now we oversee everything we have and that might not be as easy in the future,” said Jacobson.

Operating under a recreational license or as a medical establishment, Jacobson plans to stay as long as possible in her current location.

“We love the neighborhood. Everyone has been so welcoming. People drop to check it out and stay for a coffee or juice. … We definitely feel welcome,” said Jacobson.

The synergy of a café, juice bar, and cannabis all under one location is a relatively new approach in the beverage service and cannabis arena. Holly Déjà, manager at Herbs House, said they are offering customers and patients a whole new experience.

“I think we have a different kind of business model that’s less common. Here you can order a juice of coffee and customers that aren’t patients can feel comfortable waiting while a patient goes upstairs. A lot of collectives have a sterile feel, and so to me this place feels just like a neighborhood café and juice bar, it just so happens patients can also have access to medicine,” said Déjà.

Golda Hall, a bud tender at Herbs House, has been a serving patient since they first opened in early September.

“I used to bartend and the biggest difference is I get to see that I’m really helping patient’s with pain relief which makes me really happy. It’s usually the opposite with serving alcohol,” said Hall.

While offering organic coffee, milk, juices, and smoothies, Herbs House plans to offer lighter foods for lunch.

“We are adding some soups and salads to the menu … maybe panini sandwiches or maybe not, we don’t want to steal the Dray’s thunder (laughs). We want our neighbors to like us,” said Jacobson.

For more information visit http://www.herbshouse.org/ or stop by at 716 NW 65th St

Follow Ballard News-Tribune on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib

And Twitter at http://twitter.com/ballardnewstrib

marijuana legalization

For Ballard's latest pot dispensary, focus on medicinal over recreational

Guest — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:47:07 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 03/18/2013 - 9:47am

All photos by Shane Harms

By Ryan Hueter, UW News Lab

While some view marijuana as nothing more than an illicit drug, others have found its medicinal elements very beneficial in reducing stress and pain. And now some of those converts are turning that belief in the healing abilities of marijuana into a storefront and delivery service in Ballard.

Green Ambrosia (7730 15th Ave NW) offers marijuana in a wide array of products, including cookies, gummy candies, tinctures, creams, dried buds, clones that are ready to be grown into plants, even cannabis-infused peanut butter and jellies.

Founder Dante Jones also works with vendors from the Ballard area, selling medicated honey sticks from a Ballard resident who implores users to “Bee Happy,” and pens that quickly vaporize buds for a puff on the go.

Jones previously worked in the video game industry, where he said he worked 20 hours a day in completely blacked-out buildings. As a result he now suffers from fibromyalgia, hypermobility of his joints, and other ailments. But he has found relief in marijuana.

“Marijuana is something that helps me both fall asleep at night, wake up in the morning, and just even get a meal down,” Jones said. “Now I can take all that I’ve gone through and help other people with it and talk to them about how they can live their lives a little better.”

Two years ago Jones started Green Ambrosia as a delivery service to help others with medical marijuana authorizations to find the same benefits from the plant that he did. Green Ambrosia opened as a storefront in mid-February.

“We created this company to be patients helping other patients,” Jones said.

For CJ Torres, who now works at Green Ambrosia, marijuana helps relieve pain and ease the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Torres was in the Army for four years and did two separate tours in Iraq – for nine months in 2003 and again for 15 months in 2005.

“This is something that I’ve always believed in,” Torres said. “As soon as I got out of the Army, I was given a bunch of pills that I didn’t really like. I’ve been supporting medical cannabis for a while.”

CJ Torres

After falling off a four-story building and breaking his back, Danny Greene suffers from arthritis in his neck and back, but marijuana helps reduce the pain and nerve spasticity from the accident.

“I’ve seen a lot of my friends use heavy pharmaceutical painkillers ... and I saw them turn into junkies basically,” Greene said. “I wasn’t into that. ... I use marijuana solely as my pain reliever.”

Greene has found relief in using medicinal marijuana, which allows him to continue working in the construction industry. After the building that used to house a state-run liquor store became available around October, Greene went work remodeling it to turn it into Green Ambrosia.

It’s just one of many projects that Greene has been able to accomplish with the help of marijuana.

“I can go and live a normal life with all the pain that I’m in and function during the day by eating a cookie, by eating a little piece of candy,” Greene said, “instead of something that’s going to completely just ruin my liver and make me feel like a zombie.”

While marijuana is certainly a hot-button issue, Jones said the reaction from the surrounding neighborhood about his business moving in has been positive.

“Overall, the community has been really good here,” Jones said.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development recently released a map of where businesses for selling both medicinal and recreational marijuana could be established in the Seattle area. Jones’ location was one of few where a business could sell cannabis for both uses and could find an available storefront.

Many of the areas that were marked as possible locations for such a storefront are heavily industrial areas, such as Boeing Field and shipyards, where a suitable building could not be reasonably found.

“We were actually really excited,” Jones said.

CJ Torres, left, and Dante Jones, right

In the meantime, I-502 brings with it questions.

Recently, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Belltown) told the Ballard News-Tribune that the legislature is on standby until the fall, when the State Liquor Control Board should roll out a plan defining policy for the sale of marijuana. A bill she tried to pass this year did not get a hearing in the Republican controlled state senate, she said.

Jones admits that there is a lot gray area surrounding what will be legal and what won’t as I-502 goes into effect, but he is looking forward to the possibilities that the new legislation will provide.

“As I-502 starts to take effect, we’re hoping that we’ll be able to change from a medical marijuana model to the licensed retailer model,” Jones said. “And from that, we’re not quite sure what it’s going to be, what the laws are going to be, what the regulations are going to be, or what the fees and costs are going to be, so we’re not quite sure beyond that.”

Green Ambrosia is open every day, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and offers delivery service for in-store products.

Follow Ballard News-Tribune on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib

And Twitter at http://twitter.com/ballardnewstrib

Superintendent Randy Dorn: Marijuana still not allowed at school

Guest — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:18:29 +0000

Guest (not verified) Tue, 12/11/2012 - 9:18am

This article has been updated with a quote from Keven Wynkoop, principal of Ballard High School.

In case you were wondering, marijuana will still be illegal for people under 21 years old, which of course means students won't be able to smoke or possess marijuana, especially at school.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn issued a statement this morning reaffirming this. He also suggests that there is anecdotal evidence for increased marijuana problems at the school since I-502 passed.

However, that does not seem to be entirely the case for Ballard High School.

"We have not seen an uptick," Ballard High School Principal Keven Wynkoop said. "The reality is that even before it was 'legal,' students had no problem getting it if they wanted. Students will tell you that Marijuana was as easy to get as alcohol."

Here is the full statement:

Recent anecdotal reports from school districts suggest an increase in marijuana possession and consumption among young people, especially after the passage of Initiative 502, which legalizes small quantities of the drug for people age 21 and older. Below is a statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on what the law means to public schools.

The passage of I-502 changes nothing in public schools in Washington state. Certain drugs, including marijuana, continue to be illegal on school property and to anyone younger than 21 years old.

To receive federal funds, districts must abide by the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and must have a Drug and Tobacco-Free Workplace and a similar student policy in place. Each district’s policy has a number of common requirements about marijuana and other drugs, such as not allowing any student to:

Possess,
Distribute,
Manufacture or
Be under the influence.

Any student caught will be disciplined according to local district policy and local law enforcement as required. Fines can also be doubled if the arrest occurs within 1,000 feet of a school facility.

I-502 changes state law but has no effect on federal law.

Some people think that a medical marijuana card is similar to a prescription for a controlled substance and can be brought to schools or the workplace. That is false. Having a medical marijuana card does not mean a student, or an employee, or anyone for that matter, can bring marijuana on school grounds.

Students need to be engaged and prepared for school. Marijuana doesn’t allow them to be either of those things. Marijuana dulls the brain. It can lead to paranoia, short-term memory loss and depression.

And for those under 21, it is illegal.

Follow Ballard News-Tribune on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ballardnewstrib

And Twitter at http://twitter.com/ballardnewstrib

Superintendent Randy Dorn

Ballard

Ballard News Tribune

Why voting is especially important this year

Guest — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:21:53 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 10/22/2012 - 2:21am

Things got loud and rowdy at Hattie's Hat last week during the second presidential debate

Photo by Zachariah Bryan

While the Ballard News-Tribune will not be endorsing anyone or anything this election season, we would still like to send out a friendly reminder to vote.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 15, King County Elections sent out ballots to citizens. Most people should have received their ballots by now; those who do not receive it soon should contact King County at (206) 296-0100.

While voting is always important, it is especially crucial in this election cycle, particularly for Washington. Almost every vote on the ballot will be critical in determining the shape and future of Washington state. And don’t forget, Ballard -- though we may deny being a part of Seattle at times -- is part of that state.

Below is a brief overview of ballot items and some of the debate. For a full list of candidates and measures, visit the King County Elections website at www.kingcounty.gov/elections.

The big ticket item is the presidential election, which has come down to an all-out brawl between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. The debate has boiled down to a fight over the economy and whether Obama has been doing enough to combat the economic crisis. Romney contends he has not, while Obama claims that he inherited the problem and that he has done much to stop the hemorrhaging of jobs. Obama’s health care legislation has also been another point of debate, with Romney saying that it will be one of the first thing he repeals when he steps into office. Democrats have been sure to attack Romney on social issues, particularly women rights.

On the state level, the major contenders for governor are Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee. The race has so far been neck-and-neck, with McKenna gaining some favor from Independent circles and Inslee garnering support from the more Republican Eastern Washington. In fact, the race has been interesting in that the two have broken typical party stereotypes, with McKenna taking on the more polished, well-spoken persona and Inslee taking on the working man, former high school football star persona. Both stress education and jobs but have different ways of approaching them, and the two would appear to differ more on social issues, with McKenna aligning somewhat with Tea Party standards and Inslee with more liberal standards.

For the Washington State Legislature, Ballard will be voting in the 36th District. For Position 1, the choice is between incumbent Democrat Reuven Carlyle and routine opponent, Leslie Klein, of the Hope and Change Party. Bruce Kanamar, who Peggy Sturdivant wrote about before the primary elections, was ousted.

Carlyle brings three years of experience in the Washington State Legislature, is a technology entrepreneur and a co-founder of the City Year AmeriCorp program. One of his main focuses has been on K-12 and Higher Education, expanding middle class financial aid and bolstering foster youth scholarships. He also has worked with small businesses and transportation funding.

Klein brings experience from the United States Air Force, where he spent twenty years, as an American Foreign Policy professor at the University of Washington and as a small business owner of 20 years. He has been a member of the Ballard District Council, a volunteer at the Nordic Heritage Museum and has been endorsed by the 36th District Republicans.

For Position 2, it has come down between Seattle Port Commission President Gael Tarleton and Progressive Majority leader Noel Frame. As BNT columnist Brian LeBlanc pointed out in his “21st Century Viking” column a couple of weeks ago, they are both Democrats and have many of the same concerns. However, Frame might be seen as distinctly more progressive, with groups such as the Sierra Club and Progressive Majority backing her, while Tarleton has more of a background working with business and industry. People wanting to know more about these two candidates can be directed to our “Coffee with the Candidates” series with both Tarleton and Frame.

And don’t forget the measures, which are perhaps most important in this election. Marriage equality, marijuana legalization, charter schools and a reinstating of Tim Eyman’s two-thirds majority rule are all up to a vote.

With Referendum 74, Washington could make history as one of the first states to instate permanently gay marriage rights, or, at the will of people, the definition of marriage could remain the same, as being only between a man and a woman. Supporters of marriage equality say that the domestic partnership, which Washington state currently has to legally bind gay or lesbian couples, does not go far enough and does not give all of the same rights as a heterosexual married couple. Furthermore, they say that marriage is not a matter of being between a man and woman, but rather between two people who love each other. Opponents say that domestic partnership does and that the definition of marriage should not be changed. They also say that parenting should only fall under a man and woman.

With I-502, voters could also break new ground by passing marijuana legalization, opening up a whole realm of possibilities. This particular campaign has been interesting as proponents include cops, doctors and teachers, while opponents include medical marijuana dispensaries, marijuana advocates and marijuana-themed magazines. Taking into account the concerns of families, the initiative would make marijuana only legal for those 21 and older, put a tax on it and would place limits on driving while under the influence of marijuana. Of course, people, and parents especially, have due reason to be concerned as to whether the initiative would put in place a proper system for what would undoubtedly be a strange new world of legal marijuana, and as such, the BNT encourages voters to do further research on the subject.

I-1240, the charter school initiative, has generated two fiercely opposing camps: those that believe charter schools would bring in a unique new set of tools to fix an ailing education system, and those that believe all the talk and hype of charter schools is a bunch of hooey. Both have brought forth their own sets of statistics and research and routinely deny that the other’s is factual. Still, as it concerns the future of our children, and therefore the future of our state, it is important to weigh the option and to decide what is best. The Ballard News-Tribune recently published two opinions, one supporting and one opposing the measure.

Finally, with I-1185, Tim Eyman is back with his initiative to reinstate the two-thirds rule, which would continue to require the Washington State Legislature to have a two-thirds majority vote before passing any new tax whatsoever. While popular with many citizens of Washington, the initiative has also drawn much criticism, particularly from Democrats, saying that it effectively blunts the Legislature’s ability to work and to fund crucial services for people.

Who’s right in all of these debates? What should Washington’s future look like? It’s up to you, the voter, to decide.

Ballard

All of Washington

Ballard News Tribune