California Pot Expo Thrives

Despite recent attempts by the federal government to bully the medical marijuana industry, California's Pot Expo thrived over the weekend. A three-day event that started on Friday, October 7th, the Pot Expo featured vendors in many fields of marijuana.

Most prominent at the convention were businesses selling paraphernalia, such as water pipes. Growing accessories were also available, and there was even a smoking lounge set up for prescription holders who needed a medicine break. The Expo is considered a great success, though some vendors did pull out in response to moves by the federal government.

For weeks now, the Obama administration has been dedicating a lot of time to threatening those in the medical marijuana industry and stripping rights from patients. California is the current focus, as this state is known for having a thriving marijuana community.

Many people are scared by the threats and accusations being made, but others brush them off with a smile. Wasn't it only five years, after all, since San Diego dispensaries received threatening letters about shutting down or facing prosecution? While many volunteered to shut down in response, those who did not never faced further federal attention.

Many believe this will be the same. Perhaps the government is willing to spend the time and resources necessary to send out a few letters and memos in the hopes of a response, but that doesn't mean they are willing to use much more time and resources to enforce their own words.

Despite this prediction, the effects of the threats are being seen in many areas. The medical marijuana industry has been a thriving source of jobs in a dismal economy, and we don't need any more citizens suffering from unemployment. Additionally, many patients with serious needs are now being denied care.

In the current state of the nation, it is consistently shocking that the administration would waste energy on a voter-approved issue like medical marijuana. Hopefully this was simply a lot of talk, and there will be no walk to back it up.