I remember my four wonderful days in Amsterdam several years back. Bike rides along picturesque canals, great beer, tall beautiful people, and coffee shops. Except these coffee shops had a wide assortment of marijuana where people were able to purchase and smoke their weed right there. Espresso with cannabis was common.
Aside from pot, people could buy their coffee and their “Space Cakes,” brownies, and muffins, all infused with marijuana. I remember the odd and giddy feeling that comes with the weight of such laws being lifted off my shoulders.
As of yesterday, December 6, 2012, it became legal to possess small quantities of Marijuana for personal use – a turning point only made possible by the voters’ decision in a state-wide ballot initiative that passed last month.
There is still a lot of uncertainty still as to how the whole Seattle Pot Scene will play out as WSLB officials figure out the rules for sale, possession, and consumption. No doubt, the taxes that will be brought it will help state coffers and the Feds’ role in this remains, well, smokey at best.
Still, one can only imagine just how much it will affect Seattle’s coffee scene. Will niche cafes that sell marijuana-infused baked goods begin budding all over town? Will licensed-marijuana sellers start buying up espresso machines and hiring baristas and start offering locally-roasted coffee beans for their clients as well?
Will we become the Amsterdam of the Pacific Northwest? It should be interesting. As the world and many other states closely watch Seattle’s progress this year, we’ll all find out soon enough.
What are your thoughts?
