TRAVIS DUDA

Adding to a Superb Bowl
Willie Nelson has been fighting the good fight for years as a vocal supporter of national legalization. Thanks to a new ad that ran during the recent sportsball showdown, it turns out he was actually just pushing Sketchers the entire time. Obviously kidding. It was a fantastic use of euphemism, about how it’s not “a little illegal”. This was a cute, feel good ad that helps normalize cannabis as part of the conversation, even though the plant wasn’t referenced directly. An international brand like Sketchers deciding to make it part of their marketing campaign delights me to no end, but this is just a start. The major networks that air the Superbowl have been against companies like WeedMaps buying time during the game. However, the national conversation is trending more and more towards fully legal. I have to believe that we are only a few years out from some huge cannabis brand putting together a multi-million dollar, 30-second video about how their bud pairs best with Doritos and Mountain Dew. Maybe they’ll bring back the puppy-monkey-baby to be the spokesperson?

Not All Ads Are Funny
Gary Chambers is a social justice advocate, community organizer and has spoken about the harmful effects of criminalization for years. If you haven’t heard him talk, I suggest you take some time out of your day, roll a fatty, and find him on YouTube. He is running for one of the Louisiana U.S. Senate seats and released an extremely powerful advertisement called “37 Seconds” a reference to the frequency of cannabis-related arrests. In the video, he can be seen wearing a vibrant blue suit while sitting in a field, in an armchair and smoking a blunt. This is paired with a voiceover that gets straight to the point, and outlines a series of sickening facts about our current system. The ad quickly culminates to the final message of, “States waste $3.7 billion enforcing marijuana laws every year. Most of the people police are arresting aren’t dealers, but rather people with small amounts of pot, just like me.” I’m thankful to live in a state that has access to legal cannabis, but just because it’s legal here doesn’t mean all the other problems go away. What will certainly help is getting more people like Chambers into the Senate. I don’t know many people in Louisiana, but if you do, hit them up and find out what they’re thinking.

I’m a Truliever
In an ongoing effort to sample all the dispensaries in the Worcester area, I recently tried Trulieve at 142 Southbridge St. They are next door to George’s Coney Island and Union Music, which makes the strip a nice series of places for a stoner to spend their lunch – three up with a pickle anyone? The store is clean and well lit, and the glass cases had a nice display of various products. The budtenders I talked to were equally friendly and courteous. They were very knowledgeable and more than happy to make recommendations while talking a little shop with me. Trulieve is preparing to include medical orders to their list of offerings in the near future, but haven’t set a defined date yet. I’ll make sure to keep everyone posted on this, as adding medical orders will only enhance the already enjoyable experience Trulieve has to offer.

Thanks for reading and happy trails!
-Travis (@hunchbacktravis)