ricardobaca

We thought about this early on, and I've talked about it at length with our copy chief. Certainly many folks in the industry would prefer us to us the word 'cannabis' over 'marijuana.' And while 'marijuana' once had a negative connotation ('20s-'30s), we're confident using it interchangeably with cannabis (and a host of other names) because marijuana is the word in the Colorado state constitution and the majority of business names throughout the state. I don't think 'marijuana' has the stigma it once did, so I don't feel a change needs to be made at AP.

I've not been asked that question in the last six weeks - kudos! But no. I don't think I'm seen as the paper's resident weed-culture expert. (At least, I don't think ... ) But I do take pride in living a full life and count myself lucky enough to be surrounded by a variety of truly amazing people from all walks of life. I was very familiar with the community, and I still have so much to learn. I'm thoroughly thrilled at the opportunity. :)

Smoking pot isn't part of the job. It's not mandatory, and I don't smoke - anything. I do eat pot from time to time, though. And it makes for an interesting line to walk. Drug tests: The Post will test any employee if given reason to. (Coming in to the office stoned, what not.) I've been there for 12 years sans a drug test, and I don't plan on giving them a reason while serving as the paper's marijuana editor. If I got a DUI, I would be treated the same as anybody else.

Hey, all. Sorry about that. I answered all the up-voted questions from 10 a.m.-noon MT today (my original plan) and then got back to work. (It's day three of legal pot here, and ISH IS BUSY.) But I'll come back in the next few days to answer some more questions - and talk some about my colleague Suzanne's pot-and-teens story. But now I'm out; I'll be on CNN tonight, if anybody's happy houring at home on a Friday night. :)

The Post is a mainstream daily newspaper. Marijuana has been legal recreationally for about a year, and in that time The Post has stepped up to write the occasional story on growing cannabis at home (in the home/garden sections), cooking with marijuana (in the food section), discerning the local laws surrounding pot smoke (or vapor or edibles) inside rock and comedy clubs (in the arts sections). Like any entity, the state government included, we at The Post had to get used to the fact that this drug was now recreationally legal - not unlike wine or beer. And with the opening of retail pot shops, my editors knew it was time to cover weed as vigorously on the cultural side as we do on the news side. So you could say it took us a while. But you could also say that we're breaking new ground few daily newspapers have rocked before.