You can add 7/10 to the list of dates celebrated by the cannabis community. What is 7/10, you may be asking? Well, it's "oil" spelled upside down—and oil, or marijuana extract, is where the industry is going these days. If you're not familiar with the weed world in 2018, oil is extracted from the plant and processed to remove carcinogens. From there, you can smoke or bake it or pack it in pills or even use it as a suppository, if that's your thing. (Kids these days!)
Or, at least that's the direction the industry has been headed. Last week, the Arizona Court of Appeals determined that marijuana extracts may not be a preparation of marijuana and thus, may not be legal under the state's voter-created medical marijuana program. The court decision has caused a ruckus in the MMJ community, but so far, dispensaries are not pulling products off the shelves. Our marijuana columnist, Nick Meyers, explains what's up in this week's cover story.
Elsewhere in the book: staff reporter Christopher Boan writes about seeing the carnage wrought by a mass shooter at his old workplace, the Annapolis Capital Gazette; staff reporter Danyelle Khmara continues to follow the fate of midtown's Benedictine Sanctuary as a developer tries to find a way to build apartments around the gorgeous building without angering the current residents in the adjoining neighborhood; feature reporter Jeff Gardner introduces us to neo-jazz band Purple Spectre; Arts writer Margaret Regan sits down with Anne Breckenridge Barrett, the new director of the UA Center for Creative Photography; theatre critic Sherilyn Forrester gets to know the crew at Gaslight Theatre; and Chow writer Mark Whittaker takes a bite of anti-griddle ice cream at off-campus Wrap 'N Roll.
And speaking of election season, our second—and final!—round of voting for Best of Tucson™ is underway. You have until Aug. 5 to cast your ballot and make your voice heard about your favorite Tucson haunts, so head over to the ballot and let us know what you think.
Jim Nintzel
Executive Editor
The televised edition of Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel airs 6:30 p.m. Fridays on the Creative Tucson network, Cox Channel 20 and Xfinity Channel 74. The TV show repeats Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. This week's guests include state Rep. Kirsten Engle along with two candidates for the Arizona House of Representatives, Jim Love and Andres Cano. The radio edition of Zona Politics airs at 5 p.m. Sundays on community radio KXCI, 91.3 FM. Hear Nintzel talk about what's happening in Tucson entertainment on The Frank Show at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday mornings on KPLX, 96.1 FM.
