A billboard near a local freeway reads: 420 Central, and shows a marijuana plant. Have you read or heard the phrase “4/20” and wondered what it means? I did, so I googled it. According to Wikipedia: 420, 4:20, or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is a code-term in the cannabis culture that refers to the consumption of…
As I blog about the legal status of marijuana, the ups and downs feel like a rollercoaster ride. The rules and regulations are conflicting, and rumors of change are confusing. Let me explain. On April 13, 2018, President Trump promised Colorado Senator Gardner he would support efforts to protect states that have legalized marijuana. What?…
When I was writing my debut novel, I looked forward to finishing. Believing the hard part would be completed I was excited to get my book published, then launched. Once that was accomplished I thought the book would be promoted through word of mouth, sales would magically happen, and I could write my second novel.…
I attempted to write this blog about half a dozen times. Feeling an overwhelming resistance, I’d sit at my desk, type a few words, delete them, then try again. When the flow didn’t materialize, I told myself, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Ten days later, I still hadn’t written the blog. What was my problem? Drugs…
BOOK CLUBS Recently I was a guest author at the Angels of the Arts Book Club. In the picture below, I’m holding the copy of Busted. This event was my second experience as a guest author. Before attending unfamiliar book clubs, I feel vulnerable. Other than the person who invited me, I don’t know the…
There’s a scene in my novel, Busted, where the main character decides to try cocaine. Not having used cocaine myself, I interviewed several people to understand their experience. Out of concern for making blow sound desirable, I hesitated to describe the main character’s experience. I feel the same way about this blog. On Saturday, March…
The theme of my second novel, The Sheriff’s Wife, is domestic violence (DV) and abuse. While writing, I do extensive research. As a board member for Human Options, a non-profit dedicated to ending domestic violence and abuse, I was invited to accompany a Human Options attorney, the Chief Development Officer, and two new employees to…
My generation was part of the “hippie” movement: the free-love, LSD-taking, marijuana-smoking, counter-culture allure that spanned the U.S. in the 1960’s. Forty years later… An article by Peter Rowe in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, February 18th stated that from 2006 to 2013, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported a 250%…
I’ve received many emails asking about the status of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment–the legislation that prevents the U.S. Justice Department from interfering with state medicinal marijuana programs. (BTW, thanks for contacting me.) Attached to previous budget bills, the amendment has been carried forward with the last four budget debates. The most recent was February 8th, which…
After I’d written my last blog, (about the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment Update and Marijuana as a Gateway Drug), I read about other countries’ approach to the war on drugs. Norway Norway’s parliament has voted to decriminalize marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Norwegians found with small quantities of drugs will be diverted into treatment programs rather than criminally…
