This document summarizes several stories from the Daily 49er newspaper at California State University, Long Beach. The first story discusses how the marijuana industry has grown rapidly in the U.S., becoming the fastest growing industry. It also profiles a student at CSULB who uses marijuana daily. The second story discusses an Earth Day event on campus that will showcase drought-resistant plants as the campus converts lawn to sustainable landscapes. The third story provides an update on the Grow Beach community garden on campus, which has extended its plot rentals into the summer due to delays in establishing the garden initially.

1. News 2 Opinions 6Diversions 4 Sports 8
Vol. LIX, Issue 861 www.daily49er.com Wednesday, April 22, 2015
DAILY 49ER
California State University, Long Beach
GRASS MAN STANDING
Ganja grows
from the pot to
an enterprise
Mother
Earth is
thirsty
Grow Beach sprouts up
The growing
marijuana industry
is a reflection
of an increase
in pot-friendliness.
Earth Week at CSULB
educates students
on how to be more
sustainable.
With the spring
semester drawing to
a close, Grow Beach
looks toward the
future.
By Branden Raulston
Contributing Writer
By Riva Lu
Contributing Writer
By Elexis deLeon-Bryant
Contributing Writer
Green herb crackles under his light-
er as white smoke swirls through a
long, glass tube. With one swift inhale,
it’ll elevate him into a state of euphoria
that has become the norm for his ev-
eryday life.
John, who wishes his last name not
be revealed due to employment-related
reasons, is a senior at California State
University, Long Beach and a marijua-
na user.
“Marijuana has little to zero known
consequences,” John said, noting the
start of his daily regimen with his first
toke in his first semester of college.
“Let everyone experience it and decide
for themselves; if it’s not hurting,
then it can only help.”
Along with the industries
cashing in on the five-limbed
leaf, public opinion in favor of
the drug’s legalization is grow-
ing.
Research by The ArcView
Group, a cannabis industry
investment and research
firm, surveyed both med-
ical and recreational
marijuana shops. Their
results showed that the
United States’ market
for legal marijuana de-
veloped a 74 percent in-
crease from $1.5 billion
to $2.7 billion in 2014,
making it the fastest
growing industry in the
country.
Nearly 16,000
people were regis-
tered for work in the
legal industry in
Colorado, which
is a 143 percent
increase in jobs
within the indus-
Greenery is in short supply for this
year’s Earth Day in on campus.
In honor of Earth Day, the Asso-
ciated Students Inc. is hosting Water
You Doing Wednesday on campus to
focus on the water issues of the Cali-
fornia drought. At the event, Facilities
Management will be showcasing some
potential drought resistant plants that
could be planted around campus.
“We are currently converting 90,000
square feet of lawn to sustainable land-
scapes and we will be having sample
plants to preview,” Energy and Sustain-
ability Manager at CSULB Paul Wingco
said.
Wingco said that the campus has
made efforts to focus on water issues
by adding more hydration stations. He
New life waits buried in soil of the
Grow Beach community garden in
the form of large purple eggplants,
bright bell peppers, sweet red straw-
berries, six alarm spicy peppers and
bushels of green onions.
The rental period for those who
rented a plot in the Grow Beach gar-
den spring semester has been extend-
ed into the summer due to delay in
the initial creation of the plots, said
Grow Beach Committee Chair Eliz-
abeth Flores, a senior nutrition and
dietetics major.
“Over the summer we have a ro-
tation of garden managers who will
maintain inspection every week,”
Flores said. “The garden will be active
and open all summer long.”
Grow Beach originally planned to
have rotating plot rentals over spring,
summer and fall, but since planting
did not start until the middle of April
Grow Beach decided to combine
spring and summer, extending the
plot rental until August 21, said gar-
den manager and junior environmen-
tal science and policy major Cameron
Jones.
“I know it has been a lot of work
setting up the raised beds and filling
them with dirt,” sophomore cellular
and molecular biology and German
See POT, page 5
See EARTH, page 2 See SPROUTS, page 3
Michael Ares | Daily 49er
About five plot owners have input plants in Grow Beach so far this
semester. The garden will be open to the public after the semester for
the entire summer season.
Diversions
Source: Pew Research Center, Harvard University economist Jeffrey
Miron, ArcView Market Research, the Marijuana Policy Project
Illustration by Danielle Carson | Daily 49er
The increase in the growth of the
medical and recreational marijuana
shop industry, from $1.5 billion to
$2.7 billion in 2014
The projected value of the
national legal marijuana
market in five years
The estimated annual sales
tax revenue generated by
medical marijuana
dispensaries in California
The estimated total cost of
marijuana prohibition
for state and federal
governments every year
Workers from Facilities Management ripped up the dead grass in the traffic circle out front of Brotman Hall Tuesday.
Turf removal will continue at the East Turnaround on Wednesday, said Brian McKinnon, the Facilities Management
manager of Grounds and Landscaping Services. Removal of the grass near the Atherton entrance of the campus and
near Seventh Street will follow suite. McKinnon anticipated that Facilities Management will complete turf removal
by the end of the week or early next week and that landscaping drawings are still being finalized.
Rhiannon Williams | Daily 49er