Year in Review: Top Food and Pot Stories of 2010

N. Galuten

The famed KFC dispensary, which even spawned a South Park episode

Marijuana has been in the news a lot this year. Prop 19 brought the legalization debate to the national forefront, even though it never had much of a shot at passing (despite our Governator's well-documented use during his former career as Mr. Universe). If anything, this much national discourse shows us how much things have changed since, say, 1930. But as this is a food blog, and the year is winding down, we decided to take a look back at the Top Food and Pot Stories of 2010.

8. The Daily Beast: Criminalize Coffee, Not Cannabis

Robert Rosenthal writes about the U.S. coffee culture, and argues that our addiction to coffee is our biggest drug problem, and that we should start turning coffee shops into marijuana dispensaries. While his comedic article may run a little pun-heavy, it also includes gems like, "More problematic yet is that caffeine is clearly a 'gateway' drug. You don't need fancy research reports to prove that a majority of those who innocently start their day with a cup of Joe inevitably move on to harder drugs. Like Prozac, Ambien, and Viagra."

7. ABC News: Cooking With ... Marijuana? Cookbook A Sign of Changing Attitudes

Further proof that times, indeed, have changed. Cannabis cookbook author Sandy Moriarty (a name Jack Kerouac can surely get behind), has a non-growing tumor in her skull. That, combined with high blood pressure, gives her excruciating headaches. "The cannabis complements my blood pressure medication that keeps my pressure down, and I don't get headaches," she says. The obvious next step? Writing a cookbook, of course.

6. The Informer: Medical Marijuana Food Items Go Unregulated In Los Angeles

The Weekly's own Dennis Romero discovers that if you put marijuana in food, it is classified as medicine, and thus, not subject to inspection from the California Department of Public Health. "This is a loophole big enough to drive a lunch truck through. We joked to county Department of Environmental Health specialist Nick Brakband and if we sold sandwiches with aspirin inside we could avoid the health inspectors who normally keep a close eye on sandwich shops.

He said, yeah, something like that."

5. L.A. Times Blog: Marijuana Lollipops for Sale on Lakers Parade Route

It was only a matter of time, right? With the myriad food trucks setting up shop around the city, we shouldn't be surprised to learn that there's a medical marijuana lollipop truck making the rounds too. This one, however, was handing out freebies at the Lakers championship parade to anyone with a marijuana prescription. Insert "keep that truck away from Lamar Odom" joke here.