Controversy Surrounds Photo of Girl Scout Outside Dispensary

Controversy Surrounds Photo of Girl Scout Outside Dispensary
The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is a favorite among those who have come to favor the tasty treats but this year, a controversy darkened the annual tradition. Urban Leaf, a marijuana dispensary based out of San Francisco, made a daring move that sparked both criticism and celebration. The dispensary photographed a Girl Scout and her cookies, sharing the picture on Instagram with a message saying “Get some Girl Scout Cookies with your GSC today until 4pm!” The Scout appears wearing her badges and holding her cookies outside the dispensary.

The Reasoning Behind the Photo
According to The Cannabis, Urban Leaf founder Will Senn explains that the girl was walking by with her parents and agreed to engage in the photo. Senn says that he likes to help local fundraising efforts and believed he was showing support by doing this. Senn added that marijuana is used for medical purposes all over the country and is particularly helpful in treating a range of childhood illnesses, including helping children with epilepsy who suffer from numerous seizures each day. He also mentioned that given marijuana’s association with the increased appetite and it becoming legal in California a lot of people will be getting the munchies.

The Girl Scout Guidelines
There are approximately 14,000 Girl Scouts in the San Francisco area and council spokeswoman Mary Doyle said that “as Girl Scouts, we assume good intent. When we learn that a girl is in violation of a standard/guideline, we almost always discover that the parent was unaware of the rules.” The council is now trying to determine the identity of the Girl Scout in the photo, whose identity was obscured. They are working to determine if any Girl Scout rules were effectively broken by participating in the photo. They are also trying to talk to the girl’s family because she was in a commercial area which is against Girl Scout rules.

Marijuana Law and the Girl Scout Association
The photo incident isn’t the only marijuana related business the Girl Scouts have been involved with as of late. An Aurora (Colorado) Girl Scout troop began a social service project that led to marijuana law reform in the city of Aurora, Colorado. They spearheaded the first ban on marijuana smoking, tobacco smoking and vaping in a vehicle that had a minor under the age of 18 present. The Aurora City Council passed the bill on a 6-5 vote that now means that those who break this rule are subject to mandatory community service or even a $150 fine. The five 13 year olds girls came up with the idea as a means of earning the Silver Award which is the second highest Girl Scout honor. The result was real change that may have an impact far beyond the city limits of Aurora.

Marijuana has been legal for medicinal use in California since 1996. In November 2016, the plant became legal for recreational use and, as a result, many will need to adjust. A new “normal” for what can be perceived as acceptable behavior will have to be found and integrated so that everyone in the state can feel safe and live in harmony.