2011 June

Obama Administration Goes Back On Medical Marijuana Pledge

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Medical, News

Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole: “The Ogden Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law”

A troubling new memo has been released which seems to show that the Obama Administration is abandoning its policy of leaving medical marijuana enforcement to the states in states which have legalized it.

The U.S. Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting “large-scale” cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana, even in states which have enacted legislation permitting the use of cannabis for medical uses, according to a Justice Department memo obtained by Bloomberg News.

“The Ogden Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law,” reads the new memo, authored by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.

Little Black Book of Marijuana Now Available Electronically

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Culture, Products

Graphic: Amazon

You can read it today in electronic format for just $3.95.

You don’t have to wait for Toke of the Town editor Steve Elliott’s upcoming hardcover book on marijuana to be printed in August before you read it.

The Little Black Book of Marijuana: The Essential Guide to the World of Cannabis is now available in electronic form as an e-book for just $3.95.

The concise, small-format guide to cannabis delves into pot culture and history, from Herodotus to the hippies and beyond. It also covers the essentials of using, cultivating, and cooking with weed; identifying pot varieties; and understanding legal and health issues.

Handy and to-the-point, The Little Black Book of Marijuana is your quick reference for cannabis history, issues around legalization, and where to go from here.

“When Peter Pauper Press first asked me, back in the autumn of 2010, to write the book, I jumped at the chance,” Elliott said. “Even within the Little Black Book format’s space constraints of 20,000 words, I knew this was too important an opportunity to pass up, and over the next few months I worked to distill the essence of cannabis culture and history down into its most concentrated form, like the finest hash oil.

Housing Policy Discriminates Against Medical Marijuana Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Medical, News

Graphic: Nick Stokes Design/Willamette Week

Tenants of two public-housing agencies in Oregon have been told they cannot smoke medical marijuana in their apartments and houses.

The warnings have drawn a line for the first time as the federal government continues to apply pressure against medical marijuana in Oregon, reports Corey Paul at Willamette Week.

The public-housing agencies involved in the warnings are REACH Community Development and Home Forward, formerly known as the Housing Authority of Portland.

Great-Grandmother, 74, Arrested For Selling Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Global, News

Photo: Brad Hunter/The Daily Telegraph

Great-grandmother Noelene Edwards, 74, pictured above with her dog Digger, was charged after a police dog allegedly detected marijuana in her handbag.

A great-grandmother in Sydney, Australia, has been arrested by police as a drug dealer.

Noelene Edwards, 74, said she’s just a grieving widow, struggling with the recent loss of her husband, reports Clementine Cuneo at The Daily Telegraph.

The Surry Hills woman said she had been on her way into the city to pay for her husband’s funeral on Tuesday when a police dog allegedly detected that she was carrying cannabis.

Police claim a search of Mrs. Edwards’ handbag turned up 40 bags containing marijuana. (No word on how much pot was in each of the “40 bags.”)

Colorado Medical Marijuana Industry Braces For July 1 Rules

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical

Graphic: THC Finder

On Friday, July 1, a new set of medical marijuana rules will go into effect in Colorado, greatly increasing the amount of regulation imposed on the industry by the state.

Observers predict the state’s new rules will prompt dramatic changes in the medical marijuana industry, reports John Colson at the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. Colorado voters in 2000 approved an amendment to the state constitution which legalized medicinal cannabis.

Some say the changes are disastrous for patients’ rights and for those who seek to provide safe access to marijuana for patients. They argue that the new rules will force some of the 800 or so medical marijuana dispensaries now operating in the state to close.

Study: Teen Marijuana Use Not Affected By Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 30, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Hemp Beach TV

An updated study released on Thursday by the Marijuana Policy Project shows that enacting medical marijuana laws in a state does not cause an increase in adolescents’ marijuana use.

Despite frequent claims by opponents of medical marijuana that passing such laws “sends the wrong message to children,” there appears to be no correlation between medical marijuana and teen marijuana use rates, according to MPP.

Nearly 15 years after California voters approved the nation’s first state medical marijuana law, Proposition 215, a considerable body of data shows that teens’ marijuana use has generally gone down or stayed the same following the passage of medical marijuana laws.

The War On Pot: A Raving Success!

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 29, 2011 Culture

Graphic: Jonik Editorial Cartoons

The War On Marijuana is beloved by the paper, petrochemical, corrections, law enforcement, and pharmaceutical industries, because it helps protect their profits.

Authoritarians who dream of stamping out nonconformity love the pot laws because they are a handy way to stifle dissent.

Top 11 Reasons America Doesn’t Want Legal Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 29, 2011 Culture

Photo: NORML Blog

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

11. Wars make money for a few and kill the rest…

The War On Drugs makes money for cartels, police, the government, prisons, politicians, crooks, and all those other people we can’t see, like the Glad Bag people and the grow-light industry.

This 100-year revenue stream could dry up if Americans couldn’t be arrested for a drug that has been proven to be less destructive than whole milk.

Police: Man Buys Fake Marijuana With Fake $1 Million Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 29, 2011 News

Photo: The Faughn Family of Four

Police say a western Pennsylvania man bought some fake marijuana using a fake $1 million bill.

Joseph Lombardi, 23, was charged on Monday in Sharpsville, Pa., after trying to “purchase” a bag of herbal potpourri called “Space Cadet Flight Risk” using the bogus $1 million bill at a FoodMart store, reports The Associated Press.

Bill Would Legalize Medical Marijuana In Massachusetts

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 29, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: The Boston Phoenix

More than 80 people, mostly medical marijuana supporters, packed the conference room for the hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Health.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would legalize the medicinal use of marijuana to ease symptoms of chronic and debilitating illnesses, and regulate the centers that distribute the herb.

“Marijuana has proven its medical efficacy,” Rep. Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) testified before the Legislature’s public health committee on Tuesday, reports the Associated Press. “This bill is about more than just common sense, it’s about compassion.”

Smizik is one of 27 House co-sponsors of H 625, which would legalize and regulate the use of cannabis for patients with specific illnesses.

Monthly Archives: June, 2011