Drug Tests Instituted To Target Marijuana-Using Iditarod Champ

By Steve Elliott in Culture, Medical
Wednesday, Mar. 10 2010 @ 12:34PM
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Photo: AP
Lance Mackey celebrating victory with his lead sled dog, Larry, in 2008
All the mushers participating in the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be tested for alcohol and illegal drugs on the trail for the first time ever this year -- a change defending three-time champion and medical marijuana user Lance Mackey believes is directed at him.

"I know for a fact," said the three-time winner, reports The Associated Press.

Mackey said he would abstain for purposes of this year's race. "I'm going to pee in their little cup, and laugh in their face," Mackey said.

Californians Smoke 16 Million Ounces Of Weed A Year: Report

By Steve Elliott in Culture, News
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 1:51PM
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Photo: misshightimes.com
Miss High Times 2010 contestant Caitlin, of Santa Cruz, California, with part of this year's 16 million ounces
Whoa, dude. Californians smoke 16 million ounces of marijuana a year (yeah, genius, that's a million pounds), according to a recent report prepared for the Legislature. That's almost half an ounce for every man, woman and child in the state.

The numbers, from a recent state Board of Equalization report, were prepared for legislation introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) which would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana for Californians 21 and older, reports Peter Hecht at The Sacramento Bee.

Ammiano's legislation, AB 2254, would create a regulatory structure for marijuana similar to that used for alcohol. The bill would allow taxed sales to adults, while banning sales to or possession by those under 21.

Other interesting findings included in the report:

• California is America's top marijuana growing state, with 8.6 million pounds of cannabis produced annually, at an estimated value of $13.8 billion. If those numbers are accurate, that represents more than a third of the entire pot crop of the United States. "The fact that California's largest cash crop continues to go untaxed and unregulated is astounding, especially in such tough economic times," said Aaron Smith, California policy director of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Cool Stuff You Gotta Have For Your Next Stoner Birthday Party

By Steve Elliott in Culture, Products
Monday, Mar. 8 2010 @ 2:07PM
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Photo: Fred & Friends
Another birthday rolling around? Happy doobie to you!
Having a hard time coming up with high-concept birthday ideas for that significant stoner in your life? For the pothead who has everything, Toke of the Town presents a few good ideas to spark that next birthday celebration into the stratosphere.

Lit™ Birthday Candles

Happy doobie to you!

The next time a birthday rolls around, get things started on a high note. Put a new twist on lighting the candles with Lit™ birthday candles from Fred & Friends. Each package contains eight "perfectly rolled" candles which for all the world look like joints.

The eight-candle packs of Lits sell for $5.21 at Amazon, and are also available online at Perpetual Kid, Mortimer Snodgrass, Patina, Pop Deluxe, The Spoon Sisters, Kitchen Kapers, Cool Stuff Express, and Baron Bob.

Bhang Your Head! Hindu Holi Festival Celebrated With Marijuana Milk Shakes

By Steve Elliott in Culture, Global
Monday, Mar. 8 2010 @ 12:14PM
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Photo: AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe
"Dude... I am soooo high." (Or the local equivalent.) Men smear colored powder on each other's faces during celebrations of Holi, the Hindu spring festival of color.
They're getting that old time religion in northern India, as the annual Holi festival, an extravagant Hindu spring celebration of colors, is observed with potent marijuana milk shakes.

The festival, celebrated in March each year (the exact date depends on the lunar calendar), is an occasion during which men, women and children play wildly with water guns and colored powder,  according to The Observers. And the fact that "bhang thandai," an almond-flavored milk shake blended with cannabis, is a prominent part of the celebration doesn't hurt the festive atmosphere one bit.

Tags: culture, global, india

Activism Is Beautiful: Toke of the Town's Stoner Photo Of The Day!

By Steve Elliott in Culture
Friday, Mar. 5 2010 @ 2:44PM

Stossel To Look At Drug Prohibition Thursday Night

By Steve Elliott in Culture, News
Thursday, Mar. 4 2010 @ 4:19PM
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Photo: OregonLive.com
John Stossel: "It's not the intoxicant that causes crime -- it's prohibition."
​H
ost John Stossel will take a look at the effects of prohibition during part of his Fox Business Network show, Stossel, Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

"In part of my show tonight, I'll talk about how laws against prostitution, organ selling, and drug use hurt more people than prostitution, organ selling, and drug use do," Stossel wrote Thursday.

Stossel notes that the first argument against legalizing drugs is usually "Then more kids will abuse drugs!"

"But there's little evidence for that," Stossel points out. "The Netherlands has officially 'tolerated' marijuana for 30 years. So is there violent marijuana crime? No. Fewer young people in Holland smoke marijuana than do Americans. Legalization took the mystique away. A Dutch minister of health said, 'We've succeeded in making pot... boring.' "


Old Folks Set Up Medical Marijuana Club In Retirement Community

By Steve Elliott in Culture, Medical
Thursday, Mar. 4 2010 @ 3:58PM
Photo: Todd Bigelow/Aurora for NPR
Laguna Woods resident Margo Bauer, 73, tokes up on the porch with her plant.
​Residents of Laguna Woods Village retirement community have a new club to promote education on medical marijuana.

The Village Cannabis Club was started by Lonnie Painter, who also directs Laguna Woods for Medical Cannabis, a 100-member patient collective centered in the community, reports Claire Webb of The Orange County Register.

The main difference between the Village Cannabis Club and the patients' collective is that any resident can be a member of the club regardless of medical status, while the collective requires members to have a doctor's permission to use marijuana for medical purposes.

CBS Reverses Decision; Accepts NORML Marijuana Legalization Ad

By Steve Elliott in Culture, News
Thursday, Mar. 4 2010 @ 2:06PM
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Graphic: NORML
The fight around CBS's initial refusal to run a pro-legalization ad from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) ended in victory Wednesday afternoon, reports Te-Ping Chen at Change.org.

Last month, CBS denied NORML's request to place an ad in Times Square that featured the potential billions of dollars in tax revenue that would result from legalizing marijuana.

Remember, this is the network that runs stoner-friendly ads for their Showtime Network show, Weeds. CBS is also the network that had no problem running an extremely controversial anti-abortion ad aimed at peak viewership during the Super Bowl.

Say It Phree: Stoned Is The Way Of The Shirt

By Steve Elliott in Culture, Products
Thursday, Mar. 4 2010 @ 1:28PM
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Graphic: Say It Phree Tees
You know you want one.
Looking to make that perfect tee shirt statement? Want to let the world know that you are in favor of the legalization of marijuana? Say It Phree Tees can help you out.

The online shop has a whole line of "420 Phriendly" designs. Styles from the attractive "Pot IS Medicine" caduceus design (pictured at right) to The Original Green Man (perfect for that hard-to-buy-for Pagan on your gift list) is available.

Everyone from experienced ganja gurus to the greenest n00b is showing their allegiance to "Mother Nature's Greatest Gift" with these stylin' tees.

And while you're rockin' your sartorial splendor, you'll also be helping a good cause. Say It Phree donates $1.00 from each tee shirt sold to support the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

"This includes every tee that we sell, not just our 420 Phriendly line," said the Say It Phree guy himself, Dylon Whyte.

No Free Speech In Canada: Pro-Legalization Cop Muzzled In B.C.

By Steve Elliott in Culture, News
Tuesday, Mar. 2 2010 @ 3:23PM
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Graphic: Seriously Free Speech
A pro-legalization Canadian police officer has been ordered by his department's leadership not to show up at a drug policy event where he was scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an international group of cops, judges and prosecutors who oppose the "War On Drugs," is criticizing the gag order from the Victoria, British Columbia Police Department that limits the freedom of speech of one of its officers.

Officer David Bratzer, who volunteers with LEAP while off duty, was ordered not to speak at an official, City of Victoria-sponsored event on harm reduction scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Even though the event is scheduled outside his regular working hours, management from the Victoria Police Department, without Bratzer's knowledge, informed city staff that he was being "withdrawn from speaking." Then on February 24, a senior officer at the department directly ordered Bratzer not to participate in the event.