By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 3:47PM
| Photo: Grateful Meds |
The Senate Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill which would establish up to five "compassion centers" at which patients could buy medical pot, reports Peter Hirschfield of the Vermont Press Bureau.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 2:17PM
| Graphic: MMPI |
The Maine Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill on Thursday, March 11 at 1 p.m., in room 209 in the Cross Building. Any resident of Maine is allowed to testify.
Friday, Mar. 5 2010 @ 2:24PM
| Photo: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration |
"The just pulled out all the power so the plants are going to die," Hochanadel said, reports Marcel Honore of The Desert Sun. "The heat, the lack of light, the lack of watering" puts the 400 plants "in danger of being unusable."
Wednesday, Mar. 3 2010 @ 8:56AM
| Photo: Cannabis Culture |
The bill to allow the sale and taxation of medical marijuana, Senate Bill 2213, was passed by lawmakers as they try to add up enough money to stop the state's projected $1.2 billion budget shortfall, reports Richard Borreca at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
The marijuana bill, after provoking debate on the Senate floor, eventually passed 20-4.
"I don't think this is helping to alleviate the drug problem," said Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D-Salt Lake/Foster Village), who had evidently wandered into the wrong debate.
Windward Oahu Republican Sen. Fed Hemmings said the FDA should test medical marijuana before people sell it.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Tuesday, Mar. 2 2010 @ 12:30PM
| Photo: The Bong Place |
In order to comply with the local ordinance, passed by the City Council and signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on February 3, dispensaries must be located at least 1,000 feet from schools, parks, libraries, churches, and other so-called "sensitive uses," and cannot abut or be across the street from any residence -- which excludes almost all commercial areas in the city, according to patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access.
Dispensaries in "sensitive" areas -- which means almost all of them -- are required to find a new location within seven days after the ordinance takes effect.
"The dispensary ordinance passed by the Los Angeles City Council might have been reasonable, if not for some onerous provisions," said Joe Elford, chief counsel with ASA, who filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Friday, Feb. 26 2010 @ 10:12AM
| Photo: Monica Almeida/New York Times |
The media-loving, trash-talking D.A. charged dispensary owner Jeff Jones -- who, maybe not coincidentally, is also an outspoken medical cannabis advocate -- with 24 felonies, including selling and transporting marijuana, as well as money laundering, reports Richard Gonzales of NPR.
Cooley, who infamously said last year that "approximately zero" of L.A.'s dispensaries are operating legally, is now basing what looks to be misguided political ambition upon a quixotic quest to drive the pot shops out of business.
Bail for Joseph was set at more than half a million dollars, an amount usually reserved for violent criminals, according to Joseph's attorney, Eric Shevin.
"They made an example of him," Shevin said. "He's a very outspoken, well-known advocate of marijuana, so he sends a stronger message to the community than the many other dispensary operators that no one even talks about."
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Monday, Feb. 22 2010 @ 12:09PM
| Graphic: Out Front Colorado |
Under Denver City Council Bill 34, the pot shops must have a city sales-tax license and also must apply for a specific dispensary license by March 1, reports Patricia Calhoun in Westword.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, News
Thursday, Feb. 18 2010 @ 2:16PM
| Photo: The Last Free Voice |
| This was the scene left by DEA agents after the 2008 raid at Organica. The collective was raided again in 2009 and again Thursday. |
Culver City police also participated in the raid, reports Amina Khan at the Los Angeles Times.
Witnesses saw several officers and cars congregating around 10 a.m. Thursday around Organica Collective at 13456 Washington Boulevard.
At least three people were detained, according to witness Erin Olf, officer manager at Rainbow Acres Natural Foods, a neighboring business. Olf said she saw the three handcuffed and standing in front of a graffiti-covered storage truck.
Thursday, Feb. 18 2010 @ 12:34PM
| Graphic: Last Blog on Earth |
During their "investigation" of Answerdam Collective, law enforcement agents "confiscated" computers, business records, and several pounds of medical marijuana, reports Eugene Davidovich of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) San Diego.
Dispensary owner Jackson is a medical marijuana patient, Navy veteran, and the victim of two "Operation Green Rx" raids, part of San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis's quixotic and misguided war against medical marijuana patients and providers.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, News
Thursday, Feb. 18 2010 @ 9:28AM
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, the operation was still underway, according to keyt.com.
Authorities were very tight lipped about the raids, but said "lots of marijuana was confiscated."






