Yearly Archives: 2011

Feds Seize Bank Accounts Of Marijuana Dispensaries: $250K

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 3, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Happier times: Lito Catabran, 62, in front of One Love Wellness Center in Sacramento in August. Catabran, a former RV salesman, had hoped to retire soon.

In what appears to be an escalation of the U.S. government effort to stamp out medical marijuana, federal authorities have seized almost $250,000 from the accounts of two Sacramento area dispensaries in an investigation of alleged concealment of cannabis profits.

U.S. Magistrate Gregory G. Hollows approved two warrants on September 22 allowing authorities to seize business checking accounts from operators of the One Love Wellness Center dispensary in Sacramento and Mary Jane’s Wellness in Gold River, reports Peter Hecht at the Sacramento Bee.

The warrants were requested by a U.S. Treasury Department criminal task force. They allege that the two dispensaries may have violated U.S. financial laws through irregular banking deposits to avoid detection by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Website Aims To Connect Marijuana Dispensaries & Growers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 3, 2011 Dispensaries, Growing

Berkeley Patients Care Collective

California dispensaries looking for a pure sativa like this Lambsbread now have help finding growers who have the strain in stock, thanks to CannCast.

How can medical marijuana growers know which dispensaries need their strains? And how can dispensaries know which growers have what they need?

This conundrum had frustrated Berkeley Patients Care Collective managers Erik Miller and David Bowers for 10 years. There was no reliable way for their medical cannabis dispensary to regularly get certain strains that patients needed. Waiting and wishing is sometimes all dispensary managers can do, while spending too much time with providers who don’t have the strains or quality that they want.

Brown To Intro Medical Marijuana Bill In Alabama Legislature

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 3, 2011 Medical, News

The Weed Blog

An Alabama lawmaker said on Friday that he will sponsor a bill during the 2012 session of the Legislature to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Rep. K.L. Brown (R-Jacksonville) said his sister used medicinal cannabis 25 years ago to ease the suffering of her breast cancer, reports Patrick McCreless at The Anniston Star. According to Brown, the aim of his legislation is to provide similar relief to other chronically ill Alabama patients.

“My sister used it very successfully to control her nausea and pain,” Brown said. “I think the time has come for the state to consider medical marijuana.”

Brown, who said he had already met with state health department officials to consider their potential role if the bill is passed, said he plans to pre-file the bill by November. He will soon meet with other lawmakers to discuss the legislation.

Here’s The Difference Between Marijuana And Drugs That Kill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 2, 2011 Culture

Georgia Toons

This comic gets it exactly right.

Artist Georgia draws one-of-a-kind comics at her Blah Blah Blog.

Her strips are full of social commentary, insights, and whimsy. “Draw what you know!!!” Georgia says. “This is what I know. LIFE. Like it or not. One BREATH at a time.”

McWilliams’ Legacy Still Inspires Medical Marijuana Activists

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on September 30, 2011 Culture

Recollection Books

Peter McWilliams was many things: author, publisher, photographer, poet and activist, among others. But one of the most important things McWilliams was, was an inspiration. His courage and charisma were and continue to be a source of strength to many who are struggling with illness and with the injustice of our marijuana laws.

He had a remarkable career starting in the 1970s, writing more than 40 books, including works on depression, losing a loved one, computers, and poetry. Several of Peter’s books made The New York Times Top 10 nonfiction bestseller list.

Peter’s 1993 book Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do remains one of the greatest affirmations of the right of citizens to act and live in any peaceful, honest lifestyle, including their inalienable right to drugs and especially cannabis. It is regarded by many as a “libertarian Bible,” with its emphasis on personal freedom and responsibility.

Wear Your Feelings With This Weed For The People T-Shirt

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on September 30, 2011 Products

alapoet

I’m in favor of it, of course.

You’re a free agent, man. I can’t tell you what to do. But I can tell you what I’ve chosen to do: Wear a “Weed for the People” t-shirt from Mangled Mind Designs.

These high-quality, sand-colored 100 percent cotton Hanes tagless t-shirts feature the slogan “Weed for the People of the United States of America” in old-fashioned, “Constitutional” style script, to let people know where you’re coming from.

You can get ’em for $16.95 apiece (plus $2 if you’re 2XL like me) from Mangled Mind by clicking here.

Advocates Hope Ken Burns Prohibition Docu Provokes Debate

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

Huffington Post

Ken Burns’ newest PBS documentary, “Prohibition,” premieres on October 2

The history of the United States’ disastrous period of alcohol prohibition will be broadcast into homes across America this weekend when PBS airs Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s Prohibition, a three-part series on the country’s failed “noble experiment” of banning alcohol.

Drug policy advocates are thrilled that filmmakers of the stature of Burns and Novick have taken on this topic, and hope that the series reminds Americans about the futility of prohibition and its devastating collateral consequences.

“Alcohol prohibition didn’t stop people from drinking any more than drug prohibition stops people from using drugs,” said Tony Newman, director of media relations at the Drug Policy Alliance. “But prohibition did lead to Al Capone and shootouts in the streets. It is the same today.

Arizona Nurse Says She Was Fired Over Medical Marijuana

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

Verde Independent

Esther Shapiro says she was fired after revealing she is a legal medical marijuana patient.

A registered nurse, formerly employed by a private hospice, has filed a letter of demand over her alleged firing after she revealed she is a card-carrying medical marijuana patient. Her attorney said the matter could be the first-ever Arizona case challenging discrimination against a medicinal cannabis patient, if it goes to trial.

Esther Shapiro said she was a medical marijuana patient where she previously lived in Colorado, reports Jon Hutchinson at the Verde Independent. She moved to Arizona in June, and qualified for a medical marijuana card there after a doctor’s examination. Shapiro suffered a compressed disc after being the victim of a hit and run accident in 1988, and also suffers from fibromyalgia and neuropathy.

She was hired by the Verde Valley Community Hospice in Cottonwood as a registered nurse to visit and care for end-of-life patients in their homes. The RN, during her orientation, was asked to provide a preemployment drug screen, and at that point told her employers that she would test positive for marijuana, but that she’s a legal medical cannabis patient.

Shapiro said she was told at that point that “they would have to investigate.” She said she was threatened with ring reported to the Arizona Nursing Board on suspicion of “substance abuse.”

Rhode Island ACLU Considering Medical Marijuana Lawsuit

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on September 30, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Medical Marijuana Blog

The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it is considering legal action over Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s decision not to license three medical marijuana dispensaries, as provided for in the state’s medicinal cannabis law.

State ACLU Executive Director Steve Brown said on Friday that he’s trying to put a lawsuit together on behalf of patients to force the governor to comply with the “compassion center” statute, which provides for state-licensed dispensaries, reports The Associated Press.

Brown said he’s been in touch with the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC) about possible legal action.

Governor Chafee on Thursday said he wouldn’t implement the state’s compassion center law because it could cause Rhode Island to become a target of federal law enforcement.

DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Co-Op In Arizona

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on September 30, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Phoenix New Times

Arizona Go Green Co-Op was raided by the DEA on Thursday.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has raided a medical marijuana cooperative in Tempe, Arizona, claiming the owners were involved in the illegal sale of drugs.

DEA agents began showing up at the Arizona Go Green Co-Op at 426 East Southern Avenue in Tempe around 8 a.m. on Thursday, reports Anita Roman at Fox 10. Two people were arrested in the raid.

Officials claimed the DEA was acting on information that “a marijuana dispensary was illegally operating in Arizona.” Agents pulled evidence from the building, including bags of different varieties of medical marijuana.

An employee at at nearby business said he saw four agents raiding the place dressed in full SWAT gear, including assault rifles, body armor and masks. “It’s unclear why the DEA dressed as if they were going after Los Zetas instead of medical marijuana doctors, patients or caregivers,” reports Ray Stern at Phoenix New Times.

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