Yearly Archives: 2011

‘Sweden Legalizes Cannabis’ Story Is Just A Hoax

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Global, Legislation, News

A story which went viral on the Web today — indicating that Sweden had bravely forged ahead of its Scandinavian neighbors and legalized cannabis — appears to be a hoax.

One story on JustPaste.It, headlined “Sweden legalizes and regulates cannabis,” created a bit of a stir (and a storm of page hits) on social media networks.

However, the story, which linked to no confirming sources and listed as its source “420 Dagbladet, Stockholm, December 19, 2011,” could not be confirmed anywhere else and seems to have no validity.

“420 Dagbladet,” which would mean “420 Daily Newspaper,” doesn’t even appear to exist, either as a website or as a print publication.

Cannabis Dispensary Builds Christmas Ginger-Hash House

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Dispensaries, Global, Products

Vancouver Dispensary Society

The Vancouver Dispensary Society’s special Christmas ginger hash-house. Gotta love that little cotton “puff of smoke” comin’ out the chimney!

You can be sure the holidays are just around the corner when a medical cannabis dispensary builds a Christmas ginger-hash house and posts photos of it on Facebook.

Vancouver Dispensary Society, the Facebook page of The Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary in British Columbia, Canada, uploaded the photos on Saturday.

“HAVE A MERRY-JUANA CHRISTMAS AND A HASHY NEW YEAR!” the Society posted.

According to the post, the dispensary ginger hash-house’s base is made of Lebanese hash. The house walls and tree are made from Sweet Mountain kief; the windows and door are Lebanese; the snow and snowman are Bubba Kush Powder.

Marijuana Grower Avoids Prison Because His Weed Sucks

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Global, Growing

Home Health Testing

Despite being caught with enough growing homegrown cannabis to land him in prison, a man in western Sweden last month escaped with probation and a fine because the pot he grew was of such poor quality.

The 35-year-old man admitted to the court he had grown the marijuana plants at home for his personal use, and stored them in the attic, reports Joel Linde at English-language Swedish newspaper The Local.

Before reaching a successful harvest, the harsh Swedish climate had killed the cannabis crop. In a last-ditch desperation effort, the determined grower tried trimming away the dead weed, but to no avail.

Since under Swedish law the entire cannabis plant is considered a drug, the man was still found guilty of possession — but the fact that the weed sucked so bad, kept him out of prison.

“That’s an evaluation that the court will make,” said Sara Malmhester at the Swedish Prosecution Authority. “If (the drugs) don’t work, it could lead to a milder sentence.”

Huge Show Will Bring Truth About Med Marijuana To FL Seniors

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Medical, News

Lance Draizin

Robert Platshorn, left, speaks on The Silver Tour while longtime federal medical marijuana patient Irvin Rosenfeld looks on

We’ve pointed out before that one Florida man — legendary former pitchman and marijuana smuggler Robert Platshorn — may hold the key to cannabis legalization in the United States. The reason we say that is that skilled pitchman Platshorn has proven he can sway senior audiences to support medical marijuana, and most of us are aware, seniors vote in heavier numbers than any other age group.

Platshorn, through the Silver Tour, brings the truth about marijuana to senior citizens in Florida and nationwide, and one of the biggest events yet on that tour will take place on January 29 in Boyton Beach, Fla.

The show, “Learn the Real Facts About Medical Marijuana,” will be free and all ages are welcome. It will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, January 29, at the Temple Shaarei Shalom in Boynton Beach.

Barney Frank Goes After George Will Over Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Culture, Legislation, News

Martin H. Simon/ABC

ABC’s George Will and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), debate Rep. Barney Frank, (D-Mass.), and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich on the topic “There is Too Much Government in My Life.” “This Week” host Christiane Amanpour is in the middle.

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank got ABC’s This Week off to a great start in the first in a series of big debates that will continue throughout the coming year. Sunday’s topic was whether the government is too big or not, with two advocates on each side, and naturally the conversation made its way to drug legalization.

“In quite a surreal moment,” reports Josh Feldman at Mediaite, “Barney Frank asked George Will his position on marijuana and if it should be legalized.”

Marijuana For Sale, With Free Samples: Woman Busted With Sign

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 News

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office

Tami Lorraine Madison, 40, was charged with felony possession of marijuana for sale

The Emerald Triangle’s annual harvest-time cannabis glut may be worse than usual this year. “Marijuana for sale, with free samples,” read the sign spotted by a Humboldt County, California sheriff’s deputy on patrol in the Fernbridge area Saturday morning.

Naturally, the deputy pulled in at the Renner Gas Station to check out a vehicle with those signs posted on it, reports the Arcata Eye. (This being Humboldt County, of course, nobody turned her in; the deputy just happened to drive by.)

When the deputy drove up in his patrol car and asked the female “associated with the vehicle,” Tami Lorraine Madison, 40, of Butte, Montana, if the sign was true, she told the officer it was “a joke.”

But when the deputy took a gander inside her vehicle, he saw dried marijuana buds in plain sight on the car’s front passenger seat.

The officer then searched Madison’s vehicle and found more than eight pounds of dried, manicured cannabis inside.

Feds To Grant Exclusive Cannabinoid License To Pharma Firm

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 16, 2011 Legislation, Medical, Products

Medical Marijuana Hut

The U.S. federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services seems about ready to award exclusive rights to apply marijuana as a medical therapeutic. You read that correctly: “exclusive rights.”

Now, I don’t think of myself as a conspiracy theorist. But when the federal government keeps taking actions that, even when considered separately but especially when viewed together, all seem to be part of a bigger plan to pave the way for the pharmaceutical industry to bulldoze the cottage medical marijuana industry, I start getting antsy.

“We find it hypocritical and incredible that on the one hand, the U.S. Department of Justice is persecuting cannabis patient associations, asserting that the federal government regards marijuana as having absolutely no medical value, despite overwhelming clinical evidence,” said Union of Medical Marijuana Patients director James Shaw. “On the other hand, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning to grant patent rights with possible worldwide application to develop medicine based on cannabis.”

“Though UMMP welcomes any potential new research that could come from KannaLife Sciences’ federal endorsement, it is highly disconcerting that the contemplated grant is an exclusive one,” the organization posted on its website.

Netherlands Delays Plan To Ban Tourists From Buying Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 16, 2011 Dispensaries, Global, Legislation

THC Finder

The Dutch make lots of money on cannabis tourism — so obviously, that’s a problem they have to fix. Wait a minute…

The conservative government of the Netherlands said on Thursday it is delaying plans to ban tourists from buying marijuana in Dutch “coffee shops” until at least May 2012 — but said it still intends to implement the ban.

Cannabis, contrary to popular belief, is still technically illegal in the Netherlands, but police “tolerate” the possession of small amounts, and pot is sold openly in the coffee shops, reports the Associated Press. Large-scale growers still face possible arrest.

The Dutch Cabinet wants to introduce a “weed pass” system allowing only legal residents of the Netherlands to buy marijuana in the shops.

Berkeley Collective Offers Potent Marijuana ‘Christmas Trees’

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 15, 2011 Dispensaries, Products

Berkeley Patients Care Collective

Presenting the first Christmas Trees that are supposed to catch on fire

The Patients Care Collective (PCC) in Berkeley, California, has been helping medical marijuana patients for more than 10 years now, having originally opened their doors back in 2001. They’re a festive group; during the holidays they help patients celebrate the season with yummy, cannabis “Christmas Trees” augmented with potent concentrates.

“Making our PCC Medicinal Christmas Trees has become a popular tradition for our patients and staff,” Marina Musielak of Berkeley PCC told Toke of the Town Thursday afternoon.

Ammiano Meets US Atty On Medical Pot; Comes Away Frustrated

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 15, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

A meeting between California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (left) and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag ended only in frustration

California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) on Tuesday finally got his meeting with federal prosecutor Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California. But Ammiano left the meeting frustrated and disappointed that Haag doesn’t seem to understand the chaos she’s creating.

“The meeting didn’t result in any changes,” a clearly disappointed Ammiano told Tim Redmond of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. “But it was good that it happened. We cleared the air about the harm that’s being done.”

Haag wasn’t at all clear during the meeting about exactly what she wanted — what, in other words, would end the crackdown, according to Ammiano aide Quintin Mecke.

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