Yearly Archives: 2011

Wayward Bill Takes The Helm At U.S. Marijuana Party

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on August 1, 2011 Culture, News

Wayward Bill, the new president of the United States Marijuana Party: “Like a phoenix we will as a party once again rise to shine”

The torch — or is it the spliff? — has been passed at the United States Marijuana Party, which this week announced Wayward Bill (also known as William A. Chengelis) of Denver, Colorado is taking over its top position.

Wayward Bill replaces former party President Richard J. Rawlings at the top spot.

“After eight hard years managing the party Richard was ready to move on,” Wayward Bill said in a press release. “Sheree Krider, VP, United States Marijuana Party recommended me in a party memorandum for the top position. She also resigned her position within the national office. I spoke to both her and Richard prior to making my decision to accept. It was a happy coup.”

According to Wayward Bill, his taking the helm means that the USMjP will now be located in Denver. “The address has yet to be determined,” he said. The party was previously headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

“I will be taking a more proactive approach by hopefully first moving our current USMjP chapters close to their state capitols so that they can be more involved with marijuana law reform in their respective states,” Wayward Bill said. “You will see us everywhere. The halls of government, in the media, in social media, at political functions and rallies, on online forums, everywhere.

California Clinic Refuses To Treat Medical Marijuana Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on August 1, 2011 Medical, News

Graphic: Rose Law Group

Can a clinic refuse medical care to you, simply because you are a legal medical marijuana patient?

Several medical marijuana patients have reported being told they were unwelcome at clinics operated by Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Andreas, California.

More allegations came to light after hospital officials in early July claimed they had no policy stopping medical marijuana patients from receiving care, reports Dana M. Nichols at the Stockton Record.

The first patient to go public with the allegations was disabled veteran Sam Slayter. He said Dr. Rafael Rosado told him that he wouldn’t receive care at at Mark Twain clinic in Valley Springs unless he signed an agreement promising to stop using medical marijuana.

N.J. MS Patient Loses Appeal; Prison For Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on August 1, 2011 Growing, Legislation, Medical

Photo: Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger

Multiple sclerosis patient John Ray Wilson is handcuffed after being sentenced to five years in prison for “manufacturing and drug possession”

A New Jersey multiple sclerosis patient appears to be headed to prison for growing 17 marijuana plants behind his home.

John Ray Wilson said the plants were for medicinal use, and New Jersey — since Wilson’s arrest — has legalized medical marijuana. But patients in the Garden State still aren’t allowed to grow their own medicine.

Wilson was acquitted of maintaining or operating a “drug-production facility,” which could have gotten him 20 years behind bars, but was found guilty of manufacturing and possessing marijuana and sentenced to five years in prison.

Is California AG Burning The Medical Marijuana Community?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on August 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: The Mad Professah Lectures

California Attorney General Kamala Harris appears to be taking orders from law enforcement in drawing up the state’s new medical marijuana guidelines

In her bid to defeat Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley for the job of California’s top cop, then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris got the support of the state’s medical marijuana community — not so much because she was great, but because Cooley royally sucks ass.

In a rare show of unity (unlike what happened with pot legalization initiative Prop 19), the state’s marijuana activists seemed to all agree on an “Anybody But Cooley” campaign. That effort may well have been the difference between the two candidates last fall, as less than 80,000 votes separated the victorious Harris from Cooley. There are 750,000 medical marijuana patients in California.

But, as pointed out by Chris Roberts at LA Weekly, if Harris feels any gratitude for the support of the medical marijuana community, she’s doing a good job of hiding it.

Washington Man Chooses Jail Over Fine For Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 29, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: Dana Goes to Jail!

Dana Walker: “I am a keen patron of irony and I LOVE the fact that I am going to reclaim my freedom by going to jail”

A Washington state man on Friday chose jail over paying a marijuana possession fine, as a way of protesting the laws against cannabis.

Dana Walker of Olympia was reportedly led away in handcuffs after telling Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary R. Tabor, “As to the matter now before us I have no intention of making any more payments and I am requesting as long a jail sentence as the law allows for my refusal.”

Walker set up a Facebook event for his Friday court appearance, inviting the public to witness his statement to the judge, reports The Weed Blog.

“Have you ever wanted to go into a courtroom and honestly tell the judge and prosecutor what you think of their marijuana laws?” Walker asked on the Facebook page, “Dana Goes to Jail!”

“I have a golden opportunity to do just that and I plan to take full advantage,” he said. “Those of you who personally know me know I am fully capable of turning righteous indignation into an entertaining show, and I plan to pull out all stops on this one.

“I owe Thurston County over $3,000 for a marijuana charge from back in 1997,” he said. “I am currently unemployed, I am not a fan of hot weather, and I wouldn’t mind at all spending a few weeks in jail just for the opportunity to tell a court where they can stick their laws.

10 Years Prison Upheld In Eddy Lepp Medical Marijuana Case

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 29, 2011 Growing, Legislation, News

Photo: Salem-News

Eddy Lepp walked his last mile to federal prison as a free man.

A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the conviction and 10-year prison sentence of Charles “Eddy” Lepp, who grew 32,000 marijuana plants for patients and fellow Rastafarians on his land in Lake County, California.

The federal judge who sent Lepp to prison in 2009 criticized the federal law which required a 10-year prison term for growing more than 1,000 cannabis plants, reports Bob Egelko at the San Francisco Chronicle. But U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of San Francisco said she had no choice under the law, and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.

“The statutory minimum sentence is not cruel and unusual punishment,” the three-judge panel ruled.

Pot For Spot? Medical Marijuana Patch Developed For Pets

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

Photo: Cafe Press

Cannabinated canines, anyone? A Seattle company is developing a medical marijuana patch for pets, calling it a “question of quality of life.”

Jim Alekson’s Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems LLC has patented the patch, called Tetracan, and says it could be used on dogs, cats, and even horses, reports Eric Wilkinson at KING 5 News.

Of course, to buy the patches you’d need to be a medical marijuana patient yourself, since Rover can’t get an authorization from the veterinarian — at least, not yet.

The company intends to press for changes in state law that would allow vets to prescribe medical cannabis for pets, something that currently isn’t allowed, reports Jonathan Walczak at Seattle Weekly.

“It is our intention, once the patch delivery system is perfected, to approach states for approval to use the patch for veterinary use,” Alekson said.

Full-Court Press: Feds Go After Mendo Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 28, 2011 Growing

Photo: Ganja Farmer’s Emerald Triangle News

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

I love my job.

Every time I leave San Francisco for Mendocino like I did the other day, whether it’s for an interview like I had arranged or for snooping and sleuthing for an upcoming story, I get giddy. It brings out the Tom Sawyer in me.

I’m like that kid the movie, The Black Stallion, when during the climax of the big horse race he throws off his racing goggles and grabs Big Black’s mane like they are one. He rides the galloping horse like they did back on the island when it was just the two of them.

MBS: Australia’s Terrific New Marijuana Strain [Pictorial]

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 28, 2011 Global, Growing

All photos: Moonunit

Australian cannabis breeders are kicking ass with their own unique genetics, producing a multitude of potent strains. One of the best recent innovations is called MBS (Mind, Body and Soul), and is a creation of renowned breeder Moonunit.

MBS is about 60 percent indica and 40 percent sativa, according to Moonunit, though it expresses in a more indica fashion.

“MBS is comprised of Deep Chunk for the mind, Zoid Fuel for the body, and C-99 for the soul,” Moonunit told me by way of explaining the strain’s Aussie genetic background.

Moonunit described is as “a spreading, good yielding plant, with the early maturation of an indica and some of the growth qualities of a sativa.”

“It grows dense, hard, nuggety buds,” he told me. “Some samples have grown green, whilst others will tend to show purpling with cooler nights, some almost black. The large amounts of trichomes resemble snow, and the dark purple backing gives the buds excellent aesthetic qualities and bag appeal.”

Israel’s Medical Cannabis To Be Locally Grown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 28, 2011 Global, Growing

Graphic: Jewlicious

Medical marijuana will be grown in Israel for at least the next two years, because imports would be 10 times more expensive, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

Health Ministry director-general Dr. Ronni Gamzi decided on Thursday to establish a unit within the ministry to manage and supervise the supply of medicinal cannabis, reports Judy Siegel at the Jerusalem Post.

The unit is scheduled to begin operating in January 2012.

The Israeli Pharmacists Association’s members are pressing for permission to distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients through their pharmacies.

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