Texas Judge Wants Harsher Pot Punishment For Willie Nelson

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 5, 2011 Culture, News

Vengeful Judge Becky Dean-Walker, who evidently gets her hair done at Trailer Park Skanks R Us: “If Willie Nelson gets off with nothing, I’m not going to be part of it.”

A proposed plea deal in music legend Willie Nelson’s marijuana possession case has been rejected by a vengeful Texas judge who said she wants harsher punishment for the 77-year-old singer.

Nelson was arrested last November by the U.S. Border Patrol when they found several ounces of weed on his tour bus, reports Justin Harp at Digital Spy.

The bust went down at the Sierra Blanca, Texas checkpoint after Nelson’s tour bus pulled in and a Border Patrol officer smelled marijuana through the vehicle’s open door.

Willie had reportedly agreed to plead “no contest” to a charge of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as pay a $500 fine and $280 in court costs, with the presiding Hudspeth County Judge Becky Dean-Walker initially indicating her agreement.

Arizona Medical Marijuana Club Gives Away Free Samples

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 5, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Graphic: The 2811 Club

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Arizona have been blocked from opening, but that didn’t stop a new “club” from opening in Phoenix on Monday, giving local patients another option for getting their cannabis. The 2811 Club is giving the stuff away.

Patient Vickie Smith said she is learning everything about using medical marijuana, and she’s getting quick answers because she’s now a member of The 2811 Club, reports Ryan O’Donnell at azfamily.com.

“I get to spend time with other people with conditions like mine or something similar, going through the same thing, the same learning process that I’m going through and we can share ideas,” Smith said.

Soft music and soft lighting create a comfortable atmosphere at the club, where medical marijuana is actually being handed out for free.

Sensible Portland Aims To End Marijuana Arrests In Maine City

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 5, 2011 Legislation, News

Graphic: Sensible Portland

A group of concerned citizens in Portland, Maine is trying to pass an ordinance making marijuana possession the lowest enforcement priority for police, with no arrest required.

Sensible Portland turned in petitions with more than 2,000 signatures to the city clerk on Tuesday morning, reports WGME. In order to put the question before voters on the November ballot, 1,500 valid signatures are needed.

The proposed ordinance also requires Portland’s mayor to report to the City Council on marijuana arrests by the police, reports Caroline Cornish at WCSH 6.

The ordinance is limited. Officers wouldn’t face any penalty if they violated the ordinance, and the language specifically states that it’s not intended to prohibit police from working with federal drug enforcement agents.

But Sensible Portland said it’s important for voters to go on the record about this issue, since the federal government said it plants to crack down on even medical marijuana users.

Cannabis Quote of the Day: Congressional Candidate Roger Goodman

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 5, 2011 Culture

Photo: Roger Goodman For Congress

“Happy 4th of July, everybody! As I march in the parades and go to barbecues today, I am mindful that our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were drafted on hemp parchment and that Washington and Jefferson grew and used hemp for many purposes.

“I wonder what our Founders would think today, as well as Lincoln and Einstein and others who have condemned prohibitions…

“Now is the time for us, at this tipping point in history, to remember America’s underlying political principles — liberty and justice — and thereby for us all to fight together and finally end this outrageous policy of cannabis prohibition!”

Stoner Photo of the Day: Grow A Garden!

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 4, 2011 Culture, Growing

Graphic: Worth1000.com

Happy birthday, U.S.A.!

Dr. Reefer Accepts Plea Bargain; Quits Marijuana Business

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 1, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen/The New York Times

In happier times: Pierre Werner, owner of Dr. Reefer, takes a toke in his dispensary in Boulder, Colorado, June 13, 2010.

Dr. Reefer’s days as a marijuana activist are over.

“Someone else has got to carry on the fight now that me and my whole family are convicted felons,” Dr. Reefer — also known as entrepreneur Pierre Werner — said on Thursday, reports Carri Geer Thevenot at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Werner and other members of his family on Thursday resolved their federal marijuana case by pleading guilty to felonies.

Dr. Reefer was one of 14 people, including his mother and brother, arrested on January 6 in connection with marijuana sales at Las Vegas dispensaries.

CT: No Jail For Less Than Half An Ounce Of Pot, Starting Today

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 1, 2011 Legislation, News

Graphic: Newser

As of today, July 1 in Connecticut, getting caught with less than half an ounce of marijuana no longer gets you a ride in the back seat of a police car.

Instead, people older than 21 who are caught with up to 14 grams will be given the equivalent of a traffic ticket carrying a $150 fine, reports David Owens at The Hartford Courant. If you’re 18 to 21, you’ll get the same ticket, but with a 60-day suspension of your driver’s license. Those under 1`8 will be referred to juvenile authorities if caught with pot.

Fines for subsequent offenses by adults range from $200 to $500. If you get three or more marijuana offenses, you’ll be required to take some of those bullshit “drug counseling” sessions are your own expense.

Colorado Springs Dispensary Begins Testing Marijuana Strains

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 1, 2011 Dispensaries, News, Products

Photo: Altitude Organic Medicine

Altitude Organic Corporation, a national, publicly-traded medical marijuana company, has announced that Altitude Organic Medicine, its Colorado Springs center, has begun testing many of the cannabis strains featured there.

The store recently scientifically tested its popular BubbleGum strain for purity and potency at Full Spectrum Laboratories. Full Spectrum posted the Altitude Organic Medicine BubbleGum cannabis test in the “Best Of” section on their website.

Montana Judge Blocks New Restrictions On Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record

District Court Judge Jim Reynolds hears testimony during a case brought before him by the Montana Cannabis Industry Association. On Thursday, the judge blocked implementation of key parts of a new restrictive medical marijuana law passed by the conservative Republican-controlled Legislature.

A judge has blocked key parts of Montana’s law that would have imposed tough new restrictions on medical marijuana suppliers starting on July 1.

In a preliminary injunction issued on Thursday, state District Judge James Reynolds in Helena ruled the new limits would effectively deny access to cannabis for many patients entitled to use it under the state’s seven-year-old medical marijuana statute, reports Emilie Ritter of Reuters.

Montana’s medical marijuana law was approved by an overwhelming 62 percent of voters in 2004.

Obama Administration Goes Back On Medical Marijuana Pledge

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

Photo: The Washington Examiner

Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole: “The Ogden Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law”

A troubling new memo has been released which seems to show that the Obama Administration is abandoning its policy of leaving medical marijuana enforcement to the states in states which have legalized it.

The U.S. Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting “large-scale” cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana, even in states which have enacted legislation permitting the use of cannabis for medical uses, according to a Justice Department memo obtained by Bloomberg News.

“The Ogden Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law,” reads the new memo, authored by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.

Yearly Archives: 2011