Jack Daniel

Public pot petition fails in San Jose, majority of dispensaries to shut down

By Jack Daniel on July 22, 2014 Legalize It, Legislation, Medical

In an era of 24-hour cable news, non-stop talk radio, and a never ending list of politically flavored blogs, it is easy to be overwhelmed by it all. Planes are going down over Russia, bombs are being dropped in Gaza, and back at home, Republicans and Democrats bide their time bickering over gay marriage and contraception coverage.
It’s enough to make people want to just tune out altogether, and unfortunately, they are in droves. This manufactured apathy for all things “political”, trickles down from global, to national, to state, and ultimately to local politics; and can have dire real-world consequences in the community.
The city of San Jose, in northern California’s Bay Area, is realizing this sad reality the hard way when it comes to medical marijuana. There, as in many Californian municipalities, the local City Council has turned a tuned-out public against its own best interests when it comes to weed.

Up to 46,000 prisoners to be released early in huge move by feds

By Jack Daniel on July 21, 2014 Follow that story, Legislation

In an unprecedented move earlier this year, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to drastically reduce the sentencing recommendations for non-violent convicts of drug-related crimes.
Just this past Friday, in a move that received shockingly little press, that same U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to apply the same guidelines to eligible inmates already serving time behind bars. Though no inmates will see an early release thanks to the new legislation until November of 2015 at the earliest, experts says that as many as 46,000 currently incarcerated prisoners will be eligible to apply for an expedited sentence.

Retired State Trooper becomes leading advocate in South Carolina’s fight for medical marijuana

By Jack Daniel on July 8, 2014 Medical

Currently, anyone caught with up to an ounce of bud in South Carolina faces a steep fine and up to 30 days in jail. Anyone caught with over an ounce of weed falls into the same category as those caught with up to ten pounds of weed! Potentially five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, for some weed.
Loyally enforcing those laws for 17 years was South Carolina State Trooper Chris Raffield. In 2008, Raffield was forced into an early retirement by a sudden debilitating illness.

Fight for pot rights in D.C. splits right down party lines

By Jack Daniel on July 3, 2014 Follow that story, Legalize It, Legislation

In January of this year, The Washington Post conducted a poll of Washington D.C. residents which found that 8 in 10 polled said they were in favor of either decriminalization, or straight up legalization, of weed in the nation’s capital.

In March, the City Council voted to decriminalize cannabis possession, knocking the punishment down from a year in jail, to a $25 fine. The District’s medical marijuana program is expanding, and much like in Colorado, none of these things are leading to the reefer madness we’ve been warned about for decades.
But with legalization talk being passed around the tightest circles in the nation’s capital, leave it to local Congressional Republicans to try to halt the inevitable progress of reform.

Cannabis biz spams thousands of children’s emails seeking investors

By Jack Daniel on July 2, 2014 CBD, News, Opinion

As the cannabis movement goes more main stream, the hucksters, frauds, snake oil salesmen, and get-rich-quick types are coming out of the woodwork. Nowhere does such a low-level life form thrive better than on the world wide web.
But while information becomes more readily available online, reliable information becomes more of a rare and valued commodity – particularly when it comes to pot. The charlatans trying to profit on the cannabis boom know this, and they are quite literally in a race to cash in as large as possible before the capitalistic opportunity of a lifetime dries up.
This haste – and its consequences – has been demonstrated time and again in the grey-collar world of trading weed-related stocks. As despicable as this practice of pumping and dumping pot stocks is, at least they are targeting adults.

Cops nationwide forced to revise tactics when raiding cannabis grow ops

By Jack Daniel on June 30, 2014 Growing, Legalize It

The exact cost of a marijuana raid in America is hard to put an accurate estimate on. The first, and most important, question is, “the cost to whom?” Besides their livelihood, their reputation in the community, and even one’s freedom, the financial costs of a marijuana raid can be overwhelming to the suspect – whether they are ultimately found guilty, or not.
As marijuana goes more mainstream, however, state and local law enforcement officials are looking to revise their own decades-old procedures when it comes to busting weed growers, before their own departments’ budgets get flipped upside down by pot cultivation cases gone bad.

6th annual Degenerate Flame Off fires up today in Eugene, OR

By Jack Daniel on June 27, 2014 Culture

Enjoying its sixth year of showcasing the hottest innovations, and innovators, in the deeply talented glassblowing industry, the Degenerate Flame Off (or DFO) kicks off today in Eugene, Oregon.
Hosted annually since its inception by the beloved local glass supercenter, Cornerstone Glass, along with Northstar Glassworks, the DFO brings together the cream of the crop in the functional glassblowing world, along with mobs of their fans, for a scene that is equal parts competition and celebration.

Definitive study shows even habitual cannabis use does not increase risk of lung cancer

By Jack Daniel on June 24, 2014 Medical, News

A study due to be released in the International Journal of Cancer (IJC) has concluded that whether you like to spark up a joint once in a while, once a week, or once the last one goes out, the cannabis smoke alone that you inhale does not increase your risk of lung cancer or COPD.
While this may seem like old news to those in the know, the tired old myth that smoking pot leads to certain respiration issues is still a favorite, and effective, strategy of those opposed to cannabis legalization of any form.

Pope Francis isn’t down with weed legalization

By Jack Daniel on June 23, 2014 Global, News, Opinion

ThierryEhrmann/Flickr

So, the new Pope isn’t down with pot. What a shocker.
After riding an almost unprecedented wave of mainstream popularity, Pope Francis somehow surprised a whole lot of stoners last week by officially condemning cannabis use, as well as the rising tide of legalization, in a speech given to the International Drug Enforcement Conference.

Judge rules GA couple can sue cops after being taken to jail naked over a pile of weed ashes

By Jack Daniel on June 20, 2014 Legalize It, News, Say what?

V1ctorCasale/Flickr

There is only one thing worse than a judge cracking jokes, and that’s a southern judge cracking jokes in a Georgia courtroom. Unless, of course, he is busting the balls of some crooked local cops.
That was the case in Athens, Georgia last week when U.S. District Judge Clay Land ruled that sheriff’s deputies might’ve violated the civil rights of two young suspects during a warrantless witch hunt for weed.

Author Jack Daniel