Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

New York Bill Would Reduce Charge For Marijuana Possession

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 16, 2011 Legislation, News

A shared desire to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession has inspired a rare show of bipartisanship and upstate-downstate agreement in the New York Legislature. A freshman GOP state senator is co-sponsoring a bill with a Democratic Assemblyman to reduce the penalty for public possession of small amounts of marijuana from a misdemeanor to a violation.

According to the cosponsors, many people — especially minorities in New York City — end up getting busted for small amounts if they are stopped by a police officer and told to empty their pockets — at which point the pot possession supposedly becomes “public,” reports Rick Karlin of the Albany Times Union.

Supreme Court Upholds Warrantless Search Based On Pot Smell

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 16, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: Voice Of Detroit

Step One, knock and announce your presence. Step Two, claim you hear someone “destroying evidence.” Step Three, knock the door down. Voila, no Fourth Amendment protection!

Police who claimed they heard sounds of “evidence being destroyed” after knocking on the door of an apartment that smelled of marijuana were entitled to knock down the door and search the place, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

In an overwhelming 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the warrantless search of an apartment in Lexington, Kentucky, ruling the search was legal because of “exigent circumstances.” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote for the majority. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cast the lone dissenting vote.

Cannabinophobia: The Timing Makes You Wonder

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 13, 2011 Culture, Legislation, Medical

Photo: Loopy Lettuce

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Schedule I: A category of drugs not considered legitimate for medical use. Included are heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and marijuana.

April 14th 1937

Whose bright idea was it to tax it? Is the option still open?

Marihuana Tax Act of 1937

The Act levied a tax equaling roughly one dollar on anyone who dealt commercially in cannabis, hemp, or marijuana. The Act did not itself criminalize the possession or usage of hemp, marijuana, or cannabis. It did include penalty and enforcement provisions to which marijuana, cannabis, or hemp handlers were subject. Violation of these procedures could result in a fine of up to $2,000 and five years’ imprisonment.

Washington Legislator Introduces Medical Cannabis Fixer Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 13, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Pete Kuhns/Seattle Weekly

Washington state Rep. Roger Goodman shows off a stash of his drug of choice: chocolate. Goodman is sponsoring an attempt to fix Washington state’s badly flawed medical marijuana law.

State Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland) on Friday introduced a medical cannabis bill in the Washington House of Representatives that would address many of the patient access problems remaining after Governor Christine Gregoire two weeks ago vetoed most of S.B. 5073, which would have legalized dispensaries and provided arrest protection for patients.

Goodman’s bill includes protections for patients and providers, including language giving arrest protection to patients with authorizing paperwork and language decriminalizing medical cannabis dispensaries.

San Jose Collects First Month’s Marijuana Tax: $290,000

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 13, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Jeff Chiu/AP

San Jose’s medical marijuana dispensaries paid $290,000 in taxes to the city for March — even though they are officially considered illegal

San Jose, California now has its first month’s worth of marijuana tax in hand. “As of May 10, 73 medical marijuana collectives have remitted approximately $290,000 in taxes for the month of March,” the city announced on Friday.

Until the money was counted, nobody had been quite sure exactly how much San Jose’s medical marijuana tax might yield for the city’s empty coffers.

Starting March 1, San Jose slapped a seven percent tax on medical marijuana dispensaries under a measure city voters overwhelmingly approved last November. Even though San Jose officially considers all 100 or so of its dispensaries to be unlawful, pot providers are still required to pay the special marijuana tax to the cash-strapped city.

Delaware Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 13, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Graphic: markell.org

Governor Jack Markell of Delaware on Friday signed into law a measure legalizing medical marijuana in the state.

Governor Jack Markell on Friday signed SB 17 into law, making it legal for Delaware residents with certain serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.

The bill had bipartisan sponsors and support in the Legislature. This makes Delaware the 16th state, along with the District of Columbia, to pass an effective medical marijuana law.

The law goes into effect on July 1 and will permit people diagnosed with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, decompensated cirrhosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intractable nausea, severe seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms, wasting syndrome, and severe debilitating pain that has not responded to other treatments, or for which treatments produced serious side effects, to possess up to six ounces of marijuana without fear of arrest.

Rainbow Dreaming In Oz: 3 Pounds Of Cannabis Per Plant

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 13, 2011 Global, Growing

Photo: Garry Von Billen

13 feet high — and then there’s the plant.

The potent cannabis sativa strain Rainbow Dream, bred by legendary grower Garry Von Billen, took the Australian marijuana world by storm when it was unleashed in 2003. Von Billen on Friday morning took the time to tell Toke of the Town a little about his connoisseur strain and the story behind it.

“I was lucky to buy some Jack Flash (Jack Herer crossed with Haze x Superskunk) in 2002 on the street in Nimbin,” Von Billen told us. “I grew and pollinated the buds with a strain I have been growing for 25 years called Carrot (sativa that was smoked in Sydney in the late 70s), and the result was Rainbow Dreaming (R.D.) strain.

“I was impressed and so were my friends,” Von Billen told Toke of the Town. “They would ask me where I got the hash from. I entered it into the Australian Cannabis Cup held in Nimbin at Mardigrass time, 2003. The judges loved it and it won hands down. It was entered again in the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Cups and won each year except for a second place in 2006.”

Humboldt County Residents Plan Marijuana-Based City

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: Cheebatech

Just go ahead and put me down as a permanent resident, man.

A group from southern Humboldt County, California is hoping to capture the independent, weed-friendly spirit of the area by creating a city that uses revenues from the local marijuana industry.

The Humboldt Emerald City Organizing Group is holding an informational fund raiser Sunday, May 15, for the formation of Emerald City, according to Jim Lamport with Lamport Legal Documents in Garberville. The event, begins about 1 p.m. at the Beginnings Octagon in Briceland, aims to inform the public while raising money to fund the incorporation process, reports Donna Tam at the Eureka Times-Standard.

Lamport said the group hopes the new city will benefit from sales tax related to its marijuana industry.

Win Free Marijuana/Music Expo Tickets: Snoop & Cypress Hill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 Culture, Products

Score The Tickets Of The Year:

Spring Gathering Music Festival and Medical Marijuana Expo,

June 11, San Bernardino

Just think about it, man. There you are in the crowd, jammin’ with Snoop and B Real, and you just visited the patients’ medication area. And look over there — it’s event host Tommy Chong!

Because you’re smart enough to read Toke of the Town, you’re eligible to win a pair of tickets to the second annual Dr. Greenthumb, Tommy Chong and Snoop Dogg’s Spring Gathering Music Festival and Medical Marijuana Expo, Saturday, June 11 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California.

Spring Gathering established itself in 2010 as a premier lifestyle destination celebrating music and activism, and the second installment will feature a powerful lineup that continues to blend the worlds of music and cannabis culture.

Spring Gathering 2011 will feature live performances by Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Travis Barker with Mix Master Mike, Stephen Marley, and Collie Buddz, with more artists to be announced. Spring Gathering’s ambassadors, Dr. Greenthumb (B Real of Cypress Hill), Tommy Chong, Snoop Dogg and special guest Shelby Chong will host the daylong festivities.

Raided Medical Marijuana Providers Sue U.S. Government

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 News

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record

Chris Williams of the Montana Caregivers Association watches as DEA agents and local law enforcement raid his Montana Cannabis grow operation on March 14. Willliams is now suing the federal government.

Two Montana medical marijuana providers have accused the United States government of civil rights violations in what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind, in response to a federal crackdown on medicinal cannabis operations nationwide.

The owners of Montana Caregivers Association and MCM Caregivers said that federal raids on medical marijuana businesses across Montana in March were unconstitutional, exceeded the government’s authority and preempted the states’ medical marijuana law, reports Matt Volz at the Associated Press. Montana’s medicinal cannabis law was approved by an overwhelming 62 percent of voters in 2000.

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