Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Protesters Publicly Smoke Marijuana In Boise, Idaho

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 24, 2010 Culture, News

Organizer Theresa Knox exhales at the demonstration in Boise last weekend

A group of protesters smoked marijuana in downtown Boise, Idaho Saturday afternoon. Participants said they were lighting joints to make a point. They said smoking marijuana doesn’t hurt other people, so it should be legal.

Boise Police claimed they found out about the event on MySpace. That’s how they knew the time and place it would happen. Still, no arrests were made.

“Cannabis is a victimless crime,” protest organizer Theresa Knox told Toke of the Town. “In my opinion, a crime punishable by outrageous prison terms, loss of children, loss of jobs, education and employment, is one that included a victim — someone who was negatively affected by the ‘crime,’ or harmed.”

Medical Marijuana Advocates Claim Victory In Cali AG Race

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 24, 2010 Medical, News

Graphic: NotCooley.com

You Lost, Cooley.

k, thanx, bye

Medical marijuana patient advocates finally exhaled Wednesday as Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley acknowledged defeat in his bid for California Attorney General.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana advocacy organization, partnered with the American Cannabis Research Institute (ACRI) to strongly oppose Cooley’s campaign with a website, NotCooley.com, as well as video clips indicating how Cooley was bad for medical cannabis, the environment, and marriage equality.

“A defeat for Steve Cooley is a tremendous victory for patients,” said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. “Not only will we have an ally in Kamala Harris to be able to advance civil rights protections for patients, but we have also shown that medical marijuana advocates are a powerful political force.”

DEA To Ban Synthetic Marijuana In 30 Days

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 24, 2010 News, Products

Photo: City Pages

The Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday said it will ban five chemicals used to produce so-called “synthetic marijuana,” making the product illegal to sell or possess in the United States.

“The owners of the head shops and the convenience stores that sell these products have no less than 30 days to clear their shelves,” said DEA special agent Terri K. Wyatt, reports Chance Welch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The “fake pot” products will be illegal in another month as the DEA is taking emergency action to ban the chemicals used to make them, report Pierre Thomas and Lisa Jones of ABC News.

Canada Supreme Court: No Privacy For Marijuana Grow-Ops

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 24, 2010 Global, Growing, News

Graphic: Democracy Cell Project

Electricity usage records are now effectively the property of the police in Canada — and they don’t even need a warrant. Law enforcement did not overstep their powers when they asked a Calgary electricity company to spy on one of its customers by installing a special tracking device to find if he was growing marijuana, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Wednesday.

In a 7-2 decision, Canada’s badly split highest court argued over privacy rights, but overturned an Alberta Court of Appeal judgment that ordered a new trial for Daniel Gomboc, reports The Canadian Press.

“As is true of all constitutional rights, the Charter’s protection is not absolute,” Madam Justice Marie Deschamps wrote for the majority, as she sold out the privacy rights of Canadians. “The Constitution does not cloak the home in an impenetrable veil of privacy. To expect such protection would not only be impractical; it would also be unreasonable.”

Search Of Med Pot Business Finds Blank, Signed Authorizations

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 24, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: Michael Gallacher/Missoulian

Jason Christ, founder of Montana Caregivers Network, fires up a bowl

Police who searched the Montana medical marijuana business run by Jason Christ last week claim they found 729 physician-signed medical marijuana recommendation forms with no patient information filled in.

Law enforcement also seized a laptop computer and other documents last Thursday during a search of the Montana Caregivers Network, which is run by Christ, reports Gwen Florio at The Missoulian.

Several former MCN employees told authorities that Christ kept such pre-signed patient forms, and law enforcement officers who searched the business last week did so based on those allegations, among others.

High Points & Big Hits: A Year’s Worth of Toke of the Town

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2010 Culture, News

Photo: Reality Catcher

The author at Toke of the Town headquarters: Four million hits in one year, man, and I think I’m ’bout ready to take another one.

One year ago today, on November 23, 2009, Toke of the Town came to the wild wide web.

It’s been a thrilling ride, with lots of highs, an occasional low, and more than a few WTF moments thrown in for good measure.

It took Toke of the Town five months — until April — to pass a million total pageviews. The two millionth hit came just three months later, in July, and the three millionth pageview came two months after that, in September. Toke seems on track to get its four millionth pageview this month.

When I smoked my first marijuana as a 17-year-old back in 1977 (not using a joint or a bong — but out of a beer can! and listening to Kiss! it wasn’t my tape, LOL), I had no idea that what I was starting was a career path.

What I did know was that after reading up on the subject, it seemed the pot prohibitionists were blowing a lot of hot air about the supposed dangers of the weed.

While my subsequent life adventures meandered all over the psychological map, one thing I’ve never regretted — even for an instant — was trying marijuana. As the good Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was fond of saying, it’s been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years.

And I have to say that one of the best of those years, out of my 50, has been the past 12 months I’ve spent at the helm of Toke of the Town.

70-Year-Old Cancer Patient Punished For Legal Medical Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: Santa Fe Reporter

Robert Jones: “I certainly am not engaged in drug-related criminal activity”

A hearing officer on Wednesday will take up the case of a 70-year-old New Mexico cancer patient who lost his federal housing subsidy because he legally uses medical marijuana.

Robert Jones, who joined New Mexico’s medical marijuana program in October 2008 when he was diagnosed with cancer, is appealing San Miguel County’s decision to revoke the subsidy, reports The Associated Press. Jones, a retired political consultant, said he told county housing authority officials that he used marijuana medically before signing a statement agreeing not to “participate in drug-related criminal activity.”

“I wanted to make sure they didn’t think that was criminal,” Jones said. “They said, “No, no, Mr. Jones, that’s fine.”

But apparently it wasn’t so “fine,” after all. On October 12 the housing authority sent Jones a letter telling him that he’d be dropped from the housing program as of November 30.

Although medical marijuana is legal in New Mexico, it’s illegal for any purpose under federal law, and his use violated the rule against “drug-related criminal activity,” the letter claimed.

“I certainly am not engaged in drug-related criminal activity,” Jones said.

L.A. County Passes Marijuana Dispensary Ban

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Photo: SGV Tribune

Over the strong objections of medical marijuana advocates, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ban marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated areas of the county.

The vote was 4-1, with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky opposing, reports Kevin Douglas Grant at Neon Tommy. During deliberations, Yaroslavsky encouraged the board to focus on unlicensed dispensaries instead of trying to shut down licensed ones.

“It’s the illegal ones that are creating almost all the problems,” Yaroslavsky said. “It’s the ones who come in for permits that we have considerable leverage over.”

Finland: First-Ever Helsinki Smokeout Gets Heavy Police Presence

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2010 Culture, Global

Photo: I Am Nothing Without My Words

Alexandra Sandbäck: “What exactly did they think we would do? Storm the building?”

‘What did they think we would do – storm the building?’

Exclusive Report and Photos

Last Saturday the first-ever Radical March and Helsinki Smokeout was held by pro-cannabis advocates in Finland.

At 4:20 p.m., a big group of people lit up joints, bongs and pipes in front of the Parliament Building in Helsinki to support, as the organizers stated, “…decriminalization of the use of cannabis, possession of small quantities and farming for personal use to adults.”

The march, organized by Defenders of Nature (Luonnon Puolustajat), started from Hesperia Park at 4 p.m., gathering a crowd of about 200 to 300 people from all over Finland, journalist/activist Alexandra Sandbäck told Toke of the Town on Tuesday.

“Some of the participants arriving by bus from Pori were held up by police outside the city center for what was called a ‘routine control’ of tires, logs, and whatever else,” Sandbäck told us. “After 30 minutes, they let the bus continue on after giving the driver a fine for something minor. The bus went straight to the Parliament Building where people were getting ready to light up.”

Medical Marijuana Industry Forming First Trade Association

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2010 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Graphic: NCIA

With growing financial clout and an eye on expanding to more states beyond the 15 that have already legalized medicinal cannabis, leaders of the medical marijuana industry are forming a national trade association.

While there are smaller, local trade groups, organizers said this will be the first business organization working on the national level, reports Dan Frosch at The New York Times.

Organizers of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) said it is the first national trade group representing the interests of the cannabis industry and its consumers. More than 20 professionals from various sectors of the marijuana industry make up the initial board of directors of NCIA, which organizers said was formed with the express purpose of improving business conditions for the industry.

Based in Washington, D.C., the group will focus mainly on lobbying, but will also help medical marijuana businesses navigate the labyrinth of laws that differ depending on state, county, and city.

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