Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Facebook Billionaire Donates To Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 6, 2010 Culture, Legislation

Dustin Moskovitz has given $70,000 so far to support Prop 19 for marijuana legalization in California.

Facebook billionaire Dustin Moskovitz has confirmed that he recently gave $50,000 in support of Proposition 19, which seeks to legalize marijuana in California this November.

Moskovitz had already given $20,000 to the effort in an earlier donation, reports Luisa Kroll of Forbes. Prop 19 would allow people 21 or older to possess, cultivate or transport cannabis for personal use and would also permit local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of pot.

With his public support of cannabis legalization, Moskovitz joins other billionaires such as Peter Lewis, who has donated $12,800 to Oregon’s medical marijuana initiative, Ballot Measure 74, also to be decided by voters next month.

Lewis, who was arrested for cannabis possession in New Zealand about 10 years ago, has been a longtime supporter of legalization. He reportedly smoked marijuana for pain relief after his left leg was amputated.

Philly Cops Rob Undercover Cop Posing As Marijuana Dealer

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 6, 2010 News

Photo: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Police officers Christopher Luciano, left, and Sean Alivera, right, have been charged with robbing a an undercover investigator posing as a drug dealer.

Two Philadelphia police officers were arrested Monday evening and charged with robbing an undercover investigator posing as a pot dealer, authorities admitted Tuesday.

Officers Sean Alivera, 31, and Christopher Luciano, 23, allegedly stole 20 pounds of marijuana and $3,000 in cash, reports Troy Graham at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Both officers, who were partners in the 25th District, were arrested at the district headquarters in what must have been a priceless scene. They were still in custody Tuesday morning, after being charged with robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy, and other distinctly cop-like crimes.

Prop 19 Legalization Leads; Opponents Try To Revive Campaign

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 6, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: Zazzle

Opponents of Proposition 19 — which would legalize, tax and regulate recreational marijuana for adults in California — are desperately trying to revive their cash-strapped campaign amid signs that public sentiment is turning more and more in favor of the initiative.

“We’re telling folks who are opposed, ‘If we’re going to get our message out, we need additional resources,’ ” said Roger Salazar, spokesman for No On Proposition 19, reports Michael Montgomery at CaliforniaWatch.

The campaign against Prop 19 has so far been financially anemic, raising less than $160,000 in contributions for all of this year, according to required campaign finance disclosures as of September 30.

Meanwhile, supporters of the cannabis legalization initiative have raised more than $860,000 this year, led by Oakland marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee.

Military-Style Marijuana Raid At School Turns Up Tomatoes

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 News

Photo: Olive-Drab

National Guard helicopters were used in the armed raid on the school, which teaches 11- to 14-year-old students. Only tomato plants were found.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Police using military helicopters raided a New Mexico school looking for marijuana growing in a greenhouse last month, but all they found there were a bunch of tomatoes.

The armed raid on the school containing 11- to 14-year-old students occurred during lunch hour on September 21, according to education director Patricia Pantano.

“We were all as a group eating outside as we usually do, and this unmarked drab green helicopter kept flying over and dropping lower,” Pantano said, reports Tom Sharpe at The Santa Fe New Mexican. “Of course, the kids got all excited. They were telling me that they could see gun barrels outside the helicopter. I was telling them they were exaggerating.”

Comedian Busted For Marijuana After Petting Drug Dogs

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 Culture, News

Photo: Westword

Ralphie May: “These dogs love me!”

Comedian Ralphie May described himself as an “idiot” after he got caught carrying marijuana through customs in Guam after he approached and petted a drug-sniffing dog because he thought it was cute.

May was busted in the incident last week, but only had to pay a small fine because he was carrying less than an ounce, reports TMZ.

The comedian, who has a California medical marijuana card, said he didn’t realize the pot was in his bag when, on his way through customs, he went up to the dog and started petting it.

Canadian Medical Pot User Lights Up In House Of Commons

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 Global, Medical

Photo: CTV News

Samuel Mellace holds up the joint he smoked in Canada’s House of Commons on Parliment Hill in Ottawa, Monday, October 4.

It smelled good in Canada’s Parliament on Monday. A medical marijuana patient lit up a joint in the House of Commons to protest what he called unfair rules set by Health Canada.

Samuel Mellace, who lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is a licensed cannabis user under the Canadian federal government’s medical marijuana program, reports Meagan Fitzpatrick of Postmedia News. He started smoking a joint Monday afternoon while in the public gallery of the House of Commons as the daily question period came to an end.

MI: Flint Township Avoids Medical Marijuana Business Ban

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 Dispensaries, News

Photo: A Greener Country

After stripping an ordinance of its powers to crack down on medical marijuana businesses, the Flint Township board voted down the ordinance at their regular meeting Monday night anyway, reports Blake Thorne of the Flint Journal.

The township’s planning commission had passed an amendment to the township’s zoning rules which required all “uses or businesses seeking approval or permits from the township must comply with federal, state and local law.”

Since marijuana is illegal for any purpose, including medical uses, under federal law, the ordinance would have effectively banned medical marijuana businesses from the township. Because of federal law, any business which sells, distributes or allows medical marijuana would have been in violation of the township ordinance.

R.I. Seeks More Pot Dispensary Applications After Nixing All

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 Dispensaries, News

Graphic: Turn To 10

The Rhode Island Health Department is now once again taking applications from those interested in opening medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, and officials said they are hoping to avoid problems they faced with the first round of proposals — which were all turned down.

The new round of dispensary applications (the form can be downloaded here) will be open until noon on November 12, and those interested can submit their plans to operate compassion centers that sell marijuana to patients in the state-run program, reports W. Zachary Malinowski of The Providence Journal.

“Our goal has been, and continues to be, assuring the safest and most effective compassion center for patients and the public,” said Dr. David R. Gifford, Health Department director. “We want to keep this process moving.”

Oregon Lawyers Assoc. Endorses Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Graphic: Oregon Measure 74

The Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association announced on Monday that it is endorsing a measure on the November ballot that would create state-regulated dispensaries for medical marijuana in the state.

If approved by voters, Measure 74 would authorize nonprofit organizations to set up state-regulated dispensaries to sell pot to authorized medical marijuana patients, who now must grow their own, pay someone to grow it for them, or obtain it on the black market.

Bad Girlfriend Calls 911 On Marijuana-Smoking Sweetheart

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 5, 2010 News

Graphic: Tim Townsend/Deviant Art

Pick your girlfriends carefully, guys. Especially if you’re unemployed and high on pot.

A 35-year-old Missouri man has been charged with marijuana possession after his girlfriend call 911 and said she was tired of him smoking pot all day instead of working.

Dispatchers in Lebanon, a small town in southwestern Missouri, got a 911 hang-up call about 9 p.m. Saturday night from a motel room, reports the Lebanon Daily Record.

Police said officers went to Forrest Manor Motel at 1307 East Route 66, and were told by the woman that her boyfriend did nothing but smoke marijuana all day and would not go find a job.

The woman told officers that she just wanted her boyfriend to stop smoking pot, according to the Lebanon Police Department.

The man told police his girlfriend was angry with him because he didn’t have a job yet.

He then admitted to having marijuana in his car, and handed over a container holding a pipe and some plant material identified as cannabis.

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