Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Joan Rivers Smokes Marijuana On Reality Show [Video]

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Culture, News

Toke it out, Joan.

Hey, that weed smells like… a publicity stunt! Veteran comedian Joan Rivers freaked out some American TV viewers on Tuesday by smoking marijuana on her reality show.

Rivers was shown getting medicinal cannabis from a California dispensary before puffing it from a pipe while sitting in her car with a pal, reports WENN.com.

As the marijuana takes effect, Rivers dissolves into giggles and is driven home by a friend, stopping on the way to pick up burgers and fries.

Police: Entire New York City Building Was Marijuana Farm

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Growing, News

NBC New York

Police raided a five-story Bronx building they claim was being used as a marijuana farm, with hundreds of plants in an “elaborate” growing system.

An entire five-story building in New York City was raided by the police this week, and authorities claimed the entire structure was being used as a multi-floor marijuana farm.

Police said that four of the floors appeared to be used for various stages of the plants’ growth, with the most mature cannabis being on the top floor, reports Stephen C. Webster at The Raw Story.

The building reportedly had elaborate watering and air filtration systems to keep the plants healthy and the smell under control, reports Shimon Prokupecz, Jonathan Dienst and Joe Valiquette at NBC New York.

California Marijuana Policy Bills Fail To Advance By Deadline

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Legislation, News

San Francisco Sentinel

California State Senator Mark Leno has been a consistent champion for medical marijuana patients’ rights

Despite hundreds of letters urging California lawmakers to support legislation to improve California’s marijuana policies, two bills that would have done just that failed to advance out of their respective chambers by Tuesday’s deadline.

Although both proposals enjoy strong public support, both were pulled prior to a vote by their sponsors due to a lack of majority support in their respective chambers.

The first bill was AB 1017, introduced by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. This bill proposed changing the penalty for marijuana cultivation from an automatic felony to a “wobbler” that could be charged as a misdemeanor. AB 1017 received a vote last spring, when it lost 24-36, but it did not garner enough support to pass if it was voted on again.

NYPD Made More Marijuana Arrests In 2011 — Against Orders

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 News

disinformation

New Data Released: Illegal Searches and Manufactured Misdemeanors Continue Despite Order by Commissioner Kelly to Halt Unlawful Arrests

More Than 400,000 People Arrested on Low-Level Marijuana Charges in NYC in the Past Decade; Most Are Young Blacks and Latinos, Despite Whites Using Marijuana at Higher Rates

2011 Arrests Cost Taxpayers Over $75 Million; Bloomberg Spends More Than $600 Million on Bogus Marijuana Arrests In Last Decade

According to data just released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the New York City Police Department continued their quixotic marijuana arrest crusade in 2011, surpassing 2010’s near-record amount of low-level marijuana arrests.

In 2011, the NYPD made more than 50,680 arrests for the lowest-level marijuana possession offense, making 2011 the second-highest period for marijuana arrests in New York City history.

AZ Moves To Make Medical Marijuana Illegal For College Students

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

BizzaroBlog

Arizona lawmakers are preparing on Wednesday to deny university and college students living on campus the right to use medical marijuana, even if they have the legally required doctor’s recommendation to use it.

Legislation written by Rep. Amanda Reeve (R-Phoenix) would make it illegal to use and even to possess marijuana on the campus of any public or private post-secondary institution of learning, reports Howard Fischer at Capitol Media Services.

Included under the overbearing law would be not only the state university system and network of community colleges but even various private schools that offer degrees or certificates.

That doesn’t just mean keeping marijuana out of classrooms and open areas.

HB 2349, set for debate in the House Committee on Higher Education, also would prohibit students from using cannabis in their dorm rooms — even if the patient is drinking a cannabis infused drink or eating a cannabis edible.

S.F. Marijuana Dispensaries Annual Sales Estimate: $41 Million

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Dispensaries, News

Changing World

In an unprecedented analysis of sales tax revenue from the sale of medical marijuana at city dispensaries, the San Francisco controller’s office has estimated annual sales of medicinal cannabis at $41 million.

San Francisco’s roughly two dozen licensed collectives must pay the city’s 8.5 percent sales tax rate, coming from California’s 7.25 percent sales tax with a local one percent sales tax going to S.F.’s general fund, and a .25 percent sales tax that goes to other areas like transportation, reports David Downs at the East Bay Express.

Counting the most recent reporting period — which ended with the third quarter of 2011 — a year’s worth of general fund revenue from sales tax on medical marijuana totals “just over 410,000,” said Curt Fuchs, senior economist in the controller’s office, East Bay Express reports.

Since that figure is one percent of sales, that means S.F. dispensaries sold about $41 million worth of marijuana in a year, “which equals a $50 (or about an eighth of an ounce) dispensary purchase for every person in the city,” Downs reports.

Kansas Legislature Shows No Interest In Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

tilrc.org

Doesn’t care about patients: Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) said “I have no interest on hearing the bill”

Even though a bill which would legalize the medical use of marijuana is now in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, lawmakers haven’t shown any interest in making it a law.

Sen. David Haley (D-Kansas City) introduced Senate Bill 354, the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act, during Monday’s session. It was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, where it will likely sit without a hearing, reports Chris Hong at LJWorld.

“I have no interest on hearing the bill,” the arrogant and uncaring Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) said haughtily. Schmidt chairs the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.

AZ Governor Humiliated In Dismissal Of Anti-Marijuana Lawsuit

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

CBS News

“That’s not how lawsuits work,” the exasperated judge told Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s legal team

You probably thought that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s recent anti-medical-marijuana lawsuit — through which she sought to thwart the will of Arizona’s voters, as expressed at the polls — was not only an exercise in futility, but also damn silly as well.

Turns out that you’re not the only one who thinks so. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton agrees, and she gave quite a spanking to Gov. Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne on January 4 while dismissing the lawsuit.

The dismissal came after a December 12 hearing that didn’t go well for one of Atty. Gen. Horne’s lawyers, reports Ray Stern at Phoenix New Times. Horne — go figure — decided to stay away from this one and sent assistant AG Lori Davis to “take one for the team,” New Times reports.

Living Outside The Marijuana Laws: The Duality Of Honesty

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2012 Culture

Kenny’s Sideshow

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

To live outside the law, you must be honest.

~ Bob Dylan

Welcome to the duality of honesty.

Clancy is a master-grower. He lives deep up on one of those canyon drives that seems so off the beaten path that it’s hard to believe someone actually lives there. Barely in his 30s, Clancy’s a kid in terms of the hills and cultivation, but unlike many of his youthful contemporaries, he studies the old ways.

S.F. Resumes Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licensing (Again)

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2012 Dispensaries, News

The Fresh Scent

San Francisco’s on-again, off-again program to license medical marijuana dispensaries in the city has once again resumed operations. The medical cannabis dispensary program resumed licensing and inspecting collectives, Department of Public Health officials announced on Monday.

The ove came after the agency said last week that the application process was “suspended indefinitely,” and that announcement had come after the city had announced it would continue licensing the shops. And that announcement had come after the initial suspension of licensing in December following a court ruling.

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