William Breathes

Modern-day shaman offers spiritual clarity through cannabis consumption

By William Breathes on March 12, 2014 Culture, Say what?

Hamilton Souther.

Inside one of those anonymous high rises on Wilshire in LA, there is a bedroom in which all of the windows have been darkened and the walls covered in padding. The space is low lit and filled with electronics; it’s been converted into a recording studio. EDM is blasting from the speakers.
This isn’t, however, your run of the mill electronic music. These tracks are laced with icaros, traditional shamanic songs and chants from Peru. This modern electronic music is part of a larger effort to bring traditional shamanic practices to the masses. These tracks feature the apartment’s inhabitant, 35-year-old Hamilton Souther, either as singer, or co-producer. Souther is not your standard DJ/producer. In his perfectly pressed button down and close cropped haircut, he looks like an investment banker.
In fact, he is a “master shaman” who, in addition to his musical pursuits, has developed what he calls 420 Ceremony and the 420 Shamanism Movement. He is the co-developor of something called Blue Morpho Cannabis Shamanism. And yes, this is all related to weed.

Minnesota state Rep. pauses medical pot push as law enforcement buzzkills bill

By William Breathes on March 12, 2014 Legislation, Medical

Minnesota state Rep. Carly Melin.

Legislators appear ready to approve a medical marijuana bill this session. All along, however, the worry has been that Gov. Mark Dayton won’t sign it unless law enforcement officials express their support as well.
While there have been indications lately that law enforcement is mellowing its stance toward medical pot, cops coming onboard the legislative effort has always been an unlikely prospect. And this morning, the legislator who introduced the bill in the House, Rep. Carly Melin, D-Hibbing, announced that since law enforcement apparently won’t compromise whatsoever, she’s postponing the next committee hearing on the bill, which was scheduled for today.

Washington Senate passes less-restrictive medical pot bill

By William Breathes on March 11, 2014 Medical, News

Washington patients have been under attack by their state legislature, which has pushed a bill that would pretty much end the state’s medical marijuana program and force patients into the highly-taxed recreational model. House Bill 2149 deservedly should die a quick death.
And at least state Sen. Ann Rivers recognizes the flaws. Late last week Rivers introduced Senate Bill 5887 which addresses some of the major issues patients have with the other bill – though it still needs some tweaking to be palatable to Washington medical marijuana supporters.

California advocates file signatures to get dispensaries back in Santa Ana

By William Breathes on March 11, 2014 News

A group of “concerned citizens and business owners” is filing signatures today with the Santa Ana City Clerk, hoping to turn around the recent “Potpocalypse” in that city.
In case you weren’t aware, an explosion of medical marijuana dispensaries occurred in Santa Ana after the first election of President Barack Obama. However, starting in 2011, both the feds and local officials in Orange County began cracking down on pot shops, forcing all but a handful of storefronts in Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim to shut down. As recently as last November, the city sent letters to all dispensaries warning them to shut down or face prosecution.
OC Weekly has more.

Marijuana brings in millions in tax revenue to Colorado in January

By William Breathes on March 11, 2014 News

In the wake of Amendment 64’s passage, some officials worried marijuana sales tax revenues wouldn’t pay for needed regulation. But at least in month one, such concerns proved to be unfounded.
The retail pot sales launch resulted in a gusher of cash, with more than $3.5 million in tax revenues collected statewide. Moreover, those counties that embraced the industry, as opposed to banning it, have been rewarded with oodles of moolah, too — none more so than Denver County, which has generated nearly $1 million. The Denver Westword has the local angle.

The details behind Minnesota law enforcement’s flip-flop on medical marijuana

By William Breathes on March 10, 2014 Medical, News

Only a few months ago, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom called a press conference to announce that “marijuana is not a medicine.” It may come as a surprise, then, that the Minnesota Law Enforcement Coalition recently outlined for lawmakers the perimeters in which they could work with a medical marijuana bill. Backstrom was unavailable for comment, but Pipestone County Sheriff Dan Delaney, another member of the Minnesota Law Enforcement Coalition, took our call.
“I’m not a doctor,” Delaney explains, but if the medical community believes this could benefit patients, “Who am I to say that is wrong?”

Minneapolis City Pages has more.

New Jersey health department refuses to expand medical marijuana access, says program working just fine

By William Breathes on March 10, 2014 Medical, News, Say what?

Think the New Jersey Department of Health has your back if you’re an MMJ patient? You’re wrong.
Only 78 percent of New Jersey’s 1,670 medical marijuana patients have made a marijuana purchase from one of only three medical marijuana dispensaries around the state, things are going just fine according to the state Health Department. Not only that, but the department has no plans to expand the list of qualifying conditions until at least next year. Sorry those of you with severe, chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder – you’ll have to go on being a criminal if you choose to use cannabis.

California bill would severely curtail patient access to medical cannabis

By William Breathes on March 10, 2014 Medical, News

California has allowed for the compassionate use of marijuana since 1996. And while the state has become known for it’s medical pot tolerance, the industry has gone unchecked since it’s inception. Despite some cities and municipalities banning marijuana collectives, the system seems to work well for everyone involved.
Except, of course, the government. But a California lawmaker wants to change that, and has introduced a bill that would establish state oversight on the industry while butting into the business of doctors and their patients.

Colorado barber bans pot-smelling patrons from his store

By William Breathes on March 10, 2014 Culture, News, Say what?

Last October, when the Denver City Council was debating an ordinance that would have established fines and even jail time for home pot smoking that could be smelled from neighboring properties, we put together a list of the five Colorado places that smell worse than the pot smoker next door. Our top pick: Greeley, due to the aroma from the community’s meatpacking industry — and plenty of our readers agreed.
But in tiny Greeley, Colorado, one barber shop finds the aroma of weed considerably more offensive, and won’t serve anyone who reeks of it. Denver Westword has more.

Missouri dog walker refuses to serve clients who want to legalize marijuana

By William Breathes on March 10, 2014 News, Say what?

When news of a girl scout selling cookies outside a Colorado marijuana dispensary went viral last month, it had far-reaching consequences for a St. Louis family: they were “fired” from the dog walking service they had been a customer of for years.
It all started when Tricia Moyer, a mother of two and a Girl Scout troop leader, thought the idea of a 13-year-old with the business sense to sell delicious Thin Mints outside of a marijuana dispensary was funny. So she did what tens of thousands of other Americans did and shared a photo on Facebook. Tricia didn’t realize that the owners of her dog-walking service — Pack Leader, Plus Inc. — are devout Christians who don’t believe there was anything funny about it at all. Riverfrtont Times has more on this out-of-touch couple.

Author William Breathes