William Breathes

American teen pot use up while booze consumption is down

By William Breathes on December 19, 2013 News

A recent study by the National Institutes of health shows teen cannabis use increasing across the U.S. as perceptions of the of the plant as a dangerous drug have declined. Probably because of all of the bullshit fed to them over the years about cannabis being a harmful, life-wrecking substance turned out to be so wrong in the first place.
The NIH 2013 Monitoring the Future Survey polled 41,675 kids from 389 public and private schools around the country. Only 39 percent said marijuana was harmful and about 6.5 percent of the seniors say they smoke weed daily – up only slightly from ten years ago when 6 percent admitted to a daily toke.

At least 221 Coloradans sickened by “synthetic cannabis” in August

By William Breathes on December 19, 2013 News, Say what?

Gross.

As you know, real marijuana is now legal for 21-and-over adults in Colorado, at least in small amounts.
But smokable synthetic drugs (often dubbed “synthetic marijuana”) remains illegal — and a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows why. In August, use of synthetic marijuana was linked to 221 Colorado emergency-room visits — one of the largest totals since the quasi-legal compounds first became popular a few years ago. Read the rest over at Denver Westword.

Arizona medical patients consumed more than 2.5 tons of ganja in the past year

By William Breathes on December 19, 2013 Medical, News

Arizona’s medical-marijuana dispensaries sold more than 2.5 tons of marijuana in the past 12 months, officials say.
From December 6th, 2012 — opening day for the state’s first state-authorized dispensary, Arizona Organix — to December 9th of this year, 5,279 pounds of marijuana were sold, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The health department provided the numbers this morning following a Phoenix New Times records request made last month. Click over to the New Times for the rest of the story.

Woman tries sneaking $10k in hash into California prison in Corn Nuts bag

By William Breathes on December 18, 2013 News, Say what?

While there are no doubt some fruity-smelling and candy-tasting strains of pot out there, a bag of Skittles is not the best way to try and sneak pot into a maximum security state prison. And while sandy, amber hash can sometimes look like small roasted pieces of corn, Corn Nuts should also be avoided as a potential weed Trojan horse.
Two separate California women visiting their respective companions in jail learned that the hard way over the weekend.

Washington state hoping to bank big on pot tourism from Canada

By William Breathes on December 18, 2013 Global, Legalize It, News

When legal cannabis sales begin in Washington state next year, dispensary owners are hoping for a little business from north of the border.
Take Mike Momany, president and founder of the Washington State Cannabis Tourism Association, who plans to open a pot pedi-cab business as well as host a “Can-Am Cannabis Celebration” in a border town, a pot party where Yankees and Canucks can light up together.

Chicago medical marijuana doctor faces sanctions for developing patient relationships

By William Breathes on December 18, 2013 Medical, News

A Chicago doctor could face a suspended or repealed medical license after the state regulatory board accused him of taking fees for “pre-approval” medical marijuana consultations with patients even before the state program is officially underway.
Dr. Brian Murray charged patients a $99 fee for an initial clinic visit needed to establish a “legitimate physician-patient relationship” as required under Illinois law. According to a Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation filed Monday, the fee is “misleading” and falls under state medical malpractice laws.

Denver to decriminalize limited cannabis possession for everyone under 21

By William Breathes on December 18, 2013 News

TokeoftheTown/Matt Wright.

Monday night, Denver City Councilman Albus Brooks succeeded in getting a majority of his colleagues to support a bill decriminalizing possession of one ounce or less of marijuana for those under age 21.
Brooks stresses that the measure shouldn’t be interpreted as a sanction for young people to smoke weed — a position with which anti-pot activists can be expected to take issue prior to next Monday’s final vote. In the meantime, though, one reformer is happily surprised at the passage.

Dallas headshop employees gun down two would-be robbers in three weeks

By William Breathes on December 18, 2013 News, Say what?

TokeoftheTown.com

Head shops may be run by a bunch of pot smokers, but would-be robbers in Texas shouldn’t mistake their mellowness for an inability to defend themselves or their stores. Case and point: The Smokin’ Dragon Gifts chain in Dallas, with its wide array of smokes and smoking accessories, including a delightful selection of novelty pipes and a presumably high percentage of cash transactions, which might seem like an ideal target for the criminally inclined.
Bad idea. See, at Smokin’ Dragon would-be robbers and shoplifters run an exceptionally high risk of being shot. Twice in three weeks, this head shop’s employees have had to open fire. Dallas Observer has the rest of this only-in-Texas story.

“Stop lying”: Uruguayan president calls out United Nations officials upset over marijuana legalization

By William Breathes on December 17, 2013 Global, Legalize It, News

The head of the United Nations’ International Narcotics Control board says that Uruguay didn’t consult them before the country moved forward with the “surprising” legalization of limited amounts of cannabis earlier this month.
To that, Uruguayan president Jose Mujica says: bullshit, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone who was paying attention. Further, Mujica says he was open to talking about it with anyone and everyone who asked.

Seattle passes $27 fine for public marijuana smoking

By William Breathes on December 17, 2013 Legalize It, News

Marijuana possession (and soon purchases) are legal in Seattle, but public consumption remains verboten in Seattle much the same way as tipping back a bottle of beer in public. In that vein, Seattle City Council yesterday passed a law making marijuana toking in public a $27 fine – the same for illegal alcohol consumption.
Police, however, say they’ll most likely be issuing warnings “whenever practical” and would like to avoid writing the tickets if they can. We take that to mean that you’ll have to really/em> try to get the citation in most instances.

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Author William Breathes