William Breathes

Gisele Pollack, Florida Drug Court Judge Charged With DUI, Begs for Her Career

By William Breathes on November 18, 2014 Follow that story, News

Broward County Circuit Judge (and misdemeanor drug court judge) Gisele Pollack, who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in early May, sat before a panel of the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission on Thursday and vowed never to drink again. Pollack, who pled guilty in September for driving under the influence, has had issues arise due to her drinking, including an incident while she was on the bench.
As a result, the Florida Supreme Court suspended her. She has been trying to get her career back on track ever since.

Colorado Task Force Fail to Agree on Pot Edibles

By William Breathes on November 18, 2014 Follow that story, News

Despite threats of killing all edibles sales and giving the state final say on what foods can and can’t make it to market over the last few months, a Colorado task force was unable to agree on any one recommendation to state lawmakers. Instead, they are sending over several proposals — pretty much punting the issue they were tasked with partially solving.

Marley Family Sells Bob’s Name to Corporate Cannabis

By William Breathes on November 18, 2014 Culture, News, Say what?

The Marley Naturals logo.

Members of the Marley family have granted a Seattle-based equity firm the rights to use Bob Marley’s name in conjunction with a line of cannabis, cannabis-infused products and smoking accessories dubbed Marley Naturals, they announced this week
In an interview on NBC TODAY, Bob’s wife Rita, his son Rohan and daughter Cedella say that the brand will represent true “heirloom Jamaican cannabis” in the American market and that they’ll bring a corporate sensibility to the world of legal pot.

Michigan Corrections Officer Charged in Pot Brownie Case Dies

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 Follow that story, Medical, News

Former Kent County jail Sgt. and medical marijuana patient Timothy Bernhardt, who is being charged along with three other corrections officers for possessing medical marijuana brownies, has died. According to the family’s attorney, Bernhardt died Sunday morning. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Bernhardt was set to be sentenced for “maintaining a drug house” after being busted with pot brownies. As we told you last week, marijuana concentrates are illegal in Michigan, which courts there have taken to include marijuana-infused butter.

New Missouri Republican State Rep Wants to Legalize Marijuana

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 News

Missouri State Rep.-elect Shamed Dogan.

St. Louis cannabis users truly seem to have a representative in state government. At least, when it comes to cannabis. Rep.-elect Shamed Dogan told a crowd at the Show-Me Cannabis Fall CAnnabis Reform Conference Saturday night that states should have the final say in pot matters.
“I think the fact it is a state verses federal thing, that’s another argument to use with people,” the Tea Party Republican said. “I mean, why should I care that the federal government’s made it completely illegal, right? Like, why shouldn’t states be able to experiment and have different policies?”

Denver Marijuana-Use Tickets Skyrocket in 2014

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 News, Say what?

Denver Police have issued 668 tickets since marijuana sales were made legal for adults 21 and up, an increase of 551 tickets from the same timeframe last year or 471 percent.
According to data pulled by Colorado Public Radio, the most tickets were written during the second quarter of 2014, with 330 issued. The last three months were the second busiest for pot cops in Denver, with 224 tickets written.

Will Nevada’s Republican Legislature Legalize Pot to Prevent Democrat Turnout in 2016?

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 Legalize It, News

If Republicans in Nevada want to hold on to their seats as well as control the way cannabis is regulated in the future in the state, they’d better legalize this session.
That’s the message from state Sen. Tick Segerblom, a Democrat from Las Vegas, who says Republicans – who control both the state House and Senate – need to get with the times.

Colorado Health Officials Want “Premarket Approval” on All Pot Edibles

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 News

Edible selection at Healing House in Lakewood, Colorado.

Colorado Health Department officials want to be able to give a yay or a nay to any and all pot edibles before they could go on sale to the public, according to a department memo obtained by the Associated Press.
The move is part of a continued fight against edibles that some groups claim are being marketed to children in the forms of familiar candies and treats. Because, you know, adults don’t like candy or sweets at all.

Washington State’s First Pot Auction Harvests $600,000 for Local Farmer

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 Legalize It, News

FireweedFarm.com

Fireweed Farms became the first recreational marijuana grow in Washington to auction off their harvest last week, pulling in about $600,000 for around 300 pounds of herb.
Bud was sold by the gram in several lots, mostly by strain with about 40 people on hand. Herb was on display in plastic baggies, but consumption was not allowed.

Florida Cops are Dicks: Blind Man Hassled Over Minor Weed Possession

By William Breathes on November 17, 2014 Follow that story, News, Say what?

We told you last week about Tannie “T-Man” Burke. He says that he’s used to being hassled by cops even though he’s never been convicted of a crime. He’s been arrested twice and detained several other times, he believes, simply because he’s a young black man.
“I feel they stop me because they see a black man walking down the street,” he tells Jim Defede. “I don’t know what to say about it. I just feel bad about it. That’s it.”
But his arrest on August 27 seemed particularly cruel and strange. Burke is blind, and after police arrested him on suspicion of marijuana possession they put him in the back of a cop car. They never took him in to be booked, he says, and then dropped him at night in a desolate area nearly a mile from his home and didn’t offer help getting home. Miami New Times has the local angle.

Author William Breathes