William Breathes

Florida marijuana legalization debate expected to draw large crowds, protesters

By William Breathes on October 21, 2013 Medical, News

TokeoftheTown.com

The organizers of an upcoming debate about the legalization of marijuana in Florida say that they are expecting overflow crowds, protests, and extra police. The head of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy will debate a UF professor who has advised three presidents. The event is set to take place at Palm Beach State College October 30.
Medicinal marijuana is already legal in 20 states, and Colorado and Washington have both legalized the wacky weed for recreational use as well. It’s very possible that medical marijuana could be on the ballot in Florida for 2014. United for Care has already gathered almost double the 68,000 votes needed to trigger a state Supreme Court review of language for a referendum. The group needs 683,149 signatures to get it on the ballot, and 60 percent of voters would need to approve it for it to pass. Broward-Palm Beach New Times has the full story.

Australians throw twenty pounds of pot at police, run

By William Breathes on October 18, 2013 Global, News, Say what?

Cops in Sydney, Australia say they were patrolling a neighborhood near a building that had been the location of a fire earlier in the day when they saw two men walking out with boxes. When the cops walked up the two dudes freaked out and threw about 22 pounds of bagged up weed in the cops faces and took off running.
Throwing your weed at a policeman might be a good way to buy a few seconds of lead-time, but it’s not something we would suggest.

Jamaican man pleads not guilty to smoking marijuana, says he ate it

By William Breathes on October 18, 2013 Global, News, Say what?

William Breathes.

Being a smart-ass to a judge during your marijuana smoking trial might not be the best idea, but what if you’re smart-ass remark is really the truth?
Sarjie Morgan of Kingston, Jamaica was charged with smoking marijuana last week. When brought before the judge, Morgan pleaded innocent. He couldn’t be guilty of smoking ganja, he said. He had eaten it.

Could overtaxed marijuana in Washington and Colorado help the black market?

By William Breathes on October 18, 2013 Legalize It, News

Would you pay $17 for a gram of marijuana if you knew it cost only $2? How about a $100 half-ounce for $136? If you’re planning on buying legal cannabis in Colorado or Washington, that might be the case as both states plan to tax marijuana sales heartily.

Health of sick Michigan MMJ patient jailed by feds for cultivation declining in custody

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

Jerry Duval’s siezed grow operation.

Michigan marijuana patient and caregiver Jerry Duval was sentenced to 10 years in prison back in April of 2010 for “maintaining a drug premises” according to federal agents who raided his farm. A decade in jail will cost taxpayers more than $1.2 million.
But it could cost Duval, a cancer survivor several times over now suffering from coronary artery disease, glaucoma and neurpathy, his vision and possibly his life.

Oregon ironing out medical marijuana testing rules

By William Breathes on October 18, 2013 Dispensaries, News

Oregon medical marijuana dispensaries must test cannabis for mold, mildew and pesticides before it can be sold to patients. It seems like a logical move for anyone trying to put out clean product to patients, but so far few other medical marijuana states actually require testing by law.
But exactly how they plan to test and what they plan to test for is still up in the air.

International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver next week

By William Breathes on October 17, 2013 Global, News

The first retail sale of recreational marijuana in Colorado has yet to be rung up, but the state is already reaping some convention business as a result of its groundbreaking reforms of drug laws. Next week more than a thousand elected officials, health care professionals, students, drug war veterans and policy wonks from thirty countries will descend on downtown Denver for the International Drug Policy Reform Conference — four days of panels and analysis of drug policies that will also be a celebration of Colorado’s key role in the reform movement.
Our friends at Denver Westword have more.

New Jersey MMJ dispensary honors fallen local advocate Diane Riportella

By William Breathes on October 17, 2013 Dispensaries, News

Youtube.com/JohnRobertCruz

Diane Riportella, from YouTube.

From the time she was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 until the day she died in September 2012, Diane Riportella fought hard for New Jersey patients to have access to legal medical cannabis.
For her efforts, Compassionate Care Foundation will be dedicating their (soon-to-be open) new dispensary building to Riportella. Compassionate Care will be New Jersey’s second legal dispensary when open.

California Gov. vetoes bill reducing simple drug possession penalties

By William Breathes on October 17, 2013 Legislation, News

A law that many argued would help end widespread prison overcrowding in California was killed by Gov. Jerry Brown Tuesday.
Senate Bill 649 would have given state judges and district attorneys the ability to charge small possession cases as either felonies or misdemeanors, dropping prison times for personal amounts of drugs from up to three years in jail to under a year in some cases. Provisions were also included that would have increased treatment options for addicts.

Houston-area man dies in police custody after marijuana arrest

By William Breathes on October 17, 2013 News

LCPD.

Richard David Benefiel.

A Deer Park, Texas man died from an “unknown substance” while in jail for simple marijuana possession over the weekend.
Richard David Benefiel was arrested early Sunday morning after cops found in his his car with the hood up on a half-abandoned dirt road in League City, Texas. According to police, Benefiel was visibly intoxicated when they showed up. Cops say they couldn’t determine what he was so messed up on, but seem to imply it wasn’t just marijuana possibly could have been a really, really wicked alcohol detox.

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