William Breathes

Rally planned for Washington man denied access to his daughter because of medical marijuana use

By William Breathes on September 18, 2013 News

Moms for Marijuana International

Billy Fisher and daughter.

to various press releases, Billy Fisher was in the middle of a custody battle with the child’s biological mother who Billy Fisher argues was creating n unsafe environment for his daughter.
The story isn’t entirely clear, but based on Mom’s for Marijuana International reports, it sounds like the baby and mother are in contact with a man who allegedly sexually abused the mother when she was a teenager. Understandable then whey a father would want to remove his daughter from that type of situation. But because Billy Fisher is a registered medical marijuana patient and cannabis activist in Washington, he has been denied custody and can only see his daughter during supervised visits.

NJ medical marijuana patient sues Gov. and state for sabotaging MMJ program

By William Breathes on September 18, 2013 Medical, News, Say what?

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and state officials have purposefully dragged their feet and botched the handling of the state’s medical marijuana program in an attempt to sabotage it.
That’s the argument being heard today in state appeals court in a lawsuit filed by medical marijuana patient Richard Caporusso, according to NJ.com.

Legal weed in D.C.? Councilman introduces recreational pot bill

By William Breathes on September 18, 2013 Follow that story, Legislation, News

Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. councilmember David Grosso introduced a bill yesterday that would legalize the possession and sales of limited amounts of cannabis in the nation’s capitol to adults 21 and over.
The bill would remove all criminal and civil penalties for the possession of an ounce or less of cannabis.

As Colorado marijuana tax opposition grows, legalization authors urge for approval

By William Breathes on September 18, 2013 Follow that story, Legislation, News

Last week, opponents of Proposition AA, the measure to establish tax rates for recreational marijuana, staged a rally at Civic Center Park at which adults 21 and over who attended were given free joints. In the days that followed, board members of Colorado NORML came out against Prop AA, too.
Does that mean support for the proposal is soft? Not in the view of attorney Brian Vicente, a marijuana advocate and co-author of Amendment 64. Denver Westword has the full story.

Jamaica officials mull marijuana reform, expunging pot criminal records

By William Breathes on September 17, 2013 Culture, Global, News

William Breathes.

Jamaican outdoor herb.

Marijuana reform is growing around the world, but particularly in the tiny Caribbean island nation of Jamaica, which has long been known as a cannabis capital of the world despite the fact that the plant remains illegal there.
Increasingly, there has been talk of legalization of small amounts of cannabis from some members of the progressive government. But more immediately, Jamaican officials say they will push for legislation that expunges any criminal records for marijuana possession or use.

Marijuana remains illegal on federal lands, despite state law changes in Colo. and Wash.

By William Breathes on September 17, 2013 Culture, News, Say what?

NPS

Sheep Lakes at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colo.

Marijuana possession (of limited amounts) might be legal in Washington and Colorado, but considering the federal government owns massive chunks of land in both states you aren’t always legally carrying ganja depending on where you are – namely national land.
According to a study conducted by the Associated Press, more than 27,700 people have been cited for marijuana possession on federal lands in the last four years. While the number is sizable in terms of drug arrests, officials say it is a paltry figure compared to the hundreds of millions of visitors to national parks, forests and monuments.

Marijuana arrests continue despite increased public pot support

By William Breathes on September 17, 2013 News, Say what?

Despite what many see as a lighters stance on cannabis in recent years, marijuana arrests continued at an alarming rate in 2012, with more than 749,800 people arrested – with most (87 percent) for simple possession.
According to a the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, marijuana arrests account for 48.3 percent of all drug arrests. Those figures are down slightly from 2011 numbers when marijuana arrests accounted for 49 percent of all arrests, but not by much.

Florida mother wants medical cannabis for cancer-stricken 2-year-old daughter

By William Breathes on September 17, 2013 Medical, News

Florida.

A Tampa woman wants to get medical marijuana to save her 2-year-old daughter’s life. Although she’s still getting her cancer-stricken daughter conventional treatment, such as radiation therapy, Moriah Barnhart says that’s not enough.
And she wants options other than just chemotherapy. Medical marijuana, Barnhart says, would work better than chemotherapy, particularly considering chemo’s long-term effects.As it is, medical marijuana remains illegal in Florida. Broward-Palm Beach New Times has the rest of this heart-wrenching story.

Linn State Technical College drug testing ruled unconstitutional: “Tired of The War on Drugs”

By William Breathes on September 16, 2013 News, Say what?

Linn State Technical College cannot force all of its students to submit to mandatory drug testing, according to U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey, who sided with the American Civil Liberties Union in a decision on Friday.
“The lack of a substantial and real public safety risk alone compels the conclusion that the drug-testing policy is unconstitutional as applied to these students,” reads the decision (on view below), which comes two years after the ACLU of Eastern Missouri first filed a lawsuit challenging the college’s new mandatory drug tests for all incoming students. In March, a federal judge blocked the controversial policy through an injunction and has now ruled that the tests are largely unlawful. Sam Levin with the Riverfront Times.

Cannabis Encyclopedia strain review: Grape Stomper

By William Breathes on September 13, 2013 Cannabis Encyclopedia

Ry Prichard.

Grape Stomper

Want to know more about the herb you’re smoking? So do we, so we’ve asked Ry Prichard – a fellow Colorado cannabis nerd, grower, photographer and founder of the Cannabis Encyclopedia project which aims to create a central database on cannabis strain information – to help school us all, strain-wise. Each week in our new Cannabis Encyclopedia blog, Prichard will break down a strain from seed to buds. This week? Grape Stomper.

Author William Breathes