William Breathes

Colorado ironing out hemp farming regulations

By William Breathes on July 30, 2013 Hemp, News

Hemp, lots of hemp.

Before Colorado farmers can plant industrial hemp, the state Department of Agriculture must come up with a way to register and inspect their crops. To help establish those regulations, lawmakers authorized the creation of a nine-member advisory committee.
The members of that committee have been chosen, and the group met for the first time in mid-July. Farmer-turned-political-activist Mike Bowman was there and we caught up with him about the group’s progress. Denver Westword has the full story.

Denver tenatively approves 5 percent marijuana tax on recreational sales

By William Breathes on July 30, 2013 Legislation, News

Kim Sidwell.

Denver 4/20 rally.

The City of Denver looks like it will be asking voters to approve a 5 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales if/when the shops open for business next year.
Council voted last night on a proposal that sets an initial 5 percent tax that could be lowered to 3.5 percent or raised to as high as 15 percent. Council still has a few more steps to go through before the measure would be approved. Even then, Colorado law requires tax measures to go before voters for approval.

First Washington D.C. medical marijuana dispensary (finally) opens

By William Breathes on July 30, 2013 Medical, News

Washington D.C., now with MMJ!

Legal medical cannabis is being sold just blocks from the White House doors.
After a long, drawn-out wait, Capital City Cannabis opened for business yesterday, making it Washington D.C.’s first medical marijuana dispensary. “It’s so exciting to welcome patients into Capital City Care for the first time,” general manager David Guard said in a prepared statement. “Every day we hear from people who are suffering from serious illnesses and need another option for treating their symptoms. It’s an honor to be able to help them improve their quality of life and provide care to this large under-served population.”

Colorado-style legalization of limited amounts coming to Missouri?

By William Breathes on July 29, 2013 Legislation, News

State Rep. Rory Ellinger, a Democrat from University City, plans to introduce legislation next session to legalize pot in the state, modeled after the successful reform effort in Colorado. It will definitely be a long shot here, but this will be the first time a lawmaker in Missouri has introduced a proposal of this nature.
“I expect there will be a lot of good people that feel marijuana is wrong, that it leads down a path of worse drugs and trouble and so on,” he tells Daily RFT. “I respect their opinion, but I think that it can all be disputed.”
Sam Levin with the Riverfront Times has the full, local angle.

15-year-old girl held captive on Calif. pot farm as labor/sex slave

By William Breathes on July 29, 2013 News, Say what?

Screen shot of the grow from CBS5 San Francisco.

We read a lot of fucked-up stories related to cannabis here at Toke, but this one might be the most disturbing we’ve read in a long, long time.
Two California men aged 30 and 24 have been charged with keeping a 15-year-old girl as a work/sex slave on their heavily-armed Clearlake marijuana farm, locking the girl in a 4x2x2 metal box for days on end according to local news KCRA.com.

Pro-pot ad pulled from NASCAR event after complaints from anti-pot lobby

By William Breathes on July 29, 2013 Culture, Follow that story, News, Say what?

NASCAR fans were bombarded with hundreds of alcohol ads over the weekend without batting an eye, but apparently a single advertisement celebrating cannabis as a safer alternative was too much for people to handle and had to be pulled before too many people could see it.

Notable Arizona marijuana activist arrested in Phoenix

By William Breathes on July 29, 2013 Medical, News

photo by Jamie Peachey.

Billy Hayes

Phoenix police have busted marijuana activist Billy Hayes for the second time in two years in connection with running an unauthorized medical-marijuana dispensary.
Hayes seems to have more lives than a cat, so we’re not betting yet on whether Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery will be able to secure a successful prosecution. Phoenix New Times has the full story.

Eleven Colorado cities expected to allow recreational cannabis sales

By William Breathes on July 26, 2013 News, Say what?

The prospect of recreational marijuana sales has produced a lot of political naysaying in the past month or so. On June 19, we counted 24 cities that had prohibited retail pot shops. Now, five weeks later, the Denver Post reports that the number has more than doubled, to 56 cities having voted for bans. The Post’s list of cities that have either approved sales, or are expected to do so, is far smaller — just eleven, almost all of which are medical marijuana-friendly.
Count down the roster of communities that are likeliest to just say “yes” over at the Denver Westword, complete with pics, videos and links.

Medical marijuana raids in Washington not related to recreational legalization

By William Breathes on July 26, 2013 Follow that story, Medical, Opinion

Several news sources have posted over the last few days about how the recent federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington were especially surprising since Washington voters approved the possession and sales of limited amounts of cannabis back in November.
Several media outlets have conflated the two, when they aren’t the same thing. In fact, Washington has yet to open any recreational dispensaries. Any dispensary that is open now is following the exact same rules they had to follow before I-502 and recreational sales haven’t even begun yet.

Pro-pot Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate pushing for medical and recreational legalization

By William Breathes on July 26, 2013 Medical, News

John Hanger.

A Pennsylvania democrat with a pro-pot platform has his eye on the governor’s office in 2014.
John Hanger says he has a three-step process for marijuana in the state, starting with allowing doctors to legally recommend medical marijuana for qualifying patients and ending with the legalization, taxation and regulation of cannabis for all adults over 21.

Author William Breathes