William Breathes

Florida family pleads guilty to marijuana trafficking

By William Breathes on May 22, 2013 News, Say what?

Gilberto Santiesteban, Jr.

The family that grew ganja together is now the family that pleaded guilty together. In the spring of last year, federal agents and Miami-Dade narcotics detectives dismantled a clan of marijuana growers that distributed thousands of pounds of high-grade weed from South Florida to New York City. Gilberto Santiesteban Jr., his dad, and his three brothers operated 21 grow houses for nearly seven years. Heck, even their significant others participated in the green conspiracy. It all unraveled when the Santiestebans decided to kidnap and murder a man who stole close to 50 pounds of their herb.
Miami New Times has the rest.

International sports anti-doping rules relaxed for marijuana use

By William Breathes on May 21, 2013 News

When it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, the World Anti-Doping Agency has a hard line: keep it clean.
And like a growing surge of people across the world, they understand that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug and that a few recreational (or medical) puffs of ganja when not in competition aren’t going to harm anyone.

Arrest of burglary suspect accidentally leads police to unrelated grow house

By William Breathes on May 21, 2013 News, Say what?

An alleged marijuana grower in upscale Ranchos Palos Verdes (a suburb of L.A.) has to have the worst luck ever.
Cops searching for a burglar from a case several blocks to the north came across a suspicious man in a car parked outside the alleged grower’s house, and that prompted authorities to search the home: It all started Thursday afternoon when deputies went to the 27800 block of Alaflora Drive in the Rancho Palos Verdes based on a report of burglary suspects in the area, according to a sheriff’s statement released over the weekend.

Kentucky residents want their grass (and not the blue kind)

By William Breathes on May 20, 2013 Hemp, Medical, News

Nearly 80 percent of Kentuckians approve of legalizing medical marijuana and roughly a quarter of the state would be open to outright legalization, according to a poll released last week.
How to go about that, though, seems to be up in the air.

Illinois legislature approves medical marijuana bill, Gov. reviewing bill

By William Breathes on May 20, 2013 Legislation, Medical, News

The Illinois senate Friday approved House Bill 1, which would create a state-regulated medical marijuana patient program as well as authorize state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. Lawmakers say they have created one of the strictest programs in the nation.
But Governor Pat Quinn says he’s still considering the bill, though he told reporters earlier today that he remains “open minded” on the issue. Lt. Gov. Shelia Simon has publicly expressed her support for the bill.

Marijuana alone not a significant factor in serious Arizona auto accidents

By William Breathes on May 20, 2013 News

Wikipedia.

Pot by itself was not much of a factor in injury and fatal crashes probed last year by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Fewer than 1 percent of suspected impaired drivers involved in such crashes tested positive for nothing but marijuana.
Drivers suspected of impairment in crashes that hurt or killed people in Phoenix, Chandler, and Scottsdale were rarely found to be impaired by marijuana, according to research from the Phoenix New Times. Meanwhile, alcohol is believed responsible for five to 10 times the number of crashes caused by drivers impaired by all other illegal drugs combined. The New Times has the rest.

Vermont legislature passes industrial hemp bill, Colorado farmer plants 60 acre hemp plot

By William Breathes on May 17, 2013 Hemp, News

Wikipedia commons.

Vermont farmers will likely have one more option of what to cultivate this summer after the state legislature Monday gave final approval to Senate Bill 157 which lifts a state ban on hemp farming.
The bill still has to be signed by the governor, but so far he hasn’t made any indications that he will veto it.

Missouri decriminalization bill won’t pass, but gets hearing on last day of legislature

By William Breathes on May 17, 2013 Legislation, News

A proposal to decriminalize marijuana across the state will have a hearing this morning at the Missouri House of Representatives — which appears to be the farthest this effort has ever gone in the legislature. It will not, however, make it much farther this time around given that today is the last day of the legislative session.
Still, supportive lawmakers and marijuana reform advocates from Show-Me Cannabis are celebrating the opportunity to have the issue finally debated in this setting. “It’s a big step forward for Missouri,” State Rep. Rory Ellinger, a University City Democrat, tells the Riverfront Times, which as the rest of this story.

Seattle butcher serving pot-fed pigs

By William Breathes on May 17, 2013 Culture, Growing, Say what?

BB Ranch.

No, its not going to make you stoned. It’s could make you fat, though. A butcher in Seattle has begun serving pork from pot-fed pigs, and says the taste is hog-heaven.
Cassandra Sawywer with the Seattle Met uncovered the tip the other week in talking with the head butcher of BB Ranch butcher shop at the Pike Place Market in Washington. He dubbed them “pot pigs”, and came up with the idea with Bucking Boar Farms owner who already serves pigs used vodka grains from a nearby distillery.

Reporter claims chronic pain and gets a medical pot card, then implies wrongdoing

By William Breathes on May 17, 2013 Follow that story, News, Say what?

Morgan Loew.

Morgan Loew, a ~~douchebag~~ reporter with Phoenix’s CBS 5, had a hunch: that only young and healthy people were getting a medical marijuana card from doctors who didn’t really care about following the rules. Sick people be damned.
So what did he do? He faked his way into getting a card with a real ailment: a sore back. He saw both a chiropractor (to build up a history) as well as the doctor who recommended cannabis for what Loew described as “distracting” pain that limited his ability to run.

Author William Breathes