William Breathes

Marijuana charges dropped against Florida activist Cathy Jordan

By William Breathes on April 5, 2013 Follow that story, Medical, News

MPP.

Cathy Jordan.

Back in February, police raided the home of Florida Cannabis Action Network president Cathy Jordan and charged her and her husband Robert with cultivating marijuana. Jordan, who uses cannabis to manage Lou Gehrig’s disease. Thankfully, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has a heart, and dropped the case because Cathy clearly needs the marijuana for medical reasons. Hopefully this drives a message to Florida legislators who have stalled on a proposed medical marijuana bill this session.
For more, check out the Broward-Palm Beach New Times coverage.

West Virginia medical marijuana bill dead in House

By William Breathes on April 4, 2013 Follow that story, Legislation, Medical, News

West Virginia medical marijuana users will remain illegal in the eyes of the law thanks to the House of Delegates refusing to allow a floor vote on a proposed medical marijuana bill earlier this week.
Despite nearly two-dozen supporters speaking on behalf of House Bill 2961 before the Health and Human Resources Committee – and not a single person speaking out against it – the chairman refused to move it forward.

Washington to ban marijuana use in bars

By William Breathes on April 4, 2013 Culture, News

While cigarette smoke will still be tolerated in certain bars in the state of Washington, marijuana use will no longer be tolerated according to the state Liquor Control Board wh.ich oversees recreational marijuana under recently-passed I-502.
The board voted Wednesday night to create rules preventing puffing in bars, citing concerns about people mixing herb and booze together.

Marijuana users don’t eat more than non-users, according to study

By William Breathes on April 4, 2013 News

M is for “munchies”.

While marijuana might give you the munchies, that doesn’t mean that you ganja tokers are eating more than your non-toking friends. At least, that’s the data collected on a study of 60 people, half of them tokers (up to ten joints a day) and half not.
The study “Metabolic Effects of Chronic Cannabis Smoking,” just published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that daily smokers had less of a particular kind of belly fat and took in the same amount of calories as their less-cool brethren.

Three tons of pot found floating in pacific (VIDEO)

By William Breathes on April 3, 2013 News, Say what?

USCG.

On Sunday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter notified dispatch of a high-speed boat cooking it north just 90 miles west of San Nicholas Island, which is just over 100 kilometers southwest of Los Angeles.
A Coast Guard ship in the area straight lined it to the scene. But by that time the smuggler had ditched his load and hightailed it out of there, leaving more than 6,500 pounds of seeded, compressed pot floating on the waves in the pacific. In total, 245 bales of pot wrapped in plastic were recovered.

Vermont decriminlization bills before committee today and tomorrow

By William Breathes on April 3, 2013 Legislation, News

Two similar Vermont bills that would decriminalize possession of limited amounts of cannabis are up for discussion today and tomorrow in both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

Florida medical marijuana bill might be dead

By William Breathes on April 3, 2013 News

It’s not looking good for the the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in Florida.
While the Florida Legislature has gone ahead and moved forward with trying to ban bongs, the Cathy Jordan bill has yet to even get a hearing in either the House or the Senate. The Broward-Palm Beach New Times has the rest.

Maryland legislature approves of MMJ caregiver protections, bill moves to guv for signature

By William Breathes on April 2, 2013 Legislation, Medical, News

Maryland caregivers may soon have the same protections as medical marijuana patients in that state after the general assembly yesterday passed laws allowing them to possess up to an ounce at a time.
Laws passed in 2003 and 2011 allow patients to use medical necessity as a defense in court if they are busted with pot and paraphernalia. Caregivers would now have the same protections, which won’t necessarily keep them from being arrested but will allow them a valid argument in court. Charges could either be dismissed or dropped to a $100 civil fine.

South African residents find marijuana plantation, harvest it before police can act

By William Breathes on April 2, 2013 News, Say what?

Pretoria, South Africa.

Last weekend, residents of Saulsville, Pretoria, South Africa discovered a field of cannabis – called “dagga” in South Africa – growing in a field behind a community park.
But instead of calling the police, who would have destroyed the field, word spread quickly to the ganja smokers of the neighborhood who turned out in droves to harvest the buds before officials could do anything about it.

Colorado THC DUI bill moves forward to House floor

By William Breathes on April 2, 2013 News

Legislation to set THC driving standards in Colorado has failed twice before. However, a new version that also tweaks alcohol DUI rules won unanimous approval during its first House committee hearing in late February.
Momentum for the bill has not flagged in the month-plus since then. Yesterday, it was favorably reported out of the appropriations committee. It’ll next head to the House floor, where it faces little organized opposition. Why the change? Denver Westword has the rest of the story.

Author William Breathes