William Breathes

Cannabis Supporters Take One Final Shot at Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton

By William Breathes on October 31, 2014 News

As the television camera lights shine on Pat McLellan’s face, he holds up a set of four sheets of paper, each a signed pledge from a gubernatorial candidate saying that they support expanding Minnesota’s medical cannabis laws.
He takes a breath, then spreads the papers out across the podium in front of him. They’re all here, he says. GOP candidate Jeff Johnson. The Independence Party’s Hannah Nicollet. Libertarian Chris Holbrook and Grassroots Party candidate Chris Wright. But one’s missing: incumbent Mark Dayton.

Reader: If Anyone Gives Trick-or-Treaters Pot Edibles, It’ll Be Anti-Marijuana Activists

By William Breathes on October 31, 2014 Culture, News, Say what?

Our sister paper, The Denver Westword, had a post earlier this week about a Denver Police Department campaign focusing on trick-or-treaters and the possibility they might be given pot edibles for Halloween sparked fresh accusations of fear-mongering. But this reader suggests that something like this could actually happen — although not for the reasons hyped by the DPD.

Without Testimony of Cop in Michael Brown Shooting, St. Louis County Prosecutor Drops 5 Felony Cases

By William Breathes on October 31, 2014 Say what?

St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Bob McCulloch dismissed five pending felony court cases Wednesday because they depend on testimony from Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.Wilson is a key witness in the five cases — including one marijuana case — which cannot continue without his testimony.
Wilson, who fatally shot unarmed teen Michael Brown on August 9 and set off weeks of protests and backlash against police, has been in hiding since the shooting. Wilson, who is on paid administrative leave, emerged briefly to testify in Clayton to the grand jury investigating Brown’s death, but he was not seen in public. Riverfront Times has more.

Cycling on the Sidewalk: The New Stop-and-Frisk in NYC?

By William Breathes on October 31, 2014 FTP, News, Say what?

Some call it “stop-and-frisk by another name.” Others say it’s an excuse for cops to up the number of outstanding arrest warrants.
But the facts in a recent CUNY Law School study show that from 2008 to 2011, the New York City Police Department issued more tickets in minority than in other neighborhoods to cyclists who rode their bikes on the sidewalk. Of the 15 neighborhoods with the greatest number of summonses for the crime of bicycling on the sidewalk, 12 consist mainly of blacks and Latinos. And you’d better bet they used pot as a reason to arrest a good number of those folks. More at the Village Voice.

Cops, Judges Come Out In Support of Oregon Marijuana Legalization Measure

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 Legalize It, News

“Treating marijuana as a crime has failed.”
That’s the message a group of 30 former cops, sheriffs, attorneys and judges wrote in a pro-marijuana endorsement for Oregon’s Measure 91, which voters could approve next week.

Ryan Eric Galliher Accused of Being Off-Duty LAPD Cop, On-Duty Exposer of His Junk

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 FTP, News

D.W. Kee/Flickr.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer who resides in Huntington Beach has been arrested for exposing himself near the Bolsa Chica wetlands, according to cops in Surf City. Police received several calls about a man exposing himself in the wetlands at the dead end of Bolsa Chica Street, which led detectives to stake out the area, observe a fellow exposing himself on an open path and place him under arrest last Thursday morning, Oct. 23, according to Huntington Beach Police Lt. Mitch O’Brien.
The suspect was later identified as 33-year-old Ryan Eric Galiher, who works out of the Van Nuys station but was, obviously, off duty at the time he was allegedly getting his jollies.

Pot Lies Being Used to Justify Police Shootings of Young Black and Brown Men, Advocate Says

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 FTP, News, Opinion

A photo of Michael Brown, who was killed in a Ferguson, Missouri police shooting. More images below.

As we’ve reported, prominent addiction specialist and Project SAM principal Dr. Christian Thurstone stirred controversy via a blog post implying that marijuana contributed to — and perhaps even caused — the death of Michael Brown, whose shooting by a police officer caused weeks of rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. Thurstone subsequently removed the post but didn’t rescind his thesis, and that infuriates marijuana advocate Wanda James. She feels misinformation like that spread by Thurstone is being used to justify police shootings of “young black and brown men.”

Florida’s Biggest Newspapers Have Come Out Against Medical Marijuana for Incredibly Stupid Reasons

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 Medical, News, Say what?

Buddha Tahoe OG.

A somewhat surprising number of Florida’s biggest and most influential newspapers have come out against medical marijuana. The Orlando Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, and the Florida Times-Union are just a few. None of those editorials actually bashes the idea of medical marijuana. They’re cool with it, in theory. They just think that it should be an issue decided on by the Florida Legislature and that the amendment is too vague and will cause some sort of abuse. What kind of abuse? No one knows — the editorials are being very vague about it.
This of course ignores two key points:
1. There is no way the Florida Legislature in its current Republican-controlled form will legalize medical marijuana (and this amendment failing will give it more reasons not to do so).
2. Floridians already smoke tons and tons and tons of marijuana.
More at the Miami New Times.

Medical Marijuana’s Promise of Relief Lures Desperate Parents and Patients to Flee Texas

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 CBD, Medical, News

Sitting cross-legged on the floor in her apartment outside of Houston, Faith’s mother looks over at the toddler repeatedly as she talks. There are no physical indicators that signal the start of a seizure, but Faith’s mother can tell one is on its way. Everything about raising Faith involves watching and waiting, and today is no different.
Suddenly, Faith’s mom jumps up, her words stalling mid-sentence, and makes her way to the mat where the chocolate-haired child is lying. She plops down next to her daughter, gives her moon face and chubby-cherub limbs a once-over, and places a hand across her tiny chest, feeling for any sign of what’s to come. It’s an unnerving ritual, the watching and waiting, but Faith’s mom can feel what is happening in her own bones. She knows that Faith is about to seize.

The Houston Press took a look at medical marijuana refugees from Texas, and it’s a compelling read.

Pot Measures in Washington, D.C., Alaska and Oregon Follow Colorado’s Lead

By William Breathes on October 30, 2014 Legalize It, News

Moms for YES on Measure 91

Colorado and Washington might get some company next week. Marijuana legalization initiatives are on the ballots in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., and the proposals all strongly resemble what Colorado voters approved in 2012.

Author William Breathes