William Breathes

Tennessee Man Butt-Dials 911, Gets Arrested for Pot

By William Breathes on September 10, 2014 News, Say what?

Butt-dialing on a cell phone used to be much more common back when buttons actually existed on cell phones (like the one above). These days, you’ve got to have an old-school phone or really try to accidentally call someone from your pocket – except for 911, which a lot of phones have as an auto-call feature with the idea being that you don’t need to be unlocking someone’s phone to call for emergency help.
It seems that 25-year-old Grant O’Connor of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. discovered that the hard way this week after accidentally calling the cops and getting himself arrested for weed.

Government Study on 4,000 Teens in Australia and New Zealand Claims Link Between Marijuana Use and Suicide (Sort of)

By William Breathes on September 10, 2014 Global, News, Say what?

A study out of Australia and New Zealand this week claims that daily pot use by teens leads to more than half dropping out of school, and greatly increases the likelihood that they’ll drop out of college, try to kill themselves and if they’ll end up on welfare.
But they aren’t really saying that. They actually say they found no “causal” relationship between pot and depression, only increased odds of a link. They also say didn’t find enough evidence to support their claim that adolescent teen users were seven times more likely to kill themselves. But that doesn’t stop them from spreading the fear around just the same.

Study: Female Mice Build Up Tolerance to Pot Faster than Male Mice

By William Breathes on September 10, 2014 Medical, News, Say what?

AlexK100/Flickr.

A Washington State University study shows that female mice are more susceptible to the pain-relieving qualities of cannabis than male mice, but that increased sensitivity means the female mice also developed a higher tolerance faster than the males.
The study could provide valuable insight into future testing of cannabis use, which has predominantly been done on men.

Accused California Bath Salts Drug Dealer Loses Bail Fight

By William Breathes on September 10, 2014 News

Lift your right hand, stretch your index finger as far as you can from your thumb and know that is about how close an accused, international “bath salts” drug kingpin from Newport Coast came to winning pre-trial release from custody.
Facing a 16-count federal indictment and a potential mandatory life in prison sentence, Sean Libbert, a 38-year-old convicted felon, has vigorously fought his no-bail status after a news-making June arrest involving the manufacturing of hallucinogenic, synthetic cocaine and marijuana commonly packaged as “Spice.” More at the OC Weekly.

Egypt’s Marijuana Consumption in 1903 vs. Colorado Today

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Cannabis Time Capsule, Say what?

At the time of this tiny news brief from the May 16, 1903 Glenwood Post, “hasheesh” was being blamed for all of the crime and “insanity” in Egypt. Efforts to stamp it out resulted in sixteen tons of hash being confiscated in the country for the year 1901.
The population of Egypt at the time was somewhere around 8 million people, according to historical sources. The population of Colorado, currently, is around 5.1 million people — and they use a lot, lot more…

Kansas Senator Supports State Rights for Pot, Opponent Attacks Fed System

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Legalize It, News, Say what?

Senator Pat Roberts and opponent Greg Orman at a debate this weekend.

For years, marijuana advocates have warned folks from Colorado to think twice before taking cannabis over the state line to Kansas, which has some of the toughest weed-related penalties in the country and has been repeatedly accused of pot profiling. So it’s something of a surprise to discover that the two candidates in a suddenly competitive Kansas senatorial race — incumbent Pat Roberts and independent upstart Greg Orman — both have problems with federal marijuana policies.

Hash Oil Paranoia Hits Houston with Local News Freak-out

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Media, News, Say what?

RUN FOR THE HILLS!

Hide your kids, hide your wife, hash oil has just now hit the streets of Houston reports local ABC13. And to relay the story, they got the shakiest facts they could and interviewed a single, clueless stoner. It helps make it all the more frightening, of course.
Like, for example, when they say that you make hash oil by “heating up the marijuana plant” in butane – which couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, the (completely) wrong method the news station hints at would create a very volatile situation.

Study: Marijuana Use at College is Up, Binge Drinking Still the Real Issue

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Legalize It, News

The most popular ball sport on any college campus these days.

According to a University of Michigan study of about 1,100 college students nationwide as part of the ongoing, government-funded Monitoring the Future study, 51 percent of all full-time students admitting that they’ve expanded their minds at least once with a little toke. Researchers say pot use on campus is up to the highest it’s been since the study started in 2006, when 34 percent said they had smoked pot at least once.
And that’s the part of the study that will get the most amount of press, of course (especially since the researchers put out a press release with that exact angle). But the real story here is that, while alcohol by students dipped some, 63 percent of all students still say they’ve drank in the last 30 days with a majority of them drinking to excess.

Philadelphia Mayor Will Sign Pot Decriminalization Measure After Changes

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Follow that story, News

You’ll soon be able to have a little weed here and not be a criminal.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says he will finally sign a measure decriminalizing up to 30 grams of pot in the City of Brotherly Love that City Council approved back in June. His only demand: he still wants to waste the time of the courts with pot tickets.
The original draft approved by council made possession 30 grams or less akin to a parking ticket in that you could simply mail in your $25 fine. Nutter is okay with keeping the $25 fine and keeping it off of people’s records, but wants to make the offense a “non-summary” charge that requires an appearance before a city judge.

Oregon Shuts Down Nine “Illegal” Medical Marijuana Clinics

By William Breathes on September 9, 2014 Medical, News

Nine medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon – six in Portland alone – have been forced to shutter their doors after state officials say they were operating illegally and in opposition to the state’s newly-launched medical marijuana program.
For some, it is because they were too close to schools. Others simply didn’t have a license, or even an application in the works, but kept their doors open anyway.

Author William Breathes