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Pro-Legalization Cop Gets 1st Place In Ask Obama Contest

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 27, 2011 Culture, News

A video question about legalizing drugs from a former deputy sheriff has come in first place in YouTube’s “Your Interview With the President” competition, where users submitted and voted on questions to be posed to President Barack Obama.

Obama is scheduled to answer the top-voted questions today, Thursday, January 27, at 2:30 pm EST in an interview that will be streamed live online at http://www.youtube.com/askobama.

Marijuana Holds Top 50 Spots In Questions For Obama

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 25, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: 8000 Credit

Change.org is once again asking the American public for questions for President Obama, based on their top concerns. This time it’s in the form of “Your Interview with the President, hosted on YouTube. And once again, marijuana legalization questions are dominating the polling, by one account nailing down the top 50 spots based on popular vote.

But unsurprisingly, the subject of marijuana doesn’t show up anywhere on the YouTube site — unless you do some sorting.

Rather than being allowed to actually see the obvious popularity of marijuana law reform, visitors have to click “All Questions” and then click “Sort By Popularity” to see that all the questions with the most votes relate to cannabis prohibition in some form.

Makers Of Natl. Geographic Marijuana Special Misled Participant

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 19, 2011 Culture, Products

Photo: National Geographic Channel

Michael Hayne in the National Georgraphic documentary “High On Marijuana”: “I was manipulated and given false assurances. If only I could sue the bastards.”

One interviewee featured in the current National Geographic pot documentary, “High On Marijuana,” has told Toke of the Town he was “manipulated and given false assurances” that the show — widely criticized in the cannabis community for its alarmist portrayal of the herb — would be an impartial look at cannabis.

I mean, come on. How are we supposed to take a supposedly “scientific” show seriously when it describes the onset of marijuana’s effects as like “terrorists taking over the brain”?

As Toke of the Town pointed out before the show aired, the fact that the show features testimony from those who have, to quote Nat Geo, “been addicted,” was something of a red flag to those of us who were expecting an impartial viewpoint. Still, it came as a disappointment that the show turned out to be a “breathless piece of anti-pot hogwash,” as we had predicted.

Did NFL Legend Marino Play Football High On Pot?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 18, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: Hollywood Collectibles

Dan Marijuano? “All those pictures of him and his old hair, I wouldn’t pass it by him.” ~ Kyle Turley

If you’re inclined to believe locker room rumors, one of them has it that legendary National Football League quarterback Dan Marino was known to smoke marijuana before games.

Former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Turley claimed this week on the Dan LeBatard Show that while he doesn’t know for sure, stories of Miami Dolphins legend Marino sparking up before games is the stuff of common locker room lore, reports Michael J. Mooney at our sister Village Voice Media blog, Broward Palm Beach New Times.

Turley, ostensibly on LeBatard’s show to promote a Super Bowl party he’s hosting, started bragging about how he drinks whiskey straight out of the bottle and smokes medical marijuana. The former New Orleans Saint, Los Angeles Ram and Kansas City Chief claimed he smoked pot during his 1998-2007 NFL career, but never before games — which he heard was Marino’s practice.

Grateful Dead Video Game On The Way

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 14, 2011 Culture, Products

Graphic: The Grateful Dead World

Something tells me quite a few Toke of the Town readers are also fans of the Grateful Dead, nudge nudge, wink wink, so you’re gonna be interested in a new video game based on the band and its music.

As reported by Jeremy M. Zoss at Joystick Division, our Village Voice Media sister blog, the new Dead game will launch this August for online and mobile devices, in a new partnership with Asheville, North Carolina-based “Digital Experience” builders Curious Sense.

The game will reportedly be nothing like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but will instead be more of an interactive playground than a single experience — sounds ideal for stoners, doesn’t it?

The game will be accessible via the band’s official website (www.dead.net), Facebook and online game portals, reports Scott Steinberg at Rolling Stone.

Chuck Norris Weed Will Kick Your Ass And Make You Like It

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 10, 2011 Culture, Dispensaries, Products

Photo: The Movie Mind

When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t lift himself up. He pushes the Earth down.

Chuck Norris can put you in a world of pain. But never fear; the new “Chuck Norris” pot strain can probably relieve it.

Los Angeles dispensaries are featuring a new strain of medical marijuana — and Walker Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris reportedly isn’t thrilled.

The new strain, “Chuck Norris’ Black and Blue Dream” is rumored to have (you guessed it!) a real “kick” to it, reports TMZ.com.

It’s definitely an unauthorized use of the martial arts star’s name, according to Chuck’s representative, but the Norris team reportedly hasn’t decided yet if legal action will be taken.

“Maybe Chuckie should just lighten up,” opines the Boston Herald. “Or at least trademark his name so he can make a few bucks off it!”

But, as noted by the Herald, that’s seems rather unlikely, given the 70-year-old Norris’s very conservative political views. (The pugilistic partisan even served on the board of directors of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.)

Montel Williams Fined For Possession Of Pot Pipe At Airport

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 5, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: The Daily Voice

Montel Williams uses marijuana to ease the symptoms of MS, but Wisconsin doesn’t recognize the medicinal uses of cannabis — yet.

Former talk-show host Montel Williams, a medical marijuana advocate, has reportedly been fined for possession of a pipe of the sort “commonly used to smoke pot,” according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

The pipe was found Tuesday at a routine security checkpoint by Transportation Security Administration agents at the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reports Jennifer LaRue Huget at the Washington Post.

Williams paid his $484 fine and went on his way, according to the sheriff’s office.

Williams, 54, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. Laws in the 15 states which allow medical marijuana typically include MS among the conditions which qualify. But neither New York state, where Montel lives, nor Wisconsin, where he was fined, allows medicinal cannabis.

National Geographic’s ‘High On Marijuana’ Airs January 16

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2011 Culture, Products

What, exactly, happens to your body when you smoke marijuana?
Many of you have no doubt asked yourselves that intriguing question more than once, and for those who’ve ever wondered, a new National Geographic special — which is part of their “Drugged” series — aims to answer that question.
High On Marijuana uses visual effects and CGI to take the viewer on a trip through the human body. Using testimony from those who enjoy using cannabis, and those who have, to quote NatGeo, “been addicted,” (which is, of course, something of a red flag to those who were expecting an impartial viewpoint) the episode “offers an insight into the realities of these drugs,” if National Geographic’s copywriter is to be believed.

If You Have An Android And Can’t Roll Joints, This App’s For You

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2011 Culture, Products

Photo: AndroLib

Got tech aplenty, but still no mad rolling skills? A new Android app aims to help novice marijuana users learn how to roll a joint.

The free version of the “Joint Rolling Guide” app “includes beginner tips on rolling joints and four detailed tutorials for rolling impressive cannabis masterpieces,” according to the developers.

There’s also a paid version of the app available for $2.65 (what, not $4.20?) which includes five more tutorials.

“Should only be used by medical marijuana patients and their caregivers,” the developers caution us. “Please check local laws.”

“Experienced rollers can skip the intro,” developers tell us, “but it’s a pretty essential [sic]for beginners.” Question is, how many “experienced rollers” are going to plunk down $2.65 for an app telling them how to do something they can already do?

Click on “Similar Apps” on the MacWorld page where the Joint Rolling Guide is mentioned, and you find Apple hasn’t been left out in the cold.

Hempfest May Move To Seattle Center This Year

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 3, 2011 Culture, News, Products

Photo: The Edge Apartments

Man, that fountain would be a great way to cool off at Seattle Hempfest this August.

Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest pro-cannabis annual event, may be held underneath the Space Needle this year.

With the City of Seattle scheduling heavy construction this year in Myrtle Edwards Park, where Hempfest has been held for the past 15 years, the event’s promoters are currently in negotiation for a 20th Anniversary venue upgrade to Seattle Center, according to an internal email sent to supporters, members and VIPs.

“Such a move to the world renowned Seattle Center — home of the 1962 World’s Fair — would be a major step up for the visibility and legitimacy of our event (and movement, sponsors, etc.), and might attract media attention at the national level,” the Seattle Hempfest Membership Committee wrote in the email. (That “media attention at the national level” part just came true.)

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