| Still from BBC’s Hedz. |
Scotland’s Austin Low, known for his work as a writer on a children’s TV show, was mailed a box of “cookies” from somewhere on this side of the pond the other week. Only, the “cookies” weren’t cookies. They were several sealed bags of ganja. Though the report doesn’t say how much was found, they did say it was enough to be worth nearly $14,000 over there, according to the BBC.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week says there is a link between smoking synthetic cannabis (Spice, K2) and acute kidney injury and even kidney failure. But as for how much of a link there is, scientists aren’t exactly sure.
| A High Times Cannabis Cup trophy. |
Update (1:30 p.m. Feb. 15): According to the Medical Cannabis Cup website, the event is still happening and has been moved about an hour East to San Bernardino, California at the National Orange Show Event Center, 689 South E St. Tickets are still on sale at the event website.
| tokeofthetown.com |
Last October, Aldwin Rendardo Gooden stepped off a flight from Kingston, Jamaica in Gatwick Airport in the UK where he lives and was immediately detained for the two boxes containing about 44 pounds of marijuana he was packing in his luggage. Sadly, that’s not all that uncommon around the world (even I’ve been stopped coming back for Jamaica for simply smelling like ganja).
Last week, scientists in New Zealand announced the findings of a “study” they did on the correlation between cannabis use and certain types of strokes. Despite the shaky science, the finding has been moved around the world by now on dozens of media outlets — most of which aren’t questioning what’s behind it.
| A pot-friendly lounge in Amsterdam. |
One of Colorado’s first cannabis-friendly hangouts, The Front Tea and Arts, is being shut down by a city ban that the shop’s owner says was targeted directly at her. Lafayette City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to pass an eight-month moratorium on all marijuana-related businesses, including the city’s lone cannabis-friendly coffee shop.
| “Excuse me while I light my spliff.” |
Happy birthday to the late, great Robert Nesta Marley. If he were alive, today would have been his 68th trip around the sun.
Marley, both a champion of civil rights in his homeland as well as cultural spokesperson for ganja use, was never shy about his beliefs as a Rastafarian and an herb smoker.
| Some people are taking this quite literally. |
This weekend, Denver’s CBS4 reported about marijuana being advertised for free on Craigslist in exchange for donations or other offers, and questioned whether the practice was legal under Amendment 64; see the video below. But the folks behind 4 Strains Pipe & Tobacco are confident they’re doing nothing wrong in offering a small amount of cannabis as a bonus to folks purchasing other merchandise.
| Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. |
If laughter is the best medicine, then Jason Mewes is quite healthy these days. We caught up with Mewes, best known as the talking half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in advance of tonight’s live taping of their successful (and hysterical) weekly comedy podcast, Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado.
| Tom Tancredo doesn’t want to hit your doobie. |
Recently Colorado Republican firebrand politician (and onetime presidential candidate) Tom Tancredo made headlines for agreeing to smoke marijuana on camera with a Florida-based filmmaker if Colorado’s Amendment 64 was passed. Well, the bill was approved but Tancredo apparently had no intention of following through with his agreement. He says his wife told him that it might be a bad influence on their grandchildren and he has since declined the filmmaker’s offer.
It’s too bad. Not only for Tancredo’s own well-being (the dude clearly needs a joint), but also for his place in history. He could have easily joined the ranks of the top ten politicians who’ve smoked pot, as compiled by our sister paper, the Denver Westword.