Dispensaries

Browsing: Dispensaries

Tell Me I’m Wrong And Our Government Doesn’t Hate Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 4, 2011 Culture, Dispensaries

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Many activists are trying to make sense concerning the government’s latest crackdown on medical marijuana. Every other day a 420-friendly bank that does commerce with anyone in the cannabis industry is told to expect heavy audits and loss of deeds unless they join the economic stranglehold on this business the Feds do not approve of. Dispensaries that have operated flawlessly and with the support of the community are being closed by bogus, yet written-in-the-books, zoning laws.

People are losing money trying to stay afloat and to see if it is possible to weather the Fed
s’ stormtrooper tactics. Many are pulling up roots and moving on because the Feds seem to have endless cash when it comes to harassment and bullying tactics.

Maine Slaps Higher Tax On Pot Brownies Than On Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 4, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Legal Medical Marijuana States

The tax rate on that marijuana goes from 5 percent to 7 percent as soon as it’s poured in the brownie mix.

How patients use their medical marijuana affects their tax rate, according to a recent opinion from Maine Revenue Services — and choosing the healthy option of smokeless edibles will result in higher taxes.

After Maine residents approved medical marijuana, lawmakers decided pot sold for medicinal purposes would be subject to the five percent sales tax. But now MRS has issued an opinion that prepared foods such as brownies that include cannabis will be taxed at a higher, seven percent rate, reports Mal Leary of Capitol News Service.

Many patients, advocates and others question the logic — and the legality — of the odd ruling.

Activist Claims Marijuana Prohibition To End November 5

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 1, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Time 4 Hemp

Richard Brumfield claims cannabis prohibition will end November 5, and that he’ll be in charge of all legal production in America. Dude has a healthy sense of self, at least; not so sure about his grip on reality, though.

Richard Brumfield, a medical marijuana activist from California, is in a unique position — that is, if you believe him. Brumfield claims not only that he is in direct communication with the White House and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, but also that — oh yeah by the way — marijuana prohibition ends on November 5. Did I mention he’d be in charge of all production?

One might rightly ask why the mercurial Brumfield, who vehemently opposed California’s marijuana legalization measure Prop 19 in 2010, would be anointed to be in possession of such important information, rather than, say, letting President Obama or maybe Drug Czar Kerlikowske announce it.

But Brumfield, who if nothing else seems to have quite a healthy ego, insists on his Facebook page and elsewhere that he is the “newly appointed Chief Clinical Director of the IAMB/TbT group” (whatever that is), and further, that clinical trials of medicinal cannabis will begin on November 5, according to a press release from pot podcast Time 4 Hemp.

If Brumfield is to be believed, he has the blessings of both the White House and Vice President Joe Biden (yeah, he even included ol’ Joe in his claims), “along with the support of many organizations such as the National Institute of Health, R.E.A.D.[Editor’s note: ??], and NIDA.”

Clinic, Collectives Cooperate To Kick Off Cannabis Classes

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 1, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

The Money Times

A Seattle medical marijuana recommendation clinic has joined forces with several local collectives to offer free and reduced cost educational classes to their patients.

“We wanted to offer the best training, wellness, and educational services to the access points that exemplify the best practices and standards for the industry in the Seattle area,” said director Greta Carter of the C.A.R.E. Medical Group of Seattle.

Seattle metro area collectives joining CARE to present the classes include The CPC; Conscious Care Cooperative in Ballard, Lake City and Aurora; Green Hope in Shoreline; The Dockside in Fremont; The Joint Cooperative in the University District; and NWRPC in West Seattle, according to Carter.

“With the belief that education is an important key to the success of any healthcare program, the C.A.R.E. Loyalty Program will allow patients from different medical cannabis access points to learn about a variety of topics from cooking with medical cannabis to the laws that protect the rights of patients, providers, and healthcare providers,” reads a Tuesday press release from CARE.

9 Congress Members Express Concern On Marijuana Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 31, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, News

StoptheDrugWar.org

Nine members of Congress have taken their concerns about the federal crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries directly to President Obama.

In a bipartisan letter signed by nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the lawmakers criticized what they called the “unconscionable federal effort targeting dispensaries,” reports Jason Hoppin of the San Jose Mercury News. They also called for the federal reclassification of marijuana from its current Schedule I status as a drug with, supposedly, no legitimate medical uses and a high potential for abuse and addiction.

“It is critically important for patients to have safe access to this treatment that continues to be recommended by doctors,” said Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) “California voters decided to adopt clear regulations to allow patients to do just that. It is unfortunate that the federal government has decided to target these legal vendors instead of focusing limited resources on those who sell illicit drugs.”

Colorado Issues First Medical Cannabis Business Licenses In US

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 28, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Cannabis Therapy Institute

I could surely do without that big ‘CRIMINAL’ up there at the top of the badge, but it’s still good news that the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue has issued the first medical marijuana business licenses in the United States.

The great state of Colorado has started issuing the first state medical marijuana business licenses in the nation, bringing to fruition an application process that lasted more than a year for dispensaries and makers of cannabis-infused products.

The state issued 11 licenses to businesses in Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Littleton, said the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division of the state Department of Revenue, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

Another seven shops have been told they’ll probably get a license. The state has sent out letters to local governments regarding an additional 467 dispensaries and products-makers, double-checking that those businesses have local approval, which is one of the final steps in the licensing process.

SF Board of Supes President Condemns Cannabis Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 28, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Lance Iverson/San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu: “With its recently announced ‘crack down’ on these dispensaries, the federal government has proposed a solution in search of a problem”

San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu responded this week to the Obama Administration’s crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, calling the action “a solution in search of a problem.”

“Medical marijuana dispensaries are providing safe access to treatment options that many Californians depend on to live a comfortable, pain-free life,” Chiu wrote in a Wednesday email to Shona Gochenaur of the Axis of Love, a San Francisco dispensary.

“With its recently announced ‘crack down’ on these dispensaries, the federal government has proposed a solution in search of a problem, while California law supports allowing these distribution centers to give patients the medicine they need,” Chiu said.

“I am very disappointed in Attorney General Holder’s decision and hope that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco focuses on more important issues than restricting access to a legal medical treatment,” Chiu said.

Medical Marijuana Advocates Sue Obama DOJ Over Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 27, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Marylanders 4 Safe Access

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a medical marijuana advocacy organization, filed suit in federal court on Thursday challenging the Obama Administration’s attempt to undercut local and state medical marijuana laws in California.

ASA argues in its lawsuit that Obama’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has “instituted a policy to dismantle the medical marijuana laws of the State of California and to coerce its municipalities to pass bans on medical marijuana dispensaries.”

The DOJ policy has involved aggressive SWAT-style raids, criminal prosecutions of medical marijuana patients and providers and threats to local officials for merely implementing state law.

“Although the Obama Administration is entitled to enforce federal marijuana laws, the 10th Amendment forbids it from using coercive tactics to commandeer the lawmaking functions of the state,” said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, who filed the lawsuit Thursday in San Francisco’s federal District Court.

U.S. Atty. Claims Obama Didn’t Order Med Marijuana Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 27, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

U.S. Department of Justice

Rogue U.S. Attorneys? We are being told California’s four federal prosecutors: from left, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner (Eastern District), U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy (Southern District), U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag (Northern District) and U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte (Central District), went off on their own, unauthorized by the Obama Administration, and announced a federal crackdown on medical marijuana. If that’s really true, the next we hear from these morons should be their resignations — or their mugshots.

After California’s four U.S. Attorneys announced a medical marijuana crackdown in that state, a howl of protest went up from patients and advocates. After all, the Obama Administration had said that going after patients and providers who were following state law would “not be a priority.” Now, a spokeswoman for one of the four federal prosecutors involved claims that Obama didn’t order the crackdown, and in fact wasn’t involved at all.

Is it just me, or does that “revelation” lead to mental images of a headless beast thrashing about, dangerously and inexcusably out of the control of any leader who can be held to account? Is anybody in charge here?

Are we really to believe that four rogue U.S. Attorneys have actually staged a medical marijuana coup of sorts in California, forging off on their own and writing a new federal policy 180 degrees opposed to the President’s previous position?

If that’s so, then the next we hear from these four ass-clowns should be their resignations — or their mugshots.

In any event, the outpouring of rage and dismay from the medical marijuana community must be making an impact for this sort of ridiculous announcement to be seen as necessary.

Denver Medical Marijuana Patients Win With Toke Daily Deals

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 26, 2011 Dispensaries, Products

Toke Daily Deals

$20 of merchandise for $10? Count me in.

Denver Westword, an alternative weekly owned by Toke of the Town‘s parent company, Village Voice Media, has launched a dispensary promotion called Toke Daily Deals through which medical marijuana patients can receive discounted medicine.

“Toke Daily Deals works like this,” Westword tells us. “We email you one terrific deal on the best dispensaries in your city. If you’re interested, you buy the deal. If you’re not, you don’t.”

Simple enough, eh?

Previous 1 … 62 63 64 65 66 … 118 Next