Growing

British Activist Jailed For Growing Cannabis

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 8, 2012 Global, Growing, News

Activist Winston Matthews, 55 and disabled, is being jailed for 16 months for growing cannabis to treat his back pain

British pro-cannabis campaigner Winston Matthews, 55, who refused to stop growing marijuana despite repeated arrests, has been jailed for 16 months in the U.K.

Matthews, of Upfield Close, Horley, admitted violating a suspended sentence he was given on August 23, 2010, as well as three counts of cultivating cannabis and two counts of possession between August 28 and December 16 that same year, reports Ben Endley at Get Surrey.

He had been scheduled for sentencing last Friday but the hearing was deferred until Monday, when Judge Suzan Matthews (no relation) admitted the case was “unique” but insisted the grandfather of two still had to be jailed.

The day before his sentencing, Matthews, an outspoken member of Surrey’s Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA), posted on Facebook about the case.

“All I had to do to get a deferred sentence yesterday [February 3] was lie to a judge and say I’d stop taking cannabis!” he posted. “I wasn’t prepared to do that! One love!”

Warehouse Full Of Growing Marijuana Found Next To Crime Lab

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 6, 2012 Growing, News

KION 46

The three suspects are accused of operating a 480-plant marijuana grow operation next to a crime lab

Three Pacific Grove, California residents were in jail on drug charges Thursday after the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team raided an Airport Boulevard warehouse, which was adjacent to a state Department of Justice crime lab in Watsonville, according to sheriff’s deputies.

Law enforcement also searched a home in Pacific Grove after finding an illegal marijuana operation growing 480 plants inside the warehouse, reports Cathy Kelly at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Police: Entire New York City Building Was Marijuana Farm

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Growing, News

NBC New York

Police raided a five-story Bronx building they claim was being used as a marijuana farm, with hundreds of plants in an “elaborate” growing system.

An entire five-story building in New York City was raided by the police this week, and authorities claimed the entire structure was being used as a multi-floor marijuana farm.

Police said that four of the floors appeared to be used for various stages of the plants’ growth, with the most mature cannabis being on the top floor, reports Stephen C. Webster at The Raw Story.

The building reportedly had elaborate watering and air filtration systems to keep the plants healthy and the smell under control, reports Shimon Prokupecz, Jonathan Dienst and Joe Valiquette at NBC New York.

25 Denver Homes Raided In Marijuana Cultivation Sweep

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 25, 2012 Growing, News

9News.com

Twenty-five homes were raided across the Denver metropolitan area as part of a big marijuana sweep.

The North Metro Drug Task Force is leading the investigation into what Jace Larson of 9News described as “the large-scale grow operation.” The cops are claiming all the raided homes were somehow connected.

SWAT teams began knocking down doors Wednesday morning at about 6 a.m.

At least 12 and possibly 16 people were arrested in what law enforcement officials are calling “Operation Sweet Leaf.” (Since when did the narcs start naming raids after 1971 Black Sabbath songs?)

Marijuana Bills Have Public Support: Showdown In Sacramento

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 24, 2012 Growing, Legislation, News

indybay.org

The California Legislature will soon be voting on two marijuana reform bills that seem to be more popular with the public than with the politicians in Sacramento: SB 129 by Sen. Mark Leno, which would prohibit employment discrimination against medical marijuana patients, and AB 1017 by Rep. Tom Ammiano, which would allow for reduced, misdemeanor charges in marijuana cultivation cases.

Both bills have strong public support according to a newly released poll of state voters by EMC Research [PDF]. However, both have had trouble getting through the Legislature, where they must be approved by January 31 in order to stay alive.

Lawmakers Say Hemp Would Again Be A Boon To KY Agriculture

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 20, 2012 Growing, News

Spotlight on Sustainability

Kentucky farmers could soon once again lead the nation with a crop steeped in tradition: hemp.

With the support of Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, Kentucky lawmakers filed a bill on Thursday to put Comer at the head of the long-dormant Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission and renew a drive to bring the crop back, reports Janet Patton at the Herald-Leader.

Twelve Kentucky House members — including a former speaker — signed on to support the bill to promote industrial hemp production in the state, reports Gregory A. Hall at the Courier-Journal.

Hemp — also known as cannabis sativa — is one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants, but it was consigned to outlaw status when marijuana prohibition was implemented in 1937, even though hemp strains of cannabis have almost no THC, the principal ingredient that gives users a high.

Mendocino County Suspends Medical Marijuana Permit Program

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 10, 2012 Dispensaries, Growing, News

Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat

Matthew Cohen takes cuttings from marijuana plants in order to clone them at the Northstone Organics Cooperative, in Redwood Valley, in 2010

Mendocino County, California’s unique, income-generating medical marijuana growing permit program has been suspended pending the outcome of a Southern California court case challenging the legality of issuing permits for activities that are illegal under federal law.

“We’re waiting to hear something,” said Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, reports Glenda Anderson at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

The permits — popular in the medical marijuana community for the peace of mind they fostered — allowed medicinal cannabis collectives to grow up to 99 plants, with a fee structure including inspections and zip-tie identification markers for each plant.

Craigslist Ad: Marijuana Plants Free To Good Home

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 10, 2012 Culture, Growing, News

WECT

A post on Craigslist.org had some North Carolina folks pretty excited Tuesday morning when someone claimed to be giving away free marijuana plants.

According to the Craigslist post, the person with the cannabis plants is moving out of the state and can’t transport them, reports WECT.

It’s Summer In Australia And The Cannabis Is Vegging Out

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 5, 2012 Global, Growing

“Some sativas in Australia doing well,” Moose said of the photo with his typical understatement. I’d have had to put “luscious” in there somewhere.

It’s summertime in Australia, and our friend Moose has given us a crop update, where the pretty sativas are at the height of veg.

In the photo above, Mullumbimby Madness, Oaxacan x Mazar, Mullumbimby Madness x Super Silver Haze, Oaxacan x Super Silver Haze, and Early Mullumbimby Madness plants are flourishing in the summer heat.

Marijuana Grower Avoids Prison Because His Weed Sucks

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Global, Growing

Home Health Testing

Despite being caught with enough growing homegrown cannabis to land him in prison, a man in western Sweden last month escaped with probation and a fine because the pot he grew was of such poor quality.

The 35-year-old man admitted to the court he had grown the marijuana plants at home for his personal use, and stored them in the attic, reports Joel Linde at English-language Swedish newspaper The Local.

Before reaching a successful harvest, the harsh Swedish climate had killed the cannabis crop. In a last-ditch desperation effort, the determined grower tried trimming away the dead weed, but to no avail.

Since under Swedish law the entire cannabis plant is considered a drug, the man was still found guilty of possession — but the fact that the weed sucked so bad, kept him out of prison.

“That’s an evaluation that the court will make,” said Sara Malmhester at the Swedish Prosecution Authority. “If (the drugs) don’t work, it could lead to a milder sentence.”

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