Growing

Mad Scientist Takes Top Spot At Oregon Cannabis Awards

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 13, 2011 Culture, Growing, Medical

Joe Winn

The 2011 Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards (OMCA) First Place trophy

By Charlie Bott

Toke of the Town

Oregon Correspondent

The marijuana strain Mad Scientist, grown by first-time entrant Ray Bowser, captured top honors at the 10th Annual Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards on Saturday, December 10, at the World Famous Cannabis Cafe in Portland.

The highest THC content flowers overall measured an impressive 23.9 percent. Better keep this stuff out of New Jersey (where the limit is 10 percent) and the Netherlands (limit 15 percent)!

Overall Winner: Mad Scientist — grown by first-time entrant Ray Bowser

2nd place: Medicine Woman — grown by David Verstoppen

3rd place : Blueberry — grown by last year’s winner, Jessi James

The ceremony also included the presentation of the Freedom Fighter of the Year awards to Lori Duckworth of Southern Oregon NORML, and presentation of the Dr. Ric Bayer Award to Paul Loney, legal counsel for Oregon NORML, for his years of service to the medical cannabis community.

Mendo Board Supports Use Of Spy Agencies In Marijuana War

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 9, 2011 Growing, News

U.S. Forest Service

A federal drug agent prepares to destroy a marijuana crop in Northern California

You too, Mendo? Say it ain’t so! The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has voted 3-2 to support the use of federal intelligence agencies in the war against marijuana.

The most liberal member of the board of supervisors, Green Party member Dan Hamburg, joined the most libertarian member, Supervisor John Pinches of the American Independent Party to cast the two votes against the “consent calendar” item at Tuesday’s board meeting, reports Jennifer Poole at The Willits News.

Both opposed the item asking the board to support California Congressman Mike Thompson’s attempts to involve federal spy agencies in the fight against illegal marijuana cultivation by so-called “international drug trafficking organizations” on public lands.

Emerald Cup Marijuana Competition Returns To Mendo Saturday

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 7, 2011 Culture, Growing, Products

The Emerald Cup

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

The fabled Emerald Cup is returning to the legendary Mendocino spiritual sanctum, Area 101, this Saturday. As the blurb says, “Proclaimed by Rolling Stone Magazine,’ as the premiere competition in America.'” And they’re not kidding.

The Emerald Cup, “the world’s only outdoor organic cannabis competition,” first lit up on the scene almost a decade ago, with the initial competition bringing in 22 entrees to be judged. Last year, the entries almost reached 150.

But that’s just pot talk. What’s cool about the Emerald Cup? It is so much more than your average medical cannabis bake-off.

Montel Pleads Case For 2 Medical Marijuana Facilities In D.C.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 1, 2011 Dispensaries, Growing, Medical

NBC Washington

Montel Williams pleads his case Wednesday night at a neighborhood meeting in the basement of Israel Baptist Church in Northeast D.C.

Former TV talk show host Montel Williams wants to open two medical marijuana facilities — a cultivation center and a dispensary — in the District of Columbia. On Wednesday, he pleaded his case before a crowd of 150 residents in the basement of Israel Baptist Church in Northeast D.C.

Williams has applied for two cultivation center licenses on nearby Queen’s Chapel Road in D.C., reports NBC Washington.

New Database Can Identify Marijuana Strains Through DNA

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 25, 2011 Growing, News

University of New Haven

The simplify the process for cops (who, as we know, need for things to be as simple as possible), Coyle and her team developed a “collection card” Officers can rub a bud onto a card, then mail it to UNH’s lab.

A new marijuana DNA database can tell if a particular batch of cannabis is one of more than 25 types that have been genetically mapped by a forensic botanist in Connecticut.

DNA analysis has almost unlimited potential in helping patients and breeders — once it’s used for that purpose, instead of to bust us.

But before you get too pumped about this exciting new service, I should point out that word “forensic” in botanist Heather Coyle’s job description. That’s right, this DNA analysis is meant to benefit cops and federal agents, not cannabis patients or breeders.

Dutch To Find Illegal Cannabis Plots From Space Via Satellite

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 25, 2011 Global, Growing, News

RCMP

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police used satellites to gather intelligence about this marijuana grow operation hidden deep in the heart of Mount Seymour, on Vancouver’s North Shore. Dutch police say they’ll begin using satellite images to find cannabis crops early next year.

With the coming to power of a right-wing government, the Netherlands is less and less cool about cannabis. Dutch police and local governments in the southern Netherlands plan to work with the European Space Agency to find illegal marijuana plots hidden in fields of corn and asparagus by using satellite data.

The experiment will begin early in 2012, using images taken from orbit to identity cannabis plants, according to Max Timp, a spokesman for the municipality of Venlo, which is leading the misguided project, reports Rudy Ruitenberg at Bloomberg.

While growing marijuana is illegal in the Netherlands, authorities “tolerate” up to five cannabis plants for personal use. The country’s southernmost province, Limburg, has set up a program called “Green Gold” to stamp out the illegal rural growing of marijuana, this year removing 4,140 plants with a claimed street value of three million euros ($4 million).

Marijuana Grower Beaten, Robbed By Trimmers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 23, 2011 Growing, News

Hoobner’s World

Growers, I know the demand for weed trimmers is high this time of year, but here are three you definitely don’t want to hire. A California man was tied up, beaten and robbed by three people he had hired to help him trim his marijuana crop, according to authorities.

The 62-year-old man, whose name wasn’t released, got medical treatment for his injuries on November 12, according to Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal, reports Liz Kellar at the Western Nevada County Union.

“He apparently had been beaten, but he initially was uncooperative,” Royal said.

Disabled Cops Oppose City Ban On Marijuana Cultivation

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 17, 2011 Growing, Legislation, News

LPP

An organization of retired and disabled members of the law enforcement community who have become medical marijuana patients is joining with other cannabis patients and advocates in calling on the City of Live Oak, California to regulate medical marijuana cultivation instead of banning it.

“The City of Live Oak is going to force legitimate medical marijuana patients to put themselves in danger by buying their medicine from the underground market,” said Nate Bradley, executive director of Lawmen Protecting Patients (LPP).

Switzerland Legalizing Up To 4 Marijuana Plants January 1

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 17, 2011 Global, Growing, Legislation

Cannabis Culture

The Swiss cannabis strain “Walliser Queen” with the Alps in the background. Starting January 1, cultivation of up to four marijuana plants will be legal in the Alpine nation.

Citizens of Switzerland will soon be allowed to grow up to four marijuana plants each at home, according to government officials. Four people sharing a house can grow up to 16 plants, but only if each person tends to their own crop.

The further relaxation of the Alpine nation’s already liberal cannabis laws has been agreed upon by four regions in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, reports Ian Sparks at the Daily Mail.

“We have agreed these new rules to prevent drugs tourism between regions where the rules are different, and to stop them buying it on the streets,” said a spokesman for the Neuchatel region of Switzerland.

Federal Domestic Spying May Target Cannabis Growers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 10, 2011 Growing, News

Michael Montgomery/California Watch

A federal drug agent stands in a marijuana field near Redding. The 2010 raid led to federal charges against 27 people.

The pattern of the American government using domestic spying on its own citizens — begun after the 9/11 attacks and the PATRIOT Act — may soon be going to a new level. Congress may empower federal intelligence agencies to participate in the struggle against marijuana cultivation in national forests and on other federal land.

One provision in the 2012 intelligence authorization bill calls on James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, to report on how federal spy agencies can help park rangers, fish and wildlife wardens, and other federal agents eradicate cannabis gardens, report Andrew Becker and Michael Montgomery at California Watch.

The bill also directs the top spy to work with federal public land managers to identify intelligence and information-sharing gaps related to drug trafficking. The House passed its version of the bill, HR 1892, in September; it is now before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

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