Legalize It

$24.7 Million in Recreational Pot, Edibles and Concentrates Sold in Colorado in June

By William Breathes on August 14, 2014 Legalize It, News, Say what?

What better way to celebrate the coming of summer in Colorado than with weed?
That seems to have been the case in Colorado this past June, when tourists and locals purchased more than $24.7 million in recreational marijuana, concentrates and pot-infused food.  
Recreational marijuana sales have been slowly climbing month to month in this state, according to recent figures released by the Colorado Department of Revenue; June saw the highest sales yet. Meanwhile, medical marijuana figures are starting to show a slow decline, though they still outpaced recreational marijuana sales by approximately 18 percent. In June, about $28.65 million worth of medical cannabis was sold. 

2nd lawsuit claims unfair San Diego pot laws will cause undue pollution

By Jack Daniel on August 11, 2014 Follow that story, Legalize It, Say what?

KeoniCabral/FlickrCommons

In February of this year, local pro-cannabis activists in Kern County in Southern California concocted a defense of pot dispensaries that you have to be toking on some top shelf herbs to come up with.
Their argument was that by forcing the closure or re-location of the vast majority of local medical marijuana storefronts, they would be violating the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by making the region’s cannabis consumers drive their pollution-spewing cars even further to get their medication.
Half-baked or not, the defense stood up in court and the de facto ban on medical marijuana in Kern County was delayed. As we reported at the time, the court’s decision set a potential landmark precedent for other counties or cities on the verge on instituting their own crackdowns on the chron. The example we used was San Diego, and sure enough, America’s Finest City has become the new proving ground.

Colorado highway fatalities near all-time low according to Washington Post study

By William Breathes on August 6, 2014 Legalize It, News, Say what?

ErgoSum88/Commons.

There have been fewer deaths this year on Colorado roadways than years past. Colorado also began legal sales of recreational cannabis this past January. Coincidence? Not likely. In fact, we’re not saying that pot had anything to do with lowering the fatalities, mind you.
We’re just pointing out that the blood-bathed roads and warzone-level death totals the prohibitionists warned people about (and continue to try and scare people with) just aren’t coming true.

D.C. voters to decide on legalizing limited amounts of cannabis for recreational use, cultivation this November

By William Breathes on August 6, 2014 Legalize It, News

Keith Bacongo-Flickr edited by Toke of the Town.

Washington D.C. voters will have the chance to legalize limited amounts of cannabis for recreational use for adults 21 and up this November. The D.C. board of elections today announced that a measure legalizing up to two ounces of pot as well as limited home cultivation will be up to voters.

Marijuana-Related Arrests and Citations Almost Even in D.C. Since Decriminalization

By Toke of the Town on August 6, 2014 Follow that story, Legalize It, Legislation, News

Washington D.C. effectively decriminalized possession of up to one ounce of marijuana July 17, but that hardly means the end to marijuana-related arrests.
According to DCist, there were 26 arrests involving cannabis during the first two weeks of decriminalization– July 17 to July 31– just one less than the amount of citations (27) issued for possession. Data from D.C. Police says the 26 arrests were for public consumption, distribution, possession with the intent to distribute and possession of more than one ounce.

“Prince of Pot” Marc Emery gives first Canadian interview since release from US federal prison

By Jack Daniel on August 1, 2014 Follow that story, Legalize It

CannabisCulture/FlickrCommons

After spending five years in six different prisons across six different states, Canada’s Marc Emery has been scheduled for release and is due back in Canada between August 10th and the 25th.
He recently gave his first interview to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) since earning that release, and if authorities in either country thought he may just silently go about his business after being caged up with thieves and killers for a half a decade, they have sorely underestimated the self-proclaimed “Prince of Pot”.

NFL’s Josh Gordon claims secondhand smoke led to failed drug test

By Jack Daniel on July 30, 2014 Legalize It, News

EricDrost/FlickrCommons

Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon says secondhand smoke led to a failed drug test

One of the first things you learn as a stoner is how to dodge the bullet when it comes to getting busted. Some nights there might not have been enough Visine and cologne on the planet to cover up how baked you were when you thought you were fooling your parents coming home late.
When you do walk in a room all pie-eyed and reeking of reefer, maybe the oldest excuse in the book is to blame it on the “other guy”. When the phrase “secondhand smoke” became a household term when speaking on the dangers of cigarettes, the anti-pot crowd was quick to point out that secondhand marijuana smoke could be a danger as well.
These days, the tables have turned a bit, and savvy stoners are turning science against the system and citing “secondhand smoke” as the culprit anytime they get busted for weed.

Albuquerque activists submit signatures to reduce pot penalties

By William Breathes on July 29, 2014 Legalize It, News

Ron Reiring/Flickr.

ABQNM.

Backers of a proposal that would make the maximum penalty for an ounce of marijuana a $25 fine in Albuquerque, New Mexico submitted signatures Monday hoping to get their proposal on the November ballot.
But even they admit it could be a long shot. Supporters turned in 16,000 signatures, hoping that 11,203 are actually valid. That seems like it would be a given, but verification of the first set of signatures showed that only 57 percent were valid.

Colorado initiative would remove any fines and sentences for cannabis possession in Colorado

By William Breathes on July 29, 2014 Legalize It, News

While Coloradans did legalize limited amounts of pot for adults 21 and up in 2012, we didn’t make all cannabis possession legal and, in fact, you can still be fined and even arrested for having more than one ounce on you at any given time.
One Colorado activist is trying to change that with a ballot initiative that would remove pot penalties from the books. Proposed ballot initiative #3 would eradicate all fines and sentences for the possession of cannabis, and guaranteeing that in the Colorado Constitution.
But its proponents have just one more week to collect the required signatures, and efforts are lagging.

Washington Post writer says 124 potheads in New Zealand should steer US marijuana policy making

By Jack Daniel on July 29, 2014 Legalize It, Media, Say what?

TaberAndrewBain/FlickrCommons

Just when a corporate giant like the New York Times begins to restore your faith in the main stream media, along comes another Sunday episode of Meet The Press to leave you stopping in mid-toke to scream at your TV.
The channel cannot change fast enough when someone like John McCain is being asked, for some damn reason, for his opinion on foreign policy, yet not being asked how the hell he thought that bringing us Sarah Palin was a good idea. This week, however, the topic turned to pot, and guest panelist and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus gave us all a renewed hatred for out of touch journalists.

Browsing: Legalize It