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Raided Medical Marijuana Providers Sue U.S. Government

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 News

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record

Chris Williams of the Montana Caregivers Association watches as DEA agents and local law enforcement raid his Montana Cannabis grow operation on March 14. Willliams is now suing the federal government.

Two Montana medical marijuana providers have accused the United States government of civil rights violations in what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind, in response to a federal crackdown on medicinal cannabis operations nationwide.

The owners of Montana Caregivers Association and MCM Caregivers said that federal raids on medical marijuana businesses across Montana in March were unconstitutional, exceeded the government’s authority and preempted the states’ medical marijuana law, reports Matt Volz at the Associated Press. Montana’s medicinal cannabis law was approved by an overwhelming 62 percent of voters in 2000.

Obama OG Marijuana Hits San Diego Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 Dispensaries, News, Products

Photo: David Maass/San Diego CityBeat

A new(ish) strain of medical marijuana named after President Barack Obama has hit San Diego dispensaries over the past few months.

The “Obama OG” strain seems to be different than the simple “Obama” pot that one shop was offering in February 2009, reports Dave Maass at San Diego CityBeat. The general consensus on that strain was that it was just a marketing ploy timed to take advantage of the inauguration.

There’s no birth certificate available, but Obama OG seems to actually be one of the latest of the OG Kush strains that have been popular in Southern California, with Skywalker OG being one of the most popular for the past year. The “OG” means it is a descendant of a particular strain of Kush, an indica. The debate still rages among cognoscenti whether “OG” stands for “Ocean Grown” or “Original Gangsta.”

“Call it what you like, Obama OG gives an outstanding and long-lasting therapeutic effect,” reader Paul Smalley of San Diego told Toke of the Town Thursday morning. “I highly recommend it.”

“There’s several schools of thought as to where ‘OG’ came from,’ ” San Diego medical marijuana activist Eugene Davidovich told CityBeat. “And there’s very little standardization or solid information you can find about where it comes from because of the fear a lot of people have of talking about it.”

Maine Committee Votes To Expand Medical Pot Access, Privacy

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: Maine Medical Marijuana

Maine lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a proposal to expand access to cannabis under the state’s medical marijuana program. A second bill that would have legalized and taxed pot was voted down 7-3 in committee, but observers say the issue promises to resurface in the future.

The first measure, LD 1296, would make registration with the state voluntary rather than mandatory for patients who wish to use marijuana with the support of their physician, reports Meg Haskell at Bangor Daily News. This measure is intended to protect the privacy of patients, according to Rep. Deborah Sanderson (R-Chelsea), who sponsored the bill.

According to Sanderson, some people will prefer to register in order to make sure they don’t run afoul of law enforcement agencies. But patients should not be forced to be listed in a state registry to seek lawful therapeutic medical treatment, she said.

Cops Hold Vigil In D.C.: Legalize Drugs To Stop Police Deaths

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 News

Photo: LEAP

The late Corporal Ed Toatley, left, with former narcotics officer Neill Franklin, now of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Peace Officers Memorial Day is this week, and some cops are saying we need to legalize drugs to stop police from dying in the failed “Drug War.”

Too many law enforcers are killed in the line of duty enforcing a senseless and unwinnable War On Drugs, according to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), which is calling for the legalization and regulation of all drugs.

They’re telling stories about their fallen friends and colleagues to back up their case.

“When one of my best friends was killed doing an undercover drug purchase, it opened my eyes to the fact that not only are these drug laws ineffective, but they lead to brave and dedicated law enforcers losing their lives,” said Neill Franklin, a 34-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department, now LEAP’s executive director.

Marijuana DUI Bill Dead In Colorado Legislature

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 9, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: Denver Westword

Westword pot critic William Breathes tested nearly three times over the proposed legal limit — while completely sober

The Colorado Senate voted on Monday night to kill HB 1261, the marijuana DUI bill, in its entirety, scoring a huge victory for the medical cannabis community.

In a crucial vote, lawmakers rejected a limit on the amount of THC — the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — that drivers are allowed to have in their systems above which they would be considered too high to drive, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

The Senate sided with medical marijuana advocates, who urged more study of the proposal, since THC lingers in the system and many patients would, in effect, be banned from legally driving.

The bill, proposed by Rep. Claire Levy, would have established a driving-under-the-influence level of five nanograms per milliliter of blood, reports Michael Roberts at Denver Westword. During House debate, Levy tried to change that number to eight nanograms, but her amendment failed.

Emblematic of the problem with a 5-ng (or an 8-ng) limit is the blood test of Westword cannabis critic William Breathes, who was tested while completely sober. Breathes’s reading while sober was approximately 13.5 nanograms.

Notorious Drug Cop Federally Indicted For Illegal Gun Sales

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 9, 2011 News

Photo: Josh Farley/Kitsap Sun

Drug cop Roy Alloway terrorized Washington medical marijuana patients for years. Now he’s been federally indicted for illegal gun sales.

Narc Is So Despised, A Local Strain Of Marijuana Was Named In His ‘Honor’

A former Washington drug cop so notorious for his misdeeds and aggressive tactics that a strain of medical marijuana was named after him in retaliation has been federally indicted for unlawfully selling guns.

Roy Alloway spent 32 years in law enforcement, the last 10 of which he was involved in the WestNET regional drug task force. Alloway took something of an unhealthy personal interest in giving additional pain to medical marijuana patients, according to many activists in the area, who “see him as a cop determined to lock up even legal users of pot,” wrote Nina Shapiro at the Seattle Weekly.

Alloway made a career of trashing houses and intimidating their occupants, apparently not giving a damn if the people he harassed were legitimately sick or not.

And that’s exactly why a potent marijuana strain was named “Alloway” in his “honor.” Created by a well-known Everett breeder associated with advocate Steve Sarich of CannaCare, the Alloway strain includes the genetics of popular Seattle strain PermaFrost, with a little White Widow reputedly in the mix as well.

“Where do you begin?” said Sarich, who was raided by Alloway and WestNET in 2007.

“This guy is a real piece of shit, and has been for years,” Sarich told Toke of the Town Monday afternoon. “I can’t wait to see how many of the cases Alloway was involved with are overturned, if he gets locked away on these charges.”

Fourth Marijuana Conviction Gets Louisiana Man Life In Prison

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 9, 2011 News

Graphic: Hermes Press

A 35-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison last week for his fourth marijuana conviction under Louisiana’s repeat-offender law.

Cornell Hood II had gotten probation after his first three marijuana offenses in New Orleans, but when he moved near Slidell, in the St. Tammany Parish, his fourth such conviction sent him away for the rest of his life, reports Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

State Judge Raymond S. Childress sentenced Hood in his courtroom on Covington, Louisiana, on Thursday. A jury on February 15 had found the defendant guilty of attempting to possess and distribute marijuana at his Slidell home, according to court records.

Hood had moved from eastern New Orleans to the Slidell area after his third marijuana conviction, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute, on December 18, 2009, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. He received a suspended five-year prison sentence and five years’ of probation for each count, which was exactly the same penalty he’d gotten in that court after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute marijuana about five years earlier, on February 22, 2005.

U.S. Attorney Issues Vermont Marijuana Dispensary Warning

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 5, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, News

Graphic: Potspot 411

Vermont on Wednesday joined the growing list of medical marijuana states which have received threatening letters from federal prosecutors regarding state licensing of cannabis dispensaries and grow operations.

Disturbingly, the latest letter — from U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin — is yet another overt attempt to influence pending legislation, this time a bill which would legalize and license medical marijuana dispensaries in Vermont.

“I really had every intention of voting for this bill until this morning,” said Rep. Patti Komline (R-Dorset), reports Terri Hallenbeck at the Burlington Free Press. “The letter impressed me.”

American Express To Marijuana Dispensaries: Get Lost

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 5, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Graphic: Fiamma

So American Express won’t allow customers to use their cards to purchase medicinal cannabis? Screw them.

According to multiple sources at medical marijuana dispensaries, American Express will no longer process transactions from cannabis businesses.

“Please be advised that American Express will no longer allow transactions to be processed at Medical Marijuana dispensaries,” read one email notice from The Farmacy dispensary in West Hollywood, reports LA Snark. “This is a policy change made by American Express, nationwide.”

According to the email, dispensaries are still able to process transactions with MasterCard, Discover and VISA.

The Farmacy told Ana Kasparian at web news show The Young Turks that, beginning last Saturday, April 30, every time they swiped a patient’s American Express card, the transaction would be declined.

American Express allegedly told personnel at The Farmacy that they have “new guidelines” that came out this year, one of which says they will no longer allow American Express customers to use their cards for medical marijuana purchases.

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