Oregon parents concerned that legalizing pot for adults will harm their kids kicked off a campaign this week to fight a measure that would allow adults 21 and up to possess up to eight ounces of pot at a time and grow up to four plants.
Their biggest fear: pot retailers are going to be targeting their kids, even though you can’t buy put without an ID showing you’re of age (and in Colorado not one underage sale has been reported, even with attempted police stings).
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| Does Paula Riggs, Christian Thurstone and Bob Doyle of Project SAM want to keep marijuana illegal so they can profit off of treatment? |
A recent poll suggested that a majority of Coloradans were unhappy with marijuana legalization — findings embraced by anti-pot activists who’d ignored previous surveys showing the opposite.
Now, cannabis critics like these are working to prevent legalization from spreading to other states — and a document called the Utah Marijuana Compact offers insight into their methods.
With voters set to hit the ballots in less than two months, and the medical marijuana initiative polling strong, United for Care is taking it strong to the hoop by releasing it’s first thirty second ad for the final push.
The new ad, titled “It Worked,” showcases United for Care’s message that Amendment 2 allows Florida doctors to recommend the use of medical pot specifically and strictly to patients with debilitating diseases and medical conditions.
| Colorado Supreme Court chambers. |
The Colorado Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow on whether or not employers should be able to fire employees for using cannabis off-work. The case stems from Brandon Coats, a former DISH Network phone operator who was fired from his job in 2010 after he failed a test for marijuana. Coates, who was left in a wheelchair for life after a car accident as a teen, says he only uses the cannabis off work and that his employer fired him inappropriately.
Colorado business officials and the state Attorney General’s office have come out in support of DISH’s decision, but a group of vocal Colorado advocates have jumped in on Coates’ side and are imploring the courts to decide for patients and not for big business interests.
| Sascha Kohlmann. |
Here’s a head-scratcher: Vahak Mardoun Mardikian got demoted in 2012 by the Glendale Police Department for harassing and belittling other cops, but later the city’s Civil Service Commission sided with Mardikian. He was ultimately give a huge settlement, basically by claiming that the department, half of which is made up of Armenian, black and Latino cops, is anti-Armenian.
But on Aug. 8, Markidian got tossed in Clark County jail for allegedly giving Las Vegas vice detective Justine Gatus $275 for anal sex — and, well, to fill her gas tank. That’s what Nevada court records show, obtained by the scrappy Glendale News Press. But now he’s going to start collecting $10,000 a month off taxpayers– and he gets to retire at age 50 on the taxpayer dime. Is this OK?
Steve Castillo, owner of The Variety Co-op medical marijuana dispensary, is being fined by the County on a near-daily basis. It’s quickly adding up – when he spoke with the Weekly, Castillo estimated the County fines he and his landladies have incurred at approximately $56,000.
The Variety Co-op is a marijuana dispensary situated in Midway City, one of a handful of unincorporated areas in Orange County. Unincorporated land tends to attract dispensaries, as they eliminate pesky city councils and enforcement. County officials have the final say on most things in unincorporated areas. More at the OC Weekly.
| Bobby Earle |
| Deborah & Dennis Little had their home raided in 2012, now they’re fighting back |
Two years ago, in September of 2012, a law enforcement helicopter buzzed over the top of Dennis Little’s land in the quiet country town of Ramona, California. One month later, a joint task force comprised of local law enforcement officers and DEA agents kicked down Mr. Little’s door and arrested him and his wife on suspicion of cultivating illegal amounts of marijuana.
In March of 2013, San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis took them to court on the charges, and one full year later, in March of this year, they beat her at her own game and were fully acquitted of all charges by a jury of their peers.
With two years of their lives turned upside down, thousands of dollars lost to lawyers and courts, and a hard reputation to shake in a small town, one might think that the Little’s would be happy to put it all behind them. But they have some justice of their own to attend to first.
| Mikel Weisser. |
The first member of the U.S. House of Representatives who publicly admits to “dabbing” could be Arizona Democrat Mikel Weisser.
The odds may be slim of this occurring since Weisser’s facing off against incumbent Republican Paul Gosar in expansive and conservative Congressional District 4, which includes Kingman, Prescott and part of Maricopa County. He’s a former plumber and middle-school teacher, an ultra-leftie, and the current leader of Safer Arizona, a group that tried unsuccessfully to get a cannabis-legalization measure on the ballot this year.
Weisser brings a plethora of personal experience to the national debate over loosened marijuana laws — in fact, when we last met him, he brought it in an Altoid tin. More at the Phoenix New Times.
With the vote on Amendment 2 a mere six weeks away, polls seem to be indicating that medical marijuana will be made legal in Florida. Some people fear that will lead to weed dispensaries popping up everywhere throughout Florida. But, Boca Raton wants to keep dispensaries out of town, at least for a while, even if Amendment 2 does pass. On Tuesday, the city introduced an ordinance that would put a moratorium on dispensaries for at least a year.
This, just a few weeks after Boca hosted business seminars for those interested in getting into the weed dispensary business.
| FlickrCommons |
Many people in the cannabis community heard the news via social media apps like Facebook and Instagram way before the San Diego Division of the DEA put out a press release and the local news media caught on.
On Wednesday of last week, the DEA announced that on September 16th, 2014, they arrested nine San Diego area residents after successful raids on multiple locations in the takedown stage of a yearlong investigation they oh-so-cleverly dubbed Operation: Shattered Dreams.