A report released Thursday by the federal government challenges the assertion that loosening state marijuana laws will lead to more teens getting high.
In its latest biennial survey of high school students, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that teen use of marijuana remained flat between 2011 and 2013. During those years, several states either decriminalized small amounts of the plant or launched medical marijuana programs.
April saw a lot more than crop-watering showers in the marijuana world. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, about $22 million in recreational pot was sold in April, up nearly 60 percent from January, when retail sales started.
Meanwhile, medical marijuana sales — which still far outpace recreational sales — dropped from about $34.47 million in March to $31.7 million in April. April medical marijuana patient figures aren’t available yet, but the state’s MMJ registry has been slowly increasing over the past few months and had 115,208 patients as of March 31.
| Of his mustache, Denney, a self-described “liberty-lover,” says: “As a third party candidate you can’t be afraid to pull out all the stops… I’m glad I have your attention, because I have important things to say.” |
Minnesota is indeed home to one major party that supports the legalization of pot, but it isn’t the Republicans or Democrats.
It’s the Independence Party, which is one of just three parties in Minnesota with “major” status, attained when at least one of a party’s candidates for statewide office wins five percent of the vote for four consecutive elections. That means Independence candidates like John Denney, the party’s Sixth District candidate for U.S. Congress, will have the opportunity to share their unique political views during debates with candidates like Republican Tom Emmer and Democrat Joe Perske.
Drug Free Florida, the group that is putting on the full-court press to get Floridians to vote against medical marijuana, has been active in getting its message out, particularly with videos and with big-time donors coming from the woodwork to finance the cause.
But as much as the group wants to “educate” the state on the supposed dangers of medical marijuana, it sure has surrounded itself with what United for Care Campaign Manager Ben Pollara calls “questionable characters.” Most notable is the recent $2.5 million donation from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
“The Anti-Amendment 2 movement is now showing its true face,” Pollara says. “Now more than ever, the people behind Drug Free Florida lack any moral standing to pronounce themselves on anything related to the health and well-being of Floridians.”
From a homophobe to a bigot, Drug Free Florida has been rallying major support from some, let’s call em dubious folks. Want to meet ’em? Well, neither do we — but you should at least know who they are. Broward-Palm Beach New Times has their bios.
| Say no to Sheldon Adelson and yes to legalized medical marijuana. |
Big-money casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who pimps sin on a daily basis, has jumped into the anti-medical marijuana fray by opening his deep wallet and donating $2.5 million to the Drug Free Florida campaign, the group looking to derail Florida’s Amendment 2 initiative.
Adelson has made a name for himself as one of the biggest donors to conservative movements and campaigns over the years and is widely known for his anti-Palestine stance. He once suggested that the U.S. should drop an “atomic weapon… in the middle of the [Negev]” and that the Palestinians are an “invented people.”
| Rick Scott. |
Need more proof that spending dump trucks full of cash can win elections in America? Take a look at Florida’s percolating governor’s race, where Rick Scott — yes, the same guy who has had trouble cracking 30 percent approval ratings for the past four years — has suddenly pulled even with likely challenger Charlie Crist in several new polls.
What’s changed? Has Scott suddenly started embracing issues important to voters like medical marijuana reform and green energy? Nah, he’s just spending crazy amounts of money — more than $13 million on TV ads just since November. And it’s working like a charm.
| Crystal Metheney. |
Ladies and gentlemen, allows us to introduce you to Ms. Crystal Metheney.
You didn’t read that wrong. Your mind isn’t screwing around with you. This woman from Polk County has the perfect Florida name. She was arrested back in early May. The charge: shooting a “missile” into a “occupied vehicle.” The 36-year-old bonded out for the charge the next day. Which is perfect. That means she’s free to meet Edward Cocaine on a blind date.
Florida, we have to get these two together. Want to help? Head over to the Broward-Palm Beach New Times for more.
| Sczcurki/FlickrCommons |
Sammy Flores Jr. was born in 1971 and given the name of his father, Samuel Flores Sr., who happened to be one of the largest marijuana trafficking kingpins in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Junior was quick to follow in his father’s shady footsteps.
After his father was riddled with bullets by Mexican police at a dusty roadside checkpoint in Guadalajara in the fall of 1985, Flores fell into a life of crime of his own. Just three months after his old man was gunned down, Flores was arrested at the Pittsburgh airport carrying $17,000 in cash and a silenced .22 caliber pistol after having just completed a 205 pound weed sale in the city.
A poll in May found 88 percent of Florida voters supported medical marijuana. A March poll showed support at 74 percent. One from November had support at 82 percent.
So a bipartisan poll released today showing that only 70 percent of Floridians plan to vote to legalize medical marijuana in the state is a bit surprising. It follows a poll released on Tuesday that showed support down to 66 percent. Then again it’s hard to get more than 50 percent of Floridians to agree on anything and the amendment on November’s ballot needs just 60 percent support to pass. Miami New Times has more details.
Denver is the Hollywood of cannabis, according to KC Stark. As for Colorado Springs, he sees it as Silicon Valley — which is why he decided it was the perfect place to serve as a base for his latest venture, MMJ Business Academy. The academy’s mission, Stark explains, is to break down and explain the new and complicated laws and licensing procedures for people looking to get into the pot industry.
“We saw the need for comprehensive understanding of that marijuana monopoly game. It’s three-dimensional; it moves and changes. It’s brutal,” Stark says.