| http://www.thc-ministry.org/ |
| Roger Christie, Hawaii’s “Preacher of Pot” |
64-year-old Hawaii resident Roger Christie has long been a well-known advocate for medical and recreational marijuana use on the Big Island. As a minister at his own church on Hilo – a quaint little joint by the name of THC Ministries – Christie enjoyed a rapidly growing congregation of over 60,000 followers, to many of whom he provided “sacrament” in the form of cannabis.
On July 8th 2010 though, it all came crashing down as a result of an extensive undercover investigation, leading to the arrest and indictment of 14 people associated with THC Ministries, along with Christie and his wife Share.
Governor Jay Nixon came to St. Louis on Friday for a ceremony celebrating the building of a dental school. And after the event, he finally addressed the topic of granting clemency to Jeff Mizanskey, the man who has been in prison for more than twenty years, serving a life without parole sentence for marijuana charges.
Well, maybe “addressed” is being a bit generous.
The Arizona Legislature adjourned last week, and despite more than 200 bills being signed into law, very few will have any effect on most people.
There were some very good proposals that didn’t pass, which probably would have made Arizona a better place to live and do business. Check out the Phoenix New times picks for 10 bills that should have passed, but didn’t.
Steve Zabawa is a partner of the Rimrock Auto Group, and co-owner of Rimrock Subaru and Rimrock KIA, located right smack dab in the middle of Montana. Billings, Montana, to be exact.
His public Facebook page shows his interests ranging from Mormon universities like BYU, to Mormon athletes like Steve Young, to grossly fabricated “reports” of pot use leading to heart disease and death. His anti-pot social media ranting has a small handful of local prohibitionists in his corner, but has apparently turned his own daughter, and a good portion of his hometown, against him.
| Truthout.Org/Flickr |
For at least four years, local marijuana activists have fought to have post-traumatic stress disorder added to the list of conditions that can be legally treated with medical marijuana in Colorado — and each time, they’ve failed.
Now, however, advocates are hoping legislation scheduled to be heard by a House committee this week will provide a breakthrough.
Michael Roberts has all of the details about the bill and those it may affect the most, over at Denver Westword
| TexTexin/Flickr |
Two former Los Angeles County Sherriff’s deputies were charged, booked, and released this week on $50,000 bail a piece, stemming from accusations that they had illegally planted firearms during an alleged bust at a southern California medical marijuana dispensary back in 2011.
Facing charges ranging from obstruction of justice and altering evidence, to perjury and filing false police reports, Julio Cesar Martinez (39) and Anthony Manuel Paez (32) are scheduled to be arraigned later this year, on June 17th. If convicted, they could face up to seven years in state prison.
Over the past few weeks, critics of marijuana legalization have drawn attention to several news stories they see as demonstrating the dangers of more accessible weed. First, the death of a college student and the murder of a mom were linked to marijuana edibles, and now, the local and national media is giving big play to reports about Greeley ten-year-olds who sold pot on the playground of their elementary school.
Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project and one of the main proponents for Colorado’s Amendment 64, sees such reactions as part of an age-old practice of demonizing cannabis that won’t derail the push for progressive marijuana policies here and beyond. Denver Westword has more.
The many opponents of legalized marijuana in Florida have come and gone, defeated with facts and science and the power of the people. But, like a ferocious hungry hydra looking to devour the movement at every turn, opposition continues to rear its long, scaly talons at preventing medical weed from being legalized.
The most recent — and perhaps biggest — opposition to date comes in the form of the Florida Sheriffs Association, which has launched a staunch anti-Amendment 2 campaign called “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot.”
| Florida Gov. Rick Scott. |
Will Florida’s 2014 governor’s race become the election that was over before it even began? Ever since Governor Rick Scott’s approval ratings plummeted shortly into his tenure, rumors have floated that Charlie Crist would officially become a Democrat and trounce Scott in an election … and that seems to be what’s going to happen. Maybe.
Recent polls show Crist with a comfortable lead over Scott, but the margin has shrunk since 2013 when several polls showed him with a double digit lead. Miami New Times has more.
There’s a study that’s floating around today linking marijuana use to heart complications, with some reports saying that marijuana use is directly linkable to cardiovascular death. It’s sure to get even more traction over the next few days, but here’s a few things you should know about why this study is a load of crap.