Project SAM (Smarter Approaches to Marijuana) likes to tout themselves has having some progressive ideas on marijuana legalization and criminalization. They say their goal is to “inform public policy with the science of today’s marijuana,” for example. But they’re really an anti-marijuana group trying a new approach to the same old Reefer Madness.
And now the Marijuana Policy Project is calling SAM out on it, with MPP Maine director David Boyer urging SAM to join forces with MPP to promote “an honest, evidence-based public dialogue about marijuana” in Maine, where recreational cannabis legalization efforts are starting to take shape.
| Orange County District Attorney’s office. |
| Kyle Handley. |
In what is arguably one of the most vile stories out of the medical marijuana world we’ve ever seen, four people have been charged with kidnapping, torturing and castrating the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in California.
Their reasoning? They thought the unnamed owner has buried a large amount of cash in the desert and they wanted the location.
When it comes to medical marijuana — or any relaxing of pot laws whatsoever — Gov. Mark Dayton has said, “I don’t think we need another drug operating in our society.”
He’s also said he wouldn’t sign a bill legalizing marijuana unless it has the support of law enforcement, which seems about as likely as me finding part-time work as a supermodel if this blogging thing doesn’t work out. You might assume Republicans would be even less in favor of marijuana reform than Dayton, but in some cases, you’d be wrong. Minneapolis City Pages has the full story.
Alan David Nixon willingly allowed his name to be used to hide the true owner of a Southern California medical marijuana operation, but his military service, age and extensive medical woes helped a federal judge find mercy at this week’s sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Christine S. Bautista recommended five months in prison followed by five months of home detention for Nixon, who admits he aided John Melvin Walker’s massive, flagrant marijuana distribution scheme busted by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers. OC Weekly has the full story.
| Michael Saffioti. |
Last year, 22-year-old Michael Saffioti had a warrant out for a misdemeanor pot charge in Washington state. Despite having severe allergies and asthma, Saffioti turned himself in and turned over his life to jailers who let him die from an allergic reaction to his breakfast despite knowing full well of his condition.
At the time, the state denied pressing any criminal charges against anyone in his death because there wasn’t enough evidence. But a new video turned up by KIRO 7 in Seattle shows Saffioti questioning what he was being fed to guards who had medical files on him.
| “We kill your liver!” |
Marijuana is safer than alcohol. It’s a simple message based in a lot of truths. But Big Alcohol doesn’t like that, nor do they like the insinuation that their legal product leads to more violence, health issues and social problems than cannabis.
“We’re not against legalization of marijuana, we just don’t want to be vilified in the process,” an anonymous alcohol lobbyist tells the National Journal this week. “We don’t want alcohol to be thrown under the bus, and we’re going to fight to defend our industry when we are demonized.”
Hrach Shilgevorkyan was charged with a marijuana DUI after a blood test revealed no active THC in his system. It did reveal an inactive metabolite of THC, though. The presence of that inactive metabolite has nothing to do with any potential impairment.
A judge eventually dismissed the case, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office appealed it, as the case eventually landed at the state Supreme Court.Prosecutors have argued that this was actually the intent of the Legislature. Essentially, they’ve argued that if you smoke a joint — medical marijuana patient, or not — you are forbidden from driving, probably for a few days, and possibly up to a month. Phoenix New Times has the full, absurd story.
| It may be a fixer-uper. |
If you’re going to put your former grow house up for sale in a place where cannabis is illegal, clean out your pots, vents and lights before allowing the real estate agent takes photos for an online listing.
Police in Avon and Summerset, England say they raided a $230,000 two-bedroom home back in July after receiving a tip that a grow operation was blatantly listed online through Rightmove.com. Cops haven’t made any arrests, but removed all of the grow equipment according to the Telepgraph.
Denver is still considering measures to cut down on the skunky odor wafting through the Mile High city, but a recent report shows that cannabis is hardly the worst offender.
According to information that the Denver Department of Environmental Health shared at the Monday council meeting, this city’s residents are bothered by a lot worse odors than marijuana. In 2010, the DEH collected 98 total odor complaints — seven involving marijuana. In 2011, it heard 118, with eight involving marijuana. In 2012, Denver residents apparently had much more sensitive noses, making 288 complaints to the department, DEH head Doug Linkhart told councilmembers Monday — but only sixteen involved marijuana. And through September 20 of this year, there have been 85 complaints made, with just eleven involving marijuana. Denver Westword has the full, stinky story.
| Jovan Jackson, from YouTube. |
Just over one year ago, on October 24th, 2012, historical legal precedent was set in the state of California in regard to its ambiguous medical marijuana laws. San Diego based medical marijuana storefront owner, Jovan Jackson, had been tried in court twice, based first on entrapment style undercover buys in 2008 (acquitted of all charges), and then trumped up charges of possession and sale of marijuana after a raid on his shop in 2009, of which he was eventually found guilty.