Toke of the Town — Marijuana and Cannibis News

Cambodian Anti-Drug Chief Sentenced For Drug Trafficking

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 5, 2012 Global, News

Former Cambodian Drug Czar Moek Dara being dragged away to prison by police. (How long until we see Gil Kerlikowske in a similar predicament?)

Who’s gonna watch the watchers? A Cambodian court on Thursday sentenced the former director of the country’s anti-drug agency to life in prison for corruption and narcotics trafficking, according to a court official. The drug czar’s top aide was also given life in prison for good measure.

Moek Dara, who headed the National Authority for Combating Drugs, and his subordinate Chea Leng were found guilty of 32 counts of involvement in drug trafficking, prosecutor Phan Vanarath told AFP, reports Times Live.

Both were also convicted of accepting bribes from drug dealers by the court, located in the northwestern part of Cambodia in the province of Banteay Meanchey. The court is about 190 miles northwest of the nation’s capitol, Phnom Penh.

Washington Voters Split On Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 5, 2012 Legislation, News

Elway Research

Support has fallen since last July. (Hey, looks like Elway’s auto-correct got ’em, changing “initiative” to “imitative.”)

Washington state voters appear increasingly split on the prospect of marijuana legalization as a ballot initiative heads to the Legislature next week.

A new Elway Research Poll released on Wednesday showed softening support for Initiative 502, which would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and tax sales, with 48 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed, reports Jonathan Martin at the Seattle Times. The margin of error is five percentage points.

Conventional wisdom holds that initiatives which have starting points of less than around 55 percent support have a low chance of passage at the ballot box.

Marijuana Improves Mental Sharpness In Middle-Aged Men: Study

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2012 Medical, News

Aspen Daily News

Keith Stroup, who founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in 1970, takes a smoke break for mental sharpness at the NORML convention in Aspen, Colorado in 2008.

Not only does smoking marijuana not “burn you out,” but it’s downright good for your brain. Yet more scientific evidence — this time, that it actually appears to improve cognitive functioning among middle-aged men — is now available, thanks to a new medical study.

Researchers looked at a large sample of 8,992 men who “used drugs,” mostly cannabis, at age 42 and then again at age 50, reports Dennis Romero at LA Weekly. The men were tested to measure their level of brain functioning.

Surprise, surprise — the Brits who had used illegal drugs did just as well — or slightly better! — than the chaps who had never “used drugs” at all.

When current and past drug users were lumped together as one group, their scores tended to be better than those of non-users. That advantage was small, researchers said, and might be due to the fact that people who have tried drugs tend to be better educated than those who haven’t.

“A positive association was observed between ever (past or current) illicit drug use and cognitive functioning,” the study’s authors concluded in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Newt To N.H.: Founding Fathers Would Have Busted You For Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2012 News

death + taxes

Newt Gingrich: “I think Jefferson or George Washington would have rather strongly discouraged you from growing marijuana and their techniques for dealing with it would have been rather more violent than our current government”

GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich continued on Wednesday to show off his profound lack of comprehension of both drug policy and the mood of the American electorate, telling a New Hampshire audience that Washington and Jefferson would have violently suppressed marijuana.

Gingrich was pressed on three separate occasions Wednesday during a town-hall style meeting in Concord, N.H., where he said he had “no interest” in even considering cannabis decriminalization, reports Sam Stein at the Huffington Post.

Signatures Turned In For Colorado Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2012 Legislation, News

The Weed Blog

Proponents Submit 159,000 Signatures to Put Cannabis Legalization on November Ballot in Colorado

Voter Initiative Would Generate New Revenue and Increase Public Safety

Denver-based activists submitted more than 159,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday, well in excess of the 86,500 required to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s Presidential ballot in November.

“This is a job well done and a crucial first step to ensure Coloradans have a chance to make history,” said Art Way, Colorado manager of the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports the measure. “There’s simply no denying the intense groundswell for change.”

Marijuana Activist Legend Gatewood Galbraith Dies

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 4, 2012 News

Lex18.com

Gatewood Galbraith (1947-2012)

The legendary Gatewood Galbraith, colorful Kentucky political figure known as “The Last Free Man In America,” died quietly in his sleep at home Tuesday night. Gatewood, a perennial candidate for public office and a lifelong marijuana advocate, changed the cannabis movement forever with his homespun wisdom and plain-spoken honesty.

Gatewood, who defended individual rights in the streets, in the courtrooms and on political stages around the country, was perhaps best known for his advocacy of hemp farming and the legalization of marijuana, along with his sense of humor.

Galbraith had run for governor last November, finishing third in a three-candidate race won by incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear.

“Dear Friends I have just been notified that Gatewood passed away last night,” his running mate, Dea Riley, posted on Facebook this morning. “I am heading to Lexington to be with his family. Please say a prayer for his family and friends and all those who loved him. I am heartbroken.”

Activists Await Results One Year After CA Cannabis Decrim

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 3, 2012 Legislation, News

HempNews

On January 1, 2011, a law passed by the California State Legislature and signed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger went into effect that removed criminal penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, making the violation a civil citation similar to a parking ticket. Supporters of the law argued that it would remove some of the financial burden associated with arresting people for marijuana possession, while lessening the damage done by having a criminal record.

Advocates now eagerly await the release of arrest data, as well as state expenditures on marijuana enforcement and prosecution, to determine if the state is adequately following the law.

“Serious unintended consequences have surfaced as a result of this mischaracterization [marijuana possession being a misdemeanor as opposed to a civil infraction],” said Sen. Mark Leno, the bill’s sponsor, during debate on the bill in 2010.

Exclusive Interview: Aaron Evans of The Green Brothers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 3, 2012 Culture, Products

Aaron Evans

Aaron Evans of The Green Brothers got a chance to sit down with Toke of the Town’s Becky Bonghits Fogarty for a good, long, in-depth talk about weed and life and music.

By Becky Bonghits Fogarty

Toke of the Town

Michigan Correspondent

Aaron Evans, founder of The Green Brothers and Dove Ink Records, is a powerful force in the legalization of marijuana as well as a constant workhorse striving to affect positive change in our world in every way he can. As an activist and artist he stands on the front lines against the twisted laws of the government, fighting daily to end the prohibition of marijuana.

Since beginning his battle, Aaron has been featured in NUG, Skunk, High Times and countless other publications in print and online. As an author/emcee, producer, designer, photojournalist, and marijuana activist, Aaron Evans, aka Claude 9 aka Eyamme, is a unique entity within the culture, carving his own lane and blazing trails along the way.

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Aaron is currently based in San Diego, with a fan base that spans the entire globe. With a blend of free flowing, lyrical, and musical talent Aaron’s artistic styling can be described as THC-infused funk, hip hop, jazz, and soul.

You can find out more about Aaron and his eclectic talents at www.aaronevansimagination.com.

Maryland Could Give Green Light To Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 3, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Medical Marijuana Blog

A medical marijuana bill, House Bill 15, has been filed in the Maryland General Assembly, and would establish cannabis dispensaries for the seriously ill. But a state panel charged with making recommendations on medical marijuana last month failed to find consensus, instead presenting two divergent plans.

Their report, released in December, outlines competing plans to implement Maryland’s medical marijuana law, which was passed last April and does not take the step of actually legalizing cannabis outright. The Legislature will be left to decide which of the two plans — if either — will be chosen for the distribution of medicinal cannabis in the state, reports Erin Cox at Hometown Annapolis.

Supreme Court Could Decide If Drug-Dog Based Warrants Valid

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 3, 2012 News

hamptonroads.com

Do the police have a right to get a search warrant for your home if a police dog outside indicates the presence of drugs? The United States Supreme Court could decide this month whether to take a case from Florida involving exactly that scenario.

According to Florida’s highest court, Franky the drug dog’s ability to smell marijuana growing inside a Miami-area home from outside the closed front door crossed the constitutional line, reports Curt Anderson of the Associated Press. But Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a conservative Republican, wants the cops to be able to come on in.

Many experts expect the Supreme Court will take up the Florida case, Florida v. Jardines.

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