Toke of the Town — Marijuana and Cannibis News

Marijuana Activists Hold Sit-In At San Diego Council Meeting

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Five medical marijuana activists including San Diego ASA’s Eugene Davidovich (closest to camera) were arrested at Tuesday’s City Council meeting

Five medical marijuana activists staged a 45-minute sit-in Tuesday in the San Diego City Council chambers, protesting the final passage of a local medicinal cannabis ordinance which advocates say imposes a citywide de facto ban on collectives.

The set of strict zoning and public safety regulations for the dispensaries was passed on second reading by the Council, with no changes to what was approved the first time around, reports 10 News.

Passage came on a pair of 5-2 votes, despite vocal opposition among audience members who opposed the stringent regulations.

During the hearing, members of the “Stop the Ban Campaign” — a coalition of more than 20 local, state and national groups spearheaded by Canvass for a Cause and the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) — repeatedly chanted “We demand safe access,” disrupting the session, forcing the council to clear the chambers, and postponing a critical vote on the ordinance.

It’s A Marijuana Dispensary In North Texas! Well, Sort Of.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 News

Photo: Dallas/Fort Worth NORML

Danielle Farley, chapter president, University of North Texas NORML, Denton, Texas

There was an unusual sight on the University of North Texas campus recently — a “marijuana dispensary” staffed by members of UNT NORML.

Habitat for Humanity held their annual “Shak-a-Thon” on the UNT lawn campus again this year, and UNT NORML proudly displayed their dispensary while several students lived in it during the length of the event, a three-day, two-night sleep-out fundraiser to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Passersby donated to the shack they enjoyed the most — and whichever shack raises the most money wins.

“It was also a particularly poignant event for us, because we were trying top raise awareness about the housing policy,” said Danielle Farley, president of UNT NORML. “Kicking a student out of the dorms for marijuana possession with little or no notice could land them in a cardboard shack much like ours.”

Worth Repeating: Over 50 Studies Show Cannabis Is Medicine

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 Medical

Graphic: The Truth Source

Welcome to Room 420, where your instructor is Mr. Ron Marczyk and your subjects are wellness, disease prevention, self actualization, and chillin’.

Worth Repeating

By Ron Marczyk, R.N.

Health Education Teacher (Retired)

The quote below, from a news release, is a political statement that is based on incomplete and biased science. Remember, once science is politicized, it is no longer science.

“No sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use.”

Not true! An overwhelming number of studies exist to firmly support cannabis as all-purpose medicine and very possibly a strong candidate as a cure for cancer as was originally reported by the National Cancer Institute.

There has never been a single documented primary human fatality from overdosing on cannabis in its natural form in any amount. How’s that for safety!

New Mexico Man, 74, Arrested For Smuggling Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 News

Customs and Border Protection

CBP officials proudly released this grainy photo of the compressed bales of low-grade marijuana they took from a 74-year-old man on Saturday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have arrested a 74-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico man who they claim attempted to smuggle 172 pounds of marijuana across the El Paso port of entry from Mexico.

The bust happened Saturday at about 12:34 p.m. at the Bridge of the Americas international crossing, reports Kurt Christopher at KOB.com. A 1989 Chevrolet Scottsdale 1500 pickup was pulled from the line for inspection and CBP drug sniffing dog “Frankie” alert to the gas tank of the vehicle.

CBP officers found two large compressed bales concealed in metal containers in the gas trunk. The contents of the bales tested positive for marijuana.

Well, at least that’s some more shitty, gasoline-smelling weed we won’t have to smoke.

Colorado Plan Would Have Bypassed Banks Wary Of Pot Shops

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Education News Colorado

Rep. Tom Massey: “It’s not going to go away. It’s a legitimate business in Colorado.”

Colorado lawmakers on Monday debated and rejected a plan for the state to back an investment bank for the medical marijuana business. The plan would have meant the state was taking a more active role in the financing of medicinal cannabis dispensaries.

As part of a bill to tweak regulations for the medical marijuana industry, state Rep. Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) proposed an amendment to create investment trusts for dispensaries, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post. The state Department of Revenue would have overseen the trusts and set up the rules for them.

Feds Raid Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Michigan

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 12, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Mike Brookbank/Detroit Free Press

DEA agents, assisted by Oakland County Sheriff’s Department officers, raided Caregivers of America, a medical marijuana dispensary in Walled Lake Michigan, early Tuesday morning.

Federal agents raided at least three properties in Oakland County, Michigan on Tuesday morning, with the raids apparently targeting medical marijuana operations.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched Caregivers of America, a medical marijuana dispensary in Walled Lake, a home in Commerce Township and an office building in Novi, at about 7 a.m., reports Elisa Anderson and Mike Brookbank at the Detroit Free Press.

Sealed federal search warrants were executed at all three locations, according to DEA Group Supervisor Andrew Eiseman. Few other details were released.

Washington Legislature Legalizing Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 11, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Directory

Dispensaries already exist in at least King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, but if a new bill passes the Washington Legislature in 2011, they could operate statewide

A bill which will protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and allow dispensaries has now passed both houses of the Washington Legislature, and will soon be headed for the Governor’s desk.

SB 5073 last month had already passed the Senate, and passed the Washington House late Monday afternoon on a 54-43 vote.

The bill clearly and unambiguously allows state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. While some dispensaries are already operating, clarity in Washington’s law is expected to help protect dispensary operators from costly litigation and possible convictions.

In addition, SB 5073, as amended, protects all medical marijuana patients from arrest — not just those who register with the state. Currently, no patients are protected from arrest, as has been the case since Washington voters overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana in 1998.

Maryland Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Defense Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: John Doe Radio

Maryland will soon become the 16th state to remove criminal penalties for the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The Maryland Legislature has passed an affirmative defense bill abolishing criminal penalties for patients who use cannabis to relieve the effects of debilitating medical conditions.

After the House of Delegates approved an amended version of the bill over the weekend, the Senate on Monday approved those amendments, sending the bill to the desk of Governor Martin O’Malley. Aides to the Governor have indicated publicly he would sign a medical marijuana defense bill.

“With the passage of this bill, the General Assembly has let seriously ill patients know they are not criminals for seeking relief from their pain and suffering,” said Senator David Brinkley, the primary sponsor of the Senate bill. “It will also establish a framework to build on in moving forward with more comprehensive solutions so that some day soon patients will be able to obtain their medicine in dignity and not on street corners. I thank my colleagues in both chambers for today’s compassionate vote.”

Study Says Indoor Pot Farms Use Up 1% Of Electricity In U.S.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 11, 2011 Growing, News

Indoor cannabis cultivation may be trendy, but it’s also costly. Marijuana grown inside accounts for one percent of the annual electricity use in the United States, according to a new study.

That’s $5 billion worth of energy, equivalent to the energy use of two million homes for a year, reports Ariel Schwartz at Fast Company. The news comes from a report by Evan Mills, a veteran energy analyst at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, who said the problem can be traced back to the high-intensity lighting, dehumidification, air conditioning, irrigation, heating, and ventilation systems used in modern indoor grows.

Med Marijuana Repeal On MT Gov’s Desk; Decision This Week

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Michael Gallacher/The Missoulian

Gov. Brian Schweitzer visits a medical marijuana dispensary in Missoula in June 2010. A bill to repeal the state’s medical marijuana law is now on the Governor’s desk, with a decision due this week.

A bill which repeals the medical marijuana law overwhelmingly approved by Montana voters in 2004 is currently sitting on Governor Brian Schweitzer’s desk. If the Governor signs it, it becomes law, and an estimated 90 percent of medicinal cannabis patients in the state will become outlaws with the stroke of his pen. The Governor’s decision is expected this week.

Sen. Dave Wanzenreid spoke at a Cannabis Expo at the University of Montana over the weekend, telling the group “It’s time to contact your representatives,” reports Allyson Weller at KPAX News. Hearing from the people does make a difference, according to Wanzenreid.

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