Toke of the Town — Marijuana and Cannibis News

Charity Says No Thanks To Food Donations From Dispensary

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Dave Crook and Amy DiIullo of Urban Cannabis with donated food items

’Cans For Cones’ Turns To Controversy

A Denver medical marijuana dispensary says it is literally trading a ton of joints for a ton of food. But one local charity turned down the food donation offered by Urban Cannabis because of its connection to marijuana.

Urban Cannabis said it is giving out free pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes to qualified medical marijuana patients who bring in four or more (8-ounce) canned food items. Monday marked a high point for the food drive, according to the dispensary, which said it collected 250 pounds of food in eight hours.

Marshall Islands Quells Cocaine Legalization Rumor

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 News

Photo: DEA

No, it’s still not legal, even in the Marshall Islands.

Cokeheads briefly thought on Wednesday that there was a place where their drug of choice is legal.

But the Republic of the Marshall Islands said it hasn’t legalized cocaine, nor has it created a no-visa entry program allowing unrestricted access to the Pacific islands nation, reports Erin Thompson of Pacific Daily News.

“We do not, have not, and don’t intend to legalize any substance,” said Soye Brown, acting attorney general for the Marshall Islands.

Golf Club Co. Threatens To Move Out If Pot Shop Moves In

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 Dispensaries, News

If you support medical marijuana patients, don’t buy Ping golf clubs. They don’t want to be associated with you, anyway.

Golf club manufacturer Ping is threatening to leave its Phoenix headquarters after 45 years if a medical marijuana dispensary is allowed in the neighborhood, according to its attorney. If you support medical marijuana patients, you definitely want to think twice before buying anything made by these morons.

While most dispensary applications sailed through without opposition, Ping objected strenuously to an applicant for a site at 1944 W. North Lane, one block south of the company’s headquarters, reports Michael Clancy at The Arizona Republic.

Ping representative Stephen Earl told a Phoenix hearing officer that the company is “considering” investing $170 million to renovate its headquarters, but “may not do so if the neighborhood decline continues.”

Woman Arrested During Medical Marijuana Raid Speaks Out

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: 8 News Now

Rhonda Shade’s garage in Las Vegas used to be packed with dozens of marijuana plants. Now all the cannabis is gone, along with the lights used to grow it, since everything was seized in a drug raid.

“They’ve taken our finished medicine, which was ready for use, and they took all of our equipment,” Shade said, reports 8 News Now. “Law enforcement is taught to look for these lights and these plants growing, and maybe it looks crazy to them, but it was beautiful to us. That was our medicine, and we took pride in it. There’s nothing wrong with that, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that.”

Maryland Senate On Verge Of Approving Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Cannabis Fantastic

The Maryland Senate is expected to take up final approval of a medical marijuana bill this week, after giving it a preliminary OK on Tuesday. Although the bill has been drastically amended since being introduced, its sponsor said he still feels it represents progress.

The bill, proposed by state Sen. David Brinkley of Frederick County, will now allow people charged with use or possession of marijuana to argue before a judge that they did so out of medical necessity, reports Meg Tully of the Frederick News-Post. If a judge agrees, the person would be found not guilty of the charge, known as an “affirmative defense.”

Marijuana DUI Bill Advances In Colorado

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: THC Finder

A bill increasing restrictions on people in Colorado who drive after using marijuana took another step forward in the legislative process on Tuesday.

But the approval of House Bill 1261 by the state House of Representatives had some attendant drama, including a skirmish among the bill’s two sponsors, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

HB 1261 [PDF] would create a limit on the blood-THC levels of drivers. Anybody who tests above an arbitrary amount, five nanograms per milliliter, would be considered too high to drive, much as someone with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent is considered too drunk to drive.

Three Days, Man! Seattle Hempfest Gets Permit For Aug. 19-21

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2011 Culture, News

Photo: NORML Blog

Rick Steves addresses 100,000 people at Hempfest 2008. The world-famous pot protestival will be better than ever in 2011, for the first time ever extending to three days.

Those of us who care about Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest cannabis “protestival,” have been a little worried the past few months. Organizers of marijuana’s biggest annual event, which is slated to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, have for months been embroiled in a permit squabble with the City of Seattle. Some folks were even speculating openly that Hempfest might not happen.

Well, it’s gonna happen. And not only is it gonna happen, but it’s gonna be bigger and better than ever before. After trying unsuccessfully to get a third day added to the event last year — thus adding Friday to the traditional Hempfest days of Saturday and Sunday — organizer Vivian McPeak said today he had gotten the go-ahead for a three-day festival this year.

Montana Bill Would Let Voters Repeal Or Keep Medical Pot Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: KTVQ

Letting the voters decide? What a concept.

If you’re a resident of Montana, you may believe you already sent a pretty clear signal to the state’s politicians in 2004, when voters overwhelmingly approved the legalization of medical marijuana in a 62 percent to 38 percent rout. Let’s just assume some politicians are slow learners.

As legislators talk over repealing or amending the state’s medical marijuana law — effectively thwarting the will of the voters — one lawmaker from Kalispell wants to give Montanans another chance to vote on the issue, reports Charles S. Johnson at the Billings Gazette.

Raided Marijuana Dispensary Reopens In Montana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Graphic: Big Sky Patient Care

Big Sky Patient Care only stayed closed a week after being raided by gun-wielding DEA agents.

Valerie Sigler said her business did nothing illegal, so the co-owner of Big Sky Patient Care, a medical marijuana dispensary in Four Corners, Montana, was back open for business on Monday.

Sigler and her husband decided to continue providing medical marijuana to patients after speaking with their lawyer on Sunday, reports Daniel Person at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Big Sky Patient Care was one of around 10 dispensaries raided by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents last week.

Spokane, WA Marijuana Dispensaries Concerned About Future

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Young Kwak/The Pacific Northwest Inlander

Ryan Seeley and Surisa Arispe outside their medical marijuana dispensary, Indicare, in Spokane, December 2010

Medical marijuana dispensary owners swarmed Spokane City Hall on Monday night, asking local political leaders to push for a clarification of Washington’s medicinal cannabis law.

The owners have good reason to be concerned. Last week, a Spokane jury convicted Scott Shupe, who co-owned one of the city’s first medical marijuana dispensaries, reports Tania Dall at KXLY4.

Shupe had argued that a broad interpretation of the law allows dispensaries to supply authorized patients, provided they serve only one patient at a time. But jurors decided that Washington’s medical marijuana law should not be interpreted as allowing dispensaries.