| Graphic: NCIA |
With growing financial clout and an eye on expanding to more states beyond the 15 that have already legalized medicinal cannabis, leaders of the medical marijuana industry are forming a national trade association.
While there are smaller, local trade groups, organizers said this will be the first business organization working on the national level, reports Dan Frosch at The New York Times.
Organizers of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) said it is the first national trade group representing the interests of the cannabis industry and its consumers. More than 20 professionals from various sectors of the marijuana industry make up the initial board of directors of NCIA, which organizers said was formed with the express purpose of improving business conditions for the industry.
Based in Washington, D.C., the group will focus mainly on lobbying, but will also help medical marijuana businesses navigate the labyrinth of laws that differ depending on state, county, and city.
| Photo: Corporate Travel Safety |
A Rhode Island man who reported a stolen safe to police was charged with marijuana possession after police opened it and found two pounds of pot and $5,000.
Sean Riley, 45, of Portsmouth, R.I., drove to the police station to retrieve his safe, and helped officers open it, reports Bryan Rourke at The Providence Journal.
“He gave us the code,” said Lt. Brian Peters of the Portsmouth Police Department. “He wanted to prove it was his safe.”
“When the officers opened it up, they got quite a surprise,” Peters said.
The officers found their discovery quite interesting, and they started wondering what else Riley might possess. So they went to his house.
“We found 14 marijuana plants growing in a shed at the rear of his property,” Peters said. “And we found additional marijuana inside the home.”
| Graphic: MotivatedPhotos.com |
A well-respected senior federal judge in Georgia pleaded guilty on Friday to helping an exotic dancer buy cocaine, marijuana and prescription pain pills.
Jack Camp, 67, pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge of aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of cocaine and two misdemeanor charges, illegal drug possession and unlawfully giving his U.S. District Court-issued laptop computer to the stripper for her personal use, reports Reuters.
Judge Camp resigned as part of his plea, and he could be facing up to four years in prison. He will be sentenced March 4.
Camp was reportedly involved with the stripper over the past several months, reports Bill Rankin at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His arrest and revelations of his affair with the stripper shocked the state’s legal community.
The judge will be forced to serve at least 15 days in custody. Federal sentencing guidelines recommend a term of four to 10 months in prison, although Camp and his attorneys can ask for a more lenient sentence.
| Photo: MSNBC |
| Local voters seem not to really care much about Pennsylvania State Rep. Paul Costa’s marijuana citation. |
In a refreshing show of common sense, Pennsylvania voters are saying “So what?” after a state legislator got caught smoking marijuana at a tailgate party outside a Steelers game last month.
State Rep. Paul Costa’s citation for smoking a joint isn’t exactly a “burning issue” in his district, reports Jason Cato at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
“To me, it doesn’t in any way affect his performance,” said Jim Curcio, 59, of Wilkins, Pa.
Rep. Costa (D-Wilkins) is scheduled to appear in Municipal Court on Wednesday due to allegations he smoked a joint with another man on October 3 near Heinz Field. Costa, 51, denied the accusation through his lawyer.
Pittsburgh police have charged him with “prohibited acts,” a misdemeanor.
| Photo: Huron Daily Tribune |
A 55-year-old New Jersey man whose marijuana plants were found by police — in part, because he didn’t mow his lawn — is now headed to state prison for five years.
Matthew Watts of Boonton, N.J., was sentenced on Friday. He pleaded guilty last month to possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, reports the Courier Post.
Police claim they found at least 50 cannabis plants in Watts’ basement in June.
They had gone to the home after a neighbor reported she hadn’t seen Watts for weeks, adding that no one was collecting his mail and that his lawn was grown up.
| Photo: The Huffington Post |
A farmer in France has been given a one-month suspended jail sentence for feeding cannabis to his 150 ducks.
Michel Rouyer was arrested after police found 12 cannabis plants and 11 pounds of marijuana during a search of his home in the village of Gripperie-Saint-Symphorien, reports Metro.co.uk.
“There’s no better worming substance for them; a specialist advised me to do it,” the farmer said.
His lawyer, Jean Piot, added, “This is for real; not one [duck]has worms and they’re all in excellent health.”
But authorities thought he was a quack.
“We have never investigated a case like this,” police said. Rouyer was given a one-month suspended jail sentence and fined 500 euros (about $700).
| Photo: Michael Gallacher/Missoulian |
| Sgt. Collin Rose of the Missoula Police Department watches while Jason Christ, owner of Montana Caregivers Network, looks through computer files Thursday afternoon during a police search of his office. |
Police searched the offices of Missoula, Montana medical marijuana provider Jason Christ on Thursday, seizing business records and at least one laptop computer.
“They’re conducting an audit to make sure no fraudulent paperwork went out,” said Christ, adding that he had long expected a visit from police, reports Gwen Florio of the Missoulian.
“I’m surprised it took so long,” said Christ, who is notorious for smoking marijuana in public places, as he held his trademark gondola pipe.
Thursday’s search warrant applied to “suspected distribution of dangerous drugs,” which supposedly means marijuana in this case, and tampering with public records or information, according to Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul.
| Photo: Watertown Daily Times |
| Philip H. Tarbell, 68, former chief of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, has been charged for the second time in a year with transporting marijuana. |
The former chief of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in northern New York state was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for allegedly transporting about 95 pounds of marijuana. It is the second pot charge faced by the former chief in the past year.
Philip H. Tarbell, 68, of Hogansburg, N.Y., was charged with possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of cannabis, according to federal court records, reports David Winters at the Watertown Daily Times.
He is accused of hiding the pot in two hockey bags in the back of a minivan when he got stopped on November 11 at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Route 9 just outside the village of Schroon Lake, Essex County, New York.
This isn’t the former chief’s first run-in with the law over transporting marijuana in the past 12 months.
He was also accused of having about 23 pounds of pot after a traffic stop in December 2009 on Route 11 in the town of Adams, N.Y., according to state police.
The charges in LeRay Town Court were dismissed because the district attorney’s office did not appear for a preliminary hearing, according to attorney Michael Rhodes-Devey, who represents Tarbell.
| Photo: Billings Gazette |
| Mildred Ann Strike, 51, of Billings, Montana, faces felony charges for allegedly receiving seven pounds of marijuana through Federal Express. |
A 50-year-old Billings, Montana woman accused of receiving seven pounds of marijuana through Federal Express delivery was charged Thursday with a felony.
Mildred Ann Strike appeared for arraignment in District Court and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, reports the Billings Gazette. Judge Susan Watters continued bond at $5,000, which Strike had posted.
A Federal Express employee called Billings police about a suspicious package (both the Gazette and the AP have the call occurring on November 21, but that would still be in the future; I doubt that pot was that good.) Police got a search warrant and found seven pounds of cannabis in the package.
| Photo: Amazon.com |
A high school principal in Nevada is under fire for suspending 12 students who posted pro-marijuana signs on campus.
Carson Valley Middle School Principal Robert Been claimed the signs, which read “Legalize Weed” and “Free The Weed,” caused a “disruption” at the school, reports Scott Neuffer at the North Lake Tahoa Bonanza.
Principal Been, office telephone number (775) 782-2265 extension 21, email address [email protected], claimed the signs violated a policy requiring all signs to be “approved by staff” before being displayed.