Toke of the Town — Marijuana and Cannibis News

Pot Dispensary Owner Tries Citizens Arrest; Gets Busted Again

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 18, 2010 Dispensaries, News

In a bizarre twist Monday, the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in Fresno, California — along with his son — tried to put a deputy city attorney under citizen’s arrest outside a courtroom.

Three days after being released from jail, Rick Morse, owner of Medmar Clinic, a dispensary in Fresno, and his son Brandon tried to arrest Deputy City Attorney Michael Flores as Flores approached the civil courthouse, reports Dennis Hart at KMJnow.

Sheriff’s deputies intervened and prevented the attempted arrest.

Morse and son were cited on suspicion of battery after trying to arrest Flores, after bailiffs quickly broke up the confrontation, reports Pablo Lopez at The Fresno Bee.

Anti-Pot Zealots Take Wild-Eyed Stand In Santa Barbara

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 18, 2010 Dispensaries, Medical

Photo: The Santa Barbara Independent

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown shows special housing he has prepared for medical marijuana patients

A rabidly anti-marijuana coalition made up of various groups in Santa Barbara, California, including one charming bunch called “Don’t Cannabis Our Community,” are “demanding a ban on marijuana dispensaries” in the city. There is still no word on when the same confederacy of wingnuts plans to take a brave stand against Vicodin, Valium or Viagra.

The misguided butt-inskys plan to gather at Santa Barbara City Hall Tuesday before the Concil meeting on a revised medical cannabis dispensary ordinance, and publicly call for a complete ban on the medicine.

The mission statement for the coalition quickly removes any doubt that this is a group of people seriously disconnected from reality.

“We, the citizens of Santa Barbara demand protection for all of our citizens, schools, and recovery centers from the harm of marijuana sold from storefronts, and we demand immediate enforcement of all pot shops operating without permit,” the statement, undoubtedly damp with indignant spittle, reads.

“Our permitted dispensaries are breaking the law and we demand the city close them immediately,” the statement says.

The usual robotically anti-pot dunderheads were quick to join the low-IQ chorus.

Busted Mayoral Candidate Says Burglar Planted Rolling Papers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 18, 2010 Culture, News

Photo: Ann Spann, The Destin Log

Crestview, Fla., mayoral candidate Alan Sampson was arrested back in March after police discovered a bong in his bedroom. Now he says a pack of rolling papers was planted in his house.

Crestview, Florida mayor hopeful Alan Sampson, who was charged with marijuana possession and possession of “narcotics equipment” after police reported seizing a bong from his bedroom in March, said someone broke into his home last week and left rolling papers in his bathroom drawer.

“I don’t know if someone was trying to leave me a message or if it was some of the kids in the neighborhood,” Sampson said, reports Michael Stewart at Florida Freedom Newspapers.

Sampson, who has vowed to fire Crestview Police Chgief Brian Mitchell if he’s elected mayor, said he doesn’t use rolling papers.

Legal Trick Could Block Prince Of Pot’s Extradition

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Global, News

Photo: Cannabis Culture

Marc Emery, the Prince of Pot, might not be seeing much more cannabis for awhile if a novel legal maneuver doesn’t work.

Supporters of B.C. marijuana activist Marc Emery, the Prince of Pot, are trying an unconventional legal maneuver to stop his planned extradition to the United States — keeping him in Canada to face charges there first.

In a little-known quirk of Canadian law, individuals can swear criminal charges against another person or group. In recent years, such private prosecutions have been used by activist groups to take corporations to court.

Patrick Roberts, a resident of West Kootenay, B.C., used the tactic five years ago when he filed conspiracy charges against Emery, in relation to his mail order marijuana seed business.

49% Of Coloradans Say Marijuana Should Be Legal, Taxed

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Culture, News

Graphic: Sensible Colorado

Nearly half of Colorado’s voters say all marijuana use — not just the state’s growing medical cannabis industry — should be legal and taxed, according to a new statewide poll by Rasmussen Reports.

The telephone survey of 500 likely Colorado voters showed 49 percent saying marijuana should be legal and taxed, with 39 percent saying pot should remain illegal and 13 percent are undecided, reports Mark Harden at the Denver Business Journal.

For whatever reason, men in Colorado are much more supportive than women in the state when it comes to legalizing and taxing the herb. Predictably, Democrats and independents view pot more favorably than Republicans, the poll found.

Low Pot Prices Create Panic; We Should All Have Such Problems

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Culture, Growing, News

Graphic: Humboldt Clothing Company

Marijuana cultivation — of the illegal variety — has been the economic lifeblood of three counties — Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity — in Northern California, known as the Emerald Triangle. The War On Drugs and frequent raids by federal agents have helpfully kept street prices of pot sky-high and profits large for renegade farmers.

But greater supply, more competition, and especially the prospect of legalized marijuana — with the issue enjoying majority support and slated to appear on November’s ballot in California — is exerting downward pressure on pot prices, reports Michael Montgomery at NPR.

The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), a massive air and ground assault launched by the Reagan Administration in 1983, with the goal of “eradicating” pot and arresting growers in the Emerald Triangle area, was a big factor in causing wholesale pot prices to shoot to as high as $5,000 a pound. The sudden windfall for growers willing to risk prison time changed the mellow pot-growing culture forever.

Michigan Medical Marijuana By The Numbers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Medical Marijuana Blog

Thousands of patients have applied to participate in the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) since state voters made it legal last year.

The following statistics are through April 2010, according to Monroe News.

Original and renewal applications received: 27,883

Patient registrations issued: 14,398

Caregiver registrations issued: 6,274

Applications denied: 4,072 (most due to incomplete information or missing documentation)

Certified caregivers can acquire and possess 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for a qualifying patient. Each caregiver may assist up to five patients.

Man Tells Cops He Pays College Tuition With Pot Sales

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Culture, News

Graphic: TokeTheseTees

After police caught a New Mexico man ordering marijuana from California, they claim he told them the proceeds were going toward higher education.

A police-traced “controlled delivery” to Albuquerque resident Louie Duran, 34, contained about eight pounds of marijuana. Detectives arrived at Duran’s residence and saw him standing with another man, later identified as Andrew Vega, 27, reports Blair Shiff of KRQE.

Police allege that Duran said “Booya!” when the undercover narc walked up with the pungent package.

The officer approached Duran and confirmed his identity. Duran signed a FedEx form acknowledging receipt of the package, according to police.

100-Year-Old Government Hemp Farm Diaries To Be Revealed

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Culture, Growing

Photo: Courtesy Adam Eidinger

Lyster Dewey, a botanist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the early 1900s, is seen measuring a 4-meter-tall hemp plant at Arlington Farm.

Never-before seen journals found recently at a garage sale outside Buffalo, N.Y., chronicle the life of Lyster Dewey, who tended a United States government hemp farm in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Dewey, a botanist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wrote in detail about growing strains of hemp called Keijo, Chinamington and others on a tract of government land known as Arlington Farm, reports Manuel Roig-Franzia of the The Washington Post.

If the “Arlington” part of that name sounds familiar — as in Arlington National Cemetery — that’s because the acreage used to grow the hemp was handed over to the War Department in the 1940s for construction of the world’s largest office building: the Pentagon.

So in addition to the already-known intertwining of the noble hemp plant and U.S. history, now it is revealed that the very location of the Pentagon itself was once covered with verdant fields of cannabis.

The Hemp Industries Association, a small trade group, bought Dewey’s diaries. Leaders of the group are betting that displaying them for the first time on Monday will help increase public knowledge that hemp was used for ropes on Navy ships and World War II parachute webbing.

Colorado Springs Raids Shake Medical Marijuana Community

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 14, 2010 Growing, Medical

Photo: Event Setter

Shock waves are still reverberating through the medical marijuana community after more than half-a-dozen growing operations were raided by the Colorado Springs Metro Vice unit on Wednesday.

Police served seven warrants, claiming they were all illegal growing operations, reports 11 News.

All seven were growing operations and not storefront dispensaries, according to police spokesman Sgt. Steve Noblitt.