Toke of the Town — Marijuana and Cannibis News

Troopers Seize 90 Pounds Of Pot After Traffic Stop; Dude Could Get 8 Years

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2010 News

Photo: Ohio State Highway Patrol

Officer, may I please roll around in the evidence?

State Troopers in Lorain County, Ohio seized 90 pounds of marijuana “valued at more than $200,000” after a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.

Officers stopped a 1992 Mitsubishi pickup truck for a marked lanes violation on the Ohio Turnpike near S.R. 58, reports Angie Price at NBC4i.com.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, troopers saw “criminal indicators” in the vehicle (rolling papers? roaches? Grateful Dead CDs?) and a drug dog was called to the scene.

Rhode Island Looks At Decriminalizing Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: www.odt.co.nz

An 18-year-old student is arrested for marijuana. Scenes like this could become a part of the past in Rhode Island.

A bill to decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana was introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Under the legislation, up to an ounce of pot would be subject only to a $150 civil penalty under state law.

H 7317, a bipartisan bill, is co-sponsored by 35 House members and has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The Rhode Island State Senate is likely to introduce their version of the bill later this week.

If the bill becomes law, Rhode Island would join their neighboring state, Massachusetts, and become the 14th state to decriminalize marijuana. In 2008, Massachusetts voters passed a similar decrim law overwhelmingly, with 65 percent of the vote.

Coloradans May Get To Vote On Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2010 Dispensaries, News

Photo: www.agreenercountry.com

Coloradans may have to go to the polls in November to defend medical marijuana dispensaries from the Legislature.

Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana advocacy organization, has announced it plans to place an initiative intended to “secure patient access to medical marijuana” on the Colorado ballot this November.

The idea, reports Michael Roberts at Westword, is to let voters establish regulations more friendly to the medical marijuana industry than those likely to be passed by the Legislature.

The group will file a statewide ballot initiative Thursday at the Office of Legislative Council in the State Capitol.

Man Who Disrupted Flight Claims He Ate Cannabis Cookies

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: www.livinabroad.blogspot.com

Dude. Back slowly away from the cookies.

A California man who started acting weird on a cross-country flight Sunday is facing federal charges of interfering with the flight. He claims he’d had too many cannabis cookies.

Kinman Chan, of San Francisco, was going from Philadelphia to S.F. aboard a US Airways flight, when he began acting bizarrely, reports Paula Reed Ward at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

At first, Chan was waving, smiling and making “odd gestures” to a flight attendant, according to a criminal complaint.

He then went to the restroom. Shortly after, the other passengers noticed unearthly screams emanating from the loo.

Canadian Woman, 74, Extradited To U.S. On 30-Year-Old Pot Charge

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2010 Global, News

Photo: visualizeus.com

Pot charges don’t go away, even after 30 years.

A 74-year-old woman from Hamilton, Ontario who attempted to cross the U.S./Canadian border into New York earlier this week was arrested when a officials discovered a marijuana charge from 1980.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents said Homenella Cole advised officers at the Lewiston-Queenston border crossing Monday that she had previous criminal convictions in Canada, reports the National Post.

“She said she wanted a waiver to enter the U.S., which is not uncommon,” CBP spokesman Kevin Corsaro said.

When officers then ran a routine criminal record check, they learned Cole had an active felony warrant issued on April 1, 1980 by the New York City Police Department.

Cole was arrested on the outstanding warrant and was extradited to New York City.

N.M. Medical Marijuana Tax Could Push Patients To Black Market

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Photo: Flickr / Westword

New Mexico: Land of Enchantment. And, well, taxing the sick.

New Mexico’s Legislature has been looking mighty hungrily at the state’s medical marijuana program as a source of tax revenue. But according the state’s Tax and Revenue Department, such a tax could cause patients to turn to the black market.

A 25 percent excise tax on medical marijuana could potentially raise about $1.2 million for the state, according to the Legislative Finance Committee’s fiscal impact report on Sen. John Sapien’s bill, SB 56, reports Marjorie Childress at The New Mexico Independent.

The analysis estimated a typical patient spends $6,256 annually on medical marijuana, and would pay about $1,564 in excise tax per year.

R.I. Medical Marijuana Hearing Is Packed, But Few Speak Up

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Graphic: thefreshscent.com

The auditorium was packed Tuesday, but only five people voiced their opinions on the proposed tightening of Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law during a public hearing held by the Department of Health.

Two individuals spoke, as well as representatives of three organizations: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Society, and the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, reports Talia Buford at The Providence Journal.

The bill, backed by two state legislators — who are, surprise, surprise, both retired police officers — is designed to “close loopholes” in the state’s medical marijuana law.

Kansas Ignores Real Problems, Wages War On Fake Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2010 Legislation, News, Products

Photo: Kansas City Pitch

Hey, let’s outlaw everything that even looks a little like marijuana!

Kansas may be millions of dollars in the red and facing a host of real problems, but the Legislature there has a rather curious sense of priorities, passing a law against fake marijuana.

The Kansas House of Representatives endorsed legislation Tuesday to ban the ersatz weed, sold as incense under the brand name K2, reports David Klepper at the Kansas City Star.

Police say the substance is increasingly being used by teens and others looking for the effects of marijuana but whom, for whatever reason, cannot get pot.

Illinois Cop Used Squad Car To Deliver Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2010 News

Photo: policecarsite.50webs.com

If you see this vehicle, do NOT, I repeat do NOT, flag it down and try to buy pot anymore. Dude got busted.

An Illinois police sergeant is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly used a squad car to deliver marijuana while on duty.

Sgt. Sergio Fuentes, 41, of Aurora, Ill., was charged with felonious possession of a controlled substance and official misconduct according to the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team (Tri-DENT), reports Mike Hanley at the Sun Times Media Wire.

Police said Fuentes on Friday delivered marijuana to a person who was informing for the narcotics team. Sgt. Fuentes was on duty at the time of the alleged delivery, and drove his Earlville, Illinois police squad car.

Cannapalooza Kaput: Casino Cancels Event Due To ‘Fear Of Potheads’

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2010 Culture, Medical, News

Graphic: OC Weekly

Vegas loves a drunk… But not so much a pothead.

Sin City loves a drunk, but it’s apparently not nearly as fond of stoners.

Cannapalooza, a three-day cannabis convention scheduled to have been held in Las Vegas March 19-21, has been canceled by Mandalay Bay casino, reports Nick Schou in the OC Weekly.

Cannapalooza Executive Director Louis Woznicki was told by one law enforcement official that “potheads” were bad for Vegas.

“We made our money with people who drink alcohol and gamble,” the officer told Woznicki. “People who smoke pot don’t drink and gamble.”

“They were scared,” Woznicki said. “The event was going to be open to 50,000 members of the public and was growing, if you pardon the expression, like a weed.”