Free Republic

Cities, counties no longer mellow about pot dispensaries At least 120 cities and eight counties in California have banned medical pot shops, fearing crime and profiteering. Some cite the proliferation of dispensaries in L.A. By John Hoeffel November 10, 2009 As hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries have opened this year in a startling rollout across California, unnerved local officials have started to push back aggressively. Many cities and a few counties have banned them. Others have imposed emergency moratoriums. And some have started to sue dispensaries to force them to close. So far, the state's courts have sided with local...

A Boston TV station discovered that Barney Frank was present in 2007 when police raided his boyfriend's home in Maine and confiscated marijuana, bongs and marijuana plants. Somehow this didn't come out until now. In the TV interview below, Frank professes ignorance of the contents of his boyfriend's house--he was on the porch when the police arrived!--and says he wouldn't recognize a marijuana plant if he saw one. It's a wonderful image, really: the boyfriend has these weird, spiky house plants scattered around the premises and Barney thinks they're ferns or something. And he didn't recognize the bags of marijuana,...

What are the odds that had a GOP Congressman had been witness to the arrest of his gay lover's marijuana arrest, minor details like this would take two years to come to the surface? Fox reporter Alison Bologna interviews Frank on the details of the arrest and questions what Frank knew and what he seems conveniently oblivious to as well. Frank as usual goes on the offense with feigned outrage: See her interview and report at the link.

NEAR SEIAD VALLEY, Calif. - More than seven million marijuana plants have been seized from outdoor gardens in the state of California so far in 2009. In Oregon, 195,000 plants have been seized, more than double the amount from 2008. The Drug Enforcement Agency says that is due to two factors. One is that law enforcement is doing a better job at finding marijuana. The other is that much more pot is being grown. "It's a money crop. That's the whole reason they're out there doing this is because it's big money," said Sergeant Mike Gilley with the Siskiyou County...

DOUGLAS — Federal authorities say they have seized nearly 700 pounds of marijuana at the Douglas Port of Entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were screening travelers and vehicles Sunday night when they came in contact with a 20-year-old Douglas man driving a truck. The vehicle was inspected and authorities discovered that the bed of the F-150 had been completely altered to accommodate the concealment of nearly 700 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $1.1 million, authorities said. Officers seized the vehicle and marijuana and the man was turned over to the custody of Immigration and...

Marijuana Growers Upend Hard-Luck California Town They flock to Hayfork to bask in the sunny, cool climate and the permissive rules on medical pot farming and possession. An abandoned truck in Hayfork, Calif. Pot farmers are filling an economic void left by the logging industry. The unemployment rate in the county was 15.9% in September. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times / October 31, 2009) PHOTOS: Trinity County, Calif.: 'Pot paradise' Alana Semuels November 1, 2009 Reporting from Hayfork, Calif. — Education has long been preached as a way to keep kids away from drugs. It's the walk to school...

Note: The following text is a quote: Superseding Indictment Returned Charging Members of the Krazy Locos Criminal Street Gang with Two Homicides, Robbery, Firearms, and Narcotics Charges Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael F. McAuliffe, Palm Beach County State Attorney, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office,...

Patients Who Benefit From Marijuana Disturbed By 'Abuse'. An ear ache, $50, and eight minutes of a doctor's time was all that was needed to obtain a Medical Marijuana certificate from the state of Colorado. A CALL7 investigation found people in medical marijuana clinics and dispensaries coaching potential customers on how to obtain a certificate from the state with something as simple as an earache. the medical marijuana business in Colorado is booming because the fear of federal prosecution vanished with the election and recent statements of President Barack Obama, who said the federal government will not get involved in...

(CNSNews.com) - Under the Senate Finance Committee version of the health-care bill, health insurance companies would be allowed to charge tobacco users premiums up to 50 percent higher than those of non-users, while marijuana and crack cocaine smokers could not be penalized with higher premiums. According to provisions spelled out in the Senate Finance Committee's summary of the bill--the so-called "chairman's mark"--insurance issuers selling policies to individuals could only vary premiums based on three characteristics: tobacco use, age and family composition.

SAN FRANCISCO — These are heady times for advocates of legalized marijuana in California — and only in small part because of the newly relaxed approach of the federal government toward medical marijuana. State lawmakers are holding a hearing on Wednesday on the effects of a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate the drug — in what would be the first such law in the United States. Tax officials estimate the legislation could bring the struggling state about $1.4 billion a year, and though the bill’s fate in the Legislature is uncertain, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has indicated...

A San Francisco assemblyman will chair a legislative hearing in Sacramento Wednesday on the potential ramifications of legalizing marijuana in California. The Assembly Committee on Public Safety will hear testimony on the social, economic and legal implications of decriminalizing marijuana and regulating its use in the same way that alcohol is regulated. That idea has been formally proposed in a bill authored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the committee's chair. The committee will consider the bill itself at a separate hearing in January. Wednesday's hearing is an informational session to review recent developments in the general field of marijuana legalization, Ammiano...

Authorities hoped to enlist the aid of a UPS manager in intercepting a package of marijuana. Instead, investigators say, the manager took matters into her own hands. Rather than let police know a package in her store contained suspected drugs, Anna K. Wright of Atlanta is accused of stealing the pot, selling it, and then lying about what she did. According to the U.S. District Attorney's Office, Wright, 33, was alerted that a package could arrive for a particular mail box. When it did, authorities wanted Wright to contact them. A package did arrive. But Wright apparently decided to take...

EL PASO, Texas — An alleged Mexican gang leader named to the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list may have surgically altered his face and changed his finger prints to hide his identity, federal investigators said Wednesday. Eduardo "Tablas" Ravelo was added earlier this week to the wanted list that includes the likes of Osama Bin Laden and Boston crime lord James "Whitey" Bulger. "From what I've heard, it's my understanding he may have had ... plastic surgery and manipulated his finger prints," said Samantha Mikeska, the FBI's lead investigator in a 5-year-old probe of Ravelo's Barrio Azteca gang. If Ravelo...

In case you missed it, here is the "Pot City, USA" television show recently shown on the A&E Network. It's pretty interesting and well worth your time to watch.

... The medical marijuana review business is booming as states like Colorado and California have seen an explosion in the number of pot shops. ... A Denver alternative newspaper recently posted an ad for what some consider the sweetest job in journalism - a reviewer of the state's marijuana dispensaries and their products. ... The Denver paper, Westword, has already has gotten more than 120 applicants, many of them offering to do the reviews for free. When the newspaper settles on a permanent critic for its new "Mile Highs and Lows" column, industry watchers say, it will be the first...

Two Seneca Falls residents were charged with forcing a 2-year-old to smoke marijuana. New York State Police charged Kristen A. Brewster, 19, of 1875 Auburn Road, lot 3, and George R. Lavare Jr., 22, of 1875 Auburn Road, lot 11, with unlawful possession of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a child. Both were arraigned in the Town of Seneca Falls Court and sent to to jail in lieu of $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond. The two are due in Town of Seneca Falls Court on Oct. 28. Police said the state Child Abuse Hotline was contacted and the Seneca...

Buckley on marijuana National Review ^ | William F. Buckley Conservatives pride themselves on resisting change, which is as it should be. But intelligent deference to tradition and stability can evolve into intellectual sloth and moral fanaticism, as when conservatives simply decline to look up from dogma because the effort to raise their heads and reconsider is too great. The laws aren't exactly indefensible, because practically nothing is, and the thunderers who tell us to stay the course can always find one man or woman who, having taken marijuana, moved on to severe mental disorder. But that argument, to quote...

In a recent change, the Obama Administration has ordered federal authorities to not go after medical marijuana facilities in states where they are allowed under state law. This comes after a recent Gallop poll showing that support for legalization has reached a new high. So what will this do to America? ...

WASHINGTON -- Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration. Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law. The guidelines to be issued by the department do, however, make it clear that agents will go after people whose marijuana distribution goes beyond what is permitted under...

Note: The following text is a quote: Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, October 19, 2009 Attorney General Announces Formal Medical Marijuana Guidelines Attorney General Eric Holder today announced formal guidelines for federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The guidelines make clear that the focus of federal resources should not be on individuals whose actions are in compliance with existing state laws, while underscoring that the Department will continue to prosecute people whose claims of compliance with state and local law conceal operations inconsistent with the...

A new study finds that the development of bullous lung disease occurs in marijuana smokers approximately 20 years earlier than tobacco smokers. A condition often caused by exposure to toxic chemicals or long-term exposure to tobacco smoke, bullous lung disease (also known as bullae) is a condition where air trapped in the lungs causes obstruction to breathing and eventual destruction of the lungs.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday. Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws. The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

Police in central Pennsylvania say they've nabbed a real pothead. They say an officer spotted 29-year-old Cesar Lopez inside a convenience store with a bag of marijuana stuck to his forehead. Investigators say Lopez was seen peering inside his baseball cap early Saturday morning in Lebanon, about 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. When Lopez looked up, the officer noticed a small plastic bag appearing to contain marijuana stuck to his forehead. Police say the officer peeled the bag off Lopez's forehead and placed him under arrest. He has been charged with drug possession. Police do not know whether Lopez has...

SAN FRANCISCO – Marijuana advocates are gathering signatures to get as many as three pot-legalization measures on the ballot in 2010 in California, setting up what could be a groundbreaking clash with the federal government over U.S. drug policy. At least one poll shows voters would support lifting the pot prohibition, which would make the state of more than 38 million the first in the nation to legalize marijuana. Such action would also send the state into a headlong conflict with the U.S. government while raising questions about how federal law enforcement could enforce its drug laws in the face...

Apparently baby-sitting, bomb making and growing marijuana could be one big family activity in Lake Elsinore. Benjamin Kuzelka, 23, walked into a hospital Wednesday with a severe hand injury, possibly due to an explosion, police said. Hospital officials tipped off law enforcement, and deputies went to his home on Audelo Street. That's where they found materials used to make explosives, as well as a sophisticated marijuana grow, police said. Kuzelka was arrested at the hospital. His mother, 55-year-old Rebecca Kuzelka, and brother, 21-year-old Grey Kuzelka, were also arrested. All three were arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment, possession and...

Note: The following text is a quote: Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, October 2, 2009 Three Gang Members Plead Guilty to Murder and Drug Conspiracy Charges; Two Others Sentenced on Drug Charges Three members of the violent gang known as the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN) pleaded guilty today to charges related to their participation in a drive-by shooting and a drug conspiracy, and two other members were sentenced for their roles in a drug conspiracy. Robert Allen Ramirez, aka "Nesyo," 27, of Big Spring, Texas; Eduardo Daniel Mares, aka "Pitt," 21,...

SUMMERSIDE – He wanted to turn off his TV but instead of grabbing the remote, Todd Francis Jollimore reached for his .45-calibre handgun. In Summerside Provincial Court this week, the 43-year-old French River man pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm and to growing marijuana. The charges stem from an incident July 29. A neighbour, concerned about Jollimore after the death of his uncle earlier in the day, went to check on him. When he saw the TV screen broken he called police. Jollimore told police he was watching TV and decided to shut it off with a shot...

....This article is not another polemic about why it should or shouldn't be (legalized). Today, in any case, the pertinent question is whether it already has been -- at least on a local-option basis. We're referring to a cultural phenomenon that has been evolving for the past 15 years, topped off by a crucial policy reversal that was quietly instituted by President Barack Obama in February....

That proposed ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in California for people 21 and older - and let local government tax the sales - has a good chance of passing. People are no longer outraged by the idea of legalization, and truth be told, there is just too much money to be made both by the people who grow marijuana and the cities and counties that would be able to tax it. Unlike the 1970s, when Mayor George Moscone first moved to decriminalize pot, marijuana is no longer about hippies. Thanks to medical marijuana, pot has moved from the alleyways to...

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners V, a new report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

Madera County supervisors voted unanimously, to outlaw medical marijuana dispensaries in their county. The sheriff, who spoke in support of the ban, say he's ready to shut them down. - The Madera County sheriff says cities with marijuana dispensaries saw increase in crime. "They've got statistics that show crime rate rising dramatically," said Sheriff Anderson.

San Bernardino became the latest Inland city to ban medical marijuana dispensaries late Monday. - The report notes that California's decriminalization conflicts with federal law. Studies by other cities show dispensaries contribute to increases in noise, traffic, burglaries and robberies, the report states.

Two prominent East Bay marijuana advocates got clearance from the state today to try to put a pot-legalization initiative on the November 2010 California ballot....

There was something different in the air today at the 20th annual Boston Freedom Rally at the Boston Common. And it wasn’t just the clouds of pungent marijuana smoke. It was the first time the rally organized by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition had been held since voters passed Proposition 2 last November, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. The changed law gave attendees reason to celebrate and a better chance of not getting arrested -- a scenario organizers say is a welcome change for the event, which has caused controversy over the years, including many arrests and...

The racism of marijuana prohibition Enforcement of marijuana laws disproportionately affects young African Americans -- even though their usage rates are lower than whites'... So while the purported mainstream is delighting to "Weeds" and contemplating the new revenue that state-regulated marijuana would generate, there's even greater urgency to ending the prohibition of marijuana. California can't wait any longer to end the racist enforcement of marijuana laws.

My home state of California usually interacts with the federal government by genuflecting. But, on a few issues - very few, that is - they’ve got plenty of backbone. Most notably, marijuana. Last week, the California State Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 14 (SJR14), calling on the federal government to end their “interference in state medical marijuana laws.” If passed by the Assembly, it will be sent on to Congress and the White House as an official position of the California legislature. THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE CLAUSE Under the Constitution of the United States, the federal government is authorized to exercise...

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies shot and killed one camouflage-clad gunman during a shootout this morning with suspects protecting a marijuana crop in mountains north of Fontana, officials said. Authorities said they are still searching for at least two other men involved in the shooting.Deputies working with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection had planned to destroy a large marijuana field near Lytle Creek in the San Gabriel Mountains, an area north of Fontana marked by steep hills and manzanita trees, said sheriff's spokesperson Jodi Miller. At least three people dressed in camouflage and armed with automatic weapons...

Border Crackdown Makes Farming in U.S. Forests Attractive; Cartel Links Suspected Marijuana growers, many believed to be affiliated with Mexican drug cartels, are aggressively expanding their illegal farming operations in the U.S., clearing land to plant pot in dozens of national forests from coast to coast. Illicit cannabis farms on public land first sprang up in California more than a decade ago and remain a serious problem in that state. But in the past two years, the U.S. Forest Service has documented a rapid expansion of the practice. Authorities have discovered pot farms in 61 national forests across 16 states...

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 31, 2009 – The California National Guard is part of a 17-agency endeavor to protect the state’s forests from destructive marijuana growers. California National Guardsmen involved in Operation Save Our Sierra turned up more than 30 miles of illegally placed irrigation pipe, 17,000 pounds of garbage and 4,050 pounds of fertilizer, including some that are toxic and illegal in the United States, as well as drugs and weapons, Fresno County, Calif., July 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. David J. Loeffler  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The environmental impacts of the [marijuana] gardens include...

The U.S. Forest Service is apologizing for warning that national forest campers who eat tortillas, drink Tecate beer and listen to Spanish music could be armed marijuana growers. The warning was issued Wednesday to the media by Forest Service law enforcement officials who are investigating illegal marijuana plantations in Colorado's national forests. Tortilla packaging and Tecate cans were among the items authorities found recently when they broke up a pot-growing operation in the Pike National Forest southwest of Denver. "I think that's the most entertaining story that I've heard on Latinos in quite a while," Jose Armas, a longtime Latino...

DENVER – A federal warning to beware of campers in national forests who eat tortillas, drink Tecate beer and play Spanish music because they could be armed marijuana growers is racial profiling, an advocate for Hispanic rights said Friday. The warnings were issued Wednesday by the U.S. Forest Service, which is investigating how much marijuana is being illegally cultivated in Colorado's national forests following the recent discovery of more than 14,000 plants in Pike National Forest. "That's discriminatory, and it puts Hispanic campers in danger," said Polly Baca, co-chairwoman of the Colorado Latino Forum.

A robbery suspect wearing only a Speedo-style swimsuit was arrested in East Hartford after a police dog tracked him down and bit him on the leg. Police say Tran tried to steal several vehicles, and also took items from them. The 18-year-old Tran allegedly told police he'd been drinking heavily and smoking marijuana.

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge. The law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into effect on Friday.

(Aug. 6) -- With buzz about the Obama Joker poster still in the air, another reworking of the president's image is causing a stir. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has produced a psychedelic, '60s-style poster featuring a photo of college freshman "Barry" Obama smoking. Above his super-bad Panama hat is the slogan: Yes We Cannabis. Artist Sonia Sanchez created the poster for NORML's annual conference using a picture taken at Occidental College in 1980 by the future president's classmate Lisa Jack. In the original photo, Obama is holding a real cigarette to his lips. Sanchez tweaked...

Empty turtle shells, decaying skunk carcasses and a set of deer antlers lay strewn about an empty campsite in California's Sierra National Forest. The butchered animals, as well as several five-pound propane canisters, camp stoves and heaps of trash, were all that remained of the 69 marijuana plantations recently uncovered in Fresno County as part of operation "Save our Sierras." The massive operation that began in February has already seized about 318,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $1.1 billion, officials announced last week. In addition to 82 arrests, the multi-jurisdictional federal, state and local operation netted 42 pounds of processed...

Shasta-Trinity National Forest - -- Mexican drug traffickers have expanded their marijuana-growing operations in California parks as state and local governments have tightened spending and slashed jobs and services. Law enforcement officials say the traffickers, taking advantage of the fact that there are fewer sheriff's deputies and rangers monitoring parks, are cultivating more pot than ever before. This year's multibillion-dollar crop is on pace to be the largest in history, said state officials. "It's a huge problem," said Gordon Taylor, the assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "California is ground zero for domestic marijuana cultivation...

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) Federal and state agents have arrested 82 people on suspicion of growing more than $1.2 billion worth of marijuana in California's Sierra Nevada range. Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims says several Mexican drug cartels are involved in the operations. All but one of the people arrested was from Mexico.

Fresno, Calif. (AP) -- Federal and state agents have arrested 83 people for growing more than $1.2 billion worth of marijuana in an ongoing crackdown on illegal pot gardens in California's Sierra Nevada range. Local officials said several Mexican marijuana-growing cartels helped set up the grow sites scattered throughout rocky mountainsides of eastern Fresno County, and warned more arrests were likely as the sweep continues. More than 318,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in the operation, which also netted nearly $41,000 in cash, 25 weapons and two vehicles, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said Thursday.

Apple's App Store is never short of controversy, from shaking babies, to explicit racy content. The latest disputable app to be approved by Apple and hit the store is 'Cannabis,' an application that assists users in finding the nearest available marijuana supply. The application is available for $2.99, and is developed by the "Cannabis lifestyle" folks over at Ajnag, yet they insist that the app should be used for medicinal purposes only. It will not share the location of illegal dealers, and Ajnag claims not to promote the illegal use of the drug.

Everyone knows that the modern mobile phone is set up to do so much more than make a simple call. From checking emails to locating friends, there seems little the latest generation of handsets can't do. However – even in this tech-savvy age – the latest offering in iPhone apps has caused a stir. For just $2.99 Apple is offering customers a service that allows them to find local marijuana suppliers. The news has created a buzz online, as the world's stoners contemplate carrying out online price comparisons between dealers in their local areas.