Congressman’s Son Ticketed for Pipe
November 10th, 2006 by Tim
Tommy Kagen, 21, tried to hide a pipe in his bag, went to Outagamie County Regional Airport and was caught soon after by a security screener. Smooth.
This is what Dad had to say about it:
We’re very disappointed. It shows a lack of respect for the law and our family. When there’s 650,000 dead in Iraq, and a news editor thinks this belongs on television, that’s a sad commentary (on our news organizations.)
I 100% agree. Luckily, tFS isn’t a news organization.
[via FOX WLUK]
tFS Debris - 11.10.06
November 10th, 2006 by AlexThe Video
Marc Emery on CBC TV: This video shows why Marc Emery is the premier face of the legalization movement. He’s intelligent, well-spoken and just sounds like a cool guy to smoke out with. On top of that, he makes some great points about the US government, extradition and legalization in general.
Art Army Action Figures: These awesome and insanely detailed action figures are the product of Michael Leavitt’s skilled hands. Made out of synthetic clay and elastic, these 6″ to 12″ tall figures pay homage to all types of famous artists - both dead and alive. [via Wooster Collective]
A taste-o-graphic journey of KitKat design & variety [via tsogb]
DJ Gelman - when music and design come together [via Ping Mag]
Funny animation all about another type of green leaf [via Haha.nu]
An examination of different approaches to record sleeve design [via e-CR]
The most badass bath tub in all of Badassdom [via BornRich]
A huge dose of SEMA show hotness + cars galore [via Autoblog]
Kmart Pot Mix-up Gets 3 Arrested
November 9th, 2006 by Alex
Looks like Philadelphia police turned a simple mailing mistake into a decent sized drug bust. At Kmart, employees noticed a box that didn’t quite fit in with the surrounding products. What was in it? Only 25 lbs. worth of pot. That’s an estimated street value of over $100,000.
So, these watchful employees call the police and the police put in motion a nice little sting operation. The package in question was delivered to its original destination, as intended. Agnes Ortiz, not aware of the mailing mix-up, received it. Then a woman, Renee Garcia, picked up the package and took it to another house down the street.
The police showed up to bust the house. Inside, they found the original 25 lbs. of weed and then cocaine, PCP, heroin, packaging paraphernalia and US currency. Crazy.
Ortiz, Garcia and a 15 year old boy were arrested on charges of possession and intent to distribute. Sounds like a job well done by the Philly police.
[via CBS]
Amsterdam Coffee Shops in Danger
November 9th, 2006 by Alex
The most common mental image created when the word Amsterdam is mentioned relates to Red Light District mayhem and puffing on the most kind of all buds. While you can still do both of the above, it’s not quite as free spiritied and happy-go-lucky as one is lead to believe.
In the Netherlands, Christian conservatives have taken a government majority. Once in power, they decided the looseness that the Dutch were known for was going to be eradicated. Beginning in 2004, signs began to show that things were changing. The government did this by making new coffee shop licenses almost impossible to procure and when a shop closed, they wouldn’t renew any licenses involved with the establishment.
Coffee shop numbers in the Netherlands have gone from 1,500 nationwide to around 737 currently. At the rate coffee shops are disappearing (over 380 a year), it’ll take under 3 years to completely wipe these businesses off Dutch land. Ferry Hansen, owner of Get A Life coffee shop, had this to say:
You have to think three times about everything you do. It’s getting worse every year. The government is trying to control more and more. If you follow the law, they can’t say anything, but in the long run, they’ll probably get what they want.
Just when you think things are improving at home, there’s a set-back abroad. Hopefully, the Netherlands will get the exact same liberal swing that happened to America during it’s mid-term elections.
[via AlterNet]
2006 Marijuana Mid-Term Results
November 8th, 2006 by Alex
Well, all the results are in and it’s time to get them out to the public. The conclusions from these mid-term elections are mixed. Seeing how close some of the major ballots came to being passed, it looks like we’re on the right track towards legalization.
Honorable mentions go to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and Massachusetts for passing ordinances and low level resolutions aiding in the deprioritization of marijuana arrests.
Read below to see official sites and measure summaries:
California
Measure P (Santa Barbara) - Complete pot deprioritization
Measure K (Santa Cruz) - Complete pot deprioritization
Measure Y (Santa Monica) - Complete pot deprioritization
Colorado
Amendment 44 - Legalization of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for adults 21+ years old
Montana
Initiative 2 (Missoula) - Complete pot deprioritization
Nevada
Question 7 - Remove all civil penalties for the private possession, create state-wide system for taxation & distribution
South Dakota
Initiated Measure 4 - Allow the physician-authorized use of cannabis for medicinal purposes
[all data via NORML]
Colorado Mid-Term Results: No Go on 44
November 8th, 2006 by Tim
Looks like weed smokers won’t be converging on Colorado as the mecca of marijuana any time soon. SAFER Colorado was handed a defeat in their campaign to make up to one ounce of weed legal for the personal use of 21+ year olds.
Still, Mason Tvert - the SAFER’s campaign director - has taken it in stride and had this to say:
It’s quite clear that a number of people in Colorado are in agreement that marijuana prohibition is not working. We think this is the first step in a 5- to 10-year process.
He added that it’s going to be a tough battle to change 75 years of marijuana prohibition overnight, but SAFER is up to the challenge.
I agree with Mason in that I believe this is the beginning of a slow, uphill struggle. The bright side is that the ball has started to roll and is gaining size and speed with each day.
[via Denver Post]
Basement Grow Op Busted in New Hampshire
November 7th, 2006 by Alex
Another installment in the “How To Get Busted Growing Weed” series is being brought to us courtesy of the fine folks in New Hampshire.
A rural, ranch-style house worth $340,000 was the scene of the largest pot bust in the state’s history. In the basement were 1,400 cannabis plants worth an estimated $7 million. Also, around $200,000 of growing and lighting equipment were confiscated.
So, did the police work informants and set up a daring night raid on the property? Nope. Turns out this grow-op was sucking up so much energy that it knocked power out for a next door neighbor, Jessica Towne. She called the energy company and the energy company called the police. They investigated shortly after and the basement operation was busted. Sounds simple enough.
When it comes to the New Hampshire police, I guess it’s better to be lucky than good.
[via Concord Monitor]
aLeda: Transparent King Size Papers
November 7th, 2006 by Alex
We’d show pictures of a leaf, but the damn things are see-through…
There’s some buzz online about see-through papers appearing in the smokosphere. Science hasn’t figured out how to cure world hunger yet or create clean water sources for all but the rumors are true - we do have cellulose based, transparent rolling papers. Ahh, technology at its finest.
aLeda Papers is the Brazilian company behind this innovation. Made from natural vegetable cellulose (and completely gumless) - there is absolutely no taste, smell or odor in any leaf. The manufacturing process leaves out chemicals like lead or arsenic, making it a much healthier smoke. Box graphics are unique with bright colors and actual embossing of the logo. Only problem is a set of stupid little tabs that are supposed to keep the box shut, but really do nothing at all.
aLeda’s description says King Size, but the leaves are narrower than you might expect. Also, they’re slightly more difficult to roll because there is no crease and the entire paper wants to stick to itself.
These guys light very easily, the cellulose naturally wants to burn. Unfortunately, a few issues do surface once the papers are lit - the cherry doesn’t stay lit consistently. Airflow can also get restricted once you start approaching the end of each leaf - they just don’t breathe as well as hemp or rice based papers. This contributes to the nice, slow burn for the first 75% of the papers but hinders it after that.
Basically, these papers are pretty bad ass. They’ve got some positives and negatives, but damn will your friends trip when they see an invisible wrap. It just takes a couple of tries to learn how to roll the aLeda’s and then you’ll be digging them for everyday use.
Price: $3.50
tFS Rating: 8.0/10
