Mexico Gets All British on Enforcement Policies
October 6th, 2008 by Perry
President Felipe Calderon has decided to follow the strategies of a European counterpart in guiding Mexico’s new approach to combatting narcotics.
Calderon called drugs the “slavery of the century,” in what has to be a cute, creative and misguided use of scare tactics - I don’t remember slaves ever getting a choice.
But I digress, Mexico’s addiction and violence rates are through the roof. Since the 1990s, the demand for narcotics (not just the friendly green kind) has been staggering. In just 6 years, the number of drug addicts has doubled to 307,000 since 2002. Not good.
This effort is in response to the recent growth of violence all over Mexico as the world’s biggest drug market. Traffickers battle with Calderon’s administration, which has attempted repeatedly to clean up the country’s drug trade and resulting corruption, and Calderon isn’t necessarily winning.
Let’s hope this new approach is able to get the truly dangerous substances off the streets while keeping marijuana users out of harms way.
The Future of Orange Julius: THC Oranges
October 6th, 2008 by Perry
Oh, how great would that be.
Actually, in one of the more stunning displays of ingenuity, a scientist created a THC-producing orange tree. This. Is. Brilliant.
Dr. Hugo Nanofsky, a biochemist at Florida State University and tenured professor, created the strand after he was inspired by an officer ceasing his car as a teenager.
At the heart of the confusion is the fact that THC now naturally occurs in a new species of citrus fruit.
It was only a matter of time before the DEA became involved, and its jurisdictional capabilities of regulating a fruit.
In fact, Florida’s top law enforcement officials admit that even if the cultivation of Nanofsky’s orange were to be outlawed, it would be exceedingly difficult to identify the presence of outlawed fruit among the state’s largest agricultural crop.
Washington Lawmakers Say Leave Their Medicine Alone
October 6th, 2008 by Perry
Washington lawmakers are showing the kind of initiative rarely seen in state capitols, the kind we like to see here at tFS. Just would like to quickly say, my hat’s off to you, Washingtonians.
To clear up any confusion, and ostensibly to reduce prosecutions, state legislators have clarified what constitutes a “60-day supply,” the legal amount you can have in the state.
So what’s the limit?
24 ounces and 15 plants, mature or immature, is the rule.
One legal commentator said the limit was made so high because lawmakers wanted to make sure it was known prosecution of such cases were not a priority, adding:
We’re not going to prosecute you if you have 15 plants or 30. If somebody is legitimately ill, we’re not going to prosecute that case, period.
Relief to the ill, what a marvelous concept.
Afghanistan, Global Drug Free Market
October 6th, 2008 by Perry
As we watch perhaps more poorly executed Bush foreign policy go by the wayside, I honestly wish saying, “I told you so,” was more satisfying.
Not only did his search for Osama in the wrong country come up not surprisingly, empty-handed. But apparently Hamid Karzai, the leader of the provincial government over there, has begun storing heroin and trafficking it using state resources.
Young Canadians Living the Dream
October 6th, 2008 by Perry
I just can’t hate on Canada anymore. It’s becoming a lot cooler than the U.S.
Pot clippers - also known as trimmers - groom marijuana plants that have been harvested from fields or indoor grow operations. The workers pare down the buds from the plants to make them presentable for sale.
A demand for workers throughout the province starts at the beginning of fall, when most outdoor crops are ready to be harvested.
Where else can a young boy go to achieve his aspirations of hanging around 5-foot pot plants all day long. That right there is the Canadian dream, folks.
Shooting and Robbery @ La Brea Collective, LA
October 3rd, 2008 by Perry
This is really bad news.
Some low-life garbage shot and killed a security guard during a botched robbery at the La Brea Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, CA. One suspect remains at large but hopefully the other two captured assailants are receiving karmatic justice via repeated prison rapes.
A violent crime at a dispensary goes a long way to justifying a lot of the fears that people have about opening their neighborhood and thus is the worst kind of violent crime you can commit. I didn’t however notice any mention of items being stolen in the police report, which is unusual in a robbery.
Could it be that the cops have a hidden agenda and are lying about the motive to make a fight appear like a robbery violence brought on by the presence of marijuana in a neighborhood they patrol? Or maybe I just watch too many cop shows. Either way, I’m keeping an eye out.
Governor, Why Is Pot Still Illegal?
October 3rd, 2008 by Perry
Paul Armentano, a cannabis legal expert and member of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,) is calling out names. He lists seven governors (6 Repub., 1 Dem.) who single-handedly shot down reforms that would have made marijuana either legal or decriminalized.
Now get out there and put some pressure on your local representative. Remember, this movement has to start at the roots…
More On Lies, and the Lying Liars
October 2nd, 2008 by Perry
In the latest bout by federal drug enforcement officials to propagate the war on drugs, they claim to have found the largest marijuana plants, ever.
The article, brought to you by the fine people at Stopthedrugwar, goes on to further explain why some of the governments claims about marijuana busts they make, are based on street value. Moreover, the yield claims are greatly exaggerated and sometimes scientifically impossible.
Per Stopthedrugwar.org:
Cops often inflate the weight of their yield by using the fresh weight instead of the dry weight of the plants, BTW, so the most typical inflation is 400%; in other words, their alleged 10 pounds is most likely to weigh about 2.5 pounds, based on the typical cop exaggeration.
Obviously, these exaggerations make the police and their anti-drug efforts seem much more effective than they actually are. What a surprise.
