Man Busted When Police Call Leads to Warrant
November 12th, 2008 by Perry
Something smells funky in this story, just like it did for the officers who responded to a Sheboygan resident’s call for help. The police officers arrested Justin Luecke after they found a marijuana pipe in his bedroom.
The reason they were there? Luecke called the police to report a robbery and officers said they found the pipe in plain view. The complaint said officers got a warrant and returned to find marijuana, “packaging” and a scale. Luecke now faces up to 26 months in jail if convicted on all charges, including felony marijuana possession.
Yeah, there’s no way that could be pronounced, “Luh-key.”
Seal Beach, CA Bans MMJ
November 12th, 2008 by Perry
Joining a number of other Orange County cities, Seal Beach has banned the medical marijuana dispensaries from its city limits.
Eight other cities in Orange County also have moratoriums or bans on pot stores. Another city, Laguna Woods, recently passed a law permitting the dispensaries. While permission to possess MMJ is still recognized in Seal Beach due to state law, the city ordnance means medical marijuana patients will have to drive farther than necessary to get their prescriptions filled.
The recent wave of bans is a result of vague verbiage in Prop. 215, which legalized medical marijuana, but did not address how it would be dispensed or regulated.
Sheriffs Report $14 Billion in L.A. Pot Seizures
November 12th, 2008 by Perry
Lee Baca, Los Angeles county’s head sheriff, said this year his officers recorded $14 billion worth of marijuana seized, which is believed to be the largest annual total ever.
The Marijuana Enforcement Team team in August found a 116,000-plant farm in mountains of the Angeles National Forest above San Dimas. [...] It took 40 people two days to chop down the crop, bundle it and fly it out by helicopter.
Officials also noted large-scale marijuana cultivation has steadily increased in recent years. In addition to the 360,000 marijuana plants seized this year by the MET team, officials made five arrests, confiscated 15 guns and removed tons of trash and chemicals from the forest, Baca said. Between the trash removal and the five arrests for almost half a million plants, I’d say the sheriff’s department is doing one helluva job.
I just want to take an opportunity to point out that in light of the several billion dollar budget deficit California is in, eight percent of $14 billion would be a nice sum of tax revenue for the state. Good thing it has as much value to the sheriffs as the trash they pick up from the fields.
Canada’s Pot Prince Warns of “Creeping Jackboots”
November 12th, 2008 by Perry
An internationally known pot and personal freedoms activist, Marc Emery refers to himself as Canada’s “Crown Prince of Pot” for his outspoken opposition to marijuana laws everywhere. Opposition which has garnered much attention for his cause and ire from law enforcement from B.C. to D.C..
Emery has been a constant voice of opposition to police tactics which he says violate basic human rights on a consistent basis. His most recent article warns of “Creeping Jackboots” in reference to recent laws passed in Canada which allow for “electricity police” and officials to enter an individual’s home without warrant based on suspicion.
Online Marijuana Assessment
November 12th, 2008 by Perry
Now in use at over 195 universities, Wesleyan recently added an online marijuana assessment to its health center’s online services.
The assessment takes into account usage, habits and lifestyle and compares them with national and global averages and creates a somewhat personalized program. Developed by San Diego State University, the program is aimed at giving information to students about their drug habits.
Most schools also have a similar test for alcohol, but it seems like a pretty ineffective way to council or answer real questions you might have about drug usage.
USPS Shouldn’t Be Your Dealer
November 11th, 2008 by Perry
Some people reach pretty big levels of idiocy in their lives, but I guess the saying holds true – everything is bigger in Texas. Three people were arrested in Monson, Texas when they went to pick up a package at the post office that had more than six pounds of weed in it.
Police obtained a search warrant for the package and found that it was carefully packaged with duct-tape, vacuum-sealed in several layers of plastic, with powdered soap between the layers in an apparent effort to conceal the odor of the marijuana, documents state.
Ah smart, you three have thought of everything. Wait.
Monson’s police dog, a black Labrador named Atys, was allowed to check the package and he alerted indicating there were drugs inside, document state.
Annnnnnd right there folks is one of many reasons that the USPS just isn’t a good idea to send government-considered narcotics. Not to mention you could be charged on a federal level.
Salvia Horror Stories Assist Lead to Ban, Maybe
November 11th, 2008 by Perry
With the growing popularity of the plant’s usage, inevitably there is also the occasional Salvia horror story, this one in particular told in pretty startling detail.
The biggest concern, as with any psychedelic drug, is in users who have a history of mental illness. Even more worrisome for those individuals is if they are “dosed” with the drug, which is to say they took the drug unknowingly.
Salvia, which has been used in Oaxaca for generations as a mild hallucinogenic, can have much more serious side effects including mild to severe schizophrenia for those with a genetic predisposition.
MMJ Theft Growing Problem in Oregon
November 11th, 2008 by Perry
Marking the 10th anniversary of MMJ in Oregon, growing problems with residents being held at gunpoint and people having their medical marijuana stolen is raising law enforcement awareness of the situation in Oregon. Unfortunately, the local Oregon station makes it sound as though legalization is responsible for the increase in crime.
But there’s another criminal side to the medical marijuana story, what happens when someone who legally grows the drug decides to sell it or share it with a friend.
But solving the problem is easy. It’s all about creating a centralized location where people can get access to medication if safety seems to be a big issue (which it is.) The state has a responsibility to step up and provide safe access for its citizens so they can get the medicine they need.
