San Diego Issues Medical Marijuana ID Cards
July 8th, 2009 by Rick
After dragging ass for years, by way of the U.S. Supreme Court, secret stings and raids on medical marijuana dispensaries, San Diego has finally complied to California’s medical marijuana law and began issuing medical marijuana ID cards to the medical marijuana patients.
Jordan Jarvis, a medical marijuana patient and operator of Top Quality Collective, said:
This kind of medicine has given me the ability to get up and do things and be part of a society again. [...] We can now get ID cards that are and should be respected among law enforcement without harassment. [...] It’s groundbreaking.
San Diego breaking down and issuing medical marijuana ID cards is a big step in California’s medical marijuana movement, yet after so many attempts to circumvent prop 215, something tells me it’s not the end of their fight politically.
California Medical Marijuana Dispensary Crackdown
June 23rd, 2009 by Rick
When the medical marijuana law was adopted 13 years ago in California, it was jumping into a brave new world where nobody quite knew how to regulate it, tax it, or even really control it. As a result medical marijuana dispensaries popped up out of the woodwork and set up shop by providing medical marijuana to the registered patients.
Now, with much of the complaints coming from law enforcement, insinuating that dispensaries are being run by some people that may have some connections to the black market and/or may be selling medical marijuana to minors or anyone that may not be a registered medical marijuana patient.
Los Angeles tried to appease the LAPD by creating a moratorium in 2007 that aimed to shut down some medical marijuana dispensaires that were making profit off medical marijuana sales but because of a loophole, some dispensaries were able to file for a “hardship exemption” and remain open. However as a result other dispensaries were able to sneak in under the radar which led to 600+ dispensaries currently in operation in California.
On Friday all the dispansaries were scampering to stay open… only 186 met the requirements. The remainder of the medical marijuana dispensaries that remain open illegally will face a $2500 day fine on top of the owners being threatened with six months of jail time. Other dispensaries are being targeted to shut down by forcing those that are 1,000 feet from each other, from schools, libraries, parks and other places children would likely be.
Marijuana to Carry Cancer Warning in CA
June 23rd, 2009 by Russ
Last Friday, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment declared that marijuana smoke is to be put on a list of substances classified as known carcinogens. Due to the ruling, all medical marijuana sold in the state will have to contain a warning label. According to Proposition 65, no business can intentionally expose people to cancer-causing substances without providing a clearly posted warning.
The OEHHA made the ruling after a presentation (warning: PDF) that peripherally linked several components in pot smoke to cancer studies.
In the opinion of the OEHHA’s Deputy Director, Dr. George Alexeeff:
There’s not one single piece of evidence that was a slam dunk… But the pieces together form a very compelling argument.
While the report itself can only point to a handful of studies that connect marijuana and cancer in a statistically significant way, the panel claimed that marijuana smokers may be less likely to report accurately on their conditions and may even outright lie to researchers and interviewers about their habits. It seems odd that a scientific study should rely so heavily on biased assumptions about the truthfulness of pot smokers.
In the meantime, you can always follow the advice of latter-day prophet, Bill Hicks:
This says that smoking can cause low birth weight and premature birth. Screw it. Found my brand. Just don’t buy the ones that say lung cancer… Yep, gimme a pack of them low-birthweights.
Consumers of edible marijuana products (brownies, lollies, etc.) will be happy to know that the warnings do not apply to their favorite confections. Also, many advocates of smoking point out that vaporized weed contains none of the particulate matter that are being called carcinogens.
2010: A Legalization Odyssey
June 16th, 2009 by Russ
Occasionally, California politics seems like something right out of a Kubrick, brain-addled, psychadelic, sci-fi jaunt. The law of the land is seemingly set just as often by the people themselves as their elected representatives. A 1996 CA referendum gave us Proposition 215, a historic and revolutionary endorsement of medical marijuana. Now, activists want to do away with ordinary criminalization, and legalize small amounts for personal use.
The Control, Regulate, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 (in its current incarnation) would legalize possession of weed by adults in amounts up to one ounce. It would also give Californians the right to grow and cultivate up to 25 square-feet of weed for personal consumptive purposes.
It will have it’s day at the polls if organizers can muster the nearly half a million signatures necessary to place it on next year’s ballot. Given the weed dispensary boom going on in Los Angeles and other parts of Northern California, the business community may find itself uncharacteristically advocating for this position.
If they succeed in placing the Prop on the state ballot, organizers forsee a fighting chance for the measure. According to Oakland dispensary owner, Richard Lee:
We believe that the people lead the politicians on this issue.
California is certainly the place to test out that notion. Open the pod bay doors, Hal. It’s time to go for a ride.
Large Marijuana Farm Discovered on Government Land
June 15th, 2009 by Rick
The largest marijuana bust discovery, in the history of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office occurred last week, when more than 22,000 marijuana plants were discovered in a San Francisco Water District. Where the water runoff feeds into the Calaveras Reservoir, a couple of nearby creeks had water lines going from them, flowing underground into 24 marijuana gardens, along with three camp sites and three kitchens.
When deputies found the gardens, two young looking men wearing woodland camouflage, were seen working in the gardens. Both men fled into deep ravines and thick brush and evaded capture, although a semi-automatic hand gun was apparently dropped by one of the men.
The investigation into the gardens began when a tip came through to them that said that a teenage looking boy, wearing camoflauge was seen running up a creek bed. Oh, if only camouflage in real life was as reliable as it is in Call of Duty.
THC Expo 2009 Los Angeles
June 10th, 2009 by Erin
If you haven’t seen the billboards or heard about it through word-of-mouth, the THC Expo is coming to Los Angeles!
June 13-14
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, California, 90015
Saturday, June 13th, 2009 from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday, June 14th, 2009 from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Along with a hemp fashion show and celebrity speakers talking about our favorite plant, the THC Expo will feature thousands of products for sale, vendors, exhibits, and we even heard that there might be a possibility that the Kottonmouth Kings will make a guest appearance.
At an affordable price @ $10 a day, you can’t afford to miss this event especially if you’re local — one of the first of its kind and a huge step in the right direction for the movement.
Open to people of all ages; however certain areas of the convention will be age restricted due to California law.
theFreshScent and Co. will be attending the event so if you happen to see us in our new tFS tees, be sure to say hello. We’ll be waiting. :)
Another Medical Marijuana Co-Op Raided
June 8th, 2009 by Rick
With a search warrant, deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Violator Unit, raided a medical marijuana co-op in Oildale, California last Wednesday.
Despite nobody being arrested, the deputies confiscated four pounds of marijuana that were in a safe. Also found were 299 pill bottles that were labeled individually and contained between a gram to a quarter ounce of marijuana in each (reportedly a total of 14 grams). More than $2000 cash, as well as business records and numerous computers were seized.
Two things about this story:
- If there were 299 pill bottles that contained at least a gram to a quarter ounce of marijuana in each, there would be at least 299 grams… not 14… either someone doesn’t have their facts straight or someone is dipping into the supply.
- How do you serve a search warrant, confiscate a business’s property and then not arrest anyone?.
In early May, the same sheriff’s department raided the Green Cross Co-op in East Bakersfield.
One of the reasons that these co-ops are being raided is the fact that apparently there are new state attorney guidelines that dictate only non-profit medical marijuana co-ops are allowed to conduct business under state law, not the ones that secure profits.
Digg Users Get Chance to Ask Arnie Anything
May 20th, 2009 by Rick
Digg is currently hosting a forum (aptly named Dialogg) until Tuesday May 26, where registered Digg members can submit a question that will be voted upon, the most popular to be asked to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger when they interview him from the Capital Building in Sacramento, CA.
A few of the popular subjects (aside from the legalization of marijuana) address the fact that he can’t run for president of the United States and infer what his political plans are after his term ends in California. Some comments ask questions that apparently he hasn’t been able to answer as his stint as Governor.
One of the ones I’m now curious to know now was submitted by zwendkos:
what were you thinking right here?
No doubt, the Digg community will do a great job when it comes to providing sound questions for the interview and I for one am looking forward to delving into the mind of Arnold Schwarzenegger once more.
