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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you haven’t seen the billboards or heard about it through word-of-mouth, the THC Expo is coming to Los Angeles!

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. :)

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:

1. 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.
2. 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 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.

On April 28th, like something straight of a Rob Zombie flick, a disabled Bakersfield man, Angel Vidal Mendoza Sr., wigged out and is accused of biting out one eye and mutilating the other of his 4-year old son, Angelo Mendoza Jr. The child was rushed to Mercy Hospital after police said that the child claimed, “My daddy ate my eyes.” Doctors are unsure if his vision could be salvaged.

After attacking his son, the demented dad left the apartment in his wheelchair, made his way to a nearby backyard and hacked his legs with an ax, severely injuring himself. Police later said that he was “was displaying symptoms of being under the influence of PCP.”

This wasn’t a first time for Mendoza to apparently be under the influence of PCP. Back in 2006, he and the boy’s mother, Desirae Marie Bermudez, pleaded no contest to child endangerment.

Mendoza remains in jail, his bail set at one million dollars. He is charged with mayhem, torture, child cruelty and inflicting an injury to a child.

A case that has gone all the the way to the U.S. Supreme Court has been rejected today, striking another blow for state medical marijuana laws.

Three years ago, some lawyers for San Diego and San Bernardino counties in California tried to claim that the state violated federal drug law when they legalized medical marijuana. These counties refused to issue medical marijuana cards in accordance with the medical marijuana law and dared to take the case all the way to the top. In a serious negative track record, the counties lost in:

1. the initial state trial.
2. the appellate courts.
3. the state Supreme Court.
4. the U.S. Supreme Court.

They were even threatened with a lawsuit from San Diego NORML, back in 2005 for not complying to the state law when they held back from issuing medical marijuana cards. The Justices today, flat out denied a hearing to the counties.

So now, out of all other legal options, the counties have to finally abide by state law and issue medical marijuana cards to patients and stop arresting medical marijuana patients.

Thomas Bunton, a lawyer in the San Diego County counsel’s office said:

The cards are objectionable because the state law authorizes individuals to engage in conduct that the federal law prohibits. [...] We are disappointed that the court did not take the case to resolve what we believe was a conflict between federal and state law.

As far as this case went, it was the sole one that threatened the state medical marijuana law. Joe Elford, lawyer for Americans for Safe Access said:

No longer will local officials be able to hide behind federal law and resist upholding California’s medical marijuana law.

Elford said that this case will provide ammunition for other cases pending — where other counties are still holding out from issuing medical marijuana cards.

Either nobody wants to deal with the hot potato that marijuana becomes in the news or the Supreme Court doesn’t want to rock the boat, lest it too gets swallowed by the sea of green. At any rate, the fact that it is once again left up to state law is a good sign of things to come.

Like a hungry stoner scavenging through the kitchen cupboards for a stray graham cracker, the US Border Patrol has found its resources sadly lacking recently. Amidst administration demands for more recruitment and hiring, the Border Patrol has turned to a tried and true tactic of depleted armies throughout history — conscripting children.

The Explorers Program, a Boy Scouts of America affiliate, trains the pubescent in the art of raiding dens of iniquity, seizing illegally imported goods, and patrolling barren wastelands.

In the words of a California sheriff’s deputy involved with the program:

This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl.

While it’s unclear what his hermaphroditic reference is all about, it does seem like a wonderful opportunity for these kids to participate in the formative experience that is pepper-spraying a starving immigrant right in the eye socket. That kind of invaluable interaction will really put some hair on the chests of our next crop of soldier-kids.

Guadalupe is the next city to address the issue of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in their city. A City Council meeting was held Tuesday and was seeking an urgency ordinance to place a temporary 45-day ban on having dispensaries established in their city.

The urgency ordinance read:

It is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety to enact as an urgency ordinance prohibiting the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries in any zone of the City of Guadalupe. Additionally, The city can expect to suffer the adverse secondary effects of such businesses and enforcement problems if such businesses are allowed in the absence of new and revised regulations.

Other cities in California; Santa Maria, Buellton, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach have already passed ordinances banning dispensaries.

On his May 12 broadcast, Larry Kudlow, host of The Kudlow Report, expressed his belief that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is hiding behind the agenda of legalizing marijuana to compensate for his lackluster job as the head of state and to generate revenue for California’s deflated budget.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, I mean he basically wants to get everybody stoned and then raise taxes. [...] Now I have a problem with that. If we raise taxes, we ought to do it in a sober way so people can lash back at it.

Kudlow goes on to say:

The guy is desperate for revenue to finance his gigantic spending programs. [...] He’s really failed as a governor. When he beat Gray Davis a couple of years back, he was going to balance the budget, keep taxes down, stop spending. He’s failed at all that stuf.

At the end Kudlow reveals:

I have nothing against Gov. Schwarzenegger personally. [...] But I think the guy’s had a really bad term and I think this legalization of marijuana is a last-ditch attempt for him to stir the pot, almost to distract from his other problems.

For Kudlow not having a personal problem with Schwarzenegger, he certainly took things out of context that made it appear that he did. From him saying that Arnold wants to get “everyone stoned” shows that because from all the clips shown in the news, Schwarzenegger said that it may be time for a serious, rational debate on the issue of legalization. Maybe Kudlow should have invited Governor Schwarzenegger onto the show, instead of having a friend speak for him.

As for Stephen Baldwin, that guy needs to go back to making movies with Pauly Shore and stick to what he’s good at, instead of trying to appear he knows what the fuck he’s talking about.

Although voters in California passed a medical marijuana law twelve years ago, not all cities allow medical marijuana dispensaries. In fact according to Americans for Safe Access, 30 cities across California have permitted them, while another 110 have banned them.

Oceanside is the latest city to tackle the issue with the city council trying to decide how to regulate the dispensaries. No dispensary has been applied for as of yet, but there have been inquiries. A vote on Wednesday will set a 45-day moratorium, giving them time to figure out which direction to go.

Despite the promises of administration officials, county governments are still filling their drug prosecutorial coffers with federal money. According to the Wall Street Journal, the DEA provides hundreds of thousands of dollars to county governments through the Domestic Cannibis Eradication/Suppression Program.

According to the DEA’s website, the federal agency:

…is aggressively striving to halt the spread of cannabis cultivation in the United States.

Apparently it doesn’t matter whether this halting of cultivation violates state law, or contradicts the orders of President Barack Obama and US Attorney General, Eric Holder. Some of the grants given are as high as $275,000, and for the sole purpose of prosecuting a group of predominantly non-violent weed growers.

It seems clear that general directives and non-binding resolutions are not going to slow down law enforcement cowboys hell bent on filling arrest quotas and seizing harmless plants. Many of these police divisions know little other police work than the old smash and grab tactics that have perpetuated the failed “War on Drugs” for decades.

Weed arrests still represent almost half of all drug arrests. They are the bread and butter of police agencies looking to impress budget-committees and local government sugar daddies. Until the flow of funds is stopped, the pointless arrests will continue to persist.