A court date has finally been set for actor of Harry Potter fame, 19-year old Jamie Waylett, who was busted back in April for having ten marijuana plants at his home in Kilburn, north London. On July 16th, Waylett and 20-year old John Innis are scheduled to appear in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Waylett plays the character, Vincent Crabbe, the right hand man of Draco Malfoy, Potter’s schoolyard nemesis. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is set for it’s world premiere on Tuesday, July 14th at Leicester Square in London.

A house in Lakeland, in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, was discovered to be running a marijuana grow op. What’s disturbing, is the way that it was “uncovered”.

An Electric Company employee had gone to the house on Friday in order to turn the electricity off for non payment of the bill. As the employee entered the premisis, he noticed a generator that was running in a backyard shed. When he returned on Monday, the generator was still running. He tried to speak with the owner about the generator but he refused to talk with him and ran inside the house.

The employee then called the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, who in turn could not reach anyone as well. A search warrant was obtained and after another unsuccessful attempt to communicate with anyone in the house, the SWAT team launched tear gas into the house and quickly raided.

Nobody was found within the home, but police did discover three bedrooms that had been converted into a “sophisticated marijuana grow operation.” No arrests have been made.

Like I said this story is disturbing on a few levels. What business is it of the electric company employee that a generator is being run? If the bill wasn’t paid, maybe the owners couldn’t afford it and decided to power their house through means that they can control?

What right and probable cause does law enforcement have to issue a warrant to search a citizen’s home, just because they can’t be contacted and they are running a generator? The entire operation was based on an assumption that illegal activity was being conducted.

It doesn’t matter if the Obama Administration and the U.S. Attorney General take a step back and look at the destructive drug policy that has been the status quo for decades, if local government and cowboy cops keep trampling on American citizens’ rights. The act of raiding a citizen’s house without any intel of  the owners’ wrong doing is likened to the days of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany and if left unchecked, will destroy the very fabric of our Constitutional rights.

This is what we call an epic fail.

If you’re going to run a grow-op out of your home, make sure you have enough power to keep your UV lights running without your outlet bursting into flames, causing your neighbors to call the fire department while your stoned ass is chowin’ down at Denny’s after-hours.

According to police, an inaptly named “cannabis factory” attracted investigation on Liverpool Old Road in Walmer Bridge after too many plugs in a socket caused the smoke alarm to go off. Steve Brown, watch manager at Penwortham fire station, said that the hallways were full of smoke and firefighters had to break down the front door.

The owners were not home at the time but the two bedrooms full of cannabis plants have given the police enough to start a deeper investigation. The fire was contained and extinguished, and the growers are currently being hunted down.

Put your head down and run.

Not a lot of people can claim they grow marijuana for the federal government.
Actually, only one person can.

Mahmoud A. ElSohly, 62, is a researcher for the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and oversees the only federally-approved marijuana grow operation in the United States. ElSohly grows over 100 varieties of our favorite botanical at the University of Mississippi “garden.”

The Marijuana Project started in 1968, provides marijuana to federal patients (four remaining from a program that was closed in 1992) and those select few corporations with permits from NIDA and the DEA to use marijuana.

The NY Times article is an interesting Q&A that touches on one subject we covered earlier this week – lack of government-grown strain potency.

Check out what Mahmoud had to say about genetics:

Q. SO OUT THERE IN RURAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, HAVE THEY BEEN IMPROVING THEIR CROPS WITH MODERN GENETICS?

A. They have been doing genetic selection for years. You can see the potency keeps going up. In the 1970s, the seized marijuana had probably 1 percent or less of the active ingredient. Now, it’s about 8 percent, on the average.

We know for a fact that THC content can reach as high as 25% on some strains, that’s not including hash, oils or crystalized trichromes. Still, this seems like a pretty cool gig, let’s hope he has some colleagues in a few years time.

Hawaiian police recently arrested seven individuals for allegedly running a drug smuggling operation, that law enforcement is saying operated under the guise of a medical marijuana organization.

The leader of the group claims the arrests are the result of a lawsuit he filed against state police. Under Hawaii state law, a physician can recommend marijuana use for a patient with a debilitating disease and allow a patient to have seven marijuana plants and up to three ounces of marijuana.

Brian Murphy filed a lawsuit in order to get money back that was seized by police, cliaming money seized in a raid was collected legally under the state’s law. Police seized 335 marijuana plants, 2,300 grams of processed marijuana, 4,830 grams of unprocessed marijuana, 32 grams of hashish, 100 marijuana-laced candies, and more than $14,000 in cash from several homes and businesses.

A Davis & Elkins College student is lodged in Tygart Valley Regional Jail after the Elkins Police Department searched his dorm room and found a setup for the production of marijuana. In case you were wondering, that’s West Virginia.

The police were tipped off by an anonymous letter, and then let in by a roommate, where they found: “a scale, rolling papers, baggies, several bongs and pipes in the room. Inside a blue glass, police found several germinating marijuana seeds.”

Just how sharp are police in West Virginia?

While police were at the department, a sample was taken from one of the bongs and tested with a Narcotics Analysis Reagent Kit No. 8 … and the test was positive for marijuana.

What the hell kind of scientific test do you need to determine the resin found on a bong in a room full of marijuana paraphernalia came from weed?

It appears that breaking down doors and destroying property is way too much work these days. Let’s streamline for efficiency. Sheriffs in the San Bernadino National Forest are now sweeping the area with nets which can hold an average of 200 pounds of ganja.

The spokeswoman for the department said it was normal to do these types of sweeps April through October when the conditions are best for outdoor growing. It really boils down to, don’t grow outdoor in a field you don’t own. It’s never safe. They’ve got cameras, nets and lots of free time because they have no winnable strategy for the war on drugs, so be careful America.

All over the country, grow houses are garnering more widespread public attention than ever before.

A recent explosion of high-end, indoor grow ops have been raided and shut down by various law enforcement agencies across the US.

Some may say this proves the growing trend that well-financed drug rings are using expensive, innocuous locations to produce mass quantities of marijuana. Perhaps. Or, maybe the police are just now starting to catch on?

News stories published left and right are aimed at not only informing the public, but also at making them unwitting tools of the police.

Each article has pushed the angle of danger and suspicion – evil marijuana growers lurking in the shadows under honest, hard-working citizens very noses.

The AP has even released this amazingly helpful list of how to spot a “marijuana farm”:

• There are guard dogs, “Keep Out” signs or other security.
• Electrical outlets may be rigged to divert power from neighboring homes.
• The windows are often covered and the blinds drawn. There may be excessive condensation around the windows.
• The houses are largely unoccupied. People stop by periodically to mow the lawn or do other chores, then leave.
• In winter, after a snowfall, the house may be the lone home on the block with no snow on the roof. (Heat from the lights often melts the snow.)

According to this criteria, everyone who lives in Beverly Hills is operating a massive indoor pot factory. I need to call the police right now!

Even though I am making light of this situation, the use of paranoia through mass media is a very effective self-policing tactic. I’m sure that tip lines all the way from Georgia to California are ringing off the hook, and that’s just the way the narcs want it to be.

For more pics of various busted grow ops, read on.

[via AP Photo/Su Anderson]

Ah yes, it’s been a while since a complete moron has shown up on the news radar, but not anymore.

Nicholas Loiola, 27, got into a serious fight with his brother. A big enough one for police to be called in to stop the show. Unfortunately for Nicholas, that’s not the only thing they stopped.

Upon entering the home, officers smelled a very familiar plant. A search warrant was put into motion, and before Nicholas knew what hit him, his house was being searched from top to bottom.

This time, just searching the top was enough. In the attic, police found 50+ marijuana plants weighing over 10 pounds. They also found a MAC-11 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm semi-auto pistol.

So, first let’s check out the felony charges: four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, three counts of first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. And now the misdemeanors; second-degree menacing, fourth-degree criminal mischief and unlawful possession of marijuana. Ouch.

Described as a “sophisticated marijuana growing operation,” it’s ironic that Nicholas didn’t have the brains to avoid situations where police are invited into his home. Oh well, lesson learned the hard way I guess.

[via The Journal News]

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]

This week’s Top 10 is devoted to the odd & unusual products out there. Yes, everyone knows about bongs, blunts, papers, grinders, scales and whatever else you see at the local headshop. Today, however, we’re looking at the random, unusual, eccentric and even completely useless products that are floating around the smokosphere (you heard it here first). What started out as basic products for enjoying the simple pleasure of smoking has morphed into one-offs and completely unique products that manufacturers hope will get your attention.

Marijuana Dart Flights

Seriously though, I never have and I doubt I ever will see someone shooting at the local pub with these dart flights. This is an example of creating a product for the wrong age demographic, but still, it’s nice to know they exist.

Click Read to see the #’s 9 – 1 of the Top 10 Most Unusual CC Products…

Airport Stealth Pipe

The Reload Pipe

This metal creation lets you pack bowl after bowl without the annoying process of cleaning it out every couple of hits. It holds 6 bowls and all you do is rotate to enjoy. As always, metal pipes are going to get hot, so I’m not sure how easy this thing will be to hold after ripping through the 5th or 6th bowl. Overall, a simple concept with interesting execution makes this one funky pipe.

Hemp & Beer Shampoo / Conditioner

The shampoo will last for a long time becaue you only need about a quarter sized amount each time in the shower. These products are designed to replace the fatty acids that you lose each time after showering. I’m not sure what the beer and/or hemp are really doing that is beneficial to your scalp. Most likely this is a catchy marketing technique, but it’s one I can live with.

The Twister Pipe

One thing that is nice, and that should be a feature of more metal pieces, is the high quality build allows the metal to dissipate heat faster and better. No one likes to burn their fingers at the same time their burning herbature, so that’s a strong selling point for this pipe. A pretty useless feature, but it’s one you don’t see all the time, and who knows, it might just come in handy one of these days.

Cannabis Vodka

This brings me to the related subject of Hemp Beer. Very common in Europe, and somewhat related to Cannabis Vodka, this beer can contain up to 0.3mg of THC. So, conceivably, if you’re able to drink 45-50 beers in one sitting, you’ll never need to throw down for weed again. I think Bill Brasky is the only person alive manly enough to do something like that. To Biiiillllll Brraaaaaaasky.

Sleek, Slick, Amazing Splif Stick

This ill piece is made completely out of titanium and has a built in roach. As a bonus, you can use it like a chillum. It’ll run you $43 before shipping and can be bought in Blue, Red, Purple, or Silver.

Loc Buttah

Loc Butah is made from a mix of butters located in the Amazon. It will moisturize and repair damaged or dried out dreads. Also, it will improve the overall health and look of the dreads too. There are plenty of hemp-related shampoos out there, but this product is truely unique.

The Grow Op Game

Capture all the excitement and all the rewards of the ‘industry’ without the risk of having your own grow op. Players move around the board, renting properties, buying equipment ,growing clones, harvesting & selling their crop… If they’re lucky. Run into bad or good Karma along the way… power cuts, crooked bankers, biker gangs & pissed neighbors… or get busted by the cops. If they arrive on your doorstep and you’re ‘Lit up,’ you’re finished… Lose your plants, equipment & property and end up in the slammer. Run out of money? Sell shares in a property to a player or borrow money from the ‘Organization’ at nasty rates. Finally, one player with all the luck and all the money wins!

It might be a little gimmicky, but it sure is unique. Now imagine if Hasbro had come up with this idea before Monopoly…

The Marijuana-logues

Doug, Arj, and Tony hit on almost every conceivable topic there is. Doug Benson talks about getting his jacket back from the dry cleaners after leaving pot in the pocket. Arj Barker remembers spending 30 minutes high as a kite cleaning his hotel kitchen … with parmesan cheese. Tony Camin says his girlfriend needs to shut up about his weed smoking and go back to feeding the baby. Ah, Tony is quite the comedian, we all know he doesn’t have a girlfriend…

Overall, the live performance and the accompanying 30 track CD are about as awesome as it gets. There are still some tour dates left in middle America, so see if you can get to one of the last shows.