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Medical marijuana comes to South Park in a new episode of the popular Comedy Central cartoon premiering Wednesday, March 31 at 10:00pm.
In "Medicinal Fried Chicken", a store that sells medicinal marijuana moves into the quiet mountain town of South Park, Colorado, according to a press release issued by creators of the show. The boys are surprised to find the only Kentucky Fried Chicken location in South Park converted to a medical marijuana dispensary.
According to the release, "State Law in Colorado says it's legal to smoke pot if you have a physician's reference. Randy is the first-in-line to buy some, but he's turned away because there's absolutely nothing wrong with him. Randy is desperate to get a medical excuse to smoke some weed but, meanwhile, Cartman will do anything to get his beloved fried chicken restaurant back."
Colorado has seen an explosion of medical marijuana dispensary openings in recent months, with records showing more med-pot locations than liquor stores, Starbucks or public schools. The converted KFC location in the show is a undoubtedly a reference to the real-life "Kind For Cures" dispensary in Southern California housed in an old KFC building.
For those not familiar with South Park, the controversial cartoon started in 1997 and is now in its 14th season, remaining the highest-rated series on Comedy Central. Co-creators and executive producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone have poked fun at the marijuana issue in several past episodes, including with a reoccurring pot-smoking bath-towel named Towelie, who is constantly reddening his huge eyes by puffing joints.
Marijuana culture has been featured on a number of other cartoons and comedy shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy in recent months, provoking cries of "sending the wrong message" from groups like the Parents Television Council, and leading to debates in the news media.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/29/Medical-Marijuana-Sale-South-ParkMedical marijuana comes to South Park in a new episode of the popular Comedy Central... more
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Well, the ex-Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey that is. (As a rule, acting Drug Czar’s do not debate marijuana law reformers in public forums.)
Below(Above) is the clip from this afternoon’s edition of the Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC.
Before anyone comments, yes I am well aware that the host — who was clearly favorable to NORML’s position — did not give us equal time. Then again, former General McCaffrey is a regular consultant to MSNBC (and a guest) so the deference was to be expected. That said, Ratigan, to his credit, did allow me the first and the last word on the subject.
Anyone who wants to read all of what I would have liked to have said, given the proper time, can see my recent commentary — Are U.S. Pot Laws the Root Cause of Mexican Drug Violence? — from last week’s online edition of The Hill, or you can listen to my recent appearance on FoxNews.com. I think they say it all.
http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/26/normls-deputy-director-debates-the-drug-czar/Well, the ex-Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey that is. (As a rule, acting Drug Czar’s... more
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WASHINGTON -- Mexican criminal organizations have more than doubled heroin production in a year and have cemented their grip as the predominant wholesale suppliers of illicit drugs in the United States, a government report concluded Thursday.
The National Drug Threat Assessment found that Mexican groups were the only drug trafficking enterprises operating in every region of the United States.
The study by a unit of the Justice Department says Mexican traffickers increased the flow of heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States, while they increased production of those drugs in Mexico.
The reach of Mexican drug operations comes with the availability of illicit drugs in the United States on the rise, the report said.
In 2009, the prevalence was increasing in some areas of the United States for four of the five major drugs: heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and MDMA.
Cocaine shortages persisted in many markets as they have since 2007 due to decreased cocaine production in Colombia, increased worldwide demand for cocaine in Europe and elsewhere, and enhanced counterdrug efforts by the Mexican government.
Heroin production in Mexico rose from 17 pure metric tons in 2007 to 38 pure metric tons in 2008, with the increase translating to lower heroin prices and more heroin-related overdoses and more overdose deaths, according to government estimates in the report by the National Drug Intelligence Center.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/25/1547256/report-mexican-traffickers-cement.htmlWASHINGTON -- Mexican criminal organizations have more than doubled heroin production... more
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New York's medical marijuana bill has already passed the State House and now has favorably cleared a key Senate Committee as part of the state budget.
Millions in license fees are at stake, but proponents say that's not the reason it should be approved.
This is coming only months after New Jersey passed a similar law. Patients suffering from neurological and muscular diseases report tremendous relief from smoking pot and as a muscular dystrophy patient, Rich Morosky told lawmakers it's a godsend.
Morosky was in Albany Tuesday describing life before marijuana. "I would literally have to straighten my arms out, untangle my fingers," he said. "Once I got up to therapeutic dosage in my bloodstream, it's not like I'm getting all wacky and having a good time. I'm medicated, and this medicine works."
With medical marijuana already legal in 14 states, opposition to the bill is weakening, but it still makes a lot of people nervous. "We've seen it in California. It doesn't work in California. We believe, I believe personally that it's a gateway drug and it will open up for more usage of marijuana amongst kids, and lead to further drug use across our state," said Sen Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn).
The New York law would limit prescriptions to seriously ill patients and there be no home grown weed. Licensed growers and distributors would generate $15 million annually for the state, according to the bill's sponsors who said the time has come.
"The New York Law would be the most restrictive of any medical marijuana law in the country," said Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan).
Advocate Jim Miller said New York could learn from New Jersey's legislative experience. "How dare we ask sick and dying people to come and beg their legislators for relief they know could be had" he said.
The law, as written, would put the State Health Department in charge of the New York medical marijuana program. Opponents point out the Health Department has a hard enough time preventing Medicaid fraud without taking on a controlled substance.
- Article from CBS News.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/24/NY-Lawmakers-Mull-Medical-Marijuana-LegislationNew York's medical marijuana bill has already passed the State House and now has... more
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MPP's Aaron Smith appears on CNBC debating prohibitionist spokeswoman Calvina Fay about the merits of TaxCannabis 2010, the initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cjkyg45j64MPP's Aaron Smith appears on CNBC debating prohibitionist spokeswoman Calvina Fay... more
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MPP's Sarah Lovering appears on KTTV Fox in LA to discuss the reasons to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. Today a ballot initiative, TaxCannabis 2010, was approved that will give California voters the chance to allow adult possession and cultivation of marijuana for recreational purposes. 03/24/2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ajGkHgqOoMPP's Sarah Lovering appears on KTTV Fox in LA to discuss the reasons to tax and... more
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Perhaps only in California could a group of marijuana smokers call themselves fiscal realists.
And yet, faced with a $20 billion deficit, strained state services and regular legislative paralysis, voters in California are now set to consider a single-word solution to help ease some of the state’s money troubles: legalize.
On Wednesday, the California secretary of state certified a November vote on a ballot measure that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana, a plan that advocates say could raise $1.4 billion and save precious law enforcement and prison resources.
Indeed, unlike previous efforts at legalization — including a failed 1972 measure in California — the 2010 campaign will not dwell on assertions of marijuana’s harmlessness or its social acceptance, but rather on cold cash.
“We need the tax money,” said Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University, a trade school for marijuana growers, in Oakland, who backed the ballot measure’s successful petition drive. “Second, we need the tax savings on police and law enforcement, and have that law enforcement directed towards real crime.”
Supporters are hoping to raise $10 million to $20 million for the campaign, primarily on the Internet, with national groups planning to urge marijuana fans to contribute $4.20 at a time, a nod to 420, a popular shorthand for the drug.
The law would permit licensed retailers to sell up to one ounce at a time. Those sales would be a new source of sales tax revenue for the state.
Opponents, however, scoff at the notion that legalizing marijuana could somehow help with the state’s woes. They tick off a list of social ills — including tardiness and absenteeism in the workplace — that such an act would contribute to.
“We just don’t think any good is going to come from this,” said John Standish, president of the California Peace Officers Association, whose 3,800 members include police chiefs and sheriffs. “It’s not going to better society. It’s going to denigrate it.”
The question of legalization, which a 2009 Field Poll showed 56 percent of Californians supporting, will undoubtedly color the state race for governor. The two major Republican candidates — the former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman and the insurance commissioner, Steve Poizner — have said they oppose the bill.
Jerry Brown, the Democratic attorney general who is also running for governor, opposes the idea as well, saying it violates federal law.
And while the Obama administration has signaled that it will tolerate medical marijuana users who abide the law in the 14 states where it is legal, a law authorizing personal use would conflict with federal law.
Supporters of the bill say the proposal’s language would allow cities or local governments to opt out, likely creating “dry counties” in some parts of the state. The proposed law would allow only those over 21 to buy, and would ban smoking marijuana in public or around minors.
Stephen Gutwillig, the California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York-based group that plans to raise money in favor of the measure, said he expected “a conservative implementation,” if passed.
“I think most local jurisdictions are not going to authorize sales,” Mr. Gutwillig said.
Local opt-out provisions are part of a strategy to allay people’s fears about adding another legal vice and to help capture a group considered key to passing the bill: non-pot-smoking swing voters.
“There’s going to be a large sector of the electorate that would never do this themselves that’s going to sort out what the harm would be versus what the supposed good would be,” said Frank Schubert, a longtime California political strategist who opposes the bill. “That’s where the election is going to be won.”
But Dan Newman, a San Francisco-based strategist for the ballot measure, said he expected broad, bipartisan support for the bill, especially among those Californians worried about the recession.
“Voters’ No. 1 concern right now is the budget and the economy,” Mr. Newman said, “which makes them look particularly favorable at something that will bring in more than $1 billion a year.” Opponents, however, question that figure — which is based on a 2009 report from the Board of Equalization, which oversees taxes in the state — and argue that whatever income is brought in will be spent dealing with more marijuana-related crimes.
Mr. Standish said: “We have a hard enough time now with drunk drivers on the road. This is just going to add to the problems.”
He added: “I cannot think of one crime scene I’ve been to where people said, ‘Thank God the person was just under the influence of marijuana.’ ”
Advocates of the measure plan to counter what is expected to be a strong law enforcement opposition with advertisements like one scheduled to be broadcast on radio in San Francisco and Los Angeles starting on Monday. The advertisements will feature a former deputy sheriff saying the war on marijuana has failed.
“It’s time to control it,” he concludes, “and tax it.”
Not everyone in the community is supportive. Don Duncan, a co-founder of Americans for Safe Access, which lobbies for medical marijuana, said he had reservations about the prospect of casual users joining the ranks of those with prescriptions.
“The taxation and regulation of cannabis at the local or state level may or may not improve conditions for medical cannabis patients,” Mr. Duncan said in an e-mail message. He added that issues like “police harassment and the price and quality of medicine might arise if legalization for recreational users occurs.”
Still, the idea of legal marijuana does not seem too far-fetched to people like Shelley Kutilek, a San Francisco resident, loyal church employee and registered California voter, who said she would vote “yes” in November.
“It’s no worse than alcohol,” said Ms. Kutilek, 30, an administrator at Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco. “Drunk people get really belligerent. I don’t know anybody who gets belligerent on marijuana. They just get chill.”
- Article from The New York Times.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/25/Legal-Marijuana-Advocates-Focus-New-GreenPerhaps only in California could a group of marijuana smokers call themselves fiscal... more
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Two Los Angeles City Council committees approved nearly $1,600 in fees for medical marijuana dispensaries, marking the beginning of the end for hundreds of pop shops that will be wiped out by a city ordinance that severely limits where they can operate.
The fees will fund criminal background checks for the shops' managers, but they're also the last component of the ordinance, with one councilman predicting that noncompliant shops will start being shut down in May. The fees still need to be approved by the ever-slow-moving city council, which has been facing an anarchic, blossoming medical marijuana scene in L.A.
City officials warned would-be pot-shop runners to register with the city now so the background checks can begin.
The City Council's Planning and Land Use Management and Budget and Finance committees on Tuesday approved about $1,595 in registration fees. Councilman Ed Reyes said the city would hopefully begin enforcing its new medical marijuana dispensary rules in May.
About 545 shops are in operation in the city, according to a comprehensive count by LA Weekly (PDF). The City Council voted to reduce that to 187 and eventually 70. One way they'll be weeded out: The shops must be at least 1,000 feet away from schools, churches and other "sensitive use" sites.
The pro-medical-marijuana group Americans for Safe Access has challenged the ordinance in court and now states that it might also seek a temporary restraining order to prevent any shops from being closed down under the law.
- Article from LA Weekly.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/25/LA-Dispensary-Crackdown-Expected-MayTwo Los Angeles City Council committees approved nearly $1,600 in fees for medical... more
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Squatch and the cute hella mella girls &intern dream jeanie bring you an hour of fun and information.Recipes for medicenal patients+ special guest .Come feel the grooveSquatch and the cute hella mella girls &intern dream jeanie bring you an hour of... more
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Marijuana growers and others in Humboldt County, California where the illegal drug is grown in large quantities, worry what legalization will do to the local economy.Marijuana growers and others in Humboldt County, California where the illegal drug is... more
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The following speech was given by NORML’s Deputy Director before nearly 500 attendees on Saturday, March 13, at the opening plenary of Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s 11th International Conference, at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. To read full coverage of the conference, please see DRCNet’s report here.
My name is Paul Armentano and I’m the Deputy Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and I’m the co-author of the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? Max, Amber, Stacia and the many good folks at SSDP invited me to come here today to talk to you about how and why students have a vital role to play in ending marijuana prohibition.
First let’s talk about the “why”: self-preservation. The federal government has declared war on you.
Since 1965 law enforcement in this country have arrested over 20 million people for marijuana offenses. But when you take a closer look at who is actually arrested you find that, for the most part, it isn’t the folks sitting on this panel; it’s all of you sitting out there – it’s young people.
In short – the so-called ‘war’ on marijuana is really a war on youth.
According to a 2005 study commissioned by the NORML Foundation, 74 percent of the 800,000 or so Americans busted for pot each year are under age 30, and one out of four are age 18 or younger. That’s nearly half a million young people at risk of losing their school loans, or being saddled with a lifelong criminal record at a time when they are just entering the workforce. We’re talking about an entire generation – and that’s you out there – that has been alienated to believe that the police and their civic leaders are instruments of their oppression rather than their protection.
And the sad fact is: you’re right!
The question is: What are you going to do about it?
If we’re going to finally end this 70+ year failed public policy known as marijuana prohibition, then we need students to play a lead role. Obviously those of you in this room have already taken a critical first step in leading this charge by joining SSDP and attending this conference. But there’s a lot more to be done and there’s a lot more that you can do.
I believe that it was Ghandi who demanded that those who are oppressed be a part of there own liberation, and marijuana prohibition is no different. I want you to look around you because it’s you all who will ultimately bring about an end to prohibition.
CONTINUED>>> http://blog.norml.org/2010/03/19/why-students-hold-the-key-to-ending-marijuana-prohibition/The following speech was given by NORML’s Deputy Director before nearly 500... more
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A new poll reports half of New York voters support legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
The Siena Research Institute shows 50 percent back legalization, while 41 percent are opposed and 9 percent say they don't have enough information.
Pollster Steven Greenberg pointed out demographic divisions in the results, with 72 percent support among those who consider themselves liberal, 62 percent among those 18 to 34, and 55 percent among Democrats.
“Half of New York voters support legalizing the use of medical marijuana in New York, while 41 percent oppose it,” Greenberg said.
“Democrats and independents, downstaters, young, white and Jewish voters support it. Republicans, upstaters, older voters, and African American, Catholic and Protestant voters oppose it.”
Opposition includes 61 percent of those who consider themselves conservative, 59 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of those 55 and older.
The poll released Monday surveyed 810 registered voters last Monday through Thursday. It has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.
In January, former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill that made New Jersey the 14th state in the country to legalize marijuana for medical use.
The law does not permit people to grow marijuana privately, but allows certain patients to buy up to 2 ounces per month at state-monitored dispensaries.
- Article from The Associated Press.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/22/Half-New-York-Voters-Support-Medical-MarijuanaA new poll reports half of New York voters support legalizing the use of marijuana for... more
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Despite surveys showing a majority of Canadians approve legalizing possession of small amounts of pot, the law isn’t changing any time soon.
In the grand scheme of things, marijuana policy isn’t likely to bring about a change of government.
Despite surveys showing a majority of Canadians approve legalizing possession of small amounts of pot, the law isn’t changing any time soon.
But that hasn’t stopped advocates from pressuring the prime minister on the subject, nor has it prohibited, pardon the pun, Stephen Harper from sounding like an early-1900s social reformer trying to ban the demon drink.
Marijuana prohibition was the hottest topic among the questions submitted prior to the PM’s YouTube interview last week, and he was gracious enough to give an answer.
But instead of coming off with the intelligence he’s known for, or even as the master obfuscator he has become, Harper hilariously morphed into Mr. Mackey, the guidance counsellor from the rabble-rousing animated show South Park.
“The reason drugs are illegal is because they are bad,” he said, after a preamble about his kids, and completely negating studies that show marijuana really isn’t all that harmful.
He went on to comment on how drugs are controlled by evil foreign cartels, and even if they were legalized, they would never be a respectable business.
If respectability were such a concern, it’s a wonder he hasn’t taken a run at the tobacco industry, porn or payday loan companies.
But hey, he’s a conservative politician preaching a law and order agenda. No one can be all that surprised.
What’s galling about all this is the utter condescension shown the reasonable opinion of a majority of Canadians.
But he’s in good company.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who as an Ivy League egghead probably saw enough trust fund babies find success while doing far worse than smoking pot, laughably told a group of high school kids they’re practically pointing a loaded gun at their heads by lighting up a “marijuana cigarette.”
The least these two supposedly smart men could try to offer, in defending their positions on the matter, is some actual intelligent debate, rather than talking to Canadians as if they were their pre-teen children.
It’s one thing to offer a kid a rote response, but adults deserve better.
- Article from Toronto Sun.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/22/No-High-Times-HillDespite surveys showing a majority of Canadians approve legalizing possession of small... more
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OTTAWA — Marijuana is the illegal drug of choice in the Canadian Forces, according to the first random tests of the entire military.
Almost one in 20 Forces members - 4.7 per cent - "recently" used illicit drugs, says the newly released study based on random urine samples.
And the vast majority were using some form of cannabis, with cocaine, morphine and codeine far behind.
The survey results are based on 1,327 mandatory urine samples taken randomly, without prior notice, among all three services and across the country. Refusal to provide a urine sample could result in disciplinary action.
Previous illicit-drug surveys in the Canadian Forces had concentrated on smaller populations in one of the branches, or among key military professionals such as submariners or divers.
But to establish a broad baseline, the Canadian Forces carried out its widest survey yet, between Feb. 2 and April 6, 2009. Mandatory urine samples were demanded "at unpredictable times and without prior notice."
However, the samples were "blind" in that the identity of the individual tested was not recorded, and therefore no sanctions could be applied to anyone testing positive.
The anonymous samples were sent to an independent lab hired by the military, and an analysis of the results was completed in January. A copy of the analysis was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
Marijuana can be detected in the urine weeks after use, depending on how much is ingested and how frequently it has been taken. The tests showed that about four per cent of those tested had traces of cannabis in their samples.
In Canada, some surveys have found up to 12 per cent of the general population acknowledging use of illicit drugs, with marijuana by far the most popular.
The military has previously estimated usage in its ranks at about four per cent, and mandatory tests imposed in 2006 on soldiers headed to Afghanistan have helped hold levels in check. The Canadian Forces have a zero-tolerance policy for illicit drugs.
The new survey results found that military drug users generally are males age 39 years or younger; are in lower ranks; have not completed a university or college degree; and are in common-law relationships or have never been married.
"The BDT (blind drug testing) results indicate that for CF full-time members, gender, age, rank and highest level of education are strong predictors of illicit drug use," says the report.
The authors call for more in-depth study of the findings, and more detailed breakdowns of the demographics of illegal drug use.
"The CF are a microcosm of the Canadian population at large, and as such, it is reasonable to expect that a small percentage of CF members will, at one time or another use illegal drugs," spokeswoman Carole Brown said Wednesday.
"It is too early to comment on possible policy changes, as the research results of the pan-CF drug testing have not yet been finalized, and recommendations are still being developed."
The study identified Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario as a hot spot for street-drug use, with about nine per cent of individuals testing positive.
The base is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces, with an average of 15,000 personnel passing through each year. Brown said military recruiters attempt to screen applicants for drug use, and will deem them "temporarily unsuitable" if substance abuse is recent or continuing.
The navy bases at Esquimalt, B.C., and Halifax also showed somewhat higher-than-average drug use in the study, at 5.5 per cent each. The large military facility at St-Jean, Que., had a 5.6 per cent rate.
Previous blind tests that were restricted the army and the navy found levels of illicit drug use at five per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively.
Brown said while the Canadian Forces does not tolerate illicit drug use, it also regards substance abuse as a health issue to be handled through education, treatment and rehabilitation and not solely through disciplinary measures.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g-RjLvW7FuluWMsem4BjjCk0pQAQOTTAWA — Marijuana is the illegal drug of choice in the Canadian Forces,... more
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A local pastor is preaching the benefits of pot to his followers. But now this marijuana ministry is facing the wrath of county prosecutors.
While Los Angeles city leaders struggle to figure out how to deal with the hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries that have sprung up all over town, law enforcement is targeting alleged law-breakers. A pastor who built his ministry around marijuana is now out of business. One look at the storefront on one West Los Angeles street and you know you're looking at a marijuana dispensary. Beverly Hills Green Cross is different.
Craig Rubin conducts bible study there. The ordained minister is pastor of Temple 420, a marijuana ministry.
"What we've always tried to do, my wife and I, is present god to people who use medical marijuana," said Rubin. "[The Bible] says 'we are healed by his stripes' in Isaiah 53, and a as a Jewish person, I believe the Old Testament, and I think Christians should believe the Old Testament is valid. I teach a course in college called 'The Jewish History of the New Testament.'
"Marijuana is specifically mentioned in the Book of Exodus in a holy anointing oil. It's called 'cannabossum,'" said Rubin.
You could say he practices what he preaches. When asked if he smoked cannabis, Rubin said, "Yes, I do smoke." The last time he lit up? "Ten minutes ago."
L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley says he's cracking down on hundreds of marijuana dispensaries he says are operating illegally in Los Angeles. Cooley says religion is just another way dope dealers try to get around the law to make a profit.
"I want to reach out to people who do smoke pot and let them know that god still loves them, and they're welcome to come to church, and that it isn't a sin to smoke pot," said Rubin.
"I think they're frauds and they're corrupt," said Cooley. "And they should be pursued by people in positions of law enforcement authority."
That's what happened at Rubin's dispensary. After an undercover investigation, L.A. police raided the place on October 22 at 4:20 in the afternoon.
Rubin is in big trouble. He was already on probation after being convicted previously of marijuana possession for sale. Now he's facing those same charges again, plus a possible probation violation that could send him to prison for years.
"Hey, I'm facing jail time," said Rubin. "And really I feel I haven't done anything wrong but try and preach the word."
Rubin said he's being singled out because he's an outspoken advocate for medical marijuana who once ran for mayor of Los Angeles. He says his dispensary was licensed and that he'd consulted with the city attorney's office to make sure they were OK with it.
Rubin was arraigned on Monday. He's acting as his own attorney.
He says god and the law are both on his side, that the law under which he's being prosecuted makes an exception for ordained ministers.
One of his supporters could be seen Monday smoking a marijuana cigarette right outside the courthouse.
"The state makes an exception for duly ordained ministers to run psychological clinics, and we do provide psychological counseling and services, biblical services," said Rubin.
Rubin is due back in court in January, representing himself and his beliefs, with his freedom on the line.
Rubin says he has the documentation to prove his innocence and he's ready to go to trial. He's undeterred by the fact that the last time he acted as his own attorney, he was convicted.
video >>> http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7137520LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A local pastor is preaching the benefits of pot to his... more
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CANNABIS CULTURE - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper answered questions this evening in a YouTube-sponsored poll and interview where marijuana was the #1 issue. As expected, the PM rehashed the same old tired arguments in defense of his destructive cannabis policies.
Marijuana- and crime-related questions dominated the YouTube/Google poll, coming in #1, #2, #3, #4 and several other spots in the top 10. A similar poll of "Ideas for Change" for US President Obama on Change.org also places marijuana legalization at #1.
Below is the video and transcript of Harper's response to questions about marijuana:
TRANSCRIPT>>> http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/16/Harper-Blows-More-Hot-Air-YouTube-Marijuana-QuestionsCANNABIS CULTURE - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper answered questions this... more
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Joseph Casias has been legally using medical marijuana to deal with the gnawing pain caused by sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor pressing against his skull. He says he never used it when he was on duty as an associate at a Wal-Mart in Battle Creek, Mich, and he never went to work high.
But one morning he went to work and was fired for it.
“I never thought I would be terminated for this,” said Casias, who worked for the company for five years and was a Wal-Mart associate of the year in 2008. “At first I thought, ‘This wasn’t true. How could this be right?’”
Casias, 29, just couldn’t understand how Wal-Mart or any employer for that matter could fire a worker for using medical marijuana, which was prescribed by his doctor and has been legal in Michigan since 2008. He even has a card sanctioned by the state that says he can legally use the drug.
Fourteen states now have laws on the books legalizing marijuana. But many of the laws, which do protect users against criminal charges, are often unclear when it comes to protections in the workplace.
Michigan is another story. The state’s law includes some legal shields for workers.
“You can’t discriminate against a person if you have a medical marijuana card, and if they use it for medicinal purposes,” said James McCurtis, a spokesman for Michigan’s Department of Community Health that oversees the medical marijuana program.
Drug testing at work
Most large corporations such as Wal-Mart have long-standing policies against drug use, and many screen prospective employees and conduct random drug testing on existing workers.
According to a 2006 report from the Society for Human Resource Management:
84 percent of employers do pre-employment drug screening.
73 percent do reasonable-suspicion testing.
58 percent do post-accident screening.
39 percent do random testing.
In the case of Casias, who has been using medical marijuana since last summer, a knee injury on the job prompted Wal-Mart to test him for drug use.
Casias’ managers knew he had been battling sinus cancer and the brain tumor for some time, but he did not tell them he was using marijuana to deal with the pain because traditional painkillers alone weren’t working.
When the test came back positive, a manager at the store at first told him it wasn’t a big deal because he was legally using marijuana. However, when he came in for work the morning of Nov. 24, he was immediately pulled into the store manager’s office and told he was fired. “The manager told me he was sorry and he had no choice. He said he wished he could help me out,” Casias said. “They went and got my personal belongings, and I walked out of the store.”
Wal-Mart spokesman Greg Rossiter called the situation “unfortunate.”
“We are sympathetic to Mr. Casias’ condition,” he said. However, like so many other employers, “we have to consider the overall safety of our customers and associates, including Mr. Casias, when making a difficult decision like this.”
Difficult situation
Employment experts said companies across the country, especially those that operate in a number of states with different marijuana laws, face a Catch-22.
CONTINUED >>> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35913492/ns/business-careers/
http://cannabisculture.com/v2/files/images/walmartboycott.frontpage.jpgJoseph Casias has been legally using medical marijuana to deal with the gnawing pain... more
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CANNABIS CULTURE - Members of Parliament from the Liberal, New Democratic, and Conservative Parties of Canada presented petitions today to the House of Commons with over 12,000 signatures asking the Minister of Justice to stop the extradition of marijuana activist Marc Emery.
In a show of cross-party MP support rarely seen in the House, Scott Reid (Conservative), Libby Davies (NDP), and Ujjal Dosanjh (Liberal) stood in succession and asked Conservative Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson to refuse to sign extradition orders sending Emery, a Vancouver entrepreneur and well-known activist, to the United States for a 5-year prison term.
Conservative MP Scott Reid: "I'm presenting a petition today, quite a large petition as you can see from the pile on the table beside me, regarding Marc Emery, the leader of the British Columbia Marijuana Party, who is facing deportation to the United States. The petitioners draw the attention of Parliament to a number of pertinent facts, I won't go through all of them but I think some are relevant here. Marc Emery's activities, the ones for which he is being extradited involve selling viable seeds, viable marijuana seeds, over the Internet. It's worth noting that these activities were approved by Health Canada's referral of medical marijuana patients to his seed bank. It is worth noting as well that courts in ruling on this subject, Canadian courts have ruled that a $200 fine is an appropriate punishment for this kind of activity as opposed to extradition to a country where he can face potentially life imprisonment. Finally it is worth noting that, under the Extradition Act, the petitioners point out, the Canadian Minister of Justice shall refuse to surrender a person when that surrender could involve unjust or undue or oppressive actions by the country to which he being extradited."
NDP MP Libby Davies: "I too have a very big stack of petitions to present, about 4000 petitions, along with other colleagues in the House who have received a similar number, and these are petitions from Canadians across the country who draw to our attention a matter of great urgency concerning the US call for extradition of Mr. Marc Emery as we've heard just earlier. Many dedicated individuals have collected approximately 12,000 petitions reflecting a strong belief that Mr. Emery or any Canadian should not face harsh punishment in the US for selling cannabis seeds on the Internet when it is not worthy of prosecution in Canada. The petitioners call on Parliament to make it clear to the Minister of Justice that such an extradition should be opposed. I am very pleased to present this; I think it is a very strong reflection of Canadians' views on this matter and we hope that the Parliament of Canada will act on this, and certainly the Minister of Justice will take this into account."
Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh: "I join my previous two colleagues with respect to this petition regarding Marc Emery. I believe there is a certain degree of unfairness that is inherent in the process that has been used to deal with him, and these petitions urge the Minister, the Attorney General, to not surrender Marc Emery to the United States for extradition. While I come from British Columbia, a former attorney general and former Premier of British Columbia, I have certain sympathies with Mr. Emery, not because of what he did, but because I believe that the process that was used to arrest him and punish him wouldn't have been done in the case of Canadian authorities wanting to arrest him and punish him, and I believe that because of that unfairness, the Minister of Justice is urged by the petitioner to take another look at it."
Emery, known by fans as the Prince of Pot, is the president of the BC Marijuana Party and the former publisher of Cannabis Culture. Emery's online seed business was raided and shut down in 2005 by DEA agents and Vancouver Police. He was arrested and faced possible life imprisonment in the US before making a deal with American prosecutors for a 5-year term in a US jail.
"I thought it was very gracious of Ujjal Dosanjh to say as a former Premier and Attorney General he was sympathetic to my situation," Marc Emery told Cannabis Culture. It was wonderful to hear Scott Reid of the governing Conservative Party articulate that Health Canada sent people to buy seeds from me. Libby Davies was heartfelt in her support for me. They all brought salient points forward and it was a wonderful moment."
Emery surrendered himself to Canadian authorities on September 28, 2009 and was imprisoned at North Fraser Pretrial Centre awaiting the Minister of Justice's signature on the extradition papers.
While he was there, dozens of protestors held a permanent vigil on the edge of prison property. Emery continued his activism work while locked up, recorded regular podcasts available through Cannabis Culture.
He was released on bail on November 18, 2009, awaiting the Justice Minister's signature, and remains temporarily free. He expects to renew his bail this month.
Emery and his supporters say the 2005 DEA raid on his business was an overtly political act, and point to statements made at the time by DEA administrator Karen Tandy calling Emery's arrest "a signficant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement."
"His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today," she said. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canda. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on."
The presentation of petitions in support of the activist, who has for years represented a growing culture of cannabis users, comes a day before Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper faces multiple questions about marijuana in an online question/answer poll sponsored by Google and YouTube.
"It would be wonderful if Harper would answer truthfully," Emery said, "but I expect to hear more disappointing answers to our legitimate questions."
MORE >>> http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/15/Canadian-Politicians-Present-Thousands-Signatures-Support-Marc-Emery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AC87VKo3pY&feature=player_embeddedCANNABIS CULTURE - Members of Parliament from the Liberal, New Democratic, and... more
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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided to ask the Internet what issue is most pressing to Canadians.
An online poll called "Ask Your Questions to Prime Minister Harper" says the PM "will answer a selection of your top-voted questions in an exclusive YouTube interview next Tuesday March 16, 2010 at 7 p.m. ET."
We have a chance to push marijuana legalization to the top of that list (It's currently #2 and #3). You don't have to be Canadian to participate, so please, wherever you're from, help us legalize marijuana in Canada.
Please, click here to vote for marijuana legalization! Let's make marijuana the #1 and #2 questions to Stephen Harper!
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/03/11/Vote-Online-Legalization-Marijuana-CanadaCanadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided to ask the Internet what issue is... more
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MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Cops sniffed out $10 million worth of marijuana plants, the largest pot-growing bust in New Jersey history, state police said Wednesday.
Officers detected the smell of marijuana wafting from the chimney of a Monroe Township home last month and found a man inside burning unusable parts of pot plants in the fireplace, police said.
A search of the home turned up more than 1,000 pot plants.
That discovery led authorities to five more houses in Millstone Township, Old Bridge, Manahawkin and Manalapan. More than 3,300 plants, 115 pounds of harvest pot and $65,000 cash were seized there, they said.
Thu N. Nguyen, 44, a Canadian citizen who was being held in the county jail on $1 million cash bail, was charged with maintaining a marijuana cultivation facility and possession with intent to distribute.
Two others - Tuan A. Dang, 35, of Port Monmouth, and Ngoc H. Bui, 35, of Old Bridge, both naturalized U.S. citizens - were arrested after authorities searched the Millstone residence. They face the same charges and bail amount as Nguyen.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/03/11/2010-03-11_potgrowing_ring_in_jersey_up_in_smoke.html#ixzz0hzwRq4EcMONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Cops sniffed out $10 million worth of marijuana plants, the... more
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