This week President Obama had another one of his online forums, folks spend a few days voting up questions for him to answer before these events. This time, like every time, questions about marijuana and the war on drugs filled up most of the top 20 questions. Much like before, they were ignored.

NORML Spokesman Erik Altieri hit the nail on the head in an email to the Huffington Post saying,

“It is disappointing that, yet again, the administration has declined the opportunity to discuss the very serious issue of ending marijuana prohibition. For the ninth time, the White House has solicited the American people for direct input on the issues they cared about and then, when the resulting answers called overwhelmingly for marijuana law reform, President Obama ignores the will of the American people on this burning issue.”

The second most popular question of all came from Stephen Downing, Former Deputy Chief of LAPD and board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Downing reflected on his decades in law enforcement and went on to ask the president what he would say to the majority of americans who now support the legalization of marijuana.

Another interesting part of this article was a quote from Harborside Health Center Executive Director Steve DeAngelo. Like many California patients who backed Obama in 2008, he is thoroughly unsatisfied with Obama failing to keep his campaign trail promises. He said,

“I will be voting in the Republican primary in California, and I will be voting for one of the candidates who supports our position on medical cannabis. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of other medical cannabis patients join me. There’s a real opening here for Republicans.”

When the man who has provided safe access to more patients in North America than anyone says he is voting Republican, it really makes you wonder what happened to promises we heard in New Hampshire.

Malaysia – An auxiliary cop and his wife have been sentenced to life imprisonment after being charged with growing a single cannabis plant and possession of less than an ounce of the substance.

Tajol, an auxiliary policeman, and Rozaimah, who is unemployed, were arrested at their house in Bandar Baru Semariang on Jan 12 last year.

The couple Tajol Ashikin Tambi, 39 and his wife Rozaimah Mat, 37 were sentenced by Sessions Court judge Afidah Abdul Rahman.

…after taking into consideration the seriousness of the charges against them as well as public interest.

Tajol was sentenced to three years’ jail and three strokes of the rotan on the first charge, and life imprisonment and six strokes on the second charge.

Rozaimah was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on the first charge and life imprisonment on the second charge.

Under Section 6 of Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act for cannabis possession an accused person may receive a life sentence or not less then five years of prison. Also, the accused must have at least 10 hits from the rotan is convicted.

For the latter charge, Section 6B(1)(a) of the Act above can  can be penalized with life imprisonment and a minimum of six strokes of a whip.

When someone is rotaned; also known as caned, it leaves serious emotional and physical injuries. Often resulting in the removal of skin, infection and permanent scarring.

She [the judge] also allowed an application by defence counsel Voon Lee Shan for a stay of execution on the whipping pending an appeal.

I couldn’t imagine facing this penalty for one plant and 20.44g of cannabis. Puts things in prospective doesn’t it? If we think we have our hands full, imagine the reform necessary in Malaysia.

Image Via The Star

Early Thursday morning Ohio State Highway Patrol pulled over a guy from LA and his buddy, they claim to have found some buds, hash oil, one Cool Tube 8 inch light, and a couple books. What makes it crazy is they are now charging him with drug trafficking and cultivation while inside of a car, not to mention claiming he possessed $63,000 worth of cannabis.

The full list of charges is possession of liquid hashish, trafficking in drugs and possession of criminal tools. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, cultivating of marijuana, and possession of marijuana.

Does this look like $63,000 with of marijuana to you?

No it doesn’t, the officer who gave this estimate is totally out of his mind.

Let me break it down. It looks like there are 8 bottles of tincture there, one of the most effective ways for a lot of people to medicate, especially folks with migraines and throat cancer, those bottles run between $15 to $35 so maximum cost i2 $280. There are about two and a half ounces worth of jar there, so presuming at the high end that they are full of LA top shelf meds the value of those jars would be about $800. There books are worth about $55 depending where you get them. I don’t see hash oil and the other jars look empty.

That puts it around $1100 plus the cool tube.

The craziest part, besides bad police math, is the fact that they are charging him with cultivation while he was driving inside of a car. He clearly wasn’t driving down the road in the middle of his veg cycle, and if the police had found plants you know they are posting pics of those for the world to see.

Also I’m curious to if he is a medical cannabis patient, the card that is blurred out looks like a medical cannabis card, but I’m not sure.

In closing, shame on the Ohio State Highway Patrol for using bad math to try and make it look like they are better police officers and for wasting time chasing around nonviolent marijuana smokers.

Taco Bell will be starting their First Meal campaign to see how breakfast at TB will be. As a lover of Taco Bell, I think it is a great idea. I remember when they used to open at 9am. I was excited to have TB for breakfast when it wasn’t breakfast food. Now I can’t imagine how amazing it is going to be. The First Meal menu has taken over 5 years to finalize and will be available at 750 Taco Bells by Thursday, Jan. 26. Totaling 11 new breakfast items. They will have a egg and sausage burrito for 99 cents along with three other types of burritos. My personal favorite item on the menu is looking like the “crunch” with sausage, eggs and cheese. Checkout the rest of their items including cinnabons rolls and all the locations here. It looks like California and Arizona have the most stores with the First Meal.

By 2014, First Meal is slated to be in 5,800 domestic Taco Bell locations.

A few weeks back our fearless leader known as Lenny told us about his experience of getting arrested for weed. After reading that I felt like I should also tell my experience of getting arrested for weed. I figured it would show a different side of being arrested. The big difference is that I was in a car unlike Lenny walking.

Like Lenny, I was on my way to a party. But it just wasn’t one party, but Halloween weekend up at Michigan State University. It was early Friday night when I drove down the highway at the speed limit. I never ever speed, specially when I’m driving with marijuana. I take the full precautions when traveling with weed. I put it all in my trunk in something that doesn’t look suspicious, obviously. But that didn’t save me this time.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate cops at all. You will never see me tweeting “f*ck the police” or really saying it. They are just out there doing their job like majority of other people working. I joke around about or use when it’s in lyrics or movies like Pineapple Express.

When I saw the police officer I kept my cool and kept driving the speed limit like nothing was wrong. He was driving slower than traffic and was in the middle lane. I could of either stayed driving slow and stayed behind him or drove past him driving the speed limit like I did. Little did I know he would run my plates. I do have a few priors. Nothing serious just some alcohol charges when I was 19. As soon as I got a little bit in front of him, he speed up and got right behind me. I knew it was over. Then the red and blue lights were in all of my mirrors.

Pulled over on the side of the road while the officer was running my license, registration, insurance and all I could think about is the gram of weed sitting in my trunk. While all this is going on the K-9 unit shows up. Almost every time some one gets pulled over in my area a second police office shows up. No matter what it is. It could be for a speeding ticket to a DUI to a out headlight. Any and everything two cops show up. This time the K-9 unit decides to show up for backup. Right then and there I knew I was gonna end this night in handcuffs.

The officer came back and asked me if I was carrying any guns, bazookas, or grenades. Clearly the answer was no. Then he asked about any drugs or alcohol. Which I had both in my trunk. Before he let me answer, he proceeded to tell me that he was gonna have the dog run my car regardless. So I should answer the question wisely. I knew I was screwed regardless of what I said. So I told him I have a gram and a some beer in the trunk.

That’s when the tv show type arrest starts. “Please step out of the car.” He read me my rights and then searched my car entirely. It took him awhile to get to the goods way back in the trunk. After all the searching and paper work computer work we took a trip to the station. Once we got back to the station the officer let me use my cell phone in the cell to find a ride and bail myself out. Luckily I was only there for about an hour at the most. I was charged with two mip’s and while my grinder and bowl was taken away. Including a ton of kief in my grinder too. The funny part of it is that when I went to get my car out of the impound the next morning. The officer left a giant roach on my passenger seat under some empty cigarette packs. First thing that I thought was that it was a setup. I thought for sure once I drove away that they were going to pull me over. So I did what any smoker would do and smoked it real quick.

That was my horrible time of being arrested for weed. I am still paying for something so harmful. This was in 2010 and it now 2012 and I am still dealing with the problems. It has cost me well over $2,000 in fees, lawyers, and other payments.

This is Green, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one on the HMJ team that can’t roll a free hand joint.

Yes, you read that right. I just rolled my first joint after smoking weed for five years. I’m not talking with a roller because anyone can do that. I’m talking hand rolled joint. I know 90% of you would give me shit if I told you this in person. But I have never really had to learn. I was always with someone who either knew how to roll or had some type of piece. I have never been the one to buy crazy pipes or bongs. I’ve only had about 4 pieces ever. Five, if you include my roller. Most of my friends have some sort of piece, so what was the point of knowing how to roll. Plus I would rather have someone roll a great joint rather than have me tryout my shitty rolling skills. So above is my first rolled joint. Was it better or worse than your first joint? Be sure to rate this amazingly  rolled joint in the comments. Or slander and give me shit too. Oh and it did smoke just fine.

There’s an issue troubling our troops and military officials of all branches. United States troops are using “spice”, a synthetic marijuana substance, at a very high and alarming rate. The Las Vegas Sun has reported the usage rates and the struggle for officials to find a solution. With effects ranging from a “basic high” to week-long delusions, an answer must be found quickly.

The military has started to take spice usage head on by implementing more rigorous drug testing  and more alert investigations. So far the new tactics have resulted in the investigation of over 1,100 suspected users.

“You can just imagine the work that we do in a military environment,” said Mark Ridley, deputy director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, adding, “you need to be in your right mind when you do a job. That’s why the Navy has always taken a zero tolerance policy toward drugs.”

This year over 700 Marines and sailors were investigated for spice use. The military has a very cut and dry way of dealing with those using the fake pot or any other illicit substance. They throw them out. A statistically sound number of those involved  and dismissed is not obtainable since the Army, nor the Navy, keep track of all of spice investigations or dismissals.

Two years ago, only 29 Marines and sailors were investigated for Spice. This year, the number topped 700, the investigative service said. Those found guilty of using Spice are kicked out, although the Navy does not track the overall number of dismissals.

The Air Force has punished 497 airmen so far this year, compared to last year’s 380, according to figures provided by the Pentagon. The Army does not track Spice investigations but says it has medically treated 119 soldiers for the synthetic drug in total.

Military officials report that those involved are a small representation of the service member community and were not believed to be high during duty. Of course that has to be debatable, especially since they also report delusions that have lasted up to a week.

The packets usually say the ingredients are not for human consumption but also tout them as “mood enhancing.”…Spice is made up of exotic plants from Asia like Blue Lotus and Bay Bean. Their leaves are coated with chemicals that mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, but are five to 200 times more potent.

The fact that urine specimens were not tested for the chemical combination found in spice made the decision of use easier versus that of natural marijuana. Drug testing companies are looking for new ways to detect the synthetic chemicals…

Manufacturers are adapting to avoid detection, even on the new tests, and skirt new laws banning the main chemicals.
The military can calibrate its equipment to test for those five banned chemicals “but underground chemists can keep altering the properties and make up to more than 100 permutations,” Surette said.

Last month 28 sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan were dismissed by order of U.S. Third Fleet. In October, only a month prior, 64 sailors were under investigation from the same Fleet, this time aboard the floating dry dock Arco and the USS Carl Vinson.

The substance may be illegal, but the some 200 chemicals are still legal and fairly unknown in their effects on the human brain and body.

A Clemson University created many of the chemicals for research purposes in 1990s. They were never tested on humans.

The drug has been compared to angel dust by Navy investigators because of the variation from batch to batch. Like a fingerprint, no two batches are the same.

Spice use is a problem throughout many branches of the military but it would seem as though only the Navy is scrambling to squash usage.

It produced a video based on cases to warn sailors of the drug’s dangers and publicized busts of crew members on some of its most-storied ships, including the USS Carl Vinson, from which Osama bin Laden’s was dropped into the sea.

Lt. Commander Donald Hurst is a fourth year psychiatry resident at San Diego’s Naval Medical Center. He said the hospital has seen more cases than any other facility in the country. He also reported that the drug would create a schizophrenic stupor in some of its users.

Hurst decided to investigate and analyze 10 cases. Some of the spice smokers also smoked marijuana and drank alcohol. His findings will come as no shock to those following the rise and fall of popular “legal pot.”

Of the 10, nine had lost a sense of reality. Seven babbled incoherently. The symptoms for seven of them lasted four to eight days. Three are believed to now be schizophrenic. Hurst believed the drug may have triggered the symptoms in people with that genetic disposition. His findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in October.

Doctors saw users experiencing bad reactions once a month, but now see them weekly. Users suffer everything fromvomiting, elevated blood pressure and seizures to extreme agitation, anxiety and delusions.

Synthetic marijuana has been banned in over 40 states across the country, but remains easy to obtain. The substance is available in convenient stores, bars, to gas stations…to the internet. While consumption of the substance by anyone raises concern, use by troops and sailors is a little surprising.

Synthetic marijuana is a mysterious substance. Drawing attention to the fact that these chemicals were not tested on humans, what is necessary now is more research of the drugs and observation of its users, in the least.

What the research has confirmed, he said, is: “These are not drugs to mess with.”

 

Image Via Addiction Inbox

A lawsuit has just been filed against the Discovery Network by a woman named Kylie Krabbe who claims she came up with the idea of a reality show based on the medical marijuana industry. Through some elbow grease and hustling, she eventually landed the opportunity to pitch her idea to the Discovery executives at some time during 2010.

Krabbe says her show was tentatively titled Greener Pastures, and would feature the proprietor of a dispensary in Santa Barbara. According to court records, Krabbe registered the treatment with the WGA before pitching her idea to the Discovery execs who turned her down.

According to the suit, Discovery initially expressed interest but ultimately passed on the show, calling it too “edgy” for the network.

But that following  year, low and behold, the Discovery Network went on to produce and debut the show Weed Wars. Kylie Krabbe snatched her up a lawyer and ran up on the media giant in a court of law, as she should.

That’s fishy but things happen and this could just be a random person seeking monetary damages OR the elitist trickery of rich and powerful money hungry Hollywood execs.

Since the Discovery Channel makes no comment regarding pending lititation we’ll all just have to continue watching Weed Wars and not care about the plight of Kylie Krabbe.

Even if the allegations turn out to be true and she wins, then she gets money from us watching Weed Wars, it’s a win/win for us all, Greenies.

Oregon has a petition for general election (November 6, 2012) that is friendly to all supporters of marijuana–medical or recreational. This petition is for an Oregon Cannabis Tax Act 2012 also seen on the web as OCTA2012.

Restoring hemp, made from the seeds and stems of the marijuana plant for fuel, fiber and food, will put Oregon on the cutting edge of exciting new sustainable green industries and create untold multitudes of new jobs.

On their website you can find numerous resources including the very reason behind their initiative. The campaign seeks to regulate marijuana and restore hemp for industrial purposes. Sounds good, right?

The legislation seeks to license Oregon farmers to grow for stores that will be state licensed for the sale of marijuana, allow adults to grow their own marijuana and allow unlicensed farmers to grow cannabis hemp for fuel, fiber and food.

In addition to the above it’s estimated to raise $140 million a year by taxing commercial sales to adults 21 and over. Consequentially, the new legislation would save an estimated $61.5 million. And that’s not all.

As of October 18, 2011 the signature count rested at 35,022. You can see the full text PDF of The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act by clicking the link. You must be a registered voter of Oregon to have a qualifying signature which you can find here.

I hope all of our Oregon greenies are clicking links like crazy and volunteer info can be found on the site. Stay informed and active? Yes, you canna!

Image Via Cannabis Tax Act

During a chase of over 100 mph two Washington state men showed an Oregon state trooper what jettisoning marijuana looks like. Whoever said marijuana doesn’t fly, right? Right? Thanks Fox news for the original story.

During the car chase the two men began to tear open half pound bags of marijuana and toss it out their windows. The state trooper reports his vehicle being pelted with the green as it scattered itself all over the interstate

When the vehicle stopped and the two men were detained it is reported that amongst their several charges they also face a tampering with evidence charge.

Between the car and what officers found along the interstate, Core says, five pounds of pot was retrieved

It’s said that officers worked all Monday night and into Tuesday morning to make sure all the marijuana was obtained and not laying on the side of the road.

Image Via Cannabis Fantastic