Monthly Archives: September 2013

How We Got Busted Buying Drugs On Silk Road’s Black Market

"To be clear, we weren’t caught by law enforcement–so far at least, our experiment last month in ordering small amounts of marijuana from three different Bitcoin-based online black markets hasn’t resulted in anyone getting arrested. But a few weeks after those purchases, I asked Sarah Meiklejohn, a Bitcoin-focused computer science researcher at the University of California at San Diego, to put the privacy of our black market transactions to the test by tracing the digital breadcrumbs that Bitcoin leaves behind. The result of her analysis: On Silk Road, and possibly on smaller competitor markets, our online drug buys were visible to practically anyone who took the time to look." Continue reading →

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Libertarian state senate candidate gets arrested at pro-marijuana rally

"A Libertarian candidate for the New Jersey Senate got himself arrested at a pro-marijuana rally in Philadelphia over the weekend. Don DeZarn, 46, was arrested for the second time in four months for marijuana possession on Saturday at the monthly SmokeDown Prohibition demonstration. After encouraging the participants of the rally to visit their representatives, DeZarn lit up and smoked a marijuana joint as police stood nearby. Six other people were issued citations for marijuana use at the demonstration, according to Philly.com." Continue reading →

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Local Television Beats the Internet?

"Television has the reach of nearly 89% of the total U.S. population. The only thing that comes close to matching television’s reach is the Internet — currently hitting 73.1% of the population. Local television websites continue to draw in new viewers, and ad dollars have followed. Local online advertising revenues nationwide are up over 175.19% over the past five years — 1.3 times higher than the overall growth of Internet advertising spending. Companies are using excess spectrum to roll out additional channels that are even more tailored to specific viewer groups. This sets up whole new revenue streams that advertisers and content providers are eager to work with." Continue reading →

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Another 1.8 Million People Just Ditched Cable TV

"Another quarter, another dismal set of numbers for the TV business. About1.8 million people ended their cable TV subscriptions in Q2 2013, according to analysts at SNL Kagan. Where are all the cord-cutters going? Here's one theory: As the availability of free WiFi increases, folks whose primary access to video and the web is on mobile devices and tablets — the young and the poor, in other words — have a less urgent need for subscriber services. The pay TV business is still huge, of course. But the losses in old-fashioned cable are not being gained by telco/internet suppliers who also supply TV." Continue reading →

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Hospital Opens First Inpatient Treatment Program For ‘Internet Addiction’

"You may recall that a couple of years back, China declared that spending six hours in a day on the internet meant you were addicted. Even some of our domestic psychiatrists were lobbying for an addiction to the internet beingincluded in the DSM book, which is the kind of light reading that would give a hypochondriac a case of the tight-pants. Sadly, to date, the concept of an overarching addiction to the internet hasn't been deemed fit for inclusion. But that won't stop hospitals from profiting off of the concept, now that the very first inpatient program to treat internet addiction has been launched at Bradford Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania." Continue reading →

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Cops Cry Foul Over Holder Marijuana Policy Move

"Organized law enforcement has some problems with Attorney General Holder's announcement last week that the Justice Department would not seek to block Colorado and Washington from implementing their marijuana legalization laws. Those law enforcement groups are the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major County Sheriff's Association, the National Sheriff's Association, the Major Cities Chief's Association, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the National Narcotics Officers' Associations Coalition, and the Police Executive Review Foundation." Continue reading →

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The People Who Profit from Marijuana Prohibition are Upset with the DOJ

"'Smart Approaches to Marijuana' sends a letter to the DOJ: Re: State Laws Legalizing Marijuana: 'We represent tens of thousands of people working in drug prevention, drug and mental health treatment, medicine, criminal justice reform, and millions of individuals and families in recovery from alcohol and drug dependence.' Of course, it’s signed by a Who’s Who of people who profit from marijuana prohibition. Patrick Kennedy, Kevin Sabet, Peter Bensinger, Robert DuPont, Calvina Fay, Howard Meitiner, Steven J. Pasierb, Betty Sembler, and some others in the treatment industry." Continue reading →

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Pot Apocalypse Looms, Marijuana Foes Warn

"Not everybody is happy with Thursday's Justice Department announcement that it would not interfere with taxed, regulated, and legalized marijuana in Colorado and Washington. While the announcement was greeted with accolades (and some questions) by the drug policy reform community, opponents of marijuana law reform were up in arms and prophesying hellfire and damnation. Despite the bitter disappointment of the prohibitionists, marijuana law reform is moving forward, and the momentum is only likely to accelerate in the years to come. We may see in a few years if their dire warnings are correct -- if the country is still standing, that is." Continue reading →

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So Much Cool Science Happening In The Marijuana Industry These Days

"Dixie Elixirs is setting itself to be the Pepsi of marijuana. They're a marijuana-infused products company, with a wide-ranging array of cannabis products ranging from soft drinks to chocolate to mints to ointments. Meanwhile, CannLabs is poised to dominate the cannabis quality testing market in the post-legalization Colorado. But once a marijuana infused products business like Dixie Elixirs makes these products, they need to be sure that they know exactly what they're selling. That's where a business like CannLabs comes in. Owned by Genifer Murray — one of the prominent women involved in the marijuana industry — CannLabs is a full-fledged marijuana testing lab." Continue reading →

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These Are Heady Times for Glass Blowers’ High Art

"Now that marijuana has been legalized for medical purposes in 20 states, and for recreation in Washington and Colorado, makers of what is known as 'heady glass' are showcasing their work in art books and public competitions. There are as many as 12,000 head shops in the U.S., experts estimate. The Champs Trade Show, described as 'the premier counterculture B2B expo since 1999,' the show has grown from 4,300 square feet of exhibition space in its first year to 180,000 at its latest event in July at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Jeff Hirschfeld, the show's chief executive, estimates some exhibitors draw in more than $500,000 in sales." Continue reading →

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