Drugs & Prohibition

Hemp flag to fly over the Capitol on the 4th of July

"A flag made from hemp will be flown over the U.S. Capitol Building on America’s birthday, according to the Washington Post. Colorado hemp advocate Michael Bowman and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) are the two responsible for the deed. Bowman said flying the hemp-flag on the 4th of July was a 'powerful symbol.' Hemp, a non-psychoactive variant of marijuana, was reportedly grown my several of America’s founding fathers. The federal government currently does not distinguish between psychoactive and non-psychoactive variants of the marijuana plant, which makes hemp production a serious crime." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHemp flag to fly over the Capitol on the 4th of July

19-Year-Old Commits Suicide After Sheriff Posts Bullying Facebook Message

"The Latah County Sheriff's Office in Idaho had posted a photo of 19-year-old Pullman, Wash., resident Andrew Cain alongside a message saying, 'We have decided that Andrew Cain is no longer the Wanted Person of the Week… he is the Wanted Person of the Month of June. Congratulations!.' A few days later, Cain took his own life. Whitman County Coroner Pete Martin said that Cain had suffered from depression 'and a number of problems.' The Latah County Sheriff's Office told HuffPost there were three warrants out for Cain: one for driving without privileges and one for possession of a controlled substance, while unable to say what the third warrant was for." Continue reading →

Continue Reading19-Year-Old Commits Suicide After Sheriff Posts Bullying Facebook Message

Women Win Lawsuit After Being Violated During Roadside Search

"State Trooper David Farrell claimed he smelled marijuana in the car and decided to do a search. He called female Trooper Kelly Helleson to do the search. Rather than sticking to a standard pat down search, she put on a pair of latex gloves and used her fingers to search the anuses and vaginas of both women. Helleson even used the same pair of gloves for both women. Helleson’s searches turned up nothing, but the women contacted attorney Scott Palmer and filed a lawsuit. The women won their lawsuit and were awarded $185,000. Helleson was fired and charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWomen Win Lawsuit After Being Violated During Roadside Search

Marijuana’s March Towards Mainstream Confounds Feds

"It took 50 years for American attitudes about marijuana to zigzag from the paranoia of 'Reefer Madness' to the excesses of Woodstock back to the hard line of 'Just Say No.' The next 25 years took the nation from Bill Clinton, who famously 'didn't inhale,' to Barack Obama, who most emphatically did. Now, in just a few short years, public opinion has moved so dramatically toward general acceptance that even those who champion legalization are surprised at how quickly attitudes are changing and states are moving to approve the drug - for medical use and just for fun." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMarijuana’s March Towards Mainstream Confounds Feds

Pot Is Legal, but Some Towns Won’t Partake

"More than two dozen cities and towns have already prohibited marijuana retail stores, according to the Colorado Municipal League, a lobbying group for the state's cities. Others, like Aurora outside of Denver, decided to postpone a decision on whether to allow sales. In Denver, leaders want to allow pot sales, but have said they want to push back the starting date for new businesses other than medical-pot outlets. The opt-out clause included in the Colorado pot law doesn't exist in Washington, which also legalized recreational pot last November. But local officials are using licensing and zoning to keep pot shops at bay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPot Is Legal, but Some Towns Won’t Partake

Dutch court finds six coffee shop owners guilty of selling cannabis to non-residents

"A Dutch court on Wednesday fined six coffee shop owners and workers for selling cannabis to non-residents, in a victory for Dutch authorities’ fight against drug tourism. Prosecutors had sought up to one-month suspended jail terms for the owners and staff of cannabis cafes in Maastricht for selling pot to foreign non-residents in defiance of a controversial law. The court was relatively lenient as the coffee shops had deliberately flouted the law because they hoped the case would set a legal precedent in their favour, arguing that the residence criterion was unconstitutional." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDutch court finds six coffee shop owners guilty of selling cannabis to non-residents

Humorless Ohio AG mugs ‘prescription’ coffee cup

"Has Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine helped get a potentially dangerous product off the shelves or does he just have no sense of humor? Maybe he should be heeding Alcoholics Anonymous’ famous Rule No. 62: 'don’t take yourself too damn seriously.' Here’s the issue: does a coffee mug that mimics a prescription bottle and says 'Prescription Coffee, RX#: VRY-CAF-N8D, Drink one mug by mouth, repeat until awake and alert' make fun of prescription drug abuse? DeWine thinks so. May was when DeWine and 22 other state attorneys general asked the company to pull the Prescription Line of glasses, coasters, mugs and drink holders." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHumorless Ohio AG mugs ‘prescription’ coffee cup

U.S. Spends $16 Billion Every Year To Care For Elderly Prisoners

"By the year 2030, there will be upward of 400,000 elderly prisoners — nearly a third of the projected total penal population. State and federal prisons spend an estimated $16 billion taxpayer dollars a year keeping elderly convicts in the clink…. Nearly a quarter of that price tag – roughly $3 billion taxpayer dollars annually – is devoted to providing health care to sick or drying prisoners. Although prison budgets and balance sheets vary state-to-state, certain jurisdictions offer striking evidence of the immense cost of medical care for elderly prisoners." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Spends $16 Billion Every Year To Care For Elderly Prisoners

Vermont Marijuana Decriminalization Law Goes Into Effect

"Starting Monday, Vermonters will not be arrested for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. The decriminalization law, signed by Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) last month, will remove criminal penalties on small amounts of cannabis and replace them with civil fines. According to the new measure, first-time offenders will not get more than a $200 fine for possession. The fine will increase for repeat offenders -- $300 for a second offense and $500 for every offense thereafter -- but, under the law, marijuana possession will no longer result in the creation of a criminal record." Continue reading →

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Woman jailed for late-night water purchase after anti-sexual assault rally

"A University of Virginia student was arrested on multiple felony charges and spent 24 hours in jail after she tried to flee a grocery store parking lot when agents attempted to arrest her for buying a case of La Croix water. According to the Charlottesville Daily Progress, 20-year-old Elizabeth Daly and her two roommates panicked when plainclothes Alcoholic Beverage Control officers surrounded their vehicle, flashing badges and weapons because the officers believed the women had purchased beer during dry hours. Daly was profusely apologetic when she realized that she wasn’t about to be abducted or killed. All charges against Daly were dropped." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWoman jailed for late-night water purchase after anti-sexual assault rally