Cannabis News

[cybrguy]

Back safe and sound.
I can't imagine anyone not realizing that companies like Mars / Wrigley would expend significant effort to protect their trademarks, especially when the infringer is promoting a product that they may have significant concern being associated with. They have lots of lawyers and plenty of cash. No surprise here. Especially in a case where to a child, the real product and the edible and pretty indistinguishable.

 

[Tranquility]

What's the penalty for possession of 43 grams of flower where you are? For Allen Russell, life.

Marijuana Reform: Free Allen Russell

...Seventeen years ago, Allen Russell pleaded guilty to burglary charges and became a felon. After serving over 8 years in prison, Mr. Russell pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon, which added another felony to his record, and he served a couple more years in prison.

In 2019, Mr. Allen was caught up in a local police raid and the police seized 43 grams of marijuana.

43 grams of marijuana. That’s roughly 1.5 ounces. Here, in Oregon you can possess 8 ounces of marijuana in your home and up to an ounce on your person without any worry of legal trouble from state or local police.

Life sentence without eligibility for probation or parole.

That was the sentence imposed by the trial court in Mississippi.

That was the sentence affirmed by the Mississippi Supreme Court earlier this week, on May 11, 2021.

You read that right: this happened a week ago. Mr. Allen is going to spend the rest of his life in prison, with no chance of release, because of 43 grams of marijuana. The sentencing court relied on his two prior felony convictions to conclude that Mr. Allen was a “violent habitual offender” and thus deserving of a life sentence with no eligibility for probation or parole. That ruling was found correct on appeal. Make no mistake, the prior felonies are no small matter. But 43 grams of marijuana. That’s all it took for a court to decide that Mr. Allen should spend the rest of his life in prison....

 

[Tranquility]

Top Men.

This study tells us that when you introduce Recreational Cannabis Legalization (RCL), the price of illegal cannabis goes down and the seizure of cannabis by law enforcement goes down too. Science!

Illegal drug market responses to state recreational cannabis laws

Findings​

The street price of cannabis decreased by 9.2% [β = −0.092; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.15–, –0.03] in RCL states after RCL implementation, with largest declines among low‐quality purchases (β = −0.195; 95% CI = –0.282, –0.108). Price declines were accompanied by a 93% (β = −0.93; 95% CI = –1.51, –0.36) reduction in law enforcement seizures of cannabis in RCL states. Among illegal opioids, including heroin, oxycodone and hydrocodone, street prices increased and law enforcement seizures decreased in RCL states.

Conclusions​

Recreational cannabis laws in US states appear to be associated with illegal drug market responses in those states, including reductions in the street price of cannabis. Changes in the street prices of illegal opioids analyzed may suggest that in states with recreational cannabis laws the markets for other illegal drugs are not independent of legal cannabis market regulation.

 

[macbill]

DEA finally ends fed monopoly on schwaggy research-grade cannabis​

[T]he feds are ending their monopoly on cannabis grown for scientific purposes. And that means American researchers can, for the first time ever, conduct studies using real-world cannabis instead of the terrible low-THC schwag they’ve been forced to use for decades.

 

[cybrguy]

I found this to be an odd article to find on this website...

Scientists Issue Guidelines Over Safe Cannabis Use

The Fresh Toast - Unfortunately, the latest guidelines aren't going to be well-received by many. - News

thefreshtoast.com

 

[blackstone]

Man pleads guilty to €4 worth of cannabis

Mr. Lee, 54, pleaded guilty to possession of €4 worth of cannabis and a grinder, when police searched his apartment on June 19 last, after saying he uses it for longstanding pain.

When he provided police with the nominal amount of the drug, he said it was for his own use.

The court heard Mr. Lee suffers from osteoporosis and is awaiting an MRI scan. And that he had four children, two of whom live with him, and had recently become a grandfather.

Judge John King said: "I would not consider community service until I know he is clean."



link

 

[cybrguy]

Man pleads guilty to €4 worth of cannabis

Mr. Lee, 54, pleaded guilty to possession of €4 worth of cannabis and a grinder, when police searched his apartment on June 19 last, after saying he uses it for longstanding pain.

When he provided police with the nominal amount of the drug, he said it was for his own use.

The court heard Mr. Lee suffers from osteoporosis and is awaiting an MRI scan. And that he had four children, two of whom live with him, and had recently become a grandfather.

Judge John King said: "I would not consider community service until I know he is clean."



link

It is hard to look at this article with anything other than disgust. I suppose there is some anger in there too. And I love the Irish...

Better he should reawaken his addiction which will likely kill him or ruin what is left to his life than use a gift of Mother Nature that is natural and plentiful. This from a country at war with itself about which tenet of christianity to follow. The mind reels...

 

[blackstone]

It is hard to look at this article with anything other than disgust. I suppose there is some anger in there too. And I love the Irish...

Better he should reawaken his addiction which will likely kill him or ruin what is left to his life than use a gift of Mother Nature that is natural and plentiful. This from a country at war with itself about which tenet of christianity to follow. The mind reels...

It's an unlucky example, upsetting even to post it. Then I worked out if their warped street values are about €20/g, it could make that €4 value equal only 0.2g!
I know if it had been a busy courtroom there would have been gasps and laughter all round when that value was read out.
There's probably no minimum punishable amount. I guess they're worried all the youngsters will drop out and no one will be left to play their hallowed national sports and drink alcohol anymore!

I thought about starting a thread once like 'Medical users before the courts', as I've seen a few here and there. Something needs to change soon.
There was a poll recently in Ireland and a huge majority favor a much broader medical cannabis program, and 39% also want recreational.
Some say that figure would have been higher, except for some recent bad press warnings from a psychiatrists society about youth use, and if the term 'Adult Use' had been used in the poll instead of 'Recreational'.
The country has the highest use percentage in the continent apparently.
Concentrates, or "the crack of cannabis", have only been found in the last two years or so, due to gangland fueds and raids. Followed by imported cannabis jellys and sweets recently, and all the youth hospitalisations and accidental or excess ingestion cases that seem to come with those.

 

[Ramahs]

Concentrates, or "the crack of cannabis"

^ Okay, this pisses me off more than anything

From this article in the Irish Times:

"Cannabis shatter can lead to poisoning, especially when consumed by people who are not experienced with smoking or consuming cannabis."

^ I mean, WTF? Since when has Cannabis poisoned anyone unless it was contaminated with something else?!?
NEVER, that's when!

 

[cybrguy]

In principle I agree with you. Cannabis never poisoned anyone. Bad concentrate certainly has, like the 100s (at least) made sick by vitamin E acetate and poorly home made BHO and other home made concentrates. Good product certainly CAN be made at home, but I would only purchase (or use) concentrates from a dispensary. There are few if any in Ireland as far as I know, but they are certainly not available to "consumers".
If I was a user in Ireland I'm pretty sure I would stick to flower.

 

[blackstone]

^ Okay, this pisses me off more than anything

From thisarticle in the Irish Times:

"Cannabis shatter can lead to poisoning, especially when consumed by people who are not experienced with smoking or consuming cannabis."

^ I mean, WTF? Since when has Cannabis poisoned anyone unless it was contaminated with something else?!?
NEVER, that's when!

In principle I agree with you. Cannabis never poisoned anyone. Bad concentrate certainly has, like the 100s (at least) made sick by vitamin E acetate and poorly home made BHO and other home made concentrates. Good product certainly CAN be made at home, but I would only purchase (or use) concentrates from a dispensary. There are few if any in Ireland as far as I know, but they are certainly not available to "consumers".
If I was a user in Ireland I'm pretty sure I would stick to flower.

That's not far from "the devil's lettuce" term actually!
And like most fear mongering and scare tactics, it's hiding the fact that prohibition is to blame for most of the "dangers" currently.
Some of the articles, police warnings, and psych reports about new (to them) cannabis jellies suggest that they are "a sinister attempt by dark web based crime gangs, to lure young people into a devastating habit." As if crime gangs were collectively that smart.

I suppose only an open minded consumer would understand why anyone would put it in a jelly for adult fun and ease of use! Or a brownie, space cake or drink etc.

I might have assumed some oil or shatter found there now would be imported and possibly acceptable, but you are right, if those gangs started producing that there would be poor quality and negative effects without doubt.

Edited to add:
-------------
Cannabis products packaged like sweets to target youngsters, drugs counsellor warns

"Maybe I'm stretching it a bit..."

 

[Ramahs]

In principle I agree with you. Cannabis never poisoned anyone. Bad concentrate certainly has, like the 100s (at least) made sick by vitamin E acetate and poorly home made BHO and other home made concentrates. Good product certainly CAN be made at home, but I would only purchase (or use) concentrates from a dispensary. There are few if any in Ireland as far as I know, but they are certainly not available to "consumers".
If I was a user in Ireland I'm pretty sure I would stick to flower.

Well yeah, that's why I already stated "unless it was contaminated with something else".

I don't see why I have to explain that my objection was to the wording making it sound like they are saying that any cannabis concentrate is inherently poisonous, which is a flat out lie.

Cannabis products packaged like sweets to target youngsters, drugs counsellor warns

Yeah, because adults only want to eat things that taste like taxes and card-board.
We don't like to eat good-tasting candy, right, my fellow adults?

 

[macbill]

The US cannabis industry’s one big problem: Too much cash​

Marijuana can be sold legally in 36 US states and the District of Columbia (DC) for medical use and in 15 of them and in DC for recreational purposes. But it is still illegal on a federal level, meaning most banks refuse to service the industry in case they fall afoul of money laundering laws.

 

[macbill]

Bill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Reintroduced In Congress As Senate Prepares Separate Measure​

A bill to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity in the industry was reintroduced in the House on Friday.

The bill—which would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allow people with cannabis convictions to have their records expunged and create a federal tax on marijuana with the revenue going to support community reinvestment and other programs—comes as Senate leadership is preparing to introduce a separate reform proposal with similar objectives.

 

[MinnBobber]

@macbill , They just had to include a Federal tax on cannabis
I scanned the article but didn’t see any % tax. Is there an exact rate?

So much for keeping cannabis pricing down to drive out the black market.
Cannabis with city, state, and Fed taxes = good news for the black market.

 

[Tranquility]

There is no way there would be any legalization without some federal regulation in the U.S. And, regulation will always be accompanied by taxation. Always.

Because the bill seems to want to accomplish many controversial things that are loosely linked, it seems almost designed to avoid republican votes. While such equity funding is popular in state regulation, doing it on a federal level is sure to lose votes of otherwise favorable legislators because of the broader implications and the standard set. Record expungement is also something that requires a lot of consideration on how to exactly implement. Creating regulations that address a gram possession on federal property from a suspected murderer who pled to trafficing rather than go through the risk of a jury might not be that hard. But, its not the same as to if cannabis should be prohibited or regulated.

Why must all legislation be designed for 1/2 plus 1 vote?

 

[macbill]

Meet the anti-legalization GOP Congresswoman cashing in on marijuana stocks​

Rep. Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican with an influential post on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, has spent her Congressional career advocating against the legalization of marijuana — while also loading up on hundreds of thousands of dollars in marijuana-industry stocks ahead of crucial votes on key federal decriminalization measures, Salon has learned.

 

[cybrguy]

I am one of those who believes that Senators and Congresspersons should not be allowed to hold stocks in anything other than a mutual fund. No direct company "ownership" other than in a truly blind trust managed by someone other than a family member. Those who believe this to be unfair can choose another profession.

 

[Tranquility]

Not Orange Man bad too. Some are starting to doubt the veracity to claims he's going to fight for the flower. Why? Menthol.

BIDEN ADMIN EXPANDS WAR ON DRUGS

...Until then, whether it’s menthol cigarettes, flavoured cigars, or the continued criminalization of cannabis at the federal level – you can trust the Biden administration to say one thing and do another. It is evident to anyone with a basic grasp of logic. Illicit markets for menthol cigarettes will be run by the “people of color” in the communities the ban is supposed to protect....

 

[RobbIt]

This obviously isn't a top priority for the Biden Presidency. Even though the whole federal cannabis regulatory scheme is completely illogical especially for medical consumers, I am happy he’s focusing on more basic economic inequities before tackling cannabis. With the overwhelming legalization support in the states, it will happen, hopefully before the 2022 elections.

 

[His_Highness]

Not Orange Man bad too. Some are starting to doubt the veracity to claims he's going to fight for the flower. Why? Menthol.

BIDEN ADMIN EXPANDS WAR ON DRUGS

It will be interesting to see how the POTUS approaches cannabis legalization considering Hunter Biden's history of drug addiction.

The majority of Americans (68% last I looked) want cannabis legalized for recreational use so I have an expectation that the POTUS will do the right thing and move forward based on what the majority wants.

As naïve as it sounds I believe politicians should make "political" decisions based on what the majority of their constituents want and not what they personally want or experienced ..... so I see this as a test of that "majority" rules premise by the administration.

I agree with @RobbIt - the POTUS has more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. Maybe cannabis will get more attention once Major has been taught to stop biting the secret service agents and national park employees

 

[Tranquility]

BIG changes at Amazon. This might be the weight that assures legalization.
Amazon Now Supports Federal Cannabis Legalization

...“In the past, like many employers, we’ve disqualified people from working at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use. However, given where state laws are moving across the U.S., we’ve changed course,” Clark wrote. “We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation, and will instead treat it the same as alcohol use.”

Clark said Amazon will continue “impairment checks” for employees on the job and will test for all drugs and alcohol after any incident.

Amazon is also taking its change of heart around cannabis to Washington. Clark said the company’s public policy team will be “actively supporting” the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act), a federal bill reintroduced to the House by Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee...

 

[pakalolo]

BIG changes at Amazon. This might be the weight that assures legalization.
Amazon Now Supports Federal Cannabis Legalization

This resulted in a lengthy discussion that was moved to a more appropriate thread: https://fuckcombustion.com/threads/cannabis-in-the-workplace.51337/

 

[florduh]

This is great news. Louisiana has some of the most oppressive cannabis laws in the country.

Louisiana Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana Possession Heads To Governor’s Desk​

A bill to decriminalize marijuana possession in Louisiana is heading to the governor’s desk.

The Senate gave final approval to the decriminalization proposal, sponsored by Rep. Cedric Glover (D), in a 20-17 vote on Monday. It would make it so possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis would be punishable by a $100 fine without the threat of jail time. The House approved the measure by a vote of 67-25 last month.

Last week, lawmakers also sent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) a separate bill to let patients in the state’s medical cannabis program legally smoke whole-plant marijuana flower.

The incremental cannabis victories come weeks after an effort to more broadly legalize recreational marijuana in the state stalled in the House of Representatives.

“This is a common-sense approach to take care of a problem that plagues us across the state,” Sen. Jay Luneau (D) said before the vote. “We’re spending thousands, probably millions of dollars, statewide on an annual basis putting people in jail for simple offenses that they shouldn’t be jail for.”

 

[florduh]

GM Considering Dropping Pot Testing To Attract More Workers​

The company is struggling to hire enough temporary workers for the summer.​

The struggle to find workers has General Motors considering changing how it vets new employees. A new report from the Detroit Free Press says that the Detroit-based automaker is considering dropping the requirement that potential employees be tested for marijuana use. The consideration comes at a time when one of GM’s most vital plants, which produces the Chevy Silverado, is struggling to find temporary workers for the summer.