ReeferSmoke – A Marijuana Blog

A garbage bag filled with ten pounds of marijuana meant for the east coast somehow ended up in the shipping room of a Kmart where an (apparently un-cool) employee found it and called 911 to alert police.

According to police, the package originally shipped from L.A. to Philadelphia, but for some reason never made it to its intended destination (no doubt leaving somebody else really, really paranoid). The return address was for the Kmart in north Seattle that is closing down in a few weeks. Random coincidence? Yeah, it probably is. This would be a pretty elaborate scheme to get pot from one ganja-friendly state to another, equally as tolerant state.

The cannabis was put into evidence and that they’ve put detectives on the case. Before any of you get all weepy about the confiscated cannabis, police say it was wrapped in porous garbage bags, surrounded by chemical-stinky polystyrene packing peanuts and then wrapped in Korean newspapers still wet with cleaning fluid.

Still, you have to wonder how many of the soon-to-be-out-of-work employees would rather have said nothing and left work ten-pounds heavier.

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In South Lake Tahoe, California, a former South Lake Tahoe police officer was arrested last Thursday on charges he tipped off drug traffickers to upcoming busts, tampered with witnesses, and had sex with underage students at a Lake Tahoe high school

Narcs gone bad, evidence gone missing, cops gone over to the other side, and another jailer in trouble. Just another week in the drug war. Let’s get to it:

In Pontiac, Michigan, prosecutors have dismissed 16 drug cases after an investigation determined a deputy on the county’s narcotics enforcement team falsified a search warrant and lied under oath. Deputy Marc Ferguson, 47, a 24-year law enforcement veteran who was fired in December, opened a shipping container without a warrant in June 2011 and discovered 78 pounds of marijuana. He then resealed the container and sought a search warrant from a Pontiac magistrate, signing a sworn affidavit under oath that asked for permission to open the container. Ferguson later denied on the witness stand that he opened the container without a warrant. Drug charges against the defendant in that case were dropped in September, and since then, prosecutors have been sifting through other cases involving Ferguson and have dismissed 15 more in which he was central to the investigation. No word yet on any possible perjury charges.

In Quantico, Virginia, the town’s acting police chief and sole other full-time officer resigned last Tuesday in the wake of an audit that found the department had missing drugs, guns, and cash. At least $1,080 in cash was missing from the evidence room, along with an unknown quantity of marijuana and four handguns. Acting Police Chief Howard Castle and Officer Daryl Robinson resigned at a Tuesday city council meeting. Three of the four handguns have been recovered, and the state continues to investigate. The town has also ordered polygraph tests for its department, which includes four certified volunteer officers.

In South Lake Tahoe, California, a former South Lake Tahoe police officer was arrested last Thursday on charges he tipped off drug traffickers to upcoming busts, tampered with witnesses, and had sex with underage students at a Lake Tahoe high school. John “Johnny” Poland had been on administrative leave for the past year after an investigation that began in March 2010, when he was observed associating with suspects tied to a plot to kill a gang investigator on the police force. He is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a 17-year-old high school student when he was school resource officer from 2003 to 2006, and since then, he engaged in a pattern of behavior using his position of power to groom underage girls for sex, leak confidential police information to gang members and intimidate potential witnesses. His charges include two counts for corruptly persuading a person to alter, destroy or conceal an object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding, and attempting to do so; and three counts for corruptly persuading another person with the intent to influence the testimony of any person in an official proceeding, and attempting to do so. He is portrayed as being in a love triangle with the girlfriend of a gang leader and as making calls on his personal cell phone to methamphetamine dealers before execution of federal search warrants. At last report, he was being held without bail in the Sacramento County Jail.

In Putnamville, Indiana, a Putnamville jail guard was arrested last Saturday for smuggling drugs in to an inmate. Andreas Kirby, 20, went down after setting off the alarm on a metal detector at work at the jail, and after being interviewed by a police officer, surrendered three packages that were concealed in his groin area. He is charged with trafficking with an inmate, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. He had only been on the job since September.

In Houston, two Houston police officers were arrested Sunday on charges they took bribes and allowed cocaine to be smuggled and distributed in the Houston area. Officers Emerson Canizales and Michael Miceli allegedly conspired in December to possess cocaine and received payments of $1,000 each for providing protection. They are charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and accepting bribes for protection services.

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Washington wants get more data to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on the issue of pot “leakage,” 

 

The rapidly growing green State of Washington and their politically astute officials are trying to keep the feds placated, demonstrating to those that might be watching they are perfectly capable of keeping their state grown weed from cultivating roots across  the border to Idaho, or Oregon… Or any other states that might like to get their hands on Washington’s killer green buds.  All in attempt  to stay off the Feds radar and avoid a legal fight over their popular new recreational pot laws.

“It is our responsibility to show the federal government we will be a responsible entity,” Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday.

The state is trying to get more information to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on the issue of “leakage,” or the diversion of some legally grown and licensed marijuana into the black market. It is compiling information about the State Patrol’s highway interdiction program to send to Washington, D.C.

“They’ve been very successful,” Inslee said at a news conference.

The state also is talking to representatives of the biotechnology industry, which currently tracks prescription drugs, to find a way to track legally grown marijuana from the farm to the store, he said.

Inslee told a group of Spokane-area business and civic leaders he didn’t support Initiative 502 when it was on the ballot last year, but now that it has passed he is responsible for seeing the voters’ decision carried out responsibly. “It’s my obligation to respect democracy,” he told the group.

The federal government probably won’t be too concerned about marijuana sold in stores making its way across the borders, he said. The limit of one ounce per person in the new law is likely too small of an amount for federal agents to worry about.

Inslee and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson met with Holder this week, but the U.S. attorney general didn’t give any indication of what the federal government might do after Washington establishes a system for regulating and taxing marijuana. Holder “appears to be willing to listen to our proposals,” the governor said.

 I-502 says that system must be running by Dec. 1. “I intend to meet that goal,” neither speeding up the process nor slowing it down, Inslee said. The Washington State Liquor Control Board is in the process of developing rules to cover the production and sale of marijuana.

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Five of the six pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maintain drug-involved premises; the longest prison sentence handed down was 125 days.

While he didn’t get exactly what he wanted, things could’ve been much worse for Jason Washington, who was found guilty on two counts of growing medical marijuana. Fortunately for him, he was later found not guilty of additional weapons charges, which would have landed him a significantly longer sentence. Relieved – and no doubt ready to smoke a fat joint, Mr. Washington was allowed to walk out of the US district court in Missoula Montana.

Jason was a gifted quarterback at Montana University, (which if I can remember correctly is approximately when I started to grow my first indoor hydro crop). This last thought leads me to the question – I wonder if he began cultivating hydroponic marijuana when he was in college? If so, no doubt it was based on monetary need, so maybe the NCAA should pry open their fat wallets and break off these talented college kids a couple of bucks.

Whatever…

Bottom line is – his Jurors ‘holed up’ in the deliberation room for about 4 hours late Thursday before finally coming out and letting their verdict be known.

“Mr. Washington has been a law-abiding member of this community for a number of years,” he said. “… We will keep fighting another day to do everything we can to make sure he gets justice.”

Washington’s businesses – a large marijuana grow operation at the Wye, the Big Sky Health medical cannabis dispensary on Reserve Street and his 406 Motoring automotive shop – were raided in November 2011. Those actions followed similar raids at medical marijuana operations around the state in March 2011. Montana’s thriving medical marijuana industry dried up after those raids.

Washington did not testify during the four-day trial. Several of those who testified against him, including former business associates, received immunity.

Manley hammered at that fact during his closing argument Thursday, questioning why Washington was singled out for prosecution.

Manley said one witness had “a clear and unambiguous motive to lie. He’s here to make payment on his get-out-of-jail-free card. It’s 2013 and he’s walking free.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott said the scenario involving the three businesses “was an ever-changing landscape with people coming and going. But the constant was this defendant.”

Although Manley touched on Washington’s compliance with state medical marijuana regulations, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Six other people along with Washington originally faced the same drug charges in connection with the raids – charges that carry a mandatory minimum penalty of up to five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, as well as a $5 million fine.

Five of the six pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maintain drug-involved premises; the longest prison sentence handed down was 125 days. The indictment against the sixth person was thrown out.

U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen did not set a sentencing date Thursday. He allowed Washington to remain free as long as he complies with certain conditions.Washington played for the Grizzlies in 2005 before being hurt, and sat out the 2006 season because of the injury.

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God Made Weed – Priest Sells Meth

Now thats a strange way to go for a man of the cloth. The feds in Connecticut recentlindicted a former Roman Catholic priest and four other sinners in an ill-fated drug smuggling operation importing shipments of methamphetamine from the West Coast.

 Prosecutors say 61-year-old Kevin Wallin of Waterbury, former pastor at St. Augustine’s parish in Bridgeport, received shipments of methamphetamine from California and sold drugs to an undercover officer over the past four months.

 The grand jury in Bridgeport indicted the five people Tuesday on drug charges. All five are detained. It’s not clear if they have lawyers.

Happy Gilmore would be proud… also charged in the twisted tail are Kenneth Devries of Waterbury (Happy Gilmore would be proud…), Michael Nelson of Manchester, Chad McCluskey of San Clemente, Calif., and Kristen Laschober of Laguna Niguel, Calif.

 The Diocese of Bridgeport says Wallin resigned as pastor of St. Augustine’s in June 2011, citing health and personal issues – like health crushing methamphetamine habit.

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The city’s industrial 1 and 2 zoning districts stretch for most of Eastern Ave/Route 60, and along parts of the Malden River.

The state’s new medical marijuana law has city councils and planning boards all over the commonwealth preparing. What do you think of Malden’s approach?

The Malden City Council approved new regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries Tuesday night, zoning any future facilities within the city’s industrial areas and barring their operation within 300 feet of residential dwellings, schools, public parks and playgrounds.

The new regulations will also require dispensaries to apply and pay for an annual license with the city.

“This paper is very carefully crafted by our (city) solicitor (Kathryn Fallon), our health director Chris Webb, and (city planner) Michelle Romero,” Councillor Jim Nestor said.

“It should be clear to everybody we do not want these centers in Malden….We felt if we just (banned) them outright, we’d lose a legal challenge to that. This allows us to have complete control.”

The city’s industrial 1 and 2 zoning districts stretch for most of Eastern Ave/Route 60, and along parts of the Malden River.

Massachusetts became the 18th state to legalize medicinal marijuana this year after voters overwhelmingly approved the measure last November.

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Once the cops ran the plates, discorveing the SUV had been stolen from New Mexico earlier the same day

What do a stolen Chevy Tahoe, $115,000 in mexican dirt weed and an 18 year old man-boy have in common? All were rotting in jail following a good sized supprise weed bust late Sunday night in Goddard, Kansas.

The local Police Chief Sam Houston (no kidding) noted in a press release the Chevy Tahoe was pulled over at approxitmatly 10:00 p.m. for a simple traffic stop. Things went south fast from there.

Once the cops ran the plates, discorveing the SUV had been stolen from New Mexico earlier the same day, additionally the police found four bricks of mexican pot hidden in a duffel bag on the SUV’s back seat.

Once a search warrant was obtained by the police, seventy-eight more bricks of pot were later located, each with a wieht of  just over two pounds. Giving this paraquat laced garbage an estimated street value of about $116,000.

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Ariz. Sheriff smoking hot ordered to return Ca. prop 215 medical marijuana

 

Almost as if written for TV (bad TV)… A showdown is setting up between the forces of good and evil.  Depending on how you view marijuana, you can pick your side of the fence. Anyway you slice it there is one California medical marijuana patient who is extremely pleased with the recent ruling of an Arizona appellate court judge. The court recently ruled that the Yuma County sheriff office must return the medical pot that was confiscated from a California prop 215 female, complete with a valid California doctors’ recommendation for the confiscated weed, which is honored by the not so great state of Arizona.

The Court of Appeals’ ruling Thursday says medical marijuana seized from Valerie Okun must be returned to her because Arizona’s medical marijuana law allows people with medical marijuana authorizations from other states to legally possess marijuana in Arizona.

The marijuana was found Okun’s vehicle at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Yuma. State drug charges against her were dismissed after she showed she had authorization under California’s medical marijuana program.

The Arizona court declined to consider prosectors’ argument that federal drug law invalidates Arizona’s medical marijuana law.

The Court of Appeals’ ruling upholds one by a Yuma County Superior Court judge.

Source – SFGate 

At the time Chavez expressed remorse for smoking weed while training, after a post-fight interview where he lost his boxing title to Sergio Martinez. Chavez put the blame for the loss squarely on his shoulders.

The Mexican-born fighter handed his middle-weight World Boxing Council belt over to Sergio Martinez after a lop-sided victory.

Now the Nevada State Athletic Commission will decide the fate of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in late February.

The 26-year-old Mexican fighter tested positive for marijuana in September after his first professional loss.

At a meeting Tuesday, commissioners asked why Chavez had not yet returned to Nevada for disciplinary action.

Attorney Donald Campbell said the former middleweight champion was stuck in Mexico, unable to obtain a visa.

Chavez could receive a lengthy suspension or a significant fine on his $3 million purse.

Chavez (46-1-1) has already been suspended once, for testing positive for a diuretic in 2009.

His promoter, Bob Arum, said in September that he did not see marijuana as a performance-enhancing drug.

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for identifying the “dick mouth” who did it…

The thief in the bear-mace stickup of a Boulder marijuana dispensary reportedly stole $9,000 worth of weed — a far bigger haul than usual for crimes that typically net little cash or merchandise.

Case in point: This weekend’s burglary at Craig Apothecary, whose pissed-off owner is offering a $1,000 reward for identifying the “dick mouth” who did it… even though he got away with items worth a whole lot less.

The center’s Facebook page features a video with surveillance footage of the crime, which took place at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Here’s one image from the clip….

Source – West World