DENVER (AP) - Colorado's hearty embrace of a 25 percent marijuana tax this week could prove a turning point for legalization backers. They've long argued that weed should come out of the black market and contribute to tax coffers instead of prison populations. But it's far too soon to say how much revenue the marijuana taxes in Colorado and Washington will actually produce when retail sales begin next year. A tax windfall in the two states could win over skeptical states that may be interested in pot legalization but wonder about costs of regulation. On the other hand, if many pot smokers in Colorado and Washington stay in the black market to avoid taxes, supporters could lose a major plank of their longstanding argument that legalization will take money from criminal cartels and benefit government programs. [continues 89 words]
Tax Windfall in Colo., Wash. Could Win Over Skeptics DENVER (AP) - Colorado's hearty embrace of a 25 percent marijuana tax this week could prove a turning point for legalization backers, who have long argued that weed should come out of the black market and contribute to tax coffers instead of prison populations. But it's far too soon to say how much revenue the marijuana taxes in Colorado and Washington will actually produce when retail sales begin next year. A tax windfall in the two states could win over skeptical states that may be interested in pot legalization but wonder about costs of regulation. On the other hand, if many pot smokers in Colorado and Washington stay in the black market to avoid taxes, supporters could lose a major plank of their longstanding argument that legalization will take money from criminal cartels and benefit government programs. [continues 240 words]
DENVER(AP) - Colorado's hearty embrace of a 25 percent marijuana tax this week could prove a turning point for legalization backers. They've long argued that weed should come out of the black market and contribute to tax coffers instead of prison populations. But it's far too soon to say how much revenue the marijuana taxes in Colorado and Washington will actually produce when retail sales begin next year. A tax windfall in the two states could win over skeptical states that may be interested in pot legalization but wonder about costs of regulation. On the other hand, if many pot smokers in Colorado and Washington stay in the black market to avoid taxes, supporters could lose a major plank of their longstanding argument that legalization will take money from criminal cartels and benefit government programs. [continues 421 words]
WASHINGTON - Buoyed by their success at the polls Tuesday, marijuana backers say they will now try to get the drug fully legalized in 13 more states by 2017. They would join Colorado and Washington state, which voted last year to allow pot sales for recreational use. The drive to legalize won considerable new momentum across the country on Election Day as voters in three states approved pro-pot measures. Portland, Maine, became the first East Coast city to legalize marijuana. Colorado approved a 25 percent tax on pot. Voters in the Michigan cities of Lansing, Jackson and Ferndale decided to remove all penalties for possession. [continues 665 words]
As a Border Patrol agent assigned to a special undercover unit in Yuma, Ivhan Herrera-Chiang's job was to stop criminals from smuggling drugs into the U.S. Instead, the agent used his position to help drug traffickers bring methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana across the border by providing them with secret information in exchange for bribes, according to court records and prosecutors. On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced Herrera-Chiang to15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in April to four felony counts of bribery. [continues 621 words]
The Food and Drug Administration seeks to reschedule hydrocodone as a Schedule II Drug instead of Schedule III. This means those suffering chronic pain will have to pay for more doctor visits to get a written prescription. Phone-in renewals will be banned. The reason given is that hydrocodone is "abused" by those who want to enjoy synthetic codeine. Scamming scripts and buying on the street enable some to party on the pills. In 2006, Nevadans were the No. 1 users in America per capita of hydrocodone, sold combined with other drugs in brand names like Vicodin or Lortab. Nevada is still within the top five states for illicit pill use. [continues 490 words]
OLYMPIA - Washington state attorneys are exploring whether local governments are allowed to ban businesses who will participate in a legal marijuana market. The office of Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a noticed Tuesday seeking input on the question raised by the agency tasked with establishing the system. The Liquor Control Board is asking whether state law prevents local governments from banning a marijuana producer, processor or retailer from locating in the area. Some local governments such as Pierce County have been exploring whether to ban recreational marijuana businesses. Voters approved an initiative last year to legalize marijuana. The Liquor Control Board has been developing regulations for a system for businesses to grow, process and sell the product. [end]
A California Appeals Court ruled Oct. 16 neither the Compassionate Use Act nor the Medical Marijuana Program Act allows retail sale of marijuana to consumers. The judges overruled a San Luis Obispo judge's pretrial finding which included the premise that "Providing money in exchange for harvested marijuana may, in itself, constitute 'associating for the purpose of collectively cultivating marijuana.'" The panel of three judges also stated, "The Legislature did not intend such immunity [under the Compassionate Use Act] to apply where the purchaser simply signs a paper stating she is a member of the seller's collective or naming the seller as her caregiver." [continues 489 words]
ALBUQUERQUE - A southern New Mexico man who was pulled over for not making a complete stop was taken to two hospitals and forced to have anal probes, three enemas, two body X-rays and a colonoscopy because police thought he was hiding drugs, according a federal lawsuit. No drugs were found on David Eckert, and he is now being billed for thousands of dollars by the hospitals, according to attorneys, who say the case raises serious question about law enforcement practices along the border. [continues 92 words]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A New Mexico man who was pulled over for not making a complete stop was taken to two hospitals and forced to have anal probes, three enemas, two body X-rays and a colonoscopy because police thought he was hiding drugs, a federal lawsuit alleges. In El Paso, a woman crossing the border was stripped searched, vaginally probed then taken to the hospital for more invasive tests, a forced bowel movement, X-rays and scans, the American Civil Liberties Union says. [continues 237 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm a new mom. While I never smoked during my pregnancy, I really miss my doobies. The only problem now is my boobies. Specifically, I'm breast-feeding, and I'm wondering if I can pass THC on to my baby through breast milk. Also, could that lead to my child being taken away if a nosy doctor ever wanted to test him? Mama Ganja Dear MG: I'm not a doctor, but there are people who are and who study such things, and even they can't come to an agreement on this issue. Most studies do show that you can pass on THC to infants via breast milk - roughly .8 percent of what you ingested yourself. One study out of Texas Tech University concluded that the levels aren't enough to get your baby stoned, but they could possibly alter long-term neuro-behavioral functions. The study also noted that infants exposed to THC in breast milk can test positive for up to three weeks. And, yes, to answer your question: That would be more than enough for a nosy doctor to call the state on a parent. It's happened, too: In 2012, a mother from Butte County, California, who was a medical marijuana patient had her children taken away after one tested positive for cannabis that was likely consumed through breast milk. A few other scary factoids: Higher rates of SIDS deaths have been noted in babies whose mothers smoked marijuana and breast-fed, and marijuana could negatively impact a mother's ability to produce milk. [continues 170 words]
The Delivery Option Is Great, but Privacy Issues and a Lack of Selection Are a Problem for Green Farmacy Bisbee is known for a lot of things around Arizona. Quirky bars and artsy characters abound in the tiny, touristy, 19th-century mining town nestled in the hills an easy glance north of the Land of Cartels. Character, both human and inanimate, flows freely through every hilly, bendy, curvy street, and there is an intangible air of freedom there. It kind of makes you want to smoke a joint, if you have ever used cannabis for any reason. [continues 457 words]
