For the third time, Yuba County has been sued over its policy of targeting property owners when tenants are caught illegally growing marijuana.

Nathan and Hannah Lang maintain the county wrongly held them responsible for 617 cannabis plants grown last July on their property at 6152 Brophy Road. The Langs, in an October hearing before the Board of Supervisors, were assessed penalties and fees totaling nearly $67,000.

The lawsuit, filed by Marysville attorney Roberto Marquez, claims the Langs did not know of the marijuana grow on their land. It maintains "a landlord cannot be held responsible for nuisance abatement costs for the acts of the tenant unless he knows of nuisance and allows or permits it to occur or continue after the landlord receives notice..."

[continues 306 words]

New regulations that prompted Paradise officials to ban medical marijuana in town limits will only have a minor effect at the county level.

"It is my understanding of the new rules from California, that a county or municipality that had regulations on marijuana didn't have to do any extra steps," Doug Teeter, Butte County Fifth District Supervisor, said.

The county already bans dispensaries and also has an ordinance regulating cultivation.

The county allows marijuana gardens of 50, 100 and 150 square feet depending on the parcel size. The new regulations require marijuana gardens larger than 100 square feet to be registered with the state.

[continues 360 words]

Pismo Beach's proposed all-out ban on medical marijuana cultivation is unreasonable

We prefer Grover Beach's approach of allowing patients to grow the drug for personal use

California's effort to regulate the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana could wind up making it even harder for patients to obtain the drug in some parts of San Luis Obispo County. That's a shame, and it's not at all what Gov. Jerry Brown intended when he signed a trio of bills to increase oversight of medical pot.

[continues 481 words]

SACRAMENTO - The attorney general's office has been so inundated with marijuana legalization measures that it's been hard to separate the wheat from the chaff - or the stems from the buds, to use a more appropriate analogy. It costs less than the average price of an ounce of the stuff to file a statewide initiative, so it's been unclear which ones might emerge with enough financial backing to get on the ballot and maybe even win approval.

That has all changed. In November, former Facebook President Sean Parker backed something called the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Parker is a billionaire who has said he will dedicate millions to the effort. The proposal also earned the backing of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the 2018 gubernatorial candidate who headed the state's blue-ribbon commission on marijuana.

[continues 675 words]

Pregnant Women Using Illegal Drugs Are Avoiding Prenatal Care for Fear of Facing Charges After Births.

As the abuse of opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin, has risen in Tennessee, the number of babies born dependent on drugs has skyrocketed, increasing fifteen-fold during the last 10 years. In an effort to combat this troubling trend, the state approved a controversial new law in 2014 to allow women who give birth to babies "harmed by" illegal drug usage to be charged with misdemeanor assault.

[continues 644 words]

With Brown's Pardons, Ex-Felons Have Their Rights - and Peace of Mind - - Restored.

SACRAMENTO - Unlike his immediate predecessors, Gov. Jerry Brown has routinely acted to grant pardons to hundreds of men and women he believes have turned their lives around.

Though his Christmas Eve pardons last week included actor Robert Downey Jr., there were dozens more who received a holiday gift of being eased from the burden of a felony committed, in some cases, decades earlier.

They include Aaron Malloy, 38, who now lives in Los Angeles County and is battling Stage 4 lung cancer. When a representative of the governor's office called to tell him the pardon had been finalized, Malloy said he was in disbelief.

[continues 560 words]

EDITOR: Sebastopol Councilman Robert Jacob introduced a measure, passed by the City Council, that urges Sonoma County and eight other cities to enact regulations intended to preserve local control over cannabis farms. Jacob, by the way, owns multiple cannabis dispensaries (I guess Sebastopol never heard of the term "conflict of interest").

Jacob says this would support tens of thousands of jobs. He didn't say what kind of jobs, so let's fill this part in, by starting with 911 operators, ambulance drivers, police officers, nurses, doctors and other hospital staff. How about adding mental health care workers, drug counselors and helicopter operators?

If Jacobs' purpose is to add jobs, why doesn't he just bring in the Mafia? It would be cheaper for the taxpayers.

Sonoma

[end]

The war continues. The use of drugs and alcohol are prevalent to all and have been an issue worldwide and in Chico for decades. Movements to cure the consumption of drugs and alcohol have been started, however it is near impossible to control all of humanity.

On Sept. 14, 1986, Ronald and Nancy Reagan made a speech that caught the attention of many. The "Just Say No" campaign was to open the eyes of all to the battle in society that is constantly hindering our progress and successes.

[continues 161 words]

It surely looked like reefer madness was back the other day, when the state began advertising for a new medical marijuana czar. The timing of the listing, coming while a dozen proposed ballot initiatives to legalize recreational pot are pending, appeared to suggest an assumption by Gov. Jerry Brown and his administration that at least one will pass.

The new pot czar, to be paid between $115,000 and $128,000 annually, would actually only be in charge of medical marijuana to start with. (Two more putative ballot measures now authorized to seek voter signatures would make refinements to the 1996 Proposition 215, which legalized medipot.) The wide presumption is that if and when recreational marijuana is legalized, it will be regulated by the same czar as medipot, working under the state's Department of Consumer Affairs.

[continues 563 words]

A national medical marijuana advocacy organization published a memo and model ordinance on Monday for California cities and counties, recommending that they regulate the cultivation of medical marijuana instead of banning it.

The memo and model ordinance are part of a project by Americans for Safe Access to support patients and advocates fighting bans on cultivation and pushing for local licensing and regulation of medical marijuana businesses.

Mendocino County doesn't ban medical marijuana cultivation in its unincorporated areas, but currently has a 25 plant per parcel limitation under its local 9.31 ordinance. The Board of Supervisors' marijuana ad hoc committee is considering revisions in the new year, however, as the state's new medical marijuana regulatory package is set to roll out on Jan. 1, 2016.

[continues 521 words]

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The governor of California pardoned Robert Downey Jr. on Thursday for a nearly 20-year-old felony drug conviction that led to the Oscar-nominated actor's imprisonment for roughly a year.

Downey was among 91 people granted pardons for criminal convictions after demonstrating they had rehabilitated themselves and been out of custody for at least 10 years, Gov. Jerry Brown's office announced.

The pardon does not erase records of a conviction but is a public proclamation that the person has remained out of trouble and demonstrated exemplary behavior, according to material on Brown's website.

[continues 225 words]

EDITOR: More than marijuana organizers or distributors should point out the great wave gathering above our Sonoma County.

Our front pages give friendly coverage to pot fairs and proposed regulations. But I'm surprised at the silence of the parents of teens caught in the habit, adults who suffered from pot to harder drugs and helpers administering to those caught in this potentially menacing wave.

The wave has built far higher than the voters' expectations when they voted in Proposition 215. Even government officials look to pot for future income. Let's not kid ourselves that all the pot grown in our local "barns" is aimed at relieving medical pain.

[continues 102 words]

To the Editor:

I've been trying to make sense out of the growing involvement of State, County and City government offices and entities in the management of something that is still Federally illegal, i.e. pot cultivation and sales.

California is still calling it "medical marijuana," even though it breaks and defies all laws and regulations for proper manufacturing and management of a medicine.

Pro-pot politicians don't want the world to know they're going into business with "illegal drug dealers" so, for the sake of "image" they are calling these "illegal drug dealers," "stake holders." Today we have politicians and people from state regulatory agencies frequently visiting marijuana land to talk business solely with these illegal pot growers, excuse me, "stake holders" in a series of "stake holder" forums. All those who are making money from pot keep saying that this is what the voters voted for. This isn't what was voted for! All I see are law makers talking with local illegal drug dealers, excuse me, "stake holders," in pot-land forums, (where I've been assured that no cash changes hands), and then these law makers go back home, (and supposedly for no money at all), write laws that further unleash an industry that every year is intentionally and profitably placing millions of American children in harms way. Around half of the profits generated by the illegal pot industry comes from the pockets of kids under the age of 18. The pot industry is trying to correct this wrong with all the motivation of any industry trying to cut its profit margin by 50 percent.

[continues 338 words]

San Francisco is the city that does not know how to deal with cannabis.

The city has 22 permitted medical marijuana dispensaries, spread unevenly throughout town, although mostly in SoMa and the Mission.

They are not the most popular spots in some neighborhoods. The large black and brown men working security and the constant traffic of customers rattle leery homeowners, who then squawk to City Hall about crime, blight, and an "unsavory element." (The first two, at least, are not supported by data; the third is purely subjective).

[continues 785 words]

Christmas Shopping and Pot's Pop Culture Saturation

'Tis the season... to commercialize just about everything in the world. And, as we, as a state and a nation, collectively re-examine our pot laws, that includes marijuana, or as one savvy retailer recently rebranded it, "merryjuana."

In the umpteenth sign that marijuana has now fully crossed over into the United States' cultural mainstream, scores of publications - including buttoned up, respectable types like Forbes and the San Francisco Chronicle - have released marijuana Christmas gift guides, helping you decide what to get for that stoner in your life who has everything.

[continues 561 words]

You made a few errors about the [Adult Use of Marijuana Act] initiative. We should be able to possess 8 grams of concentrates legally. Cities can't completely ban personal home growing anywhere in California. They have to allow indoor, greenhouse or in a secured location out of public view, even in places that have bans.

The current law for over an ounce has a penalty of $500 or six months in jail. This unfortunately doesn't change under the initiative. It's what we have now and will stay that way. Most other common penalties will be downgraded.

[continues 433 words]

Town of Paradise May Ban Cultivation, Delivery of Medical Marijuana

The town of Paradise will soon consider banning the cultivation and delivery of medical marijuana within town limits. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of a proposed ordinance that would do just that during a special public meeting on Monday (Dec. 21).

Community Development Director Craig Baker said by phone that the impetus for the ordinance comes from recently passed state legislation that establishes licensing regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries and delivery services. "We have a lot of enforcement problems [already]," Baker said, adding that town staff and legal counsel agreed that prohibiting cultivation and delivery altogether would be easier than enforcing medi-pot laws. "The majority of the Planning Commission agrees."

From here, the draft ordinance is set for discussion during the Paradise Town Council's regular meeting on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Town Council Chambers (5550 Skyway).

[end]

To the Editor:

After reading several articles on the implementation of Marijuana Regulation (UDJ 21 & 22 Nov and PD 22 & 23 Nov) my earlier letter on the topic (UDJ 22-Oct) seems to have been spot on. The State of California's interest is in never ending quest for new sources of revenue from taxes and permit fees. With these new monies, they promise to fund things they have not adequately funded in the past (like roads and mental health) and likely have no intention to adequately fund in the future.

[continues 285 words]

EDITOR: I was very happy to read on Dec. 12 about the suspects in the heroin ring being indicted. My 24-year-old granddaughter passed away in February from a heroin overdose. I was taken aback by the second headline of the same page - "In search of best buds" - regarding the Emerald Cup, the weekend marijuana competition. Lisa started her journey with drug addiction by smoking pot as a young teenager, then graduated from there to the killer drug. It seems to me that was poor article placement, but what do I know? I am not a newspaper editor, just a brokenhearted grandmother.

Sebastopol

[end]

With a looming state deadline to enact local regulations on marijuana, Sonoma city officials strengthened their ban on pot dispensaries, delivery services and cultivation.

Council members Monday night unanimously approved a resolution that asserts the city's existing prohibition on marijuana, this time specifically spelling it out in its regulations. The decision comes at the heels of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed in October.

The law calls for state licensing of pot growers, manufacturers and dispensaries. However, it also gives cities and counties control over marijuana cultivation permits, as long as they impose local regulations by the March 1 cutoff.

[continues 296 words]

Paradise - After about two hours of public testimony, a proposed ordinance that would ban medical marijuana cultivation, delivery and distribution in Paradise town limits passed the town planning commission with a 3-2 vote.

A crowd of about 50 to 60 showed up to voice their opinion for and against. Most of the speakers were opposed to the ordinance, saying it will criminalize something the state has made legal. Other supporters said they use medical marijuana because it doesn't have the same side effects as pharmaceuticals. Still others argued that prohibition simply opens up a black market and encourages crime.

[continues 890 words]

The La Canada Flintridge City Council has adopted regulations prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivation and delivery in the city limits.

California cities and towns have until March 1 to maintain local regulatory authority over medical marijuana. After that, the state's Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act allows potential marijuana growers to apply for and receive licenses from the state. La Canada Flintridge took action this month.

Councilwoman Terry Walker took issue with the outright banning of marijuana delivery services.

"If someone in our town is in a lot of pain and is using marijuana legally for the treatment of pain, and say they are bedridden, is there any way in this code marijuana can be delivered to them?" she asked.

[continues 166 words]

Orange County cities rushing to push medical marijuana regulations through aren't necessarily backpedaling, despite an effort to repeal a state dead line.

The requirement that cities ban or regulate marijuana cultivation and delivery before March 1 or cede the decision to the state was "inadvertently included" in the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, said Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg.

Wood, an author of the legislation that was signed into law in October, last week sent an open letter to county and city government officials stating he had learned that municipalities were scrambling to pass their own regulations ahead of the deadline.

[continues 281 words]

Marysville City Council members are now catching a little grief from people on both sides of the medicinal marijuana issues for seemingly passing, on first reading, two separate ordinances that seem contradictory.

The thing is, we're not so sure they are contradictory. They might, both together, bring about tighter control of medicinal marijuana production and distribution.

The Marysville City Council is simultaneously considering:

Tightening cultivation regulations. At the meeting last week, members voted on a new ordinance to ban it altogether in city limits (but for one exception - that dispensary operators could grow indoors). The ban is based on the ordinance instituted some time back in Live Oak, which has been tested and upheld in courts.

[continues 578 words]

As cities across Orange County rush to ban marijuana cultivation and delivery before the state assumes the power to decide for them, people in the pot industry see it not as a roadblock to growing hopes, but as a placeholder.

Cities have been taking legislative action because Assembly Bill 266 one of three bills Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in October that make up the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act - states that if a municipality does not have a land use regulation or ordinance regulating marijuana cultivation and delivery by March 1, the state will be "the sole licensing authority" for those activities.

[continues 756 words]

State Rules for Pot Dispensaries Created Deadline in Error.

SACRAMENTO - A mistake in drafting new state regulations for medical marijuana in California has cities and counties scrambling to ban or restrict dispensaries before a March 1 deadline - after which, they fear, more lax state rules may apply.

Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), an author of legislation setting new rules for the industry, said the deadline was inserted into the bill in error, and he plans emergency legislation next month to remove it.

[continues 356 words]

In Affluent Simi Valley, Houses Are Large, the SUVs Gleam and Many Kids Are Addicts

A Christmas Tree in a Suburban Shopping Malls Helps Tell the New Story of Heroin

Widespread Painkiller Prescriptions Helped Fueled Opiate Addiction and Death

Town Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley is not a remarkable place as malls go.

A freeway runs alongside it. There's a Buffalo Wild Wings, a movie theater, and a motorized train that takes toddlers on rides around the mall. Since last Saturday, a large Christmas tree covered in ornaments stands in the middle of the shopping center, next to a Starbucks.

[continues 1044 words]

Aimee Dunkle believes her 20-year-old son's death - from an overdose of heroin - could have been avoided.

Not if he had gone to rehab. The Tesoro High School graduate had been several times.

But rather if he or his friends had carried naloxone, the fast-acting, easy-to-administer antidote that at about $25 a dose snaps back to life someone overdosing on opioids, a class of drugs that includes heroin and prescription painkillers.

Naloxone has been around for decades, but despite an explosion of opioid abuse in Orange County 1,171 deaths since 2011, according to coroner data officials here have been slow to embrace it. Under California law, when Ben Dunkle died in 2012, naloxone was only available with a prescription or through community and public health distribution programs and there were none in Orange County. Dunkle said she didn't even know the antidote existed.

[continues 1239 words]

A March 1, 2016 deadline written into the state's new Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act asking counties and cities to adopt local cultivation regulations or automatically deliver local control to the state is incorrect, according to one California legislator.

Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, stated in an open letter to all California county and city government officials Thursday that the March 1 deadline was inadvertently included as a result of a drafting error in his Assembly Bill 243 portion of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act that also included a bill by Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, and one headed by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland.

[continues 518 words]

EDITOR: Judging from the traffic jam getting into the fairgrounds on Saturday, the Emerald Cup is bigger than the Harvest Fair. Time to legalize marijuana, regulate and tax it.

Santa Rosa

[end]

National City council members are expected to decide next month whether to allow some residents to legally grow marijuana in the city for medicinal use.

The discussion is a response to Gov. Jerry Brown's approval in October of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, which sets statewide standards for medical marijuana use.

Assembly Bill 243, one of three bills included in the legislation preserves local control of marijuana cultivation.

Unless there is a local ordinance prohibiting or regulating marijuana cultivation in effect before March 1, 2016, the state would be in charge of issuing permits for its production.

[continues 214 words]

Federal Government Remains at Odds With States on Drug Policy

But Congress Is Giving States Leeway on Medical Marijuana Laws

Ban on Federal Funds for Needle-Exchange Programs Gone, Too

Somewhere a calculator is ticking, counting the billions of dollars the United States continues to blow on the war on drugs.

Thankfully, Congress, seems to have gotten the memo that it's time for a strategic retreat in some quarters. For evidence of this, look no further than its $1.1 trillion spending bill, set for a vote this week.

[continues 379 words]

The Emerald Cup Draws a Crowd Who Discussed Pot and Consumed It in Innumerable Ways.

SANTA ROSA - The Emerald Cup is not like any country fair you have ever visited. Photographs by Robin Abcarian Los Angeles Times AN EMERALD CUP visitor takes a hit of waxy cannabis extract from a glass pipe. The booth offered free hits of its organic cannabis products. Panel discussions focused on plant genetics, pest and mold management, and how to create medicinal grade extracts.

Forget prize piglets, pie-eating contests and sheep-shearing demonstrations. This fair is dedicated to showcasing the very best marijuana grown in California, and by extension, the world.

[continues 944 words]

So is this Facebook dude's new marijuana initiative gaining traction or what?

- -Jah Q. Public

It is picking up steam. However you feel about the initiative itself, it would seem that the people pushing it through are savvy operators.

For those of you not up to speed, here is a quick recap: Sean Parker, Facebook billionaire, has decided to sponsor an initiative to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis sales in California. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act has been building alliances and picking up supporters (Gavin Newsom is a fan, as are a bunch of folks at Reform CA, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Marijuana Policy Project, The Drug Policy Alliance, Tim Blake from the Emerald Cup-I could go on but you get the drift). Parker has the money and he has the support of many of the big names, but I still have some misgivings.

[continues 365 words]

EDITOR: It's not clear if the placement of Saturday's front-page headlines was meant to be funny or ironic, or if it was just random. The top story of the day, the first headline, was all about 15 local people who were arrested in a major heroin bust ("Heroin ring suspects indicted"). Maybe five inches lower, the big headline said, "In search of best buds," with the usual glowing reports of the local marijuana growers and their search for the best organic, sun-grown pot. Maybe you could make your position a bit clearer by just making it one headline: "Heroin = Bad, Marijuana = Good."

[continues 70 words]

Perhaps we could interrupt the post-Emerald Cup euphoria to consider for a moment how the celebration of marijuana as a "sacred herb" appropriate for sale and use everywhere may impact teenagers and younger children.

Research on if and how today's high-potency cannabis affects young people's health and development appears to be all over the map. But I've yet to hear a parent declare, "My kid's stoned most of the time and, hey, he's never done better."

[continues 193 words]

The manifestation of the once-rogue marijuana industry's current commercial success and its untold future potential were on display last weekend at the Emerald Cup, the state's largest cannabis convocation. But while some of the state's 55,000 outdoor cannabis farmers were dressed for success in Carharts, hoodies, and flannel, the biggest name - subject of the biggest news - was a no-show.

In between lining up for dabs of artisanal pressed hash made by Frenchy Cannoli and rushing the Cookies booth to pose for selfies with social media phenomenon Berner, more than 20,000 weedheads also heard two words, whispered like a mantra and uttered like a curse, over and over and over again: "Sean Parker."

[continues 750 words]

In the first months of marijuana legalization in Oregon, a flood of medical marijuana shops has spread the customer base thin in parts of the state.

According to a Guardian article, an oversaturation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Portland has some business owners hurting, with hundreds of business license applications still being processed. Recreational pot shops won't open until late next year.

One marijuana business advocate described it as a survival-of-the-fittest situation, saying, "Those with sound business practices will survive, those without are going to fail."

[continues 490 words]

One of three Florida men involved in a Yuba City marijuana robbery will serve more than seven years in federal prison, while a second is scheduled to be sentenced today.

U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller imposed the 87-month term last week on Andre Jamison, 41, following his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit a robbery affecting interstate commerce.

Jamison, Clorenzo Griffin, 38, and Rodney S. Rackley Jr., 25, were arrested in October 2014 after they allegedly wore tactical gear and identified themselves as police when they stole marijuana at gunpoint in the parking lot of Yuba City motel.

[continues 319 words]

When three Florida men pulled off a pot robbery last year in Yuba City, they were unaware an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide detective saw the whole thing.

One of the robbers, Clorenzo Griffin, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento to conspiring to commit a robbery and faces up to 12 years in federal prison when he is sentenced March 9. Griffin was a deputy U.S. marshal.

Co-defendant Rodney Rackley, 24, of Miami received a six-year sentence on Wednesday. The other defendant, Andre Jamison, 40, also of Miami, was sentenced to 87 months last week.

[continues 109 words]

2 Dispensaries OK; Growing Marijuana Banned on 1st Reading

Two medical marijuana dispensaries could be allowed in Marysville following City Council support of an ordinance loosening restrictions for cannabis facilities in the city.

In a separate Tuesday night vote, the council also approved banning the cultivation of marijuana - giving one victory to cultivation opponents and one to dispensary supporters. Second readings of both ordinances must still be approved - likely on Jan. 19 - before the actions are final.

Council members voted 3-2 to approve the separate laws following a more than three-hour meeting before a divided audience in the packed chambers.

[continues 967 words]

DANA POINT In an effort to stay ahead of more legal wranglings with pot dispensaries, cultivators or delivery services, the Dana Point City Council on Monday voted unanimously to ban all such uses in the city.

The vote was in response to a new state law that requires cities to specifically prohibit cultivation by March 1 if they want to have control over it. Other Orange County cities are adopting similar ordinances. Santa Ana was scheduled to vote on a measure Tuesday night reaffirming a ban on marijuana cultivation and delivery.

[continues 338 words]

The Emerald Cup, the celebration of cannabis culture now in its third year in Santa Rosa, wrapped up its two-day run at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on Sunday with its biggest attendance ever, showcasing some of the best outdoor organic marijuana in the world and the industry the plant has spawned.

The weekend event drew more than 21,000 people, according to organizer Tim Blake, compared to 13,000 last year and 7,000 in 2013, the first year it was relocated from Mendocino County, where it had its humble, more clandestine beginnings 12 years ago.

[continues 705 words]

Another ordinance could allow for more dispensaries

A proposed ban on marijuana cultivation in Marysville, along with loosening up regulations for cannabis dispensaries, will be considered by the City Council tonight.

After more than a year of marijuana cultivation and enforcement being at the forefront of Yuba County politics, Marysville enters the fray tonight when it considers the two cannabis ordinances. One would ban marijuana cultivation "in all zoning districts" in the city, while the other increases locations where dispensaries can be located.

[continues 767 words]

Thousands Attend Emerald Triangle Festival for Cannabis Industry

With New Regulations for Medical Weed Coming, Many Are Happy

Others Are Wary of Changes That Will Cost Them More Money, Time

Tim Blake shook his head in awe as he stepped out of the smoky shadows and into the spotlight of a stage at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

Behind him, two huge red banners, each emblazoned with a cannabis leaf, hung unapologetically above the tables of trophies made to look like intricately blown glass bongs. Before him, thousands of weed aficionados were on their feet, cheering. A thick curl of pungent blunt smoke wafted by, not that anyone else besides me turned around to find the source.

[continues 679 words]

EDITOR: I have mixed feelings about the legalization of marijuana. I did my share of drugs years ago, and I am a recovering alcoholic. While I feel the war on drugs has been a dismal failure since its inception, the proliferation of pot as another inebriate isn't going to turn out well. The marijuana available today isn't the "ditch weed" we were smoking in the 1960s and '70s. This stuff is super potent. Is this what it is we're looking for?

[continues 80 words]

Santa Ana police officers responded in the predawn hours of Nov. 2 to reports of shots fired in the parking lot of South Coast Safe Access, the first medical marijuana dispensary - among 20 winners of a lottery for a chance at a handful of permits - to open for business in the city.

According to the Register, "when [officers] arrived, they found a man in his late 40s with a gunshot wound to his stomach."

That man has since told his story to the OC Weekly, which noted that, "Standing at the entrance to the dispensary when the attack occurred was a security guard, but in compliance with Santa Ana's regulations for licensed pot clubs, he wasn't armed."

[continues 196 words]

A second marijuana-related special election will likely be conducted in Yuba County in June following certification of petitions seeking to allow cannabis dispensaries in the county.

County election officials determined last week enough signatures on the dispensary initiative petitions are of registered voters to force an election. The announcement comes a week after County Clerk Terry Hansen certified separate petitions calling for a less restrictive ordinance for growing marijuana in the county.

Of 3,612 dispensary initiative signatures submitted, 2,525 were determined to be valid. Initiative supporters needed 2,483, representing 20 percent of the number of county voters who cast ballots in the last governor's election.

[continues 612 words]

LAYTONVILLE -- Score sheets in hand, the judges leaned over the table to get a better look at the color and density of the top contenders for the Emerald Cup. They opened the glass jars and took deep whiffs before sampling the strains of marijuana to test their effects.

The 15 pot aficionados already had used blind tastings to narrow down hundreds of entries to about 50 bud favorites when they met Thursday in Laytonville for the final round of judging to determine the best organic, sun-grown pot in the state. Within a few hours, they had picked the top 20, which will be showcased this weekend at the annual Emerald Cup at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

[continues 833 words]

About 72 million gallons of water were used to irrigate San Diego County's thirsty and illegal marijuana operations, enough to serve 440 families for a year, and that's only for the ones that were found.

Law enforcement officials made that statement Thursday at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration's San Diego office as they announced the number of illegal pot plants seized countywide so far this year.

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Hill said it takes about 900 gallons of water to grow an outdoor marijuana plant to harvest, and about half that for an indoor plant.

[continues 389 words]