Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Canada is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s leaders in cannabis policy, with a Prime Minister-backed full-scale legalization bill looking to end prohibition by next summer. In the meantime though, Canadian cops are still making possession arrests and raiding dispensaries.
Read More »Busts
62% of Canadians Want Amnesty for Pot Convictions
A new Globe and Mail/Nanos Research poll has found that 62% of Canadians support pardons for those with criminal records stemming from marijuana possession.
This clear majority only amplifies the call from lawyers, activists, and other politicians who have been vocal about the issue for some time now.
Massachusetts Smoke Shop Busted for Selling CBD Edibles – News
A smoke shop in Taunton, Massachusetts was busted by local police this week for selling CBD edibles. Police were tipped off to the illegal sales by a do-gooder who purchased a bag of CBD-infused “apple belts” gummies and brought them into the local police department accompanied by a receipt.
Read More »Hong Kong’s $38M Marijuana Bust
In its largest cannabis seizure since 1990, officers in Hong Kong raided two factory units and arrested 10 people this week.
More than 2,000 plants and 24 kilograms of dried cannabis were confiscated with an estimated street value of $38 million USD. The two suspected ringleaders are a father and son team, yet their wives were also arrested.
The leaders of the organization recruited six workers from Vietnam to cultivate the plants.
Despite Legalization, Californians Are Still Locked Up On Federal Charges for Cannabis – News
After voters in California approved Prop 64 back in November, local policymakers shifted their focus towards loosening the laws against recreational cannabis use. While penalties for minor pot crimes have been effectively eliminated, there is still a number of Californians who remain behind bars on marijuana-related federal charges.
According to a study conducted by the Drug Policy Alliance, in 2015 alone, more than 2,100 people in California were incarcerated for offenses strictly pertaining to cannabis. After recreational legalization was approved, hundreds of these prisoners have filed petitions to have their charges dropped.
DEA Raids Illegal Colorado Grow Next to an Elementary School
Last Friday, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents seized marijuana plants from an illegal grow operation in Monument, Colorado that was cultivating cannabis adjacent to an elementary school.
The raid occurred after law enforcement received “many calls” from a concerned woman in the “upscale King’s Deer neighborhood.” The action took place at 19150 Breton Place, where DEA agents were seen “removing 4- to 7-foot plants and piling them 3 feet high in the driveway” while children could be heard playing at the nearby school.
0.2 miles between the illegal grow and the elementary school
According to The Gazette, this raid
Alabama Marijuana Misdemeanor Ordinance | Marijuana
Mobile, AL, Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s attempt to sponsor a City Ordinance that would lessen “personal use” marijuana offenses is anticipated to cause “fireworks” during the July City Council meeting.
Mobile Alabama proposal to reduce personal use marijuana penalties
Mayor Stimson’s proposal would not require individuals be arrested for what the city calls “minor offenses.” Rather than incarceration, and at the sole discretion of the police, a “Uniform Nontraffic Citation and Complaint” could be issued.
The proposed ordinance would result in $100 fine for individuals charged with second-degree marijuana possession. Defined as being an amount of marijuana for “personal use
Making drug use a crime makes HIV prevention, treatment more difficult
The criminalization of drug use has a negative effect on efforts to prevent and treat people with HIV, suggests a review of published research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of British Columbia.
The findings, appearing May 14 in The Lancet HIV, suggest that the so-called War on Drugs, which called for stiff penalties for possession of illegal drugs, has been unsuccessful in reducing drug use and has put thousands of people in jail who might be better served through drug treatment.
Cannabis Could Soon Be Decriminalized in All of New England
Pending the signature of Governor Chris Sununu, New Hampshire will finally decriminalize the possession of marijuana.
After the state Senate and House both passed bills to drastically reduce the probability cannabis can lead to jail time in New Hampshire, many residents no longer have to say the state motto “Live Free or Die” sarcastically. Language in the bill states that no one may be arrested by law enforcement for simply possessing small, personal amounts of cannabis.
I want to thank the legislature for passing common sense marijuana reform.
Georgia Cops Are Charging Sober Drivers With Marijuana DUIs
Georgia currently has over 250 police officers who have received “drug recognition expert” training to identify drivers who are under the influence of drugs. Drug-related DUI arrests have been increasing in the state, as alcohol-related DUIs have been decreasing. But local journalists have discovered a troubling trend of people who are completely sober getting arrested for driving while stoned.
Katelyn Ebner was pulled over by police for crossing the centerline as she drove home from her job as a server at a bar. Ebner passed a breathalyzer test, but DRE-trained Officer T.T.