Man gets 4 years in Calif.-to-Ohio pot scheme

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man has been sentenced in a federal court in Ohio to four years in prison and must pay a $10,000 fine for his role in a scheme to fly thousands of pounds of marijuana from California to Ohio in suitcases.

Six people have either pleaded guilty or indicated they’ll plead guilty since authorities broke up the $3 million operation last year.

 Thirty-three-year-old Christopher Cash was sentenced Friday. Cash was from Los Angeles at the time of his arrest and later living in Louisville, Ky. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana.Awaiting a July 29 sentencing is 44-year-old Frank Edwards of Hacienda, Calif. He previously pleaded guilty to drug charges

Marijuana Jokes

So, we found a list of Marijuana jokes. I know some of our loyal patients would love this list, so I’m putting it on our blog for everyone to read. Enjoy! And leave your own jokes in the comment section!

Q: Why is the roach clip called a roach clip?
A: Because pot holder was taken

Q: How do you get a one-armed stoner out of a tree?

A: Wave.

Q: What do you get when you eat marijuana ?

A: A pot belly

Q: What do you call a pot smoker with two spliffs?

A: Double jointed.

Q: How do you know when you have smoked enough pot ?

A: When you start looking around for the directions on how to use the lighter.

Q: How do you know your a pothead?

A: You studied five days for a urine test?

Q: What do you call a pothead that doesn’t inhale?

A: Mr. President.

Q: What’s the point of a weed wacker?

A: Weed wackers need to wack it too!

Q: How do fish party ?

A: Seaweed.

Q: Why did the pot head plant cheerios?

A: He thought they were donut seeds.

Q: What do you call a person who remembers what they did at woodstock ?

A: A Liar.

Q: What do you call one bowl between three tokers ?

A: Malnutrition.

Q: What do you call it when a roach ash burns your shirt?

A: A pot hole!

Q: How do you know you are a true stoner?

A: When your bong gets washed more than your dishes!

Q: What is Reality?

A: An illusion caused by a lack of good weed.

Q: What is the difference between a drunk guy and a stoner at a stop sign?

A: The drunk guy runs it and the stoner waits for it to turn green! A stoner called the fire department and said, “Come quick my house is on fire!” The Fireman asked “How do we get there?” The stoner says “DUH, in a big red truck!”

Q: How many potheads does it take to change a lightbulb.

A: Screw it, we got lighters

Q. How long does it take before a pound of bud goes bad?

A. I don’t know! I’ve never had it longer than an hour!

Q: How do you hide pot from a hippie?

A: Put it in his work boots.

Q: What is the difference between politicians and stoners ?

A: Politicians don’t inhale…they just suck.

Q. What do you call a stoner that just broke up with his girlfriend?

A. Homeless.

Q. What’s the difference between a stoner and a tweeker?

A. When a pothead is driving down a road he is driving about 20 mph and eating the upholstery. When a tweeker is driving down a road he is driving about 200 mph, and talking to the upholstery.

Q. If there are two potheads in the back of a car, then who is driving?

A. The cop!

Q. Why did the stoner cross the street?

A. His dealer lived on the other side.

Q: What do a bad football team and a pothead have in common?

A: They both get blitzed!

Q: How do you hide money from a hippie?

A: Put it under the soap.

Q: How many Stoners does it take to change a light bulb

A: Who cares man, its to bright in here anyway!

Q: How did the pothead burn his ear?

A: He answered the phone while ironing his clothes

Q. How do you get an one-armed hippie out of a tree?

A: Hold out a joint!

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/dirtyjokes/marijuanajokes.html

Marijuana Allergies May Be More Common Than Thought

Marijuana hypersensitivity might be more common than previously thought, according to the results of a case series.

Though there are only a few case reports in the literature, “Marijuana allergy, I think, is fairly common,” said lead investigator Dr. Gordon Sussman, acting division director of clinical allergy and immunology at the University of Toronto. Even so, “It’s something physicians don’t really generally ask about. People should consider it in the diagnosis of rhinitis [and other allergic symptoms], and even in people that have asthma and anaphylaxis.”

The 17 patients who were included in the series reported that marijuana gave them runny noses or other problems; all ended up having positive marijuana skin prick test results, he reported. One patient in the series had an anaphylactic reaction after drinking marijuana tea.

That was the first patient in whom Dr. Sussman diagnosed a marijuana allergy. “I asked him in a detailed history what it could have been, and he actually had drunk marijuana tea. We knew at that point he had an IgE-mediated reaction to marijuana,” he said.

Curiosity piqued, and Dr. Sussman began asking allergy patients about marijuana use and reactions. A significant percentage reported symptoms from both contact and inhalation.

To confirm the diagnosis, he and his colleagues did skin-prick tests on the 17 patients between 21 and 58 years old, mostly men. They extracted buds or flowers in 5 mL of water for 15 minutes and pricked beneath drops placed on patients’ skin.

After 15 minutes, the 17 patients had wheals of 4-19 mm and surrounding flares. Fifteen presented with inhalation symptoms, including rhinitis and conjunctivitis, periorbital angioedema, wheezing, sinusitis, and throat swelling. Thirteen also reported hives from contact.

The anaphylaxis patient presented with anxiety, chest tightness, wheezing, GI cramping, and vomiting after drinking the tea.

“I don’t think it’s a contaminant; I’m pretty sure it’s an allergen in the marijuana they are reacting to,” Dr. Sussman said, adding that such reactions shouldn’t be a surprise because “marijuana is a weed, and weeds are generally known to be allergenic.”

Asking about marijuana use and past reactions should be a routine part of allergy work-ups, especially with expanding medical marijuana use. “People could actually be sensitized to marijuana and have a serious reaction. It’s important for people to recognize this,” Dr. Sussman said.

The researchers’ next step is to identify the actual allergens responsible for the reactions using a marijuana extract from a U.S. federal laboratory, serum from positive patients, and Western blot assays.

There was no outside funding for the study. Dr. Sussman said he had no disclosures.

http://medicalmarijuana411.com/mmj411_v3/?p=8594

Poll: 74% Of Americans Favor Legalizing Medical Marijuana In Their State

A recent Harris Poll survey that polled over 3,100 adults online found that 74% of respondents support legalizing medical marijuana in their state, with 48% saying they strongly support it. When asked about legalizing recreational use, support came in at 42% with 49% opposed.

Not surprisingly, the east and west coasts of the U.S. support legalization the most, with 50% in both regions supporting recreational legalization. The south region polled as least supportive.

When asked about who should make the decision about legalization, 44% say it should be a state matter, while 40% think the feds should handle it. Either way, this poll shows the overwhelming support in this country for medical marijuana, and the growing support for recreational legalization.

Yet medical marijuana seems to remain a controversial issue. Why? If polls regularly showed 95% support for medical marijuana, would that make a difference? Or is it more of a matter politicians not caring? Or beyond that, is it a side effect of the fact that old white guys hold most of the elected positions in this country?

But times are changing. Progress may seem slow to some, but small, positive steps lead to the overall momentum we now enjoy. Legalization is inevitable as older politicians pass away and younger ones take their place.

It is up to us to speed legalization along.

http://the420times.com/2011/03/poll-74-of-americans-favor-legalizing-medical-marijuana-in-their-state/

Could Medical Marijuana Get the Al Capone Treatment?

(Forbes.com 3/30/11) Could the IRS use the tax code to shut down medical marijuana dispensaries?

In 1931, mobster Al Capone was finally put behind bars because he was convicted of multiple tax-evasion charges, and the IRS is taking a similar approach with medical marijuana today. Many dispensaries in California now face audits that could result in their owing millions of dollars in back taxes.

According to Forbes columnist Robert W. Wood, the agency is relying on Internal Revenue Code Section 280E, which “precludes deductions for any business trafficking in controlled substances.” While dispensaries are legal in some states, including California, marijuana trafficking remains illegal on a federal level. The IRS is arguing that normal business expenses that most companies can deduct on their taxes are not applicable to dispensaries.

The Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Fairfax, Calif., was the first dispensary to be hit with this ruling earlier this month. Founder Lynette Shaw told the Marin Independent Journal of California that the IRS audited the company’s returns for 2008 and 2009 and disallowed all of the alliance’s business deductions such as buying marijuana, hiring employees, and renting office space. Shaw did not disclose the amount the IRS told her she owes, but she described it as “a staggering sum” totaling several million dollars.

“Every dispensary in the nation, past, present and future is dead if this is upheld,” Shaw said. An IRS spokesperson declined to discuss the case. Shaw is currently planning an appeal.

According to a report from The American Independent, at least 12 dispensaries in California are currently being audited by the IRS.

As columnist Wood points out, the law isn’t completely clear. A previous tax court ruling allowed dispensaries to deduct expenses for activities not directly related to dispensing marijuana, such as caregiving, counseling, education and advocacy.

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), told The American Independent that the immaturity of the medical marijuana industry could have opened the door for these audits, since dispensaries are trying to take normal business deductions while also asking for special treatment for their product’s medicinal value.

“Not many people show up in the newspapers screaming that they make millions of dollars and don’t want to pay taxes,” said St. Pierre.

(http://blogs.forbes.com/eco-nomics/2011/03/28/could-medical-marijuana-get-the-al-capone-treatment/)

Dutch Marijuana Ban

Maastricht city council is not breaking European law by attempting to stop non-residents buying soft drugs in the city’s cannabis cafes, the European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday.

The case was brought by the owner of the Easy Going coffee shop and the ruling clears the way for the nationwide introduction of the wietpas, or weed pass, system.

Four years ago, Maastricht council closed the coffee shop because it had been selling marijuana to tourists.

Justified

The court ruled on Thursday restricting sales is ‘justified by the objective of combatting drug tourism’ and reducing public nuisance. The aim of the restriction is to maintain public order and protect public health, the court said.

‘As the release of narcotic drugs into the economic and commercial channels of the European Union is prohibited, a coffee-shop proprietor cannot rely on the freedoms of movement or the principle of non-discrimination in so far as concerns the marketing of cannabis,’ the court said.

Tourists

At the moment, the authorities turn a blind eye to the sale of small quantities of hashish and marijuana in licenced cafes. Coffee shops have become a popular tourist attraction, particularly in Amsterdam and border towns such as Maastricht. Some 70% of Maastricht coffee shop customers are from abroad.

The European court had been asked to test Maastricht council’s plans to see if they conflict with free trade rulings and anti-discrimination legislation.

Opposition

Many experts say the government’s plans to introduce passes for coffee shops to keep out tourists will encourage illegal street dealing again.

The government plans to fast track the system in the south of the country following a recent string of drug-related violence.