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Over £1.5 Million Worth of Cannabis Found Growing in a Flat in Wirral

In Wallasey, a small quiet town in a metropolitan Borough called Wirral, located along the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula, a cannabis farm worth an estimated £1.6 million was discovered. This quaint town has an estimated population close to 60,000 people. While on routine monitoring of the community authorities uncovered what they call a substantial factory. A two-story flat was home to more than 400 growing cannabis plants.
In fact, officers were said to have recovered 415 plants at the Rake Lane property located in Wallasey. The sad side beyond the loss of medicine to the people is the misinformed authorities who continue to lead a failed War on Drugs started by the United States Federal Administration. You would think that in today’s world people would have the intelligence level to develop opinions of their own and that countries would not be willing to support campaigns based on lies. Chief Inspector Paul Sutcliffe made some valid points and some very misinformed ones as well. “Cannabis cultivation by criminal gangs can cause serious harm in our communities.” This is a statement that holds truth. Nobody wants gangs of any sort in their community.
With marijuana legalization in place in the state of Colorado, for example, violent crime has seen a significant reduction along with prescription drug abuse, teenage marijuana consumption, and fatal accidents. When you legalize cannabis it seems as if the criminal element once associated with it, is removed.
Now Chief Inspector Paul Sutcliffe made a good point there, but really showed a considerable amount of misinformation by saying “Our communities can help us stop these groups, who are only interested in making money, from turning houses and flats into potential deathtraps.”
Cannabis is in no way deadly. The only negative side to cannabis operations is when individuals do not properly set up the lighting system and monitoring equipment. In legal environments, cannabis operations are not only safe but they also help produce much-needed clean oxygen amongst other attributes. The marijuana plants seized from the Rake Lane location were being grown in a sea of green method. This method requires attention to detail and the setup was very professional not putting anyone in danger such as was stated the Chief Inspector. The investigation into this matter is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.
image credit: liverpoolecho.co.uk

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Marijuana is So Uncool Even the Kids in Colorado Don’t Seem to Be Interested

Teen marijuana consumption is dropping dramatically in states that have legalized marijuana. Colorado is a shining star example when it comes to studying the effects of marijuana legalization on teenagers. As it has been so elegantly put, Colorado teenagers are stubbornly refusing to smoke more marijuana. It is as if they are protesting saying I don’t want anything to do with that stuff because all the old people are doing it.
States that have legalized marijuana are getting more than benefits and just tax dollars they are getting benefits of having happier, healthier, more productive citizens. Teenagers that used to run off to smoke a joint because it was cool are no longer doing this. Recreational cannabis consumption just must not seem as cool when it is understood by your elders and accepted as some might say. Those who live in Colorado, however, would say that it is because of education programs that are funded with cannabis tax dollar revenue.
Through the tax dollars that Colorado received from cannabis sales it does more than just fund schools with the necessary tools and equipment our children need in order to succeed in their education, they also have excellent early prevention and deterrent advertising. Basically, cannabis legalization is breaking the stereotypes across the board. Colorado is a go to state for statistics. Prescription drug overdoses are down, accident fatalities on the roads are down, teenage marijuana consumption is down, tax revenue for the state is at an all-time high, job growth is at an all-time high, and the list goes on.
One of the biggest questions that prohibitionists have against legalization is “what about the kids?” Well, the answer is clear. The kids are doing just fine, in fact they are doing even better because their schools are fully funded, they have options for scholarships, they are receiving accurate information pertaining to cannabis, and they are choosing not to utilize it as adolescents!
image credit: bigstockphoto.com

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The First Cannabis Church of Logic and Reason- Inaugural Services this Sunday

For many people, cannabis consumption is a very spiritual activity. In fact, cannabis has been part of religious festivities and practices for centuries. The First Cannabis Church of Logic and Reason in Michigan has announced that they will be holding their first-ever service this Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. The service will be held at 918 Southland Avenue in Lansing Michigan.
The inaugural service will be led by a 34-year-old ordained minister by the name of Jeremy Hall, who is also a registered medical marijuana patient in the state of Michigan. During the service constituents will pass around a roach collection jar for medical marijuana patients in need. There will also be a potluck picnic before the service. They have asked that anyone who is attending to please bring a dish, drink, or dessert whether it is medicated or not to pass around and share with others.
The inaugural service is expected to have a turnout of at least 40 individuals and will be held inside of the Lansing Herbal Farmers Market. The First Cannabis Church of Logic and Reason plans to hold weekly services at the same location for the foreseeable future. Jeremy Hall the ordained minister that will be leading the services stated that what he is hoping to accomplish in the long run is to “provide a place where people can be spiritual but can also feel safe to take any of their medication.’
Michigan voted in 2008 to allow for the use of medical marijuana for some illnesses. The city of Lansing has been selected for service due to lenient cannabis laws that allow for anyone over the age of 21 to consume and possess up to one ounce of cannabis on private property. Due to this fact, there should be no legal issues for anyone in attendance this Sunday or moving forward.
image credit: obnoxioustelevision.com

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Hawaii Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licenses Scored and Awarded

66 applications have been received by the Hawaii State Dept. of Health from applicants looking to acquire a Medical Marijuana Dispensary License. However, there are only eight licenses available. For applications to be reviewed by the Hawaii State Dept. of Health, those filing the applications were required to provide documentation that proves they are in complete compliance with all administrative and statutory requirements. This requirement applied to individual applicants as well as business entities applying for licenses. The 66 applications that were received have been reviewed, evaluated and scored by a 4-member selection panel according to a report released on Friday by the DOH.
Each applicant was scored based on 13 merit criteria. Each criterion could yield 40 points total, ten from each panel member. The maximum score that could be received was 520 points. Of the 66 applications scored, none of them received a perfect 520, and only one exceeded a score of 500 which was Maui Wellness Group, LLC, who scored a 510.  The eight Medical Marijuana Dispensary licenses have been awarded to the following 8 entities based on the reviews and scores provided by the selection panel members.

  1. Aloha Green Holdings Inc.
  2. Manoa Botanicals LLC
  3. TCG Retro Market 1, LLC dba Cure Oahu
  4. Hawaiian Ethos LLC
  5. Lau Ola LLC
  6. Maui Wellness Group, LLC
  7. Pono Life Sciences Maui, LLC
  8. Green Aloha, Ltd.

You can review a complete list of all entities that submitted an application and that were reviewed by the selection panel here.  The licensees have been working directly with the Hawaii Dept. of Health to ensure that they remain in compliance with all regulations and can open the doors to their dispensaries as soon as possible and begin to provide the much needed medicine to medical marijuana patients in the state.

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20 Popular Twitter Accounts in the Cannabis Industry

Social media seems to be the center of the world these days. It is how many people share their opinions, viewpoints, and passions with the world. Social media is also heavily utilized by businesses in many different industries today. The ever growing cannabis industry is no exception to this trend. There are thousands of Twitter accounts linked to businesses and individuals in the cannabis industry and culture. Let’s take a look at 20 of the top cannabis related Twitter accounts that are active today.
@SnoopDogg 17 Million Followers- Snoop Dogg is a cannabis consumer, activist, and business owner known to be very open about his marijuana usage and often tweets entertaining and informative information surrounding the culture.
@HIGH_TIMES_Mag 676K Followers – High Times Magazine is one of the biggest names in marijuana media. High Times regularly tweets articles from their publication as well as information from other sources.
@THEMMExchange 414K Followers- The Medical Marijuana Exchange tweets informative posts surrounding the cannabis culture and industry, all day every day!
@TommyChong 407K Followers – When you think cannabis you probably think Cheech and Chong so it only makes sense that Tommy Chong himself has one of the most popular cannabis centric Twitter profiles active today.
@norml 257K Followers – The National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws is one of the most well-known organization fighting to end prohibition. Follow NORML for educational and up to date information surrounding the movement.
@CannabisCulture 227K Followers – Cannabis Culture magazine based out of Canada has been a big name in the cannabis culture for decades. They regularly tweet information surrounding the cannabis culture in Canada and around the world.
@MassRoots 194K Followers- MassRoots is a cannabis centric social media platform where users can connect and share marijuana related posts without fear. MassRoots regularly tweets beautiful pictures of marijuana and concentrates as well as information pertaining to the cannabis community and industry.
@MarijuanaPolicy 163K Followers- The Marijuana Policy Project is the organization behind many of the successful marijuana markets currently operating in the United States. Follow the MPP for up to date information surrounding the cannabis industry and movement to further legalization across the US.
@IAmSoBaked 163K Followers- Stay Blazin aka THCVibes420 is a Twitter account bringing you entertaining videos, pictures, and more all surrounding the herb we love!
@JoinGreenRush 104KK Followers- Shop local cannabis online. Apply for your medical marijuana card in minutes and enjoy.
@weedmaps 86.6K Followers – Weedmaps is a platform to help consumers located providers in the industry. Check out their Twitter feed for informative and entertaining tweets!
@Leafly 70K Followers – Leafly has quickly become the go to source when it comes to information pertaining to specific cannabis products. They regularly tweet strain related information, and other educational posts.
@Cannabist 32K Followers- Informs and connects the world of medical cannabis.
@HempLifeGlobal 61K Followers- The Cannabist is a big name in cannabis media that often tweets about the industry and culture while educating the masses.
@JodieEmery 41K Followers- Jodie Emery is a well-known cannabis activist in Canada and her Twitter feed will keep you up to date on everything you need to know about the cannabis industry and culture in Canada.
@RadicalRuss 21.5K Followers- Russ Bellville hosts a daily podcast where he educates the world to the truths of cannabis and the current happenings in the movement. Check out his Twitter feed to be enlightened!
@womengrow 24K Followers- Women Grow is a collective of industry professionals, mainly women, that tweet information you need to know about this ever growing industry and culture.
@JointheMajority 17.6K Followers Marijuana Majority represents the majority of the country and world that wishes for the prohibition to be ended once and for all. Their Twitter feed is packed full of grassroots event information, education surrounding marijuana laws, and more.
@greenflwrmedia 29K Followers- Green Flower Media is looking to remove the stigma associated with cannabis and they are helping to do so through sharing informative, up to date and factual tweets with the world.
@whaxyapp 11K Followers- Whaxy connects you with cannabis! Check out their Twitter feed for recipes, dispensary and product reviews, informative articles, entertainment and more!
As you can see there are many popular names in this list as well as some that you may not have heard of unless you are emerged in the industry. Whether you are a business owner in the cannabis industry, a medical marijuana patient or a recreational/retail consumer of cannabis you should check out these Twitter accounts today.

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5 Medical Marijuana Nurseries Approved in Florida

Florida has just approved five new medical marijuana nurseries.
The Florida Department of Health just released the names of five nurseries authorized to grow cannabis for use in cannabis-based medicines. The announcement is a big step forward for the medical cannabis program, which was approved by lawmakers last year.
Under the new law, those with cancer, epilepsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who receive a recommendation from a physician are authorized to purchase, possess and consume low-THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), high-CBD (cannabidiol) cannabis medicines, such as pills, oils and tinctures.
The approved medical marijuana nurseries are Chestnut Tree Farm in Alachua, Costa Farms of Goulds, Hackney Nursery in Greensboro,  Knox Nursery in Winter Garden and Alpha Foliage in Homestead. Each will cover a particular region of the state and supply medicine to cannabis dispensaries that are expected to open sometime next year.
As this new law moves forward, activists are attempting to once again put a much broader medical cannabis legalization initiative to a vote of the people. United for Care, whose 2014 medical cannabis initiative failed at the ballot despite garnering 58% of the vote (it needed 60% to pass given it was a constitutional amendment), has already collected over half a million signatures (with a goal of a million) in an effort to put a similar — though slightly reworded — initiative on next year’s general election ballot.
According to polling released last month, 87% of voters in Florida support legalizing medical cannabis.

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First Time Cannabis Possession Decriminalized In Texas' Most Populous County

First time cannabis possession will soon be decriminalized in Harris County, the most populous county in Texas, and the third most populous county in the entire United States.
Beginning on January 1st, those in the county caught in possession of up to two ounces of cannabis for the first time will no longer be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor that could land them in prison for up to 6 months. Instead, they’ll be given a citation and mandated to attend a diversion program.
Which is annoying, but much better than prison.
The new policy is called the First Chance Intervention Program. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson is moving forth with the change despite widespread criticism from his colleagues in law enforcement.
“If [a diversion program is] offered at the pre-arrest stage, it frees up space in jail,” says Anderson. “It minimizes the administrative burdens that officers face when they file charges; it reduces the cost for prosecution and court proceedings; and of course it gives the offender an opportunity to have a completely clean record.”
The diversion program itself is nothing new — it’s been around long before this new policy. And data from the district attorney’s office shows that more than 90 percent of those who took advantage of the program did not re-offend, a much higher rate than found in those who didn’t attend the program.
Anderson says that only the first offense will be decriminalized under the new policy, but may change in the near future.
“After I saw these [stats], I said, hey, let’s look at what the recidivism rate would be for a second offender or a third offender,” Anderson said. “So we’re going to look at that.”
Harris County includes Texas’ most populous city, Houston. Overall, Harris County has a population of over 4 million, according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report.
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Bernie Sanders Wants To End Cannabis Prohibition

If you’ve been wandering which of the 2016 presidential candidates has the most progressive marijuana policy, the verdict is in.
Bernie Sanders, the spunky old socialist from Vermont, just introduced a bill in the Senate that would end cannabis prohibition by the U.S. government. The bill — appropriately called The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act — is the first of it’s kind ever proposed in the Senate, although similar legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
Now, this wouldn’t make recreational cannabis legal from sea to shining sea. But it would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, as well as the DEAs “most dangerous drug” list, freeing states to decide for themselves. It would also free banks and financial institutions to serve canna-businesses without fear of prosecution.
In a speech at George Mason University on October 28th, Sanders told the crowd,

In the United States we have 2.2 million people in jail today, more than any other country. And we’re spending about $80 billion a year to lock people up. We need major changes in our criminal justice system – including changes in drug laws. Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That’s wrong. That has got to change.

It seems that unlike many progressive politicians out there, Bernie isn’t all talk — he walks the walk, too. With election day only a year away, he is taking a clear and decisive stand for freedom, legalization, and common sense.
But does this bill have any chance of passing? That’s a good question. Only time will tell. But the latest polls show that a record 58 percent of Americans are in favor of cannabis legalization, a figure that will only continue to rise.
And Bernie Sanders, for one, can read the writing on the wall.
As for the other candidates, the Marijuana Policy Project keeps an updated list of all the presidential hopefuls and where they stand on the issue. Check it out here.
If we want to bring an end to cannabis prohibition, it’s important to stay informed, and take action. Contact your senator and representative, and your state and local officials. Get involved in your local chapter of NORML. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Most importantly, get out and vote!
Let your voice be heard, and your vote be counted. Together we can end cannabis prohibition.
image credit: facebook.com/berniesanders

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Indian Tribes Legalize Pot

 
U.S. states aren’t the only ones leading the way in marijuana reform; in recent months, several Native American tribes have also taken steps to legalize pot.
It started late last year with a memorandum from the Department of Justice. Sent in response to questions from a tribe in Washington state (where of course, weed is legal), the memo essentially said that Uncle Sam would not enforce marijuana laws on sovereign tribal land — giving them the same freedom the states have to set their own drug policy.
While the message might have been intended for tribes whose surrounding states had already legalized weed, it also has implications for more than 500 other federally recognized tribes. Dozens of tribes from across the country attended forums and expressed an interest in marijuana as a possible source of medicine and revenue.
A tribe in South Dakota was among the first to test the waters. On June 11th, the Flandreaux Santee Sioux Indians voted to legalize marijuana on their lands. They have plans to start a sizable grow operation and even an Amsterdam-style pot lounge, which could be up and running by the end of the year.
But then on July 8th, the DEA raided tribal lands in California, seizing 100 lbs. of pot and thousands of plants. The land was owned by the Pit River tribe, who had set up dozens of greenhouses right alongside CA highway 395, in plain view of passing traffic.
The grow-op was supposedly approved by the tribal council back in February, although that is now in dispute. Feuding among tribal leadership raises questions about the legality of the operation, and even seems to be a major cause of the raid — it was a member of the tribe who informed the Fed and triggered the whole chain of events. But whatever the reason for the raid, it has caused a great deal of fear and uncertainty in many other tribes who had also been considering legalization.
Nevertheless, in August the Menominee Indian tribe of Wisconsin voted in favor of recreational and medicinal pot use in their territory. The tribal council is now in the planning and researching stage, exploring the logistics, potential revenue and other benefits for the tribe. Other Wisconsin area tribes are also considering legalization, including the Red Cliff and Sakoagan tribes, which have passed similar referendums.
What happens to these few brave tribes who accept the risks of being the first to legalize pot, will largely determine how many follow in their footsteps. As the July raid clearly demonstrates, a memorandum is not a law. And until the U.S. government reforms it’s drug policy, there is still the looming possibility of raids, arrests, prosecution and imprisonment.
And for the tribes, the loss of much-needed federal funds.

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UPDATE: Jeff Mizanskey Going Home!

 
After more than 20 years behind bars, Jeff Mizanskey is finally going home.
The 62 year old grandfather has been in prison since 1993, when he was arrested at the scene of a pot deal gone bad. He was neither the seller nor the buyer, just “guilty by association.” But because of prior convictions, and Missouri’s “3 strikes you’re out” policy toward drug offenders, Mizanskey was sentenced to life without parole.
In 2011, the “3 strikes” rule was repealed. I guess lawmakers finally came to their senses, and realized what they had done was cruel and inhumane. Too bad for Jeff, that revision was not retroactive — meaning that it didn’t apply to those who had already been convicted and sentenced.
His story went mainstream in 2013, and pro-cannabis activists from across the nation joined in the #freejeffmizanskey campaign. An online petition calling for clemency from Missouri governor Jay Nixon gathered nearly 400,000 signatures. The governor responded by commuting Jeff’s sentence back in May, making him eligible for parole. He went before the parole board on August 7th.
His parole was granted.
He’s scheduled to be released on September 1st. Jeff is going home to his family. Finally.
Obviously, this is a momentous occasion for the Mizanskeys and their supporters, and for the whole cannabis movement. And we should celebrate, of course! But as we rejoice for Jeff and his family, and bask in the glow of a major victory, let’s not lose sight of the big picture…
There are still more than 2 million people behind bars in America — the largest prison population on the planet. And 17% of people in state run prisons are incarcerated for drug offenses; in federal prisons, nearly half (48%). There are still thousands of people serving life sentences for non-violent drug offenses, including more than a dozen who, just like Jeff, are serving life sentences for pot.
There were more than 1.5 million drug-related arrests in 2012, and 42% of them were for possession of marijuana.
That means that more than 650,000 people were handcuffed and caged just for getting high. Our nation’s correctional facilities are overcrowded and underfunded — or being run for profit by private corporations with government contracts… which is so tragically flawed it ought to be a crime.
And yet every year, thousands more are locked up for possession of a plant. A medicine.
That’s not even counting the number of people who get fired from their jobs, or lose custody of their children, because of a failed drug test. It is no exaggeration to say that millions of people have suffered because of pot prohibition, and the criminalization of one of Nature’s most powerful herbal remedies.
When will we finally stand up and say enough is enough?
As we celebrate Jeff Mizanskey’s release, and the happy ending (at last!) to his story, let’s also remember the lessons there are to be learned, and the work there is still left to do.

1. We must continue to campaign for retroactive decriminalization, so that all those currently serving time for pot possession can have their sentences overturned, and be sent home.

2. In the states where weed is made legal, recreationally or medicinally, we need laws on the books to protect cannabis users from being fired over drug test results.

3. Ultimately, we must not stop until we see reform of federal drug laws, and a re-classification of marijuana from a Schedule 1 narcotic to a legal and regulated substance. Because no one should be in jail over a plant.

Congratulations to Jeff and his family! We wish you nothing but the best. But let’s remember that the struggle isn’t over. We’ve got to continue to be involved, and let our voices be heard in the media, through petitions, and most importantly through the ballot box.
Let’s keep on fighting the good fight until all the victims of the Drug War are sent home, and all people are free to use cannabis as Mother Nature intended.