Subject:

Psychoactive Drugs

  • Blogs

    April 16, 2010

    Most Pot Shops In L.A. To Face Closure In June

    L.A.'s famous K.F.C. collective in Palms.​The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved the final piece of is medical marijuana ordinance, a move that will put most of L.A.'s pot shops out of business beginning in June.

  • Blogs

    April 2, 2010

    Government Provides Pot For Low-Income Woman

    ​You read that right. And we suspect that even some of you conservatives are whispering to yourselves, "Holy Obama-care, I should have supported the health-care bill." Unfortunately, the Big Brother chronic in question is not USDA-grade, but rather Canadian. The patient, Sally Campbell, 61, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 1, 2010

    Bullets Not Bongs For U.S. Vets Denied Medical Marijuana

    ​Men and women who dodge (and sometimes take) bullets for their country as members of the U.S. armed forces cannot be prescribed medical marijuana by Veterans Affairs doctors, according to the Drug Policy Alliance. The V.A. states that the no-medical-marijuana policy, which applies to states ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 29, 2010

    Medical Pot Possession Cases Thrown Out, Dropped Up North

    ​Last week we told you how some Southern California California juries were letting medical marijuana dispensary operators off the hook in recent pot possession and trafficking cases. Now it looks like some juries up north are also letting medical pot sellers and users walk away after they've b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2010

    Juries Sympathetic To Pot Shop Owners Nabbed For Selling Weed

    ​If San Diego serves as an example, the Los Angeles District and City attorneys' crackdowns on medical marijuana dispensaries in recent weeks could all be for nothing: Juries in our neighbor to the south are two for two in acquitting pot-shop owners prosecuted for selling weed. In both cities ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 24, 2010

    Council Committees Inch Toward Final Pot Shop Law; Dispensary Crackdown Expected In May

    ​Two Los Angeles City Council committees approved nearly $1,600 in fees for medical marijuana dispensaries, marking the beginning of the end for hundreds of pop shops that will be wiped out by a city ordinance that severely limits where they can operate. The fees will fund criminal background ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 22, 2010

    Pot Shop Owner Sentenced To Six Years Behind Bars

    ​A man who ran six medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County was sentenced Monday to six years in federal prison for selling the drug. Virgil Edward Grant III, 42, was nabbed on federal charges of conspiring to possess and distribute marijuana. He pleaded guilty last June and was a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 23, 2010

    Medical Marijuana Group Vows Legal Action Following City Pot-Shop Crackdown

    ​A pro-medical-marijuana group on Tuesday vowed to fight back against the City Attorney's legal actions against 21 pot dispensaries in Los Angeles. The office seeks to shut down the pot shops as nuisances and cites their over-the-counter sales of marijuana, which it argues are not allowed unde ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2010

    Pot Shop Owner Charged With Money Laundering

    ​The owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in L.A.'s Del Rey neighborhood has been charged with 24 counts, including money laundering, following last week's actions against 21 pot shops in the city of Los Angeles. The complaint against Jeffrey Joseph was filed Monday in Los Angeles, accordin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2010

    Pot Shop Owner Pleads Not Guilty For Possession, Sale of Medical Marijuana

    ​The owner of a Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensary pleaded not guilty Monday after he was charged with 24 drug-related felony counts by the District Attorney's office following an August raid of what authorities called an "illegal drug-dealing operation." Jeffrey Keith Joseph, 41, owner ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 18, 2010

    21 Pot Shops Targeted By Authorities In L.A.

    ​Authorities targeted 21 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles for various, alleged legal violations Thursday, including three that were accused by the City Attorney's office of being public nuisances. Search warrants were served at Organica Inc. on Washington Boulevard near Lincoln B ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 18, 2010

    Dispensaries Targeted For Simply Selling Weed; Pot Shop Owner Arrested For Sales

    ​As part of today's moves against 21 medical marijuana dispensaries, the owner of a pot shop near Culver City was arrested for selling weed, the City Attorney's office confirmed. Jeffrey Joseph, owner of Organica Inc. on Washington Boulevard in L.A.'s Del Rey community, was arrested this morni ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2010

    Marijuana Law Backer Joins Legal Challenge Of Pot-Shop Bans

    ​State Sen. Mark Leno, co-author of the state's medical marijuana clarification act (SB 420), has joined a court challenge that will help decide whether cities can ban medical marijuana dispensaries in a state that approves them. The San Francisco Democrat filed a legal brief in Qualified Pat ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2010

    Unruly Jet Passenger Says He Was On Medical Marijuana

    ​A man whose unruly behavior aboard a jet bound for Los Angeles over the weekend caused the flight to be diverted says he was flying high on medical marijuana. The plane from Philadelphia to L.A. landed in Pittsburgh after he had to be subdued by flight-crew members as a result of his alleged ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2010

    Regulating Pot Shops? Councilman Asks, "Can't Someone Else Do It?"

    Fox​City Councilman Jose Huizar has called on the state legislature to clarify California's medical marijuana rules, arguing that the city's own ordinance could only go so far with out clearer guidelines on such issues as what constitutes a sale, whether over-the-counter dispensaries were legi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 1, 2010

    Marijuana Activists Stunned Over Obama's Bush-Era Pick For DEA

    Michele M. Leonhart.​The administration of President Obama has told federal law enforcement to stand down when it comes to raiding legitimate pot dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is legal. But last week the president quietly nominated Bush-era Drug Enforcement Administration offi ... More >>

  • News

    January 21, 2010

    Weed mags sprout across LOS ANGELES

    Publications reap windfall from pot ads

  • Blogs

    January 21, 2010

    State 'High' Court Overturns Limit On Personal Medical Marijuana

    ​The California Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a law limiting medical marijuana patients to having eight ounces of pot at one time. The court stated that the law was drawn up by the legislature, and only the people have the right to amend voter-approved propositions such as the one in q ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 19, 2010

    L.A. Council Will Take Another Shot At Pot-Shop Law

    ​The Los Angeles City Council will take another shot at enacting a law to rein in medical marijuana stores in the city Wednesday but, as history attests, just because the matter is on the body's docket doesn't mean it will act. This time around the city has before it a law that would cut the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 18, 2010

    LAPD Chief Beck Flip-Flops On Pot Shops

    ​With the City Council poised to vote on a medical marijuana ordinance, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck has drastically changed his line on how much crime medical marijuana shops causing crime in L.A. Why? We don't know. But in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News over ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 18, 2010

    Holy Smokes: America Says Legalize Medical Marijuana

    Eight in 10 Americans believe medical marijuana should be legal, a jump from just more than half of Americans in 1997, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. The wave of support comes as the East Coast starts to catch up with California and other Western states in approving medical marijuana. ... More >>

  • News

    January 7, 2010

    Weed Takes Root

    Marijuana's steady march toward legalization nationwide

  • Blogs

    December 24, 2009

    Can A City Like L.A. Ban Pot Dispensaries Outright?

    ​While some Los Angeles streets have several medical marijuana dispensaries to choose from for your, er, medical needs (and we're guessing here that, as New Year's Eve approaches, there's going to be a spike in such needs), some cities ban them. Anaheim is just such a place, but a state appea ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 16, 2009

    L. A. City Council ducks medical pot vote at wild meeting; harsh land-use limits anger crowd

    No surprise: At a raucous meeting today, the Los Angeles City Council decided to hold off on voting on a controversial medical marijuana ordinance that would severely reduce the 545 pot shops in Los Angeles. ​ The postponement came after the city's Planning Department presented hurriedly crea ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2009

    L.A. Weekly Counts 545 Pot Shops in Los Angeles

    From the Wall Street Journal to the Daily News to members of the Los Angeles City Council, a lot of people seem to think there are up to 1,000 medical weed stores in this city. Guess they still haven't looked at L.A. Weekly's PDF linked in our November cover story: "L.A.'s Medical-Weed Wars."Gregory ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2009

    Full Marijuana Legalization Headed For 2010 Ballot, Group Says

    ​A pro-marijuana group funded in part by Oakland coffee shop entrepreneur Richard Lee says it has more than enough signatures to put a full-legalization initiative on the November, 2010 ballot. Associated Press reports that Lee's group says it has way more than the 434,000 signatures it needs ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 14, 2009

    Company To Conduct Marijuana 'Research' In SoCal

    ​A company called Medical Marijuana Inc. announced that it has purchased 20 acres of "prime mountain valley property" somewhere in Southern California in order to conduct research on which strains of marijuana are better for certain ailments. The company states the grounds will be "used withi ... More >>

  • News

    December 10, 2009

    MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

    Along with Mr. Gold and Mr. Garber.

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2009

    Facts or No Facts, L.A. City Council Still Plows Ahead on Medical Weed Law

    Whether they were taking their cues from medical marijuana advocates or still dreadfully ill-informed, several Los Angeles City Council members continued to throw around bad numbers and loose facts as they worked for hours on a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance yesterday.L.A. City Councilman De ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2009

    Will L.A. City Council Put Off Medical Weed Vote Until 2010?

    The maps, the maps! Where are those darn maps?!L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes​Once again missing key facts, that's the question some Los Angeles City Council members were asking Planning Department officials at today's council meeting at City Hall. The uncompleted maps, among other things, may caus ... More >>

  • News

    December 3, 2009

    Trutanich Probes Pot Backer Duncan

    Having done little homework, the City Council prepares to approve a medical pot law

  • Blogs

    December 3, 2009

    Tokers Rejoice: Pot Will Be Sold Openly Until At Least Next Year

    Councilman Ed Reyes: No can do.​Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes says the city isn't like to see a law limiting the city's burgeoning medical marijuana trade until next year. While that's less than a month away, it's another sign that the City Council doesn't have the fortitude to grapple ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 2, 2009

    Cash For Pot Is Cheating, Judge Says; City Moves Forward To Allow It Anyway

    FoxMoses Griffin.​At this point Moses himself could descend from the mountaintops with a declaration that thou shalt not sell freakin' pot in retail storefronts and the Los Angeles City Council would move ahead with its ordinance to allow cash-for-marijuana in L.A. This week a superior court ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 1, 2009

    L.A. City Council Puts Off Pot-Shop Ordinance ... Again

    ​If you were an animal-rights advocate worried about the plight of cats and their claws, justice would be swift and City Hall would be at your service with a quick ban of declawing. But if, say, you lived next to a pot dispensary that did more business than a 7-Eleven (and that had shady chara ... More >>

  • News

    November 26, 2009

    L.A.'s Medical-Weed Wars

    How the potheads outwitted Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. City Council

  • Blogs

    November 24, 2009

    City Council Might Have Pot Law Ready For Vote

    ​The Los Angeles City Council today came up with an ordinance that might just please its desire to continue to allow cash sales of medical marijuana while creating a legal loophole to appease legal eagles who believe cash-for-pot is not allowed under state law. The proposed rule, which could ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 19, 2009

    Pro-Pot Group Says L.A. City Council In Its Pocket

    Pro-medical-marijuana group Americans For Safe Access this week claimed victory in its campaign to get the Los Angeles City Council to see things its way when it comes to regulating L.A.'s 800 or so registered pot shops.​After campaigning on-air at KPCC (89.3 FM), ASA claims it has beaten back the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 18, 2009

    Surprise, Surprise: City Council, All Stoner-Like, Postpones Pot Vote

    If you're concerned about cats, the Los Angeles City Council is a fast-acting, legislation machine. But if you're worried about those unregulated pot shops that outnumber Starbucks in some neighborhoods, you're going to have to wait. Again.​ The council today postponed its hearing on an ordin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2009

    D.A. Defies L.A. City Leaders, Vows To Prosecute Pot Sellers

    The Los Angeles County District Attorney on Tuesday defied the Los Angeles City Council leaders who pushed for a new marijuana dispensary ordinance that would allow cash, over-the-counter sales of pot.​ "The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will continue to prosecute dispensary o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2009

    West Hollywood's Pot Ordinance Could Be A Smoke Screen

    The Los Angeles City Council this week is looking at West Hollywood's regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries as a model for its own long-awaited ordinance, which will target the 800 or so pot shops registered in the city.​ On Monday two council committees directed city staff members to ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 17, 2009

    Pot Topic: Selling Marijuana Out Of Storefronts Simply Illegal, Attorneys Say

    At the core of the battle in City Hall to regulate some 800 or so registered medical marijuana dispensaries is the concept of "over-the-counter sales." When the term is brought up, what's really meant is retail, storefront sales -- in contrast with the kind of nonprofit, smoke-what-you-grow "collect ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 16, 2009

    Council Looking Down Barrel of Lawsuit As It Ponders Pot Rules

    Perhaps the joint city council committee looking at a new pot dispensary ordinance Monday had good reason to back off the city attorney's hard-and-fast ban on the "sale of marijuana" in Los Angeles: Two medical-marijuana advocacy groups have threatened to sue should such a law be passed by the city. ... More >>

  • News

    October 22, 2009

    Medical Pot Is Bringing L.A. Together

    In the increasingly acrimonious pot wars, all sides agree City Hall is incompetent

  • Blogs

    October 22, 2009

    Smith Waives Public Hearing, Trutanich's Pot Ordinance Moves to City Council

    Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith, who chairs the council's Public Safety Committee, has waived a public hearing for L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich's draft ordinance on medical marijuana dispensary regulations. Smith hopes the matter will be heard before the full city council in early Nov ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2009

    Obama Has High Tolerance for Pot, While L.A. Officials Keep Choking

    This guy would dig Obama's stance on weed.​The Obama administration's decision to leave medical marijuana sellers and smokers alone, as long as they follow state laws, makes Washington look like the cool dad who lets the kids have their fun as long as they don't bring the cops to the house. Meanwh ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2009

    Details Emerge On Obama's Pot Stance

    Just as a crackdown on the city's medical marijuana dispensaries is being set in motion, the Obama administration is calling off the federal fight against sellers and buyers who abide by laws in California and 13 other states that allow the distribution of doctor-approved pot, the Associated Press i ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 19, 2009

    Judge Strikes Down L.A. Pot Shop Moratorium

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled today that the Los Angeles City Council's two-year-plus long moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries is illegal, and granted a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of the ban, reports the L.A. Times.L.A. City Council President ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 9, 2009

    District Attorney Plans Crackdown on Pot Dispensaries

    Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley told a small crowd of print and television reporters on Thursday that he would prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries for over-the-counter sales. "The over-the-counter sales of marijuana for money is illegal," said Cooley who, along with City Atto ... More >>

  • News

    September 24, 2009

    Potshots Over Los Angeles Pot Shops

    A year late, the City Council tries to uninvite its unvetted marijuana collectives

  • More >>
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