MJ News for 04/24/2014

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.9news.com/story/news/local/9news-evenings/2014/04/23/explosion-marijuana-grow/8059633/

3 hurt in explosion at marijuana-grow facility​

DENVER - Authorities say three people are hurt after an explosion at a marijuana growing operation in the 1200 block of South Lipan Street in Denver.

Investigators say the explosion happened Wednesday while the people were using butane to extract the intoxicating chemical THC from the marijuana plant. Denver Fire spokesman Mark Watson says the injured people were likely trying to make hash oil. The process is dangerous and has caused several similar explosions in Colorado and around the country.

A fire department source tells 9NEWS the operation may have been an informal co-op. Watson says the area is not zoned for a marijuana grow operation and owners of the plants are not permitted to create THC concentrate.

Cindy Gilmore witnessed the explosion.

"You could see that when a boom went off a big ball of flame was coming out of the end of the building," Gilmore said.

Recently, 9NEWS spoke with fire engineer Brian Lukus to learn more about this explosive trend that investigators believe is directly related to the legalization of pot.

"Now that recreational [pot] is legal, the need for it is expanding, so we're seeing a lot more production of marijuana extractions," Lukus said.

A bulletin issued by Rocky Mount HIDTA, a drug task force, outlines the dangers for both residents and law enforcement officers as more people begin using legal pot to make THC concentrate without a license. The drug task force says hash oil can go for up to $60 per gram on the street.

"It is startling. That's why we're tracking it," Lukus said.

Butane gas has no distinct smell, which means neighbors likely have no idea they may be living steps from one of the most dangerous businesses in Denver.

"It is amazing that no one's been killed," Lukus said.

Two men and a woman were taken to hospitals with second-degree burns.

Watson says the building, in an industrial area, wasn't damaged.

Watson says the three people involved will likely face charges and that investigators are working on obtaining a search warrant for the property.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/22/6344924/sacramento-county-supervisors.html

Sacramento County supervisors vote to ban outdoor marijuana gardens​

Sacramento County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to ban outdoor marijuana crops, joining a growing number of California cities and counties that have prohibited cultivation in response to safety and nuisance complaints.

Sheriff Scott Jones told supervisors that marijuana plants have increased throughout the county because of a lack of clarity in federal and state laws and inconsistent prosecution. County aides and law enforcement showed numerous aerial photos of reported grow sites, including open space near Rio Linda High School and the Cherry Island Soccer Complex.

“We’ve seen a profusion – an explosion – of marijuana grows,” Jones said.

The new restrictions would apply to unincorporated Sacramento County and likely take effect in mid-June. The city of Sacramento already bans outdoor cultivation in residential areas, while Elk Grove prohibits all outdoor marijuana growth.

Some advocates for medical marijuana said Tuesday that law enforcement overstated the risks associated with marijuana growth, though others were sympathetic with the county’s concerns about large grow sites. They asked supervisors to preserve the ability of patients to grow plants for personal use. Supervisors on Tuesday asked county staff to return May 28 with proposed restrictions for indoor marijuana grows specifically limited to medical use.

Local governments have moved quickly to regulate growth after a favorable state court ruling in November upheld their ability to ban cultivation despite the state’s 1996 initiative legalizing marijuana for medical use.

The ruling by the Sacramento-based 3rd District Court of Appeal, upholding a ban in the city of Live Oak, paved the way for similar ordinances across California. Most bans have focused on outdoor cultivation, while Fresno County has gone the furthest by prohibiting outdoor and indoor medical marijuana grows, according to the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan introduced separate indoor and outdoor ordinances Tuesday to ban marijuana crops, saying she has received many complaints from residents. In addition to safety and quality of life issues, marijuana grows create undue demands on the environment, including high water use in a drought, she said.

Supervisors unanimously approved the ban on outdoor cultivation. But MacGlashan said she agreed to continue the indoor ordinance discussion because she thinks a majority of board members prefer regulation instead of an outright ban, even though she does not agree with that approach.

The board in 2011 effectively banned medical marijuana dispensaries after as many as 99 such establishments had opened in the unincorporated county.

The nebulous nature of state and federal laws makes prosecution of marijuana cultivation difficult, Jones said. The county will rely largely on code enforcement officers to police its new ordinance, citing growers for civil infractions with backup by sheriff’s deputies when needed.

Dozens of plants can be found in residential backyards as well as in more remote areas, law-enforcement officials said.

Lt. John Laughlin of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said many of the marijuana grows are run by organized crime, and it’s not hard to figure out why: A single plant can yield $1,500 worth of marijuana in California, and much more in other parts of the country. The drug trafficking task force he serves on found a cornfield in Sacramento County with $52 million in marijuana, he said.

Marijuana crops lead to violence as people try to steal and protect them, said Michael Neves, an assistant chief deputy district attorney. The District Attorney’s Office is actively prosecuting 10 people on homicide charges involving marijuana, he said.

“It’s out of control,” said Neves, who said in late summer some neighborhoods will be permeated with the skunk-like smell of freshly harvested marijuana.

Neves pointed to the case of Kelly McClurg, a 60-year-old Wilton man who was shot and killed when two men stole his indoor pot grow in 2012. Three men were convicted in the case.

Medical marijuana advocates told supervisors Tuesday the county should take action against large growers who engage in criminal enterprise but not restrict the ability of patients to cultivate plants for their own needs.

“We agree with pretty much everything you said today,” said Bob Bowerman of the Sacramento chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The debate on indoor growing will possibly hinge on how much marijuana is reasonable for a patient to have. Ron Mullins of Sacramento NORML told supervisors that prosecutor Neves’ assertion that 2 pounds was enough to last a patient a year was far off the mark. He estimated that he smoked 51/2 pounds of marijuana in a year.

“No way – that’s too much,” said Supervisor Susan Peters.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/23/marijuana-use-may-lead-to-heart-complications-death-study-says/

Marijuana use may lead to heart complications, death, study says​

For young and middle-aged adults, marijuana use may lead to cardiovascular complications, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Using 2006-2010 data from the French Addictovigilance Network, researchers identified 35 cases of cardiovascular and vascular conditions related to the heart, brain and limbs that occurred after marijuana use. They found that most patients were male, with an average age of 34.3 years.


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The cases, representing 2 percent of marijuana-related complications, included 20 heart attacks and nine patient deaths.

According to researchers, marijuana use and related health complications are likely underreported. France has 1.2 million regular marijuana users, and many of the complications may not be recorded by the French Addictovigilance System.

"The general public thinks marijuana is harmless, but information revealing the potential health dangers of marijuana use needs to be disseminated to the public, policymakers and healthcare providers," lead study author Émilie Jouanjus, a medical faculty member at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse in Toulouse, France, said in a press release.

Researchers noted that people with pre-existing cardiovascular weakness may be more likely to experience the harmful effects of marijuana.

"There is now compelling evidence on the growing risk of marijuana-associated adverse cardiovascular effects, especially in young people," Jouanjus said. "It is therefore important that doctors, including cardiologists, be aware of this, and consider marijuana use as one of the potential causes in patients with cardiovascular disorders."

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/nyregion/in-brooklyn-proposing-to-end-prosecutions-for-low-level-marijuana-offenses.html?_r=0

Proposal to Limit Prosecutions of Marijuana Cases in Brooklyn​

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office will stop prosecuting people arrested on charges of possessing small amounts of marijuana, according to a confidential policy proposal that the district attorney, Kenneth P. Thompson, sent to the New York Police Department this month.

The policy is part of a broader push on the part of Mr. Thompson, who took office this year, to look at alternatives to court for low-level offenders. His office is also participating in a task force looking into placing 16- and 17-year-olds who commit low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors, like scrawling graffiti or aggressively riding bicycles on sidewalks, into a short behavioral program, rather than the court system.

Defense advocates and community groups across the nation have been pushing the judicial system to rethink the traditional approach to handling small offenses.

Yet the moves have created tension between Mr. Thompson and police officials. The police commissioner, William J. Bratton, has been a proponent of the “broken windows” theory of policing, which holds that arrests for small violations help prevent larger crimes. Mr. Bratton espoused this theory when he was the commissioner under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in the 1990s, and, after returning to the department this year, has been directing officers to go after subway panhandlers and peddlers.

Now the Police Department may have to grapple with how to handle those accused of criminal marijuana possession when, under the proposed policy, prosecution will not follow.

According to the memorandum, when the police bring a low-level marijuana case, and the defendant has no criminal record or a minimal criminal record, “there will be a presumption that such case will be immediately dismissed” and “the police will be directed to destroy the defendant’s fingerprints.”

On Wednesday, Mr. Bratton said that he would not “respond to something that I have not basically reviewed in great depth or had discussions with the district attorney about,” but added that the department would continue to make marijuana arrests even as it used “a lot more discretion” in doing so.

He said he opposed the decriminalization of marijuana, but pledged to “continue to work with the political leadership and to work with the various prosecutors’ offices on how to deal with that issue.”

Mr. Thompson’s push is rare among prosecutors. The Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., publicly supports alternatives to incarceration, and endorsed a plan advocated by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, but has not gone so far as to propose his office stop prosecuting such cases.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Thompson said in a statement that he was “moving forward on a whole range of smart-on-crime strategies.”

One goal of the proposed marijuana policy, still in draft form, is to ensure that “individuals, and especially young people of color, do not become unfairly burdened and stigmatized by involvement in the criminal justice system for engaging in nonviolent conduct that poses no threat of harm to persons or property,” according to the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.

Marijuana possession is the most common reason for arraignment in New York City: Criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree, which is the charge when someone is caught with small amounts of marijuana in public view, has repeatedly been the top arraignment charge in the city, according to court records.

Processing such cases — there were over 8,500 of them in Brooklyn in 2013 — requires a significant amount of paperwork, staff and logistics, the document says, and more than two-thirds of the cases end up being dismissed.

“We are pouring money and effort into an endeavor that produces no public safety benefit for the community,” the memo reads.

According to civil liberties researchers, there is a huge gap between how black and white people are treated in marijuana cases. In Brooklyn and Manhattan, black people are nine times as likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana than white people — the highest disparities in the state, according to a 2013 report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Pending eventual decriminalization, he DA might consider the approach adopted in Mendocino county CA, in which most cases are bargained into...

If they are getting a break from prosecution then they should be required to give up the name or informed on the sellers in return.

Defense advocates say the charge of possessing marijuana in public became a particular problem with the rise in stop-and-frisk police tactics, where their clients were told to empty their pockets and then brought in on misdemeanor charges.

The consequences of even minor charges can be broad, said Lisa Schreibersdorf, executive director of Brooklyn Defender Services. And even if a charge is dismissed, people spend up to 24 hours in jail alongside others who have often committed more serious crimes, she said. “Any policy that can move all of these issues in a positive direction is a good policy,” she said.

The Brooklyn borough president, Eric L. Adams, said he supported the proposal.

“One of the tragedies that took place over these last few years is many of the D. A.s should have done more to red-flag many of these arrests,” Mr. Adams said. “We can’t continue to tie up our court systems with these petty marijuana arrests.”

As Mr. Thompson’s policy on marijuana offenses goes forward, he is also examining how to handle other petty crimes.

A task force that includes the district attorney’s office, the Police Department, Brooklyn Defender Services and the Legal Aid Society has been studying how to divert 16- and 17-year-olds from the criminal justice system.

The group has been conducting a pilot program called DAT-Y, run by the nonprofit group Young New Yorkers and aimed at young people who receive desk appearance tickets that charge nonviolent offenses. Rather than sending the youths through the court system, the program has them attend arts-based sessions that promote critical thinking about good choices — for example, having the attendees sketch out what the effect on their families would be if they were arrested. They graduate at court, in front of Judge George A. Grasso, who oversees arraignments in New York City’s criminal courts. Court records are then sealed and immediately dismissed.

The task force is looking into expanding the program to all 16- and 17-year-olds given desk appearance tickets.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/04/marijuana_ballot_campaign_rall.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+saginaw_news+(Saginaw+News+-+MLive.com)

Saginaw marijuana petitioners: Decriminalization would result in less 'true crime' in the city​

SAGINAW, MI — A group of about a dozen volunteers gathered at Saginaw's Hoyt Library to discuss a petition to decriminalize marijuana in Saginaw.

The effort, one of several such ballot initiatives pending across the state of Michigan this year, is backed by the Safer Michigan Coalition. The local campaign group, Coalition for a Safer Saginaw, is led by Cary Justice.

"We're not the only city doing this," Justice said to those gathered at the library Wednesday, April 23. "We are the largest city doing it. That's pretty exciting."

Justice said making the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana legal would allow local law enforcement to focus its efforts on more important issues.

"The FBI just came out with its uniform crime report for 2012," she said. "In comparison, year over year, from 1985, there were about 600,000 pot arrests nationwide. In 1997, that went up to 642,000 new arrests; 75 percent of those cases were marijuana possession for personal consumption. In 2012, we were up to 650,000 arrests for possession; 87 percent were simple possession.

"This allows law enforcement to focus on real crimes like forcible rapes, which are are at 84,000 nationwide, solved at 40 percent; robberies at 354,000 solved at a 28 percent rate; murders racking up at 14,000 a year, solved at 62 percent, and then we have aggravated assaults around three-quarters of a million solved at 55 percent."

Locally, Justice said she believes decriminalization of marijuana would result in benefits to Saginaw's law enforcement officials and the community in general.

"Saginaw does add to those numbers," she said. "We figure law enforcement can go on to some of these topics, which will accomplish a lot of people's goals and interests. Because businesses can thrive in an environment where true crime does go down. People will want to raise their families here and will want to start their businesses and live here."

If placed on the ballot and ratified by voters, the measure would add a section to the Saginaw City Charter stipulating that possession or use of a small amount of marijuana (less than 1 ounce) would be legal under local laws. It would not impact state and federal laws banning the sale, possession and use of marijuana.

The local legalization effort seeks to protect those who are 21 or older on private property.

The following language is carried on the petitions being circulated by the group:

To the City Clerk of Saginaw: We, the undersigned qualified and registered electors, residents in the city of Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw, in the state of Michigan, respectively petition that the Charter of the City of Saginaw be amended by adding a new Section 24A, entitled "Marijuana," to read "Nothing in the Code of Ordinances shall apply to the use, possession or transfer of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, on private property not used by the public, or transportation of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, by a person who was attained the age of 21 years.

The proposed amendment shall constitute one ballot question at the next regular election, and, as a ballot question, shall read as follows: "Charter of the City of Saginaw be amended by adding a new Section 24A, entitled "Marijuana," to read "Nothing in the Code of Ordinances shall apply to the use, possession or transfer of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, on private property not used by the public, or transportation of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, by a person who was attained the age of 21 years"?"

Justice said the petition effort is well underway. She said the group hopes to collect more than 2,000 signatures from registered city voters before an Aug. 12 deadline.

Dave Chesney, who is leading the volunteer effort to collect signatures, suggested volunteers collect signatures at public places such as City Hall and the Saginaw County Governmental Center as well as events like the downtown farmers market and Friday Night Live.

"It's about getting the message out there as quickly and correctly as possible," Chesney said. "This will free up a lot of time for the police."

Before the meeting ended, Chesney passed around his baseball cap, and many of those in the room contributed a handful of cash to the campaign. Some attending the meeting also signed up to circulate petitions.

Lloyd Clarke, a volunteer who has worked on ballot campaigns in the past, offered help and advice to those signing up.

"We have a right, a constitutional right, to circulate a petition," Clarke said.

He said the group will gather together for periodic meetings as the deadline nears.

"We'll fill this room up, I'm sure, before long," Clarke said.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/04/23/local-doctor-accused-of-growing-and-selling-marijuana-out-of-his-home/

Local Doctor And Daughter Accused Of Growing And Selling Marijuana Out Of His Home​

HAVERTOWN, Pa. (CBS) – A respected ophthalmologist in Havertown is now in handcuffs as he walks out of court.

Dr. Paul Ezell and his 23-year-old daughter Victoria were arrested Wednesday morning for growing and selling marijuana out of his home.
Lt. Charles Moore says, “We can estimate somewhere a yearly revenue between $30,000 to $40,000.”

Dr. Paul Ezell is an ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma and cataract surgery. He shares his Havertown office with other doctors – but they declined to comment.

Police seized plants and numerous items that consist of a sophisticated growing and distributing operation.

Lt. Moore says, “One stage set up for very young marijuana plants. One stage in another area of the basement where the plants would be mid-growth. And another section where they were just about ready to be harvested.”

Ezell’s Havertown office is located on Chester Pike.

Police were tipped off after getting an anonymous call earlier this month, accusing the doctor of selling drugs to his patients.
Police say his home’s electricity usage was consistent with a marijuana growing operation.

“Generally do something with the electrical system in the house to provide for the heat that is required from the heat lamps.”
Paul Ezell has lived in this home on Sagamore Road for 26 years.

Neighbors say they’re shocked.

Kathleen Kelly says, “I’ve never seen any unusual activity, never smelled anything, no.”

Police say Ezell masked the smells using a ventilation system but the house still smelled like pot.

She lives next door and says Ezell’s wife died last year.

“I feel really bad for him, I do. I guess things were pretty bad that he had to resort to that.”

Kathryn McGowan is among neighbors who have known the Ezells for years.

“It’s shocking because you know they are such good people. I knew them when I was younger. I hung out with her. They are normal people. They are great people,” McGowan said.

Lt. Moore says, “This type of operation doesn’t discriminate. People that you wouldn’t expect to being doing this as well as the people you’d see on the streets you would expect to be doing it.”

Police stress it’s too early in the investigation to determine the motive behind the alleged father daughter marijuana operation.

A cash bail has been set for both Paul and Victoria Ezell for $50,000 each.

Dr. Ezell said nothing to reporters at his arraignment Wednesday.

They will be back in court May 1st.

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/Wednesday-is-first-day-for-marijuana-dispensaries-to-apply-for-permit-256395591.html

(San Diego) MEDICAL MARIJUANA PERMIT APPLICATION PERIOD BEGINS​

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Thursday is the first day that people who want to run a marijuana dispensary in San Diego can apply for a conditional use permit.

The City Council gave approval to a set of zoning regulations that would allow up to four collectives to legally exist in eight of nine city council districts.

The restrictions on distances between dispensaries and houses, schools, churches and the like preclude any from being in council President Todd Gloria's district, which includes downtown, Hillcrest and North Park.

Until the city starts issuing the conditional use permits, all collectives in the city are considered illegal. The mayor's office said the permit process could cost $100,000 and take six months to one year.

The city is investigating complaints against 57 dispensaries, according to the mayor's office.

The conditional use permit would be good for five years. Collectives operators also will need to get an public safety permit annually from the San Diego Police Department.

By city ordinance, collectives may not be within 1,000 feet of public parks, churches, child care centers, playgrounds, residential care facilities, schools and other dispensaries, and not be within 100 feet of residential zones. Dispensaries also are barred from having on-site medical professionals -- a law intended to prevent such businesses from becoming "one-stop shops."

 

[7greeneyes]

hMPp://whotv.com/2014/04/23/cannabis-oil-senate-approves-legalization/

CANNABIS OIL: (Iowa) Senate Committee Approves Bill​

Iowa lawmakers are moving closer to approving a narrowly tailored bill that would legalize medical cannabis oil.

A Senate committee approved the bill on Wednesday.

The oil can be used to treat children who suffer from seizures.

Supporters say the bill offers a new form of treatment for kids without the risk of abuse by others.

“A low THC form of cannabis that would provide, has provided, is providing benefits to these kids with uncontrolled seizures so that’s really the focus. It’s not something you can smoke, it’s not something that people will get high on,” State Sen. Joe Bolkcom said.

The bill could come up for debate as soon as Thursday in the Senate.

Governor Branstad has said he would consider supporting this narrow bill.