The United State Of Weed is a weekly series where we recap all of the cannabis-related political developments happening in The United States at the state level. If you know of any new political developments in your state in regards to marijuana law reform – whether it be medicinal or otherwise – let us know at joe@the420times.com.

TX: Did You Hear About The DFW NORML Marijuana March?

CA: Protest Held At San Bernardino City Hall By Pro-Medical Marijuana Advocates

CA: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Close In Garden Grove, California

CA: Proposal To Permit Marijuana Dispensaries In San Diego Is In Mayor’s Hands

CA: LA’s Measure D Wants to Create a Marijuana Monopoly

CA: Medical Marijuana Advocates Protest U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s Speech In CA

ME: Legislative Committee Rejects Recreational Marijuana Bill In Maine

IL: Medical Marijuana Approved By Legislature In Illinois

CO: Colorado Farmer Hoes First Row Of Hemp Crop

WA: Will Actor Patrick Dempsey Sell Marijuana In His Seattle Coffee Shops?

WA: Could Medical Marijuana In Washington Hamper The Recreational Marijuana Industry?

WA: Washington State Medical Marijuana Dispensary Owner Speaks Out About Latest Closures

MT: Federal Government’s Investigation Disrupted Medical Marijuana Industry In Montana

VT:Vermont’s General Assembly Voted To Permit Hemp Cultivation

VT: Vermont Legislators Vote In Favor Of Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession

KY: Hemp Supporter James Comer Makes Beneficial Trip To Washington, D.C.

If your state didn’t make this week’s “United State Of Weed,” it’s most probably because there is no recent political cannabis news coming from that state. If there is a story I missed, let me know at joe@the420times.com.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

The United State Of Weed 5/19/13 is a post from: The 420 Times

Another incredible week in the realm of marijuana law reform brought to you by The 420 Times. Here is your weekly collection of cannabis related videos to make you think, laugh or even take action.

If you know of a video we should see, let us know joe@the420times.com.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

Videos Of The Week 5/12/13 – 5/18/13 is a post from: The 420 Times

Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang will be performing this Saturday, May 18th at Joshua Tree Music Festival. Their set is at 5:30pm local time. After a stellar performance at The Getty in L.A. last fall and dates with Omar Souleyman, the band is back on the road in support of their En Yay Sah LP (Luaka Bop). They doing a handful of west coast dates before heading back to east to perform with Os Mutantes, Zs, Javelin and more. Their show in L.A. last night was great!

Sierra Leonean native Ahmed Janka Nabay single-handedly radicalized bubu, a frantically-paced electronic dance music with ancient, magical origins. As civil war raged in Freetown, his cassettes sold in the hundreds of thousands and kids followed him through the streets. Despite his efforts to make peace, Janka became a target. He was able to escape, and now resides in Washington D.C., joined by members of Gang Gang Dance/Highlife, Skeletons, Zs and Saadi. Together they’ve become the first Bubu band ever in America, releasing their An Letah EP (True Panther), and now En Yay Sah.

Find out more below!

Watch Janka’s new video for ‘Feba’ http://stereogum.com/1349841/janka-nabay-the-bubu-gang-feba-video-stereogum-premiere/video/
Listen to The BBC’s piece on Janka: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19834000
Listen to first single ‘Feba’ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13639-feba/
Read about Janka in the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444327204577615382965153486.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

See Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang Today At Joshua Tree Music Festival is a post from: The 420 Times

Representative Jared Polis and his colleague Earl Blumenauer speak with Jeff Zeleny from the ABC News and Oliver Knox with Yahoo News about legalizing marijuana in the United States.

Both Representative Blumenauer and Representative Polis continue to make serious labors to end the prohibition of marijuana in our country by attempting to educate their colleagues with logical and scientific knowledge concerning marijuana.

Review the enclosed video interview with these two champions of marijuana law reform and share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. Its nice to have politicians that are pro-legalization warriors and are willing to publicly voice their support for change in this country.

Keep your cursor parked right here @ The 420 Times for all you cannabis community news and entertainment. We truly appreciate your dedicated readership!

Representatives Polis and Blumenauer Talk To ABC News About Marijuana is a post from: The 420 Times

From the fine folks at DFW NORML:

On May 4, a sense (and smell) of hope and freedom filled the air as marijuana supporters gathered at Hyde Park in Fort Worth  to participate in DFW NORML’s annual Global Marijuana March. The energy could be felt from the very beginning, as volunteers and vendors gathered early outside of Mambo’s Tapas Cantina to set up for the day’s events. Participants and supporters mingled, danced, shouted and sang as they enjoyed live music played from the Mambo’s 2nd floor roof patio.

Then came the march. At 4:20 pm, DFW NORML’s members and supporters began to march. Flags were waved, signs were held, and the sound of “1-2-3, we want weed!” echoed through the streets. What began as a march of around 300 people soon began to catch the attention of onlookers and passers-by. By the time marchers returned to Hyde Park, we had picked up an additional 200 supporters and a legalization parade that stretched for 9 blocks, resulting in an estimated 500 people!

Those who didn’t join in gave thumbs up, honked, waved, and stopped to video record the march as a show of support. One man even got out of his car at the intersection of 9th and Commerce to video uswith his phone. To top off an already incredible day, the march was also covered by Channel 5 (NBC DFW) and the Fort Worth Star Telegram, along with several other independent media outlets.

The weather that day was perfect and the day’s events, from start to finish, went smoothly without a single incident or need for police involvement. It was a very proud day in history for both DFW NORML and the city of Fort Worth. DFW NORML greatly appreciates the march’s participants, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, the Park Central Hotel, as well as Federal Plaza and the city of Fort Worth for hosting this event.

Our next event is the May meeting on 5/25 at the Whiskey Girl Saloon in Fort Worth so please join us or make a donation to the cause at our online store here: http://dfwnorml.myshopify.com/products/donation

Herb’s the word.

Did You Hear About The DFW NORML Marijuana March? is a post from: The 420 Times

Pro-medical marijuana advocates gathered at the San Bernardino City Hall in California in order to demand that the city officials discontinue shutting down medical marijuana dispensaries in their municipality.

The gathered group of over 30 medical marijuana supporters chanted “patients, not criminals,” “we toke and we vote” and “Mayor Morris, don’t ignore us,” outside of the San Bernardino City Hall building in hopes of gaining the attention of city officials.

“I’m here for a lot of people that should be here, but they’re too sick or in too much pain,” declared San Bernardino resident Rory Murray. “These are people that can only be helped by cannabis.”

The city apparently held back on forcing marijuana dispensaries to close their doors due to the fact the residents of the state voted to permit its usage. But now that the California Supreme Court has ruled to allow cities and counties to outright ban dispensaries from operating, San Bernardino city officials are taking advantage of the court’s decision.

“They have every right to protest,” City Attorney James F. Penman avowed. “We wish them well, but in the meantime we’ll be enforcing the city’s ordinances.”

The San Bernardino city officials are on a mission to close every medical marijuana establishment within their city limits and seemingly won’t cease their labors until they have completed the task.

This truly is a travesty of justice for the medical marijuana patients that reside in San Bernardino and for all the patients throughout the state of California that can only wonder if their municipality will be the next to start closing down dispensaries.

Let us know what you think about the California Supreme Court’s ruling and the numerous closures that are taking place across the state in the comment section below.

Stay with The 420 Times for any updates concerning the medical marijuana dispensary closures in California and for all your cannabis community news and entertainment.

Protest Held At San Bernardino City Hall By Pro-Medical Marijuana Advocates is a post from: The 420 Times

The Drug Enforcement Administration is claiming that the amount of marijuana being seized from Mexico in the El Paso, Texas area has declined by nearly half since the year 2009, which is when drug cartels began a violent drug-route war just across the border in Ciudad Juarez.

“Once the fighting started in Mexico, we didn’t have the amount that was coming through in the past,” an El Paso Police Department undercover narcotics agent proclaims.

Once the drug cartel drug-route war disrupted marijuana smuggling operations, that’s when narcotics officers claim the cultivation of marijuana in the United States increased significantly.

“The majority of this weed is coming from California. A little bit of it is coming from Colorado,” the narcotics officer declared.

Whether marijuana production has increased merely due to the cartel war in Mexico is all quite speculative, but we in the cannabis community are quite certain that legalizing marijuana on a national level would have a substantial impact on the overall violence that the global war on drugs facilitates.

Review the enclosed video news clip and share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. And as always, we thank you for your ongoing dedication to The 420 Times. Stay with us for all your cannabis community news and entertainment.

Does Legalized Marijuana Create Competition For Mexican Drug Cartels? is a post from: The 420 Times

Some of you may remember former President Jimmy Carter saying marijuana legalization was “ok” late last year. For those who do not remember, let us refresh your memory.

“I think it’s OK,” Carter told CNN about legalization. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in Georgia yet, but I think we can watch and see what happens in the state of Washington for instance, around Seattle, and let the American government and let the American people see does it cause a serious problem or not.”

Fast forward 6 months to a very different take on the issue by President Carter.

“I do not favor legalization. We must do everything we can to discourage marijuana use, as we do now with tobacco and excessive drinking,” President Carter told a crowd of legislators and regulators in Georgia. “We have to prevent making marijuana smoking from becoming attractive to young people, which is, I’m sure, what the producers of marijuana….are going to try and do.

“I hope that Colorado and Washington, as you authorize the use of marijuana,” Carter continued, “will set up very strict experiments to ascertain how we can avoid the use of marijuana… There should be no advertising for marijuana in any circumstances and no driving under the influence. We need to avoid the use of marijuana, particularly among young people.”

I would like to personally apologize to President Carter for any false characterizations I may have caused by quoting him directly. When he said legalization was “ok,” he obviously meant “it’s not ok, but if you insist on legalizing, make sure there are a lot of regulations.”

My bad.

And how does this Obama-esque pivot on the issue come about for Carter? Enter Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the fledgling anti-legalization group trying to push a message of forced rehab for cannabis users in place of incarceration because, let’s face it, you are just too stupid to handle legalization.

I wonder how much a position change from a former President goes for these days?

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

President Carter Proves He Still Knows How To Flip-Flop Over 30 Years After Leaving Office is a post from: The 420 Times

Maine’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee has decided to reject legislation that would legalize and tax marijuana for recreational purposes in their republic via an 8 to 3 vote.

Representative Diane Russell, the bill’s lead sponsor, claims that legalizing marijuana for recreational dedications could quite plausibly eliminate the black market and produce much needed tax revenue for the state.

The committee members that are in opposition of Representative Russell’s proposal are basing their reasoning on the fact that marijuana still remains federally illegal and endorsing its legalization would put the state in direct conflict with federal law.

The committee’s House chair, Representative Mark Dion, claims that the legality of marijuana must be ultimately determined by the federal government.

Representative Dion isn’t only concerned about how his constituents may perceive him if he decided to favor marijuana legalization, but he also feels that a legislative vote to legalize marijuana would put Maine on a “collision course” with federal agencies.

Maine Representative Diane Russell

Representative Russell’s proposed legislation recommends a licensing system and structure to collect taxes on marijuana retailing. The bill would also legalize the possession of up to two and a half ounces of dried flowers for residents over the age of 21 and also permit them to cultivate up to 6 plants in the privacy of their homes.

With the legislative committee having voted to reject the bill it stands likely that the full Legislature will do the same. Although with some members in support of the legislation, the proposal still has a chance of being brought up for a vote in the House of Representatives and Senate.

“This has been an uphill battle the whole time, but reaction from people has been unbelievable. The bill is not dead,” Russell declared after the committee vote. “There is a lot more support in the Legislature for my bill than was evidenced today.”

Will Representative Russell and her colleague’s efforts fail to see fruition? Keep your cursor parked right here @ The 420 Times for any new developments regarding labors to legalize the dank in Maine and for all your cannabis community news and entertainment.

Legislative Committee Rejects Recreational Marijuana Bill In Maine is a post from: The 420 Times

Medical marijuana patients in Illinois came one step closer to relief when the legislature recently passed medical cannabis legalization legislation.

The folks at the Marijuana Policy Project bring us the details in a email blast sent out earlier today, which reads in part:

After “only” 10 years of lobbying in Springfield, MPP has finally succeeded at persuading the Illinois Legislature to legalize medical marijuana.

If Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signs the bill, Illinois will become the 19th or 20th state to legalize medical marijuana. (New Hampshire is also on the verge of passing MPP’s medical marijuana legislation, so it’s a race to see which state will be first!)

If the Illinois bill becomes law, as many as 60 retail establishments will be licensed to sell medical marijuana to patients with cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses.

Gov. Quinn has made some positive comments about our bill, but we still don’t know whether he’ll sign it. Over the next few months, we must focus on ensuring that the governor sides with the forces of compassion and fiscal prudence, rather than the forces of fear and fiscal waste.

There is no stopping the momentum of medical marijuana in this country, and that’s because there is no good reason to deny sick people the option of a non-toxic plant to treat their ailments. That choice is not a crime and more states are recognizing that fact every year. Hopefully Illinois soon joins the ranks of medical marijuana states.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

Medical Marijuana Approved By Legislature In Illinois is a post from: The 420 Times

The future field of dreams.

Colorado resident and farmer, Ryan Loflin, has done something that hasn’t been publicly done in over fifty years, he’s planted a crop of hemp.

“I believe this is really going to revitalize and strengthen farm communities,” the 40 year old farmer proclaimed.

Loflin has leased 60 acres of his father’s alfalfa farm in order to plant hundreds of hemp starters that he has already begun to groom.

According to the Hemp Industries Association, the retailing of hemp products in the United States generates $500 million worth of annual revenue. It is way past time to bring the cultivation and processing of hemp back to American soil so farmers such as Loflin can reap the benefits of this miraculous cash crop.

We recently reported that Colorado is currently deliberating over legislation that would register hemp farmers with the state and create a committee which would work directly with farmers and the Department of Agriculture with hopes of keeping hemp plants growing in the fields and farmers free of incarceration.

Bruce Perlowin, chief executive of Hemp Inc., told the Denver Post that the efforts to re-legalize hemp cultivation in Colorado are of epic eminence for the United States’ hemp industry.

“This is monumental for our industry,” Perlowin affirmed. “It will unlock a clean industrial revolution that will be good for the economy, good for jobs, and good for the environment.”

Colorado is taking the initiative to reintroduce hemp cultivation to our nation’s farmers, but farming the crop still remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government which means that Loflin and anyone else that plants a seed is taking an enormous risk with their personal freedom.

Congratulations to Ryan Loflin for making the bold decision to risk federal intercession in order to bring hemp farming back to the United States.

Keep your combine parked right here @ The 420 Times for any new developments concerning Ryan’s hemp crop and for all your cannabis and hemp community news.

Colorado Farmer Hoes First Row Of Hemp Crop is a post from: The 420 Times

Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong, who is undoubtedly one of the most iconic people in the entire cannabis community, has recently made a proclamation that legalizing marijuana on a federal level could save the country from its financial dire straits.

“Look at the situation we’re in now, sequesters, cuts, everything cut across the board. Now, the government is tapped into the biggest cash crop in the world,” Chong explained. “There’s little manufacturing cost. You don’t have to do anything except watch it grow and get a couple of hippies to cut it and then put it in a bag.”

Tommy also has a very strong, Jack Herer-type passion when he talks about how the re-legalization of hemp crop cultivation in the United States and in other countries around the globe may perhaps be the solution to protect the planet from perishing by the hand of our fellow man.

“Hemp itself is going to save the world,” Tommy affirmed.

Cheech Marin, the shorter half of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, was asked about the probability of marijuana being legalized on a national level. He approximates that it will become legalized within a few years due to the growing number of states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal dedications.

“The tipping point is 24 states to legalize medical marijuana, so it’s coming soon,” Marin avowed.

These two guys have been making a mockery of the federal government’s drug policy in their movies and stand-up routines for decades, it would be nice to see it legalized at a national level during their lifetime.

The staff @ The 420 Times appreciates your ongoing dedicated readership. Keep your mobile device locked-in right here with us for all your cannabis community news and entertainment.

Tommy Chong Claims Legalized Marijuana Could Save Our Country is a post from: The 420 Times

One of the stars of Grey’s Anatomy recently bought the Seattle coffee conglomerate Tully’s for a little over $9 million and is looking to add some new products to the stores in the future.

Patrick Dempsey spoke with a website about his plans and his love of coffee. ”Coffee is good for your mind—it’s basically a legalized drug,” he explained. “The next step is selling marijuana, of course.”

Taken aback, the interviewer asked what Dempsey had in mind. ”There’s a business model there,” he said. “You could present it in a beautiful, elegant way: a Michelin-starred coffee shop where you can get marijuana.”

A good idea if Dempsey would actually go through with it; there is certainly a market for marijuana, to say the least. It would also be a great way to diversify his business into a new and growing industry.

And it would be hard to imagine the DEA raiding the beloved Patrick Dempsey’s coffee shop for selling state-legal marijuana; talk about awful publicity.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

Will Actor Patrick Dempsey Sell Marijuana In His Seattle Coffee Shops? is a post from: The 420 Times

In the grand tradition of prohibition failures everywhere, today the Drug Enforcement Administration announced that they are banning three more chemicals that are used to make so-called “synthetic marijuana.”

MAY 16 (WASHINGTON) –Today the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the synthetic cannabinoids UR-144, XLR11, and AKB48 Schedule I, illegal drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for the next two years.  These cannabinoids are often seen in so-called “fake pot” products that are falsely marketed and sold as “herbal incense” or “potpourri” products on the Internet and by a variety of retail stores.

Synthetic cannabinoids refer to a family of substances that act on the brain similar to delta-9 THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis.  The actual chemical names of today’s controlled cannabinoids are:

·         (1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl)(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone (UR-144);

·         [1-(5-fluoro-pentyl)-1H- indol-3-yl](2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl)methanone (5-fluoro-UR-144, XLR11); and

·         N-(1-adamantyl)-1-pentyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (APINACA, AKB48).

This action is based on a finding by DEA’s Deputy Administrator Thomas Harrigan that the placement of these synthetic cannabinoids into Schedule I of the CSA is necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety.  The DEA published a notice of its intent to do this and issued a press release about it on April 12, giving makers, sellers, and other possessors of these drugs a month to rid themselves of their current stocks and to cease making or buying more.

We have reported extensively here at The 420 Times about “synthetic marijuana” and the many attempts to keep these dangerous chemical concoctions away from the public. As we know, prohibition does little to keep substances out of the hands of the public and these agencies would do better to spend their time and resources on educating the public about what can happen to you if you use these chemicals.

There are no substitutes for naturally-growing cannabis and its safety record.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

DEA Bans Three More “Synthetic Marijuana” Chemicals is a post from: The 420 Times

There are concerns among some officials in Washington state that the availability of medical marijuana is going to undercut the recreational marijuana industry as it struggles to get up and running. Since there are very little taxes on medical cannabis in Washington, some fear the price of MMJ will stay below the price of recreational marijuana, when it becomes available for sale.

These fears have naturally not led to talk of lowering taxes on recreational marijuana, but has led instead to talk of raising taxes on medical marijuana. Of course patients balk at this since many of them are low income and can’t really afford to pay more then they already are for their medicine.

“We as a state will fail unequivocally at a well-regulated and well-taxed system if we don’t treat it as one market,” said state Representative Reuven Carlyle, a Democrat representing Seattle and chair of the state House Finance Committee. “I appreciate and acknowledge the sensitive position that medical marijuana patients are in, but there are ways to support them without providing a blanket exemption from all taxation.”

I would assume Rep. Carlyle means some sort of state government subsidy program for patients to be able to by medical cannabis. But a subsidy program will inevitably lead to even higher taxes, leaving those who don’t qualify for the subsidy with a hefty price tag for their meds.

As I’ve said before, the issue of taxes has the potential to derail the marijuana law reform movement by killing a major advantage of legalization: the decimation of the black market. The black market must be subdued if the violence associated with the drug trade is to be reduced, but this won’t happen unless the price of legal marijuana is well below the price on the black market.

The road to legal recreational marijuana is going to be a long and bumpy one. We will see how it plays out in the coming years in Colorado and Washington, with more states to follow.

- Joe Klare

- make sure you check out our Forums and our “Stop The Ban in L.A.” Facebook page!

Could Medical Marijuana In Washington Hamper The Recreational Marijuana Industry? is a post from: The 420 Times