We here at The 420 Times are unveiling a new contest for our followers on Twitter. The rules are simple:

-Follow us on Twitter (The420Times).

-Re-Tweet the things we post, as much as you can.

One winner will be picked each Monday for the next month (You can only win once, meaning there will be four winners). Winners will be picked at random, but the more you RT, the better your chances of winning, since your Twitter name will come up more often in the list of our Re-Tweeters. And now to the best part: What can you win? The 420 Times Gift Pack comes with:

-A T-shirt from Smokin’ Tees.

-A CD from Raspin Stuwart.

-A 420 Jar from 420 Science.

-A bottle of RezBlock from 420 Science. RezBlock is a one-of-a-kind resin preventer for your water pipe or bong.

Four weeks and four winners of this awesome gift pack. Thanks in advance to all our Twitter followers and Re-Tweeters. You are invaluable to the cause of spreading cannabis truth. Now, get to RTing and we’ll announce our first winner next Monday.

- Joe Klare

New Twitter Contest: The 420 Times Gift Pack Giveaway is a post from: The 420 Times

As you know we here at The 420 Times are big on reader interaction. We also know that we have a lot of readers who are medical marijuana patients, and we want to hear from them.

When you go to a dispensary, collective, or caregiver, what are you looking for? What marijuana strains do the best at relieving your symptoms? With those questions in mind, you now have a chance to help other patients find the strain they need.

You can submit strain reviews to joe@the420times.com. You can write them however you want, just remember that the purpose is for someone else with similar symptoms to read it and discover the strain they need.

You don’t have to include your name if you don’t want to, nor where you live. But if possible we are looking for the state you live in, your age, your symptoms, the name of the strain you’re reviewing, and how that strain helps you; things like:

-What are your symptoms like before you medicate, and what are they like after?

-How long does the effects of the strain last?

-How often do you medicate with this strain?

-And any history or info you have on the strain: whether it’s indica, sativa, or a hybrid; what its genetics are; and what others you know have said about the strain.

We know some of you will tell us all of the above information, and we realize some don’t know the genetics of the strain, or its history. That’s okay. We want to help patients by gathering as much information as possible about many different strains. Anything you can send us will help.

Feel free to attach pictures to your emails, but if you don’t have any, that’s okay too. Help us build a veritable library of marijuana strain reviews, direct from the readers of The 420 Times.

Submit Your Strain Reviews To The 420 Times is a post from: The 420 Times

- Joe Klare

Seattle Officials Want Hempfest Moved is a post from: The 420 Times

Jodie Emery, wife of Marc Emery, will be at the US Federal Court (700 Stewart Street, downtown Seattle) at noon on Friday to meet with supporters and media.

“It’s nerve-wracking to go through this process,” Jodie said, “but Marc and I are both doing our best to stay strong. We know he is a political prisoner and, no matter the outcome on Friday, we just want him to be brought home to serve his sentence in Canada.”

This has been a politically motivated prosecution from the start; Marc dared to fight for cannabis law reform, and he sold seeds to be able to fund that fight. The United States painted him as a dangerous drug dealer so they could have him extradited to this country where we could punish him for his audacity.

To the U.S. Government the Marc Emery story is supposed to be a cautionary tale; it’s supposed to be a deterrent to those looking to get into the cannabis law reform movement. But to us it is just the opposite.

Marc’s story shows what one man can do. Against long odds and two national governments Marc brought his message to the masses. He inspired thousands of activists like myself, and now we are all over the world and internet spreading the truth about marijuana. We must continue the fight, no matter what the outcome of Marc’s case.

- Joe Klare

Marc Emery To Be Sentenced On September 10th is a post from: The 420 Times

The company told tenants in August that although New Mexico is one of 14 states where medical marijuana is legal, marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

On Sept. 1, when the signed agreements were due, Monarch notified residents the new rules apply only to properties receiving federal funding.

As long as the federal government continues not to recognize medical marijuana there will be stories like this. We are talking about people growing and consuming medicine in an apartment that they rent. What exactly is the problem with that? Why would the federal government be interested in preventing sick people from getting relief?

And yet that’s exactly what they do everyday.

Monarch managers now say they will consider requests for “reasonable accommodation” for medical marijuana use at any of its properties if the resident qualifies under the federal fair housing law or the state Human Rights Act.

That sounds like a lot of red tape for someone to go through, but sadly it will be necessary if these New Mexico patients are going to have their rights recognized.

A federal policy that recognizes state’s rights to decide the issue of medical cannabis is going to be needed sooner rather than later. Pronouncements from our Attorney General will not be sufficient. Legislation – or at least an Executive Order from the President -  will be needed to get the DEA out of a state’s business. This is a goal we must all get behind.

- Joe Klare

NM Property Firm Sets Rules For Medical Marijuana is a post from: The 420 Times

So what does this mean? Basically – as we’ve known all along – the vote is going to be close. Every vote is going to be critical. If you live in California and are not registered to vote, it’s imperative that you do so. Everyone who favors Prop 19 needs to get to the polls on November 2nd and vote.

Early voting begins on October 4th. If there is some doubt about your ability to get to a polling place on election day, you should definitely look into this as an option. This is the beginning of something monumental in this country; an opportunity unsurpassed in our movement’s history. If we fail, it might be a long time before we get another chance. We cannot fail.

- Joe Klare

CA Prop 19 Holds 47-43% Lead is a post from: The 420 Times

And the lucky Twitter follower is…@doook. He has been sent a direct message with instructions on claiming his prize.

There is one week left in our Twitter contest, and one more gift pack to give away. The last winner will be announced next Monday, so this is your last chance to start RTing. Thanks to all our followers and Re-Tweeters, and if you don’t win, don’t worry; we have some other giveaways in the works that will be announced soon!

- Joe Klare

The 3rd Winner Of The 420 Times Twitter Gift Pack is a post from: The 420 Times

According to a video made by Agro before he died, police used SWAT-like tactics.

…the masked officers destroyed portions of his home, pointed a shotgun at his daughter-in-law, and confiscated 20 marijuana plants (he and his wife are each registered patients; under Michigan law, registered patients may possess up to 12 plants each for medical use). Despite all this, Agro claims he was never placed under arrest and was denied any opportunity to view the search warrant until after the raid.

Sal Agro will not be the last person pushed to the brink by law-enforcement tactics. SWAT teams go after medical cannabis caregivers like they are hiding Osama Bin Laden in their tool shed. This is yet another tragic effect of The War on Drugs; a man’s obviously weak heart, shocked into submission by the fear of a lifetime. Tragic and truly a shame.

- Joe Klare

Man Dies Following Marijuana Raids In Michigan is a post from: The 420 Times

Before getting into that though, he uses his op-ed space to denigrate cannabis users and preach about how Marc Emery took “the wrong path” when it came to getting marijuana legalized; basically comparing him to a common street corner drug dealer. John McKay is certainly not going to win any awards from cannabis activism organizations, but this former prosecutor’s thoughts on marijuana prohibition are worth noting.

As Emery’s prosecutor and a former federal law-enforcement official, however, I’m not afraid to say out loud what most of my former colleagues know is true: Our marijuana policy is dangerous and wrong and should be changed through the legislative process to better protect the public safety.

I have no trouble believing that when law enforcement officials and prosecutors shoot the bull over coffee or whatnot, they sometimes discuss the stupidity of some of the laws they enforce; marijuana prohibition would have to be at the top of that list. But sharing that with the public would be something else entirely; something that would cost them their jobs.

Law-enforcement agencies are simply not capable of interdicting all of this pot and despite some successes have not succeeded in thwarting criminals who traffic and sell marijuana. Brave agents and cops continue to risk their lives in a futile attempt to enforce misguided laws that do not match the realities of our society.

These same agents and cops, along with prosecutors, judges and jailers, know we can’t win by arresting all those involved in the massive importation, growth or distribution of marijuana, nor by locking up all the pot smokers. While many have argued the policy is unjust, few have addressed the dangerously potent black market the policy itself has created for exploitation by Mexican and other international drug cartels and gangs. With the proceeds from the U.S. marijuana black market, these criminals distribute dangerous drugs and kill each other (too often along with innocent bystanders) with American-purchased guns.

Truer words about marijuana prohibition have never been spoken, and they are coming from the man who put Marc Emery behind bars. And no matter what John McKay says about his former adversary, I think this is proof of Marc Emery’s ultimate victory. A man who calls marijuana users “idiots” and imprisoned one of our greatest champions agrees with Marc’s main point; cannabis laws must be changed because they are harming our society.

John McKay is now helping push forward the cause Marc Emery sacrificed his freedom for. Irony is a double-edged sword, but sometimes it cuts the right way.

- Joe Klare

Former Marc Emery Prosecutor Says Marijuana Laws Should Change is a post from: The 420 Times

I’m sure a lot of study will be done on K2 while states rush to ban the substance – an action that will have as much effect as all other prohibitions – and that’s fine. Study is good, but what I’ve always had a problem with is this constant association between K2 and cannabis. I understand that it’s technically “synthetic cannabis,” and throwing the word marijuana on something will help it sell better, but it does a disservice to a wonderful and healing plant that is grown naturally.

If you have a Vespa scooter, do you refer to it as your “fake car?” After all, it has an engine and runs on gas, right? Of course not. Whatever K2 is, it is not cannabis. When you can grow a K2 plant in a pot of dirt, then we’ll revisit the discussion.

- Joe Klare

The Facts On “Fake Marijuana?” is a post from: The 420 Times

The grenade was from WWII and inoperable. I spent a few minutes thinking of reasons someone would do this: Maybe they saw a cop approaching the store and felt a need to stash their contraband. Or they just like to give and feel not enough guns and cannabis go to deserving people.

But the simplest explanation is usually the right one; there are just some weird people in this world. The type of people who think leaving this array of items in a Goodwill collection box sounds like a nifty idea. Instead of giving away the marijuana, maybe they should have smoked it, locked up the gun and ammo, and found a cool little stand for the grenade (maybe at Goodwill). I imagine it would be quite a conversation piece.

- Joe Klare

Someone Leaves Grenade, Marijuana In Goodwill Collection Box is a post from: The 420 Times

A lot of this comes from the more acceptable aura that surrounds cannabis in California. But I suspect much of it also comes from the anti-cannabis activists’ complete focus on killing Prop 19. They know how important the vote is this November, and are saving all their ammunition to try and defeat the measure.

But the bottom line is, why should a medical marijuana commercial cause controversy? I see Walgreens commercials all the time. I see Bud Light commercials even more often. Yet a subject like medicinal cannabis is supposed to cause an uproar. Hopefully the day will come when advertisements for medical marijuana are as plentiful as ones for Subway or Geico, only less annoying.

- Joe Klare

Medical Marijuana Commercial Causes Little Controversy is a post from: The 420 Times

- Joe Klare

Barry Cooper Press Statement is a post from: The 420 Times

L.A. finds only a quarter of registered pot dispensaries eligible to stay open
By John Hoeffel, Los Angeles Times
August 26, 2010

Los Angeles officials announced Wednesday that only 41 medical marijuana dispensaries are eligible to stay in business under the city’s restrictive ordinance, a number so low that the city will suspend the winnowing process and ask a judge to rule that it is legal.

“It was a surprise,” said Jane Usher, a special assistant city attorney who worked closely with the City Council to draft the complex medical marijuana law and is defending it in court.

Read the full story at LATimes.com.

Only 41 Los Angeles Dispensaries Qualify To Stay Open is a post from: The 420 Times

Alfred Garcia, who started the downtown collective, said DTPG opened before the city had medical marijuana laws and has complied with every requirement it has adopted. “We are very pleased with the initial ruling, and we hope to ultimately win the case,” he said in a statement.

Let us hope that this is one in a string of many court victories for dispensaries and collectives in L.A. The new ordinances the city has adopted in regards to medical marijuana are ridiculous and restricting to patients’ rights and an already weak economy.

The judge in this case also presides over 30 other dispensary lawsuits. Maybe he will see these edicts by the city as the damaging actions that they are, and won’t allow them to get away with it.

- Joe Klare

L.A. Dispensary Wins Court Ruling To Stay Open is a post from: The 420 Times