SHERIFF WILL ENFORCE 9.31
Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said after his meeting with a Pinoleville tribal representative Wednesday that while the laws around medical marijuana have always been confusing, he will act to enforce state law and the county’s own marijuana ordinance if the tribe embarks on a large marijuana growing enterprise.
Allman said he was told that any medical marijuana which would be grown would be grown for the purpose of selling it at a yet to be built marijuana dispensary on the Rancheria. He was also told that the marijuana was going to be cultivated on two separate parcels near US Highway 101, north of Ukiah.
Many tribes are convinced that the federal Department of Justice has indicated it will not intervene with tribes that begin medical marijuana growing operations. However, Allman said in his conversations with US Attorney for the Northern District in San Francisco he has been told that interpretation is misguided.
On Wednesday, Pinoleville and the Sheriff were not able to come to any agreement on whether the tribe’s marijuana operation is legal.
“It is the intent of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to fairly and equally enforce the law throughout Mendocino County,” Allman said. “If a violation of state or local law is observed in Mendocino County, the appropriate law enforcement action will be taken.”
Allman pointed out that the county’s ordinance not only limits marijuana growing to 25 plants, it also prohibits marijuana growing in places that are visible from a public roadway, as the operation at Pinoleville is at the moment. Under California law (Public Law 83-280) the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has the legal jurisdiction to enforce any and all criminal laws on Indian land in Mendocino County.
Allman said he would wait to see what the tribe does and act when he believes they have stepped beyond the law.
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Newshawk: chip
Pubdate: Sat, 30 May 2015
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Website: http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Nicole Hong

SILK ROAD FOUNDER ROSS ULBRICHT SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON
Ulbricht Was Convicted of Running Underground Online Drug Bazaar
Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of Silk Road, has been sentenced to life in prison for running the underground online drug bazaar, signaling the government’s seriousness in combating Internet crimes.
The punishment is a heavy price to pay for the 31-year-old, who had pleaded with the judge to spare him his old age and “leave a small light at the end of the tunnel.”
The sentence by U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest followed an emotional three-hour hearing. Judge Forrest said she spent more than 100 hours grappling with the sentence, calling the decision “very, very difficult.”
But ultimately she gave Mr. Ulbricht the harshest punishment allowed under the law, saying Silk Road was “an assault on the public health of our communities”  by making it easy for people around the world to buy illegal drugs. In a passionate speech, she detailed the ways drug addiction can tear families apart.
“What you did with Silk Road was terribly destructive to our social fabric,”  said Judge Forrest, who also ordered Mr. Ulbricht to forfeit about $183 million.
Mr. Ulbricht took the stand at the sentencing, crying as he asked the judge to give him a second chance. He said he didn’t create Silk Road out of greed and vanity, as the government contested, but because he wanted to “empower people to make choices”  in their own lives with privacy and anonymity.
“I’m not the man I was when I created Silk Road,”  he said. “I wish I could go back and convince myself to take a different path, but I can’t do that.”
Mr. Ulbricht faced a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, but federal prosecutors asked the judge to give him substantially more than that, arguing a harsh sentence was needed to deter others from following in Mr. Ulbricht’s footsteps.
Judge Forrest said Mr. Ulbricht was “no better a person than any other drug dealer”  and that his education and privileged upbringing didn’t put him above the law. To justify her sentence, she read evidence presented during Mr. Ulbricht’s trial, including online messages where he allegedly joked about a drug addict who was unable to contain his addiction because of Silk Road.
After a three-week trial in New York City, Mr. Ulbricht was found guilty in February of seven criminal charges, including conspiracies to sell drugs, launder money and hack computers. At trial, Mr.  Ulbricht admitted to creating Silk Road but said he left the site after a few months and didn’t engage in wrongdoing. Prosecutors have described Silk Road as a criminal marketplace of unprecedented scope and sophistication. The site, which operated for more than two years, facilitated millions of dollars in transactions between buyers and sellers, who hawked illegal goods ranging from cocaine to fake driver’s licenses. At the heart of the conspiracy, prosecutors said, was Mr. Ulbricht, who allegedly ran the site using the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts.
One factor that appeared to push Judge Forrest to give a life sentence: she said Mr. Ulbricht carefully built Silk Road to flout the law. While Mr. Ulbricht has said his creation of Silk Road was a naive mistake, she said it was his “opus”  and that he was fully aware he was commanding a global criminal enterprise.
In many ways, the Silk Road case is the first of its kind. The site operated on a hidden part of the Internet called the Tor network, and its only accepted form of payment was bitcoin, a digital currency that is difficult to trace. The anonymity of the site’s transactions posed new challenges for law enforcement and forced them to depart from investigative techniques that would have been used in a traditional street drug case.
“What you did was unprecedented,”  Judge Forrest told Mr. Ulbricht on Friday. “In breaking that ground as the first person, you sit here”|having to pay the consequences for that.”
After sentencing, Mr. Ulbricht’s lawyer, Joshua Dratel, called the judge’s decision “unreasonable and unjust.”  He said he would appeal the sentencing and the original guilty verdict.
Lyn Ulbricht, Mr. Ulbricht’s mother, said outside the courthouse that her son does feel remorse for his mistakes. “He’s looking at his life being destroyed,”  she said.
The government said they identified six individuals who overdosed and died of drugs they purchased on Silk Road. The parents of two of those individuals - 25-year-old Bryan B. from Boston and 16-year-old Preston B. from Perth, Australia - spoke at Friday’s sentencing, pleading emotionally to the judge to give Mr. Ulbricht a harsh sentence.
“I strongly believe my son would be here today if Ross Ulbricht had never created Silk Road,”  said the father of Bryan B., who died overdosing on heroin that the government says was purchased on Silk Road. The father, who only identified himself as Richard, said his son was struggling with drug addiction, but that he succumbed to the “deadly combination of convenience and anonymity”  on Silk Road.
Mr. Ulbricht isn’t the typical drug kingpin. He was an Eagle Scout and grew up in a close-knit family in Austin, Texas, according to his lawyer. He studied physics at the University of Texas in Dallas on a full scholarship and completed a master’s degree in material sciences at Penn State University.
The government also accused Mr. Ulbricht of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for the murders of at least five people who threatened his criminal enterprise. Although there is no evidence the murders were actually carried out, Judge Forrest said she took them into consideration for the sentencing.
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Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Pubdate: Sun, 24 May 2015
Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
Webpage: http://drugsense.org/url/BOftq3vj
Copyright: 2015 The Providence Journal Company
Contact: letters@providencejournal.com
Website: http://www.providencejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352
Author: Tracee M. Herbaugh
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/spirit.htm (Spiritual or Sacramental)

RELIGIOUS CEREMONY USING CANNABIS HELD WITHOUT INCIDENT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Members of a local church who use marijuana in various forms for what they claim is a religious ritual gathered at Roger Williams National Memorial on Saturday, while several U.S. Park Service police officers watched to make sure no one in the group smoked on federal property.
Instead, four members of the West Greenwich-based Healing Church anointed each other with cannabis-infused oil at the well at the park. They also drank a jar full of a white liquid, called bhang, made from fermented kefir grains, honey and marijuana. But they didn’t smoke because authorities made it clear that smoking marijuana on federal grounds would not be tolerated.
“This is more than we want to smoke marijuana in the park,” said Anne Armstrong, an organizer of the church. “This well is the birthplace of religious freedom. Are we still a free country? What happened?”
The church usually meets at 99 Hudson Pond Rd. in West Greenwich, the home of Armstrong and Alan Gordon, also a church organizer. But they wanted to hold a ceremony at the park’s well because they believe it represents a holy spring mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Revelation.
For parishioners at the Healing Church, cannabis is “sacred matter,” and a gift from God. Members argue it’s well within their First Amendment rights to smoke cannabis since it is a religious ritual.
Instead, Armstrong, Gordon and about 15 others, walked the perimeter of the park on the sidewalk seven times, while smoking joints. Four U.S. Park Service police cruisers sat at the park’s entrance on Canal Street the entire time the group assembled.
The Healing Church has been informally holding services that incorporate cannabis for about a year. For more than a week, though, they have been holding daily hour-long novenas, or prayer offerings, at the federal property. The church applied, and was issued a permit, from the National Park Service allowing a gathering of up to 100 people for Saturday night.
Saturday was chosen by the church because it’s both the Hebrew holiday of Shavuot, the commemoration of God’s giving of the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai, and, for Christians, it’s the eve of Pentecost, which celebrates the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles at the end of the Easter season.
Authorities, however, disagree. The novenas have been interrupted three times by the police, and some church members have been issued $100 fines.
Last Sunday, a park ranger left after the group asserted their right to conduct religious activities. After they were finished, two Providence police officers asked them to leave unless they had a permit for that day.
Then, on Monday, a federal law enforcement officer asked Armstrong for her name, but she began singing “Amazing Grace.” The officer tried to question Gordon and began seizing the “sacred matter” and the vessels for smoking it, but left after being informed they were religious objects.
On Tuesday, two federal law enforcement officers, with four Providence police officers, stopped the pair as they lit their glass pipe, which Gordon called a chalice. The officers seized their sacred matter, Gordon said, and tried to take a jar of anointing oil, but Armstrong drank “every last drop.”
Earlier this month, Gordon expressed that obtaining the permit is “a recognition of our right to use cannabis ... with the implied constitutional loophole in there.”
? With reports by staff writer Donita Naylor
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Pubdate: Sat, 23 May 2015
Source: East Oregonian (Pendleton, OR)
Copyright: 2015 The East Oregonian
Contact: gmurdock@eastoregonian.com
Website: http://www.eastoregonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3903
Author: Peter Walters

FARTS SHOULD BE PENDLETON COUNCIL’S NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS
It was with great relief Thursday when I read in the East Oregonian that Pendleton’s city council took the time to pass an amendment to the city’s nuisance ordinance banning marijuana odor. Clearly, there has been no issue of greater importance facing the city. Now that this important work has been completed I hope that the council will move on to restricting the other offensive smell that plagues our community: farts.
While farting may be legal in Oregon, many (including myself) are offended by the flatulent stench. Too often, homeowners and businesses fail to contain farts to their property, forcing the rest of us to put up with the smell. Some habitual farters argue that they need to fart for medical reasons but that doesn’t mean my kids should have to smell their farts. The city council should stop looking the other way and pretending not to notice.
I’m not even going to talk about intensity of farts. After all, as Pendleton police Chief Stuart Roberts put it: “It’s a very subjective standard in terms of whether people are offended by [smells] or not.”
This issue greatly affects me as I have a roommate whose recreational farting has been negatively affecting my quality of life for several months now. He claims that he is taking steps to mitigate the odor after I contacted the authorities. But unless our elected officials add farts to Pendleton’s nuisance code, it’s as if he who smelt it, dealt it. I call on our city council to set aside all other work and address this problem.
Peter Walters
Pendleton
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Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Pubdate: Fri, 29 May 2015
Source: East Oregonian (Pendleton, OR)
Copyright: 2015 The East Oregonian
Contact: gmurdock@eastoregonian.com
Website: http://www.eastoregonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3903
Author: Jerry Cronin

ODOR ORDINANCE WILL SPARK AIR FRESHENER INDUSTRY BOOM
I congratulate Peter Walters for igniting an unprecedented response to his satirical letter regarding the absurdity of an odor law in Pendleton. It received national recognition because no one has ever had the courage to write an essay revolving around the malodorous characteristic of flatulence.
Despite the emphasis on humor, Peter’s intent was to draw attention to the city council’s focus on the odor of marijuana rather than make decisions that are more relevant to our town’s progress. Kudos to Jane Hill for having the courage to vote against this madness.
When I read that the amendment also addresses the issue of keeping marijuana grow sites hidden from public view, I had a “Eureka!” moment. As a result of Proposition 91, residents in Oregon will be able to grow their own plants so I foresee a boom in fencing businesses. However, I think there is a window of opportunity to sell an accessory for marijuana growers.
I will purchase cases of “Car Freshener 50101 Little Tree Air Freshener-Royal Pine.” You see them hanging on rear view mirrors placed there by drivers thinking that this will keep a cop from discovering if you’ve been smoking grass in your vehicle.
When I drive around Pendleton, I’ve noticed that some people never take down their Christmas lights that hang from the roofs of their homes. This gave me the idea of marketing my new product, “Odor No More.”
I hate to divulge my secret but I welcome competitors. Let the market determine my success. I will purchase fishing line and attach air fresheners to hook clip connector swivels every 6 inches. A grower will only have to tell me the length of the fence and I will deliver and install their order for “Odor No More.”
Perhaps this brainstorm will motivate the city council to make a decision regarding medical marijuana as well as explaining how the cost of living in Pendleton will increase dramatically by raising utility costs, permit fees, taxes on property frontage, and other equally loathsome solutions to address the issue of street maintenance. However, I have one recommendation that serves two purposes. The city can give away flower seeds that can be planted in potholes as part of our city’s beautification program. The plants will also alert drivers to drive around the pot holes and avoid a visit to Les Schwab for a front end alignment.
Jerry Cronin
Pendleton
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Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Pubdate: Mon, 01 Jun 2015
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Webpage: http://drugsense.org/url/8MApDIkm
Copyright: 2015 The Sacramento Bee
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Christopher Cadelago

CALIFORNIA MEDICAL MARIJUANA MAY FINALLY GET ELUSIVE GUIDELINES
Nearly two decades after California established a medical marijuana program, the patchwork of local regulations on the billion-dollar industry is often distilled to just two words: Wild West.
Supporters and critics alike use the same description, but year after year in the Legislature, attempts to enact statewide controls on medical marijuana cultivation and sales fall through.
Now that sophisticated political operators are crafting a 2016 measure to legalize pot, dispensary and law enforcement groups who want a regulatory framework for medical cannabis believe it’s time to settle the issue.
Robert Raich, an Oakland-based attorney who specializes in medical marijuana law, said if California joins Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon in legalizing recreational weed, it will only complicate the already-chaotic system.
“There has been plenty of desire to see some kind of (medical) state legislation passed,” he said. “This year, however, that desire is more palpable.”
Since voters agreed to allow use of marijuana for medical purposes in 1996, how to regulate it has vexed many city and county officials.  Adding to their problems is that marijuana possession and sales remain illegal under federal law. While some localities allow patients and providers to grow and dispense medical marijuana, others have turned to zoning and other local laws to enforce outright bans on the product.
Conflicting priorities from interests looking to protect their role in the system have contributed to the legislative gridlock. At stake for many this year is retaining - and possibly expanding - their foothold in an industry that faces major change.
Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, said if state voters move next year to create a newly decriminalized market with no regulations to absorb it, the black market would be able to expand quickly. That, “in turn, will create a public safety nightmare,” he said.
Medical marijuana advocates have increased their presence at the Capitol of late, holding fundraisers at local haunts and mingling with dignitaries.
During a lobbying day last week, Assemblyman Rob Bonta was greeted with a standing ovation for carrying a medical pot bill favored by dispensaries. After taking stock of the welcome, Bonta, D-Alameda, framed the debate in terms of public health, small business and “the future of the state of California.”
“We think that a regulatory regime is necessary today,” he said. “It was necessary yesterday, and many years before. And it’s time that we do it.”
Last year’s session marked the closest lawmakers have come to reaching a compromise. A police-backed measure by former Sen. Lou Correa ultimately was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1262, which initially competed with an industry-supported effort by then-Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would have created an oversight division within the Department of Consumer Affairs. It was opposed by Ammiano and most medical marijuana groups, who argued it was too restrictive and costly.
When his bill stalled, Correa blamed “folks that want to preserve the Wild, Wild West ... and operate without any regulation or oversight.”
Both sides will get another opportunity to coalesce around a bill. On Thursday, the Assembly merged competing measures in an effort to craft legislation satisfactory to marijuana growers, dispensary operators, law enforcement and local government.
Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, had been focused on creating the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Bonta sought to put licensing and regulation under multiple agencies, including Alcohol and Beverage Control, Public Health and Food and Agriculture.
John Lovell, a senior policy adviser to the California Police Chiefs Association, said the group strongly opposes the latter approach. He likened it to the Chicago Cubs baseball teams in 1961 and 1962, which operated with no manager and were led by an eight-man “college of coaches.”
In 1962, “the only team that did worse was the New York Mets, and it was their first season,” he said.
Cooley said the compromise bill, Assembly Bill 266, would centralize the framework and terminology for regulation under one agency, which would then consult with other expert divisions.
“We feel it reflects the interests in a fair way, but that’s not to say it won’t elicit further conversation,” he said.
Police officials and others want to preserve local control over the marijuana industry, and they object to oversight by Alcohol and Beverage Control.
Much of law enforcement is not expected to support any measure to legalize recreational pot. Because initiatives are crafted by advocates, Lovell said, “there will be provisions that cause some concern.”
There’s no telling what effect passage - or failure - of a state bill will have on a statewide campaign to legalize weed.
A month before voters rejected the last statewide pot legalization effort, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that lessened the penalty for people found with a small amount of marijuana to an infraction from a misdemeanor.
Some saw the move by Schwarzenegger, who opposed November 2010’s Proposition 19, as taking some of the wind out of the campaign’s sails.
Looking to 2016, critics of recreational pot could use passage of a new law to argue during a campaign that the state recently enacted regulations and should be given time to see them take hold.
Meanwhile, proponents of a legalization initiative could use the unregulated market to assert that a measure would bring clarity to the mess of local rules.
Bonta stressed that the legislative push is “independent of (the ballot measure), but not naive about that.” He said part of the possible move to embrace regulation can be traced to newer lawmakers like himself who are allowed to serve more time under new term-limit rules.
“I and many of my colleagues think that this is something that should be done through legislation ... where you really need to get into the weeds and the nuances,” he said. Propositions, on the other hand, don’t “lend themselves to deep study of the issues.”
Early lobbying efforts have extended to Republicans, some of whom voted to support regulation last year. Meeting with members ahead of Bonta’s appearance, Bradley said he’s been in talks with conservative lawmakers from rural counties who favor guidelines.
“It’s not about debating whether we like (marijuana) or not,” he instructed. “Half the people who support this don’t like it. And that’s why we need it.”
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