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This is one of the more astounding stories of a mainstream business looking to turn some profit on the marijuana cultivation communities. The CEO of Scotts/Miracle-Gro told the Wall Street Journal this week that America’s greenest business has their eye. Rather than creating new products within their existing retail line, the company may buy up small independents already catering to cannabis growers.

Aaron Houston, the executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is featured in this CNBC program today. Prepare for a whole lot of pot puns.

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

The reefer madness saga continues as one man blames two pot cookies for his recent meltdown.

Thirty-two-year-old artist Kinman Chan apologized during his guilty plea last Tuesday to interfering with the flight crew on board a US Airways flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco in January 2010. He was fined and sentenced to probation.

Apparently, the cookies he ingested before boarding made him pull his pants down and flip out on a flight. (I must confess, pot cookies may have caused me to pull my pants down in the past, but not on a flight luckily. A flight of fancy perhaps.)

How many more people will pull down their pants and blame it on a pot cookie? I just might…today.

PITTSBURGH – A San Francisco man claims he was high on a double dose of medical marijuana cookies when he screamed, dropped his pants and attacked crew members on a cross-country flight, forcing its diversion to Pittsburgh, the FBI said Wednesday.

Kinman Chan, 30, was charged in a criminal complaint with interfering with the duties of a flight attendant on allegations that he fought with crew members of US Airways Flight 1447 from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on Sunday. His federal public defender, Jay Finkelstein, declined to comment.

Crew members said Chan made odd gestures before he entered the plane’s rear restroom shortly after takeoff and began to scream, according to the complaint.

Chan told the FBI that he “came back to reality” and exited the restroom, at which point the crew noticed his “pants were down, his shirt was untucked and all the compartments in the restroom were opened.”

When crew members tried to get Chan to sit, he fought them and had to be subdued in a choke hold, the complaint said.

Chan told agents who interviewed him in Pittsburgh that he ate marijuana cookies while waiting for his flight to depart in Philadelphia.

“Chan advised he has a medical marijuana card and he took double his normal dose,” the complaint said.

Margaret Philbin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Pittsburgh, said Chan has a legally issued medical marijuana card for a “legitimate” health issue, which she declined to identify.

The flight was diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport, where Chan was arrested, then jailed until a federal magistrate granted him bond Tuesday, Philbin said.

Source: Huffington Post

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

“Miss, either take off your sweatshirt or that woman right there will pat you down.”

“I’d prefer the patdown please.” Heck, someone wants to lay their pretty little hands on me, even at airport security, who am I to stop them? Pat away, baby.

I walk through the scanners and this attractive woman slowly begins frisking me in what I deem a sensual manner. I found myself slightly hypnotized by her firm but yielding touch. Reflections of the The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) conference I just attended begin floating through my mind.

Let’s get something straight: I’m not a huge medical marijuana activist (though I believe it should be legal). I’m more of a jaded bon vivant who observes life in her own special way. So when I was invited to this conference, I wondered what I could contribute, if anything. So instead of telling you about medical marijuana or the laws and science surrounding it and the pioneers behind it, I figured I’d just share my peripheral views, on the event and Denver itself.

So with no further ado:

1. Denver is brighter than other places:

I guess because it’s closer to the sun, but the place is bathed in this crystalline white light. People seemed friendlier here as well, though this may be the weed.

2. The Grand Hyatt is very hip.

The staff dedicated a whole floor to medical pot smokers, with these sweet letters left on our doors encouraging us to smoke as we see fit. Well, hello progressiveness. Stop by New Jersey when you get a chance.

3. People know far too much about weed. Crazy words were being bandied about: cannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabivarin, etc. I can’t even roll a joint let alone dissect the damn thing.

(Don’t look at this chart below. Your eyes may bleed.)

4. Montel Williams is one slick cat. He served as the moderator for the mayoral debate held during the conference. Man, this guy is poised. He probably smells really good too.

5. Maximize your hotel room. I for one love the freedom of a hotel room. You can take scandalous photos of yourself. Then take a nap. Or no….go to the hot tub on the roof, then nap. Then take a bath. Then drink wine. Then take more scandalous photos of yourself. I call it vacation.

6. It’s hard to get a photo of Chris Goldstein standing still. Chris is one of key organizers of the event and a good friend of mine. This man is on the go. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have a cocaine addiction or he’d blow us all up.

7. Denver has good beer and coffee. Damn good. It must be the mountain water. Below, my friend Diane devilishly imbibes.

8. 4:20 on 4/20 is a mixed bag. Thousands of people gather in front of the city’s town hall and smoke out during this special time frame. I expected it to be an inspiring event but instead it seemed seedy and depressing. Pot is a tricky drug – it has the ability to really help people on so many levels, but it can still be abused.

9. Hippies can be bad asses too. A group of conference attendees went out to dinner one evening and these rude guys sat next to us and began playing their iPod at the table. (Really? Do we not know that’s rude?) Worse, they were playing some generic brand dance music from the 90′s or something equally ear-raking. I asked them (very politely, with teeth clenched) to turn it off.

Well, they didn’t appreciate my request. An argument ensued. I was ready to throw down (I’m from Jersey. It’s what I do!) Nobody at our table really saw how heated this was getting except for this guy, Brian Wallace of MAPS, who finally diffused the whole thing in a friendly but slightly fierce manner.

10. Science nerds can be turned into models. Cannabinoid researcher Jahan Marcu is a brilliant guy. Almost a little too brilliant. I decided to dumb him down a bit by having him pose for a few GQ style shots. As a media gal, I realize the importance of people like Jahan – they add a young, fresh face to the movement, which is always a good thing.

Before:

After:

11. The piano player at the Grand Hyatt in Denver is amazing! His name is Mark Pressey. He even let me sing “Someone to Watch over Me” with him my last night there. I love you, Mark!

12. Being in the presence of Ziggy Marley is just plain special.

I didn’t really think I’d be as moved as I was by hearing him perform. There’s this energy the Marleys possess; warm and inviting, like sunshine. I guess that’s no surprise.

13. Many people secretly like John Denver. “Rocky Mountain High” played through my mind the second we touched ground in Denver. The more I talked about him with others, the more I realized that many people are closet fans. Shh…

“Miss, you’re good to go” whispers the pretty security lady after our special encounter together. I tried to light a cigarette but it was forbidden. (But so is our love, isn’t it?)

“Are you sure you’re done? Wanna check again? There are….other places,” I ask. Wink, wink.

She smiled demurely and I boarded my plane back to Philadelphia.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Esteemed criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Bill Buckman offers up another reasons to be wary of speaking to the police, particularly if suspected of growing marijuana:

Here in NJ, police euphemistically call one of their marijuana related operations a “knock and talk”, though it can often be anything but. When police suspect that marijuana may be grown in a household, they organize multiple agencies to “respond” on a predetermined date and time to the location – a show of force. (Indeed during cross examination police have conceded that a “ knock and talk” is organized just as a forcible search warrant raid would be.)

It usually goes down like this: Police have only a mere suspicion that folks are growing marijuana in their homes. Maybe they have been tipped off by informants at a growing supply store (which, of course, sell an entire range of legal articles) or maybe the police have done an illegal drive-by thermal imaging of a house to see if heat from some kind of grow situation exists.

(As an aside, its illegal for police to do a thermal imaging scan of a home without a warrant. But if they do perform one and then intimidate the owners to “consent to a search,” the illegality often goes by the wayside, as the law will see the consent as “ curing” the illegality.)

In any event, for the “ knock and talk,” police show up in force. Some go to each entry or exit of the residence. (Query if its just a knock and talk, by virtue of what right would cops have to stop anyone from leaving the house and refusing to talk. None, really). Yet too often faced with intentional, intimidating show of force, people often “consent” to let police in their homes. At that point, cops usually talk the occupants into signing a “consent to search form” by misleading them. Once signed, the form will allow police to search all areas of the residence and every nook and cranny, totally tossing the contents about if the police wish.

The best advice to deal with a “knock and talk” is to simply not open the door and certainly not to allow police the consent to search the home. When speaking with police, one should be extremely hesitant to sign anything, like a consent from, without a lawyer present. Since police have no search warrant when conducting a knock and talk, it is not necessary to open the door. One could speak through the door if he or she wishes. Stories are legion about how, once inside the house, police allege that they smell marijuana and can then get an actual warrant.

The “knock and talk” is a bit of NJ legal schizophrenia. Because of proven abuses with racial profiling, police need a reasonable basis to even ask to search a car. But, our Supreme Court has reasoned, the home was not the site of such abuses – despite the inherently intimidating and abusive nature of the “knock and talk.”

Lastly, it bears repeating that purchasers of growing equipment, even online, have been regularly subjected to “knock and talks.” In fact, to help shed light on the issue, it would be helpful to start gathering details of “knock and talks” that netted nothing other than legal indoor growing materials.

Bill Buckman is hailed as one of the most skillful, tenacious and dedicated criminal-defense attorneys in New Jersey. He is also a seasoned civil rights lawyer with a comprehensive list of successful cases that have received nationwide attention. Mr. Buckman has kept a constant focus on the relationship between the individual and large organizations, particularly government. To find out more about Mr. Buckman or his services in and around Moorestown, New Jersey, please visit his website.

4/28/2011 – State Senator Daylin Leach (D-17) re-introduced Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana bill on April 25th. The issue has strong public support, Franklin & Marshall polling in 2010 showed that 80 percent of residents are in favor of a medical cannabis law.

Senator Leach issued this statement on Wednesday April 27th: “I’m happy to have re-introduced Senate Bill 1003 and am hopeful it will be brought up for consideration by the Legislature. It is a common-sense bill that would simply give sick people access to medication so they feel better. Countless studies show marijuana can alleviate the side effects of many diseases. It’s time we give Pennsylvanians access to the treatment they need and deserve.”

SB 1003 would legalize the use of cannabis for residents with serious medical conditions such as cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and HIV/AIDS. The bill includes provisions for a system of Compassion Centers, ID cards for patients, home cultivation and sales tax.

Senators Larry Farnese, James Ferlo and Wayne Fontana are the initial co-sponsors. The bill has been referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. READ SB 1003

PA residents may contact their legislators via www.pa4mmj.org

Found this video while browsing through the lovely website, UK-based Dope-Smoker. (Take note of their clean, contemporary design. There are so many collegiate-looking weed sites out there bogged down with too much green and pot leaves – nice to see something more modern.)

On a lighter note, my picks for the very few holiday tunes that don’t want me want to impale myself with skewers:

12/5/2011 – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the entire New Jersey Legislature got a big green wake-up call from voters last week. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll found overwhelming support for medical marijuana (86%) and a majority (58%) strongly favoring the decriminalization of cannabis possession. So what is driving the continued groundswell for cannabis reform?

Freedomisgreen.com spoke with Rutgers Professor David Redlawsk, who managed the poll. Redlawsk said that the results for medical marijuana showcased unprecedented level of public support.

Asked if any other issue came close Redlawsk replied, “I don’t think we’ve run across anything that positive in any issue we have looked at… A recent example is that we’ve polled in the 70s [percent range] for what has been dubbed the ‘Millionaire’s Tax.’”

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was passed two years ago but the Christie Administration has not fully implemented the law. The program has been overburdened with strict regulations that are unique compared to other states like a 10% cap on THC, a physician registry and a questionable facility selection process. Not a single NJ patient has been allowed to register or gain legal protections. Many patients have already given up on the program and have turned to the underground market for relief.

A bill that would remove criminal penalties for adults in possession of 15 grams of marijuana or less was introduced this summer with a strong group of bi-partisan co-sponsors. But A4252 has yet to receive a committee hearing or a floor debate in Trenton.

Professor Redlawsk explained why the marijuana questions were posed to voters. “We are celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Rutgers-Eagleton poll and we’re asking some of the original questions.”

An interesting coincidence is that the poll started in 1972, the same year that cannabis was locked into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act by the Nixon Administration.

Redlawsk explained that voters age 60+ have driven up the overall percentages for marijuana reform in 2011. “The reason we see an increase in support at all levels of this question is that older people are more supportive. Young people remain as supportive…almost as they always were.”

Politicians might want to take note (in bold and underlined) that senior voters have not changed their college-age views about cannabis.  Unfortunately it also highlights that elected officials at the state and federal level have ignored the will of the people throughout modern cannabis prohibition.

The Rutgers poll is the second time in three years that voters have polled 86% in favor of medical marijuana. Again, the most popular public policy issue in the state.

Action link- NJ residents can send emails supporting decrim bill A4252 online http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=50985736

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

Writer with partner in crime Vicki, in front of Madison Square Garden before concert.

Back in the day, you smoked pot. Or really crappy homegrown. Or maybe even oregano. You felt high anyway, not knowing any better.

Back in the day, the weed was often dry and crispy, with sticks and seeds and all sort of shit in it. Maybe even an occasional spider’s nest. Not all boutique-y, the way it is now.

Back in the day, when you finally got your hands on good pot, your impressionable young brain got a little too high. Suddenly you were practically tripping – floors melting, spaceships flying, small bald men speaking in a hurried whisper – the works. Friends had to be talked down. Occasionally slapped in the face.

Back in the day, when you kept the joint for too long, it was called “bogarting.” (Was Humphrey Bogart known for hogging a joint? “Pass it again, Sam.”) We also called it “head smoking.” Like “Stop head smoking that, man. Pass it.” This could be applied to drinking the entire 7-Eleven Big Gulp (which was referred to as “head gulping”).

Back in the day, smoking weed the traditional way wasn’t enough; you had to kick it up a notch sometimes by giving your friends a California shotgun. Three people were required: one friend would blow a ton of smoke in your mouth and another would pick you in a Heimlich-type position and hold you there for a good, long while, while you held your breath. Once you were released, you would fall or pass out and we’d laugh. Brain damage may have occurred.

Back in the day, you smoked pot before high school to make it more palatable. But paranoia would creep in and you were sure every teacher was going to bust you. Sometimes they did bust you and you had to leave school, where you’d go to the woods and hang out with the other busted stoned kids.

Back in the day, you were part of the “burn out” crowd and that wasn’t so bad. It was better than being a nerd or a jock. You wore flannel shirts and your hair hung over your eyes. You mumbled a lot.

Back in the day, you heard Pink Floyd for the first time and thought “Finally, someone understands me.” It was also the perfect trippy music to listen to while high.

Back in the day, you were forced to smoke “sick weed” for two years, guaranteed to give you a headache. That’s all the dealer had and it was a small town. (Of course, not smoking it wasn’t an option.)

Back in the day, you wore a roach clip in your hair, with multi-colored feathers hanging from it. Practical and fashionable. (Secretly, you wish they’d come back in style – you’d so wear one.)

Back in the day, a friend’s mom decides she wants to try just a little of your weed. She asks for a “remnant” instead of a “roach” which sends you and your friend into a fit of laughter and will for years to come. A remnant. Ha…

Back in the day, you could get a joint for a dollar. Sure, it was probably a pinner. But a good deal nonetheless.  The pre-rolled aspect was handy as well.

Back in the day, you smoked pot in a circle with your friends where everyone would laugh convulsively over practically nothing. The type of laughter where you struggled to breathe. Good, painful laughter. You miss that most of all.

Vicky and I laughing about nothing in particular, circa a long time ago.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

4/7/2011 – Riding a green wave of unprecedented public support, medical marijuana legislation is gaining significant progress in several East Coast states. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina all reached important milestones in the last two weeks towards legal access to therapeutic cannabis.

Yesterday Connecticut’s Joint Judiciary Committee voted 34-10 to move forward their compassionate use bill. A previous, hard-fought attempt saw the Legislature pass medical marijuana only to have it vetoed by the then Governor Jody Rell. An attempt to overturn that veto fell achingly short by just two votes. But newly elected Governor Daniel Malloy has been a champion of marijuana issues in Connecticut, including decriminalization. Malloy has stated that he would sign it into law if it passes again.  Take Action in CT

The Delaware Senate passed a bill on March 30th to legalize marijuana for medical use and create a dispensing system. The floor vote on Senate Bill 17 was notable in its strength, passing by 18 to 3. Delaware is unfortunately following in the footsteps of New Jersey and Washington DC by eliminating all provisions for patients to cultivate their cannabis at home. The model bill from the Marijuana Policy Project creates a strict, centralized system but does allow patients to posses six ounces per month.  Take Action in DE

Maryland’s Legislature is taking an interesting approach with a clear focus on protecting patients from arrest. On March 24th the Senate passed a bill to allow some seriously ill residents a medical necessity defense in court. Then on March 28th a Joint Committee moved forward an official study process for a full-fledged medical cannabis system. Fines for minor marijuana possession in Maryland are $100.Take Action in MD

On April 3rd North Carolina joined the growing ranks of active states, legislation was introduced there with language for home cultivation. HB 577 certainly enjoys popular support, although several previous attempts have faced an uphill battle. Still, a Harris Poll released last week may help shore up support in a state that has many traditionally conservative politicians. Although stereotyped as a liberal, west coast issue, the poll showed that more support exists in the “East” for medical marijuana. Vast majorities, 80 percent, of voters favor the issue across the political spectrum. Take Action in NC

On the horizon: Vermont will consider legislation for a medical cannabis system,  New Hampshire’s Senate will hold a hearing on HB 442 and Pennsylvania will re-introduce a compassionate use bill that was active last year.

This month: Regulated medical marijuana programs on the East Coast will see major progress as systems are brought online under existing laws in New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island and Washington DC.

Stay tuned for further updates on the spring bloom here at Freedomisgreen.com.

Get involved at NORML’s Take Action Center

Read the Weekly Legislative Round Up from NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano

Lean a little left? – Willie Nelson’s Teapot Party

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey. Contact chris {at} freedomisgreen.com

5/22/13- PhillyNORML issued the following press release today.

CONTACT: Kevin Clough [email protected]

Supporters of N.A. Poe and Adam Kokesh will hold a brief press conference on May 23, 2013 at 2:30PM in front of the Byrne Federal Courthouse at 6th and Market Streets in Philadelphia.

Comedian/activist N.A. Poe and libertarian media host Adam Kokesh will appear for a detention hearing in Federal Magistrate Court on Thursday after they were targeted for arrest by National Park Rangers during a protest of America’s unjust marijuana prohibition laws in front of the Liberty Bell on May 18th, 2013.

Members of PhillyNORML, Adam vs The Man and The Panic Hour who witnessed the protest will be on hand at the press conference to discuss the events with the media.

Both Poe and Kokesh have been charged with a felony for resisting and/or impeding. Both were denied release or bail at their initial hearing on May20th.

Supporters are also gathering at the corner of 7th and ArchStreets for a solidarity demonstration at 10AM on May 23rd in front of the Federal Detention Center where the pair are being held.

Poe’s comedy/activism group The Panic Hour, PhillyNORML, PA Veterans for Medical Marijuana have gathered with hundreds of individuals for monthly “Smoke Down Prohibition” demonstrations since December 2012. Although many in the crowd participate in open cannabis smoking as an act of civil disobedience; there were no arrests, citations or encroachments by Park Rangers or Philadelphia Police at any of the four previous events.

The protests take place at Independence Mall National Historic Park on an area known as “The People’s Plaza” that is designated by the Park Service specifically for Free Speech. Poe and Kokesh were arrested next to a granite monument inscribed with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

“We’ve engaged in many public events this year and the display of force from Rangers and Police I saw at the rally on May 18th was completely uncalled for,” said PhillyNORML Executive Director Kevin Clough.

The Panic Hour issued this statement: “These arrests only provide more evidence for the existence of a police state, the suppression of free speech, and failed drug policies. We are not deterred. We will continue to fight to get our friends removed from federal custody and continue to organize to legalize cannabis in PA.”

Clough assured that demonstrations to end cannabis prohibition will not stop in Philadelphia, “PhillyNORML has a long history of peaceful events calling for marijuana legalization, and there will be more in the future.”

Video of the May 18, 2013 protest http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ace_1368971649

Video of the April 20, 2013 protest http://youtu.be/kc3wP_gnBus

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