http://24hourhiphop.com/article.php?id=7301

THOMAS TOWNSHIP — Less than a week after he organized a protest outside the Saginaw County Courthouse, the Thomas Township home John F. Roberts, 49, a medical marijuana patient and caregiver, was raided by federal drug enforcement agents.

Roberts said he was near the rear of his multiple-acre property when unmarked cars pulled up to the gravel shoulder of the road in front of his home and agents exited their vehicles with guns drawn.

Roberts said he was handcuffed near a hammock, less than 10 yards from a pile of various protest signs left over after a Friday protest rally. A green poster on top read: “Please learn the law.”

Behind the mound of signs were some children’s toys and a large shed where Roberts had been growing marijuana with his fiancee, Stephanie Whisman, 38, who is also a caretaker and lives at the home.

This isn’t the first time law enforcement has raided the home.

Roberts and his fiancee haven’t been charged since agents and Saginaw County sheriff’s deputies first raided their home April 15 — the same day the home of Saginaw Township resident and medical marijuana user Edwin W. Boyke, 64, was searched, his grow equipment destroyed and property and product was seized, much of which was later returned after Boyke agreed to pay $5,000 for its release.

The couple says law enforcement is unfairly targeting them.

Whisman said she was arrested the day of the protest for a several-year-old outstanding city tax bill that was originally $26, before interest and penalties. She said it cost $550 to be bonded out of the Saginaw County Jail.

City officials could not be reached Tuesday evening to comment on the arrest.

Roberts and Whisman said, under the state law passed in November of 2008, they may possess 132 plants and a little more than one and a half pounds of “usable marijuana,” based on the 10 patients they said they care for — five each — and Roberts’ individual patient allotment.

Roberts said he felt nauseous and on the edge of having an anxiety attack as he took a walk around a mown trail that leads through a wooded area behind the growing shed.

He said he was working up his nerve to look inside.

“I may lose everything I own,” Roberts said. “I’m terrified, utterly terrified.”

On his attorney’s advice, Roberts wouldn’t discuss specifically what agents seized, but said they had less than what state law allows. Agents confiscated about $10,000 in growing equipment, Roberts said.

“They came in, and even the cops were there, they said the medical did not matter,” Roberts said. “They will not recognize medical marijuana.”

The DEA could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

Jay L. French, 45

Thomas Township police supported federal agents with the raid.

Whisman said the agents plan to take the evidence before a federal judge to secure arrest warrants for herself and Roberts.

“We live in fear,” Roberts said. “This is America?

“I don’t think so anymore. I don’t know what this country is. I really don’t.”

Spending day after day in fields of cannabis, one can come up with some pretty offbeat ideas—like making houses out of hemp.
But Dr Susanna Wilkerson has great visions for a plant often maligned for its association with drug use.
The founder of Australian company Pure Delight Hemp says the fibrous plant could replace trees as a source of the world’s paper. Its seeds are nothing short of a super food and it can decontaminate vast tracts of land, including nuclear wastelands.

Hemp has more uses and is more sustainable than any single plant on the planet

And, yes, it can be used to create a building material, called “hempcrete”, which is six times more insulating than concrete for heat and sound. It is also lighter, non-toxic and fire resistant, she says.
In fact, the Canadian-born naturopath believes that hemp is the answer to a sustainable future. From her property in north Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands, she produces hemp to make cosmetics, food, fuel, paper, textiles and now buildings.
Hemp has more uses and is more sustainable than any single plant on the planet,” Dr Wilkerson told The Epoch Times. “It is the obvious solution for pretty much every ecological situation we’ve got. That includes global warming, soil degradation, deforestation and bad farming, including the problems associated with animal farming.”
Cannabis sativa is the longest and strongest known fibre in the plant world. Since the invention of paper about 2000 years ago, hemp has been used to make the finest and most enduring of papers. In 1611, the King James Bible was printed on hemp in Britain, as was America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Levi jeans were originally made from recycled hemp sail cloth. Before the US 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, 70 per cent of all rope, twine and cordage was made from hemp.

The Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana

However, in the early 1900s, prohibition of cannabis began due to recreational drug use. Hemp and the drug marijuana are from the same cannabis family, but according to Dr David West, who holds a PhD in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota, they are as different as opium poppies and common garden poppies.
“Many believe that by legalising hemp, they are legalising marijuana. Yet in more than two dozen other countries, governments have accepted the distinction between the two types of Cannabis and, while continuing to penalise the growing of marijuana, have legalised the growing of industrial hemp,” he wrote in a research paper on the topic.
Marijuana strains are high in the psychoactive cannabinoid THC and low in the antipsychoactive cannabinoid CBD. Conversely, other variants are high in CBD and low in THC, and it is these that are known as industrial hemp.
Nowadays, commercial growers generally need a licence stipulating the use of varieties that have virtually no drug content, but the damage to the plant’s reputation has taken a long time to heal.
Dr Wilkerson believes those days are behind us. Her company is producing hemp paper samples in Tasmania with the hope of eventually eliminating old growth forest harvesting. By removing one of the key sources of deforestation, hemp could play a major part in reducing global warming.
“There is not a single reason why another tree should be felled for paper pulp,” she said. “It’s ludicrous and environmentally irresponsible at the highest level.”
The plant could also replace thirsty crops like cotton, without the use of chemicals and with much less impact on the soil.
It can also used as a “mop-up crop” for sewerage treatment, with one acre capable of absorbing 10 million litres of effluent, while at the same time producing 18 tonnes of fibre. It has even been used to decontaminate the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site.
And nutritionally, the balance of omega oils in the hemp seed is the closest to the ratio needed by humans, with the added bonus of high contents of protein, minerals and vitamins.
For more information on industrial hemp, please visit Dr Wilkerson’s website at www.puredelighthemp.com.au .
BENEFITS OF HEMP
• Compared with trees, one acre of hemp produces four times as much pulp over a 20-year growing period
• Hemp is 77 per cent cellulose (compared with 30 per cent in wood pulp)
• Hemp contains only 4 per cent lignin, while wood pulp has up to 60 per cent, which must be broken down using chemicals
• Barely any toxic effluent is produced from hemp paper mills (compared with dioxins and organo-chlorines from wood pulp paper mills)
• Hemp is disease resistant so requires few pesticides, no herbicides and little fertiliser
• It is a natural weed suppressant and its long taproot stops soil erosion
• Hemp can be grown easily in most soils and a variety of climates
• In only 14 weeks, one hectare of hemp can produce enough material to build an average-sized house.
• During the growing period, this crop absorbs 18 tonnes of carbon dioxide, making hempcrete a carbon negative building material

The 100 Mile House Industrial Hemp Project is up and running again, as a student co-ordinator has been hired and a test plot has been seeded.
Project manager Erik Eising was in 100 Mile last week to meet with Horse Lake resident Robin Diether who was hired as the project student co-ordinator on June 30.
Eising says they had numerous applications for the student co-ordinator position and Diether was the one who stood out for the four-person selection panel.
Diether has already started maintenance and observation work on the test plot and will have numerous tasks to perform throughout the growing season.
These include providing producer support and project co-ordination, agronomic research and testing as well as co-ordination and liaison with a university partner, including green construction material development.
He will also construct a portable industrial hemp demonstration building, co-ordinate and host a green building symposium and field day, and help with fibre-processing activities.
Eising says all of this will be done in a team environment that also includes a local 100 Mile House Industrial Hemp producer group that was formed in January.
“We’ll also be doing producer group development and crop production field days, during which present and past producer group members as well as those interested in production will visit this year’s production areas.”
These folks will be given detailed information on varieties, fertilization, field preparation and marketing options, he says, adding this will help them get ready for next year’s production season.
Eising says the production area extends from 100 Mile in the south to Vanderhoof in the north and all are under the banner of the 100 Mile Industrial Hemp Project.
He’s also excited about the Green Building Symposium that will be held in 100 Mile. Eising explains that industrial hemp can be integrated into the construction industry.
“In combination with a binder, you can use hemp core to create non-structural walls and the fibre can be used for insulation.”
Eising was in 100 Mile last month to seed the test plot. It’s a countrywide varietal test program, he explains, and the only one in British Columbia.
“This year, we are testing five varieties and we’re replicating each variety four times to establish reliable results. We have 20 test plots and each one is six by 20 feet.”
Noting 2009 was a horrible year for growing, he says some of last year’s producers haven’t planted this year but remain with the producer group. However, two others have come on board.
“Some of the fields were not well prepared last year, so we’re really focusing on the varietal test plots and the fields on the producers’ side to get people interested and making them aware of how to have successful crop production for the future.”
Last year, there was some government funding for the project, but because it was a terrible growing year, they didn’t use all of the grant money.
Eising says they asked for, and received, an extension so they could use
the leftover funding this year.
Noting producers received funding last year, he says they are “on their own” this year.
“We’re now focusing our efforts on producer group development and our test plots, so we get better information on what varieties are best suited for 100 Mile House area.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/100milefreepress/news/97901229.html

SALEM  — Backers of ballot measures that would make it legal for medical marijuana users to buy from state-regulated dispensaries and would open the way for Oregon’s first non-tribal casino turned in signatures Friday aimed at landing the initiatives on the November ballot.
Signatures for six measures were turned in before the deadline.
The Secretary of State’s Office has until Aug. 1 to verify if enough came from registered voters to meet the threshold of 82,769 signatures for statutory measures, and 109,843 for constitutional amendments.
Initiative Petition 28 would authorize nonprofit organizations to set up state-regulated dispensaries to sell marijuana to holders of medical marijuana cards, who now must grow their own supply or pay someone to grow it for them.
Backers previously said they had 74,537 validated signatures and were confident the 22,000 turned in Friday would put them over the top.
“The flaw with the current law expects sick and dying patients to produce their own medicine,” said John Sajo of the Voter Power Foundation. “For many it’s just impossible.”
Initiative Petitions 76 and 77 would make way for Oregon’s first non-tribal casino, which backers hope to build in eastern Multnomah County on the site of the old Wood Village greyhound track.
Measure 76 would amend the constitution. Measure 77 would cover changes to state law. The measures would put the casino under the authority of the state lottery and share 25 percent of revenue with counties and schools around the state.
“It is creating Oregon’s first taxpaying casino,” said petitioner Matthew Rossman, a Lake Oswego attorney.
The initial $250 million investment is backed by the Toronto merchant bank Clairvest, Rossman said. The project is in a race with the Cowlitz Tribe of Washington to tap the lucrative Portland market with a major casino and entertainment complex.
The Secretary of State’s Office website showed they turned in 176,566 signatures for the constitutional amendment and 136,938 for the statutory changes.
Initiative Petition 13 would impose a mandatory 25-year prison sentence for repeat rapists and other serious sex offenders, and 90 days in jail for people with a third conviction in 10 years for driving under the influence.
“This is the public saying, “We want more aggressive action by the state against drunken driving,” said conservative organizer Kevin Mannix, a former legislator and candidate for governor.
The Secretary of State’s officer reported that backers already had 66,716 valid signatures and turned in 46,471 more.
Initiative Petition 50 would amend the state constitution to put a committee of retired judges in charge of redrawing legislative district lines, rather than the Legislature. Backers said they turned in 125,948 signatures for verification.
Initiative Petition 70 would amend the constitution to permanently extend the 15 percent share of lottery funds devoted to salmon habitat and parks. Supporters turned in 192,678 unverified signatures.
Voters will also pass judgment on three constitutional amendments referred from the Legislature. One would expand the availability of home loans for veterans. Another would require the Legislature to meet annually and limit the length of sessions. The third would authorize lowest-cost borrowing for the state’s real and personal property projects.

BILLINGS – The conflict between state and federal laws over the legality of medical marijuana is forcing some law enforcement officers to take on the unwelcome duty of delivering pot that caregivers attempt to ship through a parcel service.
Over the past year, the Billings Police Department has received an increasing number of calls from FedEx and UPS workers who discover packages containing what appears to be legal medical marijuana. A police investigator must then pick up the package, make phone calls to determine whether it is a legal product produced by a medical marijuana caregiver who is registered with the state and notify the distributor to retrieve the shipment.
All that can add up to several hours of police time. Then, the caregiver may not pick up their product, saddling the cops with returning the marijuana to them personally.
“We don’t want to be in the middle as a broker,” said Billings Police Chief Rich St. John. “We’re wasting a lot of time investigating and looking into legitimate businesses.”
***
Montana’s medical marijuana law allows caregivers to possess six plants or 1 ounce of marijuana for every patient. Both patients and caregivers must register with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, and patients must identify who is their caregiver.
Despite this limited legalization of marijuana for some medical uses, the parcel services refuse to transport the drug, even if it stays within the state’s borders.
“Although we understand Montana has passed a law and citizens are permitted to ship it and use it under state law, federal law criminalizes the possession of marijuana, so as a result, FedEx is not going to take the risk of criminal prosecution by accepting such shipments,” said Sally Davenport, a FedEx spokeswoman.
The resulting predicament is extremely frustrating for narcotics detectives, especially when there is a risk that the marijuana providers involved may not be fully complying with the state’s law.
“If everything turns out fine, we’ve just wasted our detective for several hours,” said Sgt. Brian Korell, who leads the department’s City-County Special Investigations Unit. “I’m paying a guy to investigate a legal business when I should be paying him to investigate true criminals.”
But in one recent worst-case scenario, police were notified by federal agents that they had identified a detective returning pot to a home under video surveillance.
***
Tom Daubert, who heads the medical marijuana advocacy group Patients and Families United, said tax dollars should not be spent paying officers to reunite caregivers with their products when they are ignoring the parcel services’ shipping rules.
“Caregivers shouldn’t ship cannabis in that way at all, and if they choose to take that risk, they shouldn’t expect the delivery to be made,” Daubert said.
Nevertheless, Korell said, the marijuana has a rightful owner and it cannot be destroyed without creating a legal liability for the department.
“We are in a very, very difficult situation with this, and we are trying to do the best we can for all parties,” Korell said.

The stigma of marijuana is a brick wall that our society needs to get past. Legalization is not so much about people wanting to get high; it is about the economy.
People against legalization need to see the “big picture.” More than 70 years of anti-marijuana propaganda and prejudices have created generations of Americans who simply don’t know the truth.
Tax revenues that currently fund a failed and expensive drug war could be used to help our country in this time of recession. Hemp is the biggest reason to legalize. As long as marijuana remains illegal, and prejudiced stereotypes prevail; hemp will always have difficulty regaining its historic status as a viable and eco-friendly agricultural crop.
In this time of crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, we need to consider renewable and less hazardous fuel sources. Hemp is one of the highest yielding crops in bio-mass, and is far more efficient than corn as a fuel crop.
More than 250,000 products can be made from hemp. This could be a huge boon to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Hemp and marijuana can be used for the manufacture of medicines, biodegradable plastics, clothing and other fiber based products.
To say “no” to legalization means we will continue to jail non-violent criminals and break up families, while consequently removing tax contributors from our system and turning them into tax consumers by means of our justice and prison system.
Medicinal users will continue to be victimized by current laws, which are poorly written and offer little protection from federal legislation.
Continuing prohibition will only contribute to illegal border crossings and drug cartel violence. Our laws create the very criminals we detest. This is a national security issue.
Without legalization, America will fall behind other countries on yet another multi-billion dollar opportunity for the countless textile, food, and medicinal products that can be grown in any state in the United States.
We will continue to lose forests, spread pesticides and overuse fertilizers, all because we choose to ignore a plant that can replace all of these.
America’s drug problems should be treated as a mental and public health issue. The current approach isn’t working and it is costing tax payers plenty.
Create jobs while saving the planet?
Now, that is change I can believe in.
Now is the time to impact change in Washington State to secure our future in agriculture and industry. California and Oregon are in the process of getting marijuana reform legislation on their ballots also. The entire West Coast is poised to set the pace for the rest of America.
Sensible Washington I-1068 — Marijuana Reform Act serves to remove criminal penalties from the adult use, possession and cultivation of marijuana in Washington State.
Three business are currently hosting I-1068 petitions in North Kitsap, they are: MoeJoe Coffee Co. in Kingston, Bella Luna Pizzeria in Suquamish, and Jimmie’s Java in Poulsbo. Recent polls favor legalization. I urge everyone to sign, so voters can decide the issue in November.

Munchies are a well-known effect of a marijuana high, but consuming food can often induce the same result. For medical marijuana patients looking to get their daily dosage without having to smoke, medicated edible products — or “medibles” — are a popular solution.
Bill Prince, co-founder of Discreet Treats in Colorado Springs, says he joined the medibles business because he realized that under the newly passed House Bill 1284, many small dispensaries would not be able to afford the commercial kitchen required for making the infused products.
“Because there are a lot of dispensaries that can’t make the medibles now, I thought I could make them and sell them,” he says. “I had no plans to do this; I just fell into it. I went and got a commercial kitchen, and now have a business with tremendous opportunities for growth.”
Discreet Treats makes all of its candies, dips and pretzels on-site and delivers them fresh to the centers. Prince says the medibles can be custom-ordered, and his partner chef can create any food the client might want.
“Nothing is set in stone,” he says. “We are trying to help the people get their medicine in other ways instead of having to smoke. A lot of people would prefer to eat something delicious.”
Each “medible” is made with different strains of cannabis that produce different effects and are beneficial to specific illnesses. According to the Vancouver Island Compassion Society (VICS), sativa primarily affects the mind and emotions, and is more uplifting, energizing and can help with the psychological component of many illnesses. The effects of indica are more physical and tend to relax patients, but it can also reduce stress, anxiety and pain.
Prince says he is able to try the edibles before they are medicated.
“There is no difference in the taste from before to after we add the marijuana,” he says. “Our peanut butter cups are better than a Reese’s. If you eat it, we’ll make it.”
Patients with doctor’s recommendations need the guidance of caregivers at marijuana dispensaries. It would be unwise to walk into a store and randomly choose from the variety of edibles available: from oral sprays, pills and tinctures, to ice cream, pastries and granola bars, to peanut butter, tea and honey, each with their own strain and dosage. The medical efficiency is directly related to strain selection.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of the active substances in cannabis, is soluble in oils or fats as well as alcohol. Gracy Midencey, owner of the delivery-only bakery Happy Farms, says MMJ bakers should not cook at temperatures higher than 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or they risk the THC breaking down. Usually, infusing the marijuana into the oil or the batter for products is the easiest way to make edibles, she says.
For Prince, keeping high professional standards in his kitchen is a must.
“Everything is under control as far as the portion,” he says. “One ounce, a half-ounce, we know how much exactly is in each. We’re going to have labels that resemble pharmaceutical ones with all of the ingredients, and it’ll say, for example on a candy, ‘One ounce with one tenth-gram hash.'”
While the effects of smoking marijuana are usually felt within the first 10 minutes, and the effects may last from 30 minutes to three hours, the effects of ingested marijuana are felt between 15 minutes to two hours, and can last two to eight hours.
The leaves of the plant, or “shake,” is preferable over using the flower, or “bud,” for baking since it is less costly and its potency is increased by this mode of ingestion. The shake may also be used to make tinctures or teas.
Prince says that all of his marijuana arrives processed, so it is immediately put into the oil and then made into the chocolates or other savory treats. He plans on making trail mix with dried fruit and chocolate-covered granola, and investing in a flash-freezing machine so that he can make entire meals for people.
http://www.csindy.com/colorado/strawberry-fields-forever/Content?oid=1761058