Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-05-09

It’s Friday, May 9th and it’s 4:20 somewhere in the world! I’m your host, “Radical” Russ Belville and this is your NORML Daily Audio Stash.

Today we have an extra-special Stash for you. On Wednesday the warehouse of Spectrum Labs in Cincinnati, Ohio, was raided by federal agents – it’s our top story in our upcoming Hemp Headlines. We’ve got an interview with the owner of Spectrum Labs, Matt Stevens, who’s here to tell us about the harrowing SWAT-style raid on this purveyor of drug testing and detoxification equipment.

What’s driving the raids seems to be a personal vendetta against Tommy Chong by the US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mary Beth Buchanan. I’m thrilled to tell you that Tommy Chong will be joining us to tell how the Spectrum bust is all about sending a message to him regarding the DVD the Spectrum had stored in its warehouse, a/k/a Tommy Chong, the documentary about Mary Beth Buchanan’s crusade to bust and incarcerate Tommy for internet bong sales back in 2003.

For our musical break we’re pleased to bring you music from my new friend in Tennessee, Chief Greenbud. We played a live acoustic version of this song, The Legalization Song, earlier this week. Now the Chief is back with the full studio version for your enjoyment today.

Then we wrap things up with Josh Gilbert, the director/producer/writer of the a/k/a Tommy Chong DVD, telling his side of the story about the Spectrum raids and his documentary, followed by the conclusion of our two-part interview with Tommy Chong.

Finally, don’t forget that every Saturday we’re now posting the NORML Weekend Music Stash, where you can get all of the last ten songs from our daily musical breaks in one podcast, suitable for your weekend party pleasure. If you have a band that would like to be featured on our podcast, please send us an email at stash ‘at’ norml.org.

So sit back and relax with some Labrador and enjoy your NORML Daily Audio Stash…

[Update: Whoops! The three interviews today put me under the gun and I made a couple of mistakes! Small editing gaffe in one of the stories, no big deal, but I programmed the wrong song by Chief Greenbud. You heard “Without Weed”, which is a good song, too. My apologies.]

FBI Raids Mail Order Companies In Tri-state - Cincinnati breaking news, weather radar, traffic from 9News | Channel 9 WCPO.com
Federal agents raided two businesses in Northern Kentucky and Clermont County on Wednesday.

The businesses in Union Township and Newport specialize in detox products to help customers pass pre-employment drug tests.

Spectrum Labs is in the middle of the business district in Newport. On Wednesday morning, neighboring businesses couldn’t help but notice police and federal agents arriving at the 818 Monmouth Street.

“First we saw three Newport cops come up and the DEA and the FBI and they all ran in with their guns held up and then they came out and took off their vests,” said Natasha Luster, a witness.

A rental truck arrived a short time later and agents began removing dozens of boxes of files.

The FBI and DEA are not commenting on the specifics of their investigation. They would only say they were executing search warrants that are currently sealed.

No one has been arrested or charged.

The part of the story they aren’t telling you is that Spectrum Labs is the company that also is funding and distributing the documentary (”a/k/a/ Tommy Chong”) about Tommy Chong’s ordeal in the prosecution culminating in his imprisonment for nine months for selling bongs on the internet.

a/k/a Tommy Chong

The force behind that prosecution was the United States Attorney appointed by George W. Bush to the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mary Beth Buchanan.

So, care to guess which US Attorney is behind this raid of Spectrum Labs and the seizure of the movie that paints Mary Beth Buchanan in an unflattering light?

TODAY ­ May 7, 2008: District Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan continues targeting Tommy Chong (”Cheech & Chong”), raiding his Spectrum Labs warehouse and confiscating DVDs.

Moments ago, Buchanan’s task force raided a warehouse where Chong was storing DVD copies of his documentary A/K/A TOMMY CHONG, a film chronicling Chong’s 2005 arrest by Buchanan for selling bongs over state lines. D.A. Buchanan has a reputation for chasing national headlines instead of criminals and has received much media attention for her prosecution of Tommy Chong.

In a hastily-written description of the raid, the director of the documentary, Josh Gilbert, told NORML in an email:

newsflash: 30 fully armed swat team commandos raided cincinnati office and held 5 overweight, middle aged women hostage while they emptied out their warehouse of piss testing agents; fake penises (the whizzinator); fake pee and a dvd about the feds busting tommy chong of cheech and chong…for selling bongs over the internet. all starring the same justice serving federal prosecutor, mary beth buchanan!

Be sure to download the Friday Stash for our interview with Tommy Chong about this breaking news story.