Damn, Willie, we gots to find us a new way across Texas!

Like his friend, Willie Nelson, Rapper Royalty Snoop Dogg was busted on Saturday in the same town that Willie was last year. It is tough to find an alternate route from Western Texas into New Mexico. But if you are on a tour bus, and you are packing marijuana, you might want to try to anyway.

Snoop Dogg was arrested by US Border Patrol agents and detained in Sierra Blanca, Texas, after a Texas officer says he detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside of the his tour bus. That was enough for them to run a drug dog through the bus, where he sniffed out a prescription bottle that contained some joints, along with another small container with some marijuana in it as well that was in a waste basket in the back of the bus.

All in all, Snoop Dogg had about two ounces total, or just about the same that Willie Nelson was maybe found with last year (there was some dispute between the scene reports and the actual crime he was charged with). Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus freely admitted the marijuana was his according to the arrest report.

Broadus does reside in California, and has a current medical marijuana card from that state. But, as you know, that doesn’t protect you outside of the state of California, so Snoop was issued a citation for misdemeanor drug possession and released. He was given a court appearance for on/or before January 20th. He is allowed to plead guilty and apy a $537 fine, otherwise, he can challenge the citation and make his case in court, although finding a jury of super cool people as Snoop Dogg’s peers in Sierra Blanca, Texas, might be a tough job.

Before we get started, let me make clear that this list is not “The Best People” or “The Worst People” or “The Most Important People”.  It is also not NORML’s official endorsement or condemnation of anyone listed.  This is merely my review of some of the personal stories in cannabis law reform, some whom you’ll recognize, others who appear briefly in a news report and are forgotten, that I felt needed recognition.  In fact, if you count them up, it’s more than ten people.

The Top Ten People in Marijuana in 2011 (audio mp3)

10. William Breathes – Journalism defeating unscientific and inaccurate DUID laws in Colorado

William Breathes, Denver WestWord's pot critic

When you say “medical marijuana” to most Americans, they will think “California”.  But Colorado has actually the most regulated and state-developed medical marijuana program in the country.  Per capita, Denver has far more medical marijuana dispensaries than Los Angeles or San Francisco/Oakland.  So I had no doubt that someone from Colorado would have to be included on this list.

Unfortunately, most of activism headlines out of Colorado in 2011 detailed the kind of immaturity and shenanigans that reflect poorly on marijuana activism.  2011 saw Miguel Lopez hectoring a legislator into dropping a patient privacy amendment, lecturing legislative committees, and accused of stealing and destroying legalization petitions.  Corey Donahue was jailed for disrupting a meeting organizing supporters of a legalization initiative, had his “Crazy for Justice” propose making April 20th a state holiday, and is accused of stealing documents from the state’s medical marijuana enforcement division (awaiting re-trial following mis-trial because Miguel Lopez was filming the jury selection).  Kathleen Chippi, Robert Chase, and Laura Kriho boasted openly about their active opposition to legalization efforts.

Thankfully, the “pot critic” of Denver’s alt-weekly, WestWord, comes to the rescue with an inspiring tale of one journalist’s use of the scientific method to help defeat bad anti-cannabis legislation.  Colorado had proposed a “5ng/mL per se DUID” standard, sort of the idea represented by a 0.08 blood-alcohol level to supposedly net drunk drivers.  The problem is that cannabis isn’t alcohol.  The science shows no reliable “impairment standard” for THC for every person.  Marijuana smokers can test above 5ng without displaying any impairment, and frequent consumers, like medical marijuana patients, can be way above 5ng with no recent consumption at all.

Breathes, a patient, took it upon himself to abstain from marijuana use for fifteen hours.  He was then tested and found to be at 13.5ng/mL, even as he was completely sober after a night of restful sleep.  This front-page news and subsequent support from new studies and a deadlocked task force of experts forced the Colorado legislators to kill the proposal.  Which, sadly, was then embraced by…

9. Alison Holcomb – New Approach Washington’s legalization adopts Colorado’s defeated DUID provision

Alison Holcomb of ACLU-WA

Washington State is poised in 2012 to have a marijuana legalization proposal on the ballot that stands a serious chance of winning.  Alison Holcomb, the Drug Policy Director at ACLU of Washington, has done a remarkable job lining up high-profile supporters, including travel guru Rick Steves, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, former US Attorney John McKay, and former FBI Special Agent in Charge of Seattle Division, Charles Mandigo; as well as securing the big-dollar funding an initiative needs to be successful.

However, controversy within the Washington marijuana movement erupted as activists got wind of the details within I-502, the Holcomb-sponsored marijuana legalization initiative.  ACLU’s polling showed the two biggest obstacles to legalization support among the public are “What About the Children?!?” and “Beware the Stoned Drivers!!!”.  To assuage the public’s fear of stoned teenagers, I-502 sets a 21 age limit and zero tolerance for any use by drivers in that age group.  More controversially, to mitigate the stoned driver fear, I-502 adopts the same 5ng/mL per se DUID standard that had just been defeated in Colorado.

That DUID standard has caused longtime legalization advocates, including NORML attorney Douglas Hiatt, NORML Board Member Jeff Steinborn, and Seattle Hempfest Director Vivian McPeak, to publicly condemn I-502.  (To their credit, none of them have been arrested for stealing from and disrupting their opposition, a la Colorado above.)  It will be up to the voters in the Evergreen State to decide whether a few innocent tokers jailed on DUID is worth the potential of all tokers being innocent of possession.

8. Willie Nelson – the case of the living legend and the evaporating marijuana

How do you turn six ounces into three ounces into just a pot pipe? Ask Willie!

Bless Willie Nelson, he’s been a lifetime supporter of NORML and voices many pro-legalization ads on our radio show.  He’s always been synonymous with pot smoking.  But this year, he was one of the 850,000+ arrests for marijuana possession.  The case of Willie Nelson in Sierra Blanca, Texas, shone a spotlight on the idiocy of marijuana prohibition.  In its prosecution, it highlighted the disparity of the “justice” system when it comes to drugs and the rich and famous vs. the poor and anonymous.  The fallout has been a nascent political movement and another successful year of touring for the 78-year-old.

In late 2010, Willie was busted by Border Patrol when his tour bus passed through Sierra Blanca, Texas.  Cops seized six ounces of marijuana according to the reports.  In response, Willie notified Steve Bloom of CelebStoner that he was calling for a “Teapot Party” to promote the cause of legalization, which in 2011 gained mainstream political coverage for endorsing Republican Gary Johnson for president, before backpedaling to account for the singer’s support of Democrat Dennis Kucinich.

As Winter 2011 gave way to Spring, the six ounces of marijuana somehow became just three ounces of marijuana.  The county attorney joked, “Between me and the sheriff, we threw out enough of it or smoked enough so that there’s only three ounces, which is within my jurisdiction.”  But the traditional media didn’t get the joke when they reported Willie would be able to get out of jail time if he sang “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” in court and pay a fine.  The judge confirmed the hoax and said Willie could just plead guilty by mail and pay a fine.

Also in the Spring of 2011, eleven hours’ drive across the state in Tyler, Texas, a jury sentenced Henry Walter Wooten to 35 years in prison (that’s 420 months; dig the irony) for the possession of four-and-a-half ounces of marijuana.  He did have two felony convictions from around two dozen years ago, one for having a gun without a permit and another for selling cocaine.  Most of all, he can’t sing “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” worth a damn.

This summer, prosecutors agreed to let Willie plead guilty not to three ounces of marijuana but just possession of paraphernalia, which put him out $780 in fines and court costs.  In that deal, there was no punishment or acknowledgement of possession of any marijuana.  But so far the judge isn’t accepting that, saying the singer doesn’t deserve “special treatment”.

7. Patricia Spottedcrow – Single mother of four imprisoned a decade over $31 worth of pot

Patricia Spottedcrow got ten years for selling $31 worth of marijuana.

Every year there are busts of marijuana consumers that tug at the heart strings.  This year, the tale of Patricia Spottedcrow in Oklahoma garnered national attention:

(AOL News) Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow, a 25-year-old mother of four, and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold an $11 dime bag to a police informant in Oklahoma on Dec. 31, 2009. The informant returned two weeks later to buy $20 of marijuana. Spottedcrow, who worked in nursing homes before her arrest, told The Oklahoman she did it to get some extra money.

The women were charged with drug distribution and possession of a dangerous substance in the presence of a minor, because Spottedcrow’s children were in the house during the transaction. They were offered plea deals of two years in prison but decided to enter a guilty plea instead, a gamble they took because neither had prior convictions and because the amount of drugs sold was so small.

The gamble did not pay off. Spottedcrow was given sentences of 10 years in prison for distribution and two years for possession, to run concurrently. When she was picked up to be taken to prison, she had marijuana in her jacket pocket, which led to another two-year concurrent sentence and a fine of nearly $1,300.

The judge in this story feels like she was compassionate in not sentencing the grandmother of Spottedcrow’s children, ages 9, 4, 3, and 1, to any jail time so she can raise the grandkids while mom is in prison.  Gee, thanks judge!  The family is so struggling to make ends meet they sell dime bags, so lets give grandma four mouths to feed all by herself.

But at least this high-level criminal mastermind is behind bars.  Oklahoma is safe now that $31 worth of weed was taken off the streets and an underpaid nursing home attendant is locked up.

6. Mackenzie Allen – Former cop’s legalization question tops Presidential survey

Continuing a theme he established even as a candidate, President Obama solicited the American people on their concerns on the most pressing issues facing America today.  In January, he utilized YouTube to have citizens ask video questions, to be voted on for response.  Mackenzie Allen, a retired law enforcement officer who represents LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) asked the top rated question, which garnered 13,842 votes – over 1% of all votes cast (people could vote for more than one question).  Of the 193,060 people who voted more than 7% voted for the LEAP question.  That’s about one in fourteen people who took the time to Ask Obama.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a police officer, I saw how waging the war on drugs has cost a trillion dollars and thousands of lives but does nothing to reduce drug use. Should we discuss legalizing marijuana and other drugs, which would eliminate the violent criminal market?

As an honorable mention, our own Erik Altieri in September penned NORML’s legalization question which garnered the most votes in the “We the People” survey.  This latest incarnation of “Change.gov” / “Open for Questions” / “Citizen’s Briefing Book” / “Ideas for Change” / “Ask Obama” marked the ninth time the president has asked and the ninth time the American people have screamed, overwhelmingly, “legalize it!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy – One of four engaged in “crack down” on California medical marijuana

Laura E. Duffy, US Attorney for Southern District of California

The four US Attorneys in California, apparently acting without direction from President Obama or Attorney General Holder, moved to crack down on what they consider to be “abuses” of medical marijuana laws of California.  Referring to Proposition 215, the 1996 initiative that excepted medical use of marijuana from criminal prosecution, Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. attorney for California’s central district, said “What we’ve seen, unfortunately, is the Compassionate Use Act has really turned into the Commercial Use Act.”  (It remains unclear to me why federal US Attorneys think they have standing to evaluate what is and isn’t an abuse of state law, but I’m one of those weirdos who’s read the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution.)

But I’ve singled out Laura E. Duffy of the four because she went above and beyond her colleagues in not only ignoring her boss’s previous policy statements and the 9th & 10th Amendments, but in also threatening the 1st Amendment over medical marijuana:

(California Watch) Federal prosecutors are preparing to target newspapers, radio stations and other media outlets that advertise medical marijuana dispensaries in California, another escalation in the Obama administration’s newly invigorated war against the state’s pot industry.

U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, whose district includes Imperial and San Diego counties, said marijuana advertising is the next area she’s “going to be moving onto as part of the enforcement efforts in Southern California.” Duffy said she could not speak for the three other U.S. attorneys covering the state but noted their efforts have been coordinated so far.

“I’m not just seeing print advertising,” Duffy said in an interview with California Watch and KQED. “I’m actually hearing radio and seeing TV advertising. It’s gone mainstream. Not only is it inappropriate – one has to wonder what kind of message we’re sending to our children – it’s against the law.”

4. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer – loves fed marijuana policy, hates fed immigration policy

To be fair, this ability is not uncommon among politicians.

There was no shortage of state governors I could have chosen for this spot.  New Jersey’s reprehensible Chris Christie has stonewalled every step of the way in implementing The (No) Garden State’s medical marijuana law, even trying to turn the mandated six dispensaries into only four, limited to growing but three strains statewide that measure less than 10% THC.  Montana’s quirky Brian Schweitzer won praise for vetoing an attempt to repeal medical marijuana, only to earn scorn for allowing “Repeal Lite” to pass without his signature.  Washington’s spineless Chris Gregoire line-item vetoed a legislative measure to establish regulated medical marijuana dispensaries on the pretense of protecting state workers, as did Rhode Island’s invertebrate Lincoln Chafee, when the feds sent a threatening letter.  But then Gregoire and Chafee petitioned the feds to reschedule cannabis so they could operate their dispensaries.  Maryland’s sensible Martin O’Malley signed an expansion of affirmative defense and Delaware’s compassionate Jack Markell signed his state into becoming the 16th medical marijuana state.  Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s vile Mary Fallin signed a law that could mean a life sentence for making pot brownies, but Connecticut’s reasonable Dan Malloy made his state the 14th to decriminalize personal possession by adults.

However, for sheer boldfaced unadulterated political hypocrisy, I have to recognize Arizona’s two-faced Governor Jan Brewer.  First she campaigned against Prop 203 but later said she “believed in the will of the people” who passed that medical marijuana initiative.  Then she was lecturing police that they didn’t do enough to campaign against Prop 203 while admitting that she was “too busy” to do more herself.  Then she was stonewalling on the issuance of dispensary permits that the “will of the people” approved, because she was suing to see that the “will of the people” be denied by a federal court.

In other words, if the people of Arizona pass a law to get illegal marijuana to Arizonans, because Washington DC is out of touch, then the “will of the people” be damned.  Gov. Brewer will sue in federal court to uphold federal law.  But if the people of Arizona pass a law to get illegal Mexicans out of Arizona, because Washington DC is out of touch, then the “will of the people” is sacred.  Gov. Brewer will sue in federal court to uphold state law.  (I have no word on the governor’s position on illegal Mexican immigrants who need medical marijuana, but I’ll bet it is confusing.)

3. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson – former Republican, now Libertarian presidential candidate

Former NM Gov. Gary Johnson with me (in low light)

On the other end of the governor spectrum we find former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.  The two-term Republican governor had been touting his “Our America Initiative” in 2010 and appearing at NORML Conference and other pro-marijuana festivals in full-throated support of legalization of marijuana for adult use.  His vocal support only grew in April 2011 as he announced his run as a Republican for the presidential nomination of the party, and not only continued to appear at pro-legalization rallies, and even had Willie Nelson’s Teapot Party (briefly) endorse his presidential run.

Alas, the Republican party and traditional media didn’t agree and denied Johnson all but a couple of chances on the national debate stage to state his case.  The marijuana issue was ignored despite strong public inquiry about it, even among Republicans.  Johnson continued to speak out on the issue to those who would listen.  But this week, he has abandoned his bid for the Republican nomination and taken up a presidential campaign for the Libertarian ticket.

To his credit, Rep. Ron Paul remains in the race for the Republican nomination and even comes in 2nd in the current polling in advance of next Tuesday’s Iowa caucus.  Paul, a longtime supporter of NORML’s mission, has also introduced The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011 and been a co-sponsor of other pro-marijuana federal legislation.  But the last time Rep. Paul spoke directly to an audience of marijuana activists was 1988.

2. Rep. Barney Frank – the lion of legalization retires from Congress

After sixteen terms in the US House of Representatives, liberal Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts is set to retire.  He’s sponsored or co-sponsored just about every pro-marijuana bill that has ever died in Congress.  He’s spoken directly to pro-marijuana audiences.  For me, though, my favorite Barney Frank moments are when he is chiding conservatives on their decidedly big-government, wasteful-spending, anti-states-rights support of marijuana prohibition:

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Steven DeAngelo – Harborside’s CEO rebukes recreational legalization on Weed Wars

Harborside CEO Steven DeAngelo and me

Last year I was very encouraged by one Bay Area medical marijuana entrepreneur.  In 2010, Richard Lee put 1.5 million dollars of his own money to legalize marijuana for adult use, regardless of the reason why someone might choose to use it.  For months, I had predicted that the longer medical marijuana was an “industry”, the more that industry would fight to protect itself, even from legalization.

In 2011, I have been discouraged to have been proven right by another Bay Area medical marijuana entrepreneur, Steven DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center, the world’s largest marijuana dispensary.  In January, the IRS was auditing the books of Harborside, building a case that the dispensary was in violation of IRS Section 280E, which explicitly bans any tax deductions related to “trafficking in controlled substances.”  The pressure on DeAngelo wasn’t surprising.  ”If 280E is applied literally and strictly,” DeAngelo said, “it has the potential to close down Harborside and every other medical cannabis dispensary.”

In an effort apparently calculated to steer the IRS away from any claim that Harborside’s business might not be serving strictly medical needs, DeAngelo began casting aspersions on Richard Lee’s legalization effort, which he had publicly supported the year prior.  ”I warned people who were pushing Prop. 19 that losing elections would have consequences,” DeAngelo said, “In large part what we’re seeing is the consequences of an overreach by our community.”  DeAngelo published a manifesto entitled “At the Crossroads, or Wellness, Not Intoxication”, where he chides the legalization supporters fighting for a right to recreational cannabis use, saying, “very little cannabis use is actually for recreational purposes, or intoxication. This truth is not negated by the fact that many users of cannabis buy into the misconception that their own use is recreational.”

Steven and his brother Andrew DeAngelo then became the subjects of a Discovery Channel reality show called Weed Wars.  In the press tours promoting the show, both brothers clearly said “I don’t believe that any psychoactive substance should be used for recreation“ and “we do not support the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes.”  Activists were outraged and what followed from Steven DeAngelo were semantic explanations and rhetorical absurdities.

This all culminated in the fourth installment of Weed Wars closing with Steven DeAngelo saying “I don’t believe in legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes; I think cannabis should be used for purposes of wellness.”  Again, activists were outraged, pointing out DeAngelo was a lifelong legalization activist.  DeAngelo responded again with more rhetoric about believing nobody should be subject to criminal penalties for marijuana and justifications about promoting “wellness” and dissing “recreation” being just a strategy for achieving legalization (which he’s told the public he’s against).  He even tries to shift the blame to editing at the Discovery Channel, when his appearances on live TV show that he meant exactly what he said after editing on Weed Wars.

Download Link: Secret Stash - Register to access
Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2011-06-09.mp3)

Hemp Headlines

Brought to you by Cannabis Fantastic

1. Washington State Supreme Court rules employers may legally discriminate against medical marijuana patients
2. Connecticut fails to call medical marijuana bill to floor vote, but tries last minute bill for a task force to study the issue
3. Willie Nelson’s five ounces in Texas that became two ounces becomes just a paraphernalia charge, fine and no jail time

Daily Toker Tunes

Brought to you by John Doe Radio.com

• Groovin’ Thursday: Earthquake Institute – “Medicated”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Speaker’s Corner

• Terry Nelson on the 40th Anniversary of Nixon’s “War on Drugs”

Grassroots Activism

• Jennifer Alexander from OCTA 2012 on proposal to raise fees on medical marijuana patients

How do you turn five ounces into two ounces into just a pot pipe? Ask Willie!

Willie Nelson, who was arrested for marijuana possession in November, took a plea deal yesterday to avoid jail time.

Read the original here:
Willie Nelson Settles His Marijuana Arrest

Download Link: Secret Stash - Register to access
Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2011-05-20.mp3)

Hemp Headlines

Brought to you by Cannabis Fantastic

1. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles still working on bill to remedy governor’s dispensary veto
2. San Leandro narcotics officer busted selling weed from the evidence locker
3. Colorado activists submit eight different initiatives for the legalization of marijuana

Daily Toker Tunes

Brought to you by Urb Thrasher from Urb Age Designs

• Rockin’ Friday: Ivy League – “Let it Burn”

CelebStoner.com Entertainment Report with Steve Bloom, co-author of Reefer Movie Madness: The Ultimate Stoner Film Guide

• The behind-the-scenes story of Willie Nelson’s endorsement, then un-endorsement, of Gov. Gary Johnson for president

Government at Work

• Analysis and commentary on the legislative hearings for HB 3664 yesterday in Oregon

Willie Nelson - "The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player."

Earlier this week we reported on the Teapot Party and Willie Nelson’s endorsement of former Republican New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson for president of the United States.  The motto of the Teapot Party is “We lean a little to the left,” and it seems somebody clued-in Willie to the fact that Johnson is, on many issues, leaning heavily to the right.

That and the country crooner’s friendship and 2008 support for Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who leans very heavily on the left, put Willie in an uncomfortable political position, as explained by our colleague, CelebStoner blogmaster and Teapot Party organizer Steve Bloom:

Yesterday, both the Teapot Party and Gary Johnson 2012 sent out press releases announcing the endorsement. The media immediately jumped on it, with Politico, Fox and Raw Story leading the coverage. We were on a roll.

But not so fast. I sent the press release and coverage links to Nelson. His response took me by surprise: “My position is it too early for me to endorse anyone. And I think every one should vote their own conscience.”

I wrote back reminding him that he had approved the endorsement.

“I know I said that,” Nelson replied. “But I think I will wait and see where he stands on other things. My bad. Sorry. I still think he is a good guy but so Is Dennis and if he decided to run I would personally vote for him. If it came down to either him or Gary I’m already committed to Dennis. They both have said they support legal pot.”

So the cat was out of the bag, so to speak. Willie Nelson has changed his tune. “Where do we go from here?” I asked him.

“I still say that the people have the power to change things and they will if they vote,” Nelson replied. “The Teapot Party started as a joke but it could still be a way for people to speak out about important things. I am not a criminal. The millions of pot smokers in this country are not criminals. We don’t like being treated as such and I for one will stand up for what I believe in and will vote for anyone I choose. You should do the same. We are not ever going to agree on everything and everybody. The best advice I ever got was from my ex father-in-law. He said take my advice and do what you want to. End of story.”

And one more email from Nelson, sort of a postscript: “This will blow over and the world moves on. No harm done. We sound like a bunch of pot smokers, that’s all… The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player.”

(Read more at the Teapot Party Blog)

This is my first photo with someone who has climbed Mt. Everest

Politico reports that former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has earned the endorsement of Willie Nelson and the Teapot Party:

Long-haired country crooner Willie Nelson and his Teapot Party have endorsed Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson.

Johnson, the first presidential candidate the group has endorsed, got the nod from the Teapoters because of his views on legalizing marijuana.

The former governor of New Mexico, who previously admitted to smoking pot for medicinal purposes, supported legalizing the drug when he was governor. Since he’s been out of office, he has continued to speak out for marijuana reform. Johnson said, “I advocate legalizing marijuana – control it, regulate, tax it” during the Republican debate on May 5 in South Carolina.

None of this is a surprise, of course.  Where I find a story is in Politico’s reporting of the story; more precisely, what I didn’t find in their reporting of the story:

A pot pun.

With such fish in the barrel as notorious pot smoker Willie Nelson, a group called the Teapot Party, and a governor who’s appeared at the NORML Conference, the Cypress Hill Smokeout, Seattle Hempfest, KushCon, and the Texas NORML Marijuana March, you’d expect a headline like “Gary Johnson High on Willie’s Presidential Ticket” or a lede like “Legendary country music star Willie Nelson, long known to be a fan of marijuana, hopes to deliver a stash of votes to GOP presidential hopeful Gary Johnson.”

Politico covered it fairly and soberly as they would have noted a megachurch pastor’s endorsement of a GOP candidate for his views on reproductive choice or a union leader’s endorsement of a Democratic candidate for his views on labor relations.  Thank you for presenting the Teapot Party endorsement with class.

Willie Nelson for NORML

Now Kit Bramblett said the whole thing was a joke. He was trying to be funny and the whole thing got out of hand.

Nelson was caught with what is now being reported as a “small amount of cannabis” on his tour bus as he rode through a Texas check point. Bramblett told reporters that the case could be sorted if Nelson pleaded guilty, paid a fine and sang an acoustic version of Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain in court with his famous guitar, Trigger. The judge in the case, Judge Becky Dean-Walker,  clarified for us today that Nelson can plead guilty by mail, like everyone else caught with a misdemeanor amount of cannabis, pay a fine and he won’t have to sing a note.

Read the rest here:
Willie Nelson Will Not Have to Sing for His Freedom in Texas

Download Link: Secret Stash - Register to access
Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2011-03-30.mp3)

Hemp Headlines

Brought to you by Cannabis Fantastic

1. Willie Nelson follow-up: Sheriff and Judge explain their “jokes” about misplacing and smoking half of Willie’s six ounces and requiring him to sing “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” in the court
2. Montana’s “Repeal Lite” SB 423 seems stuck in the Senate, needs supermajority to proceed
3. New Canadian study claims MS patients suffer from “cloudy thinking” if they use cannabis
4. National Cancer Institute scrubs it’s recent update proclaiming the antitumoral propoerties of cannabinoids

Daily Toker Tunes

Brought to you by Grateful Dread Public Radio at http://gdreadradio.net, a 24-hour community service Internet radio station proud to carry NORML SHOW LIVE

• irie Wednesday: DJ Skuddy – “Canabis”

Cannabis Science with Dr. Mitch Earleywine

NORML Newsmakers

• NORML Women’s Aliiance Vice-Chair Diane Fornbacher tells her experience as an audience member on yesterday’s Dr. Oz medical marijuana Show

Willie Nelson

Activist and country music legend, Willie Nelson is no stranger to trouble with  the law. Last year, he was arrested for  marijuana possession as his tour bus was traveling through Texas.  The singer, who will turn 78 next month,  was accused of possession 6 ounces of marijuana after a routine checkpoint stop in Sierra Blanca, about 85 miles east of El Paso last November. After the arrest, and the supposed packaging from the marijuana was removed, the weight of the marijuana suspiciously weighed in at just three ounces, barely making it a misdemeanor.  Nelson, along with three other people on his tour bus were arrested at the scene, and then released after paying a $2500 bond. Nelson was on his way from California to his Texas ranch at the time.

Go here to read the rest:
Willie Nelson Offered Unbelievable Plea Deal