Marijuana Blog

An Oregon marijuana grower was outed to police by satellite images of his farm viewable on Google Earth, according to the Grants Pass Daily Courier (via CNET). While the satellite images are usually far from up-to-date, Curtis W. Croft had been at the pot growing game long enough that even the infrequently refreshed Google Earth was able to catch him.

 

The local police were originally tipped off when Croft was reported to have been bragging about his prodigious ganja crop. Someone in the force then had the insight to check Croft's property on Google Earth; sure enough, they spotted row upon row of crops. "Aerial reconnaissance" confirmed that the Google Earth images were still accurate.

 

Medical marijuana is legal in the state of Oregon, but Croft did not have permission to be growing the quantity he was.

 

Google Earth images can be years out of date, so they're far from an ideal research tool for identifying current criminal activity. But this is far from the first time that the service has been used to implicate someone: it was reportedly used to catch a man growing pot in Wisconsin back in 2006.

 

Read more: http://arstechnica.com

Potheads are known for being slightly clumsy. We tend to not really pay attention to the finer details as we go about our day to day activities. So when it comes to smoking, there are some really unfortunate things that could (and do) happen when we're smoking. Whether you're a novice smoker or an expert, all of these things can happen when you're getting high.

 

- Spilling the bong can happen to any one, at any time. Sometimes, there's a clumsy stoner in the group and occasionally, the bong just ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. This accident is really a buzzkill but easily avoidable. Don't put the bong on the floor or unsteady tables. Also, be sure to keep your bong water clean. If the piece happens to fall over, at least the water won't smell as bad if you're keeping it clean.

 

- When you ash a blunt or a joint out of the window of a moving car, you better have an iron grip on it. A sunroof seems like a great idea when you're stoned. It's an easy way to ash the blunt. Always remember that there is this thing called wind and it's pretty strong at about 35 mph. It can and will rip the blunt or joint right out of your hand. Depending on where you are, there might not be a chance to go look for it and even if there is, there's not a large chance that you'll find it. It's better to ash in a water bottle or can rather than out of the window while moving.

 

- Smoking a bowl every so often is a good change but when you volcano the bowl? Forget it. Especially if the hit you're taking is one of the first. Expelling chunks of charred bud (and smokeable bud), as well as hot coals, isn't just a waste of weed, it's embarrassing! Coughing is fine but please pull the bowl away from your mouth before you start choking!

 

- If you're planning on packing a bong, placing the slide somewhere stable is a good idea. Sometimes, the glass seems to take on a mind of it's own if it's not sturdy enough. By trying to pack a bowl on an unstable surface, you're putting yourself at high risk of spilling the contents of the bowl everywhere. Hopefully, if this does happen to you, it's on a glass table. This will make it much easier to collect the spilled treasure.

 

- Close the grinder... Always. These little monsters seem to be attracted to the ground if they're carelessly left open on a table or tray. Closing the grinder ensures that when it does fall, you won't have to spend hours picking ground up bud out of your carpet. Nobody likes to smoke weed lint from your carpet. It's best to keep the grinder closed that this doesn't happen. They haven't invented a weed magnet yet!

When I met Jeff Mizanskey’s son at a Show-Me Cannabis Regulation statewide meeting in 2012, I already knew about countless nightmares peaceful citizens had suffered because of cannabis prohibition, but I could hardly believe there was someone in Missouri serving life without parole for a cannabis-only offense. After meeting Jeff in the Jefferson City maximum security prison and reviewing his legal records, I know this is a nightmare he will die in prison with if we on the outside do not help. Jeff’s family and I shared his hopes that the proposed initiative petition provision to release all cannabis-only offenders from prison, probation, and parole would awaken Jeff and others from the nightmare of cannabis prohibition and we continue to hope future proposals will include this provision.

 

In 1993, a vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation and 84 pounds of cannabis was found. The transporters agreed to assist police in arresting the intended recipient. An audiovisual recording police made with hidden equipment shows the transporters and the police were surprised that Jeff drove the intended recipient to the motel for the meeting. Jeff and the intended recipient were arrested as they left the motel room. Seven pounds of cannabis was found under the intended recipient’s jacket. Only three grams of cannabis was found in Jeff’s pocket, but he was prosecuted for aiding the intended recipient in possessing cannabis with intent to distribute. The transporters were never charged. The intended recipient pleaded guilty and received a ten year sentence. Jeff contested his charges and, after a jury convicted him, a judge sentenced him to life. (It is not clear from the record whether the now-deceased judge intended to deny the possibility of parole, but, based on the Court Clerk’s entries on the judgment form, Jeff is being held without parole).

 

Jeff was sentenced under Missouri law as a prior and persistent drug offender because he had three prior cannabis-only felony convictions. In 1984, Jeff sold one ounce to an informant, who obtained a search warrant for Jeff’s house where over 35 grams was found the next day. In 1991, Jeff pleaded guilty to possessing over 35 grams. He was arrested in December of 1993 for his current charges and has been incarcerated ever since. Jeff has no other criminal record. There was no violence, guns, juveniles or other aggravating factors involved in any of his convictions. Jeff has been an ideal inmate who has maintained good behavior and prison jobs during his incarceration. Jeff has has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to get relief from the Missouri Court of Appeals and Federal Courts during the past 20 years of his incarceration.

 

Read more: http://www.theweedblog.com