marijuana

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Big Player in American Pot: Chinese Mafias
Big Player in American Pot:
Chinese Mafias
longform

Big Player in American Pot: Chinese Mafias

ProPublica investigation looks at how they have begun dominating the illegal market

(Newser) - Even as legal marijuana becomes more common, the market for illegal pot thrives across the US. And as an investigation by ProPublica and the Frontier makes clear, that market is increasingly dominated by organized crime outfits from China. "The mobsters operate in a loose but disciplined confederation overseen from...

'Diet Weed' Is Teens' Latest Kick
Teens Have a New Marijuana
Workaround: 'Diet Weed'
NEW STUDY

Teens Have a New Marijuana Workaround: 'Diet Weed'

Researchers say 'appreciable' number of high school seniors are using delta-8, a cannabis compound

(Newser) - In some states, pot hasn't yet been legalized, and even in states where it has been, you have to be 21 to legally consume it. But teens across the US have found a workaround of sorts—a less-potent, more readily available form of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound...

New Orleans Police Chief: 'Rats Are Eating Our Marijuana'

Department to relocate from rodent-infested building lacking air conditioning, elevators

(Newser) - New Orleans' police chief pleaded for a new building to serve as police headquarters on Monday, summing up her case in just two sentences. "The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high," Anne Kirkpatrick testified during a meeting of the city's criminal justice committee, eliciting...

State's Bong Auction, Meant to Bring In Millions, Netted $2K

California's auction went bust after trying to sell confiscated fixtures

(Newser) - When the state of California raided 10 cannabis businesses that collectively owed $14 million in back taxes, officials had high hopes for the goodies they seized, with plans to put them all up for auction to raise millions. The grand haul after a Feb. 16 sale of various glass bongs...

When It Comes to Pot, a 'Big Concern' About Driving

Figuring out when it's safe to drive after marijuana consumption remains a challenge

(Newser) - Amid increasing marijuana legalization over the past two decades or so, both medicinal and recreational, has come a spike in accompanying car accidents. According to a 2021 study in the American Journal of Public Health , the percentage of car-crash fatalities tied to cannabis was just 9% in 2000; in 2018,...

Joe Montana Really Likes Backing Weed Companies

Retired NFL star has found success investing in the legal marijuana industry

(Newser) - NFL great Joe Montana has found a lucrative way to stretch his retirement savings, and dabbling in legal marijuana probably wasn't the first thing to come to mind for the former 49ers golden-boy quarterback. Nonetheless, SFGate reports that his venture capital firm, Liquid 2 Ventures, made some moves in...

She Stabbed Beau 108 Times, Avoids Jail Time

Bryn Spejcher found to have been suffering from marijuana-induced psychosis

(Newser) - The family of a man fatally stabbed 108 times says a California judge has set a dangerous precedent in ruling that the man's killer will serve no jail time. In December, a jury found Bryn Spejcher guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the May 28, 2018, death of 26-year-old Chad...

Biden Slams 'Failed Approach' to Pot, Clears Path for Pardons

President makes thousands more people eligible to receive pardons for marijuana-related crimes

(Newser) - President Biden is making thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia eligible for pardons, the White House said Friday, in his latest round of executive clemencies meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system....

Netherlands, Long a Weed Trailblazer, Tests Legality

In experiment, coffee shops in two Dutch cities will sell legally cultivated marijuana for the first time

(Newser) - A paradox at the heart of the Netherlands' permissive pot policy went up in smoke Friday in two Dutch cities as "coffee shops" began selling the country's first legally cultivated cannabis as part of an experiment to regulate the trade. The experiment could mark the beginning of the...

Lawyer Accused of Bringing More Than Papers to Jail

Ronald Lewis, 77, is accused of smuggling drug-laced documents to inmates in Texas facility

(Newser) - A good attorney will have your back as you navigate all the legalities of your case. An even better attorney knows that "having your back" doesn't translate to sneaking narcotics into the facility where you're incarcerated. That's exactly what lawyer Ronald Henry Lewis is accused of...

Snoop Dogg Baffler: 'I'm Giving Up Smoke'

Longtime marijuana enthusiast posts short statement, asks for privacy

(Newser) - Snoop Dogg, legendary weed enthusiast, caused fans to do a double-take on Thursday with a short statement on social media: "After much consideration & conversation with my family, I've decided to give up smoke," he wrote . "Please respect my privacy at this time." As the...

Pot May Raise Risk of Heart Issues
Pot Smokers
May Be Doing
Damage to
Their Tickers
NEW STUDIES

Pot Smokers May Be Doing Damage to Their Tickers

Researchers find daily users have a 34% greater risk of heart failure; heart attack, stroke risk also up

(Newser) - If you think you're avoiding serious health issues by switching from smoking tobacco to smoking pot, you might want to reassess. Two new still-to-be-published studies, set to be presented Nov. 13 at an American Heart Association meeting in Philadelphia, show that people who use marijuana on a daily basis...

Health Dept. on Marijuana: It Shouldn't Be a Schedule I Drug

Recommendation has been passed to the Drug Enforcement Administration

(Newser) - The US Department of Health and Human Services has delivered a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration on marijuana policy, and Senate leaders hailed it Wednesday as a first step toward easing federal restrictions on the drug. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday on X that the agency has responded...

'Sometimes You Smell Food, Sometimes You Smell Weed'

Marijuana odor wafted from park to US Open court, player says

(Newser) - Even while she was rolling on the court, Maria Sakkari couldn't help noticing the smell of something off it. "It was weed," Sakkari said. The No. 8 seed from Greece was eliminated from the US Open in the first round Monday with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to...

Mastercard Brings Hammer Down on Pot Purchases

Company says it's banning cannabis transactions on its debit cards, as cannabis isn't legal federally

(Newser) - Looking to pick up some pot at the dispensary? Don't pull out your Mastercard. On Wednesday, the payment processing company announced it had informed financial institutions that it would not be allowing marijuana purchases on its debit cards, in what Reuters describes as "a blow to an industry...

A Marijuana Test for Work Is Fast Becoming a Relic
Employers Surrendering
on Pot Tests for Jobs
the rundown

Employers Surrendering on Pot Tests for Jobs

More employers scrapping the practice amid fast-changing laws

(Newser) - It's a brave new world in regard to marijuana use in the US, and getting braver all the time. In May, Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational use of the drug, notes Reuters , and a number of outlets have been cataloguing the resulting nationwide changes:
  • Workplace: Now
...

They Grow Pot Illegally, Leave Behind an 'Eyesore'

Oregon Legislature passes bill to make landowners responsible for messy aftermath of illicit grows

(Newser) - Oregon has long been known as a mecca for high-quality marijuana, but that reputation has come with a downside: illegal growers who offer huge amounts of cash to lease or buy land, then leave behind pollution, garbage, and a drained water table. Now, a bill passed by the Oregon Legislature...

Pot Dealer, 82, Gets 'Very Last Warning'

Retired seaman in Germany has 24 previous convictions

(Newser) - A retired sailor in Germany has been warned that he needs to retire from marijuana dealing as well. The 82-year-old man, who has 24 previous convictions and an ongoing suspended sentence, was convicted of selling several dozen grams of pot, but judges at a district court in eastern Germany decided...

Recreational Marijuana Is Legal in a 23rd State

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura joined Gov. Tim Walz for signing ceremony

(Newser) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was joined by a high-profile predecessor Tuesday when he signed a bill to make the state the 23rd in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Former WWF wrestler Jesse Ventura, who governed the state from 1999 to 2003, was among the first governors in...

California Cannabis Industry Fears a Big Crash Soon

Unpaid debts and taxes could lead to pot store shutdowns

(Newser) - The massive cannabis industry in California is in real peril, with one industry vet telling SF Gate that an "extinction event" is on the horizon. A number of marijuana dispensaries are in danger of closing due to mounting debt and missed tax payments, according to the outlet. While the...

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