http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/ Oakland County NORML en-us Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:49:50 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly Oakland County NORML News http://backend.userland.com/rss http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/images/logo.gif http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/ http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=492 (This is cross-posted in the Los Angeles section of Huffington Post – please feel free to surf over there and leave a comment that will be read outside our NORML forum.) Evergreen Collective, one of many advertising at this year's THC Exposé in LA, promoting their $45 / 4-gram eighth ounce "specials". Yesterday on our daily webcast for NORML we interviewed Dale Sky Clare, a spokesperson for Proposition 19, the initiative that will ask Californians to vote on a very limited form of marijuana legalization. We discussed the latest polling on the initiative from SurveyUSA, showing a 50%-to-40% lead for the measure. We dug through the demographics to find that older and more conservative people are the only groups more likely to oppose the measure (no, really?), support is greatest among the young and in the Bay Area (who knew?), and support among comedians named “Cheech” or “Chong” is approaching 100% (OK, I made the last one up.) But there is one growing demographic group that no poll has begun to track: medical marijuana dispensary owners. Since the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Initiative was mercifully truncated to a headline-friendly “Prop 19″ by virtue of making it on the California ballot, I have been tracking on our NORML Stash Blog the stories of dispensary owners who are publicly opposing the legalization of the product they sell, even shelling out money they’ve made from selling marijuana to oppose its legalization! Paul Jury just posted Legalize It? Ask a Guy Who Runs a Medicinal Marijuana Dispensary in which he speaks to Craig, a dispensary owner in Venice Beach, who is also opposed to Prop 19: “I’ll give you two reasons,” Craig said. “One is big tobacco. Did you know that Phillip Morris just bought 400 acres of land up in Northern California? The minute marijuana becomes legal, they’ll mass produce and flood the market. And of course, they’ll add the same toxins they put in regular cigarettes to get you addicted, and very little THC, so you’ll have to buy more… In short, they’re going to ruin weed.” He gestured around his beloved shop, with every flavor of every strain, in its purist form, selling for at-cost prices. “I like the way things are now.” Gee, there seems to be a whole lot of different "strains" of beer, even in Los Angeles! Remember how alcohol prohibition ended in the 1930’s (probably not, but indulge me) and Anheuser, Busch, Coors, and Miller flooded the market with 3.2 beer and ruined alcohol? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could go to shops with every flavor of every micro-brew, in its purest form… oh, wait, I live in Portland, Oregon, the micro-brew capital of America and that’s what we have right now under alcohol legalization! We have every flavor and potency of beer you can imagine plus people can go buy a kit and brew their own beer if they like. And there is wine, too, with a huge tourist industry that depends on people checking out vineyards and tasting endless varieties of vino. And there is whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, brandy, and even super-potent Everclear in some states, all in their purest form, which is to say that used responsibly they won’t make you blind like a tub of Prohibition moonshine might. The “Philip Morris / RJ Reynolds Toxic Addictive High-less Marijuana Market Flood” scare has been floating around the cannabis community like a stale hit of schwag for decades now. It’s a form of conspiracy theory thinking embraced by the kind of people who think you could plant 40,000 lbs. of explosives surreptitiously in a busy World Trade Center or convince all the world’s scientists and a very large soundstage crew to keep quiet about that faked moon landing for four decades. Here’s why it’s stupid: Prop 19 allows you to grow your own. If Philip Morris’ weed sucks, you’ll smoke your own or your friend’s. Prop 19 allows cities to consider sales. Bad toxic Philip Morris weed is the kind of competition a purveyor of hand-trimmed, non-keifed*, organic high-potency bud would want, wouldn’t she? Prop 19 allows cities to regulate production. They can dictate exactly what is or isn’t added to cannabis, how much is produced, by whom, and where. In order for Philip Morris to sell their weed, somebody has to want to smoke it. Nothing about Prop 19 makes Prop 215 or the dispensaries go away. In fact, it gives the existing dispensaries the potential to serve even more customers. So who’s buying this toxic addictive high-less marijuana? Actually, it worked quite well if your goal is to build large profitable murderous criminal enterprises... No, if you want to really understand what is going on here, look back to that alcohol prohibition and ask yourself how excited Al Capone was reading the headlines trumpeting its imminent repeal. It’s not a perfect analogy, as Capone was a murderous criminal thug and these dispensary owners are law-abiding businesspeople. And yes, dispensary owners, like Craig, often help destitute cancer patients for free, though one could counter that Capone and his gangs gave out free turkeys on Thanksgiving. My main point is that both are businesspeople dealing in a prohibited product. Or just look back to the article on Craig: He gestured around his beloved shop, with every flavor of every strain, in its purist form, selling for at-cost prices. “I like the way things are now.” “Last month,” Craig explained proudly, “there were 24 operating marijuana collectives in Venice. A month from now, there will only be two. And we’ll be one of them.” With that, he opened the door to the inner sanctum. The “product” room. Discount Relief Collective at this year's "Spring Gathering" in San Bernardino, advertising "Nothing over $45 / eighth. $15 for all grams." Now, if you ran a business where you could sell your product for $5-$15 per GRAM or $200 to $800 per OUNCE, and you only had to compete with one other business in your local area, would you be excited about the prospect of many more competitors and prices dropping as much as 80%? Most of your customers already got their Prop 215 recommendation, so it isn’t as if legalization is going to bring you enough additional customers to offset the change in business margins. Prop 19 means that marijuana retailers become more like other retail businesses, instead of the loosely-regulated turnkey goldmines they have been. That’s what Craig doesn’t like. Well, that and kids smoking pot: “Two, legalization will mean more fifteen-year-old kids smoking pot. … If they legalize marijuana, there’s no chance that fewer 15-year-olds will smoke. And there’s a good chance that more will. Anything that will probably make more 15-year-olds put substances in their bodies, in my opinion, is a bad thing.” Really, the “What About the Children?!?” argument? Right now, under prohibition, 85% of high school seniors and 69% of sophomores (a.k.a. fifteen-year-olds) find it easy to get weed. Right now, under prohibition, kids say it is easier to buy marijuana than alcohol. So it appears to me that locking up healthy adults for their marijuana use hasn’t really done much to stop teens from getting and using pot. How about we try letting adults smoke a joint, and when they go to buy it, they buy it from a regulated shop where only adults are let in and all IDs are rigorously checked, you know, like that alcohol kids find harder to buy. More 15-year-olds smoke pot than tobacco... because we've really succeeded in preventing tobacco use among teens... and we didn't lock up a single adult to achieve this! Besides, there is no reason to believe that youth use will increase. Since California passed Prop 215 in 1996, the regime Craig likes now, teen use of marijuana has decreased. Prop 19 makes the penalty for supplying weed to those under 21 as stringent as supplying alcohol to those under 21. And we’ve seen teen use of tobacco, a legal substance far cheaper and more addictive than marijuana, plummet in the past ten years through education, advertising restriction, social disapproval (no indoor smoking, for example) and strict ID requirements. Craig and the other dispensary owners who oppose Prop 19 are the “I Gots Mine” element of the anti-legalization campaign. They’ve got the corner on a retail market worth billions, one that is only worth billions if you arrest 850,000 mostly-black-and-brown adults a year for participating in it. They’ve got their doctors happy to take a Benjamin or two to give you permission to use a drug safer than the aspirin you need no permission for. I wouldn’t want people to vote to change that, either… …except that I think it’s just immoral to arrest people for smoking weed if we’re going to leave them alone when drinking alcohol. I don’t care if it is profitable to the state or detrimental to the dispensary industry – arrests for marijuana are wrong, period. *”Kiefed” means to shake loose the crystals of THC from the product before packaging for sale. The crystals, or “kief” are collected and smoked or vaporized, and, being THC crystals, are very effective. Philip Morris will certainly need to use huge machines to process weed, which will certainly shake loose a lot of kief. One grower friend of mine says he will advertise for his prized buds with the slogan “Don’t let ‘em thief the kief!” Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:49:50 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=491 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:15:01 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=490 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:24:43 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=489 Music Festival 2010 This event is open to the public - Contact glccmusicfest@aol.com for more details To the members of our community we are pleased to announce the 1st Annual Great Lakes Compassion Club Music Fest to be held at the Willow Ranch in Lacota, Michigan July 30 – August 1, 2010. This venue sits on 43 beautiful acres of land which has been kept natural and pristine. The Willow Ranch staff is experienced in hosting this type of event. They are friendly, caring, and professional which makes this venue a perfect choice. It is also with great pleasure for us to announce the endorsement from Michigan NORML and Reverend Steve Thompson and Lou Vierling. Both Steve and Lou have previously attended events at the Willow Ranch and have every full confidence in the venue and the GLCC event organizers. Many guest speakers are scheduled to attend this event. Representatives from MMMA, Tim Beck representing the ASA, John Targowski will speak on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Law, Adam Brook the organizer of the Hash Bash in Ann Arbor, and John Sinclair just to name a few. Dr. David Crocker from Michigan Holistic Health will be seeing pre-qualified patients on site as well as answering questions. We will be providing a 40 foot x 120 foot big top tent with tables and chairs to accommodate 450+ guests which will include a stage for the guest speakers to use. We will also be providing a medication tent for any card carrying patients, you must show your card to enter the tent. There will be many great bands of different genre for your entertainment. Howling Diablos, Sleeper Cell, Refeerman, Chef Chris, Great Divide, Sista Otis, John Sinclair, The Orbitsons, Covert Operations, Cowboy Messiah, Echoes of Pink Floyd, and many more. There will be a variety of music to ensure everyone enjoys their favorite type of music. The Great Lakes Compassion Club is looking forward to bring a positive, educational, informative participation in the wonderful event we have planned. United we will put together an outstanding event for all who attend. During this event we will also be having a special fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation. So we ask you to come and join us in beautiful west Michigan for this wonderful event. The Willow Ranch Event Center is located 10 miles from the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan with its sandy white beaches and rolling sand dunes. The event offers FREE camping to ticket holders (children 12 and under are free). Bring your tents, RV’s (RV spots are limited and must be reserved, there is an additional $20 fee for an RV campsite), or trailer, and lawn chairs. Bring your grills, cook over the campfire, or choose from the food vendors that will be at the event. The camp sites do not have electricity or running water, but the Willow Ranch does have handicap accessible restrooms and showers. For those who prefer not to camp, there are many major hotel chains within 8 – 10 miles of the event center. If you should choose to stay offsite, be sure to have your ticket stubs for reentry. The Great Lakes Compassion Club and Willow Ranch Event Center hope you join in the fun of a great weekend filled with music, food, friends, and an all around great time. This event will be one of the major fun events of the summer for all those who attend the Great Lakes Compassion Club Music Fest 2010. Tickets for this event are available NOW! Save your ticket stubs! On Saturday, July 31 we will be drawing for door prizes starting around 9:00 pm. We have many useful and unique items to give away, such as: Vaporizers, grinders, T-shirts, 420 jars, scopes, and much more! Contact Clark at: glccmusicfest@aol.com for more information and details. Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:07:04 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=488 June 17, 2010 - Sacramento, CA, USA Sacramento, CA: Senate lawmakers have passed legislation reducing statewide marijuana possession penalties from a criminal misdemeanor to an infraction. Senate Bill 1449 amends the California Health and Safety Code so that the adult possession of up to 28.5 grams of marijuana is classified as an infraction, punishable by no more than a $100 fine. Under present law, minor marijuana possession for non-medical purposes is classified as a criminal misdemeanor. While the offense is not punishable by jail time, defendants charged under the law must appear in court, pay court costs, and attend a court-ordered diversion program. Offenders who refuse to attend the program may retain a criminal record for up to two years. The senate bill was backed by the California District Attorney's Association, which argued that the present law places an undue burden on California's courts. Senate lawmakers passed the bill by a vote of 21 to 13. The measure now awaits action from the state Assembly, Committee on Public Safety. For more information, please contact Dale Gieringer, California NORML Coordinator, at (415) 563-5858. Additional information on S.B. 1449 is available online at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=14857001. Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:12:29 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=487 Send Marc Emery Mail or Money in US Federal Prison By Jodie Emery - Saturday, May 22 2010 Tags: CC Magazine Feature Articles Headline News Marc Emery Marc Emery Prison USA Extradition Jail Mail Supporters often ask how to write a letter to Marc Emery or deposit funds into his prison account. Here is the mailing address and guidelines, and information about how to send Marc money directly. SENDING MARC MAIL Marc is currently being held in solitary confinement and is not allowed phone calls or access to Corrlinks "email". Regular mail is the only way to communicate. Please write to Marc about what you're doing in your life, especially the activism you've done and news about what's happening in the world and your area. Marc would really appreciate getting reports from the outside world! Marc has NOTHING to do while locked in solitary confinement. Please, if you have the time, write long letters instead of just short notes. Again, he has absolutely nothing to do while locked into a cell 24/7 except read mail that he gets, so the longer the letters, the better. Thank you! ALL MAIL IS THOROUGHLY READ BY PRISON OFFICIALS. Do not write about illegal activities or anything that you want to keep private. You must include a return address, even if it's not your home. Any address should be fine. You can send hand-written or hand-typed letters. Single-page newspaper and magazine clippings are allowed, but photos are not allowed while Marc is in solitary confinement. However, you can print your own stationary with photos and write your letter around the pictures, and that will get in. Mailing address: Marc Scott Emery #40252-086 Unit DB PO Box 13900 FDC SeaTac Seattle, Washington 98198-1090 USA SENDING MARC MONEY Many people ask if they can send Marc money for his prison commissary account to cover regular inmate expenses such as long-distance phone calls, "CorrLinks" email fees, mail postage, writing paper, envelopes, toiletries, etc. *June update: Marc cannot spend much commissary money while he is in solitary confinement (where he will be held until at least early July) and already has $600 in his commissary account, so he's requested that people contribute instead towards Jodie Emery's travel costs (for her twice-weekly flights to visit Marc) and daily ExpressPost mailings ($15 per day to send him regular letters that arrive in 3 days, instead of a week or more). If you would like to help, please email JodieEmery@gmail.com for details. THANK YOU for any support you can offer! To deposit funds directly into Marc's commissary, you need to go to Money Mart or a location where Western Union forms and payments can be made. Deposit funds directly into his account by using the Western Union "Quick Collect Form" and filling in the following information: Recipient: Marc Scott Emery #40252086 US BOP (SeaTac FDC, Seattle Washington) City code: FBOP State: DC Thank you for your support! Inquiries about mail and money transfers can be emailed to JodieEmery@gmail.com - we sincerely appreciate the help to make Marc's sentence more bearable! You can also send money orders through the mail. Inmates' families and friends choosing to send inmates funds through the mail must send those funds to the following address and in accordance with the directions provided below: Federal Bureau of Prisons Marc Scott Emery #40252-086 Post Office Box 474701 Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001 The deposit must be in the form of a money order made out to the inmate's full committed name and complete eight digit register number. Effective December 1, 2007, all non-postal money orders and non-government checks processed through the National Lockbox will be placed on a 15 day hold. The Bureau of Prisons will return funds that do not have valid inmate information to the sender provided the envelope has an adequate return address. Personal checks and cash cannot be accepted for deposit. The sender's name and return address must appear on the upper left hand corner of the envelope to ensure that the funds can be returned to the sender in the event that they cannot be posted to the inmate's account. The deposit envelope must not contain any items intended for delivery to the inmate. The Bureau of Prisons shall dispose of all items included with the funds. In the event funds have been mailed but have not been received in the inmate's account and adequate time has passed for mail service to Des Moines, Iowa, the sender must initiate a tracer with the entity who sold them the money order to resolve any issues. OFFICIAL RULES FOR POSTAL MAIL Click here for PDF version UNAUTHORIZED MAIL: Mail to or from offenders will not be allowed for any of the following reasons: 1. Mail unauthorized by this policy. 2. Mail to or from an individual with whom contact is restricted per the requirements of DOC 450.050 Prohibited Contact. 3. Mail containing threats of physical harm against any persons or any other threats of criminal activity. 4. Mail containing blackmail or extortion threats. 5. Mail that is or contains contraband, or relates to sending contraband in or out of the facility. 6. Mail depicting or describing the procedures for constructing or using weapons, ammunition, bombs, or incendiary devices. 7. Mail containing plans to escape, or mail depicting or describing blueprints or operational detail of an existing facility's security devices (e.g., locks, electronics, facility grounds/buildings, etc.). 8. Mail containing plans for activities in violation of facility rules or for criminal activity, or mail that violates facility rules or the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). 9. Mail that is in code. 10. Mail in a foreign language with contents not understood by the inspecting staff, when reasonable efforts to have the mail interpreted have been unsuccessful. a) Mail up to 10 pages in length may be sent for translation services per the available contract at the discretion of the Mailroom Supervisor. b) Mail 10 pages or more in length requires Superintendent review to determine what additional action is needed, if any (e.g., letter translation services, contact with Consulate or the State Library, etc.). 11. Mail containing information that, if communicated, could create a risk of violence and/or physical harm to any person. 12. Mail that is sexually explicit. a) The term sexually explicit refers to any pictorial representation that is intended for sexual gratification and shows male or female genitalia, full frontal nudity, or depicts any of the following sexual behaviors: 1) One or more of the participants appears to be: a) Non-consenting, b) A minor, or a minor alone is depicted in a sexually suggestive way, c) Acting in a forceful, threatening, or violent manner, d) Dominating one or more of the other participants, e) In a submissive role, or f) Degraded or humiliated, or appears to willingly engage in behavior that is degrading or humiliating, 2) Bodily excretory behavior that appears to be sexual in nature, 3) Bestiality, sadomasochistic behavior, and/or bondage, or 4) Acts including, but not limited to, intercourse/penetration, sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, anilingus, or masturbation. b) The term sexually explicit also refers to written materials, including books recorded on tape or CD, that are intended for sexual gratification and describe any of the following sexual behaviors as the predominant theme of the publication or letter: 1) One or more of the participants appears to be: a) Non-consenting, b) A minor, or a minor alone is depicted in a sexually suggestive way, c) Acting in a forceful, threatening, or violent manner, d) Dominating one or more of the other participants, e) In a submissive role, or f) Degraded or humiliated, or appears to willingly engage in behavior that is degrading or humiliating, 2) Bodily excretory behavior that appears to be sexual in nature, 3) Bestiality, sadomasochistic behavior, and/or bondage, or 4) Acts including, but not limited to, intercourse/penetration, sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, anilingus, or masturbation. 13. Mail that is deemed a threat to legitimate penological objectives. 14. Publications that have been altered after publication (e.g., pages or portions of pages removed, extraneous markings, etc.). 15. Mail advocating that any group is inferior based on national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, marital status or status as a state registered domestic partner, sexual orientation, status as a Vietnam Era Veteran, Wartime Veteran, or Disabled Veteran, or the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory impairment and makes such group the object of ridicule and scorn, and may reasonably be thought to precipitate a violent confrontation between the recipient and a member(s) of the target group. 16. Mail purported to be legal mail, but upon visual scanning for contraband is determined to be general correspondence. 17. Mail containing cash or personal check(s). 18. Mail containing markings of gang symbols or symbols of other unauthorized groups that may reasonably be thought to precipitate violence. 19. Mail containing a photo wherein the non-photo side is, or can be, separated from the photo side of the picture, or mail containing multiple copies of the same photo. 20. Mail containing non-cancelled postage stamps and pre-franked envelopes without prior approval from the Superintendent. 21. Mail with stickers/labels in the envelope. Address labels are allowed unless the facility can note or document a security concern. 22. Mail containing blank greeting cards or postcards and cards that are padded, laminated/layered, musical, and/or larger than 8" x 10". 23. Mail containing cassette tape(s) or CD(s), except: a) Letters recorded on tapes or CDs between an offender and a correspondent with a legitimate need to correspond orally (e.g., disability, illiteracy, etc.), if the Superintendent’s designee has pre-approved the oral correspondence. Cassettes must be clear/see through, and CDs must have the name of the recorder on the disk. b) Pre-recorded tapes and/or CDs sent directly from the vendor/publisher that will be forwarded to the Property Room, which must comply with DOC 440.000 Personal Property for Offenders and be handled as any other property purchase and included on the offender’s property inventory. c) Recordings of Department disciplinary hearings and ISRB hearing recordings printed in the approved format. ISRB hearing recordings will be processed as legal mail. d) CDs of Department documents printed in the approved format. 24. Mail containing more than a single newspaper or magazine article per envelope or a newspaper/magazine article which violates any criteria established in this policy and/or the facility operational memorandum. 25. Mail containing book clippings of any size. 26. Publications (i.e., reproduced handwritten, typed/printed, or pictorial materials including books, periodicals, newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets) and catalogs (i.e., a publication predominantly or substantially focused on offering items for sale) not mailed directly from the publisher/retailer. Clippings of newspaper and magazine articles not mailed directly from the publisher/retailer are permitted in quantities identified above. 27. Mail containing items that were not ordered, paid for, and approved in advance through facility designated channels. 28. Mail containing sweepstakes, contests, lottery tickets, or other mailings soliciting or offering games of chance. Publications that have a sweepstakes or contest entry in them will not be restricted. However, offenders are not authorized to enter sweepstakes or contests of any type. 29. Mail containing photocopies or carbon copies, except: a) Photocopies/carbon copies that meet the definition of legal mail, b) Photocopies/carbon copies between offenders verified as co-parties in a legal matter and the copy(ies) are legal pleadings or discovery documents, c) A single copy or carbon copy of an item that would otherwise be allowed. Multiple copies of the same document are not allowed, d) One photocopy from a vendor, and e) Photocopies of birth/death certificates, marriage licenses or state registered domestic partnership licenses, or other legal documents affecting status from: 1) A city, county, state, or federal court, or 2) An individual initiating visiting privileges and the copy(ies) pertains to the visitor approval process. 30. Standard mail, including catalogs, that is not addressed to a specific offender with the offender’s name and DOC number. 31. Mail contained in a binder. 32. Mail containing items available for offender purchase through the facility offender store. Packages containing such items are permitted per DOC 450.120 Packages for Offenders. 33. The outer envelope contains envelopes of correspondence and/or loose letters addressed to a party other than the party whose address appears on the outer envelope, that are, or appear to be, intended to be mailed by a third party. 34. The outside of the envelope or package does not contain a return address as defined in this policy. 35. Other items that threaten the security and order of the facility or the offender's treatment, and/or are identified by the Superintendent/designee or facility operational memorandums. Outgoing mail from offenders may also be denied for any of the following reasons: 1. The offender’s Judgment and Sentence prohibits contact with the individual or class of individuals during or upon release from incarceration. 2. The mail is addressed to a minor whose parent(s) or guardian(s) have objected, in writing, to such correspondence. 3. There is an active no contact order with the individual. 4. The mail is addressed to an individual or his/her guardian who has previously received unwanted mail from the offender and has complained or asked that mail from the offender not be sent. 5. The mail solicits goods or money from other than an immediate family member of the offender without the prior permission of the Superintendent. This provision does not preclude the purchase of non-contraband goods or payment for such goods that have been approved by the Superintendent/designee. Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:32:13 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=486 By Toke of the Town - Saturday, June 19 2010 Tags: Headline News ACTIVISM Hempfest Seattle Seattle Hempfest USA   Hempfest was bigger and better than ever in 2009, and promises to do it again this year. But without plenty of community support and green energy, this could be the last time. (Photo by Pete Santos/Seattle Hempfest)According to the director of Seattle Hempfest, the largest annual marijuana rally in the world, this year's event could be the last, with the iconic stoner gathering in a fight for its very existence. "If things do not go right this year, this could be the last year Hempfest happens at all," executive director Vivian McPeak said. According to McPeak, a confluence of factors -- including the slow economy, the theft of $5,000 worth of radios last year, a lack of financial support from the community (the average attendee contributes about 30 cents), excessive requirements from the City and the Port of Seattle, and the rising cost of event production -- resulted in Hempfest being more than $50,000 in debt after the 2009 event. "This year, we not only need to raise the $300,000 operating capital it takes top produce the world's largest pot rally, we also need to pay our in-house benefactor back," McPeak said. McPeak described Hempfest as "the world's largest all-volunteer political rally." "Not a single dollar of the money we raise goes to pay the salaries of anyone on Hempfest's massive staff," he said. "I have seen what a motley, ragtag bunch of stoners can do when there is a goal as honorable and lofty as making America more free, more fair and more just for all," McPeak said. "That is my inspiration to forge on." But, according to McPeak, Hempfest now needs some serious perspiration to go with that inspriation. "We need to ramp it up on several fronts because somewhere in America someone is getting busted right now, poised to lose their money, their freedom, their possessions and even their children," McPeak said. "How pathetic would it be if Hempfest were to disappear right before we tasted victory in the struggle against the tyranny of prohibition?" McPeak asked. "It simply cannot and will not happen because we will not let that happen, regardless of what it takes." "Here is where you come in," McPeak said. "You are the backbone of the world's premier cannabis community event, and I am turning to you now to inform you of what Hempfest needs from you to continue to kick the Drug War's rancid ass all the way to hell and back." "We will win this struggle and here is how we are going to do it," McPeak said. "Here is how you can make the difference." Hempfest Membership Program This year Hempfest launched a brand-new membership program, which allows folks within the greater cannabis community to connect directly with the local and regional movement. Hempfest members are invited to attend special bi-monthly members only events, meet other kindred spirits, and get direct access to the most current news, activities and emergency calls to action. "In addition to those great perks, members gain direct 'no wait' access to our new no-line 'member's entrance' at Hempfest," McPeak explained. Hempfest memberships come in three tiers: $25 for basic, $50 for supporter, and $150 for the V.I.P. membership, which includes exclusive access to a special V.I.P. members' party at the actual Hempfest event. "This new program has already collected over $10,000, and is one way we can increase awareness, community and revenue simultaneously," McPeak said. For more information about the Hempfest membership program, click here. - Article from Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:44:21 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=485 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:54:08 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=484 Fake weed poses real danger to Michiganders POSTED: MAY 24, 2010 BY KATHLEEN GRAY FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER It's called Fake Weed, K2 or Spice. But some lawmakers say the synthetic cannabinoid, legal in Michigan and all but two other states, is dangerous and needs to be banned. K2 is the brand name for a dried herb being sold over the counter in head shops across the state, as well as in some liquor stores and gas stations. Packaged as an incense or potpourri, it's a dried plant that's been sprayed with a cannabinoid, a chemical substance. When smoked, it mimics -- by some accounts -- the high experienced by inhaling marijuana. Doctors at Brighton Hospital, a substance abuse treatment facility, said more patients are coming in with ailments linked to K2. The Oakland County Association of Police Chiefs passed a resolution last month calling on the Legislature to treat the product as a controlled substance and making it illegal to possess or sell. "In my opinion, it's a toxic and dangerous product," said Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh. "It is another vicious turn in the path of our kids who are already faced with enough challenges." Lawmakers target chemical-laced herb Doctors weren't sure whether the patient admitted to Brighton Hospital's substance abuse treatment center Friday was schizophrenic or suffering the effects of smoking an herb laced with a synthetic compound. "We're seeing K2 more and more in here," said Dr. Mark Menestrina, medical director of the hospital's detox unit. "But you just don't know what you're getting when you see it." Oakland County Commissioners plan to consider an ordinance today that would prohibit the sale or possession of the substance. Mon, 24 May 2010 21:22:49 GMT http://oaklandnorml.org/cms/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=483 Hi All, Oakland County NORML will hold it's next meeting Monday June 7th at 6 pm at the Bloomfield Township Public Library. The library is located at 1099 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. A link to a map can be found at the bottom of this email. Would anyone be interested in joining this meeting via conference call? There are free conference call services available, and I think they would accommodate our needs. This needs to be tried out to know for sure it will work. If people are interested we will attempt it for this meeting. The focus of this month's meeting is organizational development. In order for OC NORML to continue its mission I need volunteers to help in the following areas: 1. Membership 2. Education 3. Fundraising I am hoping everyone will join at least one of the committees listed above. I also need at least one committee member to agree to lead each committee. Such a commitment shouldn't exceed a couple of hours every other month, unless you are interested in doing more. Such a structure will allow small groups to push forward initiatives. I would expect that committees get together (in person or via conference call) at least once between general meetings, at which time you can provide a very brief summary of the work accomplished between meetings. Alas, I was hoping this email would have gone out sooner, but the need for help in the areas above became painfully obvious after I was struck with a bout of strep throat on Wednesday, and then my back went out on Friday. This unfortunate unlucky streak led me to conclude that we are best served with a few people keeping watch over a few areas. As a team we are much stronger than a bunch of individuals. I greatly appreciate all who are willing to step forward, and take their activism to the next level. Many on this list already do so and I am very grateful for that help. If we are smart about it, we can leverage the work you are already doing by doing so it a slightly more coordinated fashion. Thanks, Neil Map link to the library: Map to LIbrary Wed, 19 May 2010 18:23:53 GMT