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Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 31 Mar 2013 - A Parrish man whose home was raided for the marijuana plants he cultivated to help treat his wife's disease said he has turned down a plea bargain proffered by the state. Robert Jordan, who grows marijuana to help treat Cathy Jordan's Lou Gehrig's disease, said he refused the state's plea deal because it required him to give up his right to a fair trial or stop cultivating the plant.

The Times Herald, 30 Mar 2013 - LEAWOOD, Kan. - Two former CIA employees whose Kansas home was fruitlessly searched for marijuana during a two-state drug sweep claim they were illegally targeted, possibly because they had bought indoor growing supplies to raise vegetables. Adlynn and Robert Harte sued this week to get more information about why sheriff's deputies searched their home in the upscale Kansas City suburb of Leawood last April 20 as part of Operation Constant Gardener - a sweep conducted by agencies in Kansas and Missouri that netted marijuana plants, processed marijuana, guns, growing paraphernalia and cash from several other locations.

The Day, 30 Mar 2013 - Providence- Rhode Island is reducing the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana and preparing to open its first medical pot dispensaries as states around the nation reassess their stance on the country's most popular illicit drug. A new law decriminalizing the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana will take effect Monday. Instead of the threat of jail time or a $500 fine, those caught with marijuana will receive a $150 civil fine. The offender will have to forfeit the marijuana and appear in traffic court, but the incident won't appear on their criminal records.

Northwest Herald, 29 Mar 2013 - McHenry County has a drug problem. The first step was recognizing it. The McHenry County Sheriff's Office did that by setting up a new heroin task force. It's an attempt to combat the 122 drug overdose fatalities - 52 from heroin - in the county from 2009 to 2012.

Nelson Star, 29 Mar 2013 - MEDICAL MARIJUANA PLAN HITS SNAG A North Shore couple hoping to receive one of the first licenses to produce medical marijuana under new federal regulations has run into a bureaucratic roadblock. The Regional District of Central Kootenay last week denied a variance application to let the couple expand two outbuildings on their property to a combined 4,435 square feet (412 square meters) - more than four times the maximum size allowed for a home-based business in a residential area - and increase the number of permitted employees from two to four.

Prince George Citizen, 29 Mar 2013 - A new book on Canada's colourful, tragic organized crime underworld has cast more light on Prince George than perhaps any other. Jerry Langton's latest title The Notorious Bacon Brothers focuses on the damage caused by the infamous Lower Mainland family gang, both to themselves, many levels of victims, and to the B.C. economy.

Prince George Citizen, 29 Mar 2013 - With 70 per cent the generally accepted figure for the proportion of people with addictions still able to hold down jobs, drugs and alcohol in the workplace has become an "elephant in the room," say organizers of an upcoming conference. Judging by projected attendance, a significant number agree.

The Calgary Sun, 29 Mar 2013 - Colorado's decriminalization of marijuana spreading to Canada is no pipe dream, the state's governor said in Calgary Thursday. Last November, Colorado and Washington state voted to end their war on cannabis, with both states moving to develop a distribution system similar to retailing alcohol.

New York Times, 29 Mar 2013 - The Supreme Court correctly ruled this week that using a drug-sniffing police dog on a suspect's property without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. The ruling was not surprising; the split among the justices was. The majority included conservative Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas and three of the court's more liberal members (Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan). The four dissenting justices were: Samuel Alito Jr., Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., all on the conservative side; and Stephen Breyer, a moderate liberal.

Glasgow Daily Times, 29 Mar 2013 - We tend to mythologize the dead; and perhaps that's fair with politicians who've passed, since we use them for rhetorical target practice when they are stumping the earth. But regardless of the intended spirit, today is a very special day for the memory of my friendly acquaintance and sometimes political rival, Gatewood Galbraith.

Commercial Appeal, 29 Mar 2013 - The president's position on pot continues to be dangerously vague and confusing." As the nation's capital prepares to open its first legal medicinal marijuana dispensary and Sen. Rand Paul's call for legalization basks in bipartisan praise, it's time for President Barack Obama to clear the air around his own passive-aggressive position on pot.

Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar 2013 - In Colorado, It's High Rents, Wary Banks and Fear of a Federal Bust DENVER - The pot industry in Colorado is undergoing a massive makeover as it prepares to begin selling marijuana legally for recreational use under state law. Businesses are ramping up production, and trade associations are cleaning up their image, anticipating what could be a billion-dollar industry.

Langley Times, 28 Mar 2013 - Wife of Imprisoned Activist Marc Emery, Decries Human Cost of War on Drugs The war on drugs has become too expensive, the wife of imprisoned marijuana activist Marc Emery told a Langley meeting on a proposed new law to limit pot possession arrests.

Dayton Daily News, 28 Mar 2013 - As the nation's capital prepares to open its first legal medicinal marijuana dispensary and Sen. Rand Paul's call for legalization basks in bipartisan praise, it's time for President Barack Obama to clear the air around his own passive-aggressive position on pot. Four years after his Justice Department announced that the feds will no longer crack down on medicinal marijuana sellers who follow state laws, the president's pot position continues to be dangerously vague and confusing.

Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar 2013 - New Yorker magazine once had a cartoon showing a storefront office with the company name on the window: "None of Your Damn Business Inc." If it were publicly traded, the corporation's stock would be down this morning. That's because of Tuesday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case barely noticed amid the frenzy of interest in the arguments on same-sex marriage. The decision looks like a victory for personal privacy. But the beauty may prove to be skin-deep.

Sacramento News & Review, 28 Mar 2013 - I haven't done any smoking for more than 40 years. I do, however, have an old cane that converts into a pipe/hash pipe. Due to the residues and my lack of knowledge of paraphernalia laws, I would be afraid to offer it on eBay or even keep it in my house anymore. Any suggestions? - -Model Citizen Cane

Bradenton Herald, 28 Mar 2013 - If Florida's political leaders need a strong case for supporting the medicinal use of marijuana, Cathy Jordan would be the poster patient. The wheelchair-bound Parrish resident was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 1986 and began regularly smoking cannabis to combat symptoms in 1989. Marijuana use allowed her to quit eight of her nine pharmaceutical medications. The cannabis also serves as a muscle relaxant, anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory. Plus, by smoking one or two joints before breakfast and sometimes one at night, Jordan also regained her appetite. In another significant impact, the marijuana helps clear her broncial tube of phlem -- often the cause of the fatal suffocation of patients with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Seattle Times, 27 Mar 2013 - WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday limited the ability of the police to use drug-sniffing dogs outside homes. The case concerned Franky, a chocolate Labrador retriever who detected the smell of marijuana outside a Florida house used by Joelis Jardines. Based on Franky's signal, the police obtained a warrant to search the house, and they found a marijuana growing operation inside.

Metro Times, 27 Mar 2013 - The Stone-Cold Truth I got a good bit of reaction to my last piece on cannabis and cancer, so I want follow up on it before moving on to other subjects. Obviously, many folks out there are suffering and seeking relief, but I don't want to peddle false hope; there is already too much of that going on. However, if you already have a death sentence hanging over your head then you pretty much have nothing to lose.

The Stranger, 27 Mar 2013 - State and Federal Law May Require Poison-Free Pot State regulators want to know what sort of chemicals marijuana growers apply to their crops. Scheduled to issue growing licenses in mid-August-less than five months away-the Washington State Liquor Control Board has reached out to industry professionals for real-world advice on what biocides local growers dust on their dope. In an e-mail sent last Friday, comptroller Mike Steenhout asked recipients to "provide a list of all pesticides or any other compounds that you would ever apply to a marijuana plant."