Psychoactive Drugs

Tucson Residents Accused of Being Big-Time Cocaine Suppliers for South Florida

When you think of cocaine in America, you might think of South Florida, where the cocaine trade was absolutely insane in the '80s.Well, it turns out that "the biggest cocaine dealer" in one South Florida county gets his cocaine from Tucson, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Michelle Yee, State Lawmaker, Wants to Give Cops the Right to Destroy Seized Medical Pot -- Even if Cops Seized it Illegally

Arizona police would have the right to destroy medical marijuana seized in investigations under a proposed law -- even if the police seizures were made improperly or illegally. State Senator Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, hasn't actually introduced a bill yet at the State Capitol, apparently preferring t ... More >>

New Medical-Marijuana Poll Shows High Support by Arizonans; Poll Done by Same Firm Used by Pot Foe John Kavanagh

A new poll that shows high support by Arizona voters for medical marijuana is unlikely to be challenged by anti-pot lawmaker Representative John Kavanagh: The political consulting firm used by Kavanagh and his wife, Fountain Hills Mayor Linda Kavanagh, conducted the survey. Kavanagh still hopes to ... More >>

Future Ballot Proposition for Marijuana to Be Regulated Like Alcohol: Yay or Nay?

Despite some Arizona Republicans' continued opposition to the state's voter-approved medical-marijuana program, the voters still like it, according to recently released poll results.While 59 percent of poll respondents said they support Arizona's 2010 Medical Marijuana Act, 59 percent of people said ... More >>

Phoenix Police Arrest About 10 People a Day for Marijuana Possession; Some Charged With Other Crimes

The 2010 Arizona Medical Marijuana Act exempts qualifying patients from prosecution, but most Arizonans are still subject to arrest for felony possession of any amount of marijuana. Phoenix police alone arrest an average of about 10 people a day on suspicion of possession of marijuana. Phoenix pol ... More >>

Medical Marijuana in Arizona a "Charade," and What's Wrong with That, Exactly?

See also: -Arizona Organix Steps Out as the State's First Authorized Medical-Marijuana Dispensary This is near-heresy to say in my current position as a scribe for an alternative publication, but when Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts writes that our state's medical marijuana program is a " ... More >>

Arizona Medical Marijuana Law Is Constitutional, County Judge Finds; Dispensaries On Way

Maricopa County can't block a medical-marijuana dispensary from opening just because of a federal prohibition on marijuana, a county judge has ruled. This is a big court ruling for the 2010 Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, and the one on which would-be operators of dispensaries have been waiting. Th ... More >>

Mesa Medical-Marijuana Club Busted by Gilbert PD; Paul Bellesen, Chad Czarnecki and Robert Ryan Face Charges

Valley marijuana patients lost another over-the-counter source for their meds earlier this month when Gilbert police raided Arizona Natural Solutions in Mesa. The cannabis/compassion club at 1055 North Mesa Drive had been operating since at least February, when its principals began its Facebook pag ... More >>

Senator Robert Meza, A Phoenix Democrat, Explains Close Ties with Pot-Lovin', Arpaio-Huggin' Republican Operatives

See also Local Latino Activists Target Unlikely Politician See also Senator Robert Meza Files Election Complaint Against Team Awesome See also Tom Horne: Arizona Medical Marijuana Act Preempted by Federal Law, in Part; Cardholders OK, Dispensaries Could be Nixed by Court As unlikely as it is for li ... More >>

Medical-Marijuana Companies Won't be Thwarted by Location of "Reverend" Al Sobol's Church, Judge Rules

See also: Medical-Marijuana Dispensary Sues Fountain Hills Over Competitors' Distance From "Church" Run by Pot Marketer Al Sobol A judge has refused to overturn a decision by Fountain Hills to authorize medical-marijuana dispensaries near an alleged church run by by medical-marijuana marketer Al S ... More >>

Should PTSD Be a Qualifying Ailment for Medical Marijuana in Arizona?

Yesterday, we brought you the top five reasons why post-traumatic stress disorder should be on the list of qualifying ailments under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.We propose these reasons because the state's Department of Health Services recently rejected adding PTSD to the list. Medical marijua ... More >>

Top Five Reasons Why PTSD Should be a Qualifying Ailment in Arizona for Medical Marijuana

See also: Marijuana Is Real Medicine for a Long List of Ills See also: Medical Marijuana Is Under Attack in Arizona Again -- But This Time, Voters and Patients Hold the High Ground Last week, the state Department of Health Services rejected the chance to add PTSD to the list of qualifying ailment ... More >>

Medical-Marijuana Dispensary Sues Fountain Hills Over Competitors' Distance From "Church" Run by Pot Marketer Al Sobol

See also: Medical Marijuana Compassion Club Raid by Phoenix Police Leaps Ahead of Court Case on Legality of Clubs Nature's Healing Center, a would-be medical-marijuana dispensary, is suing the Town of Fountain Hills over its competitors' distance from a church run by the "Reverend" Al Sobol. That ... More >>

Medical-Marijuana Supporters Plan Rally at Phoenix PD Headquarters on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

See also: Arizona Cannabis Society Raided by Phoenix Police Two supporters of Arizona's medical-marijuana law say they have dozens of people lined up to join them for a rally on Wednesday in front of Phoenix PD headquarters. Rain Baker, who says she's a board member for the local office of NORML, ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Not Protected by Americans With Disabilities Act, Ninth Circuit Court Rules

Gravely ill and severely disabled?Real sorry about that, but you should still be thrown in jail for using marijuana, says a ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kansas Cop Accused of Stealing a Joe Arpaio Poster From a Meth-Head Lawyer

Adding to the list of illogical things surrounding the aura of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a Kansas cop is accused of stealing a framed poster of the sheriff from an office belonging to a former lawyer convicted on meth charges.Really, the only thing better about this than the fact that an e ... More >>

Larry Walters Apparently Never Saw A Bronx Tale; Accused Of Murdering a Guy Over 20 Bucks

If only 57-year-old Larry Walters had heeded the advice explained in the above clip from A Bronx Tale, 51-year-old Lonnie Raines might still be alive.But he didn't, and now Walters is accused of murdering Raines -- over twenty bucks.

Mexican Smugglers Exploit the Corrupt Reputation of U.S. Border Officers

Marijuana Legalization Opponent Richard Valdemar Tells Cartel Vs. Hippies Tale That Seems to Support Need for Legalization

Retired Los Angeles Sheriff's Office Deputy Richard Valdemar, who now lives in Arizona, says that legalizing marijuana won't hurt drug cartels.​ Richard Valdemar believes the central character of his medical-marijuana story would be executed by a Mexican drug cartel if he was named, so he refe ... More >>

Obama Administration Now Plans to Target Advertisements for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in California

What's Obama smoking? After declaring years ago he wouldn't expend federal resources on medical-marijuana users, his administration's now waging a full-scale assault on weed.​President Obama doesn't just want to seize the property of California medical-marijuana dispensaries and hit them wit ... More >>

DEA: Any "Individual" or Group Growing or Distributing Pot for "Recreational Use" Can be Target of Investigation

The Drug Enforcement Agency wants to make it clear that it's not just going after kingpins. Any "individual" or organization involved in growing or distributing pot for recreational use can be a target of an investigation, the DEA warns through a U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman. As we menti ... More >>

Medical Marijuana and Guns: Bad Idea?

And guns?​The U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau -- which, as we noted earlier this week, is the same agency that lets drug cartel members buy guns -- is warning firearms dealers not to sell guns to medical marijuana users.The ATF wrote a letter to firearms dealers earlier this week warni ... More >>

Feds Want Court to Dismiss Jan Brewer's Lawsuit Against Medical Marijuana

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's lawsuit against medical marijuana is on the ropes following today's motion to dismiss by the U.S. Justice Department.​ Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's lawsuit against the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law should be dismissed by the court, says the U.S. Ju ... More >>

Arizona Compassion Club Helps Obtain Qualified Patients With Medical Marijuana From Valley Office Locations

​ Want pot? Are you one of Arizona's 6,000-plus, card-carrying, qualified medical marijuana patients? Or a valid patient from another state? Join the club. In a creative work-around to the state's lack of marijuana dispensaries, a group of card-holding patients are offering various strain ... More >>

Willie Nelson Endorses Pro-Pot Republican for President

Wikimedia CommonsWillie Nelson​Country music legend Willie Nelson, whose marijuana use is also legendary, has endorsed Republican candidate Gary Johnson for president in 2012.Nelson, founder of the newly formed Teapot Party, met with Johnson (a former governor of New Mexico) after a Nelson c ... More >>

Pot Expo Draws Smaller-Than-Expected Crowd, But Still Creates Good Buzz

​ A well-publicized medical marijuana expo at University of Phoenix Stadium over the weekend attracted fewer people than some disappointed vendors expected. Others, however, called the Green Relief Convention and Expo, which took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, a success. A few ... More >>

Pinal County Sheriff's Office Gets Anonymous Tip About Guys Loading Truck Full of Pot Next to Interstate. 227 Pounds of Weed Later...

PCSOFernando Sanchez-Moyinedo (left), and Prior Marcano​Sometimes people are practically begging to be arrested -- like the two goons who allegedly decided to load 227 pounds of pot into their truck on the side of an interstate highway Wednesday. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office announced the ar ... More >>

Medical Marijuana Commenters Part Two; Live-Blogging Continues at Prop 203 Hearing in Tempe

Commenters stood in a long line to air their views at today's three-hour medical marijuana hearing in Tempe. Not all of them had a chance to speak.​ This is Part Two of our live-blogging from the Department of Health Services medical marijuana hearing in Tempe. Click here for Part One. This is ... More >>

Weed Stench Leads Cops to Forest of Marijuana Inside Chandler Home

Chandler Police DepartmentSir Jorien Dwayne Marcette Jackson's house reeks of weed.​If you were to grow more than 300 weed plants inside your house, here's a bit of information that might come in handy next time you're in the Febreeze aisle at Walmart: it's gonna stink. A Chandler man's indoor wee ... More >>

Weed Stench Leads Cops to Forest of Marijuana Inside Chandler Home

Chandler Police DepartmentSir Jorien Dwayne Marcette Jackson's house reeks of weed.​If you were to grow more than 300 weed plants inside your house, here's a bit of information that might come in handy next time you're in the Febreeze aisle at Walmart: it's gonna stink. A Chandler man's indoor wee ... More >>

Mohave County Probation Officer Fired for Supporting Marijuana Legalization

Image: Huffington PostJoe Miller, former Mohave County probation officer, was fired for publicly supporting marijuana legalization.​Right to free speech: Canceled.At least, it is for Joe Miller, a former Mohave County probation officer who believes that marijuana should be legalized.As the Huffing ... More >>

Christopher Licon Charged With Murder and Kidnapping in Deaths of Brother and Nephew

Phoenix Police DepartmentChristopher Licon is accused of murdering his own brother and 6-year-old nephew.​It seemed only a matter of time, but the uncle of a 6-year-old boy found shot to death in a Phoenix alley last month has been charged with murder and kidnapping for the death of the boy and hi ... More >>

Brother/ Uncle of Murdered Phoenix Father and Son Eyed in Slayings

Christopher Licon​The brother of a Phoenix man found shot to death in his home earlier this week is a suspect in the man's murder. He's also a suspect in the murder of his brother's son -- the suspect's 6-year-old nephew, who was found shot to death in alley, the Phoenix Police Department announce ... More >>

Salvia Sales Soar After Miley's Bong Video Leaks

​Salvia sales in Los Angeles have rapidly increased since a video of teen pop star Miley Cyrus allegedly smoking salvia from a bong leaked early Friday morning, according to NME.Apparently the video has triggered salvia sales to triple overnight.It seems many lots people than usual went to L.A. sh ... More >>

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Should be Qualifying Ailment for Medical Marijuana, Says Local Doctor

​ A local doctor of psychiatry and internal medicine plans to petition the state to allow post-traumatic-stress disorder as a qualifying ailment for marijuana under Proposition 203. In a draft petition, (see below), Dr. Sue Sisley of St. Joseph's Hospital points out that some research shows po ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Supports Medical Marijuana, or At Least He Did at One Time

Sheriff Joe Arpaio supports medicinal use of the good ganja? Well, at least that's what the former DEA agent did during this clip from the 2007 documentary American Drug War: The Last White Hope. In it, Arpaio was asked his opinion on medical marijuana, as he stands in Tent City, surr ... More >>

Medical Marijuana: An Open Letter to Arizona From VVM's Colorado Pot Critic

​Village Voice Media, the parent company of New Times, is the only news outlet in the country with its very own pot critic. His pen name is William Breathes -- he's based out of Denver, Colorado, and works for our sister paper, Westword. He's written an open letter to the state of Arizona rega ... More >>

Prop 203: Cities Preparing for Medical Marijuana Stores; Plus, We Remind Arpaio of What He Said in 1998

​ Gilbert could have up to five medical-marijuana dispensaries. Mesa expects as many as 10. Officials in both east Valley cities expect to vote on zoning guidelines next month that prepare for the marijuana stores authorized by the passage of Proposition 203, according to an article ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensary Entrepreneurs Denied Corporate Status for Now; Wait for Election, Corporation Commission Says

  ​Eager entrepreneurs who want to get moving on their marijuana dispensary business have been denied corporate status by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Rebecca Wilder, spokeswoman for the commission, tells New Times that at least three would-be dispensary companies ... More >>

Medical Marijuana has More Support Than Any Other Ballot Proposition, New Poll Shows; 52 Percent of Voters Back Prop 203

  Proposition 203, which would legalize medical marijuana if voters approve it on November 2, has more support in a recent poll than any other ballot proposition.​Medical marijuana has the most support of any ballot proposition for the November 2 election, a new survey of likely voters& ... More >>

Benefit Show for BORG Drummer Scheduled for This Weekend

Mike R. MeyerBORG​Local anti-meth rockers Beyond Our Recognitions of God are playing a benefit/fundraiser show tonight night at UB's in Mesa for their drummer, Jon Landato, who was stabbed in the neck during an altercation last month following a gig at Goathead Saloon.Landato has made a full recov ... More >>

"Crazed Junky" Blamed for Stabbing Anti-Meth Band Member at Mesa Show

Darrell Robertson allegedly stabbed the drummer of a local band outside a show in Mesa Friday.​A stabbing outside a Mesa concert featuring bands affiliated with an anti-meth group sent a local drummer to the hospital over the weekend.John Landato, who plays drums in Beyond Our Recognitions of God, ... More >>

U.S. Border Patrol Nabs More Than 1,600 Pounds of Weed in One Weekend

www.pollsb.com​U.S. Border Patrol agents in Arizona have been pretty busy in their war-against-weed, nabbing more than 1,600 pounds of the icky in three separate busts last weekend.The first of the weekend's three big busts happened Friday afternoon when agents working at a checkpoint on Hig ... More >>

Weed and ATVs: Border Patrol Snags Both in Latest Marijuana Bust

www.rowox.comWhere's the weed at? The Arizona desert, that's where.​Border Patrol agents made another substantial weed bust yesterday and as well as becoming the new owners of hundreds of pounds of weed, agents got some sweet, new toys out of the deal, too.Agents on patrol near Three Points notice ... More >>

Shirtless DUI Suspect Passes Out in Front of Cop During Stop

www.yeah-oops.com Feelin' a little wobbly?​If you're too fucked up to stay conscious when getting questioned by a cop, you're too fucked up to be driving a car, stupid.A California man learned that lesson the hard way after passing out in front of a Yavapai County Sheriff's deputy ... More >>

Arizona AG's Office Turns to Heavy-Hitters For New Anti-Meth Campaign -- Seventh-Graders

The ghoulish actors and actresses featured in state and county sponsored anti-meth campaigns apparently aren't cutting it, so the Attorney General Terry Goddard's office is now turning to children to get the job done.As part of the Arizona Meth Project's "Not Even Once" campaign, the AG's office is ... More >>

Border Patrol Seizes 971 Pounds of Marijuana Being Carried on Horseback

U.S. Border PatrolOne of several horses border agents say were used to bring more than 900 pounds of pot over the border​U.S. Border Patrol Agents made two substantial drug busts this week resulting in the seizure of about 2,400 pounds of weed, 971 of which were being moved on horseback.On Sunday ... More >>

Weed and Aphrodisiac!: The Sexual Secret of Marijuana

Arizona Targeted in Federal Anti-Meth Ad Campaign; Are They Trying to Tell Us We Have a Problem?

www.ebaumsworld.com​According to national statistics, you are likely to see more toothless meth-heads roaming the streets of Phoenix than almost anywhere in the country. As a result, Phoenicians have a new anti-meth ad campaign to look forward to, compliments of the federal government.If it' ... More >>

Sheriff Joe buffaloes readers with bogus yarns in his book Joe's Law