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Sessions Expands Police Power To Seize Everything You Own

Drug Policy Alliance
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Sessions Expands Police Power To Seize Everything You Own

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday announced a new Department of Justice policy that increases the ability of state and local law enforcement to profit from civil forfeiture.

This is a reversal of an Obama-era policy implemented in 2015 that limited state and local law enforcement from transferring seized property to federal agencies in exchange for receiving up to 80 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the seized property.

Advocates say that Sessions’ reversal of DOJ policy will incentivize police to exploit the war on drugs as an excuse to permanently take cars, cash and other property from people without needing to convict or even charge the property owner with any criminal wrongdoing.

“President Trump’s attorney general has just handed state and local police greater ability to profit from the seizure of your cars, cash and other property without having to prove any criminal wrongdoing,” said Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “The Attorney General is taking this country down a destructive and foolish path by escalating failed drug war tactics like civil forfeiture that disproportionately hurt people of color and individuals who can’t afford to fight the forfeiture,” said Smith.

Federal civil forfeiture law allows the government to seize and keep cash, cars, real estate, and any other property from persons without any proof of criminal wrongdoing. Civil forfeiture begins when a federal, state or local law enforcement agency seizes property during a traffic stop or other encounter and takes legal action against the property seized from its owner by alleging that the seized property is connected in some way to illegal drugs or other criminal activity.

Property owners do not need to be charged or convicted of a crime in order for law enforcement to seize property; police need to only suspect the property of being involved in a drug law violation to seize and forfeit it. In the 1970s and 1980s, Congress expanded the use of civil forfeiture by federal, state and local law enforcement in the name of fighting the war on drugs. Numerous law enforcement agencies took advantage of these expanded policies to profit from the confiscation of cash and other property from people during roadside stops and other interactions.

In recent years, there has been strong bipartisan momentum for major civil forfeiture reform both in Congress and statehouses across the country. A growing number of states are reforming their forfeiture laws in the interest of protecting the rights of property owners and eliminating perverse incentives like those perpetuated by the Equitable Sharing Program.

In October, the most populous state in the nation, California, passed sweeping civil forfeiture reform that removed the financial incentives for law enforcement to seize property and pursue forfeitures with federal agencies in cases where one is arrested, charged or convicted of a crime. California’s reform effort added to a growing list of states ― including Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, Wyoming ― who have taken a stance against policing for profit.

In Congress, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in the Senate and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) in the House have sponsored the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act (S.642/H.R. 1555). This strong bipartisan bill would undo the actions taken by Attorney General Sessions today by eliminating the Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program that has incentivized state and local law enforcement to transfer cash and property in circumvention of state law.

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee passed a more incremental civil forfeiture reform bill. Groups that have supported comprehensive reform come from across the political spectrum.

“Congress needs to take up comprehensive civil forfeiture reform and reign in the excessive use of federal forfeiture by Sessions,” said Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “A major overhaul of federal civil forfeiture laws by Congress has been long overdue to help innocent people get their wrongfully seized property back from the government,” said Smith.

In 2015, the Drug Policy Alliance released “Above the Law: An Investigation of Civil Asset Forfeiture Abuses in California,” a multi-year, comprehensive look at forfeiture abuses in California that reveals the troubling extent to which law enforcement agencies have utilized the adoptive forfeiture process in violation of state and federal law.

Gossip: Jada Pinkett Smith Used To Be A Drug Dealer; Ben Affleck Drops Out Of Netflix Film

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Jada Pinkett Smith Used To Be A Drug Dealer; Ben Affleck Drops Out Of Netflix Film

Speaking to SiriusXM’s “Sway in The Morning” about her new movie, Girls Trip, ada Pinkett Smith’s conversation shifted from the movie to her relationship with Tupac.

For the first time, she opened up about how they REALLY met.

“It’s kind of hard because I haven’t really told the whole story. One of the things that’s very interesting that I’ve never really said before is that when I first met Pac, I was a drug dealer.”

“That’s how we started,” she continued. “Then as I was coming out, something very bad happened to me. As I was coming out of the life, he was coming more into the life.”

“Pac and I’s relationship was about survival,” she said. “That’s how it started. I know that most people want to always connect it in this romance thing and that’s just because they don’t have the story. It was based in survival, how we held each other down and when you have somebody that has your back when you feel like you’re nothing, that’s everything. There’s a lot of components to our story that we’ve never shared for a very specific reason. I just decided that this one little piece was important to share finally because it gives more insight to who we were. It was about survival and it’s always been about survival between us.”

Ben Affleck Drops Out Of Netflix Film ‘To Focus On His Wellness & His Family’

Ben Affleck has decided to drop out of Triple Frontier, the JC Chandor-directed hot button thriller that is mobilizing at Netflix. Affleck is going to take some time to focus on his wellness and his family. The film will move forward without him; it is casting up quickly.
[From Deadline]

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Click Bait: This Restaurant Offers Instagram Kits To Diners

Amy Hansen
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Click Bait: This Restaurant Offers Instagram Kits To Diners

This is a first, at least for the U.K. There’s a restaurant chain in London that takes most of the work out of your Instagram shots.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQKwBVCAvHS

Dirty Bones, obviously not wanting crappy pics of their food posted to social media, offers Instagram “kits” to diners that includes a portable LED light, a multi-device charger, a clip-on wide-angle lens, a tripod, and a selfie stick. In fact, the entire restaurant was built with Instagram in mind, having been designed to include neon backdrops that read: “Keeping it real,” “Good vibes only’ and “Gimme some of that.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWfln94D4AO

The menu also lends itself to a Pinterest board or two. The menu items are creative, as are the drinks, and plated as if someone with an overhead iPhone camera was hovering above them.

The shtick seems to be working. Most of the photos the restaurant posts on their IG account are from other people, who obviously knew how to make their photo op pop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWjzS2djHdT

 

3 Important Ways Marijuana Differs In Canada From The US

Brendan Bures
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3 Important Ways Marijuana Differs In Canada From The US

Canada is currently preparing to legalize marijuana nationwide. It is a major moment in cannabis legalization, as the United States still finds itself in persistently dogged battles over marijuana. Some may ask how our neighbors to the north differ in its cannabis programs to those that exist in the United States. Here are three key medical marijuana differences between the two countries.

Federal Vs. State Regulation

In the United States, the government has made cannabis a states’ issue. Each state must legalize on its own before preceding to establish cannabis programs. Some have reasoned this creates testing grounds across the country, getting all the kinks worked out, before reaching the federal level.

However, this has never been the case in Canada. While the country is made up of various provinces and territories, Canada has always treated marijuana as a federal issue. The Canadian Medical Marijuana Access Regulations (MMAR) in 2001 granted legal access of marijuana to patients with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. Patients could grow their own plants or obtain it from authorized distributors. In 2013, the country passed the Medical Marijuana Purposes Regulation (MMPR), which established a more regulated system of cannabis distributors. The final medical marijuana program was passed in 2016, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR).

Marijuana Research

Unfortunately, both countries have scientists frustrated at the lack of scientific research available on the effect of the drug. That’s because there are major hurdles in each case for the countries’ scientists to have access to research.

Thanks to its Schedule I classification, those in the United States must receive approval from three different governing agencies to access medical marijuana for research. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to obtain marijuana to research, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to submit an investigational new drug application, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to receive an investigator registration and proper licenses. This process can be cumbersome and lead to numerous dead ends for researchers.

Meanwhile Canadian researchers must apply for specific exemptions from Health Canada for each compound of the cannabis plant they want to study. As there are hundreds of compounds, this system can be extremely limiting to the scientific community. That’s not to mention the unwieldy methods required to obtain the medical marijuana and the lack of money available to fund any research.

Methods Of Acquisition

It is illegal to otherwise ship or move any federally restricted substance like cannabis across state lines or through the US postal system. If you do, you’re liable to receive felony charges. Therefore, medical cannabis patients must visit state-authorized dispensaries to acquire their product. Ordering anything online is strictly prohibited.

The opposite is true in Canada. Medical cannabis patients must have their product shipped directly to them. As the government website states, “Neither the ACMPR nor any other Health Canada regulations authorize licensed producers to provide cannabis for medical purposes through a storefront.” However it is illegal for patients to ship medical cannabis to each other. Only authorized distributors may transport or ship medical marijuana. While there are cannabis dispensaries currently in Canada, they operate under legal gray areas, and may be subject to law enforcement actions.

Cannabis Revenue In Colorado Rises Above Half A Billion

Mary Schumacher
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Cannabis Revenue In Colorado Rises Above Half A Billion

On Wednesday July 19th, Colorado representative Jonathan Singer was handed an oversized check for $500,000,000.00 to commemorate the half billion milestone in cannabis revenue in his state. The check was presented by VS Strategies in Denver, “…a government relations, issue advocacy, and strategic communications firm dedicated to advancing the cannabis industry in a dynamic yet responsible manner.”

Surpassing half a billion isn’t even entirely new. Since that number hit in May, already millions more (Almost 100 million!) have been generated. However, it was only Wednesday that VS Strategies publicly released the data.

The VS report also revealed that the taxes have increased exponentially every year since the law’s inception in 2014. Making 76 million in its first year, 135 million the next and then having the revenues spike to 198 million in 2016 is a joy to watch. More and more revenue is being generated, not only because ingesting cannabis’ rise in popularity nationwide, but because marijuana taboos are going up in smoke.

So where does the tax revenue go? Over half of it is put into school systems that desperately need a boost. Other taxes go toward combatting homelessness and improving the state of the roads. Funds also go toward compassionate substance abuse programs.

If we follow the percentage model of rising tax revenues, things get really exciting, though the fact of the matter is, when it comes to improving schools and roads, 500 million doesn’t come close to cutting out the problems. It makes a dent, but a smallish one at this point.

The above fact is something naysayers are grasping onto as they go through the painful motions of watching cannabis do great things for communities. Grasping at straws is never a good look though and that big, oversized check that Singer held not only looked good, it was more than a few steps in the right direction.

Gossip: Usher Pays $1.1 Million To Woman For Herpes; Kevin Hart Cheating On Pregnant Wife?

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Usher Pays $1.1 Million To Woman For Herpes; Kevin Hart Cheating On Pregnant Wife?

Usher Raymond reportedly cut a $1.1 million check in order to settle a lawsuit from a woman he infected with herpes.

According to Radar Online, legal documents detail how Usher had ‘rigorous unprotected sex’ without disclosing he had the virus. The papers also show that he was ‘exposed to herpes’ in 2009 or 2010. Usher finalized his divorce from Tameka Foster in 2009.

Update: You can read the official court documents here. The woman has been identified in the documents posted by Radar as Maya Fox-Davis — the SAME bridesmaid who Tameka Foster accused Usher of sleeping with in court.

Via Radar Online:

In a disgusting revelation, a “greenish discharge” once oozed from the performer’s penis, but otherwise he had no signs of the infection and was labeled an “asymptomatic carrier” by doctors.

After initially admitting concern to his partner, Usher — who’s worth a cool $180 million — later convinced her that an STD examination result was negative, and they continued to engage in unprotected sex.

“Believing Raymond’s statements that it had been nothing and cleared up, [she] continued her relationship,” a lawyer for the victim wrote in a legal complaint for damages.

Their romps went without a hitch until three weeks after a passionate hookup when the victim — whose identity is being withheld by Radar — woke up “feeling very sick” with a “fever of 100 degrees, chills, headache, and aches and pains.”

She “also developed lesions and blisters in her vagina,” and was so terrified she sought treatment at urgent care, where a doctor promptly diagnosed her with herpes.

According to the document, the “Yeah!” singer — going by the pseudonym “Papa Bear” in messages — posted a check covering her medical bills totaling $2,754.40.

Usher — now married to Grace Miguel, former executive chef on The Cosby Show — is accused of “consciously and purposefully” withholding his herpes diagnosis from the woman “and continued to have unprotected sex.”

The legal complaint was filed at the Superior Court in Los Angeles. California law requires a person who knows or should know they are infected with genital herpes to avoid sexual contact with an uninfected person — or to warn potential partners before sexual contact occurs.

After being confronted by his partner for infecting her, Usher called her two days later with his doctor, who confirmed he carries the herpes virus.

Her test results confirmed a first-time infection and a file in the settlement reads: “In a series of telephone conversations and online chat sessions, [Usher] has apologized for infecting [her] and told her he would take care of things.”

In a declaration, the celebrity fashionista said she “feels that her health and body have been ruined,” and she “has suffered severe emotional distress and has been extremely depressed … knowing there is no cure.”

Usher eventually settled with his ex on Dec. 28, 2012, coughing up a total of $1.1 million.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about ONE out of SIX people in the United States between the ages of 14 to 49 have genital herpes.

Kevin Hart Cheating On Pregnant Wife?

Kevin Hart has some explaining to do.

In video captured by Radar Online, Kevin Hart and a mystery woman were filmed canoodling outside of his Miami hotel at 5am on July 3rd.

It doesn’t look to us like there’s much going on, but being out all night with a woman who’s NOT your pregnant wife isn’t a good look.

Rumors are spreading that #KevinHart cheated on his wife. Looks to us like a huge reach, but what do yall see?

A post shared by 101.9 Kiss FM (@1019online) on

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

No More Jail Time For Small Amounts Of Marijuana In New Hampshire

Terry Hacienda
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No More Jail Time For Small Amounts Of Marijuana In New Hampshire

Cannabis enthusiasts in New England rejoice: There will be no more jail time for small amounts of marijuana in New Hampshire.

Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday signed a bill into law that will prevent citizens from going to jail for carrying small amounts of cannabis — the 22nd state in the nation to pass such legislation. The law officially will go into effect in 60 days.

“The governor deserves credit for his steadfast support of this commonsense reform,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Unlike his predecessors, who opposed similar proposals, Gov. Sununu appears to understand that ‘Live Free or Die’ is more than just a motto on a license plate,” he added.

HB 640 was introduced by Rep. Renny Cushing and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, where it passed by a v0te of 318-36 in February. The Senate amended and approved it in May by a 17-6 vote. The House passed the Senate version last month.

“A lot of credit also goes to the House, which has been passing decriminalization bills since 2008,” Simon said. “It is refreshing to see the Senate finally come to an agreement with the House on this issue. This is a big step toward a more sensible marijuana policy for New Hampshire.”

The new law will reduce the penalty for possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor — currently punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000 — to a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine for a first or second offense and a $300 fine for a third offense within three years of the first offense. A fourth offense within three years of the first offense could be charged as a class B misdemeanor, but there would be no arrest or possibility of jail time.

According to an analysis performed by the ACLU, New Hampshire spent more than $6.5 million enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010. The study also concluded that African Americans were 2.6 times more likely than white people to be busted for possession.

Maine and Massachusetts voters have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. Vermont legislators are debating legalization but the bill stalled earlier this year. Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut have all passed decriminalization laws.

“There is no good reason to continue arresting and prosecuting people for marijuana possession,” Simon said.

More than two-thirds of New Hampshire adults (68 percent) support making marijuana legal, according to a Granite State Poll released last month by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

So what happens if you get caught with cannabis in New Hampshire? Here are some highlights of House Bill 640:

  • Possession of up to three-quarters of one ounce of cannabis or up to five grams of hashish will only be a fine. No arrest. No criminal record. Before decriminalization, this infraction would have been punishable by up to one year in jail
  • The final under the new law will be $100 for a first or second offense.
  • A third offense within three years of the initial offense will result in a fine of $300.
  • A fourth offense within three years of the original offense can result in a misdemeanor charge, but no arrest or jail time. and a $2,000 fine.
  • Those caught possessing cannabis who are under 18 will be sent to juvenile court.
  • Adults who fail to keep edible marijuana secure, allowing access to minors, are subject to a new misdemeanor offense.
  • 100 percent of the revenue from fines imposed under the law will go to a special fund for substance abuse prevention programs.

Marijuana Can Be A Triumphant Treatment For Alcoholism

Maria Loreto
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Marijuana Can Be A Triumphant Treatment For Alcoholism

Alcoholism causes around 88,000 deaths a year, without including the deaths caused by drunk driving or the shortening of the lifespan of heavy drinkers. With several programs and institutions designed to help addicts, alcoholics have a 50 percent chance of complete recovery, which is not the most optimistic statistic.

Cannabis appears to be a good method for helping addicts safely distance themselves from other more dangerous drugs like barbiturates, heroin, and alcohol, aiding in their recovery and potentially saving their lives. While the marijuana plant has been long considered a gateway drug, research and study has proved that it can act as a substitute for other drugs and produce far less negative consequences.

A study from 2009 claimed that 40 percent of users used cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, 26 percent used it as a substitute from other illicit drugs and 66% of them used it to substitute prescription drugs. Scientists and doctors claim that cannabis has much more manageable and less harmful side effects than the aforementioned drugs.

Views on cannabis have changed over the years, with scientists and celebrity doctors regarding it to a much higher standard and from government programs eliminating it from their harmful drugs list. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, one of the loudest opponents of medicinal cannabis has changed his views over the years, and now believes that marijuana is a viable solution for some illnesses.

Doctors and those who’re working to solve alcohol addiction have been quick to point out that patients suffering from withdrawal experience similar symptoms to patients undergoing chemotherapy, including nausea, sleeplessness, muscle cramps, fatigue, vomiting and appetite loss. It would be reasonable for patients who are undergoing withdrawal and who are receiving treatment for alcohol addiction to turn to cannabis to find some relief.

10 Hilarious Border Smuggling Fails Full Of Nope

Amy Hansen
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10 Hilarious Border Smuggling Fails Full Of Nope

People have no shame when it comes to sneaking illegal substances across the U.S. border. So much so, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has an entire Instagram account dedicated to all the weird shit they seize. Here are the biggest head scratchers involving food that actual human beings thought they’d get away with bringing into the country: 10 border smuggling fails to end all others.

1. This Whole Roasted Baby Pig 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNdBOc4D192

2. This Lettuce Haul That Is Totally Not Sketchy

3. This “Not At All A Vegetable” Brick Of Coke

In November 2015, agents discovered nearly $2 million worth of drugs (weed and cocaine) packaged in fresh carrots and cucumbers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_AQld8uEoA/

4. These Tortillas That Give New Meaning To “Make A Run For The Border”

5. These Kissing Kooler Looking Fake Watermelons

6. These Cocakes

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCzBCJKuEk0

7. These Flintstonian Carrots

In January, agents seized 2,493 pounds of weed hidden within a commercial shipment of fresh carrots worth an estimated $499,000.

8. These Coconuts That Had Too Much Fun During Spring Break

https://www.instagram.com/p/BA098-OOEoC

9. This Weed Stash Hidden By Someone Who Was Obviously High 

10. These Blocks Of Mongolian Beef That Don’t Look Refrigerated

Colorado Gives Drug-Sniffing Police Dogs The Boot

Terry Hacienda
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Colorado Gives Drug-Sniffing Police Dogs The Boot

A Colorado appeals court ruled last week that the presence of marijuana in a car, detected by drug-sniffing police dogs, does not provide probable cause for police to search the vehicle.

In a precedent-setting case (People of the State of Colorado v. Kevin Keith McKnight), a three-judge panel ruling affirmed that law enforcement officers need more than a dog’s warning in order to search a vehicle.

Why? Because in Colorado, marijuana is legal. Judge Daniel Dailey wrote in his ruling that it could be legal marijuana in the certain vehicle:

“Because Amendment 64 legalized possession for personal use of one ounce or less of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older in Colorado, it is no longer accurate to say, at least as a matter of state law, that an alert by a dog which can detect marijuana — but not specific amounts — can reveal only the presence of ‘contraband.”

Two years ago, police officers pulled over a truck driven by McKnight for allegedly making a turn without using a signal. A drug-sniffing police dog named Kilo alerted the officers that drugs were in the truck. Despite a motion by McKnight’s attorney to suppress that search, Moffat County District Judge Michael O’Hara allowed evidence found from it. McKnight was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

But the appeals court said that since marijuana is legal, and the dog could not tell officers what he was sniffing, the officers did not have enough probable cause to conduct the search.

Dailey said the dog sniffing the vehicle could “infringe upon a legitimate expectation of privacy.

Read the ruling here.

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