NEW YORK — As health officials scrutinize marijuana vaping, it’s increasingly on law enforcement’s radar, too. From New York City to Nebraska farm country to California, authorities have seized at least 510,000 marijuana vape cartridges and arrested more than 120 people in the past two years, according to an Associated...
California Boosts Pot Taxes, Shocking Unsteady Industry
LOS ANGELES — California is increasing business tax rates on legal marijuana, a move that stunned struggling companies that have been pleading with the state to do just the opposite. Hefty marijuana taxes that can approach 50 percent in some communities have been blamed for pushing shoppers into California’s tax-free...
Divided US House Committee Backs Pot Decriminalization
LOS ANGELES — A divided U.S. House committee approved a proposal Wednesday to decriminalize and tax marijuana at the federal level, a vote that was alternately described as a momentous turning point in national cannabis policy or a hollow political gesture. The House Judiciary Committee approved the proposal 24-10 after...
No Short-Term Fix for Challenges in California Pot Market
LONG BEACH— California’s struggling marijuana market can expect to see a period of continued strain and turbulence for at least a couple of years, as it deals with sustained competition from illegal sales, industry layoffs and fallout from a national vaping crisis, the state’s top cannabis regulator said Friday. “It’s...
Porterville Duo Face 20 Years in Minnesota Highway Drug Bust
Two Porterville men are in a Minnesota jail facing felony drug charges after a state trooper discovered nearly 40 pounds of marijuana during a search of their vehicle. Norberto Beltran-Corrales, 26, and James Kaykeo, 25, were stopped November 8 for traffic violations on Interstate 90, The Globe news site reports....
Drugs Hidden in Spray Foam Land Modesto Man in Nebraska Jail
State troopers weren't fooled when they came upon a box filled with spray foam after stopping a California driver on Sunday for speeding on Interstate 80 in central Nebraska. After detecting "indicators of criminal activity," troopers searched the car and discovered a pound and a half of marijuana hidden in...
California Illegal Pot Seizures Top $1.5 Billion in Value
LOS ANGELES — Authorities seized more than $1.5 billion worth of illegally grown marijuana plants in California this year as part of an annual eradication program, officials said Monday. The raids netted more than 950,000 plants from nearly 350 growing operation sites this year through the "Campaign Against Marijuana Planting"...
San Diego Man Charged With Running 13 Illegal Pot Farms
RIVERSIDE — A San Diego man has been charged with operating illegal marijuana farms at 13 homes across three Southern California counties. Authorities say they raided leased homes Wednesday in Temecula, Murrieta, Riverside, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, Rowland Heights, and Hacienda Heights. Chiaming Tim Hsu was arrested at the...
Fresno Cannabis: Social Equity and When Stores Might Open
Proposed new guidelines and maps in advance of a Fresno City Council discussion show where cannabis businesses may locate, who may work there, and what the social equity component could look like. The council will discuss a new round of regulations at 11 a.m. Thursday at City Hall. Listen to...
Investigators Focus on Rogue Vape Brand as Illness Spreads
LOS ANGELES — It's a widely known vape cartridge in the marijuana economy, but it’s not a licensed brand. And it’s got the kind of market buzz no legitimate company would want. The vape cartridges that go by the catchy, one-syllable name “Dank,” a slang word for highly potent cannabis,...