Brookline teenager who had ‘magic mushrooms’ jumped from 6th-story window: Police

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4 months ago

December 26, 2023

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A Brookline teen was severely injured after he had “magic mushrooms” and jumped from a sixth-story window, according to police who arrested a drug dealer accused of targeting local kids.

Brookline Police are now warning parents after this incident and the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Brookline Village.

Based on a tip, Brookline detectives began investigating a suspected drug dealer who goes by the name Niko. He was allegedly selling drugs to underage teens.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

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Burglaries at over 40 Denver-area marijuana dispensaries lead to charges for members of two organized crime groups

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4 months ago

December 21, 2023

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Denver District Attorney Beth McCann on Friday announced her office will charge 23 members of two organized crime groups with carjacking and burglarizing more than 40 marijuana dispensaries.

The arrests were the result of two law enforcement investigations conducted by the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department, FBI, ATF, the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network and the Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force, according to a district attorney’s office news release.

“These arrests send an unmistakable message that law enforcement agencies throughout the Denver metro area are committed to working together to disrupt and disband dangerous criminal organizations. The streets of Denver are safer today because of these two investigations and I am grateful to the many law enforcement officers who have worked so hard on these cases to get us to this point,” McCann said.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

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Trying To Make Cannabis SAFER And Save You Money

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7 months ago

October 6, 2023

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Having a 40 hour a week job and working hard should not be a reason you are flagged to not get a car loan. Building a legal business you are passionate about shouldn’t be the reason your bank shuns you. Over 40 states have some form of legal weed and over 48 million have used marijuana. Roughly 90% of Americans believe it should be legal in some form or another. Yet, the GOP and Biden administration believe myths and prefer a thriving illicit (and dangerous) market over a legal, safe, beneficial legal market.

Currently, marijuana business owners, with over 90% being small businesses, operate in an environment where they deal with large amounts of money and second class citizen status. And it directly affects the consumer. Robberies, zero tax breaks, expensive non traditional bank operating loans all get pushed to product cost, impacting the wallet of millions of consumers.

This doesn’t count the 1,500 unlicensed New York City dispensaries which are crushing stores who have gone to the mammoth lengths and huge cost the state has required to operate legally. And they are upcharing consumers also!

The Washington state Treasurer, Michael Pellicciotti, is leading a group of bipartisan legal state officials to help the Senate understand the practical need for SAFER banking. While pleased the new bill has seen more progress than any other, he knows there is more work to done.

Pellicciotti has an important ally in Washington Senator Patty Murray. Murray is the number three in the Senate, a co-sponsor of SAFER Banking, and a champion. Her support is an excellent counterbalance to Mitch McConnell is has been fighting legal marijuana.

One issue around the lack of a SAFER Banking act it makes it harder on the regular workers of businesses to get car, house and other traditional loans. Without SAFER Banking, this is seen as a negative and counts against a regular worker who is holding onto a steady job. Even with a well paying job, banks are more likely to look at through a “no” lens.

“It’s ridiculous that legal cannabis businesses in Washington state are forced to operate entirely in cash—and it puts the safety of their employees and our neighborhoods at risk,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why I’ve been working for years on SAFE Banking legislation and I’m thrilled to see bipartisan momentum behind this bill, which has now advanced further than ever in the U.S. Senate. The SAFER Banking Act is an important first step in doing the right thing for small business owners and the communities they operate in—and I’m going to keep pushing to get it across the finish line. We can’t stop there, though—we need to work towards broader cannabis policy reforms that address the long history of racial injustice and criminalization that have harmed so many communities across the country.”

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Andrew Lewis

Crimes Against Cannabis Soars In Seattle

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7 months ago

September 21, 2023

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Washington State legalized weed in 2012 and things rolled out slowly but surely. Then things took a rough turni in 2020. Since then, crimes against cannabis has soared in Seattle, causing angst among business owners.

In the summer of 2022, which then Mayor Jenny Durbin refers to as “the summer of love“, the city stood by as protesters looted downtown and took over a major park in a popular neighborhood. The area was a declared a “free zone” and the Mayor allowed protesters to occupy the neighboring police headquarters. A majority of the city council declared the problem was the police and insisted on joining the Defund the Policy campaign.

Shortly afterwards, the police chief quit followed by over 600 more officers three years later. Crime has skyrocketed and the downtown is struggling compared to other major cities. Another problem arising from the chaos? Crime against cannabis dispensaries have become very popular, massive smash and grabs in record numbers.

The trend is for groups of 2-6 to steal a Kia and drive it through the storefront. Knowing they have have plenty of time before police arrive, they loot products, hunt for cash and ride off in backup car. Sometimes they hit 2 or 3 dispensaries a night. The damage to the building, lost product and the length of repairs all hits the bottom line for small business owners.

“Washington marijuana shops experienced a dramatic uptick in robberies following the defund the police movement. Adult use weed shops have enjoyed the ability to utilize credit unions and armored car cash pickup since the inception of the industry. It is the anti police political movement that created today’s crisis. Record low police staffing and anti pursuit legislation have been the main causes of pot shop robberies. We’re soft targets for criminals.”

“The ability to accept credit cards would deter armed robberies because we wouldn’t have as much cash on hand. Thieves are going after product and really aren’t getting very much considering the massive costs of rebuilding smashed stores. The remains of the police department are doing what they can. A hindrance are prosecutors and judges who are relatucant to lock up the criminals” shares Ian Eisbenberg, the own of the Uncle Ike’s dispensaries.

The region is consumed with a fentanyl crisis. With four months left in 2023, fatalities so far this year from illicit fentanyl stood Thursday at 704, according to data from Seattle & King CountyPublic Health. It is just eight shy of 2022’s total of 712 fentanyl-involved overdose deaths. In June, a majority of the city council shocked the public by voting against enforcing a state drug law that would have allowed the city to prosecute people for using illegal drugs in public. Smash and grab crimes have only increased since.

City Council member Sara Nelson and Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison have been working to turn the tide of the crime spree, but they have been hamstrung by the existing City Council.

With the local paper, the Seattle Times saying cannabis dispensaries robberies hitting a record high, business owners and consumers are become frustrated.

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