USVI Senator “Positive” Nelson To Meet With Washington Marijuana Business Leaders April 14th @ Green Lion Farms

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WASHINGTON: Senator Terrence “Positive” Nelson and a delegation of pro-pot politicians on a fact-finding mission from the U.S. Virgin Islands will be visiting Washington next week and meeting with Washington’s legal cannabis business community leaders, as part of the Senator’s efforts to legalize and implement a Medicinal Marijuana industry in the USVI.

While in Seattle, Senator Nelson will be the guest of honor at a “High Tea” event, presented and hosted at the SODO headquarters of Green Lion Farms, a licensed cannabis producer/processors,  and attended by leading members of Washington’s legal cannabis business community.

“The success of Washington’s Marijuana industry is very commendable and one to be imitated. Recognizing this, a delegation from the U.S. Virgin Islands will be making an exploratory trip, with the sole purpose of meeting with business owners/participants in the industry and government officials, to gather information and discuss the strategies that could assist the USVI in duplicating Washington’s success with the transition of legalizing and implementing this industry,” the Senator told MJ News Network.

The Marijuana Business Association (MJBA)  is a co-sponsor of the prestigious gathering, and MJBA CEO David Rheins has volunteered to act as emcee. High Tea takes place on Tuesday, April 14th, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (PDT). Tickets are $150 and available via Eventbrite.

Lawyers Make Closing Arguments, Verdict Expected Soon In Eastern Washington Medical Marijuana Case

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WASHINGTON:  After nearly four days of questioning witnesses and showing dozens of photos and videos, lawyers in the case of the so-called “Kettle Falls Five” made their closing arguments Monday afternoon. The government will get one more chance this morning to rebut the defense’s arguments and then the case will be handed over to the jury.

This is the widely watched case that I just wrote this feature about—an Eastern Washington court showdown that’s pitting Washington State laws allowing medical marijuana against black-and-white federal drug laws that classify pot as more dangerous than drugs like cocaine and meth.

The basic facts in this case:  A group of five medical marijuana patients—Rhonda and Larry Harvey, Rhonda’s son Rolland Gregg and his wife Michelle, and their family friend Jason Zucker—grew 74 plants on the Harveys’ property two hours northwest of Spokane. (Just three of them remain defendants in the case now, since the government dropped the charges against Larry, who’s battling late-stage cancer, and cut a deal with Zucker.)

While state law limits patient collectives to 45 plants, it also allows individual patients to grow 15 plants, so the the defendants say they thought they were allowed a total of 75 plants (5 people x 15 plants each). In August of 2012, Sheriff’s office detectives raided the home, cut them down to the 45 plants allowed, and left, only to turn the case over to the DEA, which led its own raid a week later.