According to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the delivery, officials watched the tractor trailer travel to its destination. Soon after, several vehicles pulled up, left and then came back. The vehicles stayed several hours before leaving. When officials later checked the tractor trailer, the drugs were gone (surprise!).

It’s unclear why the police in charge of escorting the shipment did not intervene while the drugs were being unloaded. Keith Brown, resident agent-in-charge of the Memphis DEA office would only say “The DEA is conducting an investigation into drug trafficking, and I can’t comment any further than that,” when questioned by a reporter.

As Spark Report has already reported, police agencies around the country have increased focus on truckload shipments in the month of February, resulting in a large number of 1 ton or more busts already this month.

Story developing, check back for updates…

Some marijuana consumers around the U.S may experience shortages or price increases after a sharp increase in the frequency of one ton or more marijuana busts along highways. Avocados, bananas, batteries and toilet paper are just a few of the things police have found more than 29,000 pounds of marijuana hidden inside while conducting searches of tractor trailers already during the month of February. While many of the busts took place in Texas, it’s still unclear where any of the trucks final destinations was, or more importantly, where there is expected to be shortages of marijuana. It’s also unclear if the trend is a sign of increased marijuana trafficking enforcement or a result of police investigations and/or informants.

Although it’s presumed that all of the busts were of the popular brick or “shwag” weed variety, usually imported from Mexico, some market strain could be put on locally grown higher grade supplies as a result.

Tuscola, Illinois (4,400 pounds)

Three men from California are being held on $1 million bond each after Illinois State Police found more than 2 tons of marijuana inside a semitrailer truck they were driving through eastern Illinois, 30 miles south of Champaign. A police K9 unit discovered the bundles of marijuana hidden among crates of vegetables. The suspects, 31-year-old Jesus Guzman, 35-year-old Eric Cabrera and 32-year-old Joshua Cornillez are all from the Livingston, California  area. Charges have yet to be filed but marijuana trafficking charges are expected for each pending further investigation.

Loredo, Texas (2,317 pounds)

Around the 14th of the month, Customs and Border Protection inspectors discovered more than a ton of marijuana after conducting a secondary search on a trailer filled with 1,496 boxes of car batteries near Loredo. The unnamed driver of that truck was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) to continue with investigations.

Brownsville, Texas (2,161 pounds)

The same weekend of the Loredo bust, Border Patrol agents seized 2,161 pounds from a truck in Brownsville, Texas after agents found 66 bundles of marijuana concealed in metal boxes that had been welded shut. The unnamed driver in that bust was turned over to the D.E.A.

Rio Rico, Arizona (3,470 pounds)

on February 9th, ICE agents responded and established surveillance after receiving a tip about a mysterious semitrailer at a warehouse facility. During the investigation, agents discovered there was no truck associated with the trailer or driver in the vicinity. After obtaining consent from the warehouse manager, Agents discovered the 1.75 tons of pot in 156 vacuum-sealed bags hidden within a shipment of squash. No arrests have been made and the squash was turned over to a consignee.

Weslaco, Texas (2,500 pounds)

Around February 8th, a Weslaco, Texas police patrol officer stopped a tractor trailer hauling about 2,500 pounds of marijuana inside a shipment of avocados. Police arrested Marciano Noriega Gonzalez, 45, of Yakima, Washington, and Patricia Marquez De Haro, 47, of Corona, Calif after X-ray scans revealed anomalies inside the trailer.

Otay Mesa, California (3,877 pounds & 2,000 pounds)

During the first week of the month, inspectors at the Otay Mesa cargo port found more than 3,800 pounds of marijuana hidden in a shipment of peppers and green beans. An unnamed 46-year-old Ensenada man who was driving the shipment was taken into custody.

A few days later, the same inspectors at the cargo port nabbed another ton of marijuana stashed in a load of bananas. An unnamed 40-year-old driver was arrested.

San Antonio, Texas (2,512 pounds)

on February 3rd, ICE agents seized more than a ton of pot as the result of an investiagtion that started after an inspector became suspicious of a truck that entered through Loredo. Agents followed the truck to an abandoned used car lot where they set up surveillance on the rundown building. When agents went in for the bust, they found the drugs concealed behind a fake wall that was hastily constructed. One unnamed person at the scene was arrested and police say they expect more arrests to come after an investigation.

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania (6,000 pounds)

Around the first of the month, Pennsylvania State Troopers pulled over a truck that reportedly failed to stop at a weigh station on Interstate 81. Inside the trailer they found six plywood crates with about 3 tons of marijuana hidden behind boxes. Authorities have arrested Eric Emmanuel, 35, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and Stanley Narcisse, 34, of Winter Garden, Florida.

The driver of that truck, 51-year-old Angel Guillen Raya of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty this week to transporting the marijuana with the intent to distribute it. A U.S. attorney’s office spokesman says no one else has been charged in the case, but an investigation into the source of the marijuana is ongoing. Good luck with that. Seeing as Raya pleaded guilty to such a significant charge, chances are he didn’t give up any names.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 12th.

Original Story:

New Jersey recently became the 14th state to approve an effective medical marijuana law. There are actually 31 states plus the District of Columbia that have medical marijuana laws recognizing the medical benefits but most are not generally recognized because they rely on the national government to provide or authorize a legal supply of marijuana. Some advocacy groups recognize Maryland as a 15th state because they have what the Marijuana Policy Project calls a “working law” which lets patients obtain a recommendation from a doctor but only protects patients from jail time and not fines.

Many peoples knowledge of medical marijuana laws are incorrectly based on California’s law which have the most lenient patient requirements and access in the country. Those suffering from conditions or symptoms such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or migraines would not be allowed access in other medical marijuana states despite marijuana’s value in treating those conditions. Only 3 states, other than California, allow the setup of dispensaries to distribute marijuana to patients.

The infographic below was designed to show the differences in laws for the 15 states with effective or working medical marijuana laws. The information outlined was collected to show patient requirements and coverage as well as safe access to obtaining and using the marijuana. More information on each specific value is included below.

[CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Year Established

The year each states medical marijuana law was put into effect. New Jersey’s law will go into effect later this year.

Limited to Chronic Diseases

Although most laws are aimed to only allow whats called “chronic or debilitating” illnesses, some states use the wording “other medical conditions” which leaves a window for doctors to decide if marijuana is an appropriate medication for any specific patient. Other states strictly require patients to have a chronic disease such as  cancer, AIDS or multiple sclerosis.

Bona Fide Patient-Doctor Relationship

Many states require that a doctor or physician recommending medical marijuana has an established relationship with the patient. This relationship sometimes requires a doctor to have treated the specific patient for a required amount of time prior to recommending medical marijuana. Some states, like California, allow any doctor to recommend medical marijuana regardless of their knowledge of the patients medical history which has led to a medical marijuana industry of doctors whose job is only to write medical marijuana recommendations.

Number of Patients Covered

Most states require patients to apply and register for a medical marijuana program in the state. For states that do not have a registry or have a voluntary registry, like California, these numbers are estimated by using information provided the Marijuana Policy Project.

Allows Dispensaries

No state currently allows medical pharmacies to distribute medical marijuana but some allow for non-profit dispensaries to be established to provide patients with safe access. Some states do not specifically address dispensaries or growing collectives (a group of patients sharing one common growing location) and defers patients to consult with local law enforcement agencies. Americans for Safe Access encourages patients in these states to instead pressure state agencies to specifically allow dispensaries so owners are not put at risk of arrest and imprisonment due to vagueness of the law.

Allows Cultivation

Almost all medical marijuana states allow patients or their care givers to legally grow their own supply of marijuana. Ironically the “Garden State” of New Jersey is the first of the 14 generally recognized states that does not allow patients to grow their own marijuana.

Protection From Arrest

The goal of each states medical marijuana law is to protect patients and doctors from state laws against possession or cultivation of marijuana. Some states do not specifically protect patients from being arrested by law enforcement and instead leave it up to the court system to decide if a patient or doctor was within their legal right to have medical marijuana.

Maximum Quantity

The maximum quantity of harvested and growing plants as defined in the state law. Some states, like California, have varying maximum quantities due to differences in county laws. Other states set a maximum number of “mature plants” each patient or caregiver can have. Patients and caregivers should always refer to their respective city and county laws before going by whats defined in the state law (or this infograph).

Lead Photo by: jimmy dm

A traffic stop on Wednesday led officers to conduct a search at the first house where swat team members found 1 suspect with a semi-automatic handgun and a house full of packaged marijuana (pictured). The marijuana was bundled into 20 pound packages and the final weight has yet to be calculated.

A second house about two blocks away from the first was searched shortly after, resulting in no marijuana or cash but reportedly contained information that led officers to a third house where they found 4 duffel bags full of cash.

Police have arrested 2 people in connection with the case and believe the marijuana is part of a Mexican drug cartel operation.

Developing story, stay tuned...

According to Johnson County forensic scientist Jeremy Morris: “The effects of THC happen when the chemical binds with receptors in the user’s brain, like a key fitting into a lock. (K2’s active chemicals) are better keys then THC, and therefore, it takes less of them to get you high — and that high will last longer.” It’s hard to find any real testimonial of any of these products giving people much more than a headache or short buzz at best but they remain popular among those on parole or who otherwise are subjected to drug tests.

“Legal buds” have advertised in cannabis magazines as well as many marijuana websites for years, however many brands are now appearing more in local head shops which explains lawmakers new interest in the fake weed.

Thurman told the school principal, assistant principal and Murray police that she provides her son with marijuana so he does not have to go behind her back to obtain or use it. While her defense is not likely to help her in court, it does raise an interesting discussion around how parents are to protect their children from an unregulated marijuana market. Due to continuing marijuana prohibition, anyone looking to purchase marijuana on the black market is at risk of being a victim of a violent crime.

Providing a safer way to obtain and use the marijuana despite the sons age may sound like the best solution, depending on which side of the overall marijuana debate you stand on.

Mom of the year award? or Worst mom in the world award? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Photo by: emilywjones

“Thanks for the grow! You want them back? Call for the price [phone number]. We’ll talk.”

The suspected grower, Steven Locascio, 48, discovered his plants missing and found the note only minutes after investigators left the scene.  He promptly called the number hoping to negotiate the return of his six 6-foot-tall plants. After speaking with an undercover detective, Locascio agreeed to meet and pay a $200 ransom to get his plants back. After handing over the cash, he was arrested.

Police later served a search warrant on Locascio’s home where they found 20 smaller plants and 4 pounds of harvested marijuana. Locascio and his wife, Christine Locascio, 50, were both charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and sale of marijuana.

Photo by: Heart of Oak

During Spark Report’s extended holiday vacation, I have compiled a list of the 10 most popular posts of 2009. This list represents Spark Report’s core content focus as well as what our readers like. Expect more great content in 2010, including the much anticipated public launch of SparkPrice.com. Happy New Year!

1: The Full Story Behind The Great Tennessee Pot Cave (March)

An in-depth story that took a huge amount of research was also one of Spark Report’s first story ideas. It received a boost in traffic thanks to a link on a popular Cracked.com post and was also recently featured on HailMaryJane.com.

2: Obama Signs Bill That Could Prohibit Flavored Blunts & Wraps (June)

While the effects of this bill have yet to be seen, one thing is clear: Don’t mess with people’s blunts! This story has gathered the most comments of any post and has also been shared more than 100 times on Facebook.

3: 5 Good Places to Hide Marijuana in a Vehicle (July)

This highly searched for article is also our most controversial. Some marked the article as a tool for police, however those that read it will find the list contains mostly “methods” and not specific places.

4: What You Should Know About Mold Issues on Marijuana (August)

Solutions for a commonly overlooked problem facing consumers, growers and distributors.

5: Cannabis Science Inc. Offers Marijuana Treatment for Swine Flu (April)

In the prime of the swine flu outbreak, readers were captivated with a proposed marijuana treatment. Thanks to Twitter, the story spread as quickly as the flu as soon as it went up.

6: Stoned Presidents: U.S Presidents that Smoked Marijuana (July)

Another heavily researched post that helped define Spark Report’s exclusive content in 2009. Even we were surprised so many presidents liked to get high.

7: 9 Towns That Set An Example For Marijuana Laws in the U.S (November)

Social sites like Digg, Twitter and Facebook helped propel this story onto the most popular list late in the year.

8: Police Bust Penn State Marijuana Selling Operation (April)

Many Penn State marijuana consumers were left dry after a major distribution network caused severe campus shortages.

9: Soulja Boy Wants to Quit Rap And Just Smoke Marijuana (July)

A popular teenage rapper declares his love for marijuana via a public Twitter tirade.

10: 5 Non-Economic Factors Driving Marijuana Legalization (April)

A post fueled by politicians mistake to only look at marijuana issues as a revenue source for the government.

According to RadarOnline, Jamiee claimed to be a cock-tail waitress during an interview with US Weekly but until as recently as a month ago (while alegedly dating Tiger), was employed at City Organic Remedies in Studio City, California.

In the US Weekly interview Grubbs disclosed her several-year affair, providing photos and text messages Tiger had sent, including “Send me something very naughty” and “I will wear you out.”

Jaimee is now being represented by a Los Angeles P.R firm and is shopping her Tiger stories to T.V networks (Media, Four!).