Friday, March 12, 2010

ALICE CAMPBELL'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA STORY IN THE HDN THURSDAY

Wasn’t that just an enchanting story in Thursday night’s Havre Daily News spiritualizing local Pot grower Dustin Malley? I just had to close my eyes and through the descriptive words used by HDN reporter Alice Campbell I could literally see a kind, compassionate Dustin softly and tenderly singing old hippie songs to his infamous pot plants that he cares for, as Alice puts it, like they were his own “green, leafy children”. Alice’s well chosen words portraying Dustin as nothing more than a hurting farmer tending his own special kind of “garden” sanctuary while awaiting his version of the Great Pumpkin nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Alice further went on to do a wonderful job describing all the aches, pains, suffering, and the malady of afflictions that Dustin endures because of a prior injury which is what lead Dustin to become a “Doctor of Pot” or a caregiver, as the State law terms the word. The modern users of Dustin’s product are no longer to be referred to as potheads, stoners, burnos, tokers, druggies, or weedheads as the new political correct term is “patient”.

However, the Corrector does take exception to some of Alice Campbell’s “facts” in this story.
According to www.dphhs.mt.gov  8,604 people are registered as patients, and 109 of those reside in Hill County. Out of the 2,231 caregivers in the state, 15 are in Hill County.
The fact of the matter is using the same source Alice cited in her story we see 10,582 people are registered as patients in Montana, 139 which reside in Hill County. Of the 2,635 people that are registered as the growers, or caregivers, 20 reside in Hill County. Even more interesting to the Corrector is the 288 new patients that received medical marijuana cards in a reporting period from March 1st to March 7th. We are sure Alice’s facts were correct a couple weeks ago when this story first broke but the change in numbers just shows how rapidly this business is growing. Check the facts yourself at this link; http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/mmpcurrentpatientcount0110.pdf  The Corrector is of the opinion that this could become a runaway train if this “industry” is left unsupervised as is now the case in the State of Montana. Is this really what the people voted for?

The HDN story with Alice’s apparent fixation on the positive aspects of this controversial business went on to portray many of the things that Dustin has done to insure the safety of his business and clients. Dustin purposely chose his growing operation’s location in an area in Havre that was zoned commercial intermediate to enable him to meet his “patients” in a safe area. He uses a systematic approach to growing with air systems, PH balanced water, organic fertilizers, timed and metered lighting and his grow rooms being kept clean and sterile. The newspaper story portrays the thoughts and considerations put into this operation as truly breath taking. The Corrector wonders if the only thing balanced in this home is the ph balanced water? I can also close my eyes and visualize the pain-free smoking daddy playing happily with his children in amongst the pot growing operation with a HDN reporter fawning over him and it is absolutely touching.

Alice Campbell of the HDN certainly has written a descriptive story but it lacks that fair, balanced, and unbiased aspect that newspapers attempt to convince us they always portray. Your personal convictions, prejudices and opinions should be left to blogs or the opinion page, rather than a source we trust for accurate news. What was the editor thinking in allowing an article such as this in an above-fold position in our local “news” paper?

What do our readers think of Alice’s story? http://www.havredailynews.com/cms/news/local_headlines/story-170203.html

The following are some exterior pictures of the “clean, sterile, and well operated” growing operation depicted in Alice’s organic farmer caregiver story.

63 comments:

  1. I don't really see the point you are trying to make with the pictures.I think it looks decent, besides he isnt growing it out of his sidewalk or the siding of the house. Also the number of patients and caregivers changes everyday. The story was a little nostalgic feeling and it needed some editing but i think you are overreacting and writing in pretty much the same way but only taking the opposite opinion.

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  2. Also I think you should take the photos down for safety reasons.

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  3. OMG! The Corrector is right on everything. Dustin and the rest of the potheads are going to milk the system until there are some decent controls. I can see it all now; People supposedly in such pain that only maryjane can relieve it and are stoned 24/7. Give me a break!

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  4. The Corrector is proving his point with pictures that he thinks the story's assertion about a clean, sterile, perfectly controlled environment for growing the pot is ludicrous.

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  5. Dustin went public with his growing operation when he attended the meeting at City Hall and by talking it up around town gathering signatures for support of his and other operations and by agreeing to this stupid story from the Havre Daily! Safety? Give me a break! He is selling pot from this place and you're concerned that his safety is being threatended because the people at this blog decided to make a point? Do you also feel the same threat of safety for sex offenders who have their photos and addresses published in all newspapers and on the web? Oh I know its not the same thing, they are criminals and Dustin isn't. He made his bed, now he must lie in it! Thanks Corrector I am glad someone pointed this crap the Havre Daily wrote out, I almost vomited reading the damn article and Alice (if your reading this) I didn't learn a damn thing from your piece I didn't already know from this blog. The HDN is joke, Dustin's operation is a joke, this entire law is a joke. Unbelievable, I hardly recognize this nation we live in anymore!

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  6. The way i see it they should legalize pot.I am not a pothead and i don't even know Mally.I am a middle aged middle class person with a family.In my opinion alcohol causes far more problems than a little weed.Maybe some of you,including the Corrector,would rather see the marijuana user,who could be your neighbor,contractor,dentist,friend or relative,go to prison for 25yrs.to life.Believe me when i tell you there are alot of middle aged professionals out there that have been buying it illegally for years.

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  7. To the taxcheat and corrector;I too think it was poor judgement to post the pictures,not for Malleys sake,but for the danger you are putting our teens in when they try breaking into the place for some weed.

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  8. Fed_up
    I don’t think that anyone does not know that plenty of our professional town people dabble in drugs and have for years. I can’t recall any of them except the one guy that worked for that contractor ever even getting arrested let alone jailed.
    I also don’t have any heartache with people that like to smoke pot but what I don’t like is when the news paper makes this guy out to be some sort of hero to our youth. Do you really think that the high school kids don’t all know where this guy grows his pot? I have heard from the kids of several locations where pot is grown and sold besides this place. I have no problem with parents being made aware where these places are.

    Thanks for the pictures so other parents can know also. This mally guy bragged about his operation at the council, he invited council people to come visit, he invited this reporter over to see his nice operation, and he exposed himself.

    Did anyone consider that these people might want zoning regulations to give them a leg up ahead of anybody that is thinking of starting one of these money making business.

    The newspapers in other towns are saying they grandfather the existing business in when they make these new regulations

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  9. " Your personal convictions, prejudices and opinions should be left to blogs or the opinion page, rather than a source we trust for accurate news."

    I appreciate your honesty in noting that you do not qualify as a reporter of accurate news, by your own definition.

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  10. The only reason alcohol causes more problems than marijuana is because it is legal and readily available. As soon as marijuana is legal and readily available, it will cause just as many problems. Those who think legalizing it will make the problems go away are deluding themselves.

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  11. Sooooooo, I notice a swing set outside this "growing operation" is this so the kids will be entertained "away form the dope" while mom and dad are inside shopping or is it a place to play after they are given a "tour" of the operation.

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  12. prohibition were the most violent of years and it was still(no pun intended)readily available to anyone,just as illegal marijuana has been available for years.Some of the sour mash used to blind people,but it didn't deter people.Just like the stories of marijuana being laced with pcp didn't deter anything.So i say regulate it,sell it,tax it and profit from it.

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  13. I quit getting the HDN years ago when Datko was still editor because all the stories they ran were either biased drivel, bashed someone down, or had the facts screwed up so bad that you couldn’t believe a word that was printed. I see they have not changed. I have gotten by just fine with the Tribune and TV news and my advertising by other means.

    At least when you come to this blog you know in advance that it is tipped towards the opinion of the author with no pretense of the blog news being fair to any particular side of the story. You have a choice to agree or disagree without some reporter trying to snow you that into thinking they have presented all the facts.

    Thanks Corrector

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  14. I agree with something Jimbo commented on over in the Hill County courthouse steps story. There is for all practical purposes no inspections of contractors work in Havre. The place in this picture heavily burned in the south end of this building. It has been patched up and moved into as a residence and now also contains this business. Did anyone buy a building permit? If so, did anyone inspect the work that was completed?

    Also for any work where the public is going to come to buy product you have handi-cap access issues including the costly installation of handi-cap bathrooms even if only for one employee, parking issues, and the work needs to be inspected before anyone can begin the business. From past experience I would venture to guess that none of this has been done
    I will give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe someone from this business did actually go down to Public Works to try and buy a permit and found the door leading into City Hall Public Works LOCKED FOR BUSINESS and they didn’t know you had to go all the way around front, past the security glass, to get buzzed in by the guards in order to actually speak to someone.

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  15. Its a really bad idea too keep these pictures up.

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  16. Pot farmer
    Why do you think it is a bad idea to keep these photos up? Didn’t Malley invite the reporter to come report on his business? He tells everyone that will listen to him that he is running a legitimate business, has a clean and safe environment for his plants and so forth. Most people in Havre know where all the other businesses are and what their buildings look like.

    Why would this business want to hide now if they want to be seen as a legitimate and respectable business? These growers are even passing out business cards around town telling people about their businesses and some have their addresses on the cards. Dustin Malley even has a Facebook page where he himself shows pictures of all his different pot plants and his operation. I was curious about what a pot operation looked like and what kind of buildings would be involved.

    I am glad someone showed us with some pictures and I think they should also show the people on this blog Malley’s Facebook pictures.

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  17. The "Genie" is out of the bottle. I'm not a user although long ago, like Bill C. I tried it; but didn't inhale!!!
    Legalize it, Regulate it, Tax it, and set it up as State law handles liqueur sales and distribution. The price will go down for all those pain sufferers that prescription medication some how doesn't work for their particular situation and law enforcement will be able to deal with it.

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  18. Posting these pics online is the cyber equivalent of burning a cross in front of this persons place of business.

    The posting of these pics will invite vandalism , theft, and promote violence and injury.

    I am not sure if Mr Malley is the owner of the property. The last thing I had heard was that property was sold online to someone in Washinton, and somehow MSU-N was involved in the ownership.

    This is a very controversial issue. Because of the fact there is a lot of misinformation out there (usually promoted, marketed and prosyltized by the 12 step faith and the recovery industry) this becomes dangerous. There is not much real accurate information out there, except for www.orange-papers.org

    The steptards get really caught up in their religious fervor and zealousness.

    The posting of these pics was a very poor decision.

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  19. anybody concerned that this is one block from st judes school??????????

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  20. DeConstructor: I thought you were claiming that by embracing the vote of the people and bringing this business out of the darkness and into the light was a good thing? I am confused! Invite vandalism and promote violence? You are acting as if this blog outed this guy? Give me a break, he came to the City, he came to the paper, hell he even asked the City Council members to come view his masterpiece as one of them told me. Malley came out to society telling them this is who I am and this is what I am doing. So now he is part of the business community.

    I also should mention that when this story first came our prior to the meeting with the City it got me thinking and I was actually on your side at first. Now you and fedup and supportyourlocalfarmers have me completely convinced that this is nothing more than a facade for the real business, which is the illegal unregulated side that no one checks on! Its a good move on Malley's part. Come make a splash and get free advertising from the HDN and this blog, ask the City to promote commonsense zoning restrictions not against me but against my competition and I can go about my business in the open. Except here's the little nugget no one seems to figure out. NO ONE ENFORCES ANYTHING IN THIS TOWN, EVER!!!!!!!! DPHHS, City of Havre, County of Hill, nothing. He's got a business which allows him to possess marijuana on his person, we have no way of knowing whether that pot goes to a cardholder "patient" or to some 15 year old kid trying to score for his buddies! Why don't we stop kidding ourselves! You don't pay taxes on it, you don't get audited, nothing. It is so stupid every other business in Havre should be looking themselves in the mirror and asking why do I have all these regulations on my business and why do I pay all these taxes when these guys have virtually none. They don't even regulate the quality or price of his product? Again there is no market conditions to support a price it is not a farm commodity ALICE!!! There is a demand, there is a supply so by definition there is a market force, but the illegal element is the key you can't measure those variables.

    So congratulations you actually convinced one of your own that you are completely and totally nuts and this stuff should be highly regulated and I hope the City does shut em down!! Thanks DeCon!

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  22. I am glad the Corrector posted this story with pictures. What happened to all the people on here that are always yammering on about transparency, school board secrets, open government and the like? Think what this kind of advertising this business of Malleys is getting for free. This kind of exposure in the HDN would cost him thousands of dollars. I agree with railroader59501 and yes br549, I am concerned that this is only one block from St Judes School


    DeConstructor says posting these pics is the “cyber equivalent of burning a cross in front of this persons place of business” Do you mean like the burning of the crosses in front of black peoples homes after the civil war by a group called the Klan? The same Klan that was organized and started by the southern Democrats to stop the Lincoln Republicans from giving equal citizenship rights to the slave? From your comments on this blog I have always thought you were one of those Democrats………….. I apologize for thinking wrong of you

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  23. These pictures were NOT put on public display to demonstrate that this property was not handicapped accessible etc.

    These pics were posted to show everyone the exact location of the business, and in a roundabout way to demonstrate that the provider runs a shabby, seedy business.

    The collateral damage from doing this inciteful, yellow "journalism" is extensive.

    Security, that would have been unnecessary, due to anonymity of the location, is now a serious issue.

    The plants themselves are extremely valuable, and persons who do NOT have a perscription have now basically been invited (by the Corrector) to break into the place.

    Yes, this business is real, and legitimate. However, anonymity of location should have been contained.

    I do not think that the purpose of this blog entry was to show that the business was not a sterile environment.

    This was done to expose the location, and incite people to commit vigilante, terrorist acts against the business, industry, and Mr. Malley personally.

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  24. Perhaps with the regards to fairness, pictures of the exact location of the "Havre Daily Corrector" should be put on bulletin boards and under windshield wipers around town.

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  25. DeConstructor you and your liberal buddies are nuts. Every single time someone disagrees with you, you all declare those people as promoting violence. I'll borrow a line from your pal Bill, "you guys are a kick!"

    Malley disclosed his location not this blog. All the blog did was show a few pics to make a point. Malley never indicated he wanted to be anonymous he gave out his address at the City Council meeting. A photo of a building is hardly disclosing a location and the Corrector's location is not a relevant public policy subject.

    You better get back to your AA bashing!

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  26. DeConstructor – the Corrector did not post the pics to expose Malley’s location. Malley did that himself at a City Council meeting. It is also true he advertises on a FaceBook page.

    The Corrector has similar pics and information of two additional “operations” that we have not posted strictly because we are researching information and those growers were not so open about their businesses and locations. Even though one of the two has literally passed out scores of his business cards around town advertising his business we will refrain from posting until we are certain our information is accurate.

    Enjoy the extra pic we just posted of the backside of this business. Is that sewer pipe in the background the venilation system?

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  27. By the way, click on the pictures on this blog if you want to see them enlarged

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  28. Malley has put himself in the public eye. I know people missing full limbs that don't medicate. Legalize, regulate, and tax it. Just don't feed me a line of bullshit. Medicine. Come on people. Malley even says in the interview, "definitely doesn't kill the pain, but it takes the edge off." So does alcohol.

    Thanks HDC for the pics. Quite entertaining indeed. Show us where the other underground operations are so we can keep our young children out of those neighborhoods too.

    If these places are legitimate, why should they be secret. All other medicinal pharmacy locations are public knowledge.

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  29. All you have to do is "google" malley's name and this will also disclose his current address. And some other info....

    The swing set in the yard is because there is 5 children living there as well! That's really safe!!! Malley is not concerned about safety...well maybe of his "green leafy children" but what about the safety of his ACTUAL children? The ones the reside there!!!! HA HA HA! What a joke!

    Alice embellished her story!

    This is just all around a bad idea! I have spoken with numerous different individuals who have applied and is waiting on their green card. I ask them about their condition and they giggle and say "chronic pain"! Then they follow that by telling me they just want it to smoke it legally!!! Someone (THE LEGISLATURE) really needs to put some guidelines down!!!!!

    Medical Marijuana is a joke for most "patients" and needs to be regulated-OUTSIDE HILL COUNTY!

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  30. Medical marijuana is a joke! Who doesn’t have some kind of pain and for some of us most of the time. I am really concerned about all this. At least I am glad that the drug testing at one’s job hasn’t changed yet. At least I hope not. I wonder how many of these hurting people will loose their job taking their medicine? I hope the City and State get a handle on this soon. This is really a slippery slope.
    If there was a business license then at least the Fire Department could find out there was a new business that needed a Fire Code Inspection. In the past one found out there was a new business by word of mouth or in the paper.

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  31. I couldn't find Malleys facebook but here is his myspace page complete with pictures

    http://www.myspace.com/514364185


    He wants to be found, thats why he went to the council meeting. I wouldn't be suprised if he has doubled his list of 'sickly' patients in the last 3 days with all this free advertising and that article from the star struck Alice Campbell

    Calls himself the Grateful Herb Garden. I recognize several kids of people I know on his friends list also. This is the type of crap that makes kids think all drugs are cool. Read some of the dumb comments on this page and remember that most of the really dumb ones are blocked from public view

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  32. I must add. I believe Medical Marijuana as it is today is a joke. But I also believe there are people who need it or could use it because of medical problems. My Mom
    died of cancer in 1982 at 54 years of age and I wish she could have had it. It took her 2 years to die and she suffered greatly. I do doubt if she would have used it, but I don’t know. She relied on her faith to get her through it. I wish for those that legitimately need it can get it and those that just want to get high don’t.

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  33. I too was diagnosed with a terminal disease at the Mayo clinic although i believe that God has the final decison when it's time to die.The Dr. at the Mayo clinic suggested i use medical marijuana.People that get those cards have to go to licensed M.D.s so if you're angry at anyone,maybe it should be at those doctors.After all it's their signature that goes on the card.

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  34. fedup I don't think anyone is angry. If you have a medical need for mj go for it. No one here has said a word about that. It is putting what was formerly known a a pusher on some sort of pedestal and comparing them to a pharmacist or doctor that some have a problem with

    How do the kids put it on those mj growers myspace pages? Go green - green is cool -You da man green farmer man - get high! etc. Does that sound like something a patient would say?

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  35. Suzy Q you are right it would have been better to have a different agent.As I've said I don't know Malley but after some investigation he does seem more like the devils advocate instead of an advocate of a much needed medicine.

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  36. calling these pushers businessmen is like calling Alice Cooper a priest.

    lets face it. The people that really need pot to ease pain are being made a laughingstock by those that abuse the system, which I would guess is 90% of them

    The first time......... and I mean the very first time one of these pushers sell to someone that really isn't elgible, be it himself or thru one of his patients.........there should be a raid and a big alley pot burning asap. End of business .. period

    Hey :-( ,,never thought about it before, Maybe maryjane is why everyone in the Treasurer's office always has the munchies? Better start piss testing at the courthouse also

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  37. suzyQ nailed it! From thug to pharmD overnight. And the Havre Daily Newspaper puts them on a pedestal for all the high schoolers to see.

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  38. I do not see any other pharmacists on myspace or facebook advertising doctors that prescribe their medicines. Sickening. These social network sites are used primarily by young kids and Malley is advertising to them. This alone should be enough to have him shut down.

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  39. When you see a young person listed as a friend on a pushers myspace page don't you think the little light bulb would pop up in the parents mind?

    Are parents ok with drug use these days? like someone posted further up this link, everyone has some kinds of aches and pains

    When I read the article in the HDN I had the impression that Alice had fallen madly in love with this drug dealer and the editor and publisher must be ok with it as the story ran.... flowery portrayal of getting high and all

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  40. So why do we buy the HDN? Just to see the garbage, read the ads?, what? And a better question that would have a bigger impact on what stories they run in the paper is why does anyone continue to place overpriced ads in this paper?

    I thought it was getting better after they fired editor Datko but is appears not. The people shelling out money to advertise and buy this paper is what keeps this garbage flowing.

    I am not saying this blog doesn’t do some of the same but there are a few small differences. I don’t have to look, it costs me absolutely nothing for my subscription, and the comment portion of the blog lets us holler BULL! If we don’t agree or think the facts are wrong. Can you recall any misspoken facts that have been posted here without one or more people hollering BULL?

    I am down to only buying the HDN once a week or so (we need newspaper to line the hamsters cage) This blog is saving me money and keeping me better informed

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  41. I agree. Malley is profiting from all this free advertising. I believe he is using his injury as an excuse to use the mj. Once a drugee always a drugee.

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  42. To Taxcheat-

    Dustin Malley is a criminal...1 count of abuse on a minor....

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  43. J123456 I was not aware of that, but it doesn't surprise me. I was trying to make a point though and I know DeConstructor, fedup, supportyourlocalfarmers and their ilk would call me out on my point that their beloved pot growers are not to be compared to common criminals like sex offenders.

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  44. The Corrector claims not to have posted these pics to expose the location of this business-
    03/13/10 4:00PM

    Tax Cheat claims this is the picture of a building, without location 03/13/10 3:29PM

    However-

    Havre Distributors (Vendors of both alcohol and gambling machines!) is clearly visible in the background.

    If it is not visible enough the Corrector himself added to ENLARGE THE PHOTO at 03/13/10 4:12PM

    So, for what it is worth, BR549, there is a an alcohol, and gambling warehouse 2 blocks from St Judes. There is also a convenience store nearby that sells alcohol and tobacco, both far more dangerous than medical marijuana and does not need a prescription.

    It looks like information is beginning to surface to discredit Mr Malley.

    The witch hunt of Havre had begun.

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  45. Burning crosses Deconstructor? MSU-N involved in the ownership? Hill County clearly shows malley as owner on the county ownership map, is this your attempt at yellow journalism also? Religious fervor and zealots and AA bashing? No one bashes you because you are an atheist do they? Witch hunt? That is ridiculous? Pictures clearly exposing the location? Did you even look at the pictures malley himself posted on MySpace? What don’t you understand about “Malley exposed himself?” Why are children even living in a marijuana grow operation in the first place?

    After reading all your hateful tainted garbage on here the last month or so I now understand why Havre has never had a decent unbiased paper. You are nuts!


    Thank God this blog didn’t post any comments or pictures about dog-walking business’s or you would have gone bezerkand endangered your own east-end neighborhood.

    Give us a break!

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  46. DeConstructor-

    Yes, their is the Havre Distributors and the convenient store not far away, but I think people are forgetting that Marijuana is STILL a FEDERAL OFFENSE! Alcohol is not.

    As far as Malley's address is concerned...once again...He announced it at city council, so all of those that attended witnessed that and is free to do what they want with such information.

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  47. tax cheat,if you did your own investigation you would have found that he is on the violent offenders network.but you comparing him to a sexual offender is a little much.That would be like me comparing tax cheaters to sexual offenders.

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  48. I just Googled dustin malley and the word violent and he is listed
    http://www.doj.mt.gov/SVOR/searchdetail.asp?RecordKey=MT02424154

    Before Deconstructer jumps down my throat let me just say that I know everyone makes mistakes and I don’t know the details of this incident so maybe everything is well and good with Malley.

    What I am now curious about is that if he has this past police record how did he get a growers license in the first place? I thought you couldn’t get a license if you had a prior felony?

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  49. Two DIFFERENT Malleys....one is named Dustin & the other is Darren....Brothers?...only one of them is a Child Predator...DARREN
    get your Facts str8 folks....

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  50. You can still get your green card and/or be a care giver if you have a felony, it just cant be a felony pertaining to drugs.

    Darrin is Dustin's cousin. Yes, Darrin is the sexual predator, Dustin is an Abuser! Anyone can go to the court house and view his cases. Then everyone can see if he is "well and good"

    So its no big deal that he abused a child???? I beg to differ!

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  51. Google NEO-CON Destroyers blogger email: mtman4u_2000

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  52. So its no big deal that he abused a child????...How did U get to that Conclusion?????...and I am not in Hiding WAK...ROFLMAO...
    mtman4u_2000@yahoo Goober...

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  53. U see the Difference between U & me WAHK is that I'm not embarrassed by my Convictions & beliefs....reason why I dont need to HIDE!...unlike a MOUSE like U!!...LOLROFLMAO....GUPPY...

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  54. I Googled WAHK's name....seems hes the Founder of a club called...
    ..... "2PATHETIC2LIVE".....
    & a Member of "ILUVMAMASCOUCH"...

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  55. PT 1 AP) The city that popularized the fast food drive-thru has a new innovation: 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.

    Patients suffering from chronic pain, loss of appetite and other ailments that marijuana is said to alleviate can get their pot with a dose of convenience at the Herbal Nutrition Center, where a large machine will dole out the drug around the clock.

    “Convenient access, lower prices, safety, anonymity,” inventor and owner Vincent Mehdizadeh said, extolling the benefits of the machine.

    But federal drug agents say the invention may need unplugging.

    “Somebody owns (it), it's on a property and somebody fills it,” said DEA Special Agent Jose Martinez. “Once we find out where it's at, we'll look into it and see if they're violating laws.”

    At least three dispensaries in the city, including two belonging to Mehdizadeh, have installed vending machines to distribute the drug to people who carry cards authorizing marijuana use.

    Mehdizadeh said he spent seven months to develop and patent the black, armored box, which he calls the “PVM,” or prescription vending machine.

    A sliding fence protects the tinted windows of his dispensary, barely distinguishing it from a busy thoroughfare of strip malls, automobile dealers and furniture shops. A box resembling a large refrigerator stands inside the nearly empty shop, near a few shelves stocked with vitamins and herbs.

    A guard in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Security” on the front stands at the door. A poster of Bob Marley decorates a back room.

    The computerized machine requires fingerprint identification and a prepaid card with a magnetic stripe. Once the card and fingerprint are verified, a bright green envelope with the pot drops down a slot.

    Mehdizadeh says any user approved for medical marijuana and registered in a computer database at his dispensaries can pre-purchase the drug and then use the machine to pick up.

    The process provides convenience and privacy for users who may otherwise feel uncomfortable about buying marijuana, Mehdizadeh said.

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  56. PT 2 At the Timothy Leary Medical Dispensary in the San Fernando Valley, the vending machine is accessible only during business hours. An employee there said the machine was introduced about five months ago, and provides speedy service.

    “It helps a lot of patients who are in a lot of pain and don't want to wait around to get help,” Robert Schwartz said. “It's been working out great.”

    Mehdizadeh said he sought the advice of doctors, and decided to limit the amount of marijuana per user to an ounce per week. Each purchase from the machine yields 1/8th or 2/8th of an ounce. By eliminating a vendor behind the counter, he said, the machine offers users lower drug prices. The 1/8th ounce packet would cost about $40 - $20 lower than the average price at other dispensaries.

    A spokesman for a marijuana advocacy group said the machine also benefits dispensary owners.

    “It limits the number of workers in the store in the event of a raid, and it'll make it harder for theft,” said Nathan Sands, of The Compassionate Coalition.

    Marijuana use is illegal under federal law, which does not recognize the medical marijuana laws in California and 11 other states.

    The Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies have been actively shutting down major medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state over the last two years and charging their operators with felony distribution charges.

    Mehdizadeh said the Herbal Nutrition Center was the target of a federal raid in December. He said no arrests were made and no charges have been filed against him.

    Kris Hermes, a spokesman for advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, said the machine might benefit those who already know how much and what strain of marijuana they're looking for. But he said others will want to see and smell the drug before they buy it.

    A man who said he has been authorized to use medical marijuana as part of his anger management therapy said the vending machine's security measures would at least protect against illicit use of the drug.

    “You have kids that want to get high and that's not what marijuana is for,” Robert Miko said. “It's to medicate.”

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  57. PT 1 (AP) The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm pot is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a report issued Wednesday.

    Igor Grant, a psychiatrist who directs the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego, said five studies funded by the state involved volunteers who were randomly given real marijuana or placebos to determine if the herb provided relief not seen from traditional medicines.

    "There is good evidence now that cannabinoids may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment," Grant said at a news conference where he presented the findings.

    The California Legislature established the research center in 2000 to examine whether the therapeutic claims of medical marijuana advocates could withstand scientific scrutiny. In 1996, state voters became the first in the nation to pass a law approving pot use for medical purposes.

    Thirteen other states have followed suit, but California is the only one so far to sponsor medical marijuana research. After 10 years and nearly $9 million, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is preparing to wrap up its work next year.

    Along with the studies on muscle spasms and pain associated with spinal cord injuries and AIDS, the center also has funded research on how marijuana affects sleep and driving, limb pain due to diabetes, and whether inhaling vaporized cannabis is as effective as smoking it.

    A laboratory study supported by the center examined if pot could be helpful in treating migraine headaches and facial pain. In that study, rats given a cannabis-like drug exhibited reduced activity of nerve cells that transmit pain.

    State Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat who chairs a budget subcommittee on health and human services and supports medical marijuana, said he doubted there would be more financial support for the center, given California's ongoing budget crisis.

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  58. PT 2 The federal government classifies marijuana as an illicit drug with no medical use but produces the only pot legally available for scientific research under a contract with the University of Mississippi.

    Grant said obtaining some of the Mississippi crop and meeting the complex security regulations required by the Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies was time-consuming and cumbersome.

    Grant, however, had no problem with the quality of the government's supply. Its consistency was helpful in determining that patients who smoked less-potent marijuana enjoyed the same amount of pain relief but less mental confusion than those who inhaled a more powerful strain, he said.

    Such quality control is notably absent from the marijuana that patients with a doctor's recommendation can legally obtain in California through hundreds of cooperatives and storefront dispensaries, Grant said.

    He said more research was needed on how pot works and its side effects.

    "Because we don't know the composition of the strains that are on the street, we don't know what patients really are getting," he said. "As a doctor I feel some discomfort when someone says take X or Y pill or herb because we think that might be helpful."

    Since its founding, the center has approved 15 research studies, but five had to be discontinued because there were not enough volunteers willing or able to meet the criteria for participating.

    One proposed study on the effectiveness of marijuana in reducing chemotherapy-related nausea was canceled because researchers could not recruit enough cancer patients who weren't already treating their symptoms effectively with anti-nausea medications.

    In the 24-page report submitted Wednesday to the Legislature, Grant said research protocols had been rigorous, with six studies published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed science journals.

    In four studies, participants suffering from multiple sclerosis, AIDS or diabetes, along with healthy volunteers injected with a chili pepper substance to induce pain, were randomly assigned to receive cigarettes filled with marijuana. Half had the active ingredient delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, removed.

    Not every patient who smoked the real marijuana reported improvement. But the percentage who did was comparable to those who said they experienced relief from antidepressants and other medications commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain, the study said.

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  59. PT 1OAKLAND, Calif. (CBS/AP) Oakland residents have overwhelmingly approved a first-of-its kind measure to impose a new tax on medical marijuana sold at the city's four dispensaries.

    Preliminary election results showed the measure passing with 80 percent of the vote, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

    California already imposes a state sales tax on its roughly 800 legal "pot clubs" for medical marijuana, but the Oakland ballot, Measure F, creates a special business tax rate for the pot clubs. The city's dispensaries now pay the same $1.20 for every $1,000 in gross sales applied to all retail businesses.

    The new rate will be $18.

    The dispensary tax is one of four measures in Tuesday's vote-by-mail special election aimed at raising money for the cash-strapped city.

    Oakland's auditor estimates it would generate an estimated $294,000 for city coffers in its first year.

    Pot club owners, who openly sell pot over the counter under the 1996 state ballot measure that legalized medical marijuana use in California, proposed Measure F as a way to further legitimize their establishments.

    "It's good business and good for the community," said Richard Lee, who owns the Coffee Shop SR-71 dispensary and Oaksterdam University, a trade school for budding dispensary workers.

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  60. PT 2 The measure had no formal opposition; in November 2004, Oakland voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that required local police to make arresting adults using marijuana for personal use their lowest priority.

    Support for Measure F was expected to be just as strong.

    As a result and given the mail-in nature of the election, there had been little campaign activity, according to Lee.

    "It's so unopposed," said Lee, who planned to host a victory party at Oaksterdam University's Student Union building in downtown Oakland. "We put out signs, but outside of that it's been pretty low-key."

    More At CBS News' Special Report: Marijuana Nation

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  61. Anything that can bring commerce and tax dollars to the state and to the little shit hole town of Havre MT is a good thing. As long as Mr. Malley follows state law and pays all applicable taxes to the state and federal governments he is in the right. He and his business should be left alone.

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  62. Malley is an agent of SATAN. He needs to be locked up for selling plants to adults. Especially in the slums of town where illegal drug use isn't going on constantly. His house is a mess as well, that should be a crime also.

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  63. Havre Christian...you are yet another example of what is wrong with organized religion...so Christian like!! LOL...the rest of you need to get a life...Neo...do u really think anyone reads through all of your abnoxious ramblings?? Jesus, we are fighting two wars, thousands of people are dying in the US for lack of proper health care (although that appears to be on the mend), and you all are fixating on medical pot...as I said..get a life, or a hobby, or go volunteer or something.

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