Mom finds weed bags in toddler's Easter toy

An Oregon mother found a surprise when she opened up an Easter toy for her toddler: three baggies of marijuana had been packed inside the box.

“I was shocked, at first I was like, I kind of laughed and was like, Oh my gosh, I cannot believe this even came out of there,” the mother, Otis resident Christina Marie Hannahs, told KATU.

She bought the toy at a local Walmart (50 percent discount) and suspects it was returned to the store and reshelved. Several parts were missing from the package, including the batteries.

A spokesperson for Walmart said they are “actively reviewing this matter” and are working with the customer and local authorities to figure out what happened.

Startup selling Bob Marley weed has raised $82 million

Who wouldn’t buy marijuana from Bob Marley?

That’s the idea investors are banking on anyway. The Seattle-based Privateer Holdings — best known for its Marley-branded weed — was able to raise $75 million in its latest funding round, a record for a marijuana startup, CB insights reports. That brings the total raised at Privateer to $82 million.

The company has a 30-year licensing deal with the Marley family to sell marijuana and related products under the “Marley Natural” label. The first offerings — expected to hit shelves in late 2015 — will be six “heirloom” cannabis strains, “all of them personal favorites of the late reggae legend,” according to Fast Company.

Respect.

Rand Paul brings weed to the presidential race

Even before Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) announced he was running for president, the libertarian candidate had been carving out a bold course on marijuana.

He stands out among all the presidential possibles for his weed views. The biggest move came a few weeks ago: he joined two Democratic senators to introduce legislation that would legal medical marijuana in states that permit it.

Beyond that, he’s called out former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — also expected to seek the Republican nomination for president — for opposing medical marijuana, calling it “hypocrisy,” since Bush smoked pot in his youth.

Paul might be onto something. In three swing states — Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania — legal weed actually polled better than any of the presidential candidates, including the senator from Kentucky.

Ted Hesson was formerly the immigration editor at Fusion, covering the issue from Washington, D.C. He also writes about drug laws and (occasionally) baseball. On the side: guitars, urban biking, and fiction.