DC man walks into police station and asks for his weed back

A man walks into a police station and asks for his marijuana back.

Although it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, it’s actually the new policy in Washington, D.C. — and one resident has already tested it out, according to D.C. Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D).

The local politician was told about the encounter by a staff member who saw it, according to WAMU.

“He walked in to recover his property from a recent arrest,” she told WAMU. “He walked in and said, ‘I want my property back, and want to make sure I get my weed back.'”

D.C. legalized marijuana last week, which means that anyone caught carrying two ounces or less of pot will have 30 days to recover their snatched stash. The law only applies to those ages 21 and over; weed is still prohibited for young people.

Ohio marijuana legalization proposal scores $36 million in donations

The cannabis legalization campaign in Ohio has attracted some celebrity backers, such as former basketball star Oscar Robertson and pro football player Frostee Rucker. They’re not the only interested parties, however.

Overall, the campaign has raked in $36 million from supporters, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Under the proposal, the top contributors will receive licenses to operate grow centers — an incentive to open up the checkbook.

ResponsibleOhio, the group running the campaign, anticipates spending $20 million to get the legalization measure on the ballot and passed into law this November.

“Kettle Falls Five” family escapes the harshest punishment

A Washington State family who became a cause célèbre for marijuana legalization activists was found not guilty of some of the most serious charges in a federal marijuana case against them, USA Today reported.

Three members of the family known as the “Kettle Falls Five” were convicted on Tuesday of growing marijuana on their property, but acquitted of conspiracy, distribution and firearms charges. The family claimed they were growing marijuana for medical purposes — and had doctor’s recommendations to back that up — but were forbidden from sharing that information with the jury, since it was a federal case and marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

No medical use, according to the federal government (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The cases of the two other defendants have already been resolved. Last month, the federal government dropped charges against Larry Harvey, who went to trial alongside his wife, son and daughter-in-law; he is suffering from late-stage pancreatic cancer. A family friend implicated in the case took a plea deal.

D.C. bans smoking clubs; activist threatens a smoke-out

Marijuana is legal in the District of Columbia, but Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) doesn’t want the city to became a smoker’s paradise.

She pushed the City Council to pass emergency legislation on Tuesday that would ban consuming weed in bars, clubs and pretty much any place but your home.

The mayor wanted to prevent the rise of cannabis clubs, where users might pay a fee to join a marijuana collective.

Activist Adam Eidinger, the driving force behind the city’s legalization campaign, said he planned a public demonstration — possibly an April 20 smoke-out — in response to the new marijuana restrictions.

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.