Parrot’s new flower pot uses sensors to track sunlight and water usage so you don’t have to.
Weed history is being made in Seattle: the first vending machines to dispense marijuana flower buds debuted Tuesday.
The machines, called ZaZZZ, are being placed in medical pot dispensaries, which helps to verify customer’s age and identity since medical marijuana cards are required to enter the centers, said Greg Patrick, a spokesman for the maker of ZaZZZ, American Green.
Though vending machines appeared for the first time in Colorado last year, those sold only edibles, or cannabis-infused foods, and not the plant’s flower buds that are so often associated with smoking pot.
“It’s historic, there’s just no other way to state it. We saw the repeal of prohibition in the early 20th century and the mark that made on our country and the companies that did it right,” Patrick said. “We’re in that stage. This will only happen once in our country’s history, the repeal of this prohibition.”
The machines have a touchscreen where buyers can make orders, play video games and read medical information about the products. They swipe their medical marijuana IDs or driver’s licenses to make sure they can legally purchase the goods and must pay in cash or bitcoin since the federal government doesn’t allow debit or credit cards to be used in the sale of marijuana.
Like machines that dispense soda or snacks, ZaZZZ intends to speed up the distribution for those who don’t want to wait in a line at the dispensary.
A friend who was with an unarmed black man killed by a white Phoenix police officer on Tuesday said cops are misleading the public about how the shooting unfolded and accused police of papering over their mistakes by focusing on details that hurt his friend’s reputation.
Rumain Brisbon, 34, died Tuesday after being shot twice by an officer who police said thought Brisbon had a gun. The fatal encounter started, according to police, when Brisbon fled from his Cadillac SUV into an apartment after an officer tried questioning him about possible drug-dealing from the vehicle.
But that’s not how the killing really happened, said Brandon Dickerson, Brisbon’s friend who was in the SUV when the unnamed officer pulled the trigger around 6 p.m.
“They murdered my friend,” Dickerson said. The officer “just jumped the gun and killed my friend in cold blood and they’re covering up. I hate things to be so political.but, unfortunately, it is. It’s another Ferguson. It’s another Eric Garner,” Dickerson said by phone on Friday. “It’s another incident of police using excessive force.”
Police said it appeared Brisbon took something from the rear of SUV when he got out. The officer drew his weapon, saying Brisbon reached into the waistband of his pants. The two struggled and the cop fired, believing Brisbon had a gun, but which turned out to be a vial of pills.
Dickerson told HuffPost that the officer didn’t approach the SUV before the shooting and that Brisbon had already hopped out to bring food from McDonald’s to his daughter. Dickerson was unaware that a cop was nearby, let alone struggling with Brisbon, until he heard a yell followed quickly by a gunshot.
“I never saw the police coming. They said they approached the vehicle. That was not the case,” Dickerson said.
Brisbon had previous convictions for burglary and marijuana, according to the Arizona Republic. He had been arrested in October on suspicion of driving under the influence, the newspaper said.
Inside the SUV, police found a jar of marijuana. Brisbon had a medical marijuana permit, according to the Rev. Jarret Maupin, who told HuffPost he spoke to Brisbon’s friends and family. Because of privacy protections, the Arizona Department of Health Services said it cannot confirm or deny if Brisbon was allowed to have medical pot.
“What the hell is the point of mentioning the pot if you’re not going to tell the whole story,” Maupin told HuffPost. “What you find in the car, even if it were four bales of pot, had nothing to do with the assault outside the car.”
Police said they found a gun inside the Cadillac.
Dickerson said police revealed these details to offset public anger about the killing of an unarmed African-American.
The gun “wasn’t on him. That’s just something they saw at the end to point to,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson said he and Brisbon became friends in 2010, when Brisbon helped Dickerson get a job at a call center. “He was not what they are painting him to be. He loved his little girls. This is not a stone-cold felon. They took somebody who was a real good person away.”
Phoenix police declined to elaborate about the shooting.
“We are not releasing any additional information on the case. The case will be turned over to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office who was on scene the night of the shooting,” Sgt. Trent Crump said in an email. “They make the final decisions on justifications for use of force.”
Controversy clouds Brisbon’s autopsy as well. On Friday, Brisbon’s mother was trying to delay her son’s autopsy. Nora Brisbon wanted an expert who works with the family’s attorney to view the examination. But when Maricopa County Superior Court rejected her request, the autopsy went ahead, according to The Associated Press.
About 150 people demonstrated on Thursday night over Brisbon’s killing. Another protest was scheduled for Friday.
HOT SPRINGS, AR — A woman was arrested at the Hot Springs Transportation Plaza after police dogs sniffed out more than 26 pounds of pot in her suitcase.
According to Hot Springs Daily, a Greyhound bus driver called police and told them he could smell the strong odor of marijuana coming from his bus.
An officer with the 18th Judicial Task Force responding to the call says he could smell the odor as he approached the passenger door of the bus, so he contacted the K-9 Unit.
After pulling all the luggage off the bus, the K-9 officer alerted on a bag belonging to 20-year-old Tynekkia Cockrill, which contained 26.5 pounds of marijuana, according to the article.
Cockrill reportedly told police she flew to Houston, Texas, picked up the suitcase and was riding the Greyhound Bus to Paducah, Kent. to drop it off.
She was arrested and taken to the Garland County Detention Center, where she was charged with possession of a schedule VI controlled substance with purpose to deliver.
Jail records indicate that she has since been released.
A woman claims Sean Kingston and his bodyguard gang raped her in the singer’s hotel room back in 2010; however, Sean says it’s all lies.
22-year-old Carissa Capeloto claims she was forced to have sex with Sean, his bodyguard and a member of Sean’s band at a Seattle hotel a little over three years ago — this after she had smoked pot and took back 7-10 shots of vodka.
The woman claims she was invited to Kingston’s hotel room to meet the singer following a show, but when she showed up he was waiting naked on the bed. Capeloto claims the bodyguard picked her up and placed her on top of Kingston, at which point all three men proceeded to rape her while she was “obviously intoxicated, incapable of consent.”
Capeloto says her friend eventually came to the rescue. Police were called and Capeloto says she was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries consistent with rape.
Capeloto says the incident ruined her life and is demanding $5 million, minimum.
Criminal charges in the case were dropped in 2010 after police concluded that Capeloto’s story wasn’t credible enough to continue.
The trial is set for November.
This month’s MashOut features some epic young artists.
MashOut is a mix of bands, artists, genres, styles, and techniques. The monthly event is mixed up like a pot of gumbo to make one great show.
The show is meant to have an eclectic vibe and with the mashup style DJ RQ Away on the wheels you are sure to hear an array of wide ranging sounds.
The event also has one of the best hosts in jusCookie. Cookie is a talented, multi-faceted entertainer who is chock full of personality.
OnPoint Productions presents MashOUT: Halloween Edition hosted by jusCookie and OnPoint El w/ DJ RQAway
Live performances include:
Adv tickets: $8-$10 – http://oct25thmashout.eventbrite.com
Artists’ Info:
Jay Jones: http://hitzint.com, http://hitzintradio.com & http://soundcloud.com/chill-society
Syllable Seven: http://www.reverbnation.com/syllableseven
Raw Revolution (LIVE): http://youtu.be/SB8W93fa6MU
Sundog: http://www.reverbnation.com/sundogshows
Suave: http://suaveishere.com/
Cloud Stryfe: http://mroddlyepic.bandcamp.com/
FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/245536408902051
MashOut is sponsored by OnPoint Productions, MightyMuzik, and #AwayTeam
If you’d like to be a sponsor or become a vendor for this event email elwilliams79@gmail.com