LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A Louisville couple and their three children were paid $460,000 by the city to settle a lawsuit in 2019 alleging that 14 Louisville Metro Police SWAT officers erred while raiding their home, breaking down the front door, using explosive devices and holding the family at gunpoint.

The home-owning couple, Ashlea Burr and Mario Daugherty – a local artist whose work has been featured at the Kentucky Derby Museum and in local news – were paid $60,000 while their three children each received more than $133,000. $, according to the settlement reached earlier this month.

“The family is relieved that the city has resolved this matter, recognized its importance and helped end the traumatic event,” said their attorney, Josh Rose.

The funds for the children will be placed in a restricted account where the money withdrawn must be approved by the court and used for the education and support of the children, according to the February 2 agreement, obtained through a request for records. open.

The agreement says the city does not admit wrongdoing and both parties have agreed to “avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation” in a “contested claim.”

Police, including five officers later implicated in the Breonna Taylor case, carried out the October 2018 raid because a detective, Joseph Tapp, claimed he smelled marijuana coming from outside the house on West Chestnut Street on several occasions and that he believed someone was growing and selling marijuana inside. according to a search warrant.

Rose said officers were acting on a police tip given months before Burr and Daugherty even moved into the house.

And the lawsuit filed against the city and several officers claimed there was no probable cause for a raid, that the search warrant included false information, and that police misconduct created a situation that “would have very easily could have resulted in the death of a parent or child for no good reason.

In fact, a man and woman named in the search warrant affidavit and described as growing and selling marijuana do not live at the home — information that could easily have been discovered by police, according to the suit.

The couple first believed they were being robbed on October 26, 2018, when officers broke down the front door, forced Daugherty to the ground and held the others at gunpoint.

One of the children, 14, tried to run to her grandmother’s nearby house when police pulled out their guns and forced her to lie down outside in the rain, according to the lawsuit.

The teenager can be heard sobbing on body camera video of the incident.

Police continued to point assault rifles at the family “even after it became clear the residence was a family home – not a drug dealer’s hideout,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also questions the use of force by the SWAT team.

“It is totally unreasonable to execute a warrant that vaguely mentions someone who might be smoking marijuana in a residence with a 14-officer SWAT team, explosive devices, forced entry and assault rifles, especially when ‘no investigation was conducted to determine who lived in the residence,’ the suit says.

Five of the officers – Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, Mike Nobles, Joshua Jaynes, and Mike Campbell – were later involved in planning or raiding Breonna Taylor’s home on March 13, 2020, in which Taylor was killed.

Hankison is currently on trial for wanton endangerment after shooting at a nearby apartment during Taylor’s raid.

The lawsuit argued that the department had a custom of searching predominantly African American homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods “without probable cause” and in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches.

The family said the department should have made changes after their home was raided, which could have prevented Taylor’s death.

“What happened to us, it should have stopped then,” Burr told WDRB News in June 2020. “They should have come forward and made some changes then, and Breonna’s life could have be spared.”

Since Taylor’s raid, police have effectively stopped pushing their way inside homes to execute search warrants, according to an investigation by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.

The story, published in August, revealed that police had made just four forced entries linked to search warrants in the previous 14 months. This is compared to 67 such raids in the seven months preceding the Taylor raid.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the policing and practices of the LMPD, including whether the department conducts unconstitutional stops, searches, and seizures while on patrol and when executing search warrants in private homes.

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A growing trend

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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday, February 15, to move forward with the development and implementation of a “fair” licensing system for commercial cannabis businesses in the areas. unincorporated.

The council’s action means the end is potentially in sight of the county’s years-long ban on marijuana dispensaries and other cannabis-related activities. The county’s ban on marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated areas has been in place since 2010 and was expanded in 2017 to include growing, manufacturing, testing, and distributing the drug for non-personal use. .

California voted to legalize cannabis in 2016 and legal recreational sales began in January 2018.

The council has instructed its Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs to develop and implement a commercial cannabis licensing program for unincorporated areas, starting with a limited number of licenses while prioritizing to “equity” candidates.

The council-authorized framework allows up to 25 retail, 25 delivery, 10 cultivation, 10 manufacturing, 10 distribution and 10 testing licenses. County officials said limiting the initial number of licenses will ensure permits are distributed fairly in the community.

“A safe, regulated, and equitable cannabis program is needed for unincorporated Los Angeles County and to address the injustices that have caused the disproportionate criminalization of communities of color and the exclusion of economic gains from cannabis legalization” , said Holly, chairwoman of the supervisory board. J. Mitchell, co-sponsor of the motion, said in a statement.

County officials noted that illegal marijuana operations have been a growing problem in many unincorporated areas, creating safety issues for affected neighborhoods and opening up an illegal trade ripe for violence and organized criminal activity.

“Over the past few years, my office and I have worked closely with many community members to combat illegal cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas of the First District,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, co-author of the motion, in a press release. “And while we were able to quickly and permanently close many illegal dispensaries, our residents remain frustrated with the lack of effective measures to protect their families from the negative impacts of these unlicensed facilities while honoring the intent of California voters who supported the legalization of cannabis.

“To that end, now is the time to begin developing a plan for the legal distribution, retail, manufacture, enforcement and regulation of cannabis in unincorporated Los Angeles County, which is based on equitable access, robust and effective enforcement, and community outreach and education. .”

As part of the council’s action, the DCBA will also provide prospective licensees with referrals and access to education, job training and technical assistance, as well as possible financial assistance.

Until the ministry fully develops the system, all cannabis-related business activities will continue to be illegal in unincorporated areas. It is unclear how long it will take to fully develop the program.

Total sales for Missouri’s medical marijuana program hit $ 200 million – and the state is getting its share.

Just 14 months ago, the first sale took place at a licensed medical marijuana dispensary in Missouri. In September of this year, monthly cannabis sales topped $ 20 million for the first time, and in November total sales hit less than $ 26 million.

The $ 200 million total includes a 4% retail tax on marijuana, which means state coffers have benefited from $ 8 million. There are 158,169 qualified patients (which equates to about 2% of the state’s total population), so total sales average $ 1,264 per patient – with just over $ 50 for the state. The money does not go into general revenue because it was allocated to veterans services.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Seniors’ Services, more than 300 medical cannabis establishments are now operating in the state in various sectors; including growers, manufacturers, dispensaries, testing laboratories, transporters and suppliers of seeds for sale.

To purchase medicinal cannabis, residents of Missouri need a medical certificate indicating that they have one or more of the nearly two dozen qualifying conditions, including a chronic medical condition causing severe and persistent pain or shortcomings. persistent muscle spasms.

A doctor can certify a patient to acquire up to four ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana, or its equivalent, in a 30-day period. However, if a patient requires a higher amount, two independent physician certifications are required to justify it.

In total, there will be 192 dispensaries in Missouri – but properly registered patients or their caregivers can grow up to six flowering plants, six non-flowering plants and six clones at a time. There is an additional charge for this privilege – an additional $ 100 – and safety rules that must be followed.

The Department seems quite proud of its efforts to roll out the state agenda.

“The national average for implementation is 29 months, and Missouri was able to implement its medical program in just over 23 months,†DHSS said last week. “Only five states implemented medical programs faster than Missouri (Pennsylvania, New York, Utah, Minnesota and Oklahoma).”

More information on Missouri’s medical cannabis program can be found here.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Budget season is almost over and a request for $ 72,000 from the El Paso Police Department for cannabis testing remains on the table for spending next year.

El Paso city council is due to hold a public hearing on the tax rate on Tuesday morning, which can be viewed at 9 a.m. on the city’s YouTube channel. Citizens can still register to share their thoughts and comments on the 2022 budget on the City’s website.

El Pasoans will be able to comment on various aspects of the 2022 budget, including the tax rate passed, spending and other aspects of next year’s finances. Residents will also be able to comment on the controversial police proposal.

Earlier this year, EPPD presented a proposal for $ 72,000 in additional funding to cover the costs of THC testing. Police officials said the request followed a letter from the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office demanding testing to prosecute all marijuana cases.

“The reason they’re doing this is because it doesn’t fund them to test amounts of crime marijuana, right now the state only funds to test amounts of crime flowers. They can’t even test the concentrates right now, â€said Colt DeMorris, executive director of El Paso NORML, a local chapter of the National Marijuana Law Reform Organization, which advocates for law reform. on marijuana.

Although most major cities and counties in Texas have adopted more lenient practices in low-marijuana cases, El Paso has maintained a harsher approach, despite city council adopting a “quote and free â€for marijuana possession misdemeanor levels.

Statewide, prosecutors have dismissed low-intensity marijuana cases or stayed criminal charges due to changes in hemp laws and lack of testing resources.

Two city council officials opposed the police department’s proposal, saying it was in stark contrast to the “citation and release†policy, in which residents are sentenced for the offense of possession. small amounts of marijuana and are kept out of jail.

An initial examination of the practice showed that most of the cases concerned adolescents and young adults.

Included was Kush21, a dispensary slated to open by the end of the year at 1112 Veterans Drive. The store will be the first branch of the Kush21 chain located outside of Washington.

All of the businesses that received licenses on Friday qualified as social equity seekers under the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act, with 41% majority black-owned and 4% majority Latino-owned.

Licensed businesses have 180 days to select a physical location and obtain a full license, after which they can begin selling marijuana.

“These licenses represent an important step toward accountability for the decades of injustice preceding the legalization of cannabis,” Pritzker said. “Illinois will continue to deliver on its promise to put equity at the forefront of this process.”

Adult-use cannabis has proven to be a lucrative business for Illinois, with the state announcing Monday that tax revenue from it has risen from $297.7 million to $445.3 million.

The governor also said total cannabis sales increased by half a billion dollars and tax payments to local governments increased by more than $63 million.

Following media reports that children with epilepsy have benefited from medical marijuana (or medical cannabis products) available abroad, the UK government has allowed clinicians to prescribe these products.

A review published in Childhood developmental medicine and neurology explores the science behind cannabis-based drugs in pediatric epilepsies and highlights areas that warrant further research.

The authors also examined the prescribing environment surrounding these products. They found that the lack of quality evidence for efficacy and safety is the main obstacle to prescribing.

They stress that unauthorized cannabis-based drugs should not circumvent usual regulatory requirements before being prescribed. And they fear that children with epilepsy could be used as a “Trojan horse” for the cannabis industry, with the widespread acceptance of medicinal cannabis accelerating the wider legalization of marijuana and opening up a very lucrative commercial market.

Americas News, NEW YORK, NY, Sat Sep 18, 2021: Here are the cannabis headlines making cannabis news around the world, the Caribbean and Latin America for today, September 18, 2021 in 60 seconds:

Drake, Meek Mill, Killer Mike and 2 Chainz along with professional athletes Deion Sanders and Kevin Garnett are among a host of celebrities who have written to President Biden to seek clemency for federal cannabis offenders.

Montego Bay, Jamaica-based medical cannabis dispensary Outlier has joined efforts to get Jamaicans vaccinated against COVID-19 with the new ‘Weed for Vaccine’ campaign, which it hopes will grow. smokers to queue for the jab. Outlier follows in the footsteps of companies offering discounts and / or gifts to people who have been vaccinated.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will conduct a scientific review of marijuana next year to determine whether it should maintain an international ban on cannabis use by athletes.

Radiant Canna has obtained the exclusive rights to select Marley Natural® cannabis products in California and allows Radiant to produce and distribute Marley Natural cannabis flowers, concentrates and edibles.

The Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee will consider a proposal next week that shieExcludes medical cannabis users from state-imposed “zero tolerance†penalties for impaired driving.

Afro-Latina Shamor Belliard is the originator of the eco-friendly and affordable CBD beauty brand, Just Beauty CBD.

New market research published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) predicts that the “Cannabis Beverages†market will reach US $ 2 billion by 2026.

Investors looking to enter the Barbados cannabis business now have it easy with all the necessary services under one roof, those of Invest Caribbean and Ritzury at investcaribbeannow.com.

And three cannabis stocks to look out for this week are: Flora Growth Corp. (FLGC), Greenlane Holdings Inc. (GNLN) and Lowell Farms Corp Sub Vtg Sh (LOWLF).