A Greek billionaire and heir to the Coca-Cola fortune was arrested on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts after a search of his private jet uncovered more than $1.3 million worth of cannabis on board, according to multiple reports.
Alkiviades “Alki” David, 50, was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport after customs officials found approximately 5,000 cannabis plants in addition to seeds and a variety of other cannabis products, according to the Vancouver Sun. He was charged with intent to supply, possession of controlled drugs and importation of a controlled drug into the federation, officials from the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force confirmed to the Daily Express.
David claimed the plants on board were “all hemp” and were related to a new venture to start a legal cannabis business in the region. He and Chase Ergen, the heir to the satellite fortune, announced in April that they formed a consortium aimed at developing the cannabis business in Eastern Caribbean nations such as St. Kitts-Nevis, Dominica and Antigua.
Plans included purchasing agricultural land and partnering with farmers to create a cooperative entity modeled after the ones in Switzerland. David and Ergen will create thousands of jobs and also tap into the rich cultural history and cannabis know-how of the strengthening Rastafarian movement in the region. The consortium has already had its first meetings with business and government leaders across the region and will be expanding its outreach during the month of May.
David is an heir of the Leventis-David Group, which holds the majority share in Coca-Cola Helenic, Europe’s largest bottling company. The Leventis family is worth more than $388 million, according to 2018’s The Sunday Times Rich List. The UK-based publication estimates David is independently worth more than $2.8 billion.
He resides on the Isle of Man and arrived to St. Kitts on a plane with Ergen and Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Mogaznews En reported. David owns SwissX, a medical marijuana company that produces luxury CBD oils that have been endorsed by Snoop Dog.
His hologram company was responsible for digitally recreating Tupac in 2012 for Coachella performances and Michael Jackson for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. The billionaire ran into legal trouble in April after a former female employee was allegedly fired for refusing to have sex with him, People reported. David paid $11.1 million in a harassment settlement.
David was released after paying $30,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to appear at Basseterre Magistrate Court on May 14. He’s required to surrender all travel documents and report to the Frigate Bay Police Station for daily check-ins.
Vos, Steineke say Evers’ support for full legalization has poisoned the discussion.
Robin Vos
The way Democratic Gov. Tony Evers answered a question on legal marijuana use may have given Republican legislators afraid of “pot on every corner” reasons to take no action on legalizing medical marijuana.
At a recent Wisconsin Technology Council event days after he took office, Evers made three newsworthy statements when asked about medical and recreational marijuana. First, Evers said the 2019-21 state budget he gives lawmakers on Feb. 28 will include the “first steps” toward legalizing medical marijuana. He gave no specifics about how it would be regulated, however.
Second, he said he wants a discussion – and maybe a “statewide referendum” – on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. It would be the first statewide advisory referendum since 2006, when voters overwhelmingly recommended restoring the death penalty.
Third, he said he supports legalizing recreational marijuana: “I personally would sign [that bill into law]. I just want to make sure we do it correctly.”
But Republican Assembly leaders said that, with his comments endorsing medical and recreational marijuana, the new governor may have killed any chance that medical marijuana will soon be legalized.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he personally supports the carefully regulated use of medical marijuana. He made it clear that is his personal position, since the 63 Assembly Republicans who control half of the Legislature have not discussed the issue.
But, Vos said, “I do not want it to be a half-handed effort like in other states, where you can grow it yourself, you can get a phony doctor’s excuse… I don’t want to have medical marijuana – which I support – somehow lead us down the slippery slope to where there’s pot on every corner.”
Vos said he does not support legalizing recreational marijuana, so it was “incredibly counter-productive” for Evers to endorse both changes.
“He started out saying he’s open to legalizing medical marijuana and literally, in the same day, slid down the slope saying he would support full legalization – exactly what many [Assembly Republicans] are afraid of,” Vos told reporters, adding: “I hope he has not poisoned the conversation through his inexperience. But, perhaps, he has.”
That phrase “perhaps, he has” signals that it will be up to Evers – and not Assembly Republicans – to find a path forward on medical marijuana.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said the governor’s comments “honestly played into the fears of a lot of us that support medical marijuana.” Medical marijuana “should be for people with debilitating disease, or chronic pain – things like that,” Steineke added.
Evers backing both medical and recreational use of marijuana “is a problem for a lot” of Assembly Republicans, Steineke said. “I’m not sure how we regain the trust that this is the first – and only step – when it comes to medicinal marijuana.”
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald told reporters he does not expect the Republican-controlled Senate to debate legalizing marijuana use. “I still don’t believe the support is there … to move in that direction.”
But the Democrat who will again be chief Assembly sponsor of a bill legalizing marijuana use, Rep. Melissa Sargent, of Madison, praised Evers for being the first governor to join the cause.
“It is in the best interest of our state to look toward the future and recognize the vast medicinal, economic and social justice opportunities marijuana legalization would bring to our state,” she said in a statement announcing her new bill to make that change.
Sargent said 16 local governments held advisory referendums on Nov 6 that asked voters whether medical or recreational marijuana should be legalized and all referendums passed.
That proved that “the people are ahead of the politicians on this topic, and agree that the most dangerous thing about marijuana in Wisconsin is that it is illegal,” Sargent added.
Meanwhile, the Marquette University Law School poll released last week found 59 percent of those who responded favored legalizing marijuana; 35 percent were opposed. The Jan. 16-20 poll of 800 respondents had a margin of error of +/-3.9%.
Pollster Charles Franklin said that was significant change since the poll asked the same question in September of 2014, when only 46 percent backed legalizing marijuana and 51 percent opposed.
Wisconsin is part of a national “real change over the last 10 years” in views on legal marijuana, Franklin said. Ten states — including Michigan and the District of Columbia — have legalized recreational marijuana, while other states have legalized medical marijuana.
“Public opinion has actually moved quite substantially,” Franklin said.
A double-blind placebo-controlled study with 24 patients suffering from Tourette syndrome was conducted at the Medical School of Hannover, Germany. The 6-week trial confirmed results of two earlier short-term studies by Dr. Kirsten Mueller-Vahl and colleagues that THC is effective in the reduction of tics.
The Tourette syndrome is a complex neurological-psychiatric disorder characterized by motor tics (sudden spasms especially in the face, the neck and the shoulders) and one or more vocal tics. In many cases, it is associated with behavioural problems or psychopathologies (autoaggression, disturbed attention, etc.). Presently, neuroleptics are the most effective drugs. However, neuroleptics are not effective in all patients and in many cases, are not well tolerated.
Patients were treated over a period of 6 weeks. The dosage was titrated to the target dosage of 10 mg THC. Starting at 2.5 mg/day, the dose was increased by increments of 2.5 mg/day every 4 days. Tic severity was rated using several established scales.
Seven patients dropped out of the study or had to be excluded, but only one due to side effects. Application of THC resulted in a significant improvement of tic severity. No serious adverse effects occurred. Authors concluded that the “results provide more evidence that THC is effective and safe in the treatment of tics.”
HM. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective in the treatment of tics in Tourette syndrome: a 6-week randomized trial. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64(4):459-465)
Originally published May 2003 at: http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=146&fbclid=IwAR1uE-15QDzTcbn_QKrkTlSOv_SfsN3VJ5Tf_9Sjqr8r2TMWdDl0kbH24U0#1
Analysis from New Frontier Data, a firm that focuses on the marijuana industry, also found that the federal government would create at least $131.8 billion in federal tax revenue over the next eight years if cannabis were legalized in all 50 states.
With federal legalization, there would be 782,000 jobs created immediately, and the firm forecasts that the number would increase to 1.1 million by 2025, including growers and retailers.
In 2015, a year after Colorado legalized recreational cannabis sales, the legal marijuana industry created 18,000 full-time jobs and $2.4 billion in economic growth in the state, according to the Marijuana Policy Group. New Frontier suggested this trend could be sustainable on a national level.
“If cannabis businesses were legalized tomorrow and taxed as normal businesses with a standard 35 percent tax rate, cannabis businesses would infuse the U.S. economy with an additional $12.6 billion this year,” New Frontier CEO Giadha Aguirre De Carcer told the Washington Post.
The economic growth would be pushed by increased demand on various industries, according to the Marijuana Policy Group. Farmers need warehouse space, and they purchase specialized equipment like lighting and irrigation for marijuana growth. Retailers rely on contractors and book-keeping services to run businesses. In states like Washington and Colorado, legal recreational marijuana has also led to a boost in some tourism sectors.
California became the eighth state to sell legal recreational marijuana on January 1, and 29 states now allow medical marijuana. Federal legalization, while popular across nearly every demographic group in the U.S., is facing renewed challenges from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whose strong opposition to statewide marijuana laws has slowed the bipartisan push. Sessions last week rescinded an Obama-era rule that told federal prosecutors to leave marijuana alone in states that legalized it, leaving open questions about the future of the burgeoning industry.
Originally published by: SUMMER MEZA ON 1/11/18 AT 6:29 PM
