Salem-News.com Articles written by Bonnie King

Busting Willie Nelson for Weed Bolsters Cannabis Movement

You can't keep a good man down, especially when he is supported by tens of millions of average Americans.

(SALEM, Ore.) - If he wasn’t a freedom fighter, a warrior, a martyr before, Willie Nelson certainly is now. Posing absolutely no threat to society, those that arrested Willie Nelson have created the perfect cannabis poster boy- and that’s what people are talking about around kitchen tables and in living rooms all over the world.

Hookah Bar in Salem Sees Increasing Business

The hookah is a water pipe that is shared in a social group setting.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Oregon news media outlets are sending out smoke signals over the bubbling popularity of Hookah bars, painting these establishments that are very popular in other parts of the world, in a negative light.

State of Oregon Backs Out of Suit Against Canadian Mother

Unfairly losing her young son to a foreign government wasn't enough--they wanted her to pay the bill, too.

(CALGARY / SALEM) - In June, a Canadian boy who had been taken by the state of Oregon was returned to his mother, after two years and a long, hard-fought fight. For the mom, being sued to pay for the costs of holding her son in foster care in the U.S. despite his being a Canadian citizen was... incomprehensible.

Greek Ship Captain Threatens to Leave the Gaza Road to Hope Convoy

"We are being forcefully taken out of the harbour with the captain going crazy ordering the ship to leave!!!" Ken O'Keefe

(TOBRUK / SALEM) - "Now the captain is threatening to leave without us despite 75,000 dollars being paid to his agent for the charter of this ship. We are on the verge of a stand off using our bodies on the back of the ship," wrote Ken O'Keefe, minutes ago.

And now, "We are being forcefully taken out of the harbour with the captain going crazy ordering the ship to leave!!!"

Marijuana is a Hot Topic for Voters

Cannabis advocates say prohibition's days are numbered

(SALEM, Ore.) - With governor races and other tight contests fighting for that last minute of "TV time" or spinning their wheels vying for another column inch of ink, voters are noticing that they're spending their time not talking about politicians nearly as much as they're discussing... pot.

The whole country's gone to it, or is clearly on their way. And now that most of the propaganda smoke has cleared, it seems the general public is coming to the same conclusion: marijuana isn't the villain it was cut out to be.

Oregon`s Measure 74 Serves the Needs of Patients

Advocates say it adds more choices for patients, but doesn’t affect the current MMJ program.

(SALEM, Ore.) - With so much discussion taking place regarding Oregon’s Measure 74, which allows medical marijuana to be sold at lawful dispensaries, having the facts straight is mandatory.

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program was approved by voters in 1998, and currently has nearly 40,000 patients that have been registered by more than 3,500 doctors - approximately 1 out of every 7 licensed in the state of Oregon. Though patients can use marijuana legally, many of them have a difficult time getting their medicine.

Marijuana Studies Clear the Air For Those That Care to Look

Falsehoods are put to rest by going straight to the source: read the studies.

(SALEM, Ore.) - In our ongoing coverage of the pros and cons of Cannabis, we get many submissions that are worthy of publishing. The following list from reader Malcolm Kyle is especially valuable because he details ten significant marijuana studies that "the Feds wish they'd never commissioned".

Dragging the Gut Drives Crowds to Relive The Good Ole Days in McMinnville

Live music, free movies and a sock hop were the precursor for a night of cruising reminiscent of years gone by...

(MCMINNVILLE, Ore.) - McMinnville, Oregon had a real blast from the past over the weekend. A cruising event known locally as dragging the gut that's been banned since 1989, was reborn with a vital resurgence.

Hundreds if not thousands, descended on this semi rural city Saturday night while hundreds of local cars, many put away in garages since the 1989 police cruising ban...

McMinnville Cruisers Return to Drag the Gut

Festival in downtown "Mac" brings back tradition many have missed.

(MCMINNVILLE, Ore.) - “Dragging the gut” is something fairly unique to McMinnville, Oregon. It’s a term most towns didn’t use, one that is perhaps even a bit unappealing to outsiders.

But to very specific small towns throughout America, dragging the gut was nothing less than a really good time.

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Reduce Marijuana Penalties in California

The new bill changes marijuana possession of less than an ounce to an infraction.

(SACRAMENTO) - To the Members of the California State Senate: I am signing Senate Bill 1449.

This bill changes the crime of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor punishable only by a $100 fine to an infraction punishable by a $100 fine. Under existing law, jail time cannot be imposed, probation cannot be ordered, nor can the base fine exceed $100 for someone convicted of this crime.