Department of Justice indictments against an accused drug trafficking organization operating out of Southern California were unsealed Tuesday, revealing a vast criminal network which allegedly moved millions of dollars worth of drugs from California to Canada.

According to a Department of Justice press release, the criminal network they targeted was responsible for trafficking hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico into Los Angeles where they loaded it onto semi-trucks bound for Canada or other parts of the United States. 

Various law enforcement organizations executed arrests and search warrants in Los Angeles; Sacramento, California; Miami; Odessa, Texas; Montreal; Toronto; and Calgary, Canada Tuesday morning with 30 search warrants served in Los Angeles alone. “Operation Dead Hand” as it was so dubbed by the feds was responsible for ten arrests in multiple cities across the United States and Canada.

“Today’s charges and arrests across North America reflect the Justice Department’s close coordination with our Mexican and Canadian partners to disrupt international narcotics trafficking,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “These cases provide yet another example of how our agents and prosecutors work side-by-side to uncover and dismantle organized criminal networks peddling and profiting from deadly drugs.”

The many defendants charged in the two unsealed indictments are as follows:

• Jesus Ruiz Sandoval Jr., 45, of Guadalajara, Mexico;
• John Joe Soto, 42, of Guadalajara;
• Eduardo Carvajal, 50, of Guadalajara;
• Roberto Scoppa, 55, of Montreal;
• Ayush Sharma, 25, of Brampton, Canada;
• Subham Kumar, 29, of Calgary, Canada;
• Carlos Barragan, 51, of Long Beach, California;
• Corell Carbajal Garcia, 38, of Hemet, California;
• Humberto Luis Bermejo, 26, of Odessa, Texas; and
• Esteban Sinhue Mercado, 24, of San Jacinto, California.
• Guramrit Sidhu, 60, of Brampton, Canada;
• Ivan Gravel Gonzalez, 32, a resident of both the Dominican Republic and Montreal;
• Daniel Antonio Trejo Huerta, 43, of Riverside, California;
• Ignacio Lopez, 53, a resident of Santa Ana, California;
• Daniel Joseph Alan Herrera, 27, of Miami;
• Orlando Velasco Jr., 29, of Stanton, California;
• Angel Larry Sandoval, 32, of Bell Gardens, California;
• Jorge Pina Nicols, 22, of Long Beach, California; and
• Bryan Ureta Valenzuela, 24, of Ontario, California.

A notable name from that list is Robert Scoppa, whom the Department of Justice described as an alleged Canadian drug trafficker believed to be moving massive amounts of drugs on a regular basis with close ties to an Italian organized crime family. The other defendants were generally alleged to either be associated with Mexican crime groups involved in moving product over the southern border or handlers and dispatchers involved with a complex network of semi-truck drivers who made frequent border crossings into Canada via the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, the Buffalo Peace Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge. 

“Drug trafficking is a global problem being driven by sophisticated, organized crime groups who put profits over people’s lives,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Motivated by greed, these criminals destroy lives, devastate families, and wreak havoc in our community. But this case shows that we will collaborate with our international partners to bring these criminal networks to justice. Those who traffic in highly addictive and dangerous drugs will be held accountable.”

Of the list of those indicted, 10 were arrested Tuesday, two were already in police custody and seven are considered to be fugitives. Those seven are as follows: 

• Angel Larry Sandoval
• Corell Garcia
• Eduardo Carvajal
• Esteban Sinhue Mercado
• John Soto
• Bryan Valenzuela
• Jesus Ruiz, Jr.

All those indicted face maximum penalties ranging from 40 years to life in prison. This organization has been accused of trafficking up to 845 kilograms of methamphetamine, 951 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of fentanyl, and 4 kilograms of heroin. The wholesale value of these drugs was estimated by the Department of Justice to be between $16-28 million and around $900,000 in cash was seized during this operation. 

“Until today, the organized members of this conspiracy operated with impunity throughout the many thousands of miles that comprise the North American continent, poisoning communities along the way,” said Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The strength of this partnership cannot be overstated. The agents and detectives on this case did an outstanding job of pooling resources and worked seamlessly across borders toward a mutual goal of putting this massive drug pipeline out of business.”

The post 19 Charged in Connection to Southern California Drug Trafficking Organization appeared first on High Times.

The post 19 Charged in Connection to Southern California Drug Trafficking Organization appeared first on Paradise Found.

Many of us have had the privilege of trying Maven Genetics’ French Laundry. In the August 2023 issue of High Times Magazine, we explored the brand’s impeccable selection of strains, French Laundry included, which won numerous awards this year at the Farmers Cup in February, The Emerald Cup in May, Zalympix in June, High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 in July, and the Transbay Challenge in August. Needless to say, it was French Laundry’s year. Unfortunately, due to receiving a cease and desist letter from The French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California, Maven Genetics has announced that it will no longer be using the name.

“It is with a blend of pride and a touch of regret that Maven announces a significant development regarding one of our most celebrated strains, French Laundry,” Maven Genetics wrote in a press release. “As the year draws to a close, we face a challenging twist. Maven has received a cease and desist letter from the renowned Napa restaurant French Laundry, citing trademark infringement issues. Our strain’s name, meant as a playful tribute to its parent genetics, was never intended to infringe on any trademark. However, to avoid potential legal entanglements, we have made the difficult decision to retire the French Laundry name from our product lineup.”

Henceforth, the strain will be called FKAFL, which stands for “formerly known as French Laundry.”

Maven Genetics brand director Miguel De Vivo told Forbes that the name never intended to overlap with the trademarked “French Laundry” restaurant. FKAFL is a cross between LA Rouge and The Soap, and the name “French Laundry” was a blend of merging a laundry detergent theme with French inspiration brought by LA Rouge. “Little did we know, the cultivar got attention,” De Vivo said.

Although it’s a bummer to see French Laundry go, it’s hardly going to stop Maven Genetics from celebrating FKAFL and promoting many of the brand’s overall unique strain library. “Despite this turn of events, our commitment to innovation remains strong,” Maven Genetics wrote. “Our genetic library is brimming with exciting new strains, several of which are offsprings of French Laundry. We are confident that these new creations will uphold the esteemed legacy of French Laundry and eagerly anticipate their introduction to our community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our customers and supporters for their passionate support of French Laundry. Your enthusiasm fuels our mission to continually push the boundaries of cannabis cultivation and breeding.”

Maven Genetics has already removed “French Laundry” from its website and is making immediate plans to make changes to product packaging as well. De Vivo added that this will be the last time we see French Laundry, but it’s just the beginning for FKAFL. “Given that we have many strains coming from that genetic lineage, we weren’t sure if we would continue with FL [French Laundry],” De Vivo explained. “However, with a few more amazing batches in production, it came down to figuring out, how are we going to reintroduce it to the market and potentially close the FL chapter on our terms.”

In a silver lining perspective, De Vivo added that it’s a big deal for a cannabis brand to get on the radar of a reputable restaurant like The French Laundry. “The normalizing aspect of it, the fact that we’re garnering attention from the culinary world at such a level,” says De Vivo. “For us, it’s surprising that they noticed. Being in the same realm is exciting.”

The past decade has changed a lot for the cannabis industry, not just with the increase of states legalizing medical and/or recreational cannabis, but a shift in cannabis product names from infringing upon trademarks to developing fully unique, trademarked names.

One of the first major examples of this was in June 2014 when Hershey filed a lawsuit against a Colorado-based edibles brand, called Tincturebelle, and a Washington-based dispensary called Conscious Care Cooperative, for using Hershey-inspired brand names. The suit was settled by October 2014.

In February 2014, a girl scout set up her cookie table outside of a Los Angeles dispensary and sold out within hours. The event garnered national attention, and eventually led the 

Girl Scouts of America to send a letter about the infringement of the strain Girl Scout Cookies upon its registered trademark in 2015.

Another prominent representation of this was in August 2017 when the glue company Gorilla Glue Co. filed a lawsuit against GG Strains for trademark infringement. By October 2017 they reached a settlement, which required the website gorillaglue4.com to be transferred to the ownership of the glue company, that any use of the word “gorilla” or gorilla imagery was prohibited, and the cannabis brand would refer to its products as “GG” instead. However, the settlement also stated that neither company would “disparage each others’ companies, services or actions,” according to a High Times report. GG Strains co-founder Ross Johnson remained optimistic about the situation. “We’re going to survive; we’re going to overcome it,” Johnson said. “Is it a setback? Most definitely, it is a setback. But it’s all behind us now, and it’s allowing us to move forward.”

Since then, many large companies have targeted cannabis brands for similar reasons.

In September 2017, a dispensary named Buds R Us in Detroit, Michigan, received a letter from Toys “R” Us threatening to sue for trademark infringement. In February 2019, UPS (United Parcel Service) sued cannabis delivery businesses like United Pot Smokers, UPS420, and THCPlant. In July 2019, Sour Patch Kids candy maker also targeted illegal cannabis makers marketing their products as “Stoney Patch.” Mars Wrigley won a trademark lawsuit in August 2022 for the use of Skittles likeness on illegal cannabis products.

The post Maven Genetics To Retire Strain ‘French Laundry’ Due to Cease-and-Desist Letter appeared first on High Times.

The post Maven Genetics To Retire Strain ‘French Laundry’ Due to Cease-and-Desist Letter appeared first on Paradise Found.

Earlier this month, we announced the launch of the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Edition in Michigan, but now we’re hyping up the West Coast for the return of its own People’s Choice Awards! Welcome to the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, a recreational-only competition celebrating some of the best cannabis products in the region.

The SoCal Cannabis Cup was first introduced in 2015, where it thrived as an in-person event between 2015-2019. Back in 2015, strains like Flower Bomb Kush, True OG, and Amnesia Haze were the cream of the crop, and categories like “Best Booth” and “Best Glass” were still commonplace. The pandemic may have put a halt to in-person events, but the People’s Choice has taken the nation by storm, with a People’s Choice competition held for SoCal in both 2020 (with winners announced in 2021) and 2022. In 2021, huge favorites like Biscotti, Gelonade, and Lemon Sponge Cake took first place, among a varied selection of pre-rolls, edibles, and more. Our 2022 SoCal: People’s Choice Edition was one of the biggest cups so far, with winners such as Top Shelf Cultivation’s Whoa Si Whoa, Sense’s Pink Certz Flower, Wizard Trees’s Studio 54, and Team Elite Genetics’s Pearadise Flower—just a few of the amazing strains that won over our judges.

Fast forward to this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, and we’re expecting another exciting collection of products to experience. With that in mind, here’s the schedule for this year: Product submissions will be dropped off at the Moxie Lynwood facility between May 8-10. Then our official intake partner, Moxie, will build the judge kits and then we’ll transport the kits to all participating High Times and Have a Heart retailers. On May 20, judge kits will officially go on sale! Judges will have between May 21 to July 10 to test out their goodies, submitting their thoughts on product differentiators such as aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor, effects/effectiveness, and so much more.

According to High Times Director of Competitions Mark Kaz, 2021 was a record-breaking year in terms of participation. “Twenty-one Cups, 339 brands, 1,389 batches of entries, all judged by about 15,000 judges who helped crown 249 award-winners for best products in their state,” Kaz said. “Our industry is going through a tough recession, restrictive regulations, and plenty of other woes, but one thing that’s for certain is that people want to find out who has the best weed, and we’re here to help.”

For companies who want to submit products for this year’s competition, please refer to the following rules.

Entry Categories:

1. Indica Flower (2 entries max per company) 
2. Sativa Flower (2 entries max per company)  
3. Hybrid Flower (2 entries max per company) 
4. Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company) 
5. Infused Pre-Rolls (1 entry max per company) 
6. Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) 
7. Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) 
8. Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company)
9. Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (3 entries max per company)
10. Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies (3 entries max per company)
11. Edibles: Beverages (2 entries max per company)
12. Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 entries max per company)

Entry Requirements:

• Flower: (228) 1-gram samples. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries. 
• Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) samples: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each; Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower equivalency or 1g concentrate equivalency each.
• Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram samples. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries required for Carts.
• Edibles: (100) samples with 100mg THC max.
• Beverages: must be a max of 16 fluid ounces, non-glass containers preferred. 
• Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) samples with 500mg THC max

In terms of submission pricing, competitors should note the entry fees depending on how many products they submit. While one entry is $250, and two entries is $100 per entry (both non-refundable), submissions of three or more entries is a $100 refundable deposit per entry held, which is refunded when all entries are successfully submitted. Finally, if you’d like to sponsor this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 then all entry fees are waived. We also offer multiple tiers of sponsorship, including General, Bronze, Silver, and Presenting Sponsorships.

That sums up the details of our event this year but check out our High Times Cannabis Cup website to view all of the details.

A special thank you to:

Moxie – Official Intake Partner

Have a Heart – Official Retailer Partner

High Times Dispensaries – Official Retailer Partner

The post Announcing the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 appeared first on High Times.

The post Announcing the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 appeared first on Paradise Found.

This April, a massive 420 event, packed with an impressive lineup of hip-hop and rap musicians, is heading to Southern California.

The Smoker’s Club Festival is an 18+ event will be held at the Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California, on Saturday, April 30—a destination that has been popularly chosen as the location for many other cannabis-related events in the past. If you’ve been looking for a sign to get out there and celebrate 420 in the sun, rather than in your living room, this is it. The Smoker’s Club announced the good news on January 20. “WE’RE BACK. APRIL 30. SO CAL,” The Smoker’s Club wrote on social media.

The 2022 event headliners include Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Schoolboy Q (performing hits off his album Oxymoron), Wiz Khalifa (performing songs off his mixtape Kush & Orange Juice), 2 Chainz and so many more. Kid Cudi was busy in 2021, not only because he headlined Rolling Loud LA, but he also hinted that he’s got two albums in the works for 2022. Likewise A$AP Rocky headlined Rolling Loud Miami and ComplexCon 2021 last year and teased in a GQ interview that his new album, tentatively called All Smiles, would be released in the future.

This lineup has a lot in common with The Smoker’s Club Festival in 2018, which was held in Long Beach, California. Among its headliners were also Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa and Schoolboy Q, as well as Rashad, Ty Dolla $ign, Dom Kennedy, Lil Skies and Mac Miller prior to his passing.

This year’s The Smoker’s Club Festival is also jam-packed with over 65 artists in the lineup—the poster advertisement contains so many individual acts that they can barely fit all of them on one page. Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Rico Nasty, SahBabii, Clams Casino, The Cool Kids, Asher Roth, Kreayshawn—it’s an epic setup that you’re not likely to find anywhere else. It has been a rough few years for musicians who rely on touring and in-person performances, so seeing some of these great groups and individuals in one place is a joyous occasion. Given the vast amount of entertainment contained in this one-of-a-kind event, tickets are priced at $222.99 for general admission, $408.99 for VIP access and $429.00 and up for hotel packages.

The Smoker’s Club is a famous New York City-based lifestyle brand founded by Jonnyshipes, Smoke DZA and Shiest Bubz. The trio first came up with the name in early 2010 at a humble smoke session. By March 2010, they had managed to put together the first The Smoker’s Club show at SXSW. Back then, it gathered artists such as Currensy, Smoke DZA, Kendrick Lamar, Devin The Dude, Big K.R.I.T., Schoolboy Q, JayRock and many more. According to the founders, people everywhere began requesting The Smoker’s Club shows in their home cities, and “so the legend of the Smokers Club was born.” Since then, the event has been held in over 100 cities and 20 different countries across the globe.

Twelve years following that first event, The Smoker’s Club brand now offers high-end streetwear and accessories. Some of their best sellers are oversized hoodies with and premium cotton T-shirts, and the brand also offers a wide variety of beanies, ashtrays, stickers, pins and other accessories as well.

Not to mention that The Smoker’s Club also offers three “connoisseur cannabis” flowers that are all described as hybrid/indica-dominant. Donuts is described as a smooth and robust smoke that has a strange but pleasant “creaminess” at the end of the exhale. Critterz smells of guava and chocolate, with a “gassy essence” but a fruit-cream-like flavor when exhaling. Lastly, Jobstopper brings a heavy fuel profile, but still offers sweet flavors such as vanilla cake, cream cheese frosting and whipped cream.

The post The Smoker’s Club Lands in SoCal for a Massive 420 Festival appeared first on High Times.

The post The Smoker’s Club Lands in SoCal for a Massive 420 Festival appeared first on Paradise Found.