Vending Machine Flap & Senator Steps Down

Vending Machine Flap & Senator Steps Down plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Next time you stop by a vending machine for a soda and a bag of chips you might also pick up a bag of the old Mary Jane. A California company says it wants to bring marijuana dispensing machines to the state. Medical marijuana machines currently in use in other states require patients to scan a fingerprint, which will link that patient to an on-file prescription for marijuana. They are working on a version to dispense recreational use marijuana. Not sure about you but I’m having a bit of trouble working through that one. Are convenience stores next?

20 years ago I worked in Wichita, Kansas at a local radio station and got to know Kansas Senator Pat Roberts. I called him my paper boy since he’d usually grab the paper on his way in to the studios early in the morning. Senator Roberts has been the Ag Committee’s Ranking member and on Thursday he announced he was stepping down.

ROBERTS: Whether I hold the gavel or whether I’m the ranking member or whether I’m a senior member, agriculture and production agriculture and our farmers and ranchers and everybody connected with agriculture, they’ve always been a top priority of mine ever since I’ve been in public service. Nothing, nothing is going to change that.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

That the special interest group American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ended up on the “paddle side” of their own abusive litigation was indeed a surprising turn of events. The ASPCA has agreed to fork over $9.3 million as a settlement to Feld Entertainment, producer of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Over a decade ago the ASPCA, along with others, sued Feld Entertainment under the Endangered Species Act, claiming that the company was abusing elephants. What turned the dice on the ASPCA? Well, besides the obvious, no standing to sue under the Endangered Species Act and no proof whatsoever of animal cruelty, there’s the fact that the ASPCA’s lead witness was essentially paid for his testimony. That never seems to sit well in a court of law. It’s not quite over yet though. Feld Entertainment has continuing litigation against other animal rights groups which joined in the ASPCA suit, along with the HSUS, who merged with one of the original parties. If Feld Entertainment wins its countersuit, it would mean the HSUS would be facing millions of dollars in possible damages.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.