Boxer’s stress relief goes to pot

Attitudes toward marijuana use have changed dramatically over the years throughout America.

Even in Nevada, once known for its draconian approach to pot, a medical marijuana bill is a favorite to get substantial support at the Legislature this year.

At the Nevada Athletic Commission, however, reefer madness still reigns.

On Thursday, in the year 2013, the NAC saw fit to fine former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a dizzying $900,000 and suspend his boxing license for nine months for testing positive for marijuana use.

Not for growing it, smuggling it, or selling it. Just for smoking it.

As reported by the Review-Journal’s Steve Carp, Chavez tested positive after his Sept. 15 loss to Sergio Martinez at the Thomas & Mack Center. The fine amounts to a whopping 30 percent of the fighter’s $3 million purse for the Martinez fight.

Chavez said he used the marijuana to attempt to relieve his stress during training. In retrospect, $900,000 would have paid for a lot of massages, meditation classes and Enya records.

Chavez’s attorney Donald Campbell, who sought leniency, now plans a vigorous appeal.

STRIP SHOOTING: No one would blame Asmayit “May” Hagos for wanting to forget her experience in Clark County Justice Court back on April 18, 2011.

But when she decided to court the media this week to attempt to explain away her lifestyle and minimize the undeniable links between boyfriend Kenny Cherry Jr. and the local pimp trade, she wasn’t terribly convincing. Her own police record and 2011 prostitution-related criminal conviction complicated her story.

That didn’t stop some local TV news reports from focusing an extremely soft lens on the subject.

Cherry, who police think suffered a fatal gunshot wound early Feb. 21 after an argument with pimp Ammar “Ash” Harris, was even depicted as an innocent victim of circumstance and a carefree aspiring rapper.

The trouble with Hagos’ self-assessment is that it not only defies the criminal and court paper trail, but it doesn’t take into account the existence of a transcript of the plea deal she cut in then-Justice of the Peace William Jansen’s courtroom.

Her co-defendant was Cassandra Smith of California, and, according to the transcript, the pair originally faced 10 prostitution-related charges.

Attorney Peter Cleary appeared for lawyer Vicki Greco on behalf of the defendants. (Greco was also Cherry’s attorney.)

Deputy District Attorney Agnes Botelho represented the state and agreed to drop most of the charges in exchange for the defendants’ acceptance of an Alford plea to a single felony attempted grand larceny charge.

“Ms. Smith and Ms. Hagos, you both heard these negotiations; now, are you both in full agreement with these negotiations, and do you both fully understand these negotiations?” Jansen asked.

Both replied, “Yes.”

It wasn’t a mistake or a question of confusion on anyone’s part. All things considered, it was a helluva deal.

With Harris now in custody in California after being captured in a North Hollywood apartment, Metro’s homicide investigation moves forward.

Will it reveal a reality about the booming local sex business the city’s boosters would rather not be exposed?

ON THE BOULEVARD: Shootings or not, nothing stops the action on the Boulevard. Early Wednesday evening in a strip mall on Flamingo Road, the doors of a custom SUV open outside a local massage “spa” joint. A young lady with a short skirt more appropriate for a nightclub than a shoulder rub entered the vehicle. The door closed, and the driver steered her in the direction of the Strip. In Las Vegas, visitors are always in need of stress relief.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith