Marijuana
US FL: OPED: Marijuana Law Enforcement Comes at Devastating
Sun-Sentinel, 12 Jun 2013 - Last week the American Civil Liberties Union issued a report ("The War on Marijuana in Black and White: Billions of Dollars Wasted on Racially Biased Arrests" www.aclu.org/marijuana) confirming what everyone suspected: marijuana possession arrests are wasteful, destructive and marred by racial bias. The report, the first ever examining state and county marijuana arrest rates nationally by race, documents that while there were pronounced racial disparities in marijuana arrests 10 years ago the problem has become significantly worse.
Categories: Marijuana
New Jerseyans Ready to Decriminalize Marijuana, Poll Finds
As New Jersey legislators consider a marijuana decriminalization bill, a new poll suggests strong public support for such a move -- and more. The poll of likely voters conducted by Lake Research Partners for the Drug Policy Alliance found that 61% favored decriminalization and nearly as many (59%) agreed with taxing, regulating, and legalizing marijuana.
[image:1 align:left]"New Jersey voters are ready for aggressive and immediate change of state marijuana laws, with strong majorities supporting decriminalizing up to two ounces of marijuana," said Daniel Gotoff, a partner at Lake Research. "Support for this reform is remarkably broad, including majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans, as well as voters from every major region in the state."
The poll comes as the legislature is considering Senate Bill 1977, which would decriminalize the possession of up to 50 grams (slightly less than two ounces) of marijuana and make possession a civil violation carrying a fine similar to a traffic ticket. The bill sponsored by Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-Middlesex, Somerset and Union), Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) is currently before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The release of the poll could be designed to prod the legislature to act on marijuana reform. SB 1977 was filed more than a year ago and still has not been scheduled for a committee hearing. Another measure, Assembly Bill 1465, which would decriminalize up to 15 grams, actually passed the Assembly last June, only to languish in the Senate Judiciary Committee ever since.
Under current New Jersey law, simple marijuana possession is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Conviction on a pot possession charges also creates a criminal record that cannot be expunged for at least five years.
Once an individual is convicted of even a minor possession offense, he or she is subject to a system of legal discrimination that makes it difficult or impossible to secure housing, employment, public assistance, federal student aid for higher education, and even a basic driver's license.
Marijuana possession prosecutions also disproportionately target the Garden State's black population. African-Americans are arrested for pot possession at a rate nearly three times that of whites, even though both groups use marijuana at roughly the same rate.
"More than 22,000 individuals were arrested for marijuana possession in New Jersey in 2010 at a cost of more than $125 million dollars," said Roseanne Scotti, New Jersey state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "New Jerseyans understand that current penalties for marijuana are unfair and wasteful. These laws should be changed now. "
If legislators heed the popular will and pass the decriminalization bill, New Jersey will join 15 other states that have decriminalized pot possession in amounts ranging from half an ounce to three ounces.
Categories: Marijuana
Maine Legislature Won't Put Marijuana Referendum on Ballot
If Maine residents want to legalize marijuana via the popular vote, they may have to do it themselves. Last Friday, a bill that would have called for a referendum on marijuana legalization fell four votes short in the House. On Monday, it was defeated more decisively in the Senate.
[image:1 align:right]The bill, LD 1229, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland), was a detailed tax, regulate, and legalize marijuana measure when first introduced. But, with a lack of support among colleagues, the bill was amended to merely call for a popular referendum. Even that watered down version couldn't pass the House.
During debate on the bill last Friday, Russell argued that if legislators failed to act, it was likely that activists would put a legalization initiative before voters through the citizens' initiative process, and that then, lawmakers would have no say.
"I believe this is the smartest, most rational way forward… to ensure we're the ones driving the bus to do it," Russell said.
Support for and opposition to the bill wasn't a simple party line affair, with some Republicans speaking for it and some Democrats opposing.
"We have a society that’s been hypocritically fighting this war for years," said Rep. Lance Harvell (R-Farmington). "In a democratic republic, the will of the people will be expressed."
"I have seen lives ruined by addiction," said Rep Gay Grant (D-Gardiner). "I am not ready to raise the white flag on one more opportunity to destroy lives."
"You actually can't smoke enough marijuana to kill yourself. You’d fall asleep first," said Rep. Corey Wilson (R-Augusta), who argued that prohibition had failed and that the state should consider collecting taxes on marijuana to help fight more dangerous drugs.
With Maine activists eyeing the presidential election year of 2016 for a citizens' legalization initiative, the legislature still has a couple of years to act. If it doesn't, Mainers may well make the decision themselves.
Categories: Marijuana
Canada: Wow, Man. Health Canada Drops Out Of Pot Biz
Toronto Sun, 11 Jun 2013 - OTTAWA - Health Canada is getting out of the pot-producing business. Licensed providers will distribute medicinal marijuana by next spring. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced the new measures Monday and indicated home production will also be barred once the rules are changed in March 2014.
Categories: Marijuana
US DC: Patience Waiting For Patients
Washington Times, 11 Jun 2013 - Medical Marijuana Outlet Waits for Bureaucracy to Catch Up Mike Cuthriell has navigated D.C. government regulations for two-and-a-half years to open a medical marijuana dispensary and now only needs a final inspection from the Department of Health before he can officially open his Metropolitan Wellness Center. But the center won't be able to stay open unless the health department sanctions one more thing: patients.
Categories: Marijuana
US CO: Family Hopeful That Their Story of Medical Marijuana
The Gazette, 11 Jun 2013 - Paige Figi found two notes left on her front door and took numerous phone calls this week from people wanting information or expressing thanks regarding her decision to use medical marijuana to ease her 6-year-old daughter's near-constant seizures. "People just are desperate" for help, said Figi, who lives in Black Forest. "And nothing will work."
Categories: Marijuana
Marijuana-Based Medicines Okayed in France
At the behest of Social Affairs and Health Minister Marisol Touraine, France has modified its Public Health Code to allow for the use of marijuana-based medicines, apparently including raw marijuana itself. Decree n° 2013-473 was published Friday, removing what had been a prohibition on all non-industrial use of the plant.
[image:1 align:left caption:true]The code modification makes legal "the production, transport, export, possession, offering, acquisition or use of specialty pharmaceuticals that contains one of these (cannabis-derivative) substances." But individual marijuana-based medicines must still be approved by the National Medical Safety Agency.
How exactly the law will be implemented remains to be seen. That will be up to Minister Touraine, who will ratify the decree in coming weeks.
While the law appears to clear the way for marijuana-based medicines such as the sublingual spray Sativex and the old marijuana substitute Marinol (Cesamet), it could also allow for the use of raw marijuana produced under strict conditions for medical purposes, such as that produced by Bedrocan in the Netherlands.
But it could take awhile.
"The law allows us above all to unblock the process of launching research into cannabinoids," Pharmacists' Union spokesperson Philippe Gaertner told the online publication StreetPress. "I'm not sure we’ll have these medicines on the market quickly."
Other European countries that allow for some form of therapeutic cannabis include Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
Categories: Marijuana
What will legal marijuana look like in Washington?
Here are the Initial Draft Rules promulgated by the state Liquor Control Board.
Categories: Marijuana
CN MB: Arrested For Legal Pot, Man Claims
Winnipeg Free Press, 10 Jun 2013 - Thaddeus Conrad was holding almost a kilogram of marijuana and $700 in cash when RCMP officers pulled over his minivan Saturday just west of Steinbach. The 32-year-old claims he was also holding a licence to possess medical marijuana -- and notified the officers of that fact -- but he says that didn't stop them from arresting him, throwing him to the highway and aggravating an existing spinal-cord injury.
Categories: Marijuana
US CO: Colorado Braces For Recreational Pot
New Haven Register, 10 Jun 2013 - DENVER - Colorado was one of the pioneers of medical marijuana. Soon, it will hold another distinction. Voters in November overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment that will allow for the sale of cannabis to anyone over age 21. In doing so, they made Colorado one of only two states to opt for full commercialization of the drug, along with Washington state.
Categories: Marijuana
Australia: The Fight Continues
The Northern River Echo, 10 Jun 2013 - THE Nimbin HEMP Embassy this week applauded the release of Tony Bower, managing director of Mullaways Medical Cannabis Pty Ltd, the maker of the popular medicinal tincture. On Tuesday, the Kempsey medicine man, on appeal, had his 12-month sentence commuted to a suspended sentence to be of good behaviour. However both the Embassy and Mr Bower were quick to point out their fight was not over.
Categories: Marijuana
US AZ: Near the Border, a Few Deputies Are Outnumbered by
New York Times, 10 Jun 2013 - AJO, Ariz. - On a recent morning, Lt. Bill Clements, commander of a remote sheriff's department substation here, sent his deputies into the sun-blasted Sonoran Desert to recover a body - the fifth in five days. Hours later, back at the station, a deputy unzipped a white body bag, revealing the corpse of a man who had died making the brutal crossing from Mexico, his lips shrunken, either with dehydration or from being partly eaten by wild animals, the deputies said. Out here, life expires suddenly and without dignity. The Ajo district station recovered 18 bodies last year. As of late May, the station had recovered eight, and the summer sun was still a few weeks away.
Categories: Marijuana
US AZ: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Granted More Time
Ahwatukee Foothills News, 10 Jun 2013 - State Gives Temporary Restraining Order on June 7 Deadline The owners of a medical marijuana dispensary attempting to open in Ahwatukee Foothills have been granted more time to do so. The state originally set a deadline for dispensaries to open up a year from when they receive their certificate as part of the Medical Marijuana Program. That would mean all certificate owners must submit an application for approval to operate by June 7 and open their dispensaries by Aug. 7 or lose their certificate to operate.
Categories: Marijuana
Australia: National Synthetic Drugs Ban Call
Moree Champion, 10 Jun 2013 - A permanent ban on synthetic drugs is now on the national agenda, with NSW and Victoria both urging the federal government to outlaw the products across the country. More than 100 fair trading officers will be deployed across NSW this week to enforce the state government's interim ban on the sale of the synthetic drugs. NSW Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts said retailers including sex shops, tobacconists and service stations which were found to be in breach faced fines of up to $1.1 million.
Categories: Marijuana
New Zealand: Drug Designers Stay One Step Ahead
New Zealand Herald, 10 Jun 2013 - Clever Chinese manufacturer with links to NZ just one of the chemical masterminds outwitting authorities. When a worldwide shortage of MDMA disrupted the manufacture of Ecstasy, party goers didn't have to wait long for their fix.
Categories: Marijuana
US CO: Civic Boosters Fear Legalized Pot's Impact On Military Bases
The Gazette, 09 Jun 2013 - Civic leaders worried about retail marijuana sales in Colorado say it's a matter of perception. They don't expect pot to pour onto local military bases when retail sales of recreational reefer start in 2014. They do expect states competing for increasingly scarce defense spending to blow smoke about Colorado's permissive policy in a bid to pull troops and programs from the state.
Categories: Marijuana
US MA: Cities Rezoning For Marijuana Law
Boston Globe, 09 Jun 2013 - While officials in Lynn, Melrose, and Peabody have voted to ban dispensaries in their cities, mayors in Malden, Newburyport, and Somerville have indicated a willingness to respect the November vote that legalized medical marijuana in the state and are preparing to zone locations in appropriate areas. In the aftermath of Attorney General Martha Coakley's March ruling that Wakefield could not ban medical marijuana dispensaries, several cities and towns north of Boston have elected to pass moratoriums that will allow them up to a year to zone where the shops could operate.
Categories: Marijuana
US OR: In The Weeds
The Mail Tribune, 09 Jun 2013 - Marijuana dispensary raids put state laws under the spotlight Agaunt, anxiety-ridden Lori Duckworth spent Thursday cleaning the room where she stored and doled out medical marijuana to patients seeking relief from various ailments for the past five years.
Categories: Marijuana
US WI: Medical Marijuana Debate Heats Up
Kenosha News, 09 Jun 2013 - Gary Storck considers medical marijuana a lifesaver. The Dane County man has been smoking it for medical problems since Oct. 3, 1972, when he was 17 years old. "I smoked some cannabis before seeing my eye doctor. He checked my pressures and they were normal that day," he said.
Categories: Marijuana
US CT: OPED: Five Myths About The Legalization Of Marijuana
Register Citizen, 09 Jun 2013 - FIVE MYTHS ABOUT THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA With 16 states having decriminalized or legalized cannabis for non-medical use and eight more heading toward some kind of legalization, federal prohibition's days seem numbered. You might wonder what America will look like when marijuana is in the corner store and at the farmers market. In three years spent researching that question, I found some ideas about the plant that just don't hold up.
Categories: Marijuana
