Ballot Initiatives

The Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 Apr 2013 - WASHINGTON - How it affects children will be one factor the Justice Department weighs as it determines how to respond to the legalization of marijuana in Washington state and Colorado, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. told Congress on Thursday. "I think among the kinds of things we will have to consider is the impact on children," along with factors such as violence connected to trafficking and organized crime, Holder told a House Appropriations subcommittee. He commented in response to questions about ballot initiatives legalizing the drug.

Sun-Sentinel, 18 Apr 2013 - Vote in 2014 on Recreational Use? WASHINGTON - Alaska voters likely will get a chance next year to make their state the third in the country to approve the recreational use of marijuana by adults 21and older.

Metro Times, 17 Apr 2013 - History is punctuated by 'will of the people' and 'right makes might' moments; are supporters of legalizing pot ready for theirs? "Reform the draconian marijuana laws" has been a rallying cry of this newspaper since its inception, with groves felled and gallons of ink spent outlining a folly - at a plant with medicinal, psychosocial and economic benefits.

Seattle Times, 17 Apr 2013 - WASHINGTON - Alaska voters likely will get a chance next year to make their state the third in the country to approve the recreational use of marijuana by adults 21 and older. Pot backers Tuesday took the first step toward getting the measure on the August 2014 primary ballot, presenting draft language and 100 signatures to the Alaska lieutenant governor's office.

Washington Times, 15 Apr 2013 - U.S. House Bill Would End Conflicts With Federal Laws A U.S. House lawmaker has introduced a bill to end the conflict between the federal government and the states over legalized pot, five months after Colorado and Washington voters approved the first statewide ballot measures decriminalizing marijuana use for adults.

Philadelphia Daily News, 11 Apr 2013 - Should Philly Issue More Summonses Instead of Making Weed Arrests? ANTHONY GARNER knows that marijuana is illegal in Philadelphia. He just figured that the police focus on drug kingpins and corner dealers these days. They wouldn't waste their time on him.

Philadelphia Daily News, 11 Apr 2013 - LAST WEEK was the tipping point: For the first time in more than four decades of polling, a majority of Americans say that marijuana should be legalized, the Pew Research Center announced. It's a slim majority - 52 percent to 45 percent - but the trend is undeniable. Smoking pot will not be a crime forever in America, where someone is arrested for marijuana possession every 42 seconds, on average.

Commercial Appeal, 08 Apr 2013 - WASHINGTON - As one of the nation's top marijuana lobbyists, Allen St. Pierre has come to believe in his product, which is why he tries to smoke high-potency, one-toke weed every night. It's an experience that St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, commonly known as NORML, hopes more Americans will soon have, with no fear of prosecution.

The New Mexican, 06 Apr 2013 - WASHINGTON - As one of the nation's top marijuana lobbyists, Allen St. Pierre has come to believe in his product, which is why he tries to smoke high-potency, one-toke weed every night if possible. It's an experience that St. Pierre, the executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, commonly known as NORML, hopes more Americans will soon enjoy, with no fear of prosecution. After working for marijuana legalization for 23 years, St. Pierre said he pinches himself every day as he watches events unfold across the United States. Since 1996, 18 states have approved marijuana for use as medicine.

[image:1 align:left]An Oregon bill that would legalize marijuana was approved by the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday on a 6-3 vote after hearing testimony that same day. That marks the first time any Oregon marijuana legalization measure has won a committee vote. The bill now heads to the House Revenue Committee.

The bill, House Bill 3371, would legalize marijuana possession for adults 21 and over, provide for the cultivation of a small number of plants without regulation, and set up a system of taxation and regulation of marijuana commerce. It was sponsored by the Revenue Committee.

"Marijuana legalization is coming to Oregon sooner rather than later," said Anthony Johnson of New Approach Oregon, a group supporting legalization. "It makes sense to regulate marijuana like alcohol and for the legislature to take the lead on the issue and make sure sensible regulations are in place."

The only opposition to the bill at the Wednesday hearing came from the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association, which said it was concerned about drugged driving, underage use, and drug dependency.

"This act will not make the problems of marijuana abuse go away," said Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett, speaking on behalf of the association.

Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize marijuana in 1973. Last, the Measure 80 marijuana legalization initiative, poorly funded and hobbled by the mixed reputation of its proponent, Paul Stanford, managed to pull in nearly 47% of the popular vote. Activists have been discussing whether to go forward with another initiative in 2014, but if HB 3371 keeps moving, they may not have to wait that long.

Washington Post, 05 Apr 2013 - Some say that the Republican Party needs to find new issues to champion if it hopes to become America's majority party. There is something to this. But being a conservative party, the GOP should also look to the past, where wisdom often resides. In that spirit, Republicans once again should take a strong stand against drug use and legalization. Virtually no lawmaker in either party is doing so.

Washington Post, 05 Apr 2013 - Same-Sex Marriage Offers a Good Template for a Second Hot-Button Social Issue The recent finding, in a Washington Post-ABC News poll, that support for same-sex marriage has reached a remarkable 58 percent of Americans should make the Obama administration think hard. Not about same-sex marriage but about marijuana.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]The International Drug Policy Reform Conference is a biennial event that brings together people from around the world who believe that the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. It brings together over 1,000 attendees representing 30 different countries.

StoptheDrugWar.org is a partner in this year's conference, which will take place October 23-26 in Denver, Colorado, as officials craft the state's implementation plan for legal marijuana under Amendment 64. Attendees will have the opportunity to spend three days interacting with people committed to finding alternatives to the war on drugs -- marijuana legalization and many other issues in drug policy -- while participating in sessions given by leading experts from around the world.

Here are what some attendees had to say about the 2011 conference:

• "The International Drug Reform Conference was, by far, one of the most eye opening experiences of my life... It felt as if I were at the epicenter of the most conscious people on the planet."
• "Every workshop that I attended had excellent presenters and panelists. I was extremely pleased to once again attend the 2011 Reform Conference. It was more diverse than ever and very inclusive of issues that I support. See you in Denver!"
• "The Drug Policy Alliance conference is an educational opportunity that every responsible individual should experience -- regardless of your position on the issues."
• "Every two years I look forward to the International Drug Policy Reform Conference, where I know I'll get a chance to hear from, and speak with some of the brightest minds in the drug policy reform movement."
• "If you think the drug war has failed our country and harmed countries like Mexico and you want to do something about it, this is the conference to be at."

Visit http://www.reformconference.org for further information.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 04 Apr 2013 - The state House on Wednesday discarded a bill that would have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana after House leaders concluded they lacked the votes to advance the legislation. The bill would have made the possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana - less than an ounce - a civil penalty that would have drawn a $100 fine.

Dayton Daily News, 04 Apr 2013 - Ohioans Also Favor Weekend Voting, Right to Refuse Unions. We should be able to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, refuse union membership regardless of our workplace and cast our ballot on a weekend before an election.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado When Colorado voters last November gave the thumbs up to marijuana legalization, the celebrations came quickly, with overjoyed pot smokers triumphantly lighting up, even though the pot laws had yet to officially change. Indeed, in following the will of the voters, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) within weeks announced that marijuana was no longer illegal in Colorado.

But that was only the beginning. Amendment 64, the marijuana legalization initiative approved by the voters, didn't just legalize marijuana -- it also called on the state to come up with a regulatory regime for legal marijuana commerce. That process is now well underway, with the state legislature currently considering implementation legislation.

The legislature is working on a framework crafted by a Hickenlooper-appointed Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force, which in mid-March released its Final Report with 58 discrete recommendations for the legislature to consider. The highlights included:

• The adult-use marijuana industry should be required to have common ownership from seed to sale. This vertical integration regulatory model means that cultivation, processing and manufacturing, and retail sales must be under common ownership.
• During the first year of licensing, only entities with valid medical marijuana licenses should be able to obtain licenses to grow, process and sell adult-use cannabis.
• A new Marijuana Enforcement Division in the Department of Revenue would be funded by General Fund revenue for the next five years and would provide the necessary regulatory oversight of all marijuana industries in Colorado.
• Refer a ballot initiative to voters this November for a 15% excise tax, with the first $40 million of excise tax proceeds going to the state’s school construction fund as outlined in Amendment 64, and a "marijuana sales tax" to create funding sources to cover the costs of regulating the industry, implementing consumer safeguards and establishing youth prevention and treatment programs.
• Only Colorado residents should be allowed to hold licenses to grow, process and sell adult-use cannabis. But sales to both residents and visitors to the state should be permitted, with stricter quantity limits for visitors.
• All types of marijuana sold from adult use cannabis retail facilities should be in child-proof packaging and have warning labels that detail tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency and list all pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and solvents used in cultivation or processing.

Other recommendations included not allowing pot smoking in bars or other facilities impacted by the state's anti-smoking laws, barring "open containers" of marijuana in vehicles, and requiring people with children at home to keep their marijuana gardens secure.

"This is a very comprehensive report, developed in a rapid timeframe, that lays the groundwork for the establishment of a robust regulatory framework, with adequate funding for marijuana industry oversight and enforcement, consumer protection and prevention and treatment programs for young people," said Task Force co-chair and governor's legal counsel Jack Finlaw. "The Task Force recommendations will now need to be perfected through the legislative process and rulemakings by various state agencies."

While there is some quibbling over the various recommendations and some concerns about what the legislature might do, Amendment 64 proponent (and now Marijuana Policy Project communications director) Mason Tvert said things were going pretty much as expected.

"The goal is to establish regulated retail stores that provide marijuana to adults, and we are steadily moving toward that," he said. "There are obviously lots of details to be worked out, and lots of different opinions on those details, but overall, we're moving in the direction of accomplishing our goal. There is debate over vertical integration, whether sales should be restricted to non-residents, the levels of sales tax -- these are all important issues, but overall things are going well, and we're well on our way to having a system of regulated marijuana cultivation and sales in Colorado."

Now, the Task Force recommendations are before a joint legislative committee charged with turning them into regulatory legislation. The committee had hoped to be done by the end of March, but progress has been slow, and the new deadline date is next week. If the committee meets that deadline, that will give the legislature as a whole exactly one month to craft and pass enabling legislation before the session ends.

The politicians are doing what they are supposed to do, said Tvert. There have been no real attempts to sabotage the will of the voters, and legislators are trying with good faith to implement Amendment 64.

"Generally, elected officials have been responsive," he said. "There have been some proposals for restrictions, but overall, they are moving forward to pass this. There is really nothing else they can do. For most Coloradans, this is going exactly as planned. For people in the industry, for advocates, for elected officials, there are lots of details being debated and it can feel like there's a lot of drama, but overall, everything's happening as it's supposed to."

The clock is ticking in Colorado. The voters have already voted to legalize marijuana. Either the legislature passes regulations to implement it -- and quite possibly puts anticipated taxes on the ballot, as required by state law for any new taxes -- and Colorado has legal, taxed and regulated marijuana commerce, or it simply has legal marijuana possession with no taxes and no regulations. The threat of the latter should be enough to ensure the success of the former.

News Herald, 01 Apr 2013 - Proponents Promise To Try Again Next Year TALLAHASSEE - Keep those pot plants hidden - at least for another year. A bill to legalize medical marijuana in the Legislature is all but dead, as Florida's 2013 legislative session approaches its halfway point and neither the House nor the Senate has given the bill a hearing.

Washington Post, 28 Mar 2013 - Security cameras have been installed, scales calibrated and signs declaring "no returns" hung on the walls at Capital City Care. There's just one thing missing before the District's first medical marijuana dispensary can open its doors: the marijuana itself. TOP: David Guard is general manager and co-founder of Capital City Care, which is set to open next month as the first licensed medical marijuana dispensary in the District. "It's very high-grade, very pure, very potent marijuana," said David Guard, cofounder and general manager. "But first, everything has to be triple-checked. We have a high level of security and an inordinate number of cameras."

Bangor Daily News, 28 Mar 2013 - Robert Long, Bangor Daily News Maine | Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 4:20 pm AUGUSTA - A bill to legalize recreational use of marijuana and regulate it like alcohol in Maine has garnered 35 co-sponsors and now heads to a legislative committee hearing. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland, would make major changes in Maine's drug law, ranging from making possession of up to 2.5 ounces of pot legal to imposing a tax of $50 per ounce. It was referred to the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.

The Atlantic Monthly, 27 Mar 2013 - Last November, with voters in Colorado and Washington state leading the way, ballot initiatives legalizing, taxing, and regulating recreational marijuana use passed for the first time ever. In Colorado, legalization actually outperformed President Obama. An Oregon effort would almost certainly have prevailed, too, if proponents there hadn't overreached with toxic legislative language that scared off donors and earned ridicule from local media. Now marijuana reform is popping up in state legislatures across the country. Once the pet project of a few fringe figures, it has attracted a new generation of politicians from both parties with credible national aspirations. Democrats like New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker are staking out liberal stances on drug policy. Even some Republicans see an opportunity to capitalize on a constituency that shocked the pundit class with its financial and grassroots muscle -- not to mention sophisticated campaign tactics -- just a few months ago.