By Steve Elliott in
Legislation, News
Wednesday, Mar. 10 2010 @ 1:11PM
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| Graphic: Mother Jones |
House Bill 1653, which would reduce the penalty for possessing one-quarter ounce or less of cannabis, passed by an overwhelming 214-137 vote. That's almost 61 percent of the House voting in favor of decrim.
Previously, the bill had been recommended "out to pass" in a 16-2 vote by the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on February 11.
"This makes three years in a row that the House has passed a bill attempting to reform New Hampshire's archaic marijuana policies," said Matt Simon, executive director for the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy.
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By Steve Elliott in
Legislation, Medical
Wednesday, Mar. 10 2010 @ 11:18AM
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| Graphic: ABC News |
The Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health is currently considering a bill that would make Massachusetts the 15th state in the nation to give seriously ill patients safe and legal access to medical marijuana.
Last September, Suffolk University released poll results showing that 81 percent of Massachusetts residents support allowing "seriously ill patients to use, grow, and purchase marijuana for medical purposes if they have the approval of their physicians."
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 3:47PM
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| Photo: Grateful Meds |
The Senate Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill which would establish up to five "compassion centers" at which patients could buy medical pot, reports Peter Hirschfield of the Vermont Press Bureau.
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 2:52PM
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| Graphic: ficiency.com |
The U.N.'s International Narcotics Control Board's (INCB) attempts to meddle in marijuana reform in the United States were denounced by the Marijuana Policy Project on Thursday.
The INCB, which is currently meeting in Vienna, Austria, said in a recent report that they were "deeply concerned" that the 14 U.S. states that have medical marijuana laws are sending the "wrong message to other countries."
And here you were thinking that American states got to decide for themselves what "messages" to send! Silly you, they're supposed to get the permission of the United Nations, first!
"The last thing the INCB should be doing is meddling in our states' affairs," said Aaron Houston, MPP director of government relations.
By Steve Elliott in
Dispensaries, Legislation
Tuesday, Mar. 9 2010 @ 2:17PM
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| Graphic: MMPI |
The Maine Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill on Thursday, March 11 at 1 p.m., in room 209 in the Cross Building. Any resident of Maine is allowed to testify.
Monday, Mar. 8 2010 @ 2:47PM
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| Photo: DEA |
A group emailed the request to Holder on Monday, following up on a letter sent last week, according to the Associated Press.
According to the lawmakers, the raids are discouraging dispensary operators and medical marijuana patients and growers from working with the Colorado Legislature on proposed regulations.
The letter was sent by Sens. Chris Romer and Nancy Spence, and Reps. Tom Massey and Beth McCann.
A suburban Denver man has been charged with marijuana possession in federal court after DEA agents raided his home and found 224 pot plants.
The raid took place only hours after segments aired of a television interview with Chris Bartkowicz, in which he boasts of his $500,000 basement grow operation, his $637,000 home and his expected $400,000 profits this year.
By Steve Elliott in
Legislation, News
Monday, Mar. 8 2010 @ 9:34AM
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| Photo: Tobias Elgen |
| The ferry Wenatchee enroute to Bainbridge Island, Washington (background), where your pockets are considered pot paraphernalia |
Because there's no local statute for misdemeanor level marijuana possession -- under 40 grams -- if you get arrested on Bainbridge Island, in Washington's Puget Sound, you aren't prosecuted under any law dealing with pot, reports Josh Farley at the Kitsap Sun.
But that won't keep you from being busted.
"We can arrest someone for having drug paraphernalia," said Scott Weiss, an island officer. "But not for marijuana."
Turns out "paraphernalia" can be defined pretty loosely, to say the least.
"Even if they have marijuana in their pocket, then the pocket becomes the paraphernalia," Kitsap County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Claire Bradley said.
By Steve Elliott in
Legislation, Medical
Friday, Mar. 5 2010 @ 10:59AM
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| Graphic: A Greener Country |
Under Senate Bill 5798, it won't be just doctors who can get sick people access to pot, reports Mark Rahner at The Seattle Times.
The bill widens the list of licensed medical professionals who can recommend marijuana to include physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners and naturopathic physicians, according to one of its sponsors, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle).
"The reason is that, especially in rural areas of the state and away from Puget Sound, because of long distances, many people do not see M.D.'s," Kohl-Welles said. "They see nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants who have prescriptive authority."
Thursday, Mar. 4 2010 @ 3:15PM
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| Photo: Loretta Nall |
| Loretta Nall: "We plan to keep fighting" |
But one determined group of Southerners there exemplifies the rebel stubbornness for which the state is famous -- by refusing to give up their fight for the safe, legal, medicinal use of cannabis.
The brave efforts of Alabamians for Compassionate Care (ACC), ably led by legendary libertarian and former gubernatorial candidate Loretta Nall, have arguably made the state a good bet to be the first former member of the Confederacy to get a medical marijuana law.
For the past several years in a row, ACC has, against all odds, gotten a bill onto the floor of the Alabama Legislature, and 2010 is no exception. House Bill 642, the Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act is expected to come before the House Judiciary Committee later this month.
Toke of the Town got a chance to chat with Nall about the state of medical marijuana in Alabama.
Wednesday, Mar. 3 2010 @ 8:56AM
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| Photo: Cannabis Culture |
The bill to allow the sale and taxation of medical marijuana, Senate Bill 2213, was passed by lawmakers as they try to add up enough money to stop the state's projected $1.2 billion budget shortfall, reports Richard Borreca at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
The marijuana bill, after provoking debate on the Senate floor, eventually passed 20-4.
"I don't think this is helping to alleviate the drug problem," said Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D-Salt Lake/Foster Village), who had evidently wandered into the wrong debate.
Windward Oahu Republican Sen. Fed Hemmings said the FDA should test medical marijuana before people sell it.
