Yearly Archives: 2011

Unemployment Pay Awarded To Fired Medical Marijuana Patient

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 12, 2011 Medical, News

A medical marijuana patient in Colorado has been rewarded unemployment benefits after being fired from his job for positive drug test results.

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in Sosa v. Industrial Claim Appeals Office that the evidence presented by an employer at a claims hearing fell short of proving a sufficient basis for the denial of unemployment benefits to the man, who tested positive in the employer’s drug screen, according to Lexology.

A registered medical marijuana patient was required to undergo urinalysis when his supervisor claimed the employee exhibited “behavior suggesting he might be under the influence of drugs.”

When asked to undergo testing, he responded that he would likely test positive, as he was a medical marijuana patient and had recently consumed marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Seattle May License Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, News

Photo: Steve Elliott

Safe access is in danger for medical marijuana patients in Seattle and across the state of Washington since Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed most of a bill that would have legalized dispensaries in the state. But now, the Seattle City Council is attempting to license and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in the state’s largest city.

After Gov. Gregoire’s veto — which she claimed was due to her concern that state workers would be arrested and federally prosecuted for administering the dispensary program, although that’s never happened in any medical marijuana state — patients across Washington are worried.

Video of the Day: Ethan Nadelmann on Real Time with Bill Maher

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 Culture, News

Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, discusses the failed War On Drugs and the prospect of marijuana legalization in this one-on-one interview on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

White House Slams Marijuana Legalization In New Report

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 News

Photo: LEAP

Neill Franklin, LEAP: “I cannot understand why they’re dumping more money into arrests, punishment and prisons that the Bush administration ever did”

“Who ever heard of curing a health problem with handcuffs?”

~ Neill Franklin, LEAP

On Monday the Obama Administration released its new National Drug Control Strategy for 2011 and, instead of coming through with its much-touted “shift” in drug control resources toward prevention and away from punishment, the document spends several pages disparaging the idea of legalizing and regulating substances like marijuana.

“It’s sad that the drug czar decided to insert a multi-page rant against legalizing and regulating drugs into the National Drug Control Strategy instead of actually doing his job and shifting limited resources to combat the public health problem of drug abuse,” said Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) and a former Baltimore narcotics cop.

“Obama administration officials continually talk about the fact that addiction is a medical problem, but when our budgets are so strained I cannot understand why they’re dumping more money into arrests, punishment and prisons than the Bush administration ever did,” Franklin said. “The fact is, once we legalize and regulate drugs, we will not only allow police to focus on stopping violent crime instead of being distracted by arresting drug users, but we will also be able to put the resources that are saved into building treatment and prevention programs that actually work.

Supporters To Hold Miami Beach Marijuana Decrim Rally

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 Legislation, News

Graphic: CSMP

In a small but important success, a marijuana decriminalization measure has qualified for the ballot this fall in Miami Beach, Florida, and supporters have scheduled a rally for Wednesday, July 13, at 4:20 p.m.

“We are working to generate a huge crowd for this historic event,” said campaign organizer Eric Stevens of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (Sensible Florida). “We need to get as many people as possible at the rally.”

“One of our plans is to have planes with banners flying all around Miami Beach to let people know that this is happening,” Stevens said. “Imagine how cool it would be to see a plane flying overhead announcing a marijuana rally at City Hall on Miami Beach as we work to present the voices of thousands of people who signed the petition to change the marijuana laws!”

Federal Medical Marijuana ‘Clarification’ Another Disappointment

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Photo: Roger Goodman for Congress

Roger Goodman: “Sorry, DOJ. Please give it another try.”

Last week’s Department of Justice memo, supposedly meant to “clarify” the DOJ’s position on medical marijuana, doesn’t reflect any real changes in policy from prior administrations.

This latest “clarification” was seemingly needed after a prior “clarification” in 2009 gave many the impression that the DOJ would not prosecute medical marijuana patients and providers in states that had authorized such programs.

That 2009 document, called the “Ogden Memo,” did not actually provide for a hard change in policy, but rather directed U.S. Attorneys to be careful in how they use their limited department resources, suggesting that prosecuting medical marijuana patients is not a good use of government funds.

Federal Medical Marijuana Policy: Living In La-La Land

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: DEA

DEA Director Michelle Leonhart claims marijuana has no medical uses, and that it belongs on Schedule I with heroin.

The U.S. federal government on Friday reiterated the same policy towards medical marijuana it has had for years, claiming the herb has “no accepted medical use” and that it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. The judgment came in response to a 2002 petition by medical marijuana advocates calling on the government to reclassify cannabis, currently a Schedule I drug with heroin, illegal for all uses.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled that marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” has a “high potential for abuse,” and “lacks an acceptable level of safety for use even under medical supervision.”

Robotically mouthing meaningless platitudes, DEA Director Michelle Leonhart, without apparent irony, embarrassingly repeated the same unscientific nonsense that for years now has served as the federal government’s position on medical marijuana.

Getting On The Dream Cream Team: Seattle’s Marijuana Mocha

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 10, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, Products

Photo: Steve Elliott

Dream Cream founder Jim Chaney, left, and BOTH Collective expert budtender Valerie restock the cooler in Capitol Hill, Seattle.

A joint or bowl with a cup of coffee is a daily ritual for many of us. And now, with Seattle being well-known for the quality of both its coffee and cannabis, it’s no surprise that a local entrepreneur has found a delicious and effective way to combine both.

Dream Cream, a medicated iced mocha latte made in pot-friendly Seattle neighborhood Capitol Hill and available in local medical marijuana dispensaries, goes down smooth and leaves a long-lasting medicated glow.

The cannabis-infused beverage comes in both sativa and indica varieties. Sativa is medicated with “White Lady,” an exclusive White Widow hybrid that, according to Dream Cream, “yields excellent ratios of the most uplifting and analgesic cannabinoids,” while the Indica version is infused with “High Planes Drifter,” an exotic Skunk hybrid the company says “promises an enriching experience with sedative inclinations.”

Video of the Day: Buy American Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 8, 2011 Culture, Growing, Products

We all know that a lot of people are harmed by prohibition, but who benefits? Strangely enough, some of the biggest beneficiaries are the bootleggers.
Sure, they take a big risk, but black marketeers don’t have to pay taxes, they’re protected from foreign competition, and they benefit from artificially inflated prices. Talk about protectionism.
What kind of message would an honest American Marijuana Growers Association have for us? “Thank you for your support of marijuana prohibition and buy American pot!” ~ Reason TV

The Marijuana Tipping Point Is Already Here

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 8, 2011 Culture

Graphic: NewsReview.com

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

The writer and social critic, Malcolm Gladwell, defines the ‘Tipping Point’ as the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point; the point at which the buildup of minor changes or incidents reaches a level that triggers a more significant change or makes someone do something they had formerly resisted.

Another way of saying it would be that point in time and space when everything changes and there’s no turning back.

Every day there are more encouraging headlines appearing in newspapers and on the Web from California to Maine supporting medical marijuana legislation suggesting the tide is turning.

Even when the cynics call medical marijuana a joke and claim the real goal of this smokescreen movement is legalization of pot, there are medi-jane supporters with valid and logical arguments to counter-balance any archaic rhetoric with which the anti-pot forces continue to misinform.

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