Colorado Congressman: Feds Should Butt Out Of Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2011 Legislation, News

Congressman Jared Polis: “I don’t see a federal role. Just as the policy of prohibition failed nationally with alcohol — it’s now up to states and counties — I think we should do the same with marijuana”

Colorado Democratic Rep. Jared Polis said on Wednesday that the federal government should not be in the business of regulating marijuana use by Americans.

“I don’t see a federal role,” Congressman Polis said in a “Washington Unplugged” interview, reports Brian Montopoli at CBS News. “I don’t think that the federal side should be coming in and second guessing what states are doing.”

Polis represents a state — Colorado — that allows medical marijuana use. There is also a push in the Rocky Mountain State for full legalization.

“Just as the policy of prohibition failed nationally with alcohol — it’s now up to states and counties — I think we should do the same with marijuana,” Polis said.

Colorado’s medical marijuana regulatory structure has been a model for other states, according to Polis, who pointed to the monitoring of production and dispensaries as well as background checks.

Border Patrol Agent Arrested On Marijuana Charges

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2011 News

Photo: Hemp Beach TV

A U.S. Border Patrol agent in western Arizona was arrested after “bundles” of marijuana were allegedly found in his patrol vehicle, authorities said on Tuesday.

The Border Patrol’s Yuma sector said the agent, whose name wasn’t released, was arrested after two colleagues found he had numerous packages of cannabis stashed inside a marked Border Patrol truck after encountering the suspect while patrolling on Monday, according to Reuters.

Ballsy Robbers Steal Pot-Growing Trailer From Cannabis Cup

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2011 Growing, News, Products

Photo: William Breathes/Westword

Robbers drove the 28-foot Growbot trailer away in full view of security guards.

A big pot-growing trailer known as the “GrowBot” was stolen from a medical marijuana trade show in Denver over the weekend, and the owner on Tuesday offered a $5,000 reward for its return.

Greg Childre, who builds custom grow trailers for a variety of crops at his manufacturing plant in Georgia, said the trailer was stolen from the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Denver late Sunday night, according to Reuters.

In a fucked-up but ballsy move, the 28-foot GrowBot trailer was just driven out of the trade show parking lot — according to Childre, in full view of security guards.

CA Med Marijuana Employment Rights Approved By Committee

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Steve Rhodes/flickr

State Senator Mark Leno: “When Californians approved the compassionate use of cannabis, they never intended for it to apply only to unemployed people”

The State Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-2 on Tuesday, approving a bill that would protect California’s medical marijuana patients from discrimination at the workplace.

Senate Bill 129 was introduced by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) in January as an attempt to clarify the legislative intent of the state’s Medical Marijuana Program Act. While clearly establishing a medical marijuana patient’s right to work, SB 129 continues to prohibit on-the-job impairment.

The bill now moves to the Senate floor for an as-of-yet unscheduled vote.

Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty For Robbing Marijuana Dealer

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2011 News

Photo: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia police officers Christopher Luciano, left, and Sean Alivera, right, were involved in the robbery of an undercover officer posing as a marijuana dealer

One of two former Philadelphia police officers arrested in October in an undercover sting admitted Tuesday to helping drug dealers rob a purported marijuana courier.

Christopher Luciano, 23, pleaded guilty to all counts on which he was charged: robbery, conspiracy, kidnapping, official oppression and possession of a drug with intent to deliver, reports Joseph A. Slobodzian at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian H. Ransom set sentencing for June 7. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Diviny said Luciano faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and could be sentenced to as much as 67 years.

Medical Marijuana Repeal Headed To Montana Governor’s Desk

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: KXLF

Jackson, caregiver and owner of Green Rx, said he was surprised the Legislature would vote to repeal a voter-passed initiative.

A bill to repeal Montana’s medical marijuana law — and thus thwart the will of an overwhelming 62 percent of voters who approved it in 2004 — has passed both the House and Senate and is now heading to the governor’s desk.

Members of Montana’s medical marijuana community are still asking themselves what happened, pinning their hopes on a veto from Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

It’s surprising that the Legislature would vote to repeal such a popular voter-passed initiative, according to Jim Gingery, executive director of the Montana Medical Growers Association, reports Dan Boyce of KXLF.

“Particularly, one that was supposed to be increasing jobs and helping the economy instead of taking jobs away and hurting patients,” Gingery said.

Worth Repeating: What Does ‘May Recommend’ Mean?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 4, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Triple5Light

Welcome to Room 420, where your instructor is Mr. Ron Marczyk and your subjects are wellness, disease prevention, self actualization, and chillin’.

Worth Repeating

By Ron Marczyk, R.N.

Health Education Teacher (Retired)

National Cancer Institute “Unexplains” Possible Cancer Cure To Nation

So, let me get this straight: We, the cancer patients in the U.S., “misinterpreted” the NCI website information on cannabis? It’s our error? We screwed up? We got it totally wrong? It’s our fault due to our poor reading skills?

We misunderstood the term physicians “may recommend” cannabis to their patients. How stupid of us!

Marijuana Legalization Bill Dies In Washington Legislature

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 4, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: 420List.org

A bill that would have legalized marijuana in Washington state — supported by every state legislator from Seattle, as well as the city’s mayor, city attorney and several City Council members — is officially dead in Olympia, the state capitol.

House Bill 1550 didn’t even advance out of the relevant committees by Friday evening, a key cutoff date for the 2011 Legislature, reports Chris Grygiel at the Seattle P.I.

Sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle), the measure would legalize marijuana, have its sale regulated by the state Liquor Control Board, and impose a tax of 15 percent on cannabis.

Vermont Considers Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 4, 2011 Dispensaries, News

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Directory

The Vermont Legislature is expected this week to consider a bill that would legalize medical marijuana dispensaries in the state.

Cannabis has been legal for medicinal purposes in Vermont since 2004, for those with qualifying illnesses, including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis and who sign up for the state’s registry. The law allows patients to grow their own marijuana, but advocates say many of the seriously ill individuals find that a daunting task, leaving them with the prospect of buying black market pot on the street.

The state’s medical marijuana registry specifies, “The Marijuana Registry is neither a source for marijuana nor can the Registry provide information to patients on how to obtain marijuana,” reports Terri Hallenbeck at the Burlington Free Press.

The answer, according to advocates, is to legalize a small number of medical marijuana dispensaries, nonprofit businesses that would grow cannabis and sell it to patients on the registry.

Yearly Archives: 2011