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Federal Patient Wants To Save Medical Marijuana In Montana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 7, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Federal medical marijuana patient Irvin Rosenfeld holds a tin of 300 joints, which he gets every 25 days from the government.

Irvin Rosenfeld, the longest survivor of the four remaining federal medical marijuana patients in the United States, plans to visit Montana to speak before the Legislature next week. Rosenfeld will be there to educate people on the importance of medical cannabis and its true value as a medicine.

As a federal medical marijuana patient for more than 28 years, Rosenfeld has knowledge and experience to share with others. According to Irv, cannabis is a medicine like any other, and should be treated that way.

As senior vice president of investments for Newbridge Securities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he also understands the economic aspect and how medical marijuana creates jobs for thousands of Montanans.

“Montana is being watched nationally, and what happens in this legislative session could set precedence around the world,” said Rosenfeld, who serves as a director for the advocacy group Patients Out of Time.

Illinois: Medical Marijuana Bill Falls Short By 4 Votes

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 6, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Rose Law Group

The Illinois House on Thursday afternoon narrowly voted down the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. The bill fell just four votes short of the 60 needed to become law.

Sponsor Lou Lang (D-Skokie) pledged to continue working for medical marijuana in Illinois, reports Hannah Hess at STLtoday.

“What we have to do now is wait for the new session to start, introduce a new piece of legislation and start over,” Lang said after the bill was defeated.

The medical marijuana bill — SB 1381 — would have allowed people suffering from chronic pain or nausea caused by certain debilitating conditions including cancer and AIDS to use cannabis medicinally with authorization from their doctor.

Group Sues To Dump Parts Of Colorado’s Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 6, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project

A medical marijuana advocacy group in Colorado has filed a lawsuit to overturn parts of that state’s medical marijuana law dealing with patient privacy, safe access, Department of Revenue regulation, and physician recommendations.

Kathleen Chippi and the Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project want to scrap parts of House Bill 1284 and Senate Bill 109. The suit was filed by Wednesday with the state Supreme Court, in an attempt to fast-track the process and bypass lower appellate courts.

“This petition was necessary to stop the state’s blatant attack on fundamental constitutional patient and caregiver rights,” Chippi said. “Coloradans need immediate clarification on rights they enjoyed from 2000 through 2009, and why some of those rights were extinguished by the state Legislature in 2010.”

“Medical marijuana patients are sick of being treated like second-class citizens,” Chippi said.

Illinois House Reportedly Ready To Legalize Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 6, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: The Fresh Scent

”As of this moment I have enough committed votes to pass the bill”

~ Rep. Lou Lang

The Illinois House may vote on a bill to legalize medical marijuana on Thursday, January 6, the sponsor, Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), said this morning.

“As of this moment I have enough committed votes to pass the bill if, number one, everyone’s here, and number two, everyone told me the truth,” Lang said, reports Hannah Hess at STLtoday.

The bill would allow people receiving treatment for cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses to use marijuana for pain and nausea, with a doctor’s authorization and state certification.

Washington Bill Would Allow Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 5, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation

Graphic: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Directory

Dispensaries already exist in at least King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, but if a new bill passes the Washington Legislature in 2011, they could operate statewide

State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles will introduce a bill in the Legislature this week which would permit medical marijuana dispensaries to open across Washington state.

Washington’s medical marijuana law doesn’t specifically allow dispensaries, reports Dominic Holden at The Stranger, but the shops are already proliferating in some areas, existing in a legal gray area that is yet to be sorted out.

Existing dispensaries — concentrated in the Seattle and Tacoma areas — often avoid drawing attention by inconspicuously setting up shop in industrial areas and office buildings (although I’ve personally been to more than one storefront dispensary in King County). If Kohl-Welles’s bill passes, though, the state Department of health would permit the shops to operate statewide as nonprofit corporations, likely resulting in more open advertising and more visibility.

Pennsylvania Lawmaker Wants To Double Marijuana Penalties

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 31, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: Lash & Associates Publishing

A Pennsylvania legislator intends to introduce a bill which would double penalties for first-time marijuana possession in the Keystone State.

Rep. Dick Hess, a Republican, wants to double penalties for first-time possession convictions for all Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, reports Derek Rosenzweig at Philly NORML. Marijuana is classed as a Schedule I drug, so the penalty for first-time pot possession would at one fell swoop go up from one year in jail and a $5,000 fine to two years and $10,000. For subsequent convictions it rises to three years and $25,000.

This backwards bill would also increase penalties for possession, distribution and manufacturing of “drug paraphernalia,” whatever the hell that is, to two years and $5,000 for the first offense. A second offense brings three years and $10,000 in fines.

Washington To Ban Synthetic Marijuana In January

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 30, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: The Daily News Online

Black Mamba, a brand of synthetic marijuana, burns in a glass pipe. The vial the “incense” came in is in the foreground.

Washington’s state Board of Pharmacy announced on Thursday that it plans to place an “emergency ban” on synthetic marijuana products.

What is popularly known as “synthetic marijuana” is sold as “incense” under product names such as K2, Spice and Black Mamba. The chemicals sprayed on herbal blends are synthetic analogues of marijuana’s main active ingredient, THC.

Users typically smoke the “incense” in ways similar to using cannabis, the board said.

The blends offer, at best, a weak simulation of the marijuana high. Users report that no “munchies” accompany the trifling high, which only lasts about 30 minutes. Combining alcohol with “synthetic marijuana,” unlike real pot, can result in a splitting headache.

Pot Possession’s Like A Parking Ticket Starting Jan. 1 In Cali

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 30, 2010 Legislation, News

Graphic: Massachusetts Marijuana Movement Journal

Starting this Saturday, January 1, 2011, possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in California will be a less serious offense, similar to a parking ticket. The fine cannot be more than $100, considerably less than most speeding tickets or running a red light.

Despite the failure of legalization initiative Proposition 19, Californians just aren’t that into punishing people for pot. Their relaxed attitudes about weed are reflected in the new state law, which downgrades possession of up to an ounce from a misdemeanor crime punishable with a $100 fine to an infraction, with the fine staying the same, reports Heidi Ross at Internetbits.

The bill, SB 1449, was introduced this year by state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). Sen. Leno said the state could no longer afford to go after people who had committed a crime that carries the same punishment as a parking ticket.

What’s Behind Washington’s Attempt To Tax Medical Marijuana?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 29, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Cannabis Defense Coalition

Records Released In Cannabis Tax Flap

What inspired Washington state’s recent efforts to collect sales tax on medical marijuana sales at dispensaries — despite the fact that such sales are illegal, according to the state and federal governments? A marijuana activist group has received documents which may provide the answer.

The Washington State Department of Revenue mailed letters to 90 dispensaries two weeks ago, insisting that medical marijuana is not exempt from state sales tax — as are other medicines — and telling dispensaries they must collect that money and turn it over to the state.

But as noted by the Department of Revenue itself, “Current Washington State statutes (and Federal law) do not allow a prescription for marijuana because it is a Schedule I controlled substance. Even though Washington has a specific ‘medical’ marijuana chapter in statute, the prescription statutes and case law do not acknowledge that any valid medical purpose exists for marijuana.”

“Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance which cannot be prescribed under either federal or state law in Washington,” the document notes. “Since marijuana cannot be prescribed, retail sales tax applies to purchases of marijuana and must be collected/remitted by the seller.”

80-Year-Old Republican Leads Fight To Decrim Pot In Virginia

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 28, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: Hampden-Sydney College

Delegate Harvey Morgan: “Making simple possession a civil rather than a criminal offense makes sense”

Virginia lawmakers will have a chance to end criminal penalties for simple marijuana possession when the Assembly convenes in January — and the fight to decriminalize pot is being led by an 80-year-old Republican.

GOP Delegate Harvey Morgan, an assistant clinical professor of pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University, is sponsoring House Bill 1443, which would replace the criminal fine for pot possession with a civil penalty and eliminate the 30-day jail sentence and criminal record following conviction.

HB 1443 would not change penalties for the “manufacture” or distribution of marijuana, reports Eric W. Dolan at The Raw Story. It would also continue to require drug screening and education for minors convicted of pot possession.

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