Legislation

Colorado Pot Dispensary Bill Likely To Become Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 5, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

The name of Denver dispensary Patients Choice serves as an ironic reminder that patients had little input on the bill approved on a voice vote Wednesday by the Colorado Senate.

The Colorado Senate Wednesday passed HB 1284, a medical marijuana dispensary regulation bill almost universally opposed in the patient community.

According to the bill’s main sponsor, Senator Chris Romer (D-Denver), the legislation will eliminate from 50 percent to 80 percent of the 1,100 dispensaries now in Colorado.

Dispensaries and producers of cannabis edibles will have to apply for state licenses if the bill becomes law, as appears likely. After July 2011, these providers must follow new state regulations in order to continue operating.

Local governments will be allowed to ban dispensaries. This damaging provision will make safe access to medicine difficult for innumerable patients across the state, according to Sensible Colorado. However, Sensible said its legal team is already planning local campaigns and lawsuits to overturn bans.

That provision caused heated debate Wednesday, with opponents calling it both unwise and unconstitutional. Sen. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) said the provision could be overturned in court, throwing all the regulations into jeopardy.

“We have no statutory authority to carve out new exceptions to what is a constitutionally granted right,” Carroll said, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

Berkeley May Look To Pot Shops To Solve Budget Woes

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 4, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Photo: The Berkeley Clinic

Berkeley is the latest California city facing a budget deficit to cast an acquisitive eye at the healthy revenue stream flowing through medical marijuana dispensaries.

The Berkeley City Council will Tuesday night consider putting a measure on the November ballot to increase the business license tax on its three officially sanctioned marijuana dispensaries. The pot shops currently pay $1.20 per $1,000 of gross receipts, which nets the city about $22,000 a year, reports Frances Dinkelspiel at Berkeleyside.

Pot Legalization Advocates Have Cash; Opponents Don’t

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 4, 2010 Legislation, News

Graphic: Tax Cannabis 2010

The pro-pot forces have money for California’s upcoming legalization battle, while the anti-weed contingent has little good news to report.

The November ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana for adult personal use in the Golden State got more than $200,000 in campaign contributions between January 1 and March 31, according to newly published electronic finance records.

Meanwhile, all the groups opposing legalization — like the Committee Against the Legalization of Marijuana — didn’t electronically file their contributions by the April 15 deadline, meaning they raised less than $50,000, the minimum amount that requires mandatory e-filing.

This could be good news for reformers, reports David Downs at East Bay Express.

Washington D.C. Legalizes Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 4, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Dave’s blog of random shit

Federal medical marijuana patient Irv Rosenfeld smokes a joint in front of the Capitol Building

The D.C. Council on Tuesday approved amendments to a medical marijuana law first passed in 1998 by 69 percent of District voters. Congress had blocked implementation of Initiative 59 for more than a decade, until it lifted its ban last year.

With Tuesday’s vote, the District of Columbia joins the 14 states across the country which already allow qualified patients to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest.

“Today marks a long overdue victory for D.C. voters and potentially thousands of chronically ill residents who will benefit from legal access to medical marijuana,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.

What’s Up With Tightening Medical Marijuana Laws?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 3, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Cannabis Defense Coalition

There’s a disquieting trend lately in the medical marijuana arena. To this close observer of the rhetoric and results surrounding state (and District of Columbia) restrictions on medicinal use of cannabis, every law seems a little tighter than the one before.

It seems it’s become de rigueur for politicians to announce “this would be the strictest medical marijuana law in the nation” every time legislation is introduced, as if the states are in some sort of twisted competition to see who can be the meanest to sick people.

Since when is making safe access to marijuana difficult or impossible for patients something to brag about?

For instance, the new medical marijuana law in New Jersey, and, apparently the one to be voted on this week in D.C., prohibit cannabis cultivation by qualified patients. For many low income patients, this represents the only realistic chance of obtaining quality medicine.

European Court Weighs Dutch Cannabis Ban For Foreigners

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 3, 2010 Global, Legislation

Photo: Rien Zilvold

One Dutch town has banned foreigners from its cannabis-vending coffee shops. Does that violate the principles of the European Union? A court will soon decide.

A Dutch city has banned “foreigners” from its cannabis selling coffee shops. A European court will now decide whether such a ban is legal.

The struggle of Dutch border towns against marijuana tourism hangs in the balance as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gets ready to make a ruling regarding one of the most extreme measures employed in the battle so far, reports Paul van der Steen at NRC Handelsblad.

The ECJ heard arguments Thursday in Josemans v. Maastricht, a case which dates back to 2006 when police found two foreign nationals on the premises of Easy Going, a “coffee shop” of the kind that sells cannabis.

Canada: Tories Want Mandatory Minimums For 5 Pot Plants

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 2, 2010 Global, Growing, Legislation

Photo: Chris Wattie/Reuters

Canada’s Justice Minister Rob Nicholson: “It does cost money to incarcerate people and I believe that Canadians have been willing to pay those costs up to this point and they’ll continue to do so”

Canada’s Tories are trying to revive a bill that would impose mandatory minimum sentences on people convicted of growing small numbers of marijuana plants.

The Conservative government will re-introduce its drug bill this week in the Senate, as part of its continued attempt to revive “tough-on-crime” legislation that died when the last Parliament was prorogued, reports Mike Blanchfield of The Canadian Press.

The new legislation will revive a controversial provision — a mandatory six-month sentence for people convicted of growing as few as five cannabis plants, hinted Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on Sunday.

Sacramento May Tax Medical Marijuana To Fix Budget Gap

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 30, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Graphic: FakeMillions.com

The city of Sacramento, California is considering a tax on medical marijuana dispensaries as it struggles with a massive budget deficit.

Faced with a $43 million shortfall for the coming fiscal year, the tax is being explored as one source of revenue by city officials, reports Ryan Lillis at The Sacramento Bee.

Sacramento would become the second city in California to enact a special tax on dispensaries. Oakland voters passed a similar measure last July. San Jose and Berkeley city officials are also taking a look at the issue for their cash-starved budgets.

D.C. Council To Vote On Medical Marijuana Law Next Week

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 30, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Koehler Law

As the D.C. Council prepares to approve and enact amendments to a medical marijuana law first passed in 1998 by 69 percent of District of Columbia voters, advocates for sensible and compassionate medical cannabis programs remain concerned with several components of the current proposal.

“In crafting this legislation, the Council has been responsive to many concerns raised by the community, so we thank and congratulate them for their work thus far,” said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). “Still, a few amendments are needed in order to create a medical marijuana program that reflects the will of District voters.”

UK: Liberal Democrats Plan To Legalize Cannabis

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 29, 2010 Global, Legislation

Photo: CanIdoit.org

Don’t ask me why they do it, but Brits traditionally mix their cannabis with tobacco. Hey: If they legalize before the U.S., maybe we could learn from them.

Dutch-style cannabis cafes would be permitted in the United Kingdom under “secret” Liberal Democrat plans, reports James Slack at the Daily Mail.

A “leaked policy document” reportedly calls for the decriminalization of marijuana. The paper also suggests allowing possession of cannabis, “social supply” to adults and cultivation of the plants for personal use.

The document follows an internal party vote that commits the Liberal Democrats to making it “no longer a crime for the occupier or manager of premises to permit someone to use cannabis on those premises.”

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