Legislation

Washington’s Medical Marijuana Law Offers Little Protection To Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 1, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Growing marijuana, as challenging as it can be, is the easy part. Figuring out the state law that allows sick people to use pot is a lot harder for Washington patients.

Since Washington voters passed a law in 1998 legalizing medical marijuana for seriously ill patients with their doctor’s recommendation, patients have been frustrated over how to legally get cannabis while following the rules, reports Diana Hefley at the Everett Herald Net.

Police officers, on the other hand, say they are faced with balancing the rights of medical marijuana patients and their duty to enforce the law, which makes pot illegal for everyone else.

The legal haze was evident in the criminal trial of a medical marijuana patient in Snohomish County, Washington in February.

Rhode Island Panel Expected To Recommend Decriminalizing Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 1, 2010 Legislation, News

Graphic: Reality Catcher

A Rhode Island Senate panel is expected to recommend decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana when it wraps up its 3 1/2-month investigation later this week.

The commission, chaired by state Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Cranston), has been studying the costs of current marijuana policy since November. Rhode Island, facing a budget crisis, tasked the panel to build a dossier on how much it costs to arrest, prosecute, and sometimes jail people for pot, reports Katherine Gregg at The Providence Journal.

L.A. Officials Crack Down On Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 26, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

Photo: Monica Almeida/New York Times

District Attorney Steve Cooley has been promising for months to “get tough” with marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County, and this week, he followed through.

The media-loving, trash-talking D.A. charged dispensary owner Jeff Jones — who, maybe not coincidentally, is also an outspoken medical cannabis advocate — with 24 felonies, including selling and transporting marijuana, as well as money laundering, reports Richard Gonzales of NPR.

Cooley, who infamously said last year that “approximately zero” of L.A.’s dispensaries are operating legally, is now basing what looks to be misguided political ambition upon a quixotic quest to drive the pot shops out of business.

Bail for Joseph was set at more than half a million dollars, an amount usually reserved for violent criminals, according to Joseph’s attorney, Eric Shevin.

“They made an example of him,” Shevin said. “He’s a very outspoken, well-known advocate of marijuana, so he sends a stronger message to the community than the many other dispensary operators that no one even talks about.”

Colorado Senator Wants To Tax Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 26, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: anewscafe.com

A Colorado state senator said Thursday he wants to impose a special tax on medical marijuana.

Sen. Chris Romer (D-Denver) said he plans to amend a bill creating regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries to include a provision placing an excise tax on medicinal cannabis, similar to the excise tax that already exists for alcohol, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

If approved by lawmakers, that provision must be put before the voters, due to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Romer wants to use the expected revenue — which he estimates at about $10 million to $15 million a year — to fund drug education programs for teens, substance abuse treatment centers, and medical care for veterans and the poor.

The state senator claimed he was concerned that the state’s booming medical marijuana industry could create increased recreational marijuana use among young people.

Hawaii Legislature Considering Decriminalizing Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 26, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: The Fresh Scent

Possession of small amounts of marijuana would be decriminalized under legislation advancing through the Hawaii State Senate.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday passed a measure setting the fine for possession of less than an ounce of the herb at $100, reports the Honolulu Advertiser.

In separate legislation, a bill which would permit “compassion centers” to operate as medical marijuana dispensaries cleared its final Senate committee Monday.

Medical Marijuana Bill Gets Hearing Friday In Maryland

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 26, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Marijuana Policy Project

A hearing to receive testimony on HB 712, a bill that would make Maryland the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana, will be held on Friday.

Supporters and opponents of the measure are scheduled to appear before a panel of Maryland House members Friday afternoon to discuss the bill.

The Maryland House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations committees will hold the hearing on the bill, introduced by Del. Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County).

Morhaim, an emergency room physician who drafted the legislation, said it would create strict conditions compared to the other 14 states where medical marijuana is allowed.

Washington Bill To Increase Access To Medical Marijuana Still Alive

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 25, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Ron Crumpton

A bill which would increase safe access to medical marijuana by qualifying patients is still alive in the Washington Legislature.

SB 5798 would extend prescriptive authority to legally recommend medical marijuana to naturopathic doctors, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners. All of these positions can write prescriptions under federal law, and should also have the authority to authorize the medical use of marijuana.

The bill passed the House Health Care and Wellness Committee on a vote of 8-4-1. It now moves to the House Rules Committee, chaired by the powerful Frank Chopp, Speaker of the House.

Chopp has been notoriously hostile towards medical marijuana in the past few years, despite the fact that he represents what is considered one of the most politically liberal districts in the state.

Medical Marijuana Bill Passes New York Senate Health Committee

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 23, 2010 Legislation, Medical, News

Photo: The New York City Independent Media Center

Sick and dying New Yorkers who can benefit from using medical marijuana may soon be able to stop worrying about jail.

The New York State Senate Health Committee passed a medical marijuana bill Tuesday afternoon.

The passage of S. 4041-B marks the second consecutive year that the bill has gotten out of the Senate Health Committee. The Assembly’s medical marijuana bill, A. 9016, passed the Health Committee in January and is now sitting in the Assembly Codes Committee.

“We applaud the New York Senate Health Committee members for doing the right thing and taking this important step toward protecting sick and dying New Yorkers from arrest or jail,” said Noah Mamber, legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

“Let’s hope New York legislators will follow the lead of New Jersey, the state next door, which is about to become the 14th state to implement an effective medical marijuana law,” Mamber said.

The New York State Assembly passed medical marijuana legislation in 2007 and 2008, but the issue has never gotten a Senate floor vote.

Medical Marijuana Likely On South Dakota Ballot This Year

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 23, 2010 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: Oregon NORML

Medical marijuana has never lost the popular vote in a statewide election — except in South Dakota.

South Dakotans will probably get to vote (again) on legalizing medical marijuana this November.

Cannabis advocates on Monday filed petition signatures seeking a statewide vote on a proposal to legalize marijuana in South Dakota for medical use in treating pain, nausea and other health problems, reports KELO.

Nearly 32,000 signatures — almost double the 16,776 valid signatures needed to make the November ballot — were turned in to the secretary of state’s office in Pierre, according to one of the organizers, Emmett Reistroffer of Sioux Falls.

D.C. Medical Marijuana Proponents Split On Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 23, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: julianabrint

I heart marijuana in D.C.

As the District of Columbia Council meets Tuesday afternoon to hear testimony on the legalization of medical marijuana, they’ll be hearing different opinions from people on the same side of the argument, reports Martin Austermuhle at DCist.

Some advocates believe the legislation introduced in late January is too restrictive and unnecessarily limits access to marijuana for qualifying patients in D.C.

The bill would set up five dispensaries where patients with approved conditions and a note from their primary care physician could buy a 30-day supply of marijuana.

The dispensaries would be required to be at least 1,000 feet from any school or youth center. Patients would be required to pay registration fees.

The proposal does not live up to the spirit of the 1998 voter initiative that approved medical marijuana in D.C., according to some advocates.

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