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Browsing: Legislation

Marijuana Advocates File Brief with D.C. Circuit Alleging Federal Policy Harmful

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By on Legislation, Medical, News

The Daily Chronic

Appeals court issued rare order last week for supplemental briefing on “standing” in landmark federal case
Less than a week after oral arguments in the landmark federal case to reclassify marijuana for medical use, the plaintiffs filed an additional brief late yesterday at the request of the court. In the case Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, the D.C. Circuit issued an order last week seeking details on the harm sustained by plaintiff and disabled U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Krawitz as a result of the federal government’s policy on medical marijuana.
The federal appeals court will use this additional briefing to decide whether the plaintiffs have legal “standing” to bring such a lawsuit against the government. The lawsuit argues that the government has acted arbitrarily and capriciously by keeping marijuana classified as a Schedule I substance, a dangerous drug with no medical value.
By ignoring the overwhelming scientific evidence, ASA argues that the federal government has kept marijuana out of reach for millions of Americans who would otherwise benefit from its therapeutic value.
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Rep. Kathy Webb Casts Vote For Arkansas Medical Marijuana

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By on Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

KUAR.org
Rep. Kathy Webb of Little Rock has said she’s voting for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act

Democratic Rep. Kathy Webb of Little Rock cast her ballot on Monday, the first day of early voting in Arkansas. According to The Associated Press, Webb reported that she voted “Yes” on the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act.
On the first day of early voting, Webb cast her ballot for the proposal that, if approved, would make Arkansas the first Southern state to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Webb, the only openly homosexual elected official in Arkansas, said she didn’t plan on actively campaigning for the measure. She is term-limited and not running for reelection, but said she would have voted for medical marijuana even if she was running for office.
The proposal, Issue 5, would allow patients with certain qualifying conditions to buy marijuana from nonprofit dispensaries with a doctor’s authorization.
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Website Tracks Celebrities Who Support Legalizing Marijuana

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By on Culture, Legislation, News

Marijuana Majority

Marijuana Reform Is An Increasingly Mainstream, Majority-Support Position
Site Lets Supporters Tweet Prominent People to Encourage Speaking Out
Just over two weeks before voters in three U.S. states decide on ballot measures to legalize marijuana, a new website launches on Monday that tracks prominent people and organizations speaking out in favor of changing marijuana laws. MarijuanaMajority.com allows visitors to see just how mainstream this debate has become by viewing and sharing visually appealing lists of elected officials, actors, medical organizations and business leaders who support solutions like decriminalizing marijuana possession, allowing medical marijuana or legalizing and regulating marijuana sales for adult use.
In addition to tracking prominent people who have already spoken out, MarijuanaMajority.com has a social component that lets individual supporters play a role in convincing even more opinion leaders to publicly say they favor reform. Visitors to the site will be able to easily send targeted tweets to celebrities and politicians with just a few clicks, encouraging them to speak out and join the Marijuana Majority. Among the initial “Get Out the Quote” targets are Ben Affleck, Mark Cuban, John Cusack, Van Jones, Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”), Shaquille O’Neal, Rihanna and Kanye West.
“At a time when polls show that a majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana and that mega-majorities support allowing medical marijuana or at least decriminalizing possession, it makes no sense whatsoever that so many national politicians look at this issue as some kind of dangerous third rail of politics,” said Tom Angell, founder and chairman of Marijuana Majority.
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Law Enforcement’s Opposition To Med Marijuana Based In Misunderstanding

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By on Legislation, Medical

Arkansas Sheriffs Association

The Arkansas Sheriff’s Association and the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police held a press conference on Friday announcing their official opposition to Issue 5, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act.
In a statement released to the press on Tuesday, Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Ronnie Baldwin claimed they “don’t want people to think law enforcement is not compassionate to the people who would use it and use it responsibly,” but the group is openly trying to take good medicine out of the hands of sick people for reasons that have no basis in fact, according to Arkansans for Compassionate Care.
Law enforcement’s chief concern — that Issue 5 would lead to greater teen drug use — just isn’t accurate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a study spanning a 16-year period which showed teen marijuana use actually went down in states with legal medical marijuana programs.
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Worth Repeating: Update – Medical Marijuana As Schedule +1

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By on Legislation, Medical
Worth Repeating

By Ron Marczyk, RN

Americans for Safe Access
Now, the battle over rescheduling has moved from DEA and HHS to the federal courts.
“The DEA had ignored accumulating evidence of marijuana’s benefits, and so acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in rejecting the rescheduling petition last year. Federal law requires the agency to take such evidence into account, accusing the Department of Health and Human Services of creating a Catch-22 for medical marijuana advocates by strictly limiting researchers’ access to marijuana, then arguing there is insufficient scientific evidence to merit rescheduling it.”
The present day drug scheduling is an incomplete scale in that it only lists negatives!
Medical marijuana does not fit into the present drug schedule; this unique medicine is so special that its multitude of many actions creates its own stand-alone category, a “positive side,” mirror-image type of drug scheduling.
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Melissa Etheridge Endorses Medical Marijuana Ballot Measures

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By on Legislation, Medical, News

MelissaEtheridge.com
Melissa Etheridge: “Medical marijuana made a big difference, instantly”

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Citizens for Patient Rights has announced the endorsement of singer/songwriter and outspoken breast cancer survivor, Melissa Etheridge for its campaigns to allow safe medical marijuana access in Lemon Grove (Prop T), Solana Beach (Prop W) and Del Mar (Prop H).
Medical marijuana is commonly used by cancer patients to combat the adverse symptoms related cancer radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Moreover, studies have shown that compounds found in medicinal marijuana may slow of the growth of cancerous cells.
Melissa experienced first hand the positive benefits of medical marijuana during her own chemotherapy. According to Melissa, “Medical marijuana made a big difference, instantly, within a minute, relieved the nausea, relieved the pain. And all of the sudden, I was normal… I could get out of bed. I could go see my kid. And it was amazing.”
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Montel Calls For Racist Anti-Medical Marijuana Ad To Be Pulled

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By on Culture, Legislation, News

LUCID Public Relations
Montel Williams supports Issue 5, an initiative on the November 6 general election ballot which would legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas

The medical marijuana battle is heating up in Arkansas, with less than three weeks to go until the general election. A statewide medical marijuana ballot initiative, Issues 5, appears on the November 6 ballot in Arkansas.
An anti-medical marijuana group called the “Arkansas Family Council” has been disseminating misinformation in the state, seeming to believe that since Arkansas is located in the Deep South, nobody will call them on their b.s. Wrong, Arkansas Family Council!
Former talk show host Montel Williams, through his publicist, on Thursday decried a new ad from the Council which is tainted with racist stereotypes.

“This morning we became aware of a TV ad the Arkansas Family Council has put on YouTube, and apparently made a very small ad buy for, in opposition to Issue 5 that features several actors,” said Williams’ publicist, Jonathan Franks. “The one African-American actor was depicted as a criminal drug dealer behind a table with guns.

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If You’re Planning To Vote ‘Yes’ On I-502, Reconsider

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By on Legislation

No On I-502

By Anthony Martinelli
Communications Director
It’s a challenging thing to oppose Initiative 502 — a measure many have been duped into thinking is “marijuana legalization” — and it’s going to be a challenge for many cannabis law reform advocates to check “No” on their ballot. The proponents of this initiative have wrongfully pegged it as a potential blow to our failed War On Drugs, and have justified the dangerous provisions as “necessary.”
Necessary is ensuring that patients who truly need their medication are protected, and that we don’t prosecute the innocent. Initiative 502 does anything but.
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Jury Acquits NJWeedman In Marijuana Distribution Case

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By on Legislation, News

Rose Shields
Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion was found not guilty of marijuana distribution by a jury of his peers on Thursday

Here’s some great news: It’s getting harder and harder for hapless, overwhelmed prosecutors to get a marijuana conviction in the United States — even when the amount in question is a pound, and the charges are distribution, not simple possession.

Such became obvious Thursday afternoon in a Mount Holly, New Jersey, courtroom, when a jury found Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion not guilty in the cannabis activist’s marijuana distribution case, reports Danielle Camilli of PhillyBurbs.com.
The decision came after Forchion was almost held in contempt of court Thursday morning as he delivered his closing argument. NJWeedman tried to introduce his jury nullification argument into the closing, but Superior Court Judge Charles Delehey, who had already barred any discussion of it, quickly stopped him.
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Measure 80 Brings Legalize It Documentary, Filmmaker To OR

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By on Legislation, News

Pot.tv

As voters begin receiving their voter pamphlets and as voter registration closes, the Yes on 80 campaign is bringing the soon-to-be-released social documentary, Legalize It, and its filmmaker, Dan Katzir, to Oregon for a series of screenings and private events.

Legalize It is an inspiring journey demonstrating that even those without wealth and political connection can bend the arc toward greater social justice.  
 
The public screenings give Oregonians a special opportunity to preview the documentary, which follows the Proposition 19 campaign in California that, in 2010, transformed a fringe social issue into a mainstream political topic and set the stage for marijuana-policy reform efforts in 2012 in Oregon, Colorado and Washington. 
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