Legislation

New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Veto Upheld

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 27, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Bad news from the Live Free Or Die state, where they won’t allow patients to live free, but seem to have no problem allowing them to die. The New Hampshire Legislature on Wednesday morning narrowly failed to overturn Gov. John Lynch’s veto of a proposed medical marijuana bill.

SB 409, which would have allowed people with certain qualifying medical conditions to grow and possess limited amounts of marijuana with doctors’ recommendations, was approved by the House and Senate earlier this month. That was the first time a Republican-led legislature sent a governor an effective medical marijuana bill.

Gov. Lynch vetoed the bill last Thursday, citing law enforcement concerns that advocates had previously amended the bill to address.

The veto came as no surprise. Lynch vetoed similar legislation in 2009, after which the House voted by more than two-thirds to override the veto, but support in the Senate fell two votes short of the necessary two-thirds.

Judge Strikes Down Lawsuit Against D.C. Blunt Wrap Ban

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 26, 2012 Legislation, News

The Milwaukee Drum

A judge has ruled against a tobacco company that sued challenging a District of Columbia law which made it a lot tougher to buy cigar-style blunt wraps commonly used to smoke marijuana.

National Tobacco Company, based in Kentucky, sued D.C. last year, arguing that a 2010 ban on the sale of tobacco wrapping papers used to roll cigars (and blunts) was vague and unconstitutional, reports The Associated Press. But the judge on Monday ruled for the city.

Ammiano Withdraws CA Medical Marijuana Regulation Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 26, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Kush Magazine

A bill which would have regulated California’s medical marijuana industry has died due to a lack of support in the state Senate.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano called off a scheduled Senate committee vote on his medical marijuana regulation legislation on Monday, acknowledging that he was short on votes ahead of a July deadline, reports Torey Van Oot at the Sacramento Bee.

“Certainly in counting noses, the noses weren’t there, even in committee,” Ammiano (D-San Francisco) said of the Businesses, Professions, and Economic Development Committee.

Medical Marijuana Access Signature Gathering Drive Successful

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 25, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, News

City-Data.com

Citizens for Patient Rights on Monday announced the successful completion of their signature gathering effort in Lemon Grove, California. The group said it submitted more than 3000 signatures to the Lemon Grove City Clerk, substantially more than the 1,754 signatures needed to qualify for a regular or special election.

“As part of our initiative petition, we have submitted a formal request for a special election, though we hope the Lemon Grove City Council will see fit to enact the ordinance directly or put it to a vote of the people in the November general election, in order to guarantee a quick resolution of the question of whether there will be safe access for the medical marijuana patients of Lemon Grove and the surrounding areas,” Citizens for Patient Rights said in a prepared statement.

This Is What A Drug War Looks Like When It’s Dying

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 25, 2012 Legislation, News

Drug Enforcement Administration Director Michele Leonhart’s recent testimony during an oversight hearing before Congress is very notable for a couple of reasons.

The first and most obvious is Leonhart’s deep cluelessness — whether real or (very convincingly) feigned — about the effects of marijuana, the effects of federal drug policy and, particularly, the impact of federal marijuana policy on people’s lives.

Leonhard flat-out refused to admit that marijuana is any different than heroin, meth, or cocaine, and simply avoided directly addressing the hard questions put to her by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.)

Group Wants Marijuana Lowest Enforcement Priority

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 25, 2012 Legislation, News

Jon Miller

Sensible Washington organizer and attorney Douglas Hiatt, right, fires up activists before a marijuana march in downtown Bremerton, Washington, earlier this month

Sensible Washington Announces Paid Signature Gatherers in Bremerton, Washington

Sensible Washington on Monday announced that several “gracious and anonymous donors” have agreed to pay signature gatherers $1 per valid signature, “to assure we get our Bremerton initiative on this November’s ballot.”

This initiative would make cannabis the lowest enforcement priority within the city, as well as ban the city from cooperating with the federal government in the implementation of federal cannabis policies (federal non-cooperation).

Texas Democratic Party Supports Marijuana Decriminalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 22, 2012 Legislation, News

Satire With Samuel

The Texas Democratic Party has officially endorsed the decriminalization of marijuana, saying that current laws are negatively affecting too many young people who get busted with small amounts of weed.

“You shouldn’t put a criminal stigma on these young folks for the rest of their lives, and affect their ability to get jobs and their ability to have a meaningful career for using marijuana when they were young,” said State Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, reports Daisy Martinez of Action 4 News.

Hinojosa said he and the Texas Democratic Party believe the criminalization of marijuana may also be contributing to the selling power of drug cartels and dealers.

President of Uruguay Calls for Legal Regulation of Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 21, 2012 Global, Legislation, News

MercoPress

President Jose Mujica of Uruguay says his country will be the first in the world to legally supply marijuana

Uruguay Would Be First Country in World to Legally Supply Marijuana; Revenues Would Fund ‘Treatment’ and ‘Rehabilitation’

Ethan Nadelmann of Drug Policy Alliance: Bold Move by Uruguay Part of Growing Trend in Latin America; Moving from Whether to Legalize Marijuana to How

The government of Uruguay on Thursday announced that it will submit a proposal to legalize marijuana under government-controlled regulation and sale, making it the first country in the world where the state would sell marijuana directly to its citizens.

According to local media, the law would make marijuana legally available in government-authorized locations under certain criteria: there would be a national registry of consumers; sales would only be legal for adults over 18 years; there would be a maximum amount available per month per consumer (according to Toke of the Town‘s source in Uruguay, 40 joints per month); and strict quality controls would be ensured.

N.H.: Gov. Lynch Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 21, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Patrick Whittemore/Boston Herald

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, for the second time since 2009, has vetoed a bill which would have provided safe access to medical marijuana for seriously ill patients in his state

Patients’ Hopes Now Rest With House and Senate

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch on Thursday followed through on his threat to veto SB 409, New Hampshire’s medical marijuana bill. The bill will now return to the House and Senate for a final vote that will decide the bill’s fate.

Veto override votes are planned for June 27 in both the House and Senate.

Senator Jim Forsythe (R-Strafford), prime sponsor of SB 409, vowed he would continue urging his colleagues to vote in favor so seriously ill patients can finally be protected from arrest if their doctors recommend medical marijuana.

MT Repubs Join Dems In Calling For New Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 21, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

KTVQ

Montana Republicans ignored the will of 62 percent of the state’s voters last year when they passed the restrictive SB 423. Now, with the election approaching, they seem to have suddenly discovered their hearts.

It seems nobody is happy with the medical marijuana law passed by the GOP-controlled Montana Legislature in May 2011. Now even the Montana Republican Party has joined the call for a new bill in 2013.

State Republicans ignored the will of 62 percent of Montana’s voters last year when they passed the restrictive SB 423. Now, with the election approaching, they seem to have suddenly discovered their hearts.

In a landmark change to the party platform this past weekend, Republicans joined Democrats in supporting medical marijuana and called for “the next legislature to create a workable and realistic regulatory structure.”

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