Legislation

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Police Likely ‘More Vigilant’ On Stoned Drivers Under I-502: Stamper

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

Former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper admitted in a new interview with the Seattle Weekly that law enforcement officers in Washington state will likely be more vigilant in trying to apprehend and arrest drivers under the influence of marijuana if I-502, a limited legalization initiative, is approved by state voters in November.

But Stamper, who now heads up Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), said he believes that a major breakthrough in the nationwide push for marijuana law reform like I-502 would be worth the trade-off, reports Keegan Hamilton at Seattle Weekly.

Central American Drug Summit: No Consensus Reached

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 26, 2012 Global, Legislation, News

Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina: “It’s important this is on the discussion table as an alternative to what we’ve been doing for 40 years without getting the desired results”

Guatemala’s President Considers Requiring U.S. To Pay For Drug Raids

A group of Central American presidents meeting in Guatemala to discuss a major overhaul of drug laws, including legalization and decriminalization, failed to arrive at a consensus on Saturday and agreed to meet again soon in Honduras.

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina invited five other presidents to examine what he called a growing frustration with U.S. drug policy, report Chris Kraul and Rex Renderos at the Los Angeles Times. A growing rumble of protest is coming from the region, saying the Drug War is costing too much in crime and corruption.

Many expected some sort of policy declaration to come from the meeting, but as the meeting closed, no reason was given for its absence.

Nevada Court Strikes Down Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 26, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun

District Court Judge Donald Mosley ruled that Nevada’s medical marijuana distribution law is unconstitutional because it doesn’t provide a reasonable way for patients to lawfully get medicinal cannabis

In a case almost certainly headed to the Nevada Supreme Court, a district judge has ruled that the state’s medical marijuana distribution law is unconstitutional. According to Las Vegas District Court Judge Donald Mosley, the law does not provide a reasonable method for patients to get medical marijuana lawfully.

A review by the state supreme court could bring more clarification to the law after split opinions by lower courts, according to Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association (NSMA), reports Alicia Gallegos at American Medical News. The NSMA was not involved in the case, and has not taken a formal position on the distribution law.

We Can Legalize Cannabis Now

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2012 Culture, Legislation

The Silver Tour

Robert Platshorn spreads the truth about cannabis

By Robert Platshorn

The Silver Tour

I realized two years ago that not a single national cannabis legalization organization was reaching out to educate the voting public. A few do valuable lobbying, others provide news and information to those folks who are already supporters, and when invited, organizations like NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) present our case in public debate. All of these functions are important, but leave a tremendous void in ending marijuana prohibition.

Central American Leaders To Hold Historic Drug Policy Meeting

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2012 Global, Legislation, News

Pulsamerica

The groundbreaking meeting — the first time sitting presidents are seriously debating alternatives to drug prohibition — was initiated by and will be hosted by Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina.

Saturday: Presidents To Hold Historic Meeting To Discuss Strategies To Reduce Prohibition-Related Crime, Violence and Corruption

First Time Ever That Sitting Presidents Are Calling For All Options, Including Legalization And Decriminalization, To Be Put On The Table

Momentum Builds for Unprecedented Debate at Summit of The Americas in Colombia in April

This Saturday, March 24, a historic meeting will take place when presidents from Central America come together in Guatemala to discuss legalization, decriminalization and other strategies for reducing the region’s prohibition-related violence, crime and corruption.

The meeting, initiated and hosted by Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina, represents the first time ever that sitting presidents are seriously debating alternatives to drug prohibition – and it comes just weeks before the topic will be considered for the first time at the Summit of the Americas meeting in Colombia in mid-April.

N.H. Senate Committee Backs Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Nuggetry

SB 409 Moves On After Stunning 5-0 Vote

In a huge victory for patients and their families, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee has voted 5-0 to approve New Hampshire’s medical marijuana bill, SB 409. A vote by the full Senate is expected next week.

Senators Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), Gary Lambert (R-Nashua), Andy Sanborn (R-Henniker), Tom DeBlois (R-Litchfield), and Molly Kelly (D-Keene) all voted in favor of the bill, having considered more than two and a half hours of testimony at a March 8 public hearing.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Jim Forsythe (R-Strafford), expressed satisfaction with the vote.

“If a seriously ill patient and his or her doctor believe marijuana may be the best option, government should not interfere with that decision, and I’m very pleased to see unanimous agreement from this committee,” Forsythe said.

Cops, Judges Endorse Washington I-502 Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 21, 2012 Legislation, News

KPLU

Norm Stamper, LEAP: “Everyone knows that marijuana prohibition has failed”

Law Enforcers Say Ending Prohibition Will Improve Public Safety

A group of police officers, prosecutors, judges and other criminal justice professionals – including Seattle’s former chief of police – is endorsing I-502, the Washington initiative to regulate and tax marijuana that voters will decide on this November.

Norm Stamper, the former Seattle chief and a spokesman for the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), said, “Everyone knows that marijuana prohibition has failed. When even those who once worked to enforce these laws are saying this, the only logical next step is to enact a system that legalizes, regulates and controls marijuana.

“Doing so will not only take money away from the gangs and cartels that sell marijuana now, but will generate new, much-needed revenue that can be used to pay the salaries of police officers and teachers and for substance abuse prevention and education,” Stamper said.

Marijuana DUIs Went Up 76% In Nevada With Per Se Limit

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 21, 2012 Legislation, News

Law Office of Joel M. Mann

Numbers Put The Lie To Claims Washington’s I-502 Won’t Harm Patients

Driving under the influence of marijuana. It’s the new scare tactic used by prohibitionists and drug warriors as an argument against the legalization of cannabis. Unfortunately, it’s also used by some people who are supposed to be on our side as a political wedge issue to gain support for Initiative 502, a Washington legalization measure that includes blood THC limits as per se proof that you’re guilty of DUI.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, despite its opposition as an organization to per se marijuana DUI testing, has endorsed I-502, warts and all. This seeming contradiction — wherein NORML supports per se testing in Washington, after having opposed it in medical marijuana states like Colorado and California — occurs because, NORML says, it’s important to pass an initiative, any initiative, to “send the Feds a message.”

Well, if the message you’re sending them is “open season on medical marijuana patients,” then congratulations; mission accomplished! Otherwise, not so much.

Manufacturing A Crisis: Stoned Driving ‘Epidemic’? Please.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 20, 2012 Legislation, News

West Coast Leaf

Crisis? What crisis?

It was bound to happen once marijuana legalization started looking like a real possibility. The prohibitionists and the drug warriors never go down without a fight; they always find an angle. This time, as at least two states — Colorado and Washington — are looking at legalization measures on November’s ballot, the new bugaboo is driving while high.

Nobody’s sure how to solve the question of when someone is just too stoned to drive, but that doesn’t keep plenty of people from offering “solutions” to the “problem” — which is now graduating from “just” a problem, thanks to sensationalist mainstream press coverage, and becoming an “epidemic” or even a “crisis.”

Medical Marijuana Supporters Announce Statewide Radio Ads

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 19, 2012 Legislation, Medical

Marijuana Policy Project

The radio ad features former selectman Ted Wright, whose wife Cindy found relief from the nausea caused by her life-saving breast cancer treatments by using marijuana

Supporters of medical marijuana in New Hampshire on Monday announced the release of radio ads calling on New Hampshire residents to urge their state senators to support SB 409, which would allow doctors to recommend cannabis to patients with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating illnesses.

The ad — which will be broadcast in the Merrimack Valley, Seacoast, and Lakes Region media markets — features Tuftonboro resident and former selectman Ted Wright, whose wife Cindy found relief from the nausea caused by her life-saving breast cancer treatments by using marijuana.

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