Legislation

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Panel Votes To Ban Medical Marijuana On Arizona Campuses

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Legislation, Medical

An Arizona House panel voted on Wednesday to ban medical marijuana use and possession on all college and university campuses, setting the stage for a lawsuit.

The unanimous vote by members of the House Committee on Higher Education came after Rep. Amanda Reeve (R-Phoenix) said the schools fear losing both direct federal aid and federally backed student loans if they allow faculty and students to possess medicinal cannabis, reports Howard Fischer at Capitol Media Services.

The move was backed by Kristen Boilini, who lobbies for several community colleges. She said the law will reinforce policies the schools already have in place.

Joe Yuhas, spokesman for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Association, did not attend the hearing. He told Capitol Media Services he believes his opposition would be meaningless.

California Marijuana Policy Bills Fail To Advance By Deadline

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2012 Legislation, News

San Francisco Sentinel

California State Senator Mark Leno has been a consistent champion for medical marijuana patients’ rights

Despite hundreds of letters urging California lawmakers to support legislation to improve California’s marijuana policies, two bills that would have done just that failed to advance out of their respective chambers by Tuesday’s deadline.

Although both proposals enjoy strong public support, both were pulled prior to a vote by their sponsors due to a lack of majority support in their respective chambers.

The first bill was AB 1017, introduced by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano. This bill proposed changing the penalty for marijuana cultivation from an automatic felony to a “wobbler” that could be charged as a misdemeanor. AB 1017 received a vote last spring, when it lost 24-36, but it did not garner enough support to pass if it was voted on again.

AZ Moves To Make Medical Marijuana Illegal For College Students

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

BizzaroBlog

Arizona lawmakers are preparing on Wednesday to deny university and college students living on campus the right to use medical marijuana, even if they have the legally required doctor’s recommendation to use it.

Legislation written by Rep. Amanda Reeve (R-Phoenix) would make it illegal to use and even to possess marijuana on the campus of any public or private post-secondary institution of learning, reports Howard Fischer at Capitol Media Services.

Included under the overbearing law would be not only the state university system and network of community colleges but even various private schools that offer degrees or certificates.

That doesn’t just mean keeping marijuana out of classrooms and open areas.

HB 2349, set for debate in the House Committee on Higher Education, also would prohibit students from using cannabis in their dorm rooms — even if the patient is drinking a cannabis infused drink or eating a cannabis edible.

Kansas Legislature Shows No Interest In Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

tilrc.org

Doesn’t care about patients: Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) said “I have no interest on hearing the bill”

Even though a bill which would legalize the medical use of marijuana is now in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, lawmakers haven’t shown any interest in making it a law.

Sen. David Haley (D-Kansas City) introduced Senate Bill 354, the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act, during Monday’s session. It was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, where it will likely sit without a hearing, reports Chris Hong at LJWorld.

“I have no interest on hearing the bill,” the arrogant and uncaring Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) said haughtily. Schmidt chairs the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.

AZ Governor Humiliated In Dismissal Of Anti-Marijuana Lawsuit

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

CBS News

“That’s not how lawsuits work,” the exasperated judge told Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s legal team

You probably thought that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s recent anti-medical-marijuana lawsuit — through which she sought to thwart the will of Arizona’s voters, as expressed at the polls — was not only an exercise in futility, but also damn silly as well.

Turns out that you’re not the only one who thinks so. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton agrees, and she gave quite a spanking to Gov. Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne on January 4 while dismissing the lawsuit.

The dismissal came after a December 12 hearing that didn’t go well for one of Atty. Gen. Horne’s lawyers, reports Ray Stern at Phoenix New Times. Horne — go figure — decided to stay away from this one and sent assistant AG Lori Davis to “take one for the team,” New Times reports.

Spokane City Council Calls For Rescheduling Of Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2012 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Out There Monthly

The Spokane City Council unanimously agreed on Monday that marijuana should be federally legal to possess by people who have a legitimate medical need for the drug.

State voters passed a medical marijuana law 14 years ago, back in 1998, but the city council is concerned about federal raids continuing in Spokane and elsewhere in Washington and other states that have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes.

The council approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing a letter that Gov. Chris Gregoire and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee sent to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in November requesting that marijuana be reclassified from being a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act, reports Jonathan Brunt at The Spokesman.

YouTube Ignores 1st Place Marijuana Legalization Question For Obama

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2012 Legislation, News

How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your System?

The YouTube/White House “Your Interview with the President” just wrapped up, and unfortunately the web video giant didn’t find time to present President Obama with the marijuana legalization question from a retired police officer that received — by far — more votes than any other video in the contest.

“They did find time, however, to pick the President’s brain on pressing national issues like late night snacks, singing and dancing, celebrating wedding anniversaries and playing tennis,” said Tom Angell of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).

“It’s worse than silly that YouTube and Google would waste the time of the president and the American people discussing things like midnight snacks and playing tennis when there is a much more pressing question on the minds of the people who took the time to participate in voting on submissions,” said Stephen Downing, the retired Los Angeles police officer and a board member of LEAP.

“A majority of Americans now support legalizing marijuana to defund cartels and gangs, lower incarceration and arrest rates and save scarce public resources, all while generating much-needed new tax revenue,” Downing said. “The time to discuss this issue is now. We’re tired of this serious public policy crisis being pushed aside or laughed off.”

Colorado State Senator Pushing Marijuana DUI Bill Again

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 30, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

The Denver Post

Rep. Steve King seems to cut a few corners ethically when it comes to finance. But you shouldn’t notice that, really! You should notice his great hair and his hare-brained idea to bust you for driving under the influence of marijuana.

For the second time in two years, Colorado state Senator Steve King is pushing a marijuana DUI bill that caps how much THC drivers can have in their system when behind the wheel. There would be zero tolerance for people without medical marijuana cards.

Last year, the bill drew stiff opposition as critics questioned the science of testing how high someone is — and how, exactly, that affects their ability to operate a motor vehicle, reports Don Coleman at KJCT 8.

“I hear this story about well the science isn’t there,” blustered King. “The science is there and it’s written in the blood if innocent people killed by DUI-D [driving under the influence of drugs]drivers.”

Cop’s Marijuana Legalization Question For Obama Comes In First Among Videos

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 29, 2012 Legislation, News

Decent Community

President Obama to Answer Top-Voted YouTube Questions on Monday

A question advocating marijuana legalization from a retired Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief of police won twice as many votes as any other video question in the White House’s “Your Interview with the President” competition on YouTube this weekend. President Obama is slated to answer some of the top-voted questions on Monday.

The marijuana question, submitted by retired LAPD officer Stephen Downing, a board member for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), is as follows: “Mr. President, my name is Stephen Downing, and I’m a retired deputy chief of police from the Los Angeles Police Department. From my 20 years of experience I have come to see our country’s drug policies as a failure and a complete waste of criminal justice resources. According to the Gallup Poll, the number of Americans who support legalizing and regulating marijuana now outnumbers those who support continuing prohibition. What do you say to this growing voter constituency that wants more changes to drug policy than you have delivered in your first term?”

Marijuana Legalization Qualifies For Washington Ballot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 27, 2012 Legislation, News

KCTS 9

The secretary of state’s office has certified an initiative to legalize marijuana in Washington state, and unless the Legislature acts, the measure will appear on the general election ballot in November.

Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office announced Friday that New Approach Washington, sponsors of Initiative 502 submitted nearly 278,000 valid signatures, more than the 241,153 needed to qualify, reports the Associated Press.

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