| Eric Holder. |
When pressed for an official response to Colorado and Washington marijuana laws yesterday in a Senate Subcommittee meeting, Attorney General Eric Holder again balked at giving any real answer – only to again say that his office will comment soon. All this just one day after former DEA chiefs and the United Nations demand that he take action to stop laws in Colorado and Washington.
| New Jersey flag. |
The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee gave their approval to a bill that would protect medical marijuana patients from being denied organ transplants in that state. The bill received a vote of 7-2-1 Monday, and will now go before the state senate for approval.
| Platshorn in his smuggling days. |
Since late 2012, former drug smuggler turned activist Robert Platshorn has been buying up TV time on local stations for an infomercial. Provocatively titled “Should Grandma Smoke Pot?,” the spot aims to educate the elderly on the pros of medicinal legalization, an extension of Platshorn’s popular “Silver Tour.”
But now Platshorn says his ads are being pulled just as the Florida legislature is taking up medical marijuana legislation introduced last month. “Stations have refused to carry it due to subject matter, and unfortunately the law does allow you to do so,” he tells the New Times.
For the entire story from Kyle Swenson, head over to our friends at The Pulp.
| USS Thatch will not busting drug runners next month. |
If you notice an abundance of schwag out on the east coast and in Florida, you can thank your United States congressperson. The U.S. Navy announced this week that they won’t be patrolling the Caribbean for drug runners starting in April thanks to forced budget cuts by Navy officials.
Earlier this month legislation was filed in Washington State that’s drawn the praise of cannabis reform advocates across the country. House Bill 1661 sponsored by a bipartisan assortment of 21 state legislators, would allow individuals in the state with a cannabis possession misdemeanor to have it cleared, or “vacated”, from their record.
| Jeremy Usher. |
After returning from tours in Afghanistan and Iraq ten years ago, Navy veteran Jeremy Usher experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He subsequently tried treating his condition with alcohol, resulting in multiple DUIs and a probationary sentence. But switching to medical marijuana to address his ailment could lead to jail.
Denver Westword has the rest of the story here.
Here’s another government study sure to get some traction in the coming weeks: Scientists with the National Institute of Health say they have found that marijuana can stay in your system for up to a month! (gasp!) But despite the study only testing latent THC levels and never putting the participants behind the wheel of even a simulator, researchers insist that it shows how stoned drivers are a dangerous threat.
Seriously. And people get paid to come up with this bullshit with your tax dollars.
We cast no aspersions on Nebraska — but a recent report about a so-called “drug pipeline” from Colorado to the home of the Cornhuskers stands as an example of vastly different standards and anti-pot hysteria between the two states. Westword has the entire story.