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Dr. Bronner’s Donates To Colorado’s A-64, Washington’s I-502

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 5, 2012 Legislation, News, Products

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, makers of the top-selling natural brand of soap in the United States, announced on Friday a new donation of $100,000 to voter initiatives in Colorado and Washington state that would tax and regulate cannabis. The company’s new donation to the Campaign to Tax and Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, sponsoring Amendment 64 in Colorado, was $75,000, and the donation to New Approach Washington, sponsoring Initiative 502 in Washington, was $25,000.

Ironically, nothing was donated to Oregon’s Measure 80, which has stronger industrial hemp provisions than either the Colorado or Washington voter initiatives. Measure 80, which contains more protections for cannabis consumers and fewer concessions to law enforcement than A-64 or I-502, unfortunately hasn’t attracted the kind of major financial support from cannabis organizations and industry figures as the other two.

Weed Tourists Still Welcome In Amsterdam: Party Won’t End Jan. 1

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 2, 2012 Dispensaries, Global, News

Nol van Schaik/Facebook

Good news from Amsterdam, where the mayor says the Dutch city will continue to allow foreign tourists in its famous cannabis-dispensing coffeeshops after January 1. That’s the day when the infamous WeedPass was to become mandatory in the Netherlands — with the effect of shutting everyone but Dutch locals out of the thriving coffeeshop scene.

Mayor Eberhard van der Laan made it clear in an interview with AT5, in answering the statement of Dutch Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten’s spokesman, who said Mayor van der Laan “could not” go ahead allowing foreign tourists to buy marijuana in Amsterdam’s coffeeshops nexst year.

Imperial Beach Council Member Endorses Marijuana Initiative

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 2, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

The Weed Blog

By Eugene Davidovich

Imperial Beach, California City Council member Brian Pat Bilbray on Friday issued an official endorsement in support of Proposition S, a voter initiative slated to appear on the November 6 ballot in the city.

“With my sister having to use medical marijuana to treat her stage three melanoma this issue is very emotional and personal for me and my family,” Bilbray said. “If the federal government is not going to take it up upon themselves to start regulating, allow the FDA to actually look at it so it can be put in pharmacies, then it is up to the states to do exactly what they have done.”

If passed, Prop S would repeal the city’s current prohibition on medical marijuana dispensaries and replace it with strict zoning and operational requirements that would allow for a limited number of patient collectives and cooperatives to open in industrial and commercial zones of the city. Those that open would have to meet all operational and zoning requirements laid out in the measure including video cameras, centrally monitored alarm systems, overnight security, as well as strict non-profit operation.

Study: Legalizing, Taxing Marijuana Will Hurt Cartels

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

Weed Daily

Of 3 states poised to legalize, Oregon’s Measure 80 will do the most damage to cartels

A new study by a leading international think tank, the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, finds that legalizing and taxing marijuana in any one of the U.S. states poised to do so on Nov. 6 would significantly hurt Mexican drug-cartel profits.

The study, titled, “If Our Neighbors Legalize,” asserts that marijuana regulation in Colorado, Oregon or Washington could cut Mexican drug cartel profits by up to 30 percent. The study goes on to point out that Oregon, following passage of Measure 80, would cause $1.8 billion in losses to Mexico’s violent and destabilizing cartels.

Measure 80 To Address Mexican Report: Legalizing Pot Will Hurt Cartels

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

Vote80.org

A new study out by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness finds that marijuana legalization and taxation in Oregon, Washington or Colorado would significantly weaken Mexican drug cartels. The study, which has been covered in leading national and international news outlets including Forbes and The New York Times, affirms similar recent findings by the leading think tank, the RAND Corporation.

At a press conference Friday morning in downtown Portland, former and current police and probation officers, corrections guards, and defense attorneys will address the findings of the report and discuss how Measure 80 will improve Oregon’s public safety.

Dutch Activist: We Don’t Need A Weedpass, We Need To Pass Weed

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 1, 2012 Global, Legislation, News

Nol van Schaik/Facebook

NORML UK and other cannabis activists across Europe are welcoming the announcement that Dutch cities are set to ditch their proposed Wietpas (“WeedPass”) scheme, which would have allowed only Dutch nationals to buy cannabis in the country’s famous coffeeshops. At least 1.5 million of the city’s seven million visitors a year go to a coffeeshop.

The measure proposed by the previous Christian Democrat government would have forced the coffeeshops to become private members’ clubs, limited to only 2,000 members each and open only to Dutch residents, thereby banning sales to foreigners. The scheme had already been introduced in some parts of southern Holland, where critics say it has already lead to increased street dealing.

Williams Faces 90 Years For Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 1, 2012 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Free Chris Williams/Facebook

Chris Williams faces a mandatory minimum sentence of more than 90 years in federal prison

Courageous Caregiver Refuses Constitutional ‘Compromise’

By Kari Boiter

“I have decided to fight the federal government because for me, not defending the things that I know are right is dishonorable,” writes Chris Williams from his cell at Crossroads Correctional Center, a for-profit prison in Shelby, Montana. “Every citizen has a responsibility to fight for what is right, even if it seems like the struggle will be lost.”

Williams’ words are particularly poignant. As he writes from prison, he faces the near-certainty that he will spend the rest of his life locked away in an industrial-size cage. His crime? Providing medical marijuana to terminally ill and disabled patients authorized to use cannabis under Montana law.

Williams co-owned Montana Cannabis, along with Tom Daubert, Chris Lindsey and Richard Flor. Daubert was a lobbyist who helped write Montana’s medical marijuana law; Lindsey was a former public defender; Flor was the first registered caregiver in Montana; and Williams was the consummate farmer. Together, these men established a “gold standard” for strict compliance with Montana law.

‘Superstring Theory’ Co-Founder Hits Feds For Ignoring Science On Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 1, 2012 Medical, News

California Institute of Technology

John Schwarz: The Obama Administration “is ignoring scientists’ voices on medical marijuana policy”

Physicist John Schwarz speaks out in support of marijuana reclassification, and for prioritizing science over politics

Taking his first public political stance, John Schwarz, co-founder of ‘Superstring Theory’ and a Theoretical Physics professor at California Institute of Technology, published a commentary piece Thursday in the Huffington Post, urging the federal government to put aside the politics surrounding medical marijuana and pay attention to the abundance of scientific evidence. Schwarz has also invited his fellow scientists to join him in co-signing an open letter to President Obama at ScienceInPolicy.com, calling on him to uphold his promises to put science before politics.

NM Cannabis Expert To Speak On Effects Of Medical Marijuana Program

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 31, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Jane Phillips/The New Mexican

Steve Jenison, who worked as medical director for New Mexico’s medical marijuana program until his retirement, will voice his support for the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act, Issue 5

Arkansas Doctors Show Support for Issue 5

A press conference featuring Arkansas doctors voicing their support of Issue 5, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act, will be held Thursday, November 1. Dr. Steve Jenison, chair of the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, will be the featured speaker. Dr. Jenison will speak about the success of the New Mexico program — its regulations, oversight and impact on the State of New Mexico, and about the similarity of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act to New Mexico’s own program.

Dr. Jenison worked at New Mexico’s Department of Health as the medical director for the medicinal cannabis program before he retired.

Marijuana Dispensary Sues Justice Department, DEA

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 31, 2012 Dispensaries, News

Drugfree.org

No Grey Sky, a medical marijuana dispensary in California, has sued the United States Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration, claiming that the federal crackdown is an illegal crusade that threatens to prevent thousands of patients from having safe access.

The collective and its members are seeking an injunction agains the DoJ, Attorney General Eric Holder, and the DEA, whose agents raided its downtown storefront this month,j reports Matt Reynolds at Courthouse News.

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