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College Student Opts To Let Jury Decide Marijuana Case

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 16, 2012 News

Zachariah Walker is facing a Texas jail term for possessing two grams of marijuana

‘Zac is willing to go down if he must, but it is going to be after a fight.’

~ Attorney David Sloane

A Texas college student has elected to take his chances with a jury following his arrest for possession of marijuana. Possession of under two ounces of marijuana in Texas is a Class B-misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.

On July 13, Zachariah Walker, 23, of Denton, was stopped for an alleged traffic violation by the University of North Texas Police Department. During a subsequent search of his vehicle, officers claimed they found about two grams of marijuana. Walker was immediately arrested and booked into the Denton County Jail. He was later released after posting a $1,000.00 bond.

Walker elected to reject the state’s October 10 plea bargain offer of 180 days in jail probated for 18 months, and a $600.00 fine; or 70 days in jail without a probationary term or fine.

Walker is a member of The University of North Texas student chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (UNT-NORML.) He has rejected any offers of probation and says “if anybody is going to send him to jail for possession of two grams of marijuana, it is going to be a jury of his peers.”

Landmark Federal Medical Marijuana Hearing Begins In D.C.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 16, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Americans for Safe Access

Advocates challenge marijuana’s classification, present scientific evidence for first time in nearly 20 years

For the first time in nearly 20 years, advocates will use scientific evidence of marijuana’s medical efficacy to try to force a change in the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical value.

Medical marijuana advocates will participate in oral arguments Tuesday before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the landmark case Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration. Advocates contend that the government has arbitrarily and capriciously kept marijuana classified as a Schedule I substance and out of reach for millions of Americans by ignoring overwhelming research on the therapeutic value of marijuana

LA NORML Women’s Alliance Cancels Voter Ed Project: Lack of Candidate Interest

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 15, 2012 News

Steve Baker

Cheri Sicard, Cynthia Johnson and Jessica Lux (all of NORML Women’s Alliance of Los Angeles) with the one candidate who responded, David Hernandez

Marijuana Advocacy Group Shifts Focus to Upcoming City Election

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Women’s Alliance of Los Angeles announced on Monday it has scrapped its voter education project for California Congressional Candidates in Los Angeles County districts, as the group could only get four of the 34 Senatorial and Congressional candidates to even answer their requests for more information.

“I know politicians see cannabis as a third rail issue,” said Cheri Sicard, the group’s leader, “but the fact is 50 percent of all Americans favor outright legalization of marijuana, and 70 percent favor making it legal for doctors to prescribe to reduce pain and suffering (Gallup Poll, 10-17-11). We at the NORML Women’s Alliance think the time is long past due for our so-called representatives and candidates for public office to have a conversation about this.”

Sicard says even candidates who are known to agree with the group’s stances on issues such as marijuana legalization, medical marijuana, and prison reform didn’t respond, preferring to keep the issue in the background.

Marijuana Policy Project Responds to Former DEA Officials

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 15, 2012 Legislation, News

Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

“Federal Government Should Respect State Reforms, Not Waste Money on Failed Policies”

In a response to a teleconference this afternoon featuring former drug czars and Drug Enforcement Administration officials calling on the federal government to vigorously oppose attempts to reform marijuana laws, the Marijuana Policy Project said that marijuana prohibition is a failed policy and urged the Department of Justice to allow states to experiment with alternatives to arresting adult marijuana users.

In November, voters in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon will decide on ballot initiatives that would remove criminal penalties for adult marijuana use. Two of these initiatives, in Colorado and Washington, would replace current marijuana laws with tightly regulated systems similar to those used to control alcohol. (Unfortunately, Washington’s “legalization” measure, I-502, would also institute a DUI-cannabis level unsupported by science.)

Advocates: Protect Medical Marijuana Access For PTSD Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 15, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

Soldiers For The Cause

Continued access to medicine threatened by a request to withdraw PTSD as a qualifying condition for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program

Military veterans and other patients to petition the Governor and the Secretary of Health: Don’t Take Away Our Medicine

More than 3,000 New Mexican residents with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are actively enrolled in the state’s Medical Cannabis Program. Many of them are military veterans, patients living with disabilities, and victims of serious trauma and violent crime. Unfortunately, their continued access to medicine is being threatened by a request to withdraw PTSD as a qualifying condition for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program.

Marijuana Advocates Mount Challenge To Schedule I Designation

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 15, 2012 Legislation, Medical, News

ProCon.org

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Will Hear Oral Arguments Tuesday

DPA Statement: Feds’ Claim of “No Medical Use” Ignores Science

For the first time in 20 years, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, October 16, in a case challenging the Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to designate marijuana as a Schedule I substance. Schedule I is the most restrictive category for controlled substances, including those drugs defined as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

DEA Sends 3 More Letters To Seattle Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 12, 2012 Dispensaries, News

Opposing Views

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration sent three more letters to Seattle-area medical marijuana dispensaries last week, agency spokesperson Jodie Underwood has confirmed. The letters “strongly advised” the dispensaries to pay “prompt attention” that they are in violation of federal law, and directed them to close down with 30 days.

That brings the total to 29 Washington dispensaries which have received threatening letters so far from the feds, reports Nina Shapiro at Seattle Weekly. This includes 23 facilities which got letters sent on August 18, three more sent out on August 30, and three last week, according to Dr. Decrim of WA CANN, the Washington Cannabis Alert and News Network.

Women For Measure 80 Successfully Protest Shameful Billboards

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 12, 2012 Culture, Legislation, News

Willamette Week

Clear Channel agrees to remove misleading ads, cites transparency issues

Following a grassroots, online protest by volunteers with Women for Measure 80, advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor has agreed to take down a series of shameful, misleading and fear-mongering anti-marijuana billboards around Portland.

At a press conference this morning, Women for Measure 80 coordinator Amanda Rain joined Oregonians for Law Reform and other sensible marijuana-policy advocates to condemn the advertisements, denounce the backers’ scare tactics and call for smart marijuana policies that would effectively protect Oregon’s communities and young people.

L.A. Dispensary Owners Feeling Heat of Federal Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 12, 2012 Dispensaries, News

The Med Men

The battle over the legality of operating a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles continues to escalate this week, leaving shop owners, patients and law enforcement officials without a clear picture of how to operate on the right side of the law.

In recent weeks, federal officials have perpetuated the confusion surrounding the medical marijuana industry in Los Angeles, issuing warning letters demanding that select dispensaries shutdown. This comes on the heels of the withdrawal of a citywide ban on dispensaries, which was passed and didn’t even get a chance to go into effect before being rescinded.

“The bottom line is that the state of California provides for the existence of collectives and dispensaries,” said Adam Bierman of MedMen, an L.A.-based consulting group that specializes in industry-specific branding, marketing and legal and financial consulting. “And as all the politics play themselves out in the media, well-intentioned operators are inevitably distracted.”

Facebook Protest Results In Removal Of Anti-Marijuana Billboard

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on October 11, 2012 Culture, News

Dain Helmers

What the hell strain has SHE been smoking?

An Oregon anti-legalization billboard depicting a haggard, stereotypical “drug addict” which reads “What is good about marijuana? Nothing,” may be coming down after protesters organized on Facebook and vented their unhappiness to both the anti-drug group responsible for the message and the billboard company renting them the space for their reefer madness propaganda.

The billboard in question, at the corner of 122nd and Division in Portland, which is in opposition to Measure 80, the voter initiative which will be on November’s general election ballot and would legalize cannabis in Oregon, features what has been discovered to be a manipulated stock photo of a “meth addict,” reports Deborah Morgan at examiner.com.

Several of these billboards have been spotted in the Portland area, according to Bettie Retro, who works at a medical marijuana patients’ lounge downtown. Retro said a coworker saw the billboard at 122nd and Division on his way to work, and shared the story with his colleagues. Portland is home to almost 10,000 registered, legal medical marijuana patients.

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