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Montana Medical Marijuana Patients Struggle For Safe Access

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By on Dispensaries, Legislation, News

THC Finder

The Big Sky State’s Current Medical Marijuana Law Riddled With Barriers For Montana Patients
By Bob Brigham
Special to Toke of the Town
Thousands of medical marijuana patients in Montana are left without medical marijuana providers who can serve them. The state’s new restrictive medical marijuana law, SB 423, has been in effect for less than one year, and during that time, the number of providers has dropped from over 4,438 in June of last year to less than 414 today, a drop of more than 90 percent.
“The vast majority of providers (formerly caregivers) have simply dropped out of the system,” says Chris Lindsey, president of the Montana Cannabis Industry Association. “Most left the program out of fear of federal prosecution, but those who are left are finding it is very risky due to aggressive law enforcement efforts around the state, who often work directly with the DEA.
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Signatures For Medical Marijuana Submitted in Solana Beach

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By on Dispensaries, Legislation, News

Citizens For Patient Rights

Citizens for Patients Rights has announced the successful conclusion of its signature gathering campaign in Solana Beach. On Monday at 11:30 a.m., the group submitted more than 1,600 signatures to the Solana Beach City Clerk’s office for verification, along with a formal request for a special election, if the initiative is not fully qualified in time for the November ballot.
In total, 807 valid signatures are needed to qualify for the initiative for the November ballot, and 1,211 valid signatures are needed to qualify for a special election. The Solana Beach City Clerk must now certify the signatures, with the support of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, who will be tallying the valid signatures.
The City Council will then vote on whether to enact the initiative proposal directly or put it to a vote of the people. The City Council needs to act by August 10 in order to qualify for the November ballot.
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Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Are Legal: California Court

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By on Dispensaries, Legislation, News

The Weed Business

Court of Appeal Rejects Municipal Dispensary Bans
City of Los Angeles will soon vote on whether to enact an outright ban similar to the County ban just rejected
In a landmark decision, a California court has affirmed the legality of medical marijuana dispensaries under state law, and rejected bans imposed by cities and by Los Angeles County.
The Second District Court of Appeal in California issued the decision on Monday in County of Los Angeles v. Alternative Medicinal Cannabis Collective (AMCC). In particular, the court held that Los Angeles County’s “complete ban” on medical marijuana is “preempted” by state law and, therefore, void.
The AMCC decision reverses a preliminary junction granted to the County by the Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2011.
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What Would Obama Do About Marijuana In A 2nd Term?

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By on Culture, News

ABC News

President Barack Obama made a habit of “intercepting” joints back in his high school days. Does he still have enough mojo to “tackle” the Drug War in a second term?

Obama’s been in the White House for three and a half years now, and searching for his actual position on marijuana is still roughly like searching for Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest. There are plenty of rumors that the guy has some actual beliefs on the subject, with no shortage of opinions as to what those might actually be, but nobody can actually prove anything.

Nobody, that is, except the dispensary operators and collective managers who’ve been raided during Obama’s term — even after both Obama himself (as a candidate in 2008), his Administration (the so-called Ogden Memo, 2009) and Attorney General Eric Holder (in 2009) all said the prosecution of individuals who are obeying their states’ medical marijuana laws “wouldn’t be a priority.”
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Drug Expert Who Testified In Hundreds Of Cases Called Impostor

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By on News

Forensic DNA & Drug Testing Services, Inc.
Jim Turnage testified in cases which resulted in thousands of people losing custody of their children and countless citizens being put behind bars. Now he’s accused of being a fraud with no training and no qualifications

A “drug expert” who testified in hundreds of family and criminal cases is an unqualified impostor with no degree and no training, according to a class action lawsuit filed in Dallas County Court, Texas.

James Turnage, his company Forensic DNA & Drug Testing Services, and Medtox Scientific were sued in Dallas County Court by lead plaintiff B.W.D., reports David Lee at Courthouse News Service.

Thousands of parents lost access to their children and countless citizens are behind bars due to Turnage’s flawed testimony, according to B.W.D.
B.W.D. said that Turnage, of Ovilla, Texas, wrongfully called him an “alcohol and drug user” during a custody dispute. Turnage and his company claim to seal and ship urine specimens to defendant Medtox Scientific, of St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Police Use Excessive Force, Vandalize Marijuana Dispensary

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By on Dispensaries, News

Long Beach Raids
A Long Beach cop smashes the video surveillance camera at the THC Downtown Collective

Long Beach Police Department officers are shown using excessive force and vandalizing a local dispensary in surveillance video footage released by collective management.
The city government of Long Beach, California mounted the raid on June 19, using the police department and various other city employees to storm a medical cannabis access point known as the THC Downtown Collective.
At about 1 p.m., around 14 Long Beach police officers arrived at the location and began the assault. Although no resistance was offered by the collective or its members who intended to open the doors freely, the head detective was noted as haughtily saying “we do not bargain with you people” and proceeded to destroy the security door and security cameras in the establishment with the use of specialized assault equipment and tactics.
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Colombia Decriminalizing Possession of Marijuana and Cocaine

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By on Global, Legislation, News

StoptheDrugWar.org
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has called for a new direction in drug policy

Colombia Part of Growing Trend in Latin America; Last Week President of Uruguay Called for Legal Regulation of Marijuana
 
Colombia’s Constitutional Court on Friday approved the government’s proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana for personal use. Anyone caught with less than 20 grams of marijuana or one gram of cocaine for personal use may receive physical or psychological treatment depending on their “state of consumption,” but may not be prosecuted or detained, the court ruled.
Colombia, famed in the 1970s for the “Colombian Redbud” and “Santa Marta Gold” marijuana that flooded the U.S., is part of a growing trend in Latin America.
Last week, the government of Uruguay announced that it will submit a proposal to legalize marijuana under government-controlled regulation and sale, making it the first country in the world where the state would sell marijuana directly to its citizens. The proposal was drafted by Uruguayan President José Mujica and his staff and requires parliamentary approval before being enacted. 
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Russian City Mistakenly Plants Field Of Marijuana Instead Of Grass

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By on Global, News

The Moscow Times

A lush field of marijuana was discovered on city land near a metro station in Moscow, Russia after apparently being accidentally planted by city authorities themselves, according to drug control officers.

Agents had to “try out the profession of gardening” to remove at least 230 cannabis plants from the area around the Brateyevo Metro Station currently being built in south Moscow, according to the Federal Drug Control Service, reports The Moscow Times.

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Federal Ruling May Change Probable Cause In Marijuana Cases

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By on Growing, Legislation, News

THC Finder

Federal Court Judge Acknowledges Authority of a State Medical Marijuana Law

By Philip Dawdy
Cannabis Activist
A recent federal district court ruling in Spokane, Washington is something of which every medical cannabis attorney, patient, provider and advocate needs to be aware — not only in Washington State but throughout the entire Ninth Circuit.
The ruling is also something of a victory for Washington’s recently changed medical cannabis law, because for the first time a judge has ruled in a way that gives quasi arrest protection under the state medical cannabis law and has likely set an interesting precedent on probable cause and cannabis. And the ruling came from a federal court judge. It was also a bit of a slap to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Washington.
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Chicago Decriminalizes Marijuana With Overwhelming 43-2 Vote

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By on Legislation, News

Grow Light Gallery

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana with an overwhelming 43-2 vote. The measure was backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Under the new ordinance, police officers in Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, can issue a written violation for possession of 15 grams or less of cannabis, rather than making an arrest, reports Reuters. People who are caught with under half an ounce of marijuana will now face fines between $250 and $500, instead of being arrested.
The measure will help raise revenue for the city, according to supporters, as well as saving money on enforcement and incarceration and freeing up police to pursue more important matters. Unfortunately, officers would still have the authority to arrest people, even for small amounts of marijuana, rather than ticket them. Does anyone really believe that a few rabidly anti-pot assholes in the police department won’t give the whole force a bad name?
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