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Economist Poll: ‘Huge Majority’ Supports Legalizing Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 10, 2011 News

A new poll from The Economist and YouGov contains exciting news for marijuana advocates. “A huge majority of Americans, more than two to one once ‘don’t knows’ have been excluded, support the legalization and taxation of marijuana,” the magazine announced.

Even without excluding the “don’t knows,” a clear majority — 58 percent — favors treating cannabis like tobacco or alcohol, according to the poll.

The data reveal some interesting patterns, according to the magazine. In every age group, more people favor legalization than oppose it.

Not surprisingly, young people heavily favor legalization. But Baby Boomers want to legalize pot almost as much as the 20-somethings do. Even those over 65 are narrowly in favor of legalization, as well.

Infamous Sheriff Arpaio Targets New Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 10, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: ONE/MILLION

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio claims he “wanted to be prepared for criminals who believe that Proposition 203 will allow them to deal marijuana with impunity”

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, already infamous for his treatment of immigrants and prisoners, has now set his sights on Arizona’s new medical marijuana patients following the passage of Proposition 203 by voters last November.

Arpaio on Wednesday announced the formation of a special unit targeting people who violate the state laws, claiming he “wanted to be prepared for criminals who believe that Proposition 203 will allow them to deal marijuana with impunity,” reports Deborah Stocks at ABC 15.

The Sheriff is so far alone — other police agencies in Arizona are waiting for finalization of state Department of Health Services rules regulating medical marijuana before assigning resources to control abuses of the law, reports JJ Hensley at The Arizona Republic.

City Weighing Medical Pot Patient’s Cannabis Cooking Oil

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 10, 2011 Medical, News

Graphic: Cafe Press

Law enforcement in some Washington towns still haven’t really come to terms with the state’s medical marijuana law. Voters almost 13 years ago approved the initiative legalizing medicinal use of cannabis, but that doesn’t seem to be long enough for some localities to get the idea.

Case in point: Medical marijuana patient Forrest Amos, whose cannabis and cannabis-infused cooking oil were seized by police in Centralia, Washington last month, reports Adam Pearson at the Lewis County Chronicle.

Amos said he was told by Police Chief Bob Berg and Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer that the cup of cooking oil was being tested and weighed to determine if it exceeded his authorized possession limit of 24 ounces of dried marijuana.

About 20 people showed up to voice support for Amos at the Centralia City Council meeting on Tuesday night. Although the City Council did not address Amos’s complaint of police harassment, it did agree to send a $400 damage claim he filed on January 24 to the city’s insurance pool to reimbursement him for his marijuana.

New Poll: 75% Of Idahoans Favor Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 9, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: THC Finder

The respected Boise State University Public Policy survey, a poll that’s been conducted statewide for more than 20 years, yielded an interesting result Tuesday: 74 percent support for allowing “terminally and seriously ill patients to use and purchase marijuana for medical purposes.”

Just 23 percent said “no” to medical marijuana in the statewide survey, and three percent said they didn’t know, reports Betsy Z. Russell of the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said state Rep. Tom Trail (R-Moscow), who has pending legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Idaho, “because in similar states out here in the West, the results are 65 to 75 percent (in favor), as long as you focus, like we have, very narrowly on medical marijuana for folks who are in excruciating pain with long-term diseases.”

Ethics Committee Eyes Iowa Rep’s Medical Marijuana Lie

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 9, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: Des Moines Register

GOP Rep. Clel Baudler lied to a California doctor in order to get a medical marijuana authorization.

An Iowa state representative’s lie to a California doctor to obtain a medical marijuana authorization is the focus of an ethics complaint to be considered Thursday by a legislative ethics committee.

The complaint was filed by Des Moines resident and marijuana advocate Mike Pesce, who said Rep. Clel Baudler broke California law, which forbids people from fabricating information to obtain a medical marijuana recommendation, reports Jason Clayworth at the Des Moines Register.

Rep. Baudler claims he “did not fill the prescription.” He said he conducted the publicity stunt last year to demonstrate what he claims are “abuses” of California’s medical marijuana laws.

“I spent 15 minutes with this ‘doctor’ and six of thouse were used attempting to overcome the language barrier between us (he was an oriental [sic]‘doctor’ and only spoke broken English,)” Baudler wrote in an email to supporters in October.

Baudler, 71, a former state trooper, admitted he lied about having medical problems — hemorrhoids, in his case — to obtain a medical marijuana recommendation to prove “how asinine it would be to legalize ‘medical marijuana.’ “

Blacks, Hispanics More Likely To Be Stopped On Drug Suspicion

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 9, 2011 News

Photo: cityrag

New York City is the world “leader” in marijuana arrests — especially if you’re African-American or Hispanic.

Getting stopped on suspicion of possessing drugs might have just as much to do with your race as it does with your potential illegal activity, according to a New York study.

Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be pulled over for “suspicion of illegal drugs” by the New York Police Department than are white or Asian citizens, found the report by the New York Civil Liberties Union and Harry Levin, a sociology professor at Queens College.

An analysis by Columbia University’s Jeffrey Fagan of the NYPD’s “stop and frisk” data concurred, finding that race is the strongest way of predicting police activity in the city.

Washington Law Officers Testify For Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 8, 2011 Legislation, News

Graphic: CBS News

Law enforcement officers who once waged the War On Drugs submitted testimony Tuesday supporting a bill to legalize and regulate marijuana in Washington state. The bill, HB 1550, sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, was heard by the House Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness.

Norm Stamper, a retired Seattle chief of police, wrote that legalizing marijuana “would provide a great benefit for public safety by allowing the state’s police officers to focus on the worst crimes, protecting the people of Washington from burglaries, rapes, shootings, and drunk driving.”

“Not only would it free up police resources, it would bring in much-needed new revenue for the state,” Stamper wrote.

Nevada Man, 61, Charged With Selling Pot At Farmer’s Market

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 8, 2011 News

Photo: AP

Nevada state police said a 61-year-old northern Nevada businessman is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly sold marijuana at a farmer’s market. And, OMG, we’re supposed to be even more upset because the market was down the road from an elementary school.

Christopher A. Stephenson was arrested Friday at his business in Fallon, Nevada, by members of a regional narcotics task force, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Gail Powell said Monday, reports the Carson Valley Record-Courier.

Evidence: Cannabinoid Therapy Reduces Breast Cancer Tumors

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 7, 2011 Medical, News

Graphic: Mendo News

Welcome to Room 420, where your instructor is Mr. Ron Marczyk and your subjects are wellness, disease prevention, self actualization, and chillin’.

Worth Repeating

By Ron Marczyk, R.N.

Health Education Teacher (Retired)

This one is personal. My wife of 32 years was diagnosed with breast cancer in the past year and subsequently underwent a double mastectomy. We are in the final stages of breast reconstruction. She has undergone five operations in the last 12 months, with one more to go.

We were very lucky. The cancer was starting to spread, but it was found early and was cured by surgery alone; no radiation or chemotherapy. We were told by our oncologist that we were among the very few breast cancer patients he has seen who did not require any follow-up treatments.

Marijuana Decrim Advances In Hawaii; Pot Would Be $100 Fine

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 7, 2011 Legislation, News

Photo: Zazzle

A bill that would reduce the penalty for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana to the status of a traffic violation has been approved by two Hawaii Senate committees.

The Committee on Judiciary and Labor with the Committee on Health to pass SB 1460 on Friday afternoon, February 4, reports the Hawai’i News Daily. The bill establishes a civil violation for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana that is subject to a fine of not more than $100.

The bill would also delete reporting requirements of the board of education for students possessing an ounce or less of pot, and clarifies that medical marijuana patients and primary caregivers may assert an affirmative defense to prosecution, criminal or civil, involving possession of one ounce or less.

Possession of more than an ounce of marijuana would be excluded from the state courts and state paroling authority to require defendants or paroled prisoners to undergo and complete substance abuse treatment.

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