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Marijuana Dispensary Initiative Likely On Oregon Ballot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 16, 2010 Dispensaries, Legislation

An initiative to legalize medical marijuana dispensaries appears headed for the November ballot in Oregon.

Preliminary figures show that Initiative 28, the campaign for a medical marijuana supply system in Oregon, gathered more than 115,000 signatures through May, reports Jessica Van Berkel at The Oregonian.

Supporters of Initiative 28 say the measure is needed to ensure that patients have safe and legal supply of medical marijuana.

They argue that the licensing fees imposed under the measure would generate millions of dollars in additional revenue for the state.

Polling shows that the initiative is supported by 59 percent of Oregon voters, according to the Coalition for Patients Rights 2010.

The initiative, known as The Oregon Regulated Medical Marijuana Supply System [complete text: PDF], needs 82,769 verified names of registered voters to make the ballot.

CA Bill Urging New Federal Marijuana Policy Close To Adoption

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 15, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: My Life, My Muse

Californians protest a DEA medical marijuana dispensary raid

California may soon urge the federal government to end medicinal cannabis raids and to “create a comprehensive federal medical marijuana policy that ensures safe and legal access to any patient that would benefit from it.”

The California State Assembly Committee on Health voted 10-3 Tuesday to pass the resolution, which urges the federal government to change its pot policy. The full state Senate already passed the measure in August 2009 by a vote of 23-15.

New Zealand Medical Association Supports Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 14, 2010 Global, Medical

Photo: David Large, Otago University Student Magazine

Otago University students protest New Zealand’s cannabis laws

Phil Saxby, president of NORML New Zealand, on Monday welcomed the New Zealand Medical Association’s stance on cannabis for medicinal use, and called upon the government to adopt the same sensible position.

“The NZMA has said that it supports a Law Commission proposal which allows patients to use cannabis under medical supervision,” Saxby said, reports Voxy. “NORML has supported medicinal use for a long time.”

The Law Commission has also proposed that medical cannabis growers should be licensed in the same way as other legitimate producers of controlled drugs, Saxby pointed out.

Group Pushes For Legalized Medical Marijuana In Pennsylvania

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 3, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: PennLive.com

Bills that would legalize the medical use of marijuana are before the Pennsylvania House and Senate — and polls show that a majority of Pennsylvanians support them.

If the Legislature follows the will of the people, the Keystone State would be the 15th in the nation to legalize medicinal use of cannabis.

The Legislature is seriously considering making marijuana legal for seriously ill patients with specific conditions, but as usual, opponents are claiming it will make pot more available to everyone — as if anyone who wants weed can’t find it already.

Montana Could Overturn Medical Marijuana Law Next Year

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 26, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Miami Beach 411

Never mind that an overwhelming 63 percent of residents voted to legalize medical marijuana in 2004. A prominent Montana Republican lawmaker wants to overturn the voter-passed law that legalized medicinal cannabis.

Senator Jim Shockley (R-Victor) on Monday requested a bill to be drafted for the 2011 Legislature to repeal the medical marijuana law, reports Jennifer McKee at the Helena Independent Record. Shockley claimed he believes marijuana has medical benefits and should remain legal, only in a “much more controlled way.”

49% Of Coloradans Say Marijuana Should Be Legal, Taxed

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 17, 2010 Culture, News

Graphic: Sensible Colorado

Nearly half of Colorado’s voters say all marijuana use — not just the state’s growing medical cannabis industry — should be legal and taxed, according to a new statewide poll by Rasmussen Reports.

The telephone survey of 500 likely Colorado voters showed 49 percent saying marijuana should be legal and taxed, with 39 percent saying pot should remain illegal and 13 percent are undecided, reports Mark Harden at the Denver Business Journal.

For whatever reason, men in Colorado are much more supportive than women in the state when it comes to legalizing and taxing the herb. Predictably, Democrats and independents view pot more favorably than Republicans, the poll found.

Did NYC Mayor Lean On Billboard Co. To Reject Pot Arrest Ad?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 3, 2010 Culture, News

Graphic: Drug Policy Alliance

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an admitted pot smoker, isn’t acting too cool these days. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, a billboard company refused to run an ad regarding the cost of arresting marijuana smokers after pressure from the mayor’s office.

The DPA received notice from Titan 360, North America’s largest transit advertising company, that a billboard set to run on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) criticizing Mayor Bloomberg for his out-of-control marijuana arrest policy will not be allowed to run.

The landlord refused the ad because of “political circumstances from the Mayor’s office,” according to an email from a Titan 360 account executive.

UK: Liberal Democrats Plan To Legalize Cannabis

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 29, 2010 Global, Legislation

Photo: CanIdoit.org

Don’t ask me why they do it, but Brits traditionally mix their cannabis with tobacco. Hey: If they legalize before the U.S., maybe we could learn from them.

Dutch-style cannabis cafes would be permitted in the United Kingdom under “secret” Liberal Democrat plans, reports James Slack at the Daily Mail.

A “leaked policy document” reportedly calls for the decriminalization of marijuana. The paper also suggests allowing possession of cannabis, “social supply” to adults and cultivation of the plants for personal use.

The document follows an internal party vote that commits the Liberal Democrats to making it “no longer a crime for the occupier or manager of premises to permit someone to use cannabis on those premises.”

New Zealand Sweep Targets Cannabis Cultivation Industry

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 27, 2010 Global, Growing

Photo: Stuff.co.nz

Dumb cop smirks with High Times, part 1,536: Constable Anna Plowman shows off copies of that “dangerous” magazine seized at a New Zealand shop that was the subject of a search warrant Tuesday.

A nationwide “drug bust” went down in New Zealand Tuesday, as police shut down all 16 branches and the distribution center of hydroponic cultivation chain Switched On Gardener.

Hundreds of people ranging in age from 20 to 60, including customers of the stores, were arrested, with many facing charges for selling equipment for growing marijuana, reports the New Zealand Herald.

Police raided 35 businesses and homes throughout the country as part of a two-year undercover police investigation code-named Operation Lime. The bust targeted businesses and individuals selling equipment which the officers claim is used for growing cannabis.

Police seized records showing who was buying the growing equipment, then launched more stings to catch suspects in the act of growing and selling cannabis.

Police Minister Judith Collins congratulated officers on shutting down what they claim is a major source of equipment for commercial marijuana growers. Collins claimed Tuesday’s arrests would send a strong message to those who “tried to produce drugs in New Zealand” that they would be caught.

Town Taxes Medical Marijuana — Before There IS Any

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2010 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Yes-23

A small town in western Colorado has become the first in the state to tax medical marijuana. Only thing is, it doesn’t have any marijuana dispensaries.

The voters of Fruita, a town of about 11,000 residents, imposed a 5 percent tax on marijuana sales, reports Jeffrey Wolf of 9 News.

One application is pending for a dispensary in Fruita. City leaders said they wanted to be ready with a tax source in case the dispensary opens and “requires additional police patrols.”

Not exactly an open-arms welcome, but you take what you can get, I suppose. And since the good folks of Fruita are smart enough to see a revenue opportunity when they see one, I’m betting that 5 percent will be adding up real soon when a dispensary opens.

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