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L.A. Releases List Of Marijuana Dispensaries Vying For Licenses

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 3, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation

The Los Angeles City Clerk on Wednesday released a list of 228 medical marijuana dispensaries that have applied to participate in a lottery to select 100 dispensaries to operate in the city.

The clerk’s office said it is still reviewing the information on the eight-page form and supporting documents to ensure all applicants meet the requirements to qualify for the drawing, reports John Hoeffel at The Los Angeles Times. To qualify for the lottery, dispensaries must have paperwork showing they were in business on September 14, 2007, and still have at least one of the original owner/operators.

Utilities Are A Cop’s Best Friend For Finding Marijuana Growers

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 2, 2011 Growing, News

Photo: COTO Report

Smart energy meters send lots of data to power companies — which can then be subpoenaed by law enforcement.

Police have started the Orwellian practice of subpoenaing energy-use records of people suspected of indoor marijuana growing operations.

At least 60 such subpoenas are filed every month in Ohio alone, reports Dean Narciso at The Columbus Dispatch.

Utilities, while “sensitive” to their customers’ expectation of privacy, are compelled by law to provide information about electricity use, said Terri Flora, spokeswoman for American Electric Power, an Ohio utility.

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.

Feds Warn Oakland: Industrial Marijuana Farms Are Illegal

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2011 Growing, News

Photo: Adrian Rushton/Colchester Gazette

There was some more ominous saber-rattling from federal drug warriors Wednesday as a U.S. Attorney strongly warned Oakland that big industrial marijuana farms are illegal, and that the Department of Justice is considering “civil and criminal legal remedies” if the city goes ahead with its plans to permit them.

In a letter [PDF] obtained by The Bay Citizen, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag warned that the DOJ is “concerned” about Oakland’s “licensing scheme that permits large-scale industrial marijuana cultivation and manufacturing as it authorizes conduct contrary to federal law and threatens the federal government’s efforts to regulate the possession, manufacturing, and trafficking of controlled substances.”

The central point of Haag’s letter was clear: Marijuana is illegal under federal law.

Cannabis Association Supports Medical Marijuana Reform In WA

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 20, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Graphic: OC NORML

The Washington Cannabis Association has announced its support for a historic and sweeping medical cannabis reform bill — S. 5073 — which is set to have its first legislative committee hearing Thursday in the State Senate’s Health and Long-Term Care Committee.

According to a January 20 press release from the group, the WCA “supports the bill with some modifications and recognizes that it could clean up our state’s medical cannabis law for the good of medical cannabis patients, their providers and law enforcement.”

Sponsored by State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Queen Anne), S. 5073 [PDF] would for the first time offer Washington medical marijuana patients true arrest protection and would offer legal protection to dispensaries and producers, while also regulating them under the authority of state agencies.

Sheriff Investigating Theft Of $15,000 Worth Of Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on November 17, 2010 Growing, Medical, News

Photo: Gallatin County, Montana

Sheriff Jim Cashell: The case is being investigated and detectives “may have some leads”

About $15,000 worth of cannabis was stolen from a medical marijuana grower’s building Sunday night near Bozeman, Montana, Gallatin County Sheriff Jim Cashell said Tuesday.

The building, in the town of Four Corners, was damaged during the break-in, although law enforcement declined to discuss details, reports Jodi Hausen at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

This is the second time in two weeks the business had been burglarized, Sheriff Cashell said. He did not have any details about the first burglary.

The case is being investigated and detectives “may have some leads,” according to the Sheriff.

WA Patients Now Have Better Access To Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 10, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: World of Work

Starting Thursday, June 10, Washington residents with terminal or debilitating medical conditions will have better access to getting authorized to use medical marijuana, a prominent Democratic legislator has announced.

Washington’s newest improvement on the medical marijuana program expands the number of health care providers who are legally allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients, according to its sponsor, state Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle).

Until now, only medical doctors could legally authorize patients to use cannabis medicinally in Washington State. Senate Bill 5798, Kohl-Welles, now extends the ability to authorize the medical use of marijuana to other licensed health professionals who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

Professionals who may now authorize medical marijuana use include naturopathic doctors, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants and osteopathic physician assistants.

“Many patients rely on medical professionals other than MDs and ODs,” Kohl-Welles said. “To remain committed to Washington voters’ long commitment to medical marijuana for qualifying patients, we must allow additional medical professionals to recommend medical marijuana.”

‘Sleazy’ Deputy Bought Marijuana With Stolen Patient I.D.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 9, 2010 Dispensaries, News

Photo: Calaveras County Sheriff

Deputy Steve Avila admitted he stole a medical marijuana patient’s I.D. and authorization, then bought pot with it

A California deputy has admitted using a doctor’s recommendation and stolen identity from a legal medical marijuana patient in order to buy pot in a drug sting.

Deputy Steve Avila of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department said during questioning that he had used the patient’s recommendation, with a falsified birthdate, to persuade a dispensary owner to sell marijuana to an officer.

Avila claimed he obtained the medical marijuana recommendation “from an investigation we conducted,” but also claimed he “did not recall” which officer obtained it, or how it was obtained.

Jay Smith of K Care Collective, the dispensary owner who was tricked into selling marijuana to an officer, said Calaveras County is waging a war against medical marijuana, and is doing so using unethical means, reports Dana M. Nichols of the San Joaquin County Record.

Robert Shaffer, the medical marijuana patient whose identity was stolen, tells the same story.

According to Shaffer, Deputy Avila violated his privacy by using his identity and documents in the sting operation.

More Than Half Of CA Voters OK With Candidates Smoking Pot

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 30, 2010 Culture, News

Photo: NORML

Our past three Presidents have admitted they smoked weed. And more than half of California voters are OK with that.

A new poll shows that as many California voters are fine with candidates for political office smoking pot recreationally, as those who aren’t.

The 41-page poll (PDF), from Capitol Weekly and Problosky Research, found that 50.6 percent of likely primary election voters were either “much more likely” to vote for a candidate who was a recreational user of marijuana (4.3 percent), “slightly more likely” (2.5 percent), or, with the largest group, marijuana use would make no difference (43.8 percent).

A total of 46.4 percent said marijuana use would make them either “somewhat less likely” to vote for a candidate (12.4 percent) or “much less likely” (34 percent).

The pollsters asked 751 likely voters via telephone earlier this month whether knowing that a candidate recreationally uses marijuana would affect their vote.

WA Governor Allows More To OK Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 2, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: World of Work

More medical professionals will be allowed to authorize the use of medical marijuana for qualified patients under a measure signed into law by Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Washington’s newest improvement on the medical marijuana program expands the number of health care providers who are legally allowed to recommend medical marijuana to patients.

Gregoire signed the bill Thursday, and it will take effect June 10, reports The Associated Press.

Under previous law, only physicians were authorized to write a recommendation for medical marijuana.

The new measure adds physician assistants, naturopaths, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and osteopathic physician assistants to the list of those who can officially recommend cannabis for patients under Washington’s medical marijuana law.

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