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Sarah Palin Offered $25,000 By Marijuana Advocates

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2010 Legislation, News

Immediately following her Tuesday speech at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America’s national convention, a marijuana advocacy group says it will offer former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin $25,000 to deliver a similar address to supporters of a regulated cannabis market in the United States.

In exchange for the $25,000, Palin will be asked to speak at one of the upcoming events of Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (NSML), according to NSML campaign manager Dave Schwartz.

According to Schwartz, Palin will be asked to acknowledge the fact that marijuana is just as legitimate a recreational substance as alcohol, which she is talking about at the WSWA convention (and in fact, marijuana is objectively much safer), and endorse taxing and regulating marijuana in Nevada and throughout the U.S.

CA Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown Playing Shut-Mouth On Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 30, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: Just Another Blog (From L.A.)

Then-Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown (center) with Linda Ronstadt (the babe), Jackson Browne (right), David Lindley (left) and the Eagles in the late 1970s

Back in the 1970s when he was dating Linda Ronstadt, hanging with the Eagles and was the dashing young governor of California, a few roaches were allegedly — and famously — spotted by a reporter in the aftermath of a wild party at Jerry Brown’s place. For a brief, shining moment, “Governor Moonbeam” was the darling of the counterculture crowd.

Especially after his 1975 signing of California’s marijuana decrim law, Brown seemed just about as hip as a politician could be, considering. He even admitted trying pot.

But it’s funny what 30 years can do.

Washington: Marijuana Legalization Gaining Momentum

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 23, 2010 Legislation, News

Photo: Emerald Herb

“It’s an idea whose time has come,” said Douglas Hiatt, co-author of Initiative 1068, which would legalize marijuana in Washington State.

And now it’s time for voters to take matters into their own hands, according to Hiatt. “This year, one in six legislators sponsored marijuana reform legislation,” the activist attorney said Tuesday at a press conference on the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia.

“And again this year, major reform did not get out of committee,” Hiatt said. “So we formed Sensible Washington and wrote an initiative that removes the criminal and civil penalties for adults.”

Every poll taken shows that if I-1068 gets on the ballot, it will win. Washington voters support sensible marijuana laws.

Tuesday’s press conference detailed a wide and diverse array of endorsements, from former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper to Republican legislator Toby Nixon.

Poll: 50 Percent Of New York Voters Favor Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2010 Medical, News

Graphic: NORML

A new poll shows half of New York state voters support legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana.

The Siena Research Institute says 50 percent back medical legalization, while 41 percent are opposed and 9 percent say they don’t have enough information, reports The Associated Press.

Medical marijuana was particularly popular among liberals (72 percent support), among those between 18 and 34 (62 percent), and Democrats (55 percent), according to pollster Steven Greenberg.

Conservatives opposed medical pot (61 percent), as did Republicans (59 percent).

The poll surveyed 810 registered voters in New York from Monday through Thursday of last week. The margin of error is 3.4 percentage points.

Medical Marijuana Supporters Pray For Pot At Wisconsin Capitol

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Supporters of a medical marijuana bill in Wisconsin will gather to pray on the State Capitol steps Tuesday, hoping to convince lawmakers to legalize medicinal cannabis in the Badger State.

The Statewide Day of Prayer for Compassion will include ceremonies at noon on Tuesday on the State Street steps, featuring preachers, medical marijuana patients and advocates, and others, reports Bill Novak at The Cap Times.

The day is prayer is to show support for the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, the latest legislation in a decades-long fight to get marijuana approved as medicine in Wisconsin.

Lawmaker Says Marijuana Should Be Allowed For Veterans With PTSD

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on March 22, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: wussuphater.wordpress.com

A Colorado lawmaker wants veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder to be able to use medical marijuana.

Sen. Sal Pace (D-Pueblo) will try to amend proposed medical marijuana regulations, House Bill 1284, to allow the practice during a committee meeting Monday, reports The Associated Press.

The amendment would require PTSD sufferers to get a recommendation from a psychiatrist before they would qualify for medical cannabis.

“Frankly, I think it’s one small step to help our veterans,” Pace said. “An eight-member board of physicians in New Mexico just verified that medical marijuana does assist in fighting the symptoms of PTSD,” he told The Denver Channel.

Colorado Senator Wants To Tax Medical Marijuana

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

Graphic: anewscafe.com

A Colorado state senator said Thursday he wants to impose a special tax on medical marijuana.

Sen. Chris Romer (D-Denver) said he plans to amend a bill creating regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries to include a provision placing an excise tax on medicinal cannabis, similar to the excise tax that already exists for alcohol, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post.

If approved by lawmakers, that provision must be put before the voters, due to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Romer wants to use the expected revenue — which he estimates at about $10 million to $15 million a year — to fund drug education programs for teens, substance abuse treatment centers, and medical care for veterans and the poor.

The state senator claimed he was concerned that the state’s booming medical marijuana industry could create increased recreational marijuana use among young people.

Iowa Poll: 64% Back Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 16, 2010 Legislation, Medical, News

Photo: Des Moines Register

Almost two-thirds of Iowans believe medical marijuana patients shouldn’t be arrested.

A new Iowa poll shows that almost two-thirds of Iowans — 64 percent — think patients should be allowed to use marijuana as medicine if their doctors approve.

However, fewer than a third of Iowans want to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes, the same poll shows, reports the Des Moines Register.

Fourteen states in the U.S. have already legalized the medical use of marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy plans to decide Wednesday whether to recommend that the Iowa Legislature follow suit.

Medical marijuana supporters say that cannabis can relieve pain and nausea for many patients suffering from debilitating diseases, including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

MPP Mass Exodus Reportedly Spurred By Director’s Sex Scandal

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 14, 2010 Culture, News

MPP.org

MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia is embroiled in a sex scandal which has already resulted in the departures of seven employees.

Seven of the Marijuana Policy Project’s 38 employees have left the organization recently because of what several described as “inappropriate behavior” by Executive Director Rob Kampia after an office happy hour last August.

Salem Pearce, the former director of membership at MPP, and three other employees told the press that Kampia left Union Pub that evening with his former assistant, who still worked for MPP but had moved to another department.

What happened next remains in dispute, with Kampia and the young lady involved giving different accounts. But Kampia did acknowledge an an email to staff that it was something involving him which he regretted, and that it caused staff defections, report Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri at the Washington Examiner.

Even more disturbingly, an anonymous former MPP employee has told Toke of the Town that Kampia’s behavior was part of a years-long pattern.

“Rob has a very long history, known to anyone at MPP who’s been there more than a few months, of hitting on and sexually harassing pretty young women, including employees,” our source told us.

“Even if this particular incident was 100 percent consensual, his behavior should have gotten him fired years ago — or at the very least, put on probation and fired if it continued,” the ex-MPP staffer told Toke of the Town Thursday night.

Washington Attorney General ‘Not A Big Fan’ Of Marijuana Legalization

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 16, 2009 Legislation, News

Office of the WA Attorney General

Atty. Gen. Rob McKenna: “Not a big fan of making marijuana available”

Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna said Tuesday he opposes attempts to legalize marijuana in Washington, Chris Grygiel reports at the Seattle P.I.

McKenna was reacting to a a bill introduced by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle) to legalize pot for those 21 and older in the state.

“Like most of my colleagues in law enforcement, like my father who was in law enforcement, I’m not a big fan of making marijuana available without a prescription,” McKenna said.

“It is legal today if you have a prescription. That’s fine; the voters approved that law and people who are really sick with cancer, for example, or glaucoma seem to derive real benefit from the medical or medicinal use of marijuana. But making it available generally without a prescription I don’t support,” he said.

McKenna’s opposition to legalizing cannabis comes as no surprise. McKenna is definitely not cool. The only surprise in his statement was his downright reasonable-sounding words on medical marijuana — since up until now, he’s had a tin ear when it comes to hearing the concerns of patients.

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