A bill that would have legalized marijuana in Maine (albeit with some rather heavy restrictions) will not be seeing any action this year in the state legislature.
The ‘Act to Align Maine’s Marijuana Laws with the Guidelines Governing Taxation and Regulation Issued by the Federal Government” last night failed to make it through a ten-member council charged with approving bills for consideration in the coming legislation session.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration is conducting raids at this writing at multiple marijuana businesses in the Denver area.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Denver has issued a statement confirming the ongoing operation, which is being conducted by the DEA in collaboration with the Internal Revenue Service and the Denver Police Department. Denver Westword sources tell them it’s likely to continue throughout the day and involves a notable number of targets. Click over to The Latest Word blog for more on this constantly-evolving story.
Santa Ana’s city attorney has apparently sent warning letters to all medical marijuana collectives currently operating in the city. The letters reportedly state that any storefront dispensary must close its doors within 15 days of Nov. 15–basically the end of the month–or else face misdemeanor charges and fines of $1000 per day.
Nick Schou with the OC Weekly has more.
The Maine Legislative Council today will vote on whether or not to allow a measure to be introduced in the coming session that would legalize the possession, cultivation and use of limited amounts of cannabis for adults 21 and up.
Portland Rep. Diane Russell, who introduced the bill and who’s city voted to legalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis earlier this month, says she’s hopeful the measure will move forward.
After spending their summer recess learning about how other states have done it, West Virginia lawmakers may be ready to consider legalizing medical cannabis.
A state Joint Health Committee (no pun intended) were given copies of the 50-page plan last night in advance of the 2014 legislative session.
In a move that isn’t at all surprising, the American Medical Association remains opposed to marijuana legalization and maintains that marijuana is a “dangerous drug” in a 19-page report titled “A Contemporary View of National Drug Control Policy”. To be fair, the group also finally admits that the war on drugs has been a complete failure.
The AMA committee on Science and Public Health also told the 527-member AMA House of Delegates in their report that they’ll be watching how recreational marijuana sales and legalization for adults over 21 pans out in the long run.
| Robert Platshorn in the 1970s. |
Ganja now has a friend in cable television as the new show Cannabis Planet TV debuts on several stations across the United States, including South Florida’s WHDT-TV.
The man who is partly responsible for getting it aired is Palm Beach, Florida pot activist and convicted smuggler Robert Platshorn, who is the program’s media director. Broward-Palm Beach New Times has the full story, and click over to Cannabis Planet TV for channels carrying the show.
Last Friday afternoon, Kim Cope was driving along Beach Street in North Fort Worth, Texas on her lunch break when she was stopped at a police roadblock. After being ushered into a nearby parking lot, she was given a menu of options. The cops told her she would be paid $10 for cheek swabs, $50 for a blood sample or she could take a free breathalyzer. She opted for the latter, thinking it was the “easiest way for her to leave”.
Here’s the catch: the tests were voluntary and part of the 2013 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration going on right now. Read more about the tests and what to avoid over at the Dallas Observer.
| Wikimedia commons/Michael Plasmeier. |
A bipartisan pair of Pennsylvania state senators introduced legislation this week legalizing medical marijuana in that state. Sort of.
Senate Bill 1182 would legalize the production, possession and use of CBD-rich plants oils, tinctures, but otherwise leaves all other cannabinoids basically illegal. Still, the state governor says it won’t happen while he’s in office.
As one of the original counties formed when California was granted statehood back in 1850, Mendocino County is known for its picturesque northern Californian coastline, its majestic redwood forests, and of course, its weed production.
Home to a short-lived, county-regulated, cannabis cultivation program for nearly two years, Mendocino now finds itself stuck between the citizens who willingly signed up for the program, and the federal government who is seeking to acquire all of their personal information for reasons unknown.