Toke of the Town

European Court Weighs Dutch Cannabis Ban For Foreigners

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By on Global, Legislation

Photo: Rien Zilvold
One Dutch town has banned foreigners from its cannabis-vending coffee shops. Does that violate the principles of the European Union? A court will soon decide.

​A Dutch city has banned “foreigners” from its cannabis selling coffee shops. A European court will now decide whether such a ban is legal.

The struggle of Dutch border towns against marijuana tourism hangs in the balance as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gets ready to make a ruling regarding one of the most extreme measures employed in the battle so far, reports Paul van der Steen at NRC Handelsblad.
The ECJ heard arguments Thursday in Josemans v. Maastricht, a case which dates back to 2006 when police found two foreign nationals on the premises of Easy Going, a “coffee shop” of the kind that sells cannabis.
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Did NYC Mayor Lean On Billboard Co. To Reject Pot Arrest Ad?

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By on 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.
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Canada: Charges Dropped Against Pot Club Volunteers

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By on Dispensaries, Global

Photo: Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star
Neev Tapiero, owner of the CALM compassion club in Toronto, still faces trafficking charges

​Marijuana trafficking charges against eight volunteer staff members of a Toronto compassion club were stayed Monday morning.

Cannabis As Living Medicine (CALM), which was raided on March 31, sells medical marijuana to patients suffering from chronic diseases. Club owner Neev Tapiero still faces trafficking charges, reports Katie Daubs at the Toronto Star.
“This is a big win for the cause,” said lawyer Ron Marzel. “It’s also the right thing to do. If the government takes issue with a compassion club they should have that fight with Neev.”
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Canada: Tories Want Mandatory Minimums For 5 Pot Plants

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By on Global, Growing, Legislation

Photo: Chris Wattie/Reuters
Canada’s Justice Minister Rob Nicholson: “It does cost money to incarcerate people and I believe that Canadians have been willing to pay those costs up to this point and they’ll continue to do so”

​Canada’s Tories are trying to revive a bill that would impose mandatory minimum sentences on people convicted of growing small numbers of marijuana plants.

The Conservative government will re-introduce its drug bill this week in the Senate, as part of its continued attempt to revive “tough-on-crime” legislation that died when the last Parliament was prorogued, reports Mike Blanchfield of The Canadian Press.
The new legislation will revive a controversial provision — a mandatory six-month sentence for people convicted of growing as few as five cannabis plants, hinted Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on Sunday.
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Sacramento May Tax Medical Marijuana To Fix Budget Gap

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By on Dispensaries, Legislation

Graphic: FakeMillions.com

​The city of Sacramento, California is considering a tax on medical marijuana dispensaries as it struggles with a massive budget deficit.

Faced with a $43 million shortfall for the coming fiscal year, the tax is being explored as one source of revenue by city officials, reports Ryan Lillis at The Sacramento Bee.
Sacramento would become the second city in California to enact a special tax on dispensaries. Oakland voters passed a similar measure last July. San Jose and Berkeley city officials are also taking a look at the issue for their cash-starved budgets.
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More Than Half Of CA Voters OK With Candidates Smoking Pot

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By on 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.
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San Diego Man Getting His Weed Back From The Cops

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By on Medical, News

Photo: Eugene Davidovich
Eugene Davidovich on getting his weed back: “Will Ms. Dumanis ever stop going after medical marijuana patients and begin respecting state law?”

A judge Friday morning ordered the San Diego Police Department to return all property seized from medical marijuana patient and provider Eugene Davidovich, including the dried marijuana and concentrated cannabis seized more than a year ago, in February 2009.

“Although I don’t agree with this, I have no choice but to return the property of Mr. Davidovich,” said Judge David Szumowski. 
“After receiving a refusal from the District Attorney’s office to comply with our letter of demand for the return of all my property, today we were forced to spend more of our resources as well as the taxpayers’ resources on frivolous litigation caused by San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’s bias and hate towards medical marijuana,” Davidovich said.
“Will Ms. Dumanis ever stop going after medical marijuana patients and begin respecting state law?” Davidovich asked.

Davidovich, the former defendant in a San Diego medical marijuana trial, said the office of  the District Attorney was wrongfully holding his belongings, despite his acquittal by a jury.
Eugene became a spokesman for local medical marijuana patients when his home was raided and four charges brought against him. According to Davidovich, the reason he had to go back to court to get his belongings is likely political.
Davidovich was one of 37 people charged with criminal offenses during Operation Endless Summer in 2008. He was unanimously found not guilty by a jury on March 25.
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Federal Judge Suggests Reclassifying Medical Marijuana

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By on Dispensaries, Medical

Chamot’s “Round Up Of Usual Suspects”
Federal Judge George H. Wu: “Much of the problems could be ameliorated… by the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I.”

​A federal judge issued a sentencing order Thursday stating that medical marijuana provider Charles C. Lynch was “caught in the middle of the shifting positions” on the issue. “Much of the problems could be ameliorated… by the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I,” the judge wrote.

Lynch gained notoriety as a federal medical marijuana defendant who was prosecuted and convicted in 2008 under the Bush Administration, then sentenced after President Obama signaled a change in federal enforcement policy.
“Yet another federal judge has called on the government to reconsider the current status of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical value,” said Joe Elford, chief counsel with Americans for Safe Access, of Judge George H. Wu’s 41-page sentencing order.
“Judge Wu’s sentencing order also begs the question of why the federal government is still prosecuting medical marijuana cases,” Elford said.
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D.C. Council To Vote On Medical Marijuana Law Next Week

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By on Legislation, Medical

Photo: Koehler Law

​As the D.C. Council prepares to approve and enact amendments to a medical marijuana law first passed in 1998 by 69 percent of District of Columbia voters, advocates for sensible and compassionate medical cannabis programs remain concerned with several components of the current proposal.

“In crafting this legislation, the Council has been responsive to many concerns raised by the community, so we thank and congratulate them for their work thus far,” said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). “Still, a few amendments are needed in order to create a medical marijuana program that reflects the will of District voters.”
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NCAA Suspends UNLV Basketball Star For Pot; Group Cries Foul

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By on Culture, News


Photo: Las Vegas Sun
Matt Shaw’s college basketball career is ending because of one positive test for marijuana. If he had gotten drunk instead, he wouldn’t have been punished.

​Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws (NSML) has decried the NCAA suspension of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) basketball player Matt Shaw for one year — ending his career with the team — because of one positive test for marijuana.

Shaw, a 6’8″ junior who was fourth on the team in scoring last year, tested positive during a “random drug test” administered during the recent NCAA tournament.
“At the age of 22, Matt is an adult,” said Dave Schwartz, NSML campaign manager. “As an adult, he made a rational decision to use a substance less harmful than alcohol. Now, for this simple act, his career with the Runnin’ Rebels is over.”
“We hope all Nevadans will stop to think about this for just one moment — and think specifically about the fact that players who drink alcohol to excess face no punishment, at least until they assault someone,” Schwartz said. “It simply makes no sense.”
“And for those who say, ‘He should have just followed the rules,’ we say, ‘Why do we have rules and laws that horribly punish people who choose to use marijuana instead of the more harmful substance, alcohol?'”, Schwartz said.
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