Marijuana.com - The Drug War Headline News http://www.marijuana.com Breaking headlines involving The Drug War. Guest posting enabled. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:19:01 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.marijuana.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Marijuana.com - The Drug War Headline News http://www.marijuana.com CA: Yreka City Council to decide on medical marijuana dispensaries tonight http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134329-ca-yreka-city-council-decide-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-tonight.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:35:53 GMT Yreka City Council to decide on medical marijuana dispensaries tonight
11/19/09 | Siskiyou Daily News | David Smith

The Yreka City Council tonight will mull the possibility of keeping medicinal marijuana dispensaries out of the city limits of Yreka, with two ordinances on the table regarding that issue.
At the Yreka Planning and Development Commission meeting Wednesday night, City Attorney Mary Frances McHugh prefaced the issue by describing the two ordinances.
Both ordinances contain text claiming that marijuana and the secondary effects of having a dispensary will create a threat to public health, safety and welfare. A report compiled by Yreka Police Chief Brian Bowles cites five incidents in the past two years reporting theft of marijuana grown on private property, four accompanied by violence.
The text reads “during the past two years, the City Police Department reports numerous calls to the department to respond to incidents related to growing of marijuana in residential neighborhoods. These incidents demonstrate that the cultivation of marijuana within the City limits poses a threat to public safety.”
Also detailed in the text are various laws, both federal and statutory, that relate to marijuana. The federal Controlled Substances Act makes unlawful the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sale or possession of marijuana. However, in 1996, voters in California approved what is known as the Compassionate Use Act, which allows patients with a doctor’s recommendation to cultivate and use marijuana for medicinal purposes without being in violation of state statutes.
Citing a case decided in the California Court of Appeal, the text states that in City of Claremont v. Kruse, the appellate court upheld that local governing bodies are not preempted by the Compassionate Use Act or the accompanying Medical Marijuana Program from creating land use ordinances barring use for dispensaries or denying business licenses to dispensaries.
Currently, according to appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov, the California District four Court of Appeals is reviewing a case in which a challenge to city governments’ ability to ban dispensaries is under consideration, with a decision set to be received by Dec. 22.
In Yreka’s ordinances up for consideration, the first reads, “There shall be an interim prohibition/moratorium on land use approvals and building permits in all zoning districts for medical marijuana dispensaries.” McHugh stated that the moratorium, if approved, would be in effect for 45 days, effective immediately on approval as an “urgency ordinance.”
The second ordinance is an amendment to the city’s zoning laws, written as “Cultivation of cannabis/marijuana plants is prohibited in all zones, except that for those locations identified in Section 16.46.151.A.2. a through d, in which event, cultivation may only occur in the interior of the building at the location. Cultivation may not occur in any accessory building or structure. Cultivation of cannabis/marijuana plants other than as provided herein shall be considered a nuisance as defined in Section 16.08.030 of this code.”
The exempted locations defined in “a through d” include clinics and health care facilities licensed through the corresponding sections of the Health and Safety Code; licensed residential care facilities, including those for the elderly; and those with chronic life-threatening diseases and private residences “where medical marijuana is used by qualified patients who reside at that location.”
The ordinance also states that medical marijuana dispensaries will be prohibited in all zones and considered a nuisance, if passed.
McHugh stated that if the council passes the second ordinance, the issue will be returned to the Planning and Development Commission as per requirements for changing zoning laws.
According to the Web site for the organization “Americans for Safe Access,” eight California counties have banned dispensaries, eight have imposed moratoriums and nine have introduced ordinances relating to the regulation of dispensaries. The site also states that 120 California cities have imposed bans, 78 have moratoriums and 30 have introduced ordinances. ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134329-ca-yreka-city-council-decide-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-tonight.html CAN: Marc Emery out on Bail until Extradition. http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134314-can-marc-emery-out-bail-until-extradition.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:37:17 GMT
CAN: Marc Emery out on Bail until Extradition.
Cannabis Culture| 11/18/09 |Jeff Hodson


Marc and Jodie at the Global Marijuana March in Toronto.
(Photo by High Times)

B.C.’s Prince of Pot has been granted bail and could temporarily be released from jail as early as today as he continues to await extradition to the U.S. to plead guilty to selling marijuana seeds.

Marc Emery has been held at the North [Fraser] Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam since turning himself over to authorities on Sept. 28.

He anticipated the extradition process would take 30 days, but his lawyer, Ian Donaldson, is ill with pleurisy and has been unable to file submissions.

“It’s a maximum-security facility and it’s been seven weeks,” said Jodie Emery, Marc’s wife. “He thought if he could get out for a week or two, or even a day, he would do it.”

He has promised to surrender to U.S. custody within 72 hours after an extradition order is signed, which could happen as soon as Dec. 1, which is the final day for submissions.

Jodie Emery said jail has been tough on her husband. The food is awful and he doesn’t get any sunlight. He is locked in his cell for 18 hours a day on weekdays and 20 hours a day on weekends.

“We’re going to get some healthy food and just enjoy our time together.” ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134314-can-marc-emery-out-bail-until-extradition.html USA: Related Health Costs= Tobacco: $800, Alcohol: $165, Pot: $20 http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134203-usa-related-health-costs-tobacco-800-alcohol-165-pot-20-a.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:11:24 GMT
USA: Tobacco-Related Health Costs: $800; Booze-Related Health Costs: $165; Pot-Related Health Costs: $20 — Any Questions?.
NORML | 11/17/09 | Paul Armentano



Health-related costs per user are eight times higher for drinkers than they are for those who use cannabis, and are more than 40 times higher for tobacco smokers, according to a report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal.

According to the report, “In terms of [health-related] costs per user: tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related health costs are much lower at $165 per user, and cannabis-related health costs are the lowest at $20 per user.”

The review, authored by researchers from the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse at the University of Ottawa, stated: “Alcohol is used by a very large number of people with the vast majority of these using in low- or moderate-risk ways. Conversely, cannabis and tobacco are used by far fewer people. The majority of cannabis use is low- and moderate-risk, however, while the majority of tobacco is high-risk.”

The study reported that social costs applicable to marijuana are primarily “enforcement-related.”

The authors concluded: “The harms, risks and social costs of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco vary greatly. A lot has to do with how the substances are handled legally. Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances, which explains their low enforcement costs relative to cannabis. On the other hand, the health costs per user of tobacco and alcohol are much higher than for cannabis. This may indicate that cannabis use involves fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.

“These variations in risk, harms and cost need to be taken into account as we think about further efforts to deal with the use of these three substances. … Efforts to reduce social costs related to cannabis, for example, will likely involve shifting its legal status by decriminalizing casual use, to reduce the high enforcement costs. Such a shift may be warranted given the apparent lower health risk associated with most cannabis use.”

According to a recent Rasmussen national poll of 1,000 likely voters, Americans believe by more than two to one that alcohol is “more dangerous” than marijuana.

 ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134203-usa-related-health-costs-tobacco-800-alcohol-165-pot-20-a.html <![CDATA[U.K: Son of sacked drugs advisor David Nutt pictured 'smoking cannabis' on Facebook.]]> http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134034-u-k-son-sacked-drugs-advisor-david-nutt-pictured-smoking-cannabis-facebook.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:06:02 GMT

U.K: Son of sacked drugs advisor David Nutt pictured 'smoking cannabis' on Facebook.

Daily Mail Reporter | 11/15/09 |


Bleary-eyed: Steve Nutt's face is covered in paint and he puffs on what could be a joint of cannabis


The son of sacked government drugs advisor David Nutt has posted pictures of himself on the internet apparently smoking cannabis.

Steve Nutt, 24, is pictured on his Facebook page looking much the worse for wear.

In one snap, his face is covered with paint and he is puffing on what could be a joint of cannabis.

In a second photograph he is wearing a Santa hat with what appears to be another joint in his right hand.

On the right-hand side of the photo, one of Nutt's friends looks to be preparing a second joint.

Nutt Jnr looks even more out of it in a third photograph, taken at what looks to be a music festival. His face is partially covered with straw as he stands staring blearily at the camera.

The site also features Nutt's odd theories and even odder jokes.

The revelation comes after his father, Professor David Nutt, claimed cannabis, ecstasy and LSD are safer than cigarettes and alcohol.

The 58-year-old academic was sacked as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after accusing ministers of ignoring scientific evidence about the risk to health posed by drugs.

Prof Nutt famously insisted that using cannabis was safer than riding a horse.

His son comments on the sacking in one Facebook post, saying: 'Steve Nutt thinks his dad is probably more famous than he'll ever be, barring a terrorist atrocity that is...'

Instead of using a self-portrait in his 'profile' slot, Nutt uses an image of an orange labelled 'product of Israel' - half of which is a hand grenade.


Tis the season: Nutt Jnr waves what appears to be a joint in his right hand whilst wearing a Santa hat. To his left a friend looks to be preparing a second joint


Days after he was forced to step down from the ACMD, Prof Nutt said: 'I'm sure my children have tried drugs. In fact, some have told me they have. But I'm not as concerned about this as I am about alcohol.'

That is a message that appears to have been ignored by his daughter Lydia, who posted pictures of herself partying with friends while holding a bottle of spirits.

The picture was apparently uploaded two years before she turned 18.

Professor Nutt's eldest son Johnny, 26, posted pictures of himself naked in the snow in Sweden.

The bizarre messages on Steve Nutt's Facebook page can be seen by anyone in the 'Bristol network'.


Puffing away: Steve Nutt (left) in another Facebook snap. His father, David, (right) claimed cannabis, ecstasy and LSD are safer than cigarettes and alcohol


Nutt, a student in London, lists his interests as 'the stuff other people list under "sociopathic tendencies" when they have their friends sectioned'.

He dismisses the war in Iraq as old hat, saying: 'Lets butcher some Iranians... they bleed better.'

He also jokes about mental illness and prostitution.

On November 6 he was quick to laugh at the horrific mass shooting by a US soldier at Camp Hood in Texas.

Nutt went online, sniggering: 'Come on Obama, you have to have a sense of irony, he was doing what he was trained to, he just got pointed in the wrong direction.'

Nutt claimed a friend had sent a picture of him smoking a rolled up cigarette to a tabloid newspaper. ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/134034-u-k-son-sacked-drugs-advisor-david-nutt-pictured-smoking-cannabis-facebook.html U.K: David Nutt Developing Synthetic Alcohol - Without the BAD and only the GOOD... http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133885-u-k-david-nutt-developing-synthetic-alcohol-without-bad-only-good.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:17:33 GMT Editors Note: i figured this was headline news worthy since its an update on the type of things Ex U.K drug tsar Professor David Nutt is moving on too since his firing for speaking out about the reclassification of marijuana and other aspects of the failing war on drugs... Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me...


U.K: New Synthetic Alcohol, all the good parts of Alcohol
without any of the bad.
The Sun | 11/10/09 |PROFESSOR DAVID NUTT





A SUBSTANCE said to give the feeling of booze without the health risks is being developed by controversial ex Government drugs tsar Professor David Nutt. The solution is added to liquid. It is claimed anyone using it will get the alcohol high without the hangover or deadly liver damage. There is even an antidote which would allow a user to DRIVE home after taking it. Here, the scientist - recently sacked as chairman of the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after saying ecstasy is safer than alcohol - gives the reason for the innovation.

We have been poisoning ourselves for 2,000 years. Modern science can now provide a safer way for us to have fun.
Extraordinary claims ... Professor David Nutt

I am working on a prototype of a synthetic alcohol. We can make someone feel pleasantly inebriated then reverse it.

We have a partial alternative tested on volunteers. With Government backing, the first ever synthetic alcohol could be available in three to five years.

The potential for this is enormous. It could slash Britain's binge drinking epidemic, which currently costs the NHS £3billion a year, and reduce the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning.

At the moment it is very hard to treat alcohol poisoning - medics simply have to wait for booze to clear the system.

With the new approach, they would have an antidote available immediately.

Law enforcement could even have the antidote to use on revellers who have used the solution. We could get rid of liver cirrhosis, stomach ulcers, cardiac problems and a huge number of the toxic effects.

We have worked out how alcohol affects the brain and can target these areas. We gave one volunteer a substance similar to Valium, which is a sedative.

The feeling was similar to being drunk. We then reversed this.
We have the knowledge to make a far superior synthetic alcohol. But this project is hard to progress.

Firstly, there is little external interest, perhaps because people think this idea is too radical.

Secondly, selling the substance would be difficult. It would be classified as a drug and would fall foul of drug laws.

This is why we need Government support. Alcohol manufacturers may also protest...

At the moment we don't have a sensible approach to alcohol - it's time for a discussion about safe alternatives.

You are never going to stop people enjoying a drink. But if they are going to drink, let them do it without the terrible risks of alcohol.

I believe in 25 years we could be drinking high-quality, safe alcohol.
Hopefully in the future people will raise a toast over my grave with a glass of synthetic .

]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133885-u-k-david-nutt-developing-synthetic-alcohol-without-bad-only-good.html <![CDATA[Mo: "Fake marijuana" (K2 smoke blend) gets the attention of local police.]]> http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133868-mo-fake-marijuana-k2-smoke-blend-gets-attention-local-police.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:52:35 GMT
Mo: FAKE MARIJUANA [K2 Smoke blend]GETS ATTENTION OF POLICE .
NORML | 11/3/09 | David Klepper




Missouri
-------

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It burns like marijuana, works like
marijuana and it sort of looks like it, too.

And it's perfectly legal.

It's called K2, and area police confirm that the little bags of dried herbs are starting to pop up among teens and young adults.

Although it may be new on the local drug scene, K2 and similar brands have the attention of a Kansas lawmaker who said she would consider outlawing the substance. That's because the health risks of smoking one of these dubious doobies is unknown. Some European countries already have moved to ban it.

Available for sale online and at a store in Lawrence, Kan., K2 comes in a small pouch. Inside is a mix of dried herbs that look like oregano but are laced with chemicals designed to mimic the effects of marijuana. Other brands go by the names Spice, Genie and Zohai.

Because the active ingredients are just a few atoms away from the real thing, the synthetic stuff isn't covered by laws banning marijuana. This means K2 and similar products are legal - even though the effects are identical to pot.

Johnson County police first discovered the drug was being used by ex-convicts on probation. They turned to K2 hoping it wouldn't show up on drug tests as marijuana. Now police are finding it in high schools.

The Sacred Journey, a botanical store in Lawrence, sells bags of K2 for $15 to $30. A store manager declined to comment, but an employee said K2 should be burnt as incense and isn't meant to be smoked. A competing brand is marketed online as "plant food."

The Johnson County Crime Lab ran an analysis on K2. Although it tested negative for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, it was positive for synthetic cannabinoids. These are chemical compounds created in a lab that act on the brain like THC.

K2 contains two synthetic cannabinoids created at Clemson University. Chemistry professor John W. Huffman said an undergraduate student working in his lab actually created one of the compounds, called JWH-018 after Huffman's initials.

Huffman said his research was designed to help find new pharmaceutical drugs and a deeper understanding of brain chemistry. He had no intention of inventing a new way to get high.

"But I'm not the least bit surprised," Huffman said. "If you make something illegal, like marijuana, people will look for an alternative."

Yet the fake marijuana may be more dangerous than the real McCoy, according to Huffman. He noted that unlike with marijuana, the risks of smoking synthetic cannabis haven't been studied. His research suggests the compounds likely break down in the body into carcinogens.

The manufacturer behind K2 and similar brands remains a mystery. No information is available about the company or individuals making the products. Huffman said he thought much of the new synthetic cannabis comes from labs in Asia.

He suspects the manufacturer turns the synthetic cannabinoid into powdered or liquid form and mixes it with otherwise harmless herbs.

Britain, Germany, Poland, France, South Korea and Russia have moved to ban the sale of synthetic cannabis within the past year. Kansas may not be far behind.

State Rep. Peggy Mast, an Emporia Republican, hadn't heard about K2 until informed by The Kansas City Star. But she's worried enough to suggest the state should take action.

"I would be very happy to sponsor a bill to make this illegal," Mast said.

Mast sponsored legislation a few years ago that outlawed the hallucinogenic plants jimson weed and salvia divinorum.

Johnson County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Farkes worries that teens may assume synthetic cannabis is safe because it's legal.

"I've even talked with parents who say, 'Oh, it's completely legal so I don't have a problem with my kid smoking it,' " Farkes said.

But Huffman isn't so sure outlawing his creation will help much.

"You ban one and they'll come up with another one," he said.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ganjika's Notes:

- Editors note: I'd like to add a few things I believe is important for the public to know, I've taken the liberty to put together a list of the herbs in k2 to see if i could get a grasp on how much (if any) danger would be associated with k2's use - from the approach of ; are any of these herbs toxic? this is what i found:
---

Note : N/a Does NOT necessarily mean not toxic, rather that there was no information i came across that stated it was -

Also - this list is as of now - pertaining to all the herbs i
could find in k2 standard/citron/blonde & summit.

[During this study - i found that MANY of the plants listed below have a ton of medicinal value - from easing constipation to even KILLING CANCER CELLS in a way similar to THC's effect on cancer cells - killing dying/aging/weak and cancerous cells and leaving the healthy tissues perfectly fine. (thc actually STRENGTHENS healthy tissues.) - I''ll post a list of each plants medicinal value SOON.]

K2 Standard: contains a proprietary
blend of herbs and extracts including :

Canavalia rosea -
Seeds are toxic (but there are NO seeds in K2.).


Clematis vitalba -
Clematis is also known as Poor Man's Friend and Boys Baca - referring to the stems being used as a tobacco substitute. However, all parts of the plant are toxic to a certain degree. Flowers were also used as a substitute for tea. TOXIC IF EATEN.

Nelumbo nucifera -
n/a.

Pedicularis grandifolia -
n/a.

Heimia salicifolia -
No adverse side-effects or after-effects are known. This plant is not known to be particularly toxic, although prolonged use can negatively affect memory.

Humulus lupulus -
Hop (Humulus lupulus) is cultivated for its use in beer-making. It is also used as an ornamental vine in many areas. Hop pickers can develop dermatitis from working with common hop plants

Lavender -
n/a.

Leonurus sibiricus -
No truly toxic dosage is known massive overdoses fed to rats during experiments did not produce death. Because the effects of the pure herbage are not especially pronounced, they can be synergistically potentiated by mixing with other herbs.

Ledum palustre -
Wild rosemary is used in beer for it's pleasantly fresh and spicy aroma, its bitter taste and also its enjoyable narcotic properties. It should not be used in excess as it is somewhat toxic and can cause headaches.

Calendula blossoms -
N/A.

Rose -
N/A

Bay Bean -
N/A
]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133868-mo-fake-marijuana-k2-smoke-blend-gets-attention-local-police.html USA: Doctors to Feds: Marijuana is medicine http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133862-usa-doctors-feds-marijuana-medicine.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:15:46 GMT Doctors to Feds: Marijuana is medicine
11/11/09 | Examiner.com | Chris Goldstein

The American Medical Association has stepped boldly forward into the modern era of medical marijuana asking that cannabis be removed from Schedule I in the federal Controlled Substances Act. The new stance materialized on November 10th when AMA’s Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) issued a report entitled, Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes.

The CSAPH report detailed and affirmed the medical benefits of marijuana while calling for further research into cannabinoids. The report concluded that, "short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis."

In strong language to the federal government the report also asks that, "the Schedule I status of marijuana be reviewed with the goal of facilitating clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods."

This pragmatic reversal on the part of the largest physician group in the United States also represents a full circle for the influential organization. In 1937 the AMA opposed the first federal marijuana prohibition law during congressional hearings.

Their Legislative Council at the time, William Woodward, prophetically stated: “the prevention of the use of the drug for medicinal purposes can accomplish no good end whatsoever. How far it may serve to deprive the public of the benefits of a drug that on further research may prove to be of substantial value, it is impossible to foresee."

In December 2009 New Jersey will have final votes on a medical marijuana bill and Pennsylvania will have their first public hearings. This announcement from the AMA should ring the bell for state elected officials that they can provide their citizens with legal protections and cannabis access while federal policy continues to evolve.

For more information please visit the website of Americans for Safe Access who helped spur this new direction for the AMA. ASA*:*Advancing Legal Medical Marijuana Therapeutics and Research ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133862-usa-doctors-feds-marijuana-medicine.html CO: Should Boulder be the medical-marijuana epicenter of Colorado? A city council.... http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133861-co-should-boulder-medical-marijuana-epicenter-colorado-city-council.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:13:23 GMT Should Boulder be the medical-marijuana epicenter of Colorado? A city council member says "no"
11/12/09 | Westword | Michael Roberts

Medical marijuana is a smokin'-hot topic in Boulder these days, what with the city council this week implementing assorted restrictions on dispensaries -- and almost (but not quite) legitimizing any and all weed sellers, whether they're supplying licensed patients or not.

Shortly thereafter, councilman Macon Cowles spoke to the Boulder Daily Camera about the possibility of creating a "'city marijuana facility,' where local growers and providers could bring excess product to have redistributed to other dispensaries" -- a notion that shares some common ground with state senator Al White's idea for the state to take charge of growing and distributing medical marijuana.

Cowles hasn't backed away from this concept -- but he does take issue with a line in the article about Boulder becoming the nexus for medical marijuana in the state. Here's that passage:

He also said that as long as medical marijuana is being legally grown -- and taxed -- in Colorado, Boulder might as well be the epicenter for it and reap the benefits.
"I think this is potentially an important industry," Cowles said.


When contacted about the Daily Camera piece, Cowles replied via e-mail that he didn't have time to go into detail about a city marijuana facility -- but he did want to "clarify what I think is the wrong impression left by the article.

"I do not advocate that Boulder become the epicenter for Medical Marijuana," he wrote. "I do advocate that a commission be put together of local people to study how the needs of medical-marijuana patients can be satisfied in an orderly way and within the bounds of the law. In this way, law enforcement, the City, patients, and providers can be assured that the legitimate needs of patients are being met legally, removing uncertainty and increasing the safety surrounding the implementation of Amendment 20."

Guess there's no need add the phrase "The Epicenter of Medical Marijuana in Colorado" to those "Welcome to Boulder" signs. ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133861-co-should-boulder-medical-marijuana-epicenter-colorado-city-council.html CO: Breckenridge Votes to Legalize Pot. http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133781-co-breckenridge-votes-legalize-pot.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:44:02 GMT
CO: Breckenridge Votes to Legalize Pot

NORML | 11/3/09 | David Klepper



Colorado Town Will Decriminalize Possession as Medical Marijuana Movement Gains Steam.

Breckenridge made pot legal, Denver rejected a get-tough proposal on unlicensed drivers, and tax hikes were turned back around the state Tuesday in municipal elections that appeared to show a public in an anti-government mood.

In Breckenridge, 72 percent of voters in early returns voted to make up to 1 ounce of marijuana legal for adults over 21. The measure is largely symbolic — pot possession is still against state law — but supporters said they wanted to send a message to local law enforcement to stop busting small-time pot smokers.

"We believe this a signal to the state of Colorado and the nation as a whole," said Sean McAllister, a Breckenridge lawyer who pushed the decriminalization measure. Denver approved a similar decriminalization in 2005.

The Breckenridge vote came as communities nationwide are struggling with how to enforce pot laws at a time when medical marijuana has surged in popularity, especially in Colorado and California.

McAllister said the vote shows people want to skip medical marijuana and legalize pot for everyone.

"They're saying, 'We've seen this drug war, and it has failed,"' McAllister said.
-- ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133781-co-breckenridge-votes-legalize-pot.html USA: AMA Calls For Ending The “Schedule I Lie”. http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133719-usa-ama-calls-ending-schedule-i-lie.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:25:29 GMT
AMA Calls For Ending The “Schedule I Lie”.

NORML | 11/10/09 | Paul Armentano



The Schedule I federal classification of cannabis — which states that, by law, the marijuana plant and its natural compounds have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” — has long since passed the point of farcical. Nevertheless, defenders of the so-called “Schedule I lie” have possessed, for nearly 30 years, one prestigious ally that they could always rely on to endorse their absurd position: the American Medical Association...

Not anymore!


Today the AMA voted to reverse its longstanding endorsement of cannabis’ Schedule I prohibitive status. The vote took place during the organization’s annual Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates in Houston, Texas, and marks the first time that the AMA has revisited its position on cannabis in eight years.

As newly amended, the AMA’s official position (see specifically pages 12, 13, and 14) regarding the medical use of cannabis no longer “recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.” Rather, the Association now resolves “that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.”

The AMA also today demolished long-held pot prohibitionist claim — frequently publicized by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and others — that “no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use.” To the contrary, the AMA has adopted a report drafted by its Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes,” which states, “Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.”

Now that the AMA has finally acknowledged reality, is anyone else wondering if David Evans (or the DEA) will finally update their talking points? ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133719-usa-ama-calls-ending-schedule-i-lie.html <![CDATA[D.C: "Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress.]]> http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133560-d-c-truth-trials-act-reintroduced-congress.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:21:24 GMT
D.C: "Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress.
NORML | 11/6/09 |

"Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress

Washington, DC: California Democrat Sam Farr, along with a bipartisan coalition of 27 co-sponsors, has reintroduced legislation to protect state-authorized medical cannabis patients and their providers from federal prosecution.

House Bill 3939: the Truth in Trials Act of 2009 would provide an affirmative defense in federal court for defendants whose actions were in compliance with the medical marijuana laws of their state.

Passage of House Bill 3939 would codify legal protections for defendants caught between state and federal laws, ensuring that they can cite state law as a legal defense in federal trials.

It states: "Any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense under any Federal law shall have the right to introduce evidence demonstrating that the marijuana-related activities for which the person stands accused were performed in compliance with State law regarding the medical use of marijuana."

Said Farr: "This is a common sense bill that will help stop the waste of law enforcement and judicial resources that have been spent prosecuting individuals who are following state laws. This legislation is about fair treatment of defendants in medical marijuana trials, plain and simple."

Last month United States Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memorandum to federal prosecutors directing them to not "focus federal resources ... on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."

Previous versions of the Truth in Trials Act were introduced in both the 108th and 109th Congress, but failed to receive a public hearing or a committee vote.

In June, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank reintroduced legislation – HR 2835: The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 – authorizing the state-authorized use of medical marijuana. That bill remains pending before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133560-d-c-truth-trials-act-reintroduced-congress.html MA: POT BUST Took Place With Congressman Barney Frank Present. http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133559-ma-pot-bust-took-place-congressman-barney-frank-present.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:30:42 GMT
Barney Frank: POT BUST Took Place With Congressman Present.

Huffington post | 11/7/09 |



Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was present during his partner James Ready's marijuana arrest in 2007, according to a police report.

Ready was arrested at his home in Qgunquite, Maine and was charged with marijuana possession, cultivation, and use of drug paraphrenalia. Marijuana plants were found in Ready's backyard. Ready paid a fine for civil possession and the rest of the charges were dismissed in 2008.

The Boston Globe reports that Frank was on the front porch and told police that he never saw the plants and would not have recognized them. Frank repeated those remarks to Boston TV station FOX25, saying he would not recognize the plants because "he is not a great outdoorsman" and "would not recognize most plants."

Congressman Frank, who is openly gay and serves as the head of the House Financial Services Committee, supports legalizing marijuana for medical use. Last week, the state of Maine became the fifth in the nation to approve retail medical marijuana dispensaries. ]]> The Drug War Headline News Ganjika http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133559-ma-pot-bust-took-place-congressman-barney-frank-present.html CO: Should Colorado marijuana dispensaries follow the New Mexico model? http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133395-co-should-colorado-marijuana-dispensaries-follow-new-mexico-model.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:58:02 GMT Should Colorado marijuana dispensaries follow the New Mexico model?
11/5/09 | Westword | Joel Warner

As a recent Court of Appeals decision and a Board of Health brouhaha made clear, Colorado's medical marijuana is in desperate need of an overhaul. While officials and dispensary owners tussle over ridiculously vague pot laws, the state's marijuana patients are stuck in between -- a population that continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

So how do we fix this mess? One option might be to copy New Mexico's new medical marijuana system, in which state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries grow and distribute pot to card-carrying marijuana patients. Rhode Island launched a similar model, and Maine voters followed suit this week, voting to expand their ten-year-old marijuana law to include state-regulated dispensaries.

Could the New Mexico model work here? Possibly -- or possibly not.

On one hand, the state-sanctioned nonprofit system could solve many of the headaches currently plaguing the local medical-marijuana scene. State oversight of the dispensaries could help calm concerns that these operations are essentially unregulated (they're probably the only place in the state where you can legally buy processed food products that involve no inspections whatsoever). Furthermore, by requiring dispensaries to be nonprofits, regulators would force their owners to prove, once and for all, that they are "in it for the patients." Those working for the right reasons would stick around -- and those in it just to make a buck (and all the side businesses tagging along) will slink away.

If only the solution were so simple. In reality, New Mexico's system, which was instituted by the state health department late last year, hasn't worked perfectly. According to a recent New York Times story, nearly two dozen nonprofit groups have applied for the new state license, but the health department refuses to release any information about them. That means other regulatory agencies have no access to the facilities and the community is still largely in the shadows.

There's also the conundrum of how to transplant this model wholesale onto a large and mature dispensary industry like Colorado's. Would the current for-profit shops, which now number in the three digits, be able to turn into nonprofits, or would everybody have to shut down and start again? Either way, it would be a long and arduous process, leaving marijuana patients in the lurch. According to a Santa Fe Reporter story, it's taken New Mexico authorities months to consider the handful of applications so far received. Imagine how long it would take the already-strapped Colorado health department to sign off on all the operations needed to satisfy the 15,000 or so Colorado patients clamoring for their meds.

There are legal conundrums, too. Colorado is the only state where medical marijuana laws are enshrined as a constitutional amendment -- meaning it's very difficult to change them. The New Mexico model would be such a drastic change to what's in place here that it's possible the only way to institute it would be through another constitutional amendment. While state legislators could try to institute the system, they better be ready for dispensary owners, many of whom are doing quite well for themselves under the for-profit system, to fight them every step of the way.

And finally, even the New Mexico system would do nothing to solve the worrying situation that Colorado's medical-marijuana program is, at its heart, illegal. As the state Court of Appeals made clear last week, those who supply medical marijuana must do more than just provide pot to ensure the well-being of their patients. Even if the state begins licensing nonprofit dispensaries here, those operations still need to obtain marijuana -- either as seeds, clones or full-grown plants -- from somewhere else. In essence, there's no way everybody in the supply chain can provide for the well-being of every single patient. So does that mean the state, by condoning these dispensaries, would be involved in a crime? No one, it seems, knows the answer.

So there you go. The New Mexico model might help sooth some of Colorado's medical marijuana troubles -- but don't expect a magic bullet. ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133395-co-should-colorado-marijuana-dispensaries-follow-new-mexico-model.html <![CDATA[CA: California's marijuana seizures at all-time high]]> http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133394-ca-californias-marijuana-seizures-all-time-high.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:55:20 GMT California's marijuana seizures at all-time high
11/4/09 | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA | GLENDA ANDERSON


California's pot police have again shattered records for confiscating marijuana.

The state's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting seized 4.4 million marijuana plants during this year's eradication operations of four-and-a-half months, up from last year's take of 2.9 million, officials said Wednesday.

State Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement spokeswoman Michelle Gregory attributed the hike to increased cultivation and more comprehensive eradication.

“We think they're growing larger gardens and we're getting better at finding them and being able to access them,” she said.

Critics say the increase in marijuana seizures is an indication the war on pot production has failed.

Confiscation records were also set in Lake and Mendocino counties, two of the top five pot producers in the state. But after three years in the top spot, Lake County fell this year to second place, despite the seizure of 506,506 plants, up from 499,508 last year.

Shasta County, where law officials seized 557,862 plants, took its place for the most pot seized.

State officials, together with local law enforcement, seized 440,689 pot plants in Mendocino County, up from 231,802 last year. In Sonoma County, just over 100,000 plants were seized, compared with 71,364 last year.

The state's figures do not include the number of pot plants seized by local officials the rest of the year and without assistance from the state program, called CAMP.

Most of the seized marijuana — over 75 percent — was growing on public, state or federal land. And much of it is grown by Mexican drug cartels, state law officials said.

The gardens are causing deforestation, damage to wildlife habitat and streams and leaving behind chemical pollution, they said.

Armed gardeners pose a risk to people utilizing public lands for recreation, said George Anderson, director of the Justice Department's Division of Law Enforcement.

CAMP seized 89 weapons and made 111 arrests during the operation. ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133394-ca-californias-marijuana-seizures-all-time-high.html CA: Medical marijuana shops abound in California http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133393-ca-medical-marijuana-shops-abound-california.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:52:42 GMT Medical marijuana shops abound in California
11/5/09 | Associated Press | MARCUS WOHLSEN and GREG RISLING

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. — The medical marijuana dispensary in this California wine country town is in a former auto dealership, and has more registered patients than the town has residents. Los Angeles has more pot shops than Starbucks and almost as many as public schools.

The surge in medical marijuana in California has left many communities scrambling to regulate the free-for-all, while others are trying to ban the drug altogether. The issue took on greater urgency after the Obama administration announced looser federal marijuana guidelines last month.

Some local governments are looking to take an approach similar to Sebastopol, where officials welcome the business as a strong source of tax revenue during the recession.

The Peace in Medicine marijuana dispensary is a clean, modern operation and could easily be mistaken for a doctor's office, if not for the three security guards and overwhelming skunky smell of pot.

"I guess I had my prejudices that it was going to have bars on the windows and be something very obvious and unappealing to the public," longtime city councilman Larry Robinson said.

Now the dispensary is about to open a second location, next to a Starbucks.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be leading this thing," said Peace in Medicine's operator, Robert Jacob.

In Los Angeles — the marijuana dispensary capital of the country — about 800 dispensaries are estimated to have opened despite a 2007 order halting new pot operations.

The explosion is blamed on a loophole in the City Council's moratorium. Final regulations are still not in place.

The struggle is blamed on the vagueness of the ballot initiative that California voters passed in 1996 legalizing medical use of the drug. The measure makes no mention of how or where the drug can be sold.

"I think Los Angeles has made this more difficult by not having acted sooner," said Joe Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access, a pro-medical marijuana group. "There has been pressure for a long time on the City Council to do something."

Federal crackdowns followed the 1996 vote, and fear of prosecution kept pot storefronts out of many areas. But looser federal guidelines, first signaled by Attorney General Eric Holder in February and further outlined in an October memo, have emboldened would-be dispensary operators. The new guidelines simply instruct federal prosecutors to avoid prosecution when dispensaries comply with state medical marijuana laws.

Sacramento is looking to other pot-tolerant cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and Malibu for insight into keeping medical marijuana available but in check.

Most of the state capital's 39 registered dispensaries opened this year before the city passed an emergency moratorium in June.

"They're seeing a little bit of leniency in the federal government that they haven't seen before," said Michelle Heppner, who is leading the city's effort to regulate dispensaries. "They're seeing this as a perfect time in their movement to progress."

One key for cities is finding a way to ensure dispensaries truly operate as nonprofits as called for by state Attorney General Jerry Brown.

Officials in Fresno have decided the best way to avoid problems with dispensaries is to not have any. In 2006, the City Council passed a zoning ordinance requiring any pot dispensaries to comply with both state and federal law, and the U.S. government still bans the drug outright.

A state judge last month sided against nine Fresno dispensaries that opened this year, upholding the zoning ordinance that forbids them and ordering them to close.

Smaller cities are also turning to zoning laws. In Claremont, a college town about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, Darrell Kruse sought to open a dispensary in mid-2006 but the zoning code did not permit them.

Kruse opened Claremont All-Natural Nutrition Aids Buyers Information Service (CANNABIS) anyway. Several months later, he was convicted of operating without a business license and fined. A state court rejected his appeal. ]]> The Drug War Headline News timiscute http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/133393-ca-medical-marijuana-shops-abound-california.html