NORML’s Weekly Legislative Round Up
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March 27, 2009
As I wrote on NORML’s blog yesterday, let the White House laugh for now but the public knows that the marijuana law reform issue is no laughing matter.More states are moving forward to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties for marijuana offenses, and this week has been especially busy.
If you have not yet gotten active in your state, now is most definitely the time to start.
Here’s this week’s latest summary of how you can get involved!
Taxing & Regulating Marijuana: As we noted previously this week, a pair of bills — House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 — seeking to “tax and regulate the cannabis industry” have been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature. You can show your support for these measures here.
In California, next Tuesday’s scheduled hearing before the Public Safety Committee on Assembly Bill 390: The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act, has been postponed. However, this is a good news! Members of the Committee on Public Safety and Health were anticipated to vote on AB 390 immediately following next week’s hearing. While it is impossible to know how the Committee would have voted, all early indications were that several powerful members of the Committee were expected to oppose the bill. We now have additional time to lobby the Public Safety Committee and the Assembly to support AB 390, which you can do here and here.
Decriminalizing Marijuana: Members of the Connecticut Joint Committee on Judiciary heard testimony this week from NORML and others in favor of Senate Bill 349, which seeks to reclassify the possession of minor amounts of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction. This measure is backed by a solid majority of state voters, and you can urge the Judiciary Committee to support this effort here.
Members of the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee also heard testimony in favor of a similar bill, Senate Bill 320. You can read about the hearing here, and voice your support by going here.
Finally in Montana, members of the House Judiciary Committee deadlocked in a 9 to 9 vote this week on House Bill 541, which seeks to reclassify the possession of thirty grams or less of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil infraction. This action does not kill HB 541, as the Committee can reconsider the issue if just one member is persuaded to change their vote. Help them do so by going here.
Legalizing Medical Marijuana: In arguably the biggest legislative news of the week, members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted Wednesday 234 to 138 in favor of House Bill 648, which seeks to authorize the physician supervised use of marijuana. The vote marked the first time that either chamber of the legislature had voted in favor of the medicinal use of cannabis. You can learn more about this effort by going here and here.
In other progress, legislative committees in Illinois and Minnesota also approved medical marijuana bills this week. Key hearings and committee votes are also scheduled in the coming days in Montana and Alabama. You can learn how to support these and other statewide medical cannabis efforts at NORML’s Take Action Center here.
To learn about additional pending legislation in Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, please visit NORML’s Legislative Action Alerts page here.
68 Responses to “NORML’s Weekly Legislative Round Up”
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Do we have a chance of passing this thing in Illinois?
Today on CNN Larry King show will have debate on legalizing cannabis
If you really want to help your own state pass marijuana Bills for medical or personal use, visit your legislators in person, take the time to make your mark and to be taken seriously. As of yesterday, President Obama referred to people on the internet as, “people online.” As though we were people not to be taken seriously. Government leaders know that if you vist them personally, your information is considered to represent at least 1000 voters.
Phone Callers: 100 voters
E-Mail & Letters: 10 voters
Good Luck, I know Tennessee doesn’t stand a chance in hell to pass anything this year.
you guys will enjoy this!
http://trevortitman.com/blog/2009/03/bong-hits-4-ashcroft/
I just got paid today…..SO!! Im’a go make a bunch of fucking reefer flyers and just litter the fucking streets with that sh!t. I’m taping it up everywhere in the next few days—bathrooms, street poles, apt complexs…..fuck it. Laugh at this sh!t OBAMA!!!!
They seriously believe this is a joke. They honestly cannot even link “green Jobs” to even hemp. What are we going to do to inform them?
We need to move while the wave is here, and we need to move hard.
the way to “move hard” is for every available pot smoker to visit the white house lawn on one single day.
google million marijuana march for details
I want to make flayers too!!!
Maybe we can all make flyers…
Diffrent flyers to represent the diffrent communities!!!
OK, flyers are good, thanx for the suggestion #5 & #8.
HELP IN INDIANA! I am surrounded by positive legislation changes on all border lines of Indiana that deal with marijuana laws. It’s like an old Steelers Wheel song (I,M STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU).
BILL O’REILLY WANTS TO DECRIMINALIZE POT. HEAR IT IN HIS OWN WORDS HERE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_Convention_on_Narcotic_Drugs
CLICK LISTEN NOW AND GO TO TIME CODE 21:50
Still no word from Wisconsin.
Why is it so hard to find the donate button on this website?
ya make flyer’s and make sure to vote I’m a bush voter myself don’t hate bush’s love to party point is Vote in the people make sign march on Washington call or see in person both you state and fed rep’s the place where law’s are made pound Obama with this over and over just like gay rights’s people do put down the bong pipe etc etc get the red out and VOTE make a real CHANGE don’t get told there will be CHANGE by a lier VOTE in the right people and make a CHANGE
Did anyone see the Debate between Montel Williams and that Baldwin Boy…?!?! Montel Kicked his ASS BIG TIME..!!
Where can I get the information about the info that Montel talked about.. I need the information to make a HUGE evidence list to send to some Tennessee Legilators.. that want more evidence… I have the information and links to the Patent that the 2nd Bush administration put on Cannabis in 2003.. They Lied and claimed it has no medical properties. and at the same time they were telling everyone it has no medical properties.. they were awarded a patent in 2003 that states the cannabinoids have all kinds of medical properties.. I didn’t know that the government has a place in Mississippi where they grow POT and stamp it and send it out to what used to be 25 .. but is down to five people..
agree with #13 your ‘donate’ icon should be better placed and BIG!
Put a paypal donation button on NORML. Only take about 2 mins to do it.
If your Broke and have no money to give. Use good search and enter a charity name.
If every search you a run a penny will be given to the charity of your choice
How many searches a day do your run?
NORMAL and MPP are charities on good search
Here is the link to the toolbars you will need to install one
http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbars.aspx
After your Toolbar is installed enter NORML or MPP in the Charity box located on the toolbar.
NORML – National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Washington, DC)
If you would like to get your charity more money than SHOP thru good search.
Vendor List http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx
There is a list of vendors at the link above and the percents the will give back to your charity
Some examples
Amazon offers 1.5% back on purchases so if you spend $100.00 they give NORML $1.50
EBay 25% – 37.5% donation of eBay’s FEE Revenue (not item sale price) on ALL Winning Bids or Buy It Nows (BINs). Donation percentage based on overall volume.
$12.50 – $17.50 donation per new active user (based on overall volume).
A new “active user” is an individual who: (a) registers for eBay for the first time; (b) confirms his or her registration with an eBay-supplied password sent by email; (c) then goes onto eBay and places a bid or uses Buy-It-Now to purchase an item within 30 days of their original registration.
Dell Gives 2% donation on all products. If you buy a $1200.00 computer dell kicks back $24.00 to your charity
Link to Dells Good search Page
http://www.goodsearch.com/merchantdetail.aspx?id=25
The above is a link to Dells charity page
Also remember to check out the discounts and coupons under each vendor lots of nice Deals and Offers.
You must click thru the Good search vendor page in order for the donation to count
You will click the yellow button that says “goodshop this store” on the vendor page a new browse window will open.
Do all shopping within this browser window.
So your charity gets the donation.
This is FREE money you can give NORML or MPP
Hey NORML can you people start organizing rallies in favor of current legislation happening in CA and MA? we need to be preemptive not reactive! Lets take it off the net and into real life! This is how alcohol prohibition ended: http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00492/we_want_beer.jpg
I just wanna take the time to tell you all that I love you people. We can get through this. Times are tough, especially after Obama’s town hall debacle, but we’re strong and our numbers are humongous. Probably larger than most of us realize. There are plenty of cannabis users out there that have yet to make their voice heard, for fear of prosecution, naturally. We’re fighting for them because we’re sick and tired of being treated like kids and criminals. We WILL stand tall. We will unite and we WILL win this war.
March on Washington this year!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-henry-sterry/
mexican-drug-lord-officia_b_179596.html?view=screen
The Drug Lord of the cartel in Mexico officially thanks Bush, Obama other presidents for building his empire by keeping drugs illegal and says it will be a sad day when they finally make them legal for me and my close friends.
This week was an amazing week for marijuana. Everyone on every station was talking about it. To bad Obama doesnt seem to want to have an adult conversation about it. The country is ready, are you President Obama ?
Al, completely agree. We need to get these rallies started ! I dont understand why Norml is not organizing the troops.
YOU DA MAN TREVOR: I’D VOTE FOR YOU
Maybe after the civil war on the previous comments page we can all agree to get back to constructive conversation. Feel free to leave honest feedback as my intent is to share ideas, critical comments are welcome,please don’t be offended if I do the same. And yes feel free to call me any name you want, as your never going to know my real one. “The song not the singer”.
#19 Al, thanks for the support on the previous page, appreciate it but like I said sticks and stones.
Have to give your call for demonstrations an A for energy but I do have a few respectful Concerns.
While I admire people willing to put their names and reputaions and yes futures on the line, I do believe this issue is one at least a lot of people choose to fight anonamously. (REMEMBER FRIENDS AND ENEMIES I ALREADY ADMITTED I’M A VERY POOR SPELLER.)
I and many others can not ask off work to travel to a pro-pot rally and I really doubt there will be a local one. I certainly can not afford to be seen on YOUTUBE at a pot rally. I need my job and my health insurance. I had a heart attack last year. Without employer provided insurance one visit to my cardiologist would be more that I make in a month, one months prescription refills is more than my mortgage. I DO STRONGLY BELIEVE IN MARIJUANA REFORM, AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS I LIKE TO THINK I WOULD DIE FOR, BUT I ADMIT MARIJUANA IS NOT ONE OF THEM. A coward maybe, but I say again, Police have anononamous tip-lines, this great country is founded on the secret ballot and gun owners (NORML COULD LEARN A LOT FROM THE NRA) fiercly oppose registration.
I have 2 main concerns per public demonstrations. One, if the crowds are not big enough the politicians will say this is an accurate gauge of the (lack of) support for reform. Two I’ve worked in Public relations all my life and be sure that media coverage of such an event would show the loudest, roudiest, longest hair, most tattooed most body pierced of our brethren.
In my opinion Public Demonstrations would be counter-productive.
My plan would be for these pages to nominate one Democrat and one Republican anti-pot congressman. Norml could then focus all it’s recources on defeating these two at the polls. If Norml could demonstrate an ability to sway 5 to 10 percent of the popular vote, the rest of congress would get the message after a couple of election cycles. What do you say.
Also I’m concerned that we havn’t yet laid enough groundwork for the legalization efforts in CA and MA.
I’d love to be wrong but I just don’t think were there yet.
People who know me in real life say I missed my calling by not being a history teacher. One I live in the south and I’m not a football coach. Two I honestly believe students can learn history (not other subjects like science or math, which do require a human teacher) better via audio-visual materials.
After 911 they tried to say we supported terrorism, now it’s the cartels. When someone tells you the bloodbath in Mexico, buy the following films and loan them to your accuser. Then ask for their honest opinion.
1. THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939)
2. THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931)
3. LITTLE CAESAR (1931)
4. lAST MAN STANDING (1996)
These pictures are worth a million words.
Since NORML seems like a powerful politcal force, it should organize a protest or march of some sort to make its cause known, if we stick to the internet we will not accomplish much.
FOREWORD TO THE ROARING TWENTIES
IT MAY COME TO PASS THAT,
AT SOME DISTANT DATE, WE
WILL BE CONFRONTED WITH
ANOTHER PERIOD SIMILAR TO
THE ONE DEPICTED IN THIS
PHOTOPLAY. IF THAT HAPPENS
I PRAY THAT THE EVENTS, AS
DRAMATIZED HERE, WILL BE
REMEMBERED.
“AN ERA WHICH WILL GROW
MORE AND MORE INCREDIBLE
WITH EACH PASSING GENERATION,
UNTIL SOMEDAY PEOPLE WILL SAY
IT NEVER COULD HAVE HAPPENED
AT ALL”
FOREWORD TO LITTLE CAESAR
PERHAPS THE TOUGHEST OF THE
GANGSTER FILMS, “PUBLIC ENEMY”
AND “LITTLE CAESAR” HAD A GREAT
EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION. THEY
BROUGHT HOME VIOLENTLY THE
EVILS ASSOCIATED WITH PROHIBITION
AND SUGGESTED THE NECESSITY
OF A NATIONWIDE HOUSE CLEANING.
TOM POWERS IN “PUBLIC ENEMY”
AND RICO IN “LITTLE CAESAR
ARE NOT TWO MEN, NOR ARE THEY
MERELY CHARACTERS- THEY ARE A
PROBLEM THAT SOONER OR LATER
WE THE PUBLIC MUST SOLVE.
FOUR GREAT MORALITY PLAYS, THE ROARING TWENTIES
WAS RELEASED IN 1939 TO WARN AMERICA ABOUT REPEATING THE FOLLY OF PROHIBITION. LITTLE CAESAR AND PUBLIC ENEMY WERE PLEAS FOR SANITY WHILE PROHIBITION WAS AT IT’S DEMENTED PEAK IN 1931, THE LAST YEAR OF PROHIBITION. LAST MAN STANDING (1996) IS EQUALLY PROFOUND, RELEASED TWELVE YEARS AGO AND SET IN 1920′S BORDERLAND TEXAS, COULD EASILY BE RIPPED FROM TODAY’S HEADLINES.
IF THEY WON’T LISTEN MAYBE THEY WILL WATCH.
All we can do at this point is pray that god likes marijuana as much as the rest of us and will allow this bill to pass (not to say anything about my religious beliefs.) if it passes we then have to do what we can to get to that state and buy as much weed as possible and pay whatever the ridiculously inflated tax will be. this in turn will make that state turn profit fixing roads, building schools, etc. Eventually there will be much opposition and if the bill is not repealed, then there will be a rediculous amounts of people in surounding states bringing weed from legal state to illegal states driving law enforcement in the surrounding states up. However, we can only hope that the result of this is the surrounding states throwing in the towel given the revenue from the super high tax the state leg. will receive from weed sale. there is one green the government cares about more, and that is money.
Freedom is NORML…
i got my Rights to get High…
Hahahaha…BakeD
I’m in the midst of writing a scathing iReport about how sucky CNN has been on the topic of marijuana reform. D.L. Hughley and Larry King Live were both perfect examples of how CNN still thinks marijuana is a joke topic.
Seriously. Ugh. How could you even call the debate between Montel Williams and Stephen Baldwin a DEBATE?!
want PROOF you can SEE and they can’t DENY???
Then watch this>>>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTJCMgenP9M
the lady with cerebral palsy is undeniable proof of Med weed’s benevolent powers.
Is anyone looking to start a push in Delaware? I’m not very political minded and as such have trouble playing their games but if someone knows the ropes I’m a hell of a competitor.
Let them eat cake. Storm the Bastile. Get off the computer and march on the capital. Learn from the 60″S. Remember your civil right? Force the pols to listen to you. PEACE OUT!
Hey NORML,
I think its time to up the ante.
We should have an official rally on 4/20 for legalization in every town and city in the United States. Something would have to give.
Let’s get the information public!
I heard in one video yesterday that just ONE medical marijuana dispensary alone in California nets over $100,000 in state taxes a MONTH! That’s just state taxes! Per month!
Now…if all those dispensaries suddenly all went out of business tomorrow, wouldn’t the great state of California be FUCKED??
35 – Brewmaster,
I’ve got a letter writing campaign going and have been able to get the word out via quite a few websites and blog responses. Whether anyone copies my letter or writes their own doesn’t matter. I’m providing this link and hope that NORML is so kind and lets me post this again. We all need to do something. When Obama dissed our cause during the last press conference I and many of my friends said enuf!
After 72 years of failure, over 20 million brothers and sisters imprisoned at one time or another, many DEAD!, over half a trillion dollars wasted on pot legislation / eradiation and no end in sight, we have to speak up.
Pres. Obama avoided the question in the first place. Here is the text of it:
> “With over 1 out of 30 Americans controlled by the penal system, why not legalize, control, and tax marijuana to change the failed war on drugs into a money making, money saving boost to the economy? Do we really need that many victimless criminals?” <
What was so laughable about the war on drugs being a failure? The notion that cannabis, all 3 versions – hemp, medical and recreational – can’t help the economy is a flat out lie. The government tells us each time they want to ratchet up the war on drugs, that cannabis is the number one cashcrop in the country. Well if it is the number one cash crop, then how in blazes can Obama say that he doesn’t think that legalizing can boost the economy. Nobody in their right mind thinks that cannabis can save the planet or the country. That notion is absurd. No one solution can fix everything. But cannabis and hemp cultivation and use, as well as the needed legislation and taxation are all part of the solution; among health care reform, banking reform and all the other necessities.
4-20 is only 3 weeks away. Lets use this time to get as many letters written and mailed on 4-20. We have the momentum and need to stay on it. Don’t allow the momentum to subside. As even some of mass media are actaually beginning to talk about the subject, more needs to be done. Please help!
http://tiptopwebsite.com/websites/index2.php?username=busgreg&page=100
Hey Corey, good article.
Using twitter, myspace, and other social networks to bring together pro-herb legalization rallies would be quite easy, hell even a taco truck did this successfully: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101881984
Now is the time, while we still have the public eye. Together we can end this silly little war on American freedom and bankrupt the murderous drug lords all in one swift move! But we have to act NOW!
on april 20 from 8am to 8pm there will be a march on the natinal mall in dc try to get as many people to show as possible we will not be laughed at anymore
Living in Florida one would think that this would be a hip, laid-back place, but as of yet there is no legislation for cannabis what so ever. With a large portion of the elderly population of America I would have thought this state would have been first to legalize medicinal marijuana, but I guess because of the southern roots the state has been unable to wrench itself from its bible thumping ways. Jesus used cannabis too if they only would realize, as did most people back in those days. I always thought of Florida as the “Island” state, the carribean and reggae state before I moved here, now having lived here for quite some time I see the real picture. C’mon Florida, get with the program, legalize marijuana, and let’s all go have a chill session on the beach with Peter Tosh and Mr. Marley. Blessings to you all, legalize marijuana to ease the world’s suffering, amen.
Larry King blows off the subject of marijuana reform but D.L. Hughley is very pro-pot.
Please visit and join this cause. All donations go to NORML! Thank you all! -Craig
http://www.causes.com/chkreform
Congress writes the Law, not the president.
another way to be active is to watch your local govenment. You may be able to access roll call votes on your state gov websites. Great way to see who the fuck you are voting for. When trying to write to a member of the gov be respectful yet firm…. no potty mouths gone wild ! Inform yourself like mad and you will have more power than you can fathom. ~peace out
Hello,
I have been thinking all of this over. Since Obama put himself out there by his response; I think it is on his back burner now because people are starting to make some noise. Lets all make noise.Put up billboards that say 420, little things. When your playing online games, put bets of 420 down, talk to your friends about doing the same things. Lets also donate to Norml so they can put the commercials on the air. I know something will come out of all of this. He said it was time to change. Tax Liquor really high; it will encourage people to smoke instead. I am so sick of hearing it is the “Gateway to harder drugs”, give me a break!
Lets get tough now! Lets get going while the story is hot and do as much as we can and tell our friends about what is going on.
Just Do IT!!!
They talked about Obama’s response on the internet town hall thing on the real time with Bill Maher tonight, and they totally ripped on Obama. They totally defended the cause!! FOR THE WIN
Well duh, of course Bill Maher is going to defend the cause. He’s been defending it since he was born. I can’t think of a bigger stoner with his own TV show other than maybe D.L. Hughley.
Dear NORML:
I have an idea to end this moronic debate over legalization once and for all:
Pose this question to every legislator against legalization:
You must be driven cross country by one of two drivers, driver one gets a gallon of Vodka, driver two gets an ounce of marijuana. Now choose your driver carefully!
I think that should just about end the debate!
Thanks for everything you do NORML!
shesellsseahshells
Here are a couple of links to check on the voting record of our “socalled” public servants.
http://aclu.org
(bottom of home page, click Congressional record)
thomas.loc.gov/home/rollcallvotes.html
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/
a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm
if any one does make fliers and/or stickers; be sure to place them under the windshield wipers of cars on a Friday/Saturday night. And try to make them informational, not just stoner art.