This Week in Weed: August 28th – September 3rd

Now streaming on NORMLtv is the latest edition of “This Week in Weed.” This new weekly video series covers the most newsworthy stories shaping the marijuana law reform world. This week a new study is released on cannabis use and obesity, Arkansas lowers marijuana penalties, and the DEA continues to reject proposals to grow cannabis for research purposes.

Be sure to tune in to NORMLtv each Thursday afternoon to catch up on the latest marijuana news. Subscribe to NORMLtv or follow us on Twitter to get notified as soon as new content is added.

Medi-Pot Potpourri

Cannabis law reformers are going into 2010 strong:

Arkansas:

Looks like the ‘Natural State’ is joining the 20 or more states that will have cannabis law reform legislation in 2010 with a medical cannabis bill.

Rhode Island:

RI proposes new rules for medical marijuana stores

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Health officials have proposed new rules governing how up to three medical marijuana stores would operate in Rhode Island.

The revised regulations released Friday explain in more detail how andwhen the stores would notify police and state officials in the event of emergencies. The public can comment on the draft rules during a Feb. 2 meeting.

Rhode Island lawmakers voted in June over the objection of Gov. Don
Carcieri (kuh-CHEHR’-ee) to allow up to three nonprofit stores to sell
marijuana to registered patients who use it for pain relief. The state
allowed patients to possess marijuana in 2006 but never made clear how they could legally get the drug.

Once the rules are approved, applications will be accepted to open
stores.

Pennsylvania:

Quinnipiac poll 59% say medical marijuana is a ‘good idea’

Philadelphia- A majority of Pennsylvanians favor passage of the medical marijuana bill according to a new Quinnipiac Poll released yesterday. Specifically asked about the current legislation, this is the strongest indicator yet of the tremendous popular support for safe, therapeutic cannabis access here in PA.

The greatest support came from Democrats with 67% in favor and from residents of the Northeast portion of PA who supported the issue at 72%.

Republicans were more evenly divided on the question 49% positive and 47% not. Women strongly supported medical marijuana at 57% ‘good idea’ and just 36% saying ‘bad idea.’

Nearly even support was found among all age groups 18 to 55+ and all income levels, with a close average of 60% saying ‘good idea’ to the concept of a state authorized medical cannabis program. The medical marijuana question was the last one posed to voters during the lengthy poll that mostly dealt with the PA gubernatorial candidates.

Comparatively, medical marijuana is more positively favored by every single category of voter than any of the gubernatorial candidates.

Therapeutic cannabis received significantly greater favorable poll support than Governor Rendell, Attorney General Tom Corbett or the job of the PA legislature.

Asked ‘how satisfied are you with the way things are going in Pennsylvania today’ the totals were equal ‘Smmwt Satisfied’ 38%, ‘Smmwt Dissatisfied’ 38%.

Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ) recently participated in the historic first hearings on HB 1393. The bill would legalize medical marijuana access in PA and create Compassion centers for cannabis to be sold, with a tax, to authorized patients.

More about medical marijuana in pa at www.pa4mmj.org

Wisconsin:

Three great Wisconsin medical cannabis patient heroes: Ryan Nofsinger, Christine Harrington and Jacki Rickert testify at the medical cannabis bill’s hearing this Tuesday in a video Mickey Kienitz did for madison.com.

Maryland:

Doctor-legislator eyes new medical marijuana measure; Positive signs from D.C., legalization in other states buoy pot advocates

by Alan Brody
Staff Writer

When Del. Dan K. Morhaim is in the emergency room, he can administer cocaine to anesthetize a patient. But he cannot write a prescription for marijuana as a pain reliever or nausea remedy.

That’s just one of the flaws in Maryland’s narrow medical marijuana law that Morhaim (D-Dist. 11) of Owings Mills, an emergency physician at Sinai and Northwest hospitals in Baltimore, is out to fix during next year’s legislative session.

“Physicians prescribe drugs that have risks and benefits, and we make those judgments all the time,” he said. “There’s a whole method of accountability and responsibility and constraints that control that.”

While budget discussions will take center stage in Annapolis, medical marijuana advocates believe the momentum for their cause has never been greater.

U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has said federal narcotics
agents will not crack down on pot dispensaries or prosecute users in states where the drug is allowed for medicinal purposes, reversing a Bush administration policy.

And last month the American Medical Association shifted its stance in urging the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II controlled substance, which is less restrictive than the Schedule I group it is currently in, alongside Ecstasy, heroin and PCP.

Under current state law, Marylanders can be arrested and charged for possession of marijuana, but they can avoid jail time and receive a maximum $100 fine if they can prove they have it for medicinal use.

Morhaim’s proposal would be set up similar to the state’s slots
legislation. Companies that want to grow the plant would have to bid for a license and be regulated by the state to ensure it is being done in a safe location and properly manufactured. The producers would then give a portion of its gross sales revenue to the state.

More…

United States Virgin Islands

USVI NORML Announces Citizens’ Initiative

St. Thomas, USVI, 12/18/09– USVI NORML, a local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, is excited to announce the undertaking of a territory-wide petition to place the choice for the legal reform and legalization of cannabis on the November 2010 ballot.

In order to collect the required amount of registered voter signatures the group will be hosting several voter registration drives so the voices of all Territorial citizens will be heard. Chapter President Linda Adler has stated that, “Although this will be a tremendous effort to empower the people of the Territory, it won’t take away from our continuing mission of education and independent economic development”.

For more information on upcoming events, petition locations, or membership/donation opportunities please contact the NORML offices at (340) 244-9179 or visit http://www.usvinorml.org/. Please direct all correspondence and membership applications to:

USVI NORML
P.O. Box 535
St. Thomas, USVI 00804

USVI NORML is a non-profit organization based in the US Virgin Islands. Their mission is to de-criminalize cannabis in the Territory as well as educate, protect our youth, reduce crime, and promote a healthy and positive lifestyle.

Contact Information:
Linda Adler
Executive Director, USVI NORML
(340) 244 9179 P.O. Box 535
St. Thomas, USVI 00804

Marijuana Law Reform Is A Political Opportunity — Not A Political Liability

Last January I proclaimed in the The Hill‘s Congress blog: “Marijuana law reform is no longer a political liability; it’s a political opportunity.” Ten months later it appears that an unprecedented number of state-elected officials are heeding the message. Here’s just a sample.

COLORADO: Last week the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice recommended legislators to substantially reduce marijuana penalties so that the possession of up to four ounces of pot would classified as a petty offense. Offenses involving greater amounts of cannabis (up to 16 ounces) would be reduced to a misdemeanor. State Attorney General John Suthers told the Denver Post that he supports the Commission’s recommendations which, if enacted, would make Colorado’s pot possession laws among the most lenient in the nation.

RHODE ISLAND: A special nine-member Senate panel met for the first time this week to debate revising the state’s criminal marijuana policies. The panel’s chair, Democrat Sen. Joshua Miller, said that the task-force will primarily focus on the subject of decriminalization, but that members will also likely debate the merits of taxing a regulating the adult use of cannabis. The panel’s recommendations to the legislature are due on January 10, 2010. In 2009, Rhode Island’s legislature became only the second to approve legislation licensing the establishment of medical cannabis dispensaries.

WISCONSIN: Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle recently announced his support for legislation that seeks to make Wisconsin the fourteenth state to allow for the legal use of medical cannabis. Both the Assembly and the Senate Public Health Committees are scheduled to hear testimony in favor of the legislation, known as the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, on Tuesday, December 15, 2009.

WASHINGTON: Incoming Seattle city attorney Peter Holmes announced this week that his office will no longer charge anyone with simple marijuana possession offenses. “We’re not going to bring any more (marijuana possession) charges,” he said. There are other more important, more pressing public safety matters in need of attention with the limited resources we have.” Holmes added that he supports legislation that stalled in 2009 that seeks to depenalize marijuana. Those proposals are expected to be heard by the legislature in 2010.

PENNSYLVANIA: Next month legislators will hold their first hearing — ever — on legalizing the use of medical cannabis. The House Committee on Health and Human Services will hear testimony on HB 1393, The Barry Busch Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act of 2009, on Wednesday, December 2, at 11am in Room 140 of the Main Capitol. Contact Philly NORML for further details.

ARKANSAS: Democrat Senator Randy Laverty announced this week that he is considering introducing legislation to lessen or eliminate criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses. Legislators in several other states, including New Hampshire and Texas, are also expected to debate marijuana legalization proposals in 2010.

CALIFORNIA: In the coming months legislators are expected to hold additional hearings on Assembly Bill 390, the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act, which seeks to tax and regulate the commercial production and retail sale of cannabis to those age 21 or older. The California Assembly Committee on Public Safety is anticipated to vote on the measure by late January. The vote will mark the first time that California, or the legislature of any state, has voted on the issue of cannabis regulation in over three decades.

By any standard, 2010 will be a historic year for legislative activity regarding marijuana law reform. Will you play a role in bringing common sense marijuana regulations to your community? Get active, get NORML, and be the change you want to see!