http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/ Help put a stop to marijuna prohibition and all the problems surrounding it. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:45:21 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/ http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18581-marijuana-law-reform-political-opportunity.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:50:32 GMT 11-20-2009 09:45 PM Image: http://norml.org/images/blog/NORML_Remember_Prohibition.jpg Last January I proclaimed... 11-20-2009 09:45 PM
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 to be introduced in 2010 that seeks to depenalize marijuana. Similar proposals introduced in 2009 died in committee.

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!



More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18581-marijuana-law-reform-political-opportunity.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18560-norml-show-live-oregon-norml.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:16 GMT 11-20-2009 05:10 AM Image: http://blog.norml.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Cafe-Logo-150x150.jpg ... 11-20-2009 05:10 AM
NORML SHOW LIVE provides you with exclusive access to Oregon’s world-famous Cannabis Café, this Saturday Night from 6pm-8pm Pacific.

You’ve read about it on the Reuters wire, New York Times, the Times of London, and even Al Jazeera, USA Today, and the Associated Press will be bringing you the story soon, but only “Radical” Russ can get you inside the first café exclusively for Oregon’s 21,000 medical marijuana cardholders.

Madeline Martinez from Oregon NORML and the NORML Board joins us to describe how her vision of a cannabis café has become a reality. We also speak to the patients in the café enjoying cannabis liberty in a way few outside Amsterdam enjoy.

We’ve upgraded to the latest 4G WiMax wireless technology to bring you the best remote audio possible from the café.* Cannabis Karri will be screening your calls from back in the studio and Cousin Kenny will take your questions online via our live chat window.

It’s two hours of live talk radio from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Hosted by “Radical” Russ Belville, NORML SHOW LIVE features a recap of the week’s top stories in medical marijuana, consumer cannabis, and industrial hemp; interviews with the top cannabis activists, politicians, scientists, doctors, actors, musicians, and comedians; and your calls live at 347-994-1810.




More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18560-norml-show-live-oregon-norml.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18555-time-legalize-medical-use-marijuana.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:06 GMT It is time that Wisconsin has a serious debate about legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.* If the state engages in a serious, factual... It is time that Wisconsin has a serious debate about legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes.* If the state engages in a serious, factual debate that is not derailed by ideology and political posturing, the State Legislature will have the compassion and humanity to legalize the drug for [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18555-time-legalize-medical-use-marijuana.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18553-does-revelstoke-deserve-drug-smuggling.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:50:28 GMT Many in Revelstoke likely watched The Fifth Estate episode on Friday evening titled ‘Over the Edge’ which explored the tragic tale of the death of drug smuggler and Revelstoke resident Sam Brown. The portrayal was the second one by a major national media outlet, the first being a long feature [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18553-does-revelstoke-deserve-drug-smuggling.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18550-l-council-puts-off-vote.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:50:44 GMT Despite Prosecutor’s Criticism, Dispensary Sales Likely to Get OK.The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday postponed a vote on a medical marijuana ordinance, with members saying they needed time to study numerous proposed amendments.But council members, who will return to the measure Tuesday, pressed for a quick end to a drawn-out deliberation [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18550-l-council-puts-off-vote.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18547-what-would-marijuana-legalization-look.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:40:06 GMT California — With multiple initiatives in circulation and an Assembly bill gathering headlines, discussions about legalizing marijuana have become part of California’s political discourse.Advocates on one side argue that the result will be an economic boon as tax revenues rolls in and jails rid themselves of nonviolent offenders. Defenders of prohibition say legalization would be [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18547-what-would-marijuana-legalization-look.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18542-california-medical-association-says-pot.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:06 GMT 11-19-2009 07:24 PM
[Editor's note: This post is excerpted from this week's NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML's media advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up for NORML's free e-zine here.]

Members of the California Medical Association’s (CMA) House of Delegates have endorsed a resolution stating that the criminal prohibition of marijuana is a “failed public health policy.”

As enacted, Resolution 704a-09, the “Criminalization of Marijuana” states: “[The] CMA considers the criminalization of marijuana to be a failed public health policy, … and encourage[s] … debate and education regarding the health aspects of changing current policy regarding cannabis use.”

The California Medical Association has more than 35,000 members statewide.

The newly adopted resolution coincides with the scheduling of legislative hearings regarding 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 AB 390 by late January.

Last week, the American Medical Association resolved 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 organization had previously called for cannabis to be “retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act,” a legal classification that defines the substance and its natural compounds as possessing “no currently accepted use in treatment in the United States.”



More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18542-california-medical-association-says-pot.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18537-pot-medicine.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:30:17 GMT Medical Marijuana Gains MomentumMention marijuana and we invariably flash back to the Woodstock days of long-haired hippies smoking joints and... Medical Marijuana Gains MomentumMention marijuana and we invariably flash back to the Woodstock days of long-haired hippies smoking joints and getting high.Or we recall all those anti-drug messages we’ve grown up with, accented by DARE classes in school.* Marijuana, we’re told incessantly, is illegal and not good for us.And that’s true – [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18537-pot-medicine.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18534-marijuana-dispensers-welcome-ruling-they.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:30:06 GMT They might be the only businesses in Colorado begging for their products to be taxed.But a number of medical-marijuana dispensaries say taxation is ... They might be the only businesses in Colorado begging for their products to be taxed.But a number of medical-marijuana dispensaries say taxation is critical for their industry’s long-term health, and many say they’ve been collecting sales taxes for months — before a legal opinion issued Monday saying their products are taxable.After [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18534-marijuana-dispensers-welcome-ruling-they.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18531-la-weighs-curbs-medical-marijuana.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:30:06 GMT Los Angeles — The city council here could vote today on a measure that seeks to rein in the estimated 1,000 medical-marijuana dispensaries that have sprung up locally, most within the last year.Voters approved an initiative in 1996 to allow seriously ill individuals to use marijuana for medical purposes and a 2003 state law permitted [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18531-la-weighs-curbs-medical-marijuana.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18529-employers-wonder-if-they-have.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:20:17 GMT USA — Medical marijuana laws are having an odd effect on many employers: They’re dazed and confused about their obligations to workers who use pot for health reasons. Employment lawyers say employers are unsure about how far they have to go to accommodate medical marijuana users. Many question whether they’re even required to tolerate medical marijuana [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18529-employers-wonder-if-they-have.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18506-rebuff-trutanich-support-pot-outlets.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:30:06 GMT Rejecting Advice to Ban Sales, L.A.* City Concil Panels Endorse Patient’s Cash Contributions. Two Los Angeles City Council committees rejected the advice of the city attorney and voted Monday to approve an ordinance that allows marijuana dispensaries to continue to sell the drug to people with a doctor’s recommendation. The city attorney’s office [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18506-rebuff-trutanich-support-pot-outlets.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18504-big-busts-show-marijuana-growers.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:50:18 GMT Marijuana producers appear to be becoming more ambitious about the size of their crops – and planting them in public.As marijuana farms expand into multimillion-dollar businesses, authorities say the perpetrators are more likely to confront intruders with violence.“That’s the alarming part,” said Oconto County Sheriff Mike Jansen, whose department in June [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18504-big-busts-show-marijuana-growers.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18500-medical-marijuana-success-story.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:40:08 GMT West Hollywood Enforces a Strict Ordinance and Eliminates the Drama That Plagues L.A. A few miles from Los Angeles City Hall, a small experiment in ... West Hollywood Enforces a Strict Ordinance and Eliminates the Drama That Plagues L.A. A few miles from Los Angeles City Hall, a small experiment in marijuana regulation has been underway for years.* While the state’s largest city passed a flawed moratorium, failed to enforce it, debated proposed rules endlessly and watched flummoxed [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18500-medical-marijuana-success-story.html http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18495-ex-u-s-attorney-time.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:40:08 GMT Three years ago, former U.S. Attorney John McKay was somewhere near the front lines of the nation’s drug war.Directing federal prosecutions in Western Washington before he was fired in 2006 by the administration that appointed him, McKay’s office sent marijuana smugglers and farmers to prison on decade-long terms. It indicted a loudmouth Canadian pro-pot activist [...]

More... ]]> Marijuana Activism Cannavelli http://www.stonerforums.com/lounge/marijuana-activism/18495-ex-u-s-attorney-time.html