420 Use and Health

[Snusdog]

I for one have smoked pot and have never had a single adverse........................................














(blink)












...........................................man......... ....dude.....................like this keyboard is so
....................totally.................you know man......................like .................dude its just...................... there

[Crow]

...........................................man......... ....dude.....................like this keyboard is so
....................totally.................you know man......................like .................dude its just...................... there

[Crow]

Michigan (US)

CROWD FILLS MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP MEETING ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE
by John S. Hausman, Muskegon Chronicle, (Source:Muskegon Chronicle)

05 Apr 2011 - MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - Advocates and opponents of a medical marijuana club did, as advertised, "flood" a Muskegon Township Board meeting - but the tide went out quickly.

More than 60 people showed up at Monday night's light-agenda meeting, far above the average for the township.

Most apparently were there for the marijuana issue, and most of those, judging by crowd comments, were in favor of letting the Greater Michigan Compassion Club continue its operations at 2116 E. Apple Ave., less than two blocks from Township Hall.

The turnout was spurred by the Township Board's 7-0 vote on March 21 to enact a 180-day moratorium on "the establishment of any business or premises" to distribute or dispense marijuana, other than to the people living on the premises. Township officials plan to examine the issue of how to regulate such operations, then enact an ordinance.

The issue wasn't on this week's board agenda, but club leaders wanted to get members' views across that no restrictions should be imposed on the club, which offers what it calls "acquisition assistance" including free medical screenings, as well as a social club for members.

Well before the 7 p.m. meeting began, the township's relatively small meeting room filled with people, a few holding signs such as one reading "Patients Have Rights" along with prints of a red cross and a green marijuana leaf.

Township Supervisor Dave Kieft Jr. asked supporters and opponents of restrictions to pick one spokesperson apiece to speak to board members.

Speaking on behalf of the club was its executive director, Derek Antol of Muskegon. He was brief - thanking the board for not "just sticking a 'not allowed' sticker on it like a lot of communities," asking them their intentions for an ordinance and inviting questions from board members.

Kieft responded that officials haven't decided what they'll do yet, but outlined the process: A draft of a proposed ordinance will go to the township's Planning Commission for a public hearing and a recommendation - probably in June, he said later - followed by board action.

No board members had questions for Antol.

Taking the other side was Joe Schillaci of Muskegon Township, who said he wasn't against Michigan's legalization of medical marijuana - "I'm more against the clubs."

The former Greater Michigan Compassion Club employee disputed Antol's statement in a Chronicle story that marijuana isn't smoked at the club, saying he has witnessed it - drawing loud contradictions from some in the audience. Schillaci said the drug should be only for those "who ( medically ) deserve it - not a stubbed toe or a broken leg or menstrual cramp," which also drew loud jeers and protests.

"There does need to be something done about it, sooner than later," Schillaci said.

With both sides having spoken their piece, the crowd got up and noisily left the ongoing board meeting, accompanied to the parking lot by Township Police Chief Don Schrumpf and another police officer. No fights erupted.

http://www.mapinc.org/norml/v11/n223/a11.htm

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Washington (US)

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL DIES IN WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE
by Steve Elliott, TokeoftheTown.com

A bill that would have legalized marijuana in Washington state -- supported by every state legislator from Seattle, as well as the city's mayor, city attorney and several City Council members -- is officially dead in Olympia, the state capitol.

House Bill 1550 didn't even advance out of the relevant committees by Friday evening, a key cutoff date for the 2011 Legislature, reports Chris Grygiel at the Seattle P.I.

Sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle), the measure would legalize marijuana, have its sale regulated by the state Liquor Control Board, and impose a tax of 15 percent on cannabis.

Supporters say it would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for a state government facing a $5 billion deficit for the next two years. A contingent of Seattle officials testified in favor of the bill last month.

The pot legalization bill was never seen as having good chances for passage. Although the measure could technically still be revived by being incorporated into a budget bill in the final weeks of the session, that is seen as highly unlikely.

The Seattle Times' editorial board recently endorsed marijuana legalization. Washington voters could get a chance to vote on the question soon, with supporters of Initiative 1149, a ballot measure that would legalize cannabis for people 18 and older, gathering signatures.

To qualify for the November ballot, I-1149 sponsors Sensible Washington need to get the signatures of more than 241,000 registered voters by July 8. A similar effort last year fell short by about 50,000 signatures.

Sensible Washington is relying on an all-volunteer network to collect signatures, as organizers say they can't afford paid signature gatherers.

A January poll found that a slim majority -- 51 percent -- of Washingtonians believe marijuana should be legal.

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/04...ington_leg.php

[Crow]

Arizona (US) - The Arizona Department of Health Services last week finalized rules for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. Patients may begin qualifying for the program next week, and dispensary applications will be accepted beginning June 1. Program rules, physician certification forms, and answers to frequently asked questions are all available online here. Arizona is the fifteenth state since 1996 to allow for the use of medical cannabis by qualified patients.

Connecticut (US) - On Tuesday, members of the Joint Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly voted in favor Governor’s Bill No. 1015, which seeks to allow qualified patients to use and cultivate marijuana for medical purposes. The Committee is expected to act on separate decriminalization legislation (See NORML’s recent op/ed in favor here) imminently. You can support both proposals via NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here and here. You can get involved with Connecticut NORML here.

Delaware (US) - On Thursday, March 30, members of the Delaware Senate voted 18 to 3 in favor of Senate Bill 17, The Delaware Medical Marijuana Act. The measure now awaits action from the House of Representatives. You can contact your House member in support of this effort via NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here.

Montana (US) - Members of the Montana Senate last week resurrected and then passed House Bill 161, which repeals the state’s six-year-old, voter-approved medical marijuana law. Senate lawmakers voted 29 to 21 in favor of the GOP-backed measure, which had previously stalled in committee. The bill is now expected to go before Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, who has voiced support for the state’s medical cannabis program. You can contact the Governor and urge him to veto this draconian legislation here. Additional information is available from our allies Montana NORML and Patients & Families United.

North Carolina (US) - Legislation that seeks to legalize the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana has been reintroduced in the North Carolina legislature. House Bill 577 amends state law to “authorize an individual to use marijuana for medical purposes as directed by a physician.” HB 577 would allow patients both the ability to cultivate their own cannabis at home or to purchase it at state licensed distribution centers. This proposal has been referred to the House Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations, but has yet to be assigned a hearing. You can urge your lawmakers to support this proposal here.

Vermont (US) - Senate lawmakers are expected to act this week on SB 17, which seeks to allow for state-licensed facilities to provide medical marijuana to authorized patients. Similar legislation is already in place in several states, including Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. You can contact your state Senator about SB 17 via NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here.

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http://blog.norml.org/2011/04/06/nor...e-round-up-16/

[Crow]

Recession

-

Exact strain is unknown. This is a house blend from one of the collectives in Seattle.
They call it "Recession" because it only costs $5/g

The flowers are hard and firm, it has a subtle earthy taste. Effects feel like a Sativa (or Sativa-dominant hybird).

An excellent choice of medicine for those short on funds.

[Crow]

Congressman Jared Polis: “Just as The Policy of Prohibition Failed Nationally With Alcohol – It’s Now Up To States And Counties – I Think We Should Do The Same With Marijuana”

United States Congressman Jared Polis, a Democrat representing Colorado’s second congressional district, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most outspoken federal critics of marijuana prohibition. This week he appeared on CBS’s Political Hotseat to discuss the success of Colorado’s medical marijuana law, and the futility of federal marijuana prohibition.

Rep. Jared Polis: Federal government shouldn’t be banning marijuana
via CBS News

Colorado Democratic Rep. Jared Polis said Wednesday that the federal government should not be in the business of regulating marijuana use by Americans.

“I don’t see a federal role,” he said in a “Washington Unplugged” interview, noting that his state is among those that allow medical marijuana use. (There is also a push in Colorado for full legalization.) “I don’t think that the federal side should be coming in and second guessing what states are doing.”

“Just as the policy of prohibition failed nationally with alcohol – it’s now up to states and counties – I think we should do the same with marijuana,” he said.

… Polis said it’s apparent that “we are not winning the drug war,” pointing to increased drug abuse and the flow of drugs across the southern border from criminal cartels.

“Drug abuse is fundamentally a medical issue, a health issue, more than a criminal issue,” he said.
The lawmaker asked people to ask themselves how they would want someone close to them to be treated if they were struggling with drug abuse.

“Do you think that person would have been better served by being in jail for several years or getting the help they needed to end their chemical dependency?” he asked.

Polis also pointed to a recent study finding that marijuana is already a $1.7 billion industry.

“It’s already created thousands of jobs in Colorado, several millions dollars of tax revenue – I really think that’s just the tip of the iceberg with regard to the potential of the industry in terms of job creation, revenue creation for the government,” he said.

Like what you hear? You can hear more from Rep. Polis at NORML’s upcoming national conference, April 21 through April 23 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Denver, Colorado. Congressman Polis is this year’s Conference keynote speaker and will deliver Saturday’s luncheon lecture.

You can learn more about this year’s NORML Conference agenda and social events online here. Conference registration information is online here.

http://blog.norml.org/2011/04/08/con...ith-marijuana/

[Crow]

Three Out Of Four Americans Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana In Their State

New York, NY: Some three out of four (74 percent) Americans believe that marijuana should be legalized as a 'medical treatment' option in their state, according to an online Harris Interactive poll of 3,171 adults. By contrast, fewer than half of respondents (42 percent) say that they support 'the legalization of marijuana for ... recreational use.'

Support for marijuana law reform varies regionally the poll found. Pollsters reported that adults in the East are most supportive of legalizing marijuana for both medical use (80 percent) and for recreational purposes (50 percent). The West is the next most supportive region of the country – with 76 percent of respondents supporting legalizing medical marijuana and 50 percent endorsing its personal use.

In the Midwest, 74 percent of respondents supported legalizing medical cannabis, but less than two in five (39 percent) endorsed legalizing its recreational use. Southerners were least supportive of marijuana law reform, with 69 percent of respondents endorsing medical marijuana legalization and only 34 percent supporting the plant's broader legalization.

Respondents between the ages of 47 and 65 were most likely (80 percent) to support legalizing cannabis for therapeutic purposes, while respondents age 18 to 34 were most likely (49 percent) to back full legalization.

Results of a Pew Research poll released earlier this month found that Americans' support for legalizing the adult use of marijuana has risen from 16 percent approval in 1990 to 45 percent today.

Complete details and methodology of the Harris Interactive poll is available online at: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/New...2/Default.aspx.

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Medical Marijuana Rules Finalized In Arizona, Washington, DC

Regulations have been finalized to allow for the sanctioned-use and dispensing of medical cannabis in two more regions of the country: Arizona and in the nation’s capitol, Washington, DC.

In Arizona, representatives from the Arizona Department of Health Services have approved rules governing the state’s soon-to-be-implemented Arizona Medical Marijuana Program. Voters directed the state to approve regulations regarding the use and distribution of medicinal marijuana in November when they decided in favor of Proposition 203 — making Arizona the fifteenth state since 1996 to legalize the physician-authorized use of cannabis. Program rules, physician certification forms, and answers to frequently asked questions are all available online from the Arizona Department of Health Services here.

Arizona patients may begin qualifying for the program next week, and dispensary applications will be accepted beginning June 1. All patients initially approved by the state will have the option to cultivate their own marijuana. However, patients who reside within 25 miles of a state-licensed dispensary will lose this option once such facilities are up and running later this fall.

In the District of Columbia, city leaders have finally signed off on long-awaited rules regulating patients’ use and access to cannabis. Those rules are expected to take effect April 15. The just-finalized regulations will permit D.C. officials to allow as many as ten cultivation centers and five dispensaries in the District. Permit applications are anticipated to be available by April 17.

The forthcoming rules implement facets of I-59, the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative, a 1998 municipal ballot measure which garnered 69 percent of the vote yet was never implemented. Under the new regulations, qualifying D.C. patients will be able to obtain medical cannabis at licensed dispensaries, but will not be permitted under the law to grow their own medicine.

Washington DC’s forthcoming program is limited to residents of the District of Columbia and is not reflective of any broader change in federal policy.

Additional information on these and other state medical marijuana programs is available from the NORML website here.

[Crow]

General Original Portion
+
Blueberry

-

80% Indica / 20% Sativa

Strong blueberry scent, strong blueberry taste. One of my all time favorites. An excellent strain for relaxation/sleep.

[Crow]

Washington (US)

WHEN A BUZZ CALLS FOR PIZZA, THE STATE WILL PAY (NOT!)

A comprehensive expansion of the medical marijuana law is poised for a vote on the House floor, so Rep. Glenn Anderson thinks it is high time to recognize a vital support industry: pizza restaurants.

Anderson, R-Fall City, proposed a joke amendment requiring the state to reimburse medical marijuana patients for pizza they eat while legally high. It is no government giveaway: Anderson's amendment would not reimburse for more than three toppings or for tips to delivery drivers.

"It's the best amendment in the history of the Legislature," said Philip Dawdy, a spokesperson for the Washington Cannabis Association.

Anderson said he came up with the idea during a House Republican caucus Friday morning, when lawmakers started talking about favorite munchies. "It got to be a pretty long list of favorite comfort foods," he said. "But you've got to draw the line somewhere."

He supports the bill, SB 5073, because it would impose a "framework" on how medical marijuana could be legally grown and dispensed. The law, passed by voters in 1998, is rife with unanswered questions, including whether dispensaries are legal. SB 5073, which already has passed the Senate, would legalize and regulate commercial grow farms, food processors and dispensaries, and would give legal patients protection from search and arrest for possessing marijuana.

Anderson suspects that most lawmakers have smoked pot -- "and inhaled" - -- and that the House will pass the bill if it's brought the floor. Other, more serious proposed amendments would require dispensaries to not locate within 1,000 feet of schools, would let cities ban dispensaries or grow farms, and would require patients to be 21 or older.

The bill could come up for a vote on the House floor any time. If so, Anderson said he plans to talk about the amendment, and then might withdraw it.

"Times are pretty serious right now," Anderson said, referencing the federal budget battle, the Japanese tsunami and the economy. "At this point smoking a joint might not be a bad idea."

http://www.mapinc.org/norml/v11/n234/a02.htm

5073-S2.E AMH ANDG MORI 083 E2SSB 5073 -H AMD TO WAYS COMM AMD (H-2509.2/11) 61 By Representative Anderson

On page 18, after line 20 of the striking amendment, insert the following: "NEW SECTION. Sec. 414. (1) The department of health shall reimburse a qualifying patient for pizza consumed by the qualifying patient while he or she was under the influence of medical cannabis. The department shall reimburse the patient no later than five business days after the patient submits a receipt for the pizza. The department may not reimburse the patient for delivery charges, gratuities, or toppings in excess of three. (2) For purposes of this section, "pizza" means a pie with a bread crust topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings.
"Pizza" includes Chicago style deep dish, New York style thin crust, stuffed crust."

EFFECT: Requires the Department of Health (DOH) to reimburse qualifying patients for any pizza consumed by the qualifying patient while he or she was under the influence of medical cannabis. Requires the DOH to reimburse the patient no later than five business days after the patient submits a receipt for the pizza. Prohibits the DOH from reimbursing the patient for delivery charges, gratuities, or toppings in excess of three. Defines "pizza" as a pie with a bread crust topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings. Clarifies that "pizza" includes Chicago style deep dish, New York style thin crust, and stuffed crust. ---END ---

5073-S2.E AMH ANDG MORI 083 Official Print -1

[sirloot]

nice a munchies amendment.

[Crow]

Jamaica

Jamaica Government Officials To Review Marijuana Decriminalization

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Top government officials will review recommendations to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal and religious use in Jamaica, which is the Caribbean's largest pot exporter to the U.S.
Six Cabinet ministers in Prime Minister Bruce Golding's administration will evaluate a 2001 report by the National Commission for Ganja – as marijuana is known locally.

The commission, which included academics and doctors and was appointed by a government led by the current opposition, argued that the drug was "culturally entrenched" in Jamaica and that moderate use had no negative health effects on most users.
It is not clear why the Jamaican government is choosing to review the decade-old report now.

On Tuesday, the Rev. Webster Edwards, who served on the commission a decade ago, voiced relief that the report would be reviewed by Cabinet members. He expressed hope that legislators might eventually loosen laws against marijuana.
"There have been many persons who have been lifelong smokers of ganja who have not moved to harder drugs at all," Edwards said. "Decriminalizing very, very small quantities will allow persons not to get strikes against them in the justice system."
Edwards stressed that the report also urged the government to step up operations against large-scale marijuana cultivation.

Though widely tolerated in public, smoking marijuana remains illegal in Jamaica, where followers of the Rastafarian minority say it is a sacrament and brings them closer to the divine. Some Jamaicans brew ganja tea to alleviate aches.
Previous efforts in Jamaica to legalize small amounts of marijuana have been scuttled because officials feared they would violate international treaties and bring sanctions from Washington.

For decades, the United States has worked with Jamaica to burn marijuana fields and carry out other anti-drug efforts. It has also provided aid to fight drug trafficking in Jamaica, the Caribbean's largest marijuana producer.
The U.S. Embassy said officials there have not been told why the Jamaican government is revisiting the issue of decriminalization from the 2001 report.

"Whatever the impetus, it's an internal Jamaican issue, and we therefore don't comment on either the debate or the outcome," spokeswoman Yolonda Kerney said.

Decriminalization, even for personal use, would cause friction with Washington and violate various treaties, including the 1988 U.N. Convention Against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Jamaica signed the accord.

The 2001 commission addressed these concerns in its report, urging the government to "embark on diplomatic initiatives ... to elicit support for its internal position and influence the international community to re-examine the status of cannabis."

Dr. Wendel Abel at the University of the West Indies Department of Community Health and Psychiatry said he is confident international treaties won't allow the island to decriminalize the drug.

But Abel also said there is "widespread support in Jamaica for decriminalization for private, personal use."

Any change in existing drug laws would have to be approved by Jamaica's Parliament.

The ministerial review of the 2001 report was first announced Monday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_848382.html

[Ansel]

Stumbled across this which might interest some of you guys...

for further more in depth information go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCra-sn0dI

[Crow]

Stumbled across this which might interest some of you guys...

for further more in depth information go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCra-sn0dI

I watched that on Netflix once... Its a documentary about our relationship with plants (in this video: cannabis, apples, potatoes, and tulips). Good watch, highly recommended.

Thanks for sharing!

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Canada

[Medical] Pot laws ruled unconstitutional

An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the federal medical marijuana program is unconstitutional, giving the government three months to fix the problem before pot is effectively legalized.

In an April 11 ruling, Justice Donald Taliano found that doctors across the country have “massively boycotted” the medical marijuana program and largely refuse to sign off on forms giving sick people access to necessary medication.

As a result, legitimately sick people cannot access medical marijuana through appropriate means and must resort to illegal actions.

Doctors’ “overwhelming refusal to participate in the medicinal marijuana program completely undermines the effectiveness of the program,” the judge wrote in his ruling.

“The effect of this blind delegation is that seriously ill people who need marijuana to treat their symptoms are branded criminals simply because they are unable to overcome the barriers to legal access put in place by the legislative scheme.”

Taliano declared the program to be invalid, as well as the criminal laws prohibiting possession and production of cannabis. He suspended his ruling for three months, giving Ottawa until mid-July to fix the program or face the prospect of effectively legalizing possession and production of cannabis.

The judge’s decision comes in a criminal case involving Matthew Mernagh, 37, of St. Catharines who suffers from fibromyalgia, scoliosis, seizures and depression.

Marijuana is the most effective treatment of Mernagh’s pain. But despite years of effort, he has been unable to find a doctor to support his application for a medical marijuana licence.

Mernagh resorted to growing his own cannabis and was charged with producing the drug.

Taliano found doctors essentially act as gatekeepers to the medical marijuana program but lack the necessary knowledge to adequately give advice or recommend the drug. He also found that Health Canada has made “no real attempt to deal with this lack of knowledge.”

Taliano said the issue is Canada-wide.

Twenty-one patients from across the country testified in the case, saying they were rejected by doctors a total of 113 times.

One Alberta patient was refused by 26 doctors; another in Vancouver approached 37 physicians without finding a single one to sign off on the form.

Patients also face lengthy delays — as long as nine months — in having their medical marijuana applications processed by Health Canada.

“The body of evidence from Mr. Mernagh and the other patient witnesses is troubling,” Taliano wrote. “The evidence of the patient witnesses, which I accept, showed that patients have to go to extraordinary lengths to acquire the marijuana they need.”

Lawyer Alan Young, a longtime advocate of marijuana legalization, said the ruling is a step in the right direction.

“It’s significant because it’s a Superior Court ruling which has binding effect across the province,” Young said.

“By enacting a dysfunctional medical program the government now has to pay the high cost of losing the constitutional authority to criminalize marijuana.”

He said the real test, however, will be whether the judgment stands up in the Ontario Court of Appeal.
“If the government is not successful on appeal, they are going to be caught between a rock and a hard place because they don’t have an alternative program in mind,” he said. “They don’t have a plan B. They’re in trouble.”

The medical profession has been wary of the medical marijuana program since it came into effect in August 2001.

On May 7, 2001, the Canadian Medical Association wrote a letter to the federal health minister expressing concerns with recommending a drug that has had little scientific evidence to support its medicinal benefits.

“Physicians must not be expected to act as gatekeepers to this therapy, yet this is precisely the role Health Canada had thrust upon them,” the letter stated.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/...constitutional

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Montana (US)

Montana’s Gov. Schweitzer Vetoes Medical Marijuana Repeal Bill, But Patients Are Still At Risk

Yesterday, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer — a Democrat — vetoed House Bill 161, a GOP-backed measure to repeal the state’s six-year-old medical marijuana law.

NORML would like to thank its allies, particularly Montana NORML and Patients and Families United for their tireless work on behalf of this issue, as well as all of you who took the time to contact the Governor and urged him to kill this draconian measure.

Unfortunately, Montana’s 28,000+ patients are not out of the woods just yet. In recent weeks, lawmakers have gotten behind a separate effort, Senate Bill 423, to severely restrict existing patients’ access to cannabis. According to a summary of the measure in the Billings Gazette: “The latest version of SB423 seeks to greatly limit the number of people licensed to use medical marijuana, now at 28,300, with backers hoping to bring that number fewer than 2,000. SB423 first would repeal the current law and shut down medical pot growing and dispensing operations on July 1.”

Our allies Patients and Families United have called SB 423, as presently amended, “Repeal in Disguise.” You can learn more about this measure and its up-to-date status on the P&FU Facebook page here or on the Montana NORML Facebook page here. Action alerts regarding this measure are available at the Montana NORML homepage. You can also contact/call your specific individual state lawmakers and urge them to vote ‘no’ on SB 423 via the Montana Government’s ‘Find a Legislator’ page here.

You may also wish to contact the office of Gov. Schweitzer and thank him for his veto decision, and also urge him to continue to stand up for Montana’s patients. E-mail or call the Governor here.

No state has ever repealed or severely restricted their medical marijuana following its implementation. Do not let Montana be the first. Get active; get NORML.

http://blog.norml.org/2011/04/14/mon...still-at-risk/

[Crow]

Washington (US)

Obama Administration Warns It May Prosecute State Employees if Gregoire Signs Medical Pot Bill

Posted by Dominic Holden (The Stranger)

The top federal prosecutors in Washington sent a stern warning to Washington State that a medical-marijuana law passed by the legislature this week, which would license dispensaries and growers, could result in a wave of criminal charges against cannabis providers and even state employees. At the same time, in a mixed message, they telegraphed that the Obama Administration's policy of tacitly permitting states with medical marijuana laws would proceed.

"The Washington legislative proposals will create a licensing scheme that permits large-scale marijuana cultivation and distributions," wrote US Attorneys Jenny Durkan and Michael Ormsby, respectively representing the Western and Eastern districts of Washington State, in a letter sent today to Governor Chris Gregoire. "This would authorize conduct contrary to federal law and thus, would undermine the federal government's efforts to regulate the possession, manufacturing, and trafficking of controlled substances. Accordingly, the Department could consider civil and criminal legal remedies regarding those who set up marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries as they will be doing so in violation of federal law. ... In addition, state employees who conducted activities mandated by the Washington legislative proposals would not be immune from liability..." including "criminal prosecution."

The letter was sent in response to an inquiry from Governor Gregoire to Attorney General Eric Holder

But this may not be as unequivocal as it first reads. AG Holder issued a memo in 2009 that indicates, in essence, the feds won't intervene with medical-marijuana cases that are in compliance with state laws. Holder said, of course, that the feds reserved the right to prosecute those cases.

In that vein, US Attorney Durkan also issued a statement today that "in every area we prosecute, our office works to focus our limited resources on impactful cases that implicate an important national or community interest. In the area of marijuana drug prosecutions, this means our targets include organized criminal groups, those who abuse public or tribal lands, people who commercialize the marijuana trade for profit or use it to finance other criminal activity, and doctors who abuse their positions and fraudulently certify individuals as medical marijuana patients. We have not prosecuted truly ill people or their doctors for using marijuana to lessen suffering, as permitted under state law."

So what to make of this? It's breaking right now (and I'm not a lawyer), but here's my take:

Gregoire may have requested this letter as political cover so she can veto the bill (citing the federal conflict, the risk to state employees, etc). Of course, our medical marijuana law already conflicts with federal law, her employees have already been collecting taxes on medical marijuana against federal law, and her employees provided input on this bill. So they are already complicit. This is the best chance Washington has ever had to improve its medical marijuana law. Gregoire should sign it into law—standing by her legislature—and make Obama figure out what the hell he wants to do. Does he want to throw down with the states trying to do the right thing (uh, the states that have medical marijuana laws are also the ones that elected him)?

Right now, the Obama Administration is needlessly being an asshole. Seriously sick people and their families need to know that they have safe access to medical marijuana, and families need to know they don't have to go to alleys to get pot. Dispensaries and growers, obviously, are the way patients get the medicine they need. The feds need to stop playing nice nice with legalese and make it clear where the rules stand.

Posted by Jonathan Martin (The Seattle Times)

Feds question drive to revise state medical pot law

A proposal to rewrite the state medical marijuana laws is in flux after federal prosecutors in Washington expressed concerns about its provisions legalizing dispensaries and grow farms.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday, Gov. Chris Gregoire asked for "clear guidance" about the Department of Justice's position on state-licensed marijuana dispensaries.

Gregoire became concerned about a potential federal crackdown after speaking with the U.S. attorneys for Eastern and Western Washington, Michael Ormsby and Jenny Durkan. The prosecutors, who did not return phone calls Thursday, were concerned that the proposed legislation would legalize commercial sales of marijuana, said Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, the bill's prime sponsor.

They noted that the U.S. attorney for Northern California was threatening to prosecute operators of a proposed commercial grow farm in Oakland, even though the farm was licensed by the City of Oakland, Gregoire said in her letter to Holden.

Washington is considering a similar scheme under a bill that has passed both chambers of the Legislature. That bill, SB 5073, would create new state licenses for nonprofit or for-profit dispensaries, grow farms and cannabis food processors.

Gregoire's letter seeks federal input before considering whether to sign the bill. "The governor wants to make sure that if a law goes forward, it's done in a way that won't set up Washington state for an endless battle of court cases," said her spokesman, Scott Whiteaker.

Kohl-Welles said its possible Gregoire might veto all or portions of the bill. She said legislative and executive staffs were considering potential changes to the bill even as the governor waits for response from Washington, D.C.

But Kohl-Welles said she was mystified why DOJ would treat legalized dispensaries in Washington different from six other states and the District of Columbia, which all currently license and regulate dispensaries.

"Why should our state be treated differently than other states?" she asked.

Ormsby, the U.S. attorney in Spokane, last week in a news release threatened to seize property where dispensaries were operating

The U.S. DOJ has taken a largely hands-off approach to medical marijuana patients since an October 2009 memo issued shortly after Holder took over. The memo said patients who were in "clear and unambiguous compliance" with state laws were not a priority. But the memo emphasized that "commercial enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana for profit continues to be an enforcement priority."

Earlier this month, Ormsby warned that "marijuana stores" are illegal, and urged property owners who rent to medical marijuana dispensaries to evict their clients or potentially face forfeiture actions.

"We are preparing for quick and direct action against the operators of the stores," Ormsby wrote.

More than 100 dispensaries have sprouted statewide in the past year and a half, using a gray area of the voter-approved 1998 medical marijuana law that neither specially allowed nor prohibited them.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law and cannot be prescribed because it, along it LSD and heroin, are classified as Schedule I drugs.

[GoVegan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My balls have been itching lately. Maybe I can get a prescription to help with that.