420 Policies and Laws

[Crow]

Proof that legalising cannabis works.

Police in Washington divert efforts to other crimes due to cannabis law

Misdemeanor cannabis possession charges dropped dramatically after Washington state voters approved a new cannabis law



A Seattle resident takes cannabis from a plastic bag shortly after a law legalising the recreational use of cannabis took effect on 6. December 2012 in Seattle, Washington.

The number of misdemeanor charges against adults over the age of 21 for cannabis possession have severely dropped in Washington state after voters approved a ballot measure last election that legalized recreational cannabis use.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the new cannabis laws have allowed law enforcement officials to spend more time on other criminal offenses instead of cannabis charges.

ACLU’s Washington state chapter found that in 2013, the number of filed misdemeanor cannabis possession charges were 120 cases, which is down from 5,531 cases in 2012.

The state ballot initiative has freed up time for police officers, the ACLU says, and has re-focused the efforts that are typically exerted on misdemeanor cannabis offenses – including basic investigation, paperwork and court time – to other criminal cases per day.

“The data strongly suggests that I-502 has achieved one of its primary goals - to free up limited police and prosecutorial resources,” state ACLU’s criminal justice policy counsel Mark Cooke said in a news release.

“The hope is that could free up scarce limited public safety resources to focus on more pressing needs,” Cooke said.

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[Premium Parrots]

lmao. sorry I just couldn't help myself. ...

[Crow]

I'm coming over to Illinois, or Georgia, or wherever on the next available flight, taking a taxi to your place, and I'm going to blow a thick plume of marijuana smoke in your face.

[Premium Parrots]

shotgun. ok but use a pipe.

[whalen]

I'm coming over to Illinois, or Georgia, or wherever on the next available flight, taking a taxi to your place, and I'm going to blow a thick plume of marijuana smoke in your face.

Don't worry PP! Nothing a twenty pound bag of oreo cookies won't take care of!

[whalen]

Just sprinkle oreo's outside your door.

[whalen]

Or Funyuns if you want to be sure.....

[trebli]

Legally High, Legally Fired For Pot Use

Employers can and do test for alcohol. I'm guessing it would be legal to test for marijuana also.

Here is a recent article on the subject.




"The company had a zero tolerance policy, and drugs had never before posed a problem, she said. But managers took action after noticing a rise in worker mistakes and the occasional aroma of marijuana around the docks.

They locked down the area one day and tested the entire crew. Of 19 workers, 15 tested positive for marijuana and were fired, she said.

“They felt empowered and thought they wouldn’t get in trouble, even though we had made it very clear,” the manager said. “They knew we were drug free….we’re only going to babysit them so much."

http://www.wptv.com/news/national/le...ed-for-pot-use

[Crow]

Maryland Becomes 21st Medical Cannabis State, and 18th to Decriminalise

Yesterday morning, Gov. Martin O’Malley signed into law both the medical marijuana bill and the decriminalization bill, making Maryland the 21st state with an effective medical marijuana program, and the 18th state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The medical marijuana bill expands a program that, while established last year, was unable to get off the ground. The previous law relied on the participation of teaching hospitals, which understandably did not want to be involved with a substance that is still federally illegal. The law signed today will allow registered cultivators to grow medical marijuana and up to 15 licensed cultivators to provide the medicine to patients and dispensaries. This new law will finally provide real access to seriously ill Marylanders.

The decriminalization law removes the criminal penalties for possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana, and replaces them with a civil fine of up to $100 for a first offense, up to $250 for a second offense, and up to $500 for subsequent offenses. Third-time offenders and individuals under 21 years of age will be required to undergo a clinical assessment for substance abuse disorder and a drug education program. The measure will officially go into effect on October 1.

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[Crow]

Minnesota was Nr 22, and now.............

New York will likely be the 23rd state to OK medical marijuana—just don’t smoke it

[[ The east coast is ****ing up, in my opinion. Reform still greatly needed over there. ]]

New York lawmakers have reached an agreement to make theirs the 23rd state to approve marijuana for medicinal use. But there’s a significant catch: you can’t smoke it.

The most common method of marijuana ingestion is banned under the deal announced on Thursday afternoon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and state officials. The agreement would allow those with serious conditions access to marijuana, but with registration and consumption limits. It would expire after seven years.

“Medical Marijuana has the possibility to do a lot of good for a lot of people who are in pain and who are suffering and are in desperate need of a treatment that can provide relief,” Cuomo said. “Some of these cases are the most heart wrenching cases you’ve ever heard. You’re dealing with children with epilepsy, babies, so there are certainly significant medical benefits that can be garnered.” But, he added, public health and public safety must be considered. As a result, smoking will not be allowed and only doctors will administer the program.

The patchwork of state medical marijuana laws are dramatically different in their restrictions.

Minnesota passed a restrictive medical marijuana law last month that similarly bans smoking of the drug, while Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Monday signed a very limited law, which — as in seven other states — only allows for products with low levels of its active chemical THC, according to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. (Florida and the seven others are not included in the overall count of those that allow medical marijuana.)

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[Crow]

I was recently asked about the current situation in Washington regarding licenced shops.............

State prepares for marijuana retail sales



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - As Washington state prepares to issue the first licenses for marijuana retail stores, Gov. Jay Inslee and other state leaders on Tuesday announced a coordinated campaign to make sure pot stays out of the hands of minors once products start hitting store shelves next month.

"Those who have led the effort to legalize this product understand that we've got to make sure that parents' roles are respected and emphasized and that the health of our children is of our paramount concern," Inslee said. Different state agencies are working together "to make sure the public has the information they need to make healthy decisions and the tools that they need to keep our kids safe," he said.

The Liquor Control Board will issue about 20 retail licenses on July 7, and the stores that are ready can open the next day. More stores will get licensed in the following days.

During Tuesday's news conference, officials with the state Liquor Control Board, which has been overseeing the implementation of the state's recreational marijuana law, said that they are poised to adopt emergency rules Wednesday to do three things concerning edible marijuana: require all marijuana-infused products to be labeled clearly as containing marijuana; require all products to be scored in such a way that a serving size is easily identified by the consumer; and requiring marijuana-infused products to be approved by the board before sale.

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Short answer: Twenty shops will be able to open on 8 July (two weeks from the time of writing). Subsequent waves to follow shortly.

[Snusdog]

You will have to scope one of the shops out for us and let us know what it is like

[Crow]

You will have to scope one of the shops out for us and let us know what it is like

Absolutely.

[Burnsey]

Oh man.....I'm going to be there from 7/3 - 7/8/14......I'm hoping to do some shopping??????

[Crow]

This is by no means an endorsement, and I have absolutely no affiliation with this group. I have previously mentioned Winterlife from an article from the Seattle Times, which can be found here.

With that said, there are delivery services that are operating right now. This service has been featured on the local news and other outlets (Time Magazine, High Times, and RT) --

http://www.winterlifecoop.com