420 Policies and Laws

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Statement from Governor Jay Inslee

“We want to thank the Attorney General for working with the states on this and for finding a way that allows our initiative to move forward while maintaining a commitment to fighting illegal drugs. This reflects a balanced approach by the federal government that respects the state's interests in implementing these laws and recognizes the federal government’s role in fighting illegal drugs and criminal activity.

Attorney General Holder also expressed a willingness to work with the states on a financial structure that would not run afoul of federal law. The news today is an affirmation of good work by the state Liquor Control Board as it has devised a responsible system of implementing our voter-approved law. We can assure the Attorney General that Washington state will remain vigilant in enforcing laws against the illicit marijuana market. Since voters approved Initiative 502 last year, the state has been working to implement it. Today’s announcement from Attorney General Holder is a confirmation that the process can continue to move forward as planned. We appreciate that the federal government will allow the voice of Washingtonians to be heard on this issue.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE by the United States Department of Justice --

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/A...3-opa-974.html

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS from the United States Department of Justice --

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resou...2756857467.pdf

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The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) issued the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s announcement today.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board would like to thank the Obama Administration, particularly Attorney General Eric Holder and the Dept. of Justice for its guidance today.

We would also like to thank Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson for their leadership and efforts on this issue these past nine months. As Gov. Inslee stated today, the Department of Justice today helped lay a path forward for Washington and Colorado to implement its systems of producing, processing and retailing recreational marijuana.

The Board’s primary rule-making focus has been to create a tightly regulated market with emphasis on public safety and restricting youth access. In his letter, AG Holder shared the same concerns. We believe the action taken today by the federal government is the result of the conversations by our state elected leaders with the Dept. of Justice as well as the open and transparent system in which the rules have been crafted. The Board is confident that Washington’s recreational marijuana system will meet most, if not all, of the federal government’s stated concerns.

With the federal government’s approval the Board will continue to move forward and implement I-502 and carry out the will of Washington State voters.

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Virginia (United States) // Cannabis in the Commonwealth: Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates on Marijuana

One of, if not the, highest profile election this year is the Virginia gubernatorial race. Things are beginning to heat up as we enter the final two month stretch before the election on November 5th and NORML thought it was worth looking at how the issue of marijuana law reform has come into play.

There are three candidates on the ballot vying for the position: Terry McAuliffe (Democrat), Ken Cuccinelli (Republican), and Robert Sarvis (Libertarian).

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Republican Ken Cuccinelli made some statements about marijuana policy early in the campaign, but has largely remained silent since the beginning of this year and has not answered specifics such as which measures, if any, he would support and sign into law.

Responding to a student question while speaking to a class at the University of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli said he was “evolving” on the marijuana issue.

“I don’t have a problem with states experimenting with this sort of thing I think that’s the role of states,” Cuccinelli stated, “I’m not sure about Virginia’s future [re: marijuana legalization], but I and a lot of people are watching Colorado and Washington to see how it plays out.”

What I expressed to [the students] was an openness to observe how things work there, both in terms of the drug side and the economics. One issue that is often discussed is how the war on drugs itself has played out. Have we done this the right way? It’s been phenomenally expensive.”

Discussing the issue at a later event, Cuccinelli said that, “[If we are] going to put people in jail and spend $25,000 [to] $30,000 a year for a prison bed, do we want it to be for someone who’s pushing marijuana or pushing meth? I’ll tell you what, that $30,000 for the meth pusher is well worth the deal.”

He stated that “I’m ready to watch and learn. I’m not ready to do it [legalize marijuana] but I don’t want to just never ever say never to the possibility in the future.”

He clarified this isn’t an issue he expects to take up if he wins the election. “I don’t want you to think that I’m going to land in the governor’s office and sign a legalization bill. I don’t think you have to worry about it getting to the governor’s desk but it’s worth knowing what your candidate’s saying.”

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[Skell18]

Going to be a lot of confused people with the munchies in the med!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...terranean.html

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Going to be a lot of confused people with the munchies in the med!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...terranean.html

Meanwhile, there are bizarre reports coming in from the Mediterranean where the local birds are frantically trying to reach the heady plume of smoke...

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Repost from another thread........... or did I post it in here to begin with..?

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A slight update since the damn SEA (Syrian Electronic Army) decided to take down this site (What? The New York Times, and the US Marines recruitment
website wasn't enough for you lot?)

I was going through SnusOn Withdrawal for almost a week, you bastards!

... and now back to our regularly scheduled programme:

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Feds Reaffirm That They Will Not Likely Challenge State Legalization Laws

Speaking today before the US Senate Judiciary Committee, Deputy Attorney General James Cole reaffirmed that the Justice Department is unlikely to challenge statewide marijuana legalization efforts, provided that these efforts impose “robust regulations” which discourage sales to minors and seek to prevent the diversion of cannabis to states that have not yet legalized its use.

“We will not … seek to preempt state ballot initiatives,” Cole told members of the Committee, adding that state “decriminalization [laws] can co-exist with federal [drug] laws.”

In an August 29 Department of Justice memorandum, Deputy Attorney General Cole previously directed the US Attorneys in all 50 states not to interfere with the implementation of state marijuana regulations, unless such activities specifically undermined eight explicit federal law enforcement priorities.

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[Premium Parrots]

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I'm glad to see Parrot's good humOr not compromised by the recent web attack.

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District of Columbia Looking To Legalise Marijuana

Today in Washington, DC, At Large City Councilman David Grosso (I) will introduce legislation before the District of Columbia City Council that seeks to eliminate all criminal and civil penalties for possessing small amounts of cannabis by adults over the age of 21, provide the DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration with the authority to license and regulate the production and taxable sale of cannabis, and to seal the criminal records for those previously charged with cannabis-related crimes.

The introduction of this legislation proceeds a summer of an ACLU report on the disproportionate number of minorities arrested in the highest in the country per capita cannabis arrest region, a DPA/MPP-funded survey of DC residents supporting legalizing cannabis at 60%, the introduction of a cannabis decriminalization bill by Councilman Tommy Wells (which ten of twelve council members have co-signed) and finally with the Department of Justice memo issued a few weeks ago allowing states greater policy making autonomy regarding developing tolerant and forward-looking cannabis policies at the state level.

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Californian reboot

60 Percent of Likely Voters Back Legalisation

Six out of ten likely California voters support making cannabis legal, according to survey data released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Sixty-eight percent of likely voters also believe that the US government should not enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states that have approved the plant’s use. The percentages are the highest ever reported by the polling firm in favor of allowing adults to possess and consume cannabis socially.

Support for marijuana law reform fell slightly among all adults. Among all Californians, not just likely voters, 52 percent responded that “marijuana should be made legal,” and 61 percent believed that the federal government should not interfere with statewide marijuana laws.

Men (57 percent), Democrats (64 percent), and Independents (60 percent) were more likely to express support for legalizing marijuana than were women (47 percent) or Republicans (45 percent). Caucasians (63 percent) and African Americans (61 percent) also expressed far greater support for legalization than did Asians (48 percent) or Latinos (36 percent).

Pollsters surveyed 1,703 Californians, including 1,429 registered voters. The PPIC poll possesses a margin of error of between 3.7 percent.

In recent months, polls in several other states — including Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma — have shown majority support for marijuana law reform, as have national polls.

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Switzerland Decriminalizes Marijuana, Won't Prosecute For Small Amounts Of Weed

As of Oct. 1, possession of marijuana is decriminalized in Switzerland.

Anyone over the age of 18 caught with 10 grams or less of the drug will no longer have to make a court appearance and will not have offenses entered into their permanent record; instead, violators will have to pay a fine of 100 Swiss Francs (approximately $110), then be on their way.



full story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4037400.html