Medical Marijuana Industry News June 8, 2012
Dean Skelos and NY Republicans Oppose Governor’s Decriminalization Plan
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo made national headlines earlier this week when he announced that he was seeking to amend New York’s marijuana laws. Though marijuana was decriminalized in the 1970s, possession of less than 25g is still a misdemeanor crime if it is in plain sight. Police officers often exploit a loophole by demanding that that people empty their pockets, then say the marijuana is in plain site, eliminating the possibility of the lighter civil citation ticket that would be issued. Many New Yorkers have been outraged at the tactics that seem to target the Black and Hispanic communities. Cuomo has expressed a desire to change the eliminate the plain sight provision and now only smoking marijuana in public would be considered a misdemeanor offense. State Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos was joined by other New York Republicans in opposition to Cuomo’s proposal. The Senator issued a well thought out statement and said “Being able to just walk around with 10 joints in each ear, and it only be a violation, I think that’s wrong.” John Vlasto, Governor Cuomo’s spokesperson responded by saying “Carrying 10 joints in each ear would require some set of ears.” Mr. Skelos did say that those keeping small amounts of marijuana should not be penalized just because they were following a policeman’s orders.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Prescription Drug Abuse has become an Epidemic…
Though opiates are legal through pharmaceuticals pills, they pose a major addiction problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently stated that opiate addiction has become an epidemic in the United States. Additionally, many feel that painkiller addiction is so high that a recent crackdown in opiate pills has pushed addicts to seek out illegal heroin because it contains the similar opiates found in products such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. While this may be news to some, marijuana advocates and patients have long been aware of the dangers that many legal medications possess.
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New Hampshire Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill…
New Hampshire lawmakers are attempting to make their state become the 18th state to permit medical marijuana. This week they passed a bill that would make that happen, but many feel Governor John Lynch will not sign the bill due to fears of how it will be distributed. In 2009 a similar scenario occurred where lawmakers passed a bill only to be vetoed by the Governor. An override of the veto fell two votes short and state legislators fear that could happen again. Evalyn Merrick, a state representative who attributes marijuana with helping her personal fight with cancer said “Over the years, we have convinced many legislators to support this critical reform, With support either from Gov. Lynch or from two additional senators, this bill can finally pass and patients will finally have legal access to medical marijuana.”
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Marijuana Advocate and Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson Appears on the Daily Show…
Getting your fair share of the political spotlight is not always easy if you are a third party candidate. However, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has been doing well in getting his libertarian message out there. Johnson is known for supporting progressive social issues such as same sex marriage and marijuana legalization. This week he appeared on “The Daily Show” to talk about his approach to fixing America. He has also been featured several times on “The Colbert Report”. As always he was not shy about calling for an end to the failed war on drugs and continues to be an advocate of small government.
Click on the video below to see the interview
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Gary Johnson | ||||
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Romney To Pot-Smoking Drifters: Get Off My Beach! – Gothamist CDC: Pot Smoking Among Teens Exceeds Cigarette Smoking – CBS Local