Pot
Developing Marijuana Stories During the Holiday Season
We at marijuana.net hope that everyone who celebrates Christmas had a wonderful time and we also wish you a fun and safe New Year. Most of the news is related to the approaching “Fiscal Cliff”, and Congress’ inability to serve their function and run the country. The news out of Washington is a little depressing so check out the links below to some interesting stories related to marijuana.
– Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Finally Receive Approval to Open in Washington D.C.
– New Jersey Woman Makes Her First Medical Marijuana Purchase and Finds Relief
New Study Shows Teen Brain Tissue Not Impacted by Marijuana Use
Lately, much of the marijuana talk has been the historic legal victories in Washington and Colorado. Other stories have discussed New Jersey distributing medical marijuana to patients after years of delays. However, it is important not to lose focus on one of the major reasons why marijuana has gained mainstream acceptance. It is proving to be an incredible medicine.
Opponents of marijuana reform are keen on hiding behind the “what about our children” remarks. In no way do we feel that minors should use marijuana, but we do want to highlight the truth. A new study, conducted at UC San Diego, examined the scanned results of 92 teenage brains over an 18 month period. Half of the group used marijuana and alcohol frequently before on during the 18 months. The other group abstained or consumed very little amounts of alcohol during the period. For teens who drank more than 5 drinks at least twice per week, the scanned images showed a reduction in white matter brain tissue. This could greatly impact memory, decision making, and other mental processes as they become adults.
Those who primarily smoked marijuana yielded very different results. For those who smoked at least 9 times per week, there was no change in brain tissue. The results come at a time where some may fear marijuana’s legalization in Colorado and Washington. Perhaps this will help push forward new plans to reform marijuana policy. Additionally, we may want to continue this research, as alcohol’s impact on the developing brain needs to be more understood.
Those who simply want to keep the status quo, or who hide behind pills and alcohol being legal should pay full attention. The previous century saw propaganda and fear construct our marijuana policy. We have a failed war on drugs, teens being unfairly incarcerated, billions of dollars wasted, and sick patients in need of relief. Their time has passed as information is exchanged more quickly and freely than ever before. Scare tactics will no longer dictate our legislative direction.
After Historic President Obama May Be Ready to Examine Marijuana Reform
Often a politician’s true feelings are not decipherable until after they no longer face the prospect of re-election. While President Obama’s 2008 campaign included a progressive tone to the war on drugs and marijuana reform, his first term drifted away from those sentiments. Federal raids on dispensaries have been at an all time high under President Obama, more so than the Clinton and Bush years combined.
While normally an elected official could risk paying a high price such misleading political statements, marijuana advocates were left with little choice as Republican challenger Mitt Romney stated that he would medical marijuana “tooth and nail”. One year ago, sensible marijuana reform and all the hard work for 15 years seemed to seriously be at jeopardy. Raids were underway in California and Newt Gingrich (who vowed to increase government efforts on the failed war on drugs) was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. While the atmosphere was starting to appear toxic, activists remained undeterred. Groups such as Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (Colorado) and New Approach Washington were able expand awareness and help collect enough signatures to get legalization to the ballots. The legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado seems to be a game changer
Elections clearly have winners, losers, and consequences. The international community, especially our neighbors to the south have been calling on the United States to alter its approach to the War On Drugs. The Obama administration seemed unmoved by the international pressure. President Obama even sidestepped online forum questions on marijuana several times. Through all of this many kept their fingers crossed that President Obama would take on a softer tone as he likely will never be running for public office again. The second term is here and marijuana activists were thrown a bone recently.
Even as the media coverage is narrowly focused on the so called “fiscal cliff”, the president must have taken notice of what happened in the two now legal marijuana states as he felt compelled to comment on the issue last week. He recently told Barbara Walters that “We’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Mr Obama said in a nationally televised interview. “It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it’s legal.” He also went on to say that the Justice Department is researching how they can reconcile the differences between federal and state law. The president does not even have to draft his own legislation as The Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act of 2012 has already been introduced to congress. The bill, which is sponsored by Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, would amend the US Controlled Substances Act and prevent federal law from taking precedence over state law.
It remains to be seen what exactly President Obama will do in regards to marijuana reform. Unlike previous politicians, President Obama has previously professed his love for marijuana in print. In his 1995 memoir “Dreams from My Father,” the president stated that he smoked marijuana like Dr. Suess wrote about Green Eggs and Ham. Here, there everywhere. Other reports suggest he was part of a pot smoking group named “The Chrom Gang”. This is not to say that he must be forever tied to his actions as a teen and college student. However, for a president that had a personal love for marijuana, and now has first hand experience in the failings of the drug war, it should be expected that he try his very best to fix this mess. While the future is unclear, it is encouraging that marijuana would even get any airtime as fiscal cliff coverage, the aftermath of the Newtown shooting, and a re-energized conversation on gun control is dominating the airwaves.
Arizona Authorities Lose Another Challenge to State Medical Marijuana Program
Arizona authorities such as Sheriff Joe and Governor Jan Brewer find themselves under the spotlight frequently, though not always in the way they would like. Arizona is developing quite the reputation for creating divisive law (banning ethnic study classes, requiring police officers to use profiling to seek out illegal immigrants). Fighting progress tends to be a losing battle
They have also been challenging the will of the people regularly. In the case of the state’s medical marijuana program, many high profile lawmakers, including Governor Brewer, have tried hard to reverse a law that was passed by a majority of Arizona residents. The most recent attempt made its way to the Arizona courts.
Last week, Judge Michael Gordon of Maricopa County Superior Court ruled in favor of Arizona’s medical marijuana law. The case evolved from a dispensary zoning issue into a larger debate of whether or not Arizona’s medical marijuana law is defeated by federal law. In his decision, Judge Gordon said “This court will not rule that Arizona, having sided with the ever-growing minority of states and having limited it to medical use, has violated public policy.” He also went on to say “No one can argue that the federal government’s ability to enforce the (Controlled Substances Act) is impaired to the slightest degree.”
To no surprise Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery have vowed to appeal the ruling. It seems that certain Arizona lawmakers may not quick learners. Only days after the decision to uphold the Arizona medical marijuana law, the state’s first dispensary opened in Glendale. It appears progress is winning.
New Jersey Dispensary Finally Serves Patients Medical Marijuana
After what has felt like a soap opera, New Jersey patients have finally now been able to legally access medical marijuana. The former Governor, Jim Corzine signed off on legislation permitting medical marijuana during his final days in office. However, Governor Christie and other lawmakers have delayed the program with as many bureaucratic and administrative delays as they could muster. After that, local townships refused to grant zoning permits.
Although officially legal, medical marijuana would remain in a stalemate until Montclair finally decided to consider the needs of patients and granted Greenleaf Compassion Center its zoning permit. On Thursday, after years of frustration and delays, Greenleaf’s doors finally opened to patients. At first supplies will be limited and patients will only have the option to purchase in half ounce increments. Greenleaf president Joseph Stevens expects supply to be a non issue soon and recently said “everything’s been going great”at the center.
New Jersey has some of the strictest rules in the nation for patients to receive a medical marijuana prescription. So far there are only 300 patients registered. However, the program will grow and more patients will be granted relief as time goes on and more conditions are recognized in the program. Additionally, there may soon be six dispensaries in the Garden Staten as five other collectives have received approval. New Jersey is one of the most populous states in the nation. We believe and hope they will show other states in the northeast and east coast how to run medical marijuana dispensaries. We all know who New Jersey’s big brother and it may only be a matter of time now before the Big Apple approves medical marijuana.
Marijuana Decriminalization Has Immediate Impact On California Youth Crime Rates
The unnecessary arrests of our teens is one of the most troubling byproducts of American marijuana law. Besides the high economic cost, the social implications can ruin lives. Marijuana possession arrests can provide an early entrance into legal system for juveniles. Incarceration of so many young people produces a
The need to alter America’s direction in the war on drugs has been apparent almost since the inception of Nixon’s plan. This is perhaps why even as early as the 1970s states started to take the initiative and enact decriminalization laws. Decades later, we are still awaiting federal action, but it only takes a brief glance at the 112th Congress (who has passed the least amount of bills in history) to lose optimism. Hopefully the 113th Congress is less bitter, partisan, and ineffective. It is not desirable for state lawmakers to enact legislation that is in direct opposition to state law, but a lack of movement on the federal government’s part has left states with few options.
Critics and misguided fans of the war on drugs are always skeptical of decriminalization and often argue that crime and deviant behavior would increase and run rampant. Newly published research by the Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice paints an entirely different picture. The group found that California’s new (which took effect January 1, 2011) decriminalization laws have resulted in a drastic reduction of juvenile arrests. The 20% overall drop now brings juvenile crime rates to their lowest levels since California started keeping such records in 1954. When analyzing the numbers further, it is interesting to note that underage violent crime dropped by 16%, homicide dropped by 26%, and drug related crimes plummeted by 50%.
Marijuana reform can address many pressing issues in the United States. Although many critics are unable to understand the complexity of modern economics, financial actions are rarely isolated. Locking away our youth has a devastating toll on lives, but also a hefty financial price tag. Lately, the point has been made countless times but the debate regarding the so called “fiscal cliff” and the money required to rebuild the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy, it is clear we no longer have money to waste on acting “tough” on drugs.
Col. Gov Hickenlooper Shows He is Serious About Legal Marijuana By Seeking Task Force
Marijuana activists scored major victories several weeks ago on election day. Colorado residents voted to legalize, regulate, tax, and distribute marijuana. However, the decision is much more complex than simply saying “now everything is ok”. There many questions to be answered such as the future of current medical dispensaries, tax rates, and law enforcement concerns.
Because of the complexity of the situation, Governor Hickenlooper is seeking to put together a task force to deal with the situation. He recently said “We are working to create a task force to identify the policy, legal, and procedural issues that need to be resolved related to Amendment 64.” There are not many more details as to how the new law will move forward. However, Colorado lawmakers do appear serious in making sure the new law is upheld. Once the Amendment 64 goes into effect (Dec.6), adults 21 and over will be allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use. Some prosecutors in Colorado are not waiting until December 6th, and have dismissed current marijuana possession cases that would be legal next week. Authorities in Washington have also taken similar steps.
The situation in Colorado and Washington is showcasing that the conversation has turned an important corner. The economy needs new ideas and a decades long expansion of government has made the public weary. Marijuana reform could generate jobs and tax revenue and also provide the rare expansion of civil rights. Federal authorities could still try to desperately flex their muscle, but as more jobs and revenues are contingent upon legal marijuana it could become increasingly difficult for the feds to simply disregard state laws. So far Attorney General Eric Holder has been silent on the issue. Analysts are unsure if this shows he wishes to avoid the issue and permit the states to operate as they will. Others believe Mr. Holder will soon step down and already a lame duck so he may be waiting for successor to handle the issue.
We at marijuana.net are hopeful that elected officials will work alongside the people and abandon the failed policy of aggressively persecuted its own people for non-violent crimes. Additionally, Americans are ready for compromise. In a divided country, the word compromise has seemed to fallen by the wayside recently, but we want to see people behave as adults and work together. We may finally see this with the so called “fiscal cliff” debate as both parties appear ready to strike a deal. We may be seeing the same situation in Colorado as Governor Hickenlooper publicly voiced his opposition to Amendment 64 on multiple occasions. However, we are pleased to see that despite his personal view, he is recognizing his function and job as an elected official.
Election Momentum and Hurricane Sandy Damage Could Propel Medical Marijuana in NY
Activists in New York state are demonstrating that timing truly is everything. New York residents have indicated that they support decriminalization measures. Reforming marijuana law also has the support of popular/powerful Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has informed New York legislators that they will receive no raise in pay until they fix the devastating “Stop and Frisk” laws.
There has already been considerable momentum across the country to drastically reform marijuana laws following huge victories in Michigan, Colorado, and Washington state. Albany lawmakers stuck in the previous century have mocked such changes, but may finally see the light. The entire 2012 election was an eye opener to those who have been unable to notice a changing electorate. The new voting public no longer wants to waste their money on restricting civil rights and wasting money on the failed War on Drugs. If New York lawmakers wish to avoid filing for unemployment, they too may want to take note of what direction the country is going.
Besides the election momentum, another high profile event may also force New York to consider cost savings measures. Hurricane Sandy has devastated the New York City, Westchester, and Long Island areas. Residents are still trying to recover and it will be along time before places like the Rockaways, Staten Island, Long Beach, Fire Island, or Red Hook will be back to normal. Governor Cuomo has already requested $30 billion from the federal government, but that may not be enough to entirely rebuild the area. New York Senator, Diane Savino, of Staten Island (one of the hardest hit areas in NYC) is pushing to make New York the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana. The Senator recently told the NY Daily News that “There is a huge amount of revenue here.” The Senator was referring to the many jobs and tax dollars that could be generated from medical marijuana in the Empire State.
They say it’s important to strike while the iron is hot. There is no better example than New York as reforming marijuana laws are crucial to rebuilding the area. The public wants change, and the finances need change. New York is known for setting trends and it could impact the entire country if the state legalized medical marijuana. The call for reform was growing before well before Sandy as New York has long had budget concerns. No matter what happens New York will have to take extraordinary steps in order to balance their budget, it may be the perfect time for lawmakers to just listen to the people.
Two Marijuana Bills Introduced in Iowa Show Post Election Momentum
Over the course of the past year, there have been polls conducted on a daily basis in order to gauge the mindset of the American public. Most of these polls ended up being accurate but only the actual vote of the people provides the final word. The victories in Washington, Colorado, Michigan, and Massachusetts show a changing electorate, an electorate that no longer wants to continue our failed marijuana policy.
In Iowa, we are seeing the momentum from the election spill over. Iowa is known for its impact on presidential elections, as it is the first event to kick off the campaigns. President Obama credits Iowa as a main reason for his initial 2008 election, as she shocked the political world at the time and defeated Hilary Clinton. Even this year, both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama fought very hard for its 6 swing electoral votes and the president made it his final campaign stop.
Lawmakers have now introduced two bills that would drastically reform Iowa’s marijuana laws. Iowa state Rep. Bruce Hunter plans to introduce a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession for personal use. The law would not protect those selling cannabis. Additionally, Rep. Hunter also plans to bring back a medical marijuana bill that has not previously been passed. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has threatened to veto any bill that would legalize marijuana in any capacity. It is unclear if decriminalization or a compromise on that front would be something the governor would consider.
Even as Governor Branstad displays his reluctance to adjust with the times, momentum around the country has clearly shifted. Steve Morrow, president of Iowa’s NORML chapter agrees. He said the recent votes in Colorado and Washington “helped the cause”. Iowa may be small state from population standpoint, but it has a tremendous impact on American politics. Even if Iowa does not pass new legislation now, change certainly appears to be on the horizon. Presidential politics now encompass the almost entire four year period between elections, and if Iowa changes, those seeking the White House will also have to change.
Washington State Dismissing Small Possession Cases
Last week Americans in several states signaled their desire to abandon the government’s failed approach toward marijuana regulation. However, instituting the programs in Washington and Colorado that will tax, regulate, and distribute marijuana will take some time as many details will still have to be worked out.
There have been reports in Michigan of authorities already making contingency plans to fight against the will of the people. As we already stated, it may be unwise to contest election results and ignore the wishes of voters. Fortunately, in Seattle, officials seem more likely to act as government and elected officials are expected to. Although the legalization laws will not take effect until December 6th in Washington, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg recently said “I think when the people voted to change the policy, they weren’t focused on when the effective date of the new policy would be. They spoke loudly and clearly that we should not treat small amounts of marijuana as an offense.”
We applaud Mr. Satterberg for using common sense. Many officials will likely cling to their “good ol’ days” mindset until the very last possible moment. This flawed thinking will only result in unnecessary arrests, wasted taxpayer dollars, and the eventual dropping of the charges. While Satterberg may be the first, the Seattle Times is reporting that other prosecutors are now considering following suit.
The relationship between lawmakers/police and residents seems to be an issue all over the country. This may be for good reason as the blatant disregard for what the people want was a bubble bound to burst. We are happy at marijuana.net, but we also need to remain stern. It should not be such a happy and isolated moment when officials decide to put their own selfish politics aside and listen to those hired them.