Filed under: HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: AIDS, cancer, cannabis, ganja, glaucoma, hashish, hemp, Hepatitis C, HIV, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, Michigan, multiple sclerosis, pot, skunk, Wagoner, weed
MI — Michigan voters will decided whether or not to legalize medicinal marijuana in a state wide ballot initiative this November. Although polls show there is growing support for the move, getting people to speak openly about the subject can be bit more difficult.
According to a September poll by the Michigan Resource Group of Lansing, 67 percent of voters said they would support the proposal, while 29 percent said they opposed it.
If passed, the law would permit physician approved use of marijuana for patients with “debilitating medical conditions” including cancer, Glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, as well as other conditions approved by the Department of Community Health.
Those patients permitted to use marijuana would be given an identification card and the right to grow marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked facility. The last portion of the law would also permit care givers and patients the right to used medical reasons as a legal defense in marijuana prosecutions.
Joshua Snider, a 30-year-old Petoskey resident, advocated for the use of marijuana as medicine for a variety of medical conditions. Snider said his own mild temporal epilepsy was improved with occasional use of marijuana.
Besides working as a pain killer and an appetite stimulant, Snider asserted that marijuana also has antispasmodic qualities.
“It works a lot better than any other prescribed medicines,” he said. “A lot of them can make you pretty sick, they mess with your stomach.”
Snider is an outspoken advocate for marijuana and helped collect signatures to get the measure on the statewide ballot, he said it is not uncommon for people to shy away from speaking about marijuana in public.
“All of it is fear,” Snider said. “Right now it’s dangerous to use it under the current law.”
While the current ballot initiative would allow patients with glaucoma to use marijuana, Dr. Tim Jarvi, an ophthalmologist in Petoskey, is not convinced that marijuana is better other pharmaceutical treatments already on the market. While marijuana can reduce ocular pressure, Jarvi pointed out that it also decreases blood pressure and therefore makes it more difficult to pump nutrients into the eye through the optic nerve.
“It’s impractical,” he said. “Even if it was legal we wouldn’t use it.”
Dr. George Wagoner, a retired obstetrician and gynecologist in Manistee, admitted that he had no scientific experience with marijuana. But during his wife’s unsuccessful battle against severe ovarian cancer in 2007, he said they turned to the illegal drug and found it helped her cope with the pain better than anything else.
Wagoner said his wife developed intractable nausea and vomiting during her chemotherapy and that other pharmaceutical drugs were ineffective.
“When my wife inhaled the smoke twice, she said the nausea was gone,” he said. “It took practically none to be effective. I think everyone in her situation should be allowed to do this legally.”
However, there are those, even with a personal knowledge of cancer, who do not support the current ballot initiative’s scope.
Bob McCullough, a 74-year-old Petoskey resident, is in remission from multiple myeloma and said he understands the need for medicinal marijuana, but was uncomfortable with people being given the legal right to grow it. He said that would open up the possibility of people selling it illegally for profit.
“There is such a strong desire for this stuff, I think it needs to be done through a pharmacy,” he said. “I would like to see it made available, but only a month’s supply at a time. That way a doctor would know if you are starting to abuse it.”
Although marijuana is illegal under federal law, and classified as a schedule I drug, 12 states have passed medicinal marijuana legislation. In 2005, Traverse City passed a city ordinance to make the prosecution of medicinal marijuana cases the lowest priority. However, both the offices of the county and city prosecutors referred requests for comment to one another, preferring to stay mum rather than weigh in on the taboo subject.
Charlevoix County Sheriff George Lasater deferred a request to comment to his successor, Don Schneider, after admitting he was not familiar with the ballot language. Although Schneider had yet to read the language, he said his first reaction was that legalization of medicinal marijuana would compound the issue of prescription drug abuse and marijuana use further.
“I think there’s always the potential for it to be grossly misused,” he said. “There are some doctors, although they are few and far between, that lack integrity and will give a prescription for anything.”
Source: Petoskey News-Review
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, drug, ganja, hashish, hemp, heroin, London, marijuana, NORML, Paul Armentano, pot, skunk, uk, weed
Survey: One In Five High Schools Drug Test Students
September 25, 2008 – Washington, DC
Washington, DC: An estimated one in five high schools and one in ten middle schools engage in some form of student drug testing – including random testing, according to survey data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and published in the fall issue of Strategies for Success, a newsletter of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
“Findings indicate that the number of schools conducting … drug testing may be [approximately] 4,000 – more than double the highest estimates cited previously,” the ONDCP reported.
In all, 14.6 percent of all public and private middle schools and high schools now conduct some type of student drug testing, the CDC’s School Health Policies and Programs study found. Slightly more than 50 percent of these schools reported conducted random drug testing among specific groups of students.
Of the schools that drug test, 84 percent utilize urinalysis – a method that detects the presence of inactive drug metabolites, but does not have the ability to determine recent drug use or impairment. Fifteen percent of schools employ hair follicle testing, the study reported. Eight percent use saliva testing, and three percent use sweat patch testing technology.
Of the drugs screened for, 86 percent of schools test for the presence of marijuana. By contrast, 75 percent of school drug testing programs screen for cocaine, 50 percent screen for alcohol, and fewer than 20 percent test for nicotine.
Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on School Health resolved, “There is little evidence of the effectiveness of school-based drug testing,” and warned that students subjected to random testing programs may experience “an increase in known risk factors for drug use.” The Academy also warned that school-based drug testing programs could decrease student involvement in extracurricular activities and undermine trust between pupils and educators.
A 2003 cross-sectional study of national student drug testing programs previously reported, “Drug testing, as practiced in recent years in American secondary schools, does not prevent or inhibit student drug use.”
A 2007 prospective randomized clinical trial also reported that students who underwent random drug testing did not differ in their self-reported drug use compared to students at neighboring schools who were not enrolled in drug testing programs.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director.
DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7709
Text Messaging Impacts Psychomotor Skills Far More Than Cannabis, Study Says
September 25, 2008 – London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom: Sending text messages from one’s mobile phone impairs motorists’ ability to drive a car to a far greater degree than does smoking cannabis, according to the findings of a study published this week by Britain’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and reported by Reuters news wire.
Seventeen volunteers age 18 to 24 years old participated in the driving simulator study.
“The reaction times of people texting as they drove fell by 35 percent, while those who had consumed the legal limit of alcohol, or taken cannabis, fell by 21 percent and 12 percent respectively,” Reuters reported.
The study also found that drivers’ ability to maintain lane position and headway with the vehicle in front of them was more adversely impacted by texting than by the influence of marijuana.
Currently, five US states have enacted laws prohibiting text messaging while driving. By contrast, fifteen states have enacted laws criminally prohibiting drivers from operating a vehicle with trace levels of cannabis or inactive cannabis metabolites in their blood or urine.
A study published earlier this year in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention reported that in terms of overall driving performance, subjects under the influence of cannabis performed in a manner comparable to motorists with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. NORML’s white paper, “Cannabis and Driving: A Scientific and Rational Review,” — http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7459
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: Boston, cannabis, ganja, Georgetown, hashish, marijuana, Massachusetts, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, pot, skunk, weed
Boston, MA — Georgetown lawyer Steven Epstein supports the November state ballot question on decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, seeing use of the drug as a matter of personal liberty.
“We formed the government to protect the individual in the exercise of their rights, amongst which is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Epstein said, adding that people should be free to exercise those rights as long as they do not harm others.
But Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes strongly opposes the ballot proposal, viewing it as a step backward in the fight against drug abuse.
“It definitely sends the wrong message to kids,” he said.
“By decriminalizing this offense right now and making it basically the equivalent of a traffic violation, you are sending the message that it’s OK, that it’s not so bad.”
As the decriminalization measure, Ballot Question 2, begins to stir debate around the state, voices on both sides are being sounded in this region.
The measure would replace the state’s criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with civil penalties enforced through citations.
Offenders would be subject to forfeiture of the drug and a $100 fine – for those under 18, the $100 fine would be contingent on their completing within a year a drug awareness program with a community service component. Otherwise, the fine could increase to as high as $1,000.
The offense would not be listed on the individual’s Criminal Record Information System (CORI) record.
“People should vote yes on Question Two because it’s a simple, commonplace reform based on successful laws from 11 other states,” said Whitney A. Taylor, campaign manager for the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, the ballot group advocating a “yes” vote.
“We waste $30 million a year in police resources enforcing the current marijuana possession laws.”
Taylor said her committee neither promotes nor condones marijuana use. Endorsers of the question range from the American Civil Liberties Union to lawyers, professors, police officers, and marijuana legal reform groups.
“Marijuana remains illegal under Question 2,” she said, arguing that the measure actually provides for more certain consequences for offenders under age 18.
While first-time offenders are rarely sentenced to jail, Taylor said inclusion of their arrest on their CORI report can “create huge barriers to getting a job, finding housing, and getting school loans.”
Epstein, who as a lawyer has represented many clients charged with marijuana possession, said offenders are “labeled criminals for doing something that over half of us have done at least once in our lifetimes,” a label that “follows you around” because of the CORI listing. He also said that enforcement of the existing law is arbitrary.
A founder and spokesman for Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, Epstein noted that advisory questions calling for decriminalizing marijuana have passed in all 31 legislative districts where they have been on the ballot.
But Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said the ballot measure “derails all the good and hard work we’ve done on behalf of kids and communities. . . . All the question does is provide another mind-altering substance on the menu of options for our kids to use. . . . It’s a virtual certainty that if Question 2 passes, there will be an increase in marijuana use and it will happen amongst our kids.”
Leone and his fellow district attorneys are members of the Coalition for Safe Streets, a group opposing the question that also includes police chiefs, local officials, and clergy members.
“We know it’s a gateway drug, and we know kids who use marijuana use it in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and step up to other, more potent drugs,” Leone said.
“We also know the strain of marijuana on the streets is now nine or 10 times more potent than it was a decade ago.”
Essex lawyer Jonathan W. Blodgett agreed that Question 2 “absolutely sends the wrong message, particularly to young people.”
“The question people have to ask is, who benefits from decriminalization. Do we really want kids smoking marijuana? . . . We are all promoting healthy choices in our lives today. This is just a major step back,” said Blodgett.
“If this passes, we will see more car accidents and more industrial accidents because people will have absolutely no incentive not to smoke marijuana.”
Blodgett also said the measure will not reduce police and court costs, noting that in most cases, marijuana possession charges are brought together with more serious offenses.
Also opposed to the ballot question is Amy Harris, clinical director of Chelsea ASAP, an outpatient substance abuse clinic in Chelsea, and coordinator of the Chelsea Mobilization for Change, a coalition that works on substance abuse prevention.
Harris said decriminalization would lead to greater availability of marijuana in the form of “blunts, the cigar-sized marijuana cigarettes now prevalent among young people.
She said such heavy consumption of the drug puts youth at risk for cancer and psychological damage. Decriminalization would also have the effect of “sanctioning the drug so youths can emulate what the adults are doing,” she said.
But Ann Allen, a medical technician from Salem, supports Question 2, calling the proposal “long overdue.”
“It’s just very logical,” she said, noting that it would eliminate the CORI records that now burden offenders, and save money for taxpayers.
Allen said she was introduced to the cause of easing marijuana laws when a friend with cancer – who has since died – had to risk legal sanctions to obtain marijuana to relieve chemotherapy symptoms.
“She felt uncomfortable doing it illegally, like every other person I know that has smoked marijuana as a responsible adult,” she said.
Source: http://www.boston.com/globe/
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, law enforcement, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, medical research, medicine, Michigan, pot, research, skunk, stem cell, weed
Michigan — A majority of Michiganians is inclined to legalize marijuana for sick people, but a second statewide ballot proposal to relax restrictions on stem cell research in Michigan is a closer contest — and the advertising blitz has just begun on that measure.
The latest Detroit News-WXYZ Action News poll found that the voters, by a 59-37 margin, favor the ballot proposal to allow terminally and seriously ill people to legally use marijuana if a doctor certified the drug could ease their suffering.
The statewide poll was conducted for The News, WXYZ and three outstate television stations from Saturday to Monday by Lansing’s EPIC-MRA. It showed that the biggest backers were women (63 percent support), Metro Detroiters (60 percent) and Democrats (68 percent). Among men, the proposal garnered 51 percent support and 49 percent of Republicans favored it.
If Proposal 1 is approved by voters in November, Michigan would become the 13th state to legalize medical marijuana. Supporters estimate that as many as 50,000 Michigan residents would legally qualify for medical marijuana to treat a host of “debilitating” medical problems such as cancer, HIV /AIDS, hepatitis C, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease and chronic diseases or their treatments that produce wasting syndrome, severe pain, sever nausea, seizures or muscle spasms, such as those caused by multiple sclerosis.
“I’m all for it,” said poll participant Jeff Bergel, a 52-year-old wholesale representative and father of two from Walled Lake.
“I lost a brother-in-law to brain cancer last year and I think marijuana could have helped make his more comfortable. My dad has glaucoma and I understand it could help him as well.”
On the controversial issue of stem cells, poll respondents, by a 50-32 margin, favor amending the state Constitution to allow scientists to derive embryonic stem cells from human embryos for medical research. Support among women is 57 percent compared to 42 percent among men. Support is 56 percent in Metro Detroit, but 45 percent among voters in the rest of the state.
Michigan has one of the nation’s most restrictive laws on stem cell research; a scientist here who uses new human embryos for stem cell research can face a $10 million fine and up to 10 years in prison.
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research say research could lead to better therapies and possible cures for a host of diseases and injuries such as cancer, Parkinson’s, juvenile diabetes and spinal cord injuries. Opponents — including political heavy hitters Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference — say research on human embryos is morally wrong because it destroys life. Critics of the measure also say its adoption could lead to human cloning, although the proposal doesn’t seek to change state law that already bans cloning.
“I’ve thought about it a lot and I think stem cell research would be all right,” said Regina Gerling, a grandmother from Muskegon who took part in the poll.
“I’m a diabetic, so I wish they would find new cures.”Law enforcement groups are near unanimous in their opposition to medical marijuana, saying it’s part of a broader agenda to legalize marijuana for everyone. But there doesn’t appear to be any group ready to spend money on an ad campaign to defeat the measure.
Michael Opland, a 64-year-old father of three from Harrison Township, said he supports medical marijuana, although he believes a lot of people would get the marijuana even though their medical conditions wouldn’t warrant it.
“A certain number of people would probably take advantage of the law,” he said. “But it’s worth it to get marijuana to people who really need it.”
The stem cell campaign is likely to get red-hot in the coming weeks. Opponents of the proposal started running TV commercials this week, suggesting that Michigan taxpayers would shell out hundreds of millions of dollars for the research. The opposition group, Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation, filed a financial statement with the state on Thursday, showing it has rose about $595,000 — including $500,000 from the Catholic Conference — and had $233,000 on hand as of Sept. 18.
Supporters of stem cell research have not yet launched an ad campaign, although they are expected to shortly. They say the ballot proposal doesn’t direct a dime of state money to research.
Judith Maser, a retired clothing buyer from Novi, was originally opposed to stem cell research.
“Now I believe stem cell research could help a lot of people,” she said. “I think medicine has gotten so advanced that this is the future for our young people.”
Source: http://www.detnews.com/
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, cannabis law, Dea, ganja, hashish, hemp, Jerry Brown, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, pot, Proposition 215, skunk, therapeutic use, weed
CA — California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s new attempt to settle the nerves of medical marijuana dispensers and patients is a weak attempt to make proposition 215 stronger.
Attorney General Brown has introduced an eleven-page directive aimed at clearing up some issues between state and federal governments. He believes his new guidelines will minimize legal worries and ease patient worries.
In 1996 when proposition 215 was passed by an overwhelming vote, medical marijuana dispensaries started popping up like Trader Joes all over the state. People started getting prescriptions for their “back pain” and everyone was happy.
At the same time, federally, this was all very illegal.
Twelve years has gone by and dozens of dispensaries have been opened, been raided, and been reopened just to be raided again. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been made from the profits and millions have been spent on trying to fight the legislation.
Brown’s eleven-page directive now gives police the ability to distinguish between criminals and legitimate marijuana sellers. It also protects patients from getting arrested unlawfully. Brown’s plan also will change dispensaries into non-profit or cooperatives, to cut out big money operations that exploit the medical label and sell to just about anyone.
One other step Brown wants to take is to change the amount of pot on the market, making it so only a patient, caregiver or dispensary could grow the small amount of medical marijuana needed. Brown’s plan has just cleaned up the legislation at the state level. It will not stop the DEA from raiding dispensaries or harassing patients.
The police should already be able to distinguish criminals from legitimate marijuana sellers. Don’t the legitimate guys usually sell during the day at a place with a sign that says medical marijuana in neon green?
As for turning these dispensaries into non-profits, they probably only report a quarter of their earnings as it is so this will be no big hurdle for them to get around. I am sure there are millions of tax-free dollars going through legitimate dispensaries.
The amount of pot on the market will not change by only allowing patients or dispensaries to grow the plants. The law now says a patient is allowed to grow up to six plants and a dispensary is allowed to grow six plants per patient it serves. There is no way a dispensary knows how many patients it has from week to week or even day to day. If they have 65 regular patients they must 65 people that try and go to a different dispensary every week. Does that mean they have 130 patients and are allowed to grow 780 plants?
Making all these changes at the state level is continuing to get the medical marijuana laws nowhere. The changes need to be made federally and only then will the dispensers be able to run their business with out fear from the DEA.
Note: Medical marijuana laws must be changed federally to have any impact.
Source: Sonoma State Star
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, Council, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, pot, Santa Cruz, skunk, WAMM Festival, weed
Santa Cruz, CA — Medical marijuana patients will once again be allowed to smoke dope in San Lorenzo Park this Saturday, after city leaders temporarily lifted a smoking ban to allow for a festival celebrating the medicinal herb.
The decision came after testimony from more than 20 patients who reasoned and pleaded with the Santa Cruz City Council to allow them to inhale their medication while partaking in Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana’s annual WAMMfest.
Some accused council members of growing old and more conservative, while others said Santa Cruz was losing both its compassion and its weirdness.
“Do not Carmel-ize Santa Cruz,” said Valerie Corral, co-founder of WAMM.
The catch, however, is that the ban was not lifted for the entire park. Instead, those with a medical marijuana identification card only will be allowed to smoke inside a tent designated for that purpose.
“I think it’s good. I think it’s a good compromise,” said WAMM co-founder Mike Corral.
The arrangement is not much different from previous years, where a tent was provided for medical marijuana patients but recreational tokers still smoked up on the lawn.
However, Sean Wharton, a WAMM patient who will double as a security guard at the festival, said he will speak with anyone this year who lights up on the grass.
“I would really like this to happen in the way it has in the past, and I will look for people smoking outside the smoking tent,” Wharton said.
Council members approved the proposal on a 5-1 vote, with Councilwoman Lynn Robinson voting against the measure and Mayor Ryan Coonerty absent.
Robinson said she does not like making exceptions to rules that the city requires everyone else to follow.
“The onus is on the organizers to work within our parameters and not ask our staff to look the other way,” Robinson said.
The issue arose two weeks ago after WAMM requested an exception to the city’s ban on smoking in San Lorenzo Park so its 200 patients could attend WAMMfest and breathe in their drug of choice.
With Councilman Tony Madrigal sick, the City Council split the vote 3-3. All council members voiced their support for medical marijuana, but not all were crazy about granting an exception to city rules for a festival celebrating drugs that are illegal without a prescription, fearing it could draw recreational tokers.
The tie vote pushed the issue onto Tuesday’s agenda, but with Coonerty scheduled to be away, many assumed the vote would split again and no smoking would be allowed. Ed Porter, Cynthia Mathews and Robinson all had voted against lifting the ban.
Porter ended up proposing the compromise that lifted the smoking ban only in the patient tent.
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Filed under: Hemp&Law, hemp in general | Tags: Boston, cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, Massachusetts, pot, skunk, weed
Massachusetts — This weekend, thousands of demonstrators from Boston and beyond converged at Boston Common to show their support for “Question 2,” a proposition on the Nov. 4 ballot that would effectively decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Massachusetts.
Decriminalization of marijuana would certainly free up millions of dollars for a needy law enforcement system. But decriminalization means more to the commonwealth than just freed-up funds and relaxed laws regulating the drug; it means preventing thousands of talented citizens from being from losing career opportunities because of frivolous criminal records.
For nearly a century, the federal government has vilified and outlawed marijuana, and only recently has the practice of anti-marijuana propaganda and prohibition come under individual state scrutiny.
Recreational use of marijuana was brought to the United States by Mexican immigrants in the early 1910s. Then, much like today, Mexican immigration faced prejudice. Marijuana became associated with those who brought it, and politicians acted to stop the encroaching what one PBS documentary called the “marijuana menace.”
Since that time, the drug has faced increasing pressure and political condemnation, and is currently listed as a “Schedule I” – the most severe – substance by federal law, along with such mind-bending substances as LSD and heroin. This headstrong policy history has lead to millions of marijuana-related arrests and billions of tax dollars spent on enforcement.
Currently, a first-time offender of possession of the drug – in any amount – faces up to six months incarceration and/or a $500 fine in Massachusetts. This is more lenient than the federal law, which stipulates up to a year behind bars and a $1000 fine, but laws still provide for imprisonment to those who possess the plant.
Moreover, the commonwealth still has mandatory sentencing laws, all but guaranteeing a trip to jail for otherwise law-abiding, peaceful citizens.
But what may prove most damaging to both the economy and culture of Massachusetts is the long-term effects of the CORI system. The Criminal Offender Record Information system is a streamlined way for potential employers to check the criminal record of any citizen.
Though the system is intended to protect citizens from violent offenders, most companies can access the CORI system for simple background checks through a variety of loopholes and legal methods. Despite growing criticism of the system, companies can — and do — check the record of applicants that were ever convicted of a marijuana offense, no matter the amount of possession.
A simple “background check” may spell disaster for those who have used marijuana. A small-time drug bust decades ago may mean big-time problems for many talented state residents who are looking for honest employment.
With Question 2, Massachusetts aims to become the 13th state to decriminalize marijuana. Decriminalization would reduce the penalty for small amounts of possession to those of minor traffic violations, and would nearly do away with jail time — and costly criminal records — for most users. It’s about time.
Recreational use of marijuana is a victimless crime. Those who choose to get high from the indigenous plant are hurting no one but themselves, if at all. According to the the British House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, marijuana is not only considered safer than the much-abused tobacco in terms of physical harm, but also in terms of physical dependance. Users don’t deflate into a pile on a couch, and their dogs don’t start talking to them, either.
With all the costs facing a continued battle against the drug, decriminalization is a no-brainer for the commonwealth. Freeing up funds for other more pressing law enforcement programs is reason enough. Let’s breathe the economic and cultural benefits of thousands less “criminals” in the commonwealth as a hit of fresh air.
Source: Daily Free Press
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: Boston, cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, Massachusetts, pot, skunk, weed
Massachusetts — Thousands of marijuana enthusiasts gathered at Boston Common Saturday afternoon for the 19th annual Freedom Rally to celebrate marijuana and raise awareness about “Question 2″ on the November election ballots.
If passed, “Question 2″ would decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana for individuals over 18 years of age, decreasing the maximum fine for possession from $500 to $100 and eliminating jail time altogether. Individuals under the age of 18 must complete a drug awareness program and provide community service along with the fine.
The rally included performances from nearly a dozen musical acts and guest speakers, and was sponsored by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition and the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Event organizers expected 30,000 to 40,000 people to support the rally in the Common, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said.
St. Pierre also said he expected between 50 and 100 individuals to be arrested for marijuana possession and other offenses.
“The Boston police are quite adversarial to this event,” he said.
Boston Police Sgt. William Ridge said a number of people under the age of 18 had been arrested and projected that there would be more.
BPD spokesman Eddy Crispin said two individuals were arrested at the rally and 72 were given a court summons.
NORML founder Keith Stroup said the burgeoning number of marijuana users aged 55 and older will help pass the initiative due to their higher voter turnout rates. In order for the initiative to pass, Question 2 needs to get 51 percent. Stroup said he expected voter turnout to be around 60 percent.
“It’s time for this country to move on from this issue,” Stroup said.
Christine Black, the 17-year-old granddaughter of Grammas for Ganja Executive Director Jeanne “Magic” Ferguson, spoke to the crowd about her support for the decriminalization of marijuana after seeing friends being arrested as juveniles for the non-violent crime of marijuana possession and “throwing their lives away” because of it.
Source: Daily Free Press
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, Colorado, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, police, pot, skunk, therapeutic use, weed
Colorado — University of Colorado police on Monday returned marijuana to a CU student — who’s a medical-marijuana cardholder — after officers in May confiscated about two ounces of the drug from the freshman outside his residence hall room.
Now-CU sophomore Edward Nicholson, 20, had threatened to sue the university after he said CU police confiscated marijuana that he’s legally certified to administer to his brother — who Nicholson said suffers from chronic, debilitating pain from football injuries.
Nicholson said he’s been, buying, holding and administering the drug to his 23-year-old brother for more than a year. State law allows marijuana to be used if it’s recommended by a doctor for debilitating medical conditions.
Caregivers, like Nicholson, must carry state-issued medical-marijuana cards. Nicholson is a cardholder for his brother, he said, because he said pot is easier to buy in Boulder than in Aurora, where his family lives.
Nicholson said he feels he was “targeted” last year when CU police smelled pot coming from his residence hallway and assumed it was coming from his dorm room. After confiscating the drug in May, CU officials threatened to suspend Nicholson for a semester, require he do 24 hours of community service and comply with drug and alcohol testing. He also was charged to write a paper about the harmful effects of the drug on his schooling.
CU officials dropped the case against Nicholson after his attorney, Robert Corry, threatened a lawsuit. Nicholson now lives off campus.
CU officials also revised their housing policy this fall to ban students from storing marijuana in their dorms, even if they’re medical-marijuana cardholders. Freshmen can, however, be released from the on-campus residency requirement if they are cardholders, said CU lawyer Jeremy Hueth.
There are 1,955 cardholders in Colorado, according to last year’s statistics from the state health department.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said about the CU case that the medical-marijuana law has become a “front for widespread marijuana distribution.”
“The proponents of these laws make them intentionally ambiguous, causing significant problems for law enforcement in Colorado and elsewhere,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: Daily Camera
Filed under: Hemp&Law, hemp in general | Tags: Boston, cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, pot, skunk, weed
Boston, MA — The distinct odor of burning incense – among other things – hung in the air over Boston Common yesterday afternoon during the 2008 Boston Hemp Fest.
A large crowd gathered, its members enjoying the warm, sunny weather and the diverse offerings of food vendors as they debated political ideas or simply relaxed on the grass.
“I tell you, it’s eclectic. From getting things like nice tie-dye shirts to getting, like, say, falafels and things like that,” said Lee Litif 44, of South Boston, who was decked out in tie-dyed clothes himself, along with sunflower-rimmed sunglasses. “It’s utopia; it really is.”
Litif was happy to express his support for an upcoming ballot question that would decriminalize marijuana possession in the state.
“No doubt. I’m for legalization of marijuana. Legalize gay marrage and legalize abortion, regardless,” he said.
Supporters of both Question 2, the marijuana measure, and Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax, were out in full force with literature, stickers, and even free fresh fruit to try to lure people to their side.
Arthur Torrey, a libertarian from Billerica, was handing out literature to passersby from a booth. Across the way, a group of socialists were handing out their materials.
“We agree on a lot of social issues,” he said.
A number of people were smoking marijuana and some could be seen inhaling substances from balloons. Police reported making six arrests, but officials last evening did not have specifics on the charges.
Police were not visible walking through the crowds, but flashing blue lights on the perimeter of the Common reminded everyone that they were in the vicinity.
Before providing information on the arrests, Officer James Kenneally, a police spokesman, said the Hemp Fest was “rather orderly.”
Globe correspondents Padraig Shea and Caitlin Castello contributed to this report.
Source: Boston Globe
