Budgets/Taxes/Economics

Montana: Republican Senator Introduces Second Major Medical Marijuana Bill

A Helena lawmaker has introduced a bill to license and regulate the growing and selling of medical marijuana in Montana and to impose a 10 percent tax on the growers' sales to pay for the cost of regulation and go for other uses. Senator Dave Lewis, R-Helena, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 154, the second major bill intended to impose some regulations on the industry.

Your Turn to Comment on Medical Marijuana in Colorado (Action Alert)

Do you care about how medical marijuana is distributed? Here's your chance to comment:

On January 27 and 28 the Colorado Dept. of Revenue is considering adopting wide-ranging rules governing medical marijuana stores and producers. The proposed rules are available HERE (in highlights).

These rules embody the most comprehensive medical marijuana distribution system in history. While considering this system, it is crucial that Department officials hear from patients and advocates about the importance of maintaining patient privacy and closely guarding patient health records.

Sensible Colorado and allies will be sending out suggested "talking points" on privacy and other issues soon. In the meantime, please review the proposed rules and send comments to the Department by Friday Jan. 14 at: [email protected] or

Colorado Department of Revenue
Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division
Attn: Mia Tsuchimoto - Rulemaking Public Comments
1881 Pierce Street – Room 108
Lakewood, CO 80214

If you would like to attend the Hearing and have an accessibility issue, send an email to: [email protected]

**Start off the New Year by supporting Sensible Colorado's quest to advocate for patients and reform marijuana laws for all adults. Click HERE to help today!

Poor Economy Forces Georgia to Rethink Drug Criminalization

The high price of enforcing criminal penalties on non-violent offenders has Georgia's new Republican governor rethinking a major linchpin in US domestic policy: the drug war. Roughly 19 percent of Georgia's prison population was incarcerated on drug offenses in 2009, according to a report by the Office on National Drug Control Policy. Nationally, nearly half of all arrests are due to laws criminalizing the cultivation, sales and use of cannabis, which has been shown to be less damaging to human health than alcohol or tobacco.

B.C. Medical Marijuana Growers to Pay Tax on Illegal Income

The Canada Revenue Agency is trying to collect some income tax from marijuana growers who supply B.C.'s Compassion Club. Compassion Club lawyer John Conroy says the two sides have reached an agreement and the club is now trying to convince growers to claim their income. He says many people don't realize that even if you're involved in illegal activities, declaring the illegal income won't result in criminal charges.

newly unemployed drug war bureaucrat seeks position

Florida Drug Czar Office Falls to Budget Ax

Incoming Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott has axed the state drug czar's office. That's one layer sliced off the drug war bureaucracy in Tallahassee.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Associated Press Chronicling Failure of Drug War

The Associated Press has done a remarkably series of articles on the failures of the drug war. Here's a brief look at the first three -- and an invitation to read them all the way through.

Missoula Jury Pool Creates Uproar Across Nation After Marijuana 'Mutiny'

A jury pool's action â and the reaction to it â has serious ramifications for continued prosecution of low-level nonviolent drug crimes, not just in Missoula County but around the country. The story "hit a nerve" around the country, said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the national Drug Policy Alliance that advocates drug law reform. "It shows the emperor-has-no-clothes dimension to what happened. It's an expression of what many people feel â that marijuana possession should no longer be illegal," he said.

80-Year-Old Virginia Republican Lawmaker Leads State's Marijuana Decriminalization Fight

80-year-old Republican Delegate Harvey Morgan, also an assistant clinical professor of pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University, is leading the charge to decriminalize marijuana possession. Legislation proposed by Morgan, known as House Bill 1443, would replace the criminal fine for possession with a civil penalty and eliminate the 30-day jail sentence and criminal record that would follow conviction. "In 2007, nearly 18,000 people were arrested in Virginia for simple possession of marijuana...This places a tremendous burden on law enforcement, prisons and the judicial system. In these times of economic hardship, we need to closely examine how our tax dollars are spent," Morgan said.

Medical Pot Sales in Oakland Reach $35 million This Year

The economy is still tanking, but Oaklandâs medical cannabis industry is banking. The cityâs finance wizards are projecting that Oaklandâs three dispensaries will sell between $35 million and $38 million worth in medical cannabis this year. The industry will bring in $1.5 million in taxes this year to the city.

Why We Need an Impact Assessment of Drug Policy (Opinion)

UK Labour MP and former minister Bob Ainsworth has come out out strongly against drug prohibition. He proposed an âImpact Assessment of the Misuse of Drugs Actâ, an âindependent, evidence-based review, exploring all policy optionsâ which was welcomed by Lib Dem MP Tom Brake. Adam Corlett, acting vice-chair of Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform, explores the matter.

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