Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 18, 2010

Britain Approves Liquid Marijuana as Prescription Medicine

Already Legal in Canada, Sativex Now Approved for Treating Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Great Britain

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was announced today that Sativex, a cannabinoid-based liquid medicine sprayed under the tongue, has been approved for use in Great Britain to help treat the muscle spasticity suffered by multiple sclerosis patients. Sativex is a natural marijuana extract that is produced by British-based GW Pharmaceuticals. It has been approved for use in Canada to treat neuropathic pain since 2005. 

         “Once again, the scientific community has confirmed that marijuana is medicine and it can provide safe and effective relief to patients suffering from certain conditions,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. “Sadly, our federal government, through the Drug Enforcement Administration, has blocked effective research into the therapeutic effectiveness of marijuana. The United States could be leading the world in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines, but instead our government has ceded this industry to the U.K., while intentionally prolonging the agony of patients in this country.”

         The Food and Drug Administration has already approved the pill Marinol, which contains marijuana’s main psychoactive component, THC, for medical use in the United States, but unlike Sativex, Marinol does not contain all of marijuana’s more than 60 different cannabinoids, and therefore doesn’t offer the full therapeutic potential of marijuana. Among patients, Marinol is notoriously ineffective.

         “The good news is that this announcement buttresses our argument that marijuana is an effective medicine. To have liquid marijuana legal for medical use but marijuana illegal would be like having coffee legal but coffee beans illegal,” Kampia added.

         Medical marijuana is currently legal in 14 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This year more than a dozen state legislatures considered or are considering medical marijuana laws. 

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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CONTACT: [email protected] or 215 586 3483

Philadelphia: Details of the new marijuana procedure
by Chris Goldstein 6/9/2010

The DA’s office reports that six marijuana consumers entered the new diversion program for minor pot possession yesterday, the first time it was available.  Here are the main points of the new procedure:

-         No criminal prosecution in court

-         No bail money required for release: Previously all minor marijuana offenders had a bail amount set. If they could not come up with bail money they were held until arraignment. Today, those who enter into the diversion program are released after processing.

-         No drug conviction on record: By entering the new diversion program an individual pleads to a lesser offense. This means: Students will not lose loans; teachers and others will not face losing employment; public record searches will not reveal a marijuana related conviction

-         Offense is automatically expunged: Entering the new diversion program also means the arrest is expunged from the individual’s permanent record, without having to hire an attorney.

The change in marijuana possession procedures was announced by District Attorney Seth Williams in April and vocally backed by Pennsylvania State Supreme Court.

Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania that cannot issue the summary violations on the street to the offender.  Thus, officers will still be required to take marijuana consumers briefly into custody to process them into the new diversion program.

Still, the possibility of taking over 4,700 small pot possession cases out of the criminal court system should have a tangible impact on court efficiency. The new diversion program, if employed in a majority of these type of cases, could save the Public Safety budget hundreds of thousands of tax dollars this year alone.

The cost savings would be closer to $3million every year if Philadelphia Police were given the same power as their peers around the state to issue the marijuana possession summary violations on the street.

PhillyNORML conducts annual reports on the local marijuana arrests. More info:

Philly: Marijuana mug shots cost city $3million annually

Philly: White women rarely arrested for pot

PhillyNORML is the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The group meets twice each month to plan reform activities.

 

Original blog link: http://www.examiner.com/x-29881-Philadelphia-NORML-Examiner~y2010m6d9-Philadelphia-Details-of-the-new-marijuana-procedure 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 9, 2010

MPP Kicks Off Summer Tour with Launch of Mobile Giving Campaign

Supporters Will Be Able to Text Donations as Part of ‘Give by Cell’ Campaign in Conjunction with Upcoming Slightly Stoopid Tour

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project today announced a new partnership with Guide by Cell, Inc. that will enable supporters to donate to MPP through the convenience of their cell phones. As part of the “Give by Cell” campaign, supporters can text “MPP” to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $5 to MPP, the nation’s leading marijuana policy reform organization.

         “This new mobile giving campaign will make donating to MPP easier than ever before,” said Andrea Farnum, MPP director of Grants and VIP Outreach. “We are very excited about this opportunity to provide supporters with an easy and efficient method of helping to end marijuana prohibition in the United States.”

         Give by Cell is the mobile division of Guide by Cell, Inc., is the world’s largest provider of cell phone audio tours, text messaging interactions and Apple iPhone downloadable applications. For more information, visit www.guidebycell.com or www.givebycell.com.

         MPP’s text-giving campaign is being launched as the MPP partners with renowned San Diego-based band Slightly Stoopid for their upcoming U.S. tour, “Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It,” on which they’ll be accompanied by hip-hop superstars, Cypress Hill, The Expendables, Collie Buddz, and reggae legends, Steel Pulse on select dates.

         Starting in mid-July, the tour will wind across the country, from California to New York, with stops at this year’s acclaimed Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado. MPP will be tabling at performances and have representatives at each show to answer questions and provide information about the ongoing campaigns to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S. For more information, and a complete list of tour dates, visit www.slightlystoopid.com.   

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org. For more information about MPP’s Give by Cell campaign, visit http://www.mpp.org/donating/give-by-cell.html

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 7, 2010

Colorado Gives Marijuana Dispensaries Legal Status

Governor Signs Regulations for State’s Medical Marijuana Industry

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

DENVER, COLORADO —Today, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter (D) signed legislation that will regulate the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries through a system of local and state licenses, but still allow individual localities to ban dispensaries. Currently there are an estimated 1,100 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout Colorado — the most in any state other than California, which does not have statewide dispensary regulations. Colorado officials estimate that about half of current dispensaries will be able to comply with new regulations.

         “By approving a statewide system of dispensaries through which patients can safely acquire marijuana, Colorado is taking a significant amount of revenue away from the dangerous, illicit, and unsanctioned market created by prohibition,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Instead, patients will now be able to obtain marijuana from a sensible and orderly system of law-abiding and regulated providers. The scope of this newly regulated industry makes it the largest ever in the United States.”

         Under the regulations, dispensary owners will be subject to licensing fees and criminal background checks. Dispensaries will be required to grow 70 percent of the marijuana they sell and, like liquor stores, could not operate within 1,000 feet of a school.

         A state-regulated medical marijuana program is up and running in New Mexico and similar programs will soon be operational in Rhode Island, Maine, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. — but the number of sanctioned dispensaries to be allowed in each of those states is fewer than 10. Colorado’s law will authorize hundreds, and potentially more if future demand increases.

         A Rasmussen telephone poll released May 15 showed that there is also plurality support among Colorado voters for further expanding the state’s marijuana laws. Forty-nine percent of likely voters said they support taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol, with an additional 13 percent still undecided. 

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 7, 2010

New Marijuana Ordinance Could Have Disastrous Impact on Los Angeles

By Closing More Than 400 Medical Marijuana Dispensing Collectives, City Will Lose Countless Jobs and Tax Dollars, Force Some Patients Into Black Market

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director …………… 707-575-9870 or 707-291-0076

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — Today, the City of Los Angeles is expected to begin enforcing an ordinance that could shut down more than 400 medical marijuana dispensing collectives within the city. Approved by the L.A. City Council, the ordinance will give collectives that opened prior to 2007 (about 130 of which remain) six months to comply with new regulations that will force many into new locations.

         “This new ordinance is all but guaranteed to have a disastrous impact on Los Angeles,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “By imposing zoning laws on medical marijuana collectives that are stricter than those for gun dealers, adult entertainment businesses, alcohol vendors, or pharmacies, the city is placing an undue burden on thousands of medical marijuana patients whose quality of life may depend on safe and reliable access to their medicine. There is no rational reason to impose stricter regulations on medical marijuana collectives than on liquor stores, which sell a substance that everyone knows is more harmful than marijuana and doesn’t require a doctor’s recommendation to purchase. With so many collectives being forced to close shop, many patients whose neighborhood dispensaries close will no doubt turn to the criminal market to obtain their medicine. That means sales taxes won’t be paid on those transactions, it will be impossible to monitor the quality or origin of that marijuana, and the typical turf wars and crime associated with black markets will become more prevalent in surrounding communities.

         “Even in terms of simple economics, closing these businesses makes entirely no sense,” Smith continued. “Why, in the midst of a recession, in a city already plagued by economic stagnation, would anyone think it’s a good idea to shutter more than 400 legitimate businesses that employ hundreds of residents and contribute millions in tax revenue? More empty storefronts are not the solution to L.A.’s financial woes.” 

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more info, contact: Ken @ (609) 394-2137

Medical Marijuana press conference at Trenton State House on 6/4/10 at 1:00 pm

WHO:     Patients, professionals and medical marijuana advocates

WHAT:   Plan a medical marijuana press conference

WHEN:   June 4, 2010 at 1:00PM

WHERE: Trenton, NJ State House – State Street entrance steps

WHY:       To urge the timely implementation of the medical marijuana law

On Friday June 4, 2010 at 1:00 pm local medical marijuana advocacy groups will hold a press conference at the State House steps in Trenton, NJ.  Doctors, nurses, potential medical marijuana patients, and supporters of the new law will address recent news of a proposed delay in implementing the program.

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed into law in January 2010. As passed, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) was to issue regulations in July and patients were anticipating access to the program by the fall.  Last week a request was made by the Christie administration for an additional 6 to 12 months before the medical marijuana regulations would be issued. The extension would require legislation.  Ken Wolski, a registered nurse and Executive Director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey said, “If the Department of Health cannot write these regulations in 6 months, there is no guarantee they will be able to write them in 18 months. There is no need for this delay.  Patients are suffering continuously as they wait for this program.”

Anne M. Davis, Executive Director of NORML-NJ said, “This is a law and there are no exceptions.  There are patients with chronic or even terminal illnesses that cannot get an extension on life.”

Wolski continued, “Marijuana is recognized as medicine in New Jersey and patients deserve timely access to it.  The recent trial and conviction of MS patient John Wilson in Somerville amply proves that patients desperately need regulated access to marijuana that is legal in the eyes of police, prosecutors, judges and juries around the state.”

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, Executive Director

Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.
219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ  08618
609.394.2137 www.cmmnj.org   [email protected]

Additional contacts for further information:
Anne M. Davis: [email protected] 732 477 4700
Chris Goldstein: [email protected] 505 577 5093(cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 1, 2010

Medical Marijuana Qualifies for Arizona Ballot

Arizona Will Join South Dakota in Having Medical Marijuana on the Ballot in November; 14 States and Washington, D.C. Have Similar Laws

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PHOENIX, ARIZONA — Today, the Arizona Secretary of State announced that an initiative to pass a medical marijuana law in Arizona has qualified for the November ballot. In April, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project, the group that organized the initiative, turned in nearly 100,000 more signatures than were required to qualify. 

         Under the proposal, seriously ill patients with certain qualifying conditions would be given legal access to medical marijuana if they have a recommendation from their doctor. Since 1996, 14 other states and the District of Columbia have passed similar laws, and more than a dozen state legislatures across the nation have considered the issue this year. In March, a medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota also qualified for the November ballot. 

         “We are very happy that Arizonans will have the opportunity this November to vote for a compassionate and responsible law that protects seriously ill patients,” said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project, which provides significant funding and support to AMMPP. “By voting in favor of this initiative, Arizonans will ensure that residents suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other serious ailments will be given safe access to a medicine they and their doctors believe can relieve their condition. The proposed law will also create a dispensary system that will provide patients the same reliable access to medical marijuana that they would have to any other medicine – meaning they won’t have to risk their own safety by purchasing it from the criminal market.”   

         Upon passage of the initiative, the Arizona Department of Health Services will regulate medical marijuana, and qualifying patients or their caregivers will be permitted to legally purchase their medicine from tightly regulated clinics. The new law will protect seriously ill patients from arrest and prosecution for the simple act of taking doctor-recommended medicine. A January ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 81 percent of Americans support medical marijuana laws.

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 28, 2010

Mayor Rybak, Let’s Be Honest About Marijuana

Marijuana’s Prohibition—and the Elected Officials Who Support It—Is to Blame For Fueling Gang Violence, Not Marijuana’s Consumers

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA —Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has recently taken to Minnesota’s airwaves in a misguided attempt to blame violence at the hands of criminal gangs on consumers of marijuana. “When you pay for marijuana, you are paying for the bullet that goes into the head of someone on the streets,” he told the Star Tribune, in one instance. But the mayor’s logic is tragically flawed. By trying to blame violence entirely on marijuana’s consumers, Mayor Rybak is conveniently ignoring the central role in gang violence played by marijuana prohibition and the politicians who support it.

         “The only reason criminals make their money from marijuana is because our current policies allow them to,” said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Like alcohol prohibition in the last century, marijuana prohibition has helped to fuel violent crime in Minnesota and across the country. Mayor Rybak is out of touch with reality if he does not recognize that prohibition—and any elected official who supports it—is to blame for giving criminals a virtual monopoly on marijuana’s lucrative trade. It is unrealistic to assume we can somehow magically remove the demand for marijuana. The only true solution is to regulate marijuana, and bring its sale under the rule of law, the same way we ended the criminal violence that stemmed from alcohol prohibition.”

         Even Mayor Rybak’s own deputy police chief, Rob Allen, stated that violence in the marijuana trade is caused by its prohibition. “It is illegal to distribute marijuana, so the people distributing marijuana are criminal syndicates that are engaged in very violent activity to protect their turf,” Allen told station KARE 11. 

         In a recent statement about this topic on a CityPages comment thread, Mayor Rybak wrote that “it’s time we finally got honest with each other.”

         The Marijuana Policy Project couldn’t agree more. “If the mayor wants to end violence associated with marijuana, he too needs to be honest, and join the growing ranks of those calling for an end to prohibition and the failed policies that drive money into the hands of criminals, and yes, bullets into people’s heads,” Fox said.   

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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