Chronicle AM -- November 12, 2013

Marijuana and medical marijuana activism continues, a prescription drug monitoring bill moves in Pennsylvania, a West Virginia official jumps to conclusions on drug testing results, and Israelis are switching from hash to buds. Let's get to it:

Missouri Statewide Conference on Marijuana Law Reform This Saturday. Show-Me Cannabis and Missouri NORML will be hosting a statewide conference in downtown Kansas City, on Saturday, November 16th. The one-day conference will include speakers presenting on local and national efforts to create more just and sensible marijuana policies, including a possible Missouri ballot initiative in 2014 or 2016. There is a nominal entry fee; see the link for more details.

Medical Marijuana

Duluth Medical Marijuana Forum Draws Big Crowd. More than 200 people showed up for a public forum on medical marijuana at the University of Minnesota-Duluth Monday night. The forum focused on a medical marijuana bill introduced this spring by Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing). That bill is not expected to pass this year, but activists are laying the groundwork for next year.

Drug Testing

West Virginia Work Training Drug Test Program Finds Few Dopers. In July 2012, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) issued an executive order requiring participants in the state's federally-funded job training program to pass drug tests. In the past 15 months, 1750 people were tested, but only 20 failed the screening. State Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette, hailed the results as a success, claiming "Folks that can't pass a drug test don't try." Nice spin, but he hasn't been able to back it up with any numbers about people applying for the program, then walking out after being informed of the drug test.

Prescription Drugs

Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Bill Passes House. A bill to create a statewide prescription drug monitoring system to track the use of commonly abused prescription medications has passed the Pennsylvania House. The legislation aims to replace the attorney general's existing database, which tracks a more narrow category of prescription drugs and does not make any information collected accessible to doctors and pharmacists.The new database would include federal schedule II through V drugs, and aims to aid doctors, pharmacists and law enforcement uncover so-called "doctor shopping." [Ed: But will it end up keeping medicine away from more pain patients, absent other reforms? - DB]

International

Israelis Switch from Hash to Weed. The balloon effect is always at work. Because of security fears, Israel fenced itself off from the West Bank and increased vigilance on the borders. As a result, hash from neighboring countries has become more difficult to smuggle into Israel, and as a result of that, Israelis are now growing their own marijuana and smoking buds instead of hash, according to this Business Week report.