Chronicle AM -- November 22, 2013

The momentum for marijuana legalization continues in the US, but Australia's New South Wales rejects medical marijuana even for the terminally ill. There's plenty more news, too. Let's get to it:

Coming soon to a legal retail outlet near you (if you live in Colorado). (wikipedia.org)

World's First-Ever Marijuana Retail License Issued in Colorado. Officials in Central City, Colorado, issued the world's first legal marijuana retail license Thursday. The license went to Annie's, currently operating as a medical marijuana dispensary. Annie's must still obtain a state license. Legal retail marijuana sales begin on January 1.

Oregon Legislators Meeting Today on Marijuana Legalization. Oregon lawmakers are meeting today to lay the groundwork for a possible marijuana legalization initiative to put before voters in November 2014. Senate Judiciary Chairman Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said he would push for such an initiative. New Approach Oregon has already filed its own legalization initiative, which Prozanski called "a great first draft," but then added that legislators should vet it.

Poll: Marijuana Legalization Has Majority Support in Indiana. The 2013 Hoosier Poll finds that 52.2% of adults in the state favor making "marijuana a regulated substance much like the way we regulate the use of alcohol and tobacco products." Only 45.3% were opposed. Support reached a whopping 78.1% when respondents were asked if "marijuana should be taxed like alcohol and tobacco products, or not."

Maine Legislative Council Rejects Legalization Bill. The Maine Legislative Council, made up of 10 leading legislators, Thursday night rejected a marijuana legalization bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland). That means the bill will have to go through the regular legislative process next year, or the voters will decide through a referendum.

Medical Marijuana

Four California US Representatives Call on Northern California US Attorney to Stop Harassing Dispensaries. Reps. Barbara Lee (D), George Miller (D), Sam Farr (D), and Eric Swalwell (D) Thursday released excerpts of a letter they sent to US Attorney for Northern California Melinda Haag challenging her "hostility toward dispensaries." They criticized Haag's approach as "counterproductive and economically prohibitive," as well as being out of step with Obama administration policies as set down in August's Justice Department memo. "It is far past time for commonsense and economic sense to prevail in policies and actions related to medical cannabis dispensaries that serve the patients in our communities," said Rep. Lee. "This harassment and constant threat of prosecution should end."

Drug Testing

Northern Marianas Bill Would Require Twice a Year Drug Tests for Elected Officials. A bill being crafted in the Northern Marianas Islands House of Representatives would require all elected officials to undergo drug tests every six months. The bill is being drafted by former cop Rep. Christopher Leon Guerrero, but is likely to be found unconstitutional if it ever passes, given federal court precedents.

Law Enforcement

Ohio Makes First Arrest under Automobile "Secret Compartment" Drug Law. An Ohio man arrested Tuesday for driving a vehicle that contained a hidden compartment becomes the first person charged under the state's 2012 law (Senate Bill 305) making it a felony to add a secret compartment with the intent of using it to conceal drugs for trafficking. Norman Gurley's vehicle had a secret compartment, but it contained no drugs or evidence of drugs.

Sentencing

Attorney General Holder Blasts High US Incarceration Rates at Colombia Conference. US Attorney General Eric Holder ripped into US incarceration policies at a conference of security ministers in Colombia Thursday, calling our imprisonment rates "both inadvisable and unsustainable." Holder added that the resort to mass incarceration "results in far too many Americans serving too much time in too many prisons -- and beyond the point of serving any good law enforcement reason." He also signaled that other countries should have greater flexibility in drug control policies. "We must acknowledge that none among us can fight this battle on our own, or by implementing a 'one-size-fits all' approach."

International

No Medical Marijuana for the Terminally Ill in Australia's New South Wales. The state government in New South Wales has rejected a request that terminally ill patients be granted an exemption to use marijuana to ease their pain. A bipartisan parliamentary committee had recommended that AIDS and terminally ill patients be allowed to possess up to a half-ounce for medical reasons, but the state government rejected the recommendation, saying the potency and safety of medical marijuana cannot be guaranteed. The decision was "cannabis hysteria at its worst," said Green MP John Kaye. "It's absurd to argue that someone dying of cancer should be denied access to a little bit of pain relief because it's the same substance some people use illegally."