Chronicle AM -- April 29, 2014

Pressure builds for marijuana legalization in Illinois, a California medical marijuana patient is bumped off the liver transplant list, the drug czar's office slams the idea of criminalizing drug use by pregnant women, and the founder of the Pirate Party has some choice words on drug policy. And more. Let's get to it:

The founder of Sweden's Pirate Party has some choice words about Swedish drug policies.

Illinois Lawmakers Call for Legalization. Three Chicago-area Democratic state legislators and a Cook County commissioner held a press conference Monday to call for the decriminalization of marijuana possession, to be followed by complete legalization. The three reps are Mike Zalewski, Kelly Cassidy, and Christian Mitchell, ahd the commissioner is John Fritchey. They have not filed any legislation, but want fellow Democrats in the General Assembly to green-light a task force to study the issue.

Coloradans Still Favor Legalization. A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that Colorado voters support their legalization law, with 54% in favor. Only two demographic groups -- Republicans and voters over 65 -- thought it was a bad idea; in all other demographic groups, there was majority support. A majority of respondents also agreed that driving has not become more dangerous and that legalization would save money in the criminal justice system. Only 15% of respondents said they had bought pot since it has been legalized.

Hawaii THC Ministry's Roger Christie Gets Five Years in Prison; Already Served Four Awaiting Trial. A Big Island man who openly used his ministry to promote marijuana use was sentenced Monday to five years in federal prison for having 300 pot plants as part of a distribution ring. Roger Christie, founder of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, also known as the THC Ministry, has served nearly four years in federal detention. Based on how credit for time served is calculated, he could be released in a month or two. A federal grand jury indicted the Christies and 12 others on marijuana trafficking counts after a 2010 raid of the ministry. Christie has been in federal detention since, while his wife has been free on bail. Christie and his wife had tried to fight the charges on religious freedom grounds, but lost in the courts. They then pleaded guilty.

Medical Marijuana

Florida Senate Passes Limited CBD Medical Marijuana Bill. The state Senate Monday approved a bill that allows low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oil to be used by patients suffering seizure disorders. Senate Bill 1030, also known as the Charlotte's Web bill after a certain high-CBD strain, now heads to the House, where its fate remains uncertain as leaders there raise questions about whether an extract could be made safe enough to distribute.

Minnesota Senate Committee Approves Compromise Medical Marijuana Bill. The Senate State and Local Government Committee approved a medical marijuana bill Tuesday. Senate File 1641 now heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a Wednesday hearing. Companion legislation has also moved in the House.

Colorado Bill to Make PTSD as Qualifying Medical Condition Killed in House Committee Vote. A bill that would have added post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of 'debilitating medical conditions' that qualify for a medical marijuana recommendation was killed in committee Monday. House Bill 14-1364 failed to pass the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, a move decried by the Drug Policy Alliance. "It's insane that in a state with legal marijuana veterans don't have the same right as anyone else over 21 -- especially considering how many lives are at stake," said Art Way, senior Colorado policy manager for the group. "No veteran should have to risk benefits or feel stigmatized when they use medical marijuana."

California Patient Denied Liver Transplant Over Marijuana; Sign the Petition Here. Stanford University Medical Center has removed Hep C and cirrhosis sufferer Richard Hawthorne from its list of people in line to get liver transplants because he uses medical marijuana to alleviate his symptoms. Stanford removed Richard from the list based on "national standards." It said: "The national protocols include factors that may lead to disqualification, which include both use of drugs and alcohol." Hawthorne uses medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. There were only 333 signatures on the petition to get him reinstated at press time. Click on the link to add yours.

Prescription Opiates

New York Lawmakers Introduce Package of Bills Targeting Heroin, Prescription Opiates. New York lawmakers have introduced a set of bills to help fight heroin with tougher penalties for dealers, more funding for overdose-reversal drugs and increased better coverage for treatment. The six bills would increase penalties for selling opioids -- a class of drugs including heroin, oxycodone and hydrocodone -- that result in death; equip first responders with overdose-reversal drugs; require health insurance providers to cover rehab programs and anti-addiction medication; create a public service announcement targeted at teenagers; and provide rehabilitation in communities.

Reproductive Rights

Drug Czar's Office Slams Tennessee Bill Criminalizing Drug Use by Pregnant Women. As Gov. Bill Haslam (R) ponders whether to sign a recently passed bill criminalizing drug use by pregnant women, acting Office of National Drug Control Policy head Michael Botticelli visited the state to say it was a bad idea. "Under the Obama administration, we've really tried to reframe drug policy not as a crime but as a public health-related issue, and that our response on the national level is that we not criminalize addiction," he said. "We want to make sure our response and our national strategy is based on the fact that addiction is a disease." The proposal has garnered national attention and vocal state and nationwide opposition from constitutional and reproductive rights groups. More than 10,500 people signed a petition asking for the governor's veto. Today is Haslam's deadline to act.

International

Tory Think Tank Urges British Conservatives to Decriminalize Drugs, Embrace Marijuana Reform. The Conservative Party think tank Bright Blue has issued a series of policy proposals to reinvigorate Conservative electoral support, including abandoning the war on drugs and embracing at least partial marijuana legalization. While the proposal is unlikely to find favor with Home Secretary Theresa May and others on the Tory right it does reflect a growing international trend following the legalization of marijuana in some US states. The Liberal Democrats have already said they will set up a Royal Commission to overhaul Britain's drugs rules and some within Labor would back a similar approach.

Pirate Party Head Admits Drug Use, Tells Sweden to "Get Real" About Drug Policy. Rick Falkvinge, founder of the Pirate Party, has been identified as one of eight European Parliament candidates who have tried drugs. He is unapologetic: "No, I haven't 'tried' drugs. I have 'used' drugs, and enjoyed it. That's the whole damn point," he wrote. "The Swedish elitist debate is seriously deranged on these issues -- to start getting realistic, we must first acknowledge that people are using drugs because they enjoy doing so. It's really no difference from enjoying a glass of wine or a fine cognac. Or for that matter, a cup of coffee, which is a very common drug that was once banned in Sweden as -- wait for it -- a 'gateway drug to heavier abuse'. Yes, you read that right." The Pirate Party aims to decriminalize the personal use of controlled substances as well as the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use. "This is a very firm anchor in our civil liberties platform," he said. The Pirate Party earned 7.1% of the vote in the 2009 European elections. It was founded amid the debate about illegal downloading of film and music. It initially focused on promoting looser copyright laws and restrictions on the authorities' powers to snoop on computer users. The party now campaigns on a wide range of issues.

Uruguayans Still Oppose Marijuana Legalization Law, But Want to Give It a Chance. A new poll from CIFRA finds that 64% still oppose the country's legalization law, basically unchanged from 65% against it before the law was passed last year. But a narrow majority, 51%, said "it is better to wait until the bill is in effect to see if it truly works before rejecting it." Meanwhile, 46% of respondents want the bill "abrogated immediately."