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Chronicle AM -- July 22, 2014

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #844)

This is the Drug War Chronicle, not the Marijuana Policy Chronicle, but that's how the news breaks sometimes. It's all marijuana and medical marijuana news today. Let's get to it:

Medical marijuana -- on the move worldwide. (Colorado DOT)
Marijuana Policy

Oregon's Marijuana Legalization Initiative Qualifies for Ballot. New Approach Oregon, sponsors of an initiative to legalize sales, possession and home growing of marijuana, announced today that the Secretary of State's office has qualified the initiative for the ballot. Voters will get to decide on it in November. If the initiative passes, the state will have until January 2016 to put together a regulatory structure.

Coloradans Still Like Their Marijuana Law, But Not Public Pot Smoking. A new Quinnipiac poll finds that Coloradans support legal marijuana by a margin of 54% to 43%. Amendment 64 legalizing marijuana passed in November 2012 with 54.8%. But respondents oppose allowing marijuana to be smoked in bars (65%), other entertainment venues (63%), and a plurality (49%) even opposed allowing it to be smoked at invitation-only events.

Alaska Legalization Initiative Debated. Proponents and opponents of Ballot Measure 2, the Alaska legalization initiative, debated the merits and demerits of the measure at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's luncheon Monday. Representatives of the Yes on 2 campaign duked it out with representatives of the No on 2 campaign.

Medical Marijuana

Patients, Advocates to Protest Problems With New Hampshire Program Wednesday. Tomorrow, the one-year anniversary of Gov. Hassan's (D) signing of the state's medical marijuana law, patients and advocates will gather at the statehouse in Concord to protest delays and other problems with the implementation of the law. It starts at 9:30am.

Veterans Gather at University of Arizona to Demand Reinstatement of Medical Marijuana Researcher. A group of veterans is gathered today at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix to protest the firing and demand the reinstatement of Dr. Sue Sisley, who was set to do FDA-approved research into medical marijuana for veterans with PTSD before she was fired. Sisley accuses political opponents of medical marijuana of being responsible for her termination.

Arkansas Attorney General Reject Medical Marijuana Initiative Wording. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has rejected the wording of an initiative aimed at putting medical marijuana on the 2016 ballot. The initiative is sponsored by Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which tried unsuccessfully to get a similar initiative on the ballot this year.

International

German Court Rules Medical Marijuana Patients Can Grow Their Own. The Cologne Administrative Court ruled today that patients can grow their own marijuana -- if no alternative to medical marijuana exists and buying it at a pharmacy is too expensive. The state health insurance system doesn't cover the cost of medical marijuana, so five patients sought a legal exemption to grow their own. Now, they have it. Currently, 270 people in Germany hold permits to buy and consume cannabis for medical purposes.

Medical Marijuana Gaining Ground in Australia's New South Wales. Premier Mike Baird, Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner, and opposition leader John Robertson have all said this week that they support the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, as long as concerns over regulation and supply are addressed. The state Green Party also supports it. One member of parliament, Kevin Anderson, said he will file a private member's bill next month to allow for patients and caregivers to possess up to 15 grams of marijuana.

Colombia's Liberal Party Wants to Legalize Medical Marijuana. The Liberal Party will support a bill to legalize medical marijuana, according to national media reports. Senator Juan Manuel Galan said that he would introduce such a bill. The move comes a few months after the mayor of Bogota asked the national government to begin a debate on the topic.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Dave K (not verified)

There are now over 96,000 people who have signed the petition to allow Dr Sisley to complete her PTSD research at the U of A:

http://www.change.org/petition...

It goes beyond uncivilized and barbaric for legislators like Kavanaugh, Biggs, and Yee to try to keep medicine from children and others who can benefit. Kavanaugh, Biggs, and Yee continue to listen to the voices in their heads rather than to the external voices of reason. These are the truly vile and wicked people who care only for profits of private prisons and not the quality of life of those in Arizona. A million dollars unsolicited for private prisons but not a penny for our children who have the lowest per pupil expenditures in the nation.   Despite 9 million dollars in the medical marijuana fund for research they argue with the voices in their heads rather than to look at the evidence.  Support your veterans and the people of Arizona.  Insist that this important research be completed.  

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 10:22pm Permalink

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