Chronicle AM -- March 26, 2014

Legalization initiatives get ready to advance in Oregon and Washington, DC, decrim bills move in Illinois and are filed in Pennsylvania, as do medical marijuana bills in Illinois and Maryland, another mass drug sweep in Detroit, and a world ayahuasca conference is set for the fall, and more. Let's get to it:

Survey Finds Marijuana Legalization Popular, Initiatives Will Drive Voters to Polls. A new George Washington University Battleground poll finds that Americans strongly support medical marijuana (73%) and support decriminalization (53%), and that more than two-thirds (68%) said having a marijuana initiative on the ballot would make them "more likely" to vote. The poll did not ask a straight legalization question.

Survey Finds Americans Are Okay with Marijuana Sales, But Not So Much in Their Backyard. A new CNBC All-America Survey finds that 56% of Americans would be okay with a marijuana-selling business in their town or city -- if it were legal in their state -- but that support declines to 48% when asked about a pot-selling business "in or near your neighborhood." Click on the link for more details.

DC Legalization Initiative Ballot Language Approved by Board of Elections. The DC Board of Elections approved ballot language Tuesday for a proposed initiative to legalize marijuana. The board two weeks ago approved the initiative itself. It's not quite signature-gathering time for the DC Cannabis Campaign's initiative; the finalized ballot language will be published in the DC Register on Friday, and then there's a 10-day challenge period during which any DC registered voter can file a lawsuit in DC Superior Court objecting to the board's decision. If there's no legal challenge, the board will meet again to approve language for initiative petitions, which is expected to be nearly identical to the ballot wording. The initiative needs to gather 25,000 valid voter signatures by July 7 to qualify for the ballot.

New Approach Oregon Legalization Initiative Prepares to Start Signature-Gathering. No one has filed a legal challenge to the newest version of New Approach Oregon's legalization initiative. That means they can soon complete the paperwork allowing them to begin gathering the 87,213 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot. An earlier version had been delayed by a ballot challenge. These aren't the only Oregon legalization initiatives; click here to read our feature story on the Oregon scene from last week.

Illinois Decriminalization Bills Win House Committee Vote. Two bills that would eliminate the possibility of jail time for small-time marijuana possession offenses passed the House Restorative Justice Committee Tuesday. House Bill 5708, is sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy and would remove all criminal penalties and any possible criminal record for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana. The other bill, House Bill 4299, is sponsored by Rep. Christian L. Mitchell and would also significantly lower penalties for a possession charge of up to 30 grams. While it would prevent arrests and jail time, a criminal offense would remain on a person's record.

Pennsylvania Decriminalization, Expungment Bills Introduced. State Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia) announced at a news conference today that he had introduced two marijuana reform bills. Senate Bill 1307 will reduce possession of less than an ounce of marijuana to a summary offense for the first two offenses and provide discretion to District Attorneys for third and subsequent offenses, and Senate Bill 1308 will make it easier for former offenders to find a job by making expungement easier. The bills are not yet available on the legislative web site.

Medical Marijuana

Illinois Bill to Add Seizure Disorders, Allow Kids to Use Wins Senate Committee Vote. A bill that would let minors and those suffering from epilepsy to use medical marijuana in Illinois has won the approval of a state Senate committee. Filed by Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago), Senate Bill 2636, the bill now heads to the Senate floor.

Advocates Rally for New York Medical Marijuana Bill. Today, dozens of patients, caregivers and healthcare providers traveled from all corners of New York to call on the Senate to pass the comprehensive medical marijuana proposal known as Compassionate Care Act. The bill has passed the Assembly four times, was included in the Assembly's budget proposal, and has strong bipartisan support in the Senate. But senate leaders have refused to let the bill come up for a vote.

Maryland Medical Marijuana Bill Advances. A measure to reform Maryland's medical marijuana law work was approved by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Tuesday. Senate Bill 923 was amended in committee to remove a cap on the number of growers in the state and include a study on how to best provide medical marijuana to veterans. It has already passed the House and now heads to the Senate floor.

Drug Testing

Minnesota Bill to Repeal Welfare Drug Testing Law Advances. A bill that would repeal a 2012 law requiring counties to drug test welfare recipients if they have a felony drug conviction in the last 10 years passed the Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee Monday. Senate File 1738, introduced by Sen. Jeff Hayden (D-Minneapolis) now heads for the Senate Rules Committee.

Mississippi Governor Signs Welfare Drug Testing Bill. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) has signed a welfare drug testing bill. The new law, House Bill 49, requires drug testing for welfare recipients whom state officials suspect are likely to be using drugs. The new law will help people who are "trapped in a dependency lifestyle," the governor said.

Law Enforcement

Detroit Cops Do Another Mass Drug Sweep. Police in Detroit Tuesday swept through troubled East-side and Northwest neighborhoods targeting drug sales. Operation Order March Madness, which also included state and federal law enforcement, hit drug houses and other locations where drugs are sold. It is only the latest mass drug sweep of Detroit neighborhoods in the last few months. The Detroit Police Department said the operation was an example of its "relentless pursuit to rid our streets of its criminal element and drive our city into prosperity."

New Synthetic Drugs

Nebraska Synthetic Drug Bill Advances. A bill that would ban new forms of popular synthetic cannabinoids and stimulants advanced in the legislature Tuesday. Legislative Bill 811, sponsored by Sen. Ken Schilz (R-Ogallala), won first-round approval on a 33-0 vote. It's part of Attorney General Jon Bruning's annual legislative package.

International

World Ayahuasca Conference Set for Ibiza in September. The 2014 World Ayahuasca Conference is set for Ibiza on September 25-27. Organized by the Fundación ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service Foundation), the conference will bring together distinguished scientists, jurists, professionals, environmentalists, and other experts in the field of ayahuasca. It will take place in Spanish and English, with simultaneous translation. Click on the link for more details.

Ayahuasca Dialogues Needs Field Researchers in South America. The Ethnobotanical Stewardship Council's Ayahuasca Dialogues program is seeking field researchers to interview ayahuasca stakeholders in in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. They pay, too. Click on the title link for more information.