Chronicle AM: Australia Okays Medical Marijuana, NJ Legalization Rally Tomorrow, More (10/16/15)

There's a legalization rally in Trenton tomorrow, ASA has a new report on the impact of dispensaries, Mexico cartel violence flares at a Pacific port, Australia okays medical marijuana, and more.

Legalization Rally in New Jersey Tomorrow. Hundreds of legalization supporters will gather in Trenton Saturday to call for an end to marijuana prohibition in the Garden State. The rally begins at city hall at 2:00pm, then marches to the state capitol for a 3:00pm rally. The rally is sponsored by the East Coast Cannabis Coalition and a variety of local reform groups.

Medical Marijuana

ASA Releases Report on Impact on Dispensaries on Communities. Americans for Safe Access has released a report, Where Will Patients Obtain Their Medicine?, that shows dispensaries do not bring elevated crime rates or other social ills, but do bring economic opportunity and provide access to medicine for patients. "The research shows that well-regulated dispensaries are responsible neighbors and valued members of the community," said Steph Sherer, ASA's executive director. "They bring jobs and increased economic activity while providing patients suffering from serious illnesses with an essential physician-recommended medicine. Creating equitable rules for medical cannabis access is a win-win scenario for everyone in a community."

New Psychoactive Substances

Federal Crackdown on New Synthetic Drugs Winds Down. A year-long operation by the DEA and other federal agencies aimed at cracking down on makers and sellers of new psychoactive substances ended yesterday. The feds bragged of arresting 151 people in 16 states, as well as seizing more than $15 million in cash and other assets in the operation, code-named Project Synergy.

Asset Forfeiture

Pennsylvania Poll Finds Strong Backing for Asset Forfeiture Reforms. A new poll sponsored by the asset forfeiture reform group Fix Forfeiture found that only one out of four Pennsylvanians had ever heard of asset forfeiture, but once they found out what it was, they didn't like it. Nearly four out of five (79%) said they supported reforms once they understood what asset forfeiture was. "It was really stunning to see how broad the support for reform is," said Jim Hobart, pollster for Public Opinion Strategies. "We don't get this type of bipartisan support on any issue these days." The poll comes as the legislature ponders a reform bill, Senate Bill 869, and its House companion bill, HB 508. The bill will have a hearing next week.

International

Australia to Legalize Medical Marijuana. The federal government has announced it will legalize the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes, but state governments will be able to opt out. Health Minister Susan Ley said the government wants to provide access to medical marijuana for people suffering from debilitating illnesses. "I have heard stories of patients who have resorted to illegal methods of obtaining cannabis and I have felt for them, because with a terminal condition, the most important thing is quality of life and relief of pain," she said. "And we know that many people are calling out for medicinal cannabis. It is important therefore that we recognize those calls for help, that we put in place what we know will support a safe, legal and sustainable supply of a product."

Mexican Cartels Fight It Out Over Control of Pacific Port. The death toll is rising in Colima state as the Sinaloa Cartel, the Knights Templar, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel wage a three-sided war for control of the port of Manzanillo. At least 30 people are believed to have been killed in gangland slayings in the state since June, many of them showing signs of torture or, in some cases, dismemberment.