Chronicle AM: MI Legalizers Hand in Signatures, CA Legislature Acts on MedMJ, More... (6/2/16)

Edibles come to Oregon, California legislators move on medical marijuana bills, NYC pot busts are on the increase again, Michigan legalizers hand in lots of signatures, and more.

Medical marijuana-related bills are working their way through the California legislature. (wikimedia.org)

Arizona Grassroots Legalization Effort Gives Up the Ghost. The group Arizonans for Mindful Regulation (AZMFR) has halted its signature gathering campaign after acknowledging it has failed to meet its goals. The group had positioned itself as an alternative to the Marijuana Policy Project-backed Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona, which has already handed in signatures and awaits confirmation that its initiative has qualified for the November ballot. AZMFR says it is launching "vote no" campaign against the other initiative and will be back with another legalization effort in 2018.

Michigan Legalizers Turn in More Than 300,000 Signatures. Activists with MI Legalize Monday turned in some 345,000 signatures to state officials in a bid to get their legalization initiative on the November ballot. They only need 252,000 valid voter signatures, but some of the signatures handed in may not be counted because they were gathered more than 180 days before the turn in date. The legislature recently passed a bill limiting signature collection to 180 days, but the governor hasn't signed it yet.

Marijuana Edibles Are Now For Sale in Oregon. As of today, it is legal to purchase edibles from marijuana dispensaries. Up until now, edibles had only been available for medical marijuana patients. Under temporary rules established by the Oregon Health Authority, consumers can now purchase one edible containing up to 15 milligrams of THC per day.

New York City Marijuana Possession Arrests Creeping Up Again. Marijuana possession arrests rose by more than a third in the first quarter of 2016, even after the NYPD promised in 2014 that it was going to work to reduce them. Some 4,225 people were popped for pot in the first three months of this year, up from 2,960 during the same period last year. That's still well below the more than 7,000 arrested in the same period in 2014, but the trend is headed in the wrong direction.

Medical Marijuana

California Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Sales Tax. The Senate Wednesday approved a bill imposing a 15% sales tax on medical marijuana on a 27-9 vote. The measure, Senate bill 987, now goes to the Assembly. Critics have charged it will hurt poor patients, but bill sponsor Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) says he will amend the bill in the Assembly to ensure that low income people don't have to pay the tax.

California Assembly Approves Medical Marijuana Research. The Assembly Wednesday approved Assembly Bill 1575, an omnibus medical marijuana bill that includes provisions easing the way for research on the plant's medicinal properties. The bill specifies that it is "not a violation of state law or local ordinance or regulation for a business or research institution with state authorization to engage in the research of medical cannabis used for the medical purposes." The bill now heads for the Senate.

California Assembly Approves "Cottage" Medical Marijuana Farms. The Assembly Wednesday approved Assembly Bill 2516, which would create a new category of cultivator license for outdoor grows under 2,500 square feet and indoor grows under 500 square feet. "We are trying to ensure small medical cannabis growers on the North Coast can continue to do business as this industry moves forward," said sponsor Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-North Coast). "It is not fair to require the small farmers to adhere to the same standards as larger operations." The bill now heads for the Senate.

Drug Testing

Mississippi Welfare Drug Testing Program Screened 12,000, Got 10 Positive Drug Tests. The Mississippi law that requires drug screening for people seeking Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds subjected some 12,000 people to screening, but found only 175 were suspicious enough to require drug testing. Of the 175 who were tested, only 10 tested positive. The figure is less than one-tenth of 1% of the number of people screened.

International

Dutch Study Finds Legalizing Marijuana Production Beneficial for Public Health and Human Rights. A study conducted for Dutch municipalities seeking regulated marijuana production has found that legalizing it would have public health benefits by reducing violent crime, corruption, fires, and quality of life issues in residential areas. Regulating marijuana should be seen as a "positive obligation to protect human rights," the researchers said.