Chronicle AM: Bolivia Defends Coca Law at UN, MA Activists Oppose MJ Law Fix, More... (3/14/17)

Welfare drug testing bills are under consideration in Florida and North Dakota, Massachusetts legalizers warn lawmakers not to mess with the state's voter-approved pot law, Bolivia is set to defend its new coca law, and more.

Bolivian government officials head to Vienna to defend the country's new law expanding legal coca cultivation. (deamuseum.org)

Massachusetts Initiative Campaign Tells Lawmakers to Back Off. The Yes on 4 Committee, the people behind the successful campaign to legalize marijuana in the state, is now urging legislators to back away from meddling with the state's new marijuana law. "The new law requires no fixes," said Yes on 4's Jim Borghesani. The legislative committee charged with "fixing" the law is set to open public hearings on possible revisions of the law next week.

Medical Marijuana

Arkansas Senate Again Rejects Ban on Smoked Medical Marijuana. For the second time in a week, the Senate has rejected Senate Bill 357, which would have banned smoking of medical marijuana. The Senate rejected the bill Monday night on a 15-11 vote and slapped down a later motion to allow it come back for yet another vote by a margin of 11-0.

Drug Testing

Florida Welfare Drug Testing Bill Advances. A bill that would require adults previously convicted of drug offenses to undergo drug screening and possible drug testing before their families could receive welfare payments passed the House Children, Families, and Seniors Subcommittee on Monday. The measure, House Bill 1117, is still before two other committees in the House.

North Dakota Welfare Drug Testing Bill Gets Trashed in Hearing. A welfare drug testing bill that has already passed the House came under sustained attack at a hearing in the Senate Human Services Committee Monday. The measure, House Bill 1308, would require welfare applicants to undergo drug screening and possible drug testing, but various witnesses testified it was not the way to go. One, Mandan small business owner Susan Beehler, said she had been on welfare in "It's a complicated issue, and it's not going to be solved by a pee cup," said Beehler, adding she's seen no hard data proving that drug screenings for TANF would be cost-effective for the state. The committee took no action on the bill.

International

Bolivia Will Defend New Coca Law at UN Meeting This Week. A Bolivian government delegation is headed for Vienna to attend the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) meeting this week to defend its new coca expansion and drug trafficking laws. The European Union has questioned the new coca law, which almost doubles the amount of legal coca cultivation in the country, but President Evo Morales said Bolivia has "all the arguments" it needs to justify the increase.

German Medical Marijuana Cultivation Will Begin in 2019. Germany will begin state-regulated medical marijuana growing operations in 2019, German authorities said. The parliament voted to allow medical marijuana in January, but it will take time to get things up and running. Until then, medical marijuana prescriptions will be filled by imports from Canada and the Netherlands.