The DEA and IRS raided Denver-area dispensaries and grow ops Thursday. More than a dozen were hit, and it's not yet clear just why.
Progressive Insurance chairman Peter Lewis died Saturday at age 80. He had been a major funder of drug reform efforts, particularly marijuana.
Massachusetts and Illinois prepare for medical marijuana dispensaries, action is picking up in state legislatures, and Americans for Safe Access issues a report on state compliance with federal enforcement priorities.
With marijuana legalization initiatives already gearing up in Oregon, a key lawmaker wants the legislature to put its own initiative before the voters.
The year's 36th drug war fatality occured Friday night in Fort Worth, Texas. Guy with a gun met cops breaking down his door. Now he's dead.
Cops in the drug war this week are accused of stealing snitch money, lying to get search warrants, growing and peddling pot, and engaging in a little coke-smuggling.
Movement toward legal marijuana commerce continues in Washington, movement toward dispensaries continues in Massachusetts, medical marijuana polls very well in Florida, and more.
The momentum for marijuana legalization continues in the US, but Australia's New South Wales rejects medical marijuana even for the terminally ill. There's plenty more news, too.
Drug reform funder Peter Lewis dies, the Oregon legislature will consider a legalization initiative bill, medical marijuana patients are suing Health Canada, and more.
Medical marijuana gets attention in the statehouse, another drug war atrocity in New Mexico, Greece's first safe injection site is open, and a gram of opium or a few pounds of pot can get you the death penalty if you're in the wrong place. And more.
DEA and IRS agents backed up by Denver and other state and local law enforcement raided a number of Denver area medical marijuana dispensaries and grow operations Thursday. The US Attorney for Colorado's office confirmed the raids were taking place.
a Denver medical marijuana dispensary (not one of those raided Thursday) (wikipedia.org)
"The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Denver Police Department and state and local law enforcement are today executing lawfully obtained search warrants and seizure warrants," said Jeff
Dorschner, spokesman for the US Attorney for Colorado's office in a
Thursday statement.
"Although we cannot at this time discuss the substance of this pending investigation, the operation under way today comports with the Department's recent guidance regarding marijuana enforcement matters," Dorschner added. "As this is an on-going investigation, no additional information will be made available," he said.
Dorschner was referring to an August 29 Justice Department memorandum to federal prosecutors that said the Obama administration would not interfere with marijuana legalization provided certain boundaries were not crossed. US Attorney for Colorado John Walsh laid them out in his own statement that same day.
"Of particular concern to the US Attorney's Office are cases involving marijuana trafficking directly or indirectly to children and young people; trafficking that involves violence or other federal criminal activity; trafficking conducted or financed by street gangs and drug cartels; cultivation of marijuana on Colorado's extensive state and federal public lands; and trafficking across state and international lines," Walsh explained.
The Thursday raids come less than two months before state-legal marijuana retail stores open for business on January 1.
The Denver Post reported that the number of sites hit was "about a dozen," while the alternative weekly Westword put the number at fewer than 20, although that number is tentative. Among businesses mentioned by "reliable sources within the scene" to Westword are VIP Wellness, Cherry Top Farms, marQaha, and Swiss Medical in Boulder. Westword printed a photo of police cars in the parking lot of marQaha, while the Post printed a photo of piles of uprooted marijuana plants lying in the snow outside Swiss Medical.
Westword also reported that the owner of Swiss Medical told it that the raid there was prompted by one person among multiple tenants using its space, but that the raiders seized all the plants belonging to anyone who had a grow there. That's similar to what happened at Cherry Top Farms in 2011, when federal raiders targeting one grower seized all the plants on the scene.
"We do not yet know the details of these latest federal actions, so it is too soon to say what inspired them," said Denver-based Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Mason Tvert. "The Justice Department said it would respect states' rights to regulate marijuana, and that it would not go after businesses as long as they are complying with state laws. We hope they are sticking to their word and not interfering with any state-regulated, law-abiding businesses."
Tvert emphasized that at this point he does not know whether any of the businesses struck are accused of violating state laws.
"Colorado has demonstrated that regulating marijuana works," Tvert said. "Those businesses that are in clear compliance with state laws are meeting the needs of the community and not causing problems. As a result, they have not faced much in the way of federal interference. If a business is suspected of violating state laws, they will likely face increased scrutiny, and if they are found to be in violation, they will likely face consequences. That is how our society treats alcohol, and that is how we expect to see marijuana treated."
Denver-based attorney and marijuana activist Rob Corry was less diplomatic. He told the Post the Justice Department was acting like a bully and targeting "mostly mom-and-pop businesses."
"That is true to form, the DOJ, behaving like the classic schoolyard bully picking on the little guy," he said. "The DOJ needs to explain in a logical fashion why they are picking and choosing, going after only some of these entities when every one of them selling marijuana is running afoul of the federal law."
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Peter B. Lewis, the billionaire head of Progressive Insurance and a leading funder of drug reform efforts in recent decades, died Saturday at his home in Coconut Grove, Florida. He was 80 years old.
Peter Lewis (wikipedia.org)
The Cleveland native built Progressive, a small company started by his father, into an auto insurance powerhouse with more than 26,000 employees and $17 billion in premiums. His personal fortune was estimated at around $1 billion at the time of his death, and over his lifetime, he donated about $500 million to various causes.
As progressive as the name of his insurance company, Lewis financially supported the American Civil Liberties Union and the 2004 presidential campaign of then Sen. John Kerry. He also helped launched progressive organizations including Media Matters, Third Way, Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, among others.
One of his causes was drug law reform, particularly marijuana. Open about his enjoyment of the herb, Lewis was arrested by New Zealand authorities in 2000 after flying into the country to attend yacht races. But his financial support for the cause predated that event. Through the years Lewis contributed millions of dollars to a series of a initiative campaigns, including last year's successful campaigns in Colorado and Washington, where he was the single largest donor. Before he died, he also contributed to a nascent effort to put a legalization initiative on the 2014 Oregon ballot.
Along with financier George Soros and Phoenix University founder John Sperling, Lewis was for years one of the troika of big money funders for drug reform. That has begun to change as a new generation of entrepreneurs begin to pony up for reform, but Lewis and his money played a critical role in the reform movement getting to where it is now.
"The role that Peter has played in marijuana reform is that of leading this movement to the very brink of success," attorney and Lewis political strategist Graham Boyd told the Cleveland Plain Dealer Saturday night. "We've won two important states and I think just in the very near future there's going to be a cascade of victories that will be attributable to him and I do wish he had lived to see that success."
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Massachusetts and Illinois prepare for medical marijuana dispensaries, action is picking up in state legislatures, and Americans for Safe Access issues a report on state compliance with federal enforcement priorities. And more. Let's get to it:
NationalOn Monday, Americans for Safe Access released a report finding that medical marijuana states have enacted regulations that address federal enforcement concerns and calling on legislators and state rule-makers to keep the August 2013 Justice Department memo on enforcement guidelines in mind as they craft new laws and regulations. But DOJ memos aren't a solution, just a stopgap until appropriate federal legislation is passed, the report said.
Alabama
On Monday, State Rep. Patricia Todd said she will reintroduce medical marijuana legislation. She is talking up a bill that would allow for the use of CBD. Todd's previous medical marijuana bills have gotten nowhere in Montgomery.
California
Last Thursday, four California US representatives called for an end to the harassment of dispensaries.Reps. Barbara Lee (D), George Miller (D), Sam Farr (D), and Eric Swalwell (D) Thursday released excerpts of a letter they sent to US Attorney for Northern California Melinda Haag challenging her "hostility toward dispensaries." They criticized Haag's approach as "counterproductive and economically prohibitive," as well as being out of step with Obama administration policies as set down in August's Justice Department memo. "It is far past time for commonsense and economic sense to prevail in policies and actions related to medical cannabis dispensaries that serve the patients in our communities," said Rep. Lee. "This harassment and constant threat of prosecution should end."
Also last Thursday, the Santa Cruz planning commission approved plans for a new dispensary to open where one closed last year. The panel unanimously approved a special use permit for CannaCruz Collective. The city only allows for two dispensaries, and one other one is already open nearby.
Illinois
Last Tuesday, the Niles city board approved regulations limiting where medical marijuana facilities can locate. Such businesses will be limited to manufacturing districts with a special use permit. Medical marijuana becomes legal in Illinois on January 1.
Massachusetts
Last Friday, the state Department of Health released the names of finalists for medical marijuana sales licenses. There are one hundred of them, but some may face difficulties finding locations, in part because at least 130 cities and towns have adopted temporary moratoria on them. Applicants each paid a $30,000 application fee to enter the final round.
Michigan
On Monday, a key legislative leader said medical marijuana is a top priority next month. House Judiciary Committee Chair Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant) said his top priority next month is to take up three medical marijuana-related bills. The first, House Bill 4271, would revive medical marijuana dispensaries in Michigan after recent court rulings effectively stopped the facilities from operating in the state. Cotter also plans to take up two other medical marijuana-related bills. House Bill 5104 would allow patients to use edible forms of marijuana. And Senate Bill 660 would clear the way for pharmacies to sell medical marijuana in Michigan, but only if the federal government decides to regulate cannabis as a prescription drug.
New Jersey
On Monday, a lawmaker filed a bill allowing patients to get their medicine out of state. Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) introduced a bill that would allow Garden State medical marijuana patients to buy their medicine in other states where it is legal and consume it in New Jersey. The bill attempts to address restrictions in the state's medical marijuana law that prevent easy access to some medical marijuana formulations, especially strains with high levels of CBD.
New York
On Saturday, Democratic lawmakers announced public hearings next month to try to push a medical marijuana bill through the legislature. They plan to hold public hearings next month in Buffalo and Mineola. For the past several years, bills have passed the Assembly, only to die in the more conservative Senate. Another bill is moving this year. Click on the link for hearing details.
On Monday, a New York City council committee approved a resolution urging the federal government to approve the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which would take medical marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances and enable certified medical providers and researchers to prescribe or access the drug without the threat of prosecution. The vote was unanimous.
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
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State Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), the powerful head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, last Friday unveiled a draft bill that would ask voters in the November 2014 election whether they wanted to legalize marijuana. The announcement came as lawmakers began debating whether to advance the issue.
Under
Prozanski's plan, the legislature would pass the bill, and the marijuana legalization question would then appear on the November 2014 ballot. If approved by the voters, the legislature would then be charged with crafting regulations in 2015.
Next year, Oregon has only a six-week special legislative session beginning in February. That's why Prozanski wants solons to handle the regulatory issues in 2015, when there is more time.
Prozanski said a vote on legalization is inevitable, and if the legislature doesn't act, activists will put their own measures before the voters. At least two initiatives are already in the works, one by Paul Stanford, the controversial force behind last year's failed Measure 80 campaign, and one by local activists organized as New Approach Oregon, which is already picking up some seed money.
"It is here, we need deal with it," Prozanski said in remarks reported by the Associated Press. "Because if we don't deal with it, it's going to be given to us, and I think we'll have a lot of unintended consequences."
New Approach Oregon spokesman Anthony Johnson told the AP it was too early to tell if Prozanski's draft bill would satisfy his group. If not, Oregon voters could have two or more separate proposals to choose from next November.
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A Fort Worth, Texas, resident was shot and killed by members of the Tarrant County Narcotics Unit as they executed a search warrant Friday night. The as yet unidentified victim becomes the 36th person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.
According to
WFAA TV News, citing a Fort Worth police captain, six members of the unit's Northeast Division arrived at the Tulip Tree Drive residence at about 8:
45pm. When they broke down the door, the man inside was holding a shotgun and pointing it at officers.
One officer from nearby Euless fired once at the man, striking him at the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
While police did not identify the man, they did say he was 30 years old.
Four other people inside the home were taken into custody, but it is not clear if they were actually arrested.
The Fort Worth Police Department is investigating the shooting.
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Cops in the drug war this week are accused of stealing snitch money, lying to get search warrants, growing and peddling pot, and engaging in a little coke-smuggling. Let's get to it:
In Miami,
a former TSA supervisor was indicted last Wednesday for helping to smuggle at least 11 pounds of cocaine through the Virgin Islands. Dwight Durant, 44, is accused of conspiring with another Virgin Islands resident to traffic cocaine during the first eight months of 2012. He is charged with participating in a trafficking conspiracy and is looking at 10 years to life in prison if convicted.
In Buffalo, New York, a Buffalo police officer was arrested last Wednesday on charges he was growing and selling marijuana. James Hamilton, Jr., went down after he sold $1,100 worth of weed to a snitch. He was then arrested, and a subsequent search of his home revealed a grow op with 82 plants and four pounds of processed weed. He is charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana; manufacturing and possession with intent to distribute 50 or more marijuana plants; maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing marijuana; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He's looking at between five years and life in prison.
In New Orleans, two New Orleans police detectives were indicted last Friday on charges they conspired to steal thousands of dollars in funds that were earmarked for paying confidential informants. Rafael Dobard, 39, and Quincy Jones, 33, had been assigned to the Fourth District Narcotics Unit. They also got nailed for falsifying time sheets, and Dobard is also charged with paying bribes to other detectives in the unit. They are both on emergency suspension.
In Baltimore, a Baltimore police officer was arrested last Friday for lying to obtain a search warrant in a drugs and guns case. Thomas Wilson III, a 19-year veteran, is accused of lying when he said he saw a suspect leaving a home carrying a black bag. Wilson also had earlier problems with truthfulness; in 2003, a federal judge said an affidavit he filed in a case was packed with "knowing lies" and threw the case out. Then, he got a short suspension; now, he is charged with perjury and official misconduct.
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Movement toward legal marijuana commerce continues in Washington, movement toward dispensaries continues in Massachusetts, medical marijuana polls very well in Florida, and more. Let's get to it:
Coming soon to a Washington state retail store near you.
Washington State Marijuana Business License Applications Pile Up. As of Wednesday morning, the state Department of Revenue had received 585 completed applications for marijuana business licenses in the two days since the process opened up Monday. They include 27 applications for processors, 134 for growers, 144 for retailers, and 280 for operations doing both growing and processing. The state foresees 334 marijuana retail outlets. The number of growers and processors remains to be seen, but regulators want to limit legal production to two million square feet statewide.
Medical Marijuana
Florida Poll: Crist 47%, Scott 40%, Medical Marijuana 82%. A new Quinnipiac poll has support for medical marijuana in Florida at 82%, the greatest support for medical marijuana ever polled there, and nearly as much as the support for the leading gubernatorial contenders combined. The poll comes as People United for Medical Marijuana is in the midst of a signature-gathering campaign to put an initiative on the 2014 ballot. The poll strongly suggests that if the initiative can make the ballot, it will win.
Last Day for Dispensary Proposals in Massachusetts. Today is the deadline for the 158 qualified applicants seeking to open medical marijuana dispensaries in the Bay State. They are vying to be one of the 35 dispensaries envisioned by state law. In the second phase of the selection process, applicants will now go before a committee that will score their applications on a number of factors, including ability to meet the health needs of patients, appropriateness of the location, geographic distribution, local support, and plans to ensure public safety.
New Mexico's Bernalillo County Bans County Employees from Using Medical Marijuana. Bernalillo County (Albuquerque), the state's most populous county, has banned the use of medical marijuana by county workers under a new policy issued November 12 by County Manager Tom Zdunek. Zdunek cited federal prohibition and county policy as reasons for the ban. "This is a backwards policy that will prevent people who are suffering from accessing the medicine that works for them," said Jessica Gelay, policy coordinator for Drug Policy Alliance in New Mexico. "It is unconscionable that the County Manager would unilaterally attempt to deny Bernalillo County employees the right to use a medicine recommended by their physician. Patients deserve above all else, the freedom to choose the safest and most effective treatment for their disabling conditions -- whatever that treatment might be. It is time to stop demonizing marijuana and creating a double standard for prescription medications."
Cannabis Oil for Kids Greeted Warmly at Utah Capitol. Parents seeking access to cannabis oils for their epileptic children got a warm reception at a pair of committee hearings at the statehouse Wednesday. This is only a first step; there is no bill pending, but the response from lawmakers was largely positive, especially if such "hemp supplements" contained only small amounts of THC. There are about 10,000 Utah kids suffering from "refractory seizures" from epilepsy, and 35 of them are on a Colorado waiting list for a cannabis extract called Alepsia.
Drug Testing
Minnesota Now Drug Testing Public Benefits Recipients with Drug Felonies. People with a previous drug felony who are receiving or seeking public benefits are now subject to random drug testing under a law passed by the legislature in 2012. Those programs are the Minnesota Family Investment Program, General Assistance Program, Minnesota Supplemental Aid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. About 1% of state public benefits have felony drug records, similar to the proportion in the general population.
International
Myanmar Opium Eradication Campaign Falls Short. Opium eradicators in Myanmar's southern Shan State have fallen well short of wiping out the poppy crop. Police had planned to eradicate 30,000 acres of poppy in the past 30 days, but only actually destroyed about 4,600 acres, or 13% of the target. They blamed manpower shortages, poor road links, and a flawed crop substitution program for their failure to meet their targets. Myanmar is the world's second largest opium producer, but lags far behind Afghanistan, which produces about 90% of the illicit global supply.
Tanzania Scolded on Need for Drug Reform, Harm Reduction. The Tanzanian government needs to come up with a harm reduction strategy for drug users and reform its drug laws, Doctors of the World harm reduction specialist Damali Lucas told a Dar es Salaam press conference Monday. The country's 1995 drug law does not differentiate between someone holding a small amount of drugs and someone holding large amounts, she noted. She also called for a harm reduction policy to be implemented to address the spread of HIV and related illnesses.
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The momentum for marijuana legalization continues in the US, but Australia's New South Wales rejects medical marijuana even for the terminally ill. There's plenty more news, too. Let's get to it:
Coming soon to a legal retail outlet near you (if you live in Colorado). (wikipedia.org)
World's First-Ever Marijuana Retail License Issued in Colorado. Officials in Central City, Colorado, issued the world's first legal marijuana retail license Thursday. The license went to Annie's, currently operating as a medical marijuana dispensary. Annie's must still obtain a state license. Legal retail marijuana sales begin on January 1.
Oregon Legislators Meeting Today on Marijuana Legalization. Oregon lawmakers are meeting today to lay the groundwork for a possible marijuana legalization initiative to put before voters in November 2014. Senate Judiciary Chairman Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said he would push for such an initiative. New Approach Oregon has already filed its own legalization initiative, which Prozanski called "a great first draft," but then added that legislators should vet it.
Poll: Marijuana Legalization Has Majority Support in Indiana. The 2013 Hoosier Poll finds that 52.2% of adults in the state favor making "marijuana a regulated substance much like the way we regulate the use of alcohol and tobacco products." Only 45.3% were opposed. Support reached a whopping 78.1% when respondents were asked if "marijuana should be taxed like alcohol and tobacco products, or not."
Maine Legislative Council Rejects Legalization Bill. The Maine Legislative Council, made up of 10 leading legislators, Thursday night rejected a marijuana legalization bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland). That means the bill will have to go through the regular legislative process next year, or the voters will decide through a referendum.
Medical Marijuana
Four California US Representatives Call on Northern California US Attorney to Stop Harassing Dispensaries. Reps. Barbara Lee (D), George Miller (D), Sam Farr (D), and Eric Swalwell (D) Thursday released excerpts of a letter they sent to US Attorney for Northern California Melinda Haag challenging her "hostility toward dispensaries." They criticized Haag's approach as "counterproductive and economically prohibitive," as well as being out of step with Obama administration policies as set down in August's Justice Department memo. "It is far past time for commonsense and economic sense to prevail in policies and actions related to medical cannabis dispensaries that serve the patients in our communities," said Rep. Lee. "This harassment and constant threat of prosecution should end."
Drug Testing
Northern Marianas Bill Would Require Twice a Year Drug Tests for Elected Officials. A bill being crafted in the Northern Marianas Islands House of Representatives would require all elected officials to undergo drug tests every six months. The bill is being drafted by former cop Rep. Christopher Leon Guerrero, but is likely to be found unconstitutional if it ever passes, given federal court precedents.
Law Enforcement
Ohio Makes First Arrest under Automobile "Secret Compartment" Drug Law. An Ohio man arrested Tuesday for driving a vehicle that contained a hidden compartment becomes the first person charged under the state's 2012 law (Senate Bill 305) making it a felony to add a secret compartment with the intent of using it to conceal drugs for trafficking. Norman Gurley's vehicle had a secret compartment, but it contained no drugs or evidence of drugs.
Sentencing
Attorney General Holder Blasts High US Incarceration Rates at Colombia Conference. US Attorney General Eric Holder ripped into US incarceration policies at a conference of security ministers in Colombia Thursday, calling our imprisonment rates "both inadvisable and unsustainable." Holder added that the resort to mass incarceration "results in far too many Americans serving too much time in too many prisons -- and beyond the point of serving any good law enforcement reason." He also signaled that other countries should have greater flexibility in drug control policies. "We must acknowledge that none among us can fight this battle on our own, or by implementing a 'one-size-fits all' approach."
International
No Medical Marijuana for the Terminally Ill in Australia's New South Wales. The state government in New South Wales has rejected a request that terminally ill patients be granted an exemption to use marijuana to ease their pain. A bipartisan parliamentary committee had recommended that AIDS and terminally ill patients be allowed to possess up to a half-ounce for medical reasons, but the state government rejected the recommendation, saying the potency and safety of medical marijuana cannot be guaranteed. The decision was "cannabis hysteria at its worst," said Green MP John Kaye. "It's absurd to argue that someone dying of cancer should be denied access to a little bit of pain relief because it's the same substance some people use illegally."
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Drug reform funder Peter Lewis dies, the Oregon legislature will consider a legalization initiative bill, medical marijuana patients are suing Health Canada, and more. Let's get to it:
"Warning! Your Family is in Danger!" anti-legalization poster courtesy of the Mexican government (cij.gob.mx)
Oregon Legislature to Consider Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Bill. State Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, unveiled a draft bill Friday that would ask voters in the November 2014 election to approve marijuana legalization. If they did, the legislature would be charging with coming up with regulations in 2015. If the draft bill fails to move in the legislature, activists are already working on a separate 2014 legalization initiative.
Outdoor Anniversary Pot Party Approved for Seattle Center.The city of Seattle has approved a permit for a multi-hundred person pot party to mark the first anniversary of legal weed in the state. The event will take place at Seattle Center on December 6 and will include a permitted outdoor marijuana-smoking area.
Denver City Council Debating Marijuana Smoking Restrictions. The Denver city council is today holding a public hearing on an ordinance regulating marijuana smoking on private property. The council is about evenly divided between members who want to ban pot-smoking visible from the street or sidewalks and those who don't. Marijuana Policy Project spokesman and Amendment 64 proponent Mason Tvert held a protest on his balcony this morning where he publicly -- and legally -- consumed "a more dangerous substance."
Medical Marijuana
Medical Marijuana States are Complying with Federal Enforcement Guidelines, Report Says. The medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access Monday released a report finding that medical marijuana states have enacted regulations that address federal enforcement concerns and calling on legislators and state rulemakers to keep the August 2013 Justice Department memo on enforcement guidelines in mind as they craft new laws and regulations. But DOJ memos aren't a solution, just a stop-gap until appropriate federal legislation is passed, the report said.
Public Hearings on Medical Marijuana Coming in New York State. Democratic lawmakers trying to push a medical marijuana bill through the legislature plan to hold public hearings next month in Buffalo and Mineola. For the past several years, bills have passed the Assembly, only to die in the more conservative Senate. Another bill is moving this year. Click on the link for hearing details.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Philanthropist, Drug Reform Funder Peter Lewis Dies. Peter Lewis, the man who took Progressive Insurance into the auto insurance big leagues, died Saturday in Florida. Over the past 30 years, Lewis gave millions of dollars to efforts to legalize marijuana, as well as other drug reform efforts, including a recent contribution to a proposed 2014 initiative in Oregon. He was 80 years old.
Pregnancy
Feticide Charge Dismissed Against Drug-Using Louisiana Woman. A Louisiana judge has ruled that a woman who allegedly snorted cocaine days before giving birth to a stillborn fetus cannot be charged under the state's feticide law. That law only applies to people other than the expectant mother, District Judge Trudy White ruled. The woman was charged after a parish coroner ruled the stillbirth a homicide, saying the mother's drug use "led to a normally healthy baby ending up dying." Prosecutors could still bring other charges against the woman, they said.
International
Medical Marijuana Patients to Sue Health Canada over Being Outed. Medical marijuana patients furious and frightened after Health Canada outed them by sending each one of them documents in a white envelope with "Medical Marijuana Access Program" written across the top, followed by the patients' names and addresses are planning a class-action lawsuit. Health Canada said last week the mailing was the result of administrative error, but that is not assuaging unhappy patients.
Government Sponsored Anti-Marijuana Legalization Marchers take to the Streets in Mexico. Organized by the National Social Leaders of Mexico (
CONAL), and with the support of a federal government children's development program, anti-marijuana legalization marchers in small numbers took to the streets of at least 15 Mexican cities over the weekend. They oppose growing talk of legalization, which has occurred in the Mexico City city council and the national congress, among other places.
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Medical marijuana gets attention in the statehouse, another drug war atrocity in New Mexico, Greece's first safe injection site is open, and a gram of opium or a few pounds of pot can get you the death penalty if you're in the wrong place. And more. Let's get to it:
This is three times the amount of opium that could get an immigrant worker executed in Dubai. (erowid.org)
Key Michigan Politico Says Medical Marijuana Top Priority in December. House Judiciary Committee Chair Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant) said Monday his top priority next month is to take up three medical marijuana-related bills. The first,House Bill 4271, would revive medical marijuana dispensaries in Michigan after recent court rulings effectively stopped the facilities from operating in the state. Cotter also plans to take up two other medical marijuana-related bills. House Bill 5104 would allow patients to use edible forms of marijuana. And Senate Bill 660 would clear the way for pharmacies to sell medical marijuana in Michigan, but only if the federal government decides to regulate cannabis as a prescription drug.
New Jersey Lawmaker Files Bill Allowing Patients to Buy Out of State. Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) Monday introduced a bill that would allow Garden State medical marijuana patients to buy their medicine in other states where it is legal and consume it in New Jersey. The bill attempts to address restrictions in the state's medical marijuana law that prevent easy access to some medical marijuana formulations, especially strains with high levels of CBD.
Alabama Lawmaker Ready to Try Again on Medical Marijuana. State Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham) will reintroduce medical marijuana legislation again next year, she said Monday. The bill would allow for the use of CBD. Todd's previous medical marijuana bills have gotten nowhere in Montgomery.
Hemp
New Jersey Hemp Bill Wins Committee Vote. A bill that would create an industrial hemp license to regulate the "planting, growing, harvesting, possessing, processing, selling, and buying" of the crop passed the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Monday. The bill, Assembly Bill 2415, sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), would require the end of federal hemp prohibition before licenses could be issued.
Law Enforcement
New Mexico Woman Sues over Vaginal Macing During Drug Arrest. What on earth is going on in New Mexico? Just weeks ago, it was forced enemas and colonoscopies for drug suspects; now, another New Mexican, Marlene Tapia, is suing Bernalillo County after she says jail guards strip searched her and sprayed mace in her vagina, where she was hiding drugs. The ACLU of New Mexico is taking the case.
New Jersey Bill Would Increase Drug Penalties. A bill that would reduce the amount of heroin necessary to be charged with a first-degree crime and allow prosecutors to charge drug offenses by the number of units of the drug involved instead of their weight passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee Monday. The bill, Assembly Bill 4151, is sponsored by Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Passaic).
International
Greece Sets Up First Supervised Injection Site. Greece has opened its first "drug consumption" room in a bid to slow the spread of blood-borne diseases among injection drug users there. The site has been open since last month and has been used by more than 200 people so far.
European Drug Experts Urge Austerity-Battered Governments Not to Cut Drug Treatment. Drug experts and policy makers from around Europe gathered in Athens Monday to urge governments to exclude drug-abuse treatment from austerity budget cuts, citing an alarming rise in HIV infections among drug users in Greece. Included in the call are harm reduction programs like the Greek supervised injection site, which is funded with Council of Europe funds.
Colombia's FARC Wants to Lead Alternative Crop Pilot Project. The leftist guerrillas of the FARC, now in peace negotiations with the Colombian government, want an active role in a pilot project to get coca farmers to grow alternative crops. The group is proposing that one of its local military units team with the government in a village in southern Colombia in a five-year project intended to get farmers to quit growing coca.
Malaysia Court Gives Thai Woman Death Sentence for Weed. A judge in Malaysia Monday sentenced a 36-year-old Thai woman to death after she was caught with about 30 pounds of marijuana at a bus depot. Barring a successful appeal, Thitapah Charenchuea will be hanged. DPP Nor Shuhada Mohd Yatim prosecuted the case.
Dubai Prosecutors Seeks Death Penalty for Less Than One Gram of Opium. Prosecutors in Dubai are seeking the death penalty for an Iranian worker accused of possessing 0.8 grams of opium. They charged he possessed it for "promotional purposes," the equivalent of "with the intent to distribute."
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