The House of Represenatives has sent a strong message to the DEA that the agency needs to change its ways.
Your help is needed to advance our global drug policy reform campaign and to continue publishing this newsletter.
ProCon.org is a series of in-depth web sites presenting information and views from on current issues, several with relevance to drug policy. The Chronicle is currently running a series of info items from ProCon.org -- this one from
medicalmarijuana.procon.org -- and we encourage you to check it out.
The House tells the DEA to stay out of medical marijuana states, California and Oregon move toward regulating medical marijuana grows, CBC cannabis oil bills and programs make progress, and more.
Another jail guard goes down, a probation officer may need probation himself, and a Florida sheriff's officer was looking up information he wasn't supposed to.
The drug war took more lives in May -- five civilians and two police officers.
The Maine legislature kills a pot DUID bill, the Arizona Supreme Court will take up the issue, Florida's CBD cannabis oil program will finally roll out, the Dutch crack down on grow shops, Australia's Greens want to ban drug dogs, and more.
California could finally end up with statewide medical marijuana regulation as a compromise bill moves, asset forfeiture reform is moving in Michigan, an omnibus heroin bill moves in Illinois, and more.
Massachusetts politicians start to figure out that marijuana is going to be legalized, Congress is set to take up measures to protect legal marijuana states, Texas becomes the 15th CBD cannabis oil state, the Supreme Court nixes deportation of an immigrant for drug paraphernalia, and more.
The DEA gets its budget cut and its activities restricted in the House, but is still wiretapping like crazy, a Delaware decrim bill advances, so does a CBD cannabis oil bill there, and more.
This article was published in collaboration with AlterNet and originally appeared here.
In a series of votes yesterday, the House voted to end the DEA's controversial bulk data collection program and also passed three amendments cutting funding from the DEA and shifting it to other federal law enforcement priorities. In more votes today, it approved three amendments aimed at blocking DEA and Justice Department interference with industrial hemp, CBD cannabis oil, and medical marijuana in states where they are legal. A fourth amendment that would have barred interference in legal marijuana states was narrowly defeated.
The votes came as the House considers the FY 2016 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill.
Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), David Schweikert (R-AZ), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) offered the amendment barring the DEA and the Justice Department from using taxpayer funds to do bulk collection of Americans' communications records. It passed on a voice vote yesterday.
"Congress dealt a major blow to the DEA by ending their invasive and offensive bulk data collection programs and by cutting their budget, said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. "The more the DEA ignores commonsense drug policy, the more they will see their agency's power and budget come under deeper scrutiny."
Last night, members voted to slash $23 million from the DEA's budget and reallocate the money for more cost-effective programs. One amendment, from Rep. Ted Liew (D-CA) shifted $9 million from the agency's marijuana eradication program to youth programs; another, from Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) shifted $4 million from the DEA budget to rape test kits; while the third, from Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) shifted $9 million from the DEA to a program to try to reduce police abuse by procuring body cameras for police officers.
In today's votes, an amendment offered by Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Reid Ribble (R-WI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Joe Heck (R-NV), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Don Young (R-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Dina Titus (D-NV) would bar the DEA and Justice from interfering in medical marijuana states. It passed 242-186. Similar legislation passed Congress last year, but was set to expire.
The House also passed an amendment from Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) to protect state laws allowing for the use of CBD cannabis oil. It passed 297-130. A third amendment, from Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), to protect state laws allowing industrial hemp also passed on a vote of 282-146.
But the most far-reaching amendment, which would have barred federal interference in states where marijuana is legal for either medical or general purposes, failed on a vote of 206-222. It was sponsored by Reps. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Don Young (R-AK), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).
"Votes in support of rolling back the federal government's war on medical marijuana are beginning to become routine. Last year, passing this amendment was unprecedented. This year, it was predictable. Medical marijuana has gone from 'controversial' to 'conventional' on Capitol Hill," said Dan Riffle, director of federal policy for the
Marijuana Policy Project.
But this is just the start, Riffle said.
"This is an important amendment because it addresses the tension between state and federal marijuana law," he noted. "We welcome it as a temporary fix, but what we really need is a comprehensive and more permanent solution. It's time for Congress to pass legislation that ends prohibition at the federal level and allows states to determine their own marijuana policies."
Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority was singing the same tune.
"Now that the House has gone on record with strong bipartisan votes for two years in a row to oppose using federal funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, it's time for Congress to take up comprehensive legislation to actually change federal law," he said. "That's what a growing majority of Americans wants, and these votes show that lawmakers are on board as well. Congress clearly wants to stop the Justice Department from spending money to impose failed marijuana prohibition policies onto states, so there's absolutely no reason those policies themselves should remain on the law books any longer."
"There's unprecedented support on both sides of the aisle for ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states set their own drug policies based on science, compassion, health, and human rights," said DPA's Piper.
Despite the narrow failure of that last amendment, the votes are just the latest indicator of rising congressional dissatisfaction with the scandal-plagued agency.
Former Administrator Michele Leonhart was forced to resign earlier this year after a disastrous performance before congressional overseers over the agency's latest scandal, which involved DEA agents using taxpayer (and sometimes, drug baron) funds to consort with prostitutes in Colombia.
But the agency's problems with Congress go deeper than mere scandals -- of which there are plenty -- and reflect rising congressional concern that the DEA is not only ineffective, but downright obstinate, especially when it comes to marijuana policy. Leonhart herself epitomized the culture problem in the DEA when she was unable to bring herself to admit to Congress last year that marijuana is less dangerous than heroin.
The House has now shown it isn't very keen on the DEA's mass surveillance programs, either. Knowledge of their extent first appeared with a Reuters expose in 2013 that outlined collaboration between the DEA, NSA, CIA and other agencies to spy on Americans in the name of the drug war, including the creation of false investigative trails to disguise the fact they were getting information from secret surveillance programs. Then, this April, USA Today reported that the DEA and Justice Department have been keeping secret records of billions of international phone calls made by Americans for decades. The program, the first known US effort to gather bulk data on citizens, regardless of whether or not they were suspected of committing a crime, was the precursor of the post-9/11 spying programs.
"The DEA built the modern surveillance state," said Piper. "From spying on Americans to busting into people's homes the DEA doesn't fit in well in a free society and the time is now to reverse these harms."
DPA recently released a new report, The Scandal-Ridden DEA: Everything You Need to Know. The report and a comprehensive set of background resources about the campaign to rein in the DEA are available at www.drugpolicy.org/DEA.
"The DEA is a large, expensive, scandal-prone bureaucracy that has failed to reduce drug-related problems," said Piper. "There's a bipartisan consensus that drug use should be treated as a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue; with states legalizing marijuana and adopting other drug policy reforms it is time to ask if the agency is even needed anymore."
back to top
StoptheDrugWar.org is at a critical moment in our work. Our campaign to reform global drug policy is gaining traction; but while grantors are considering major funding for it, those funds are not yet in place. We have stretched things to move the project forward already, and we need your help at this time to do more. Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org/global/to learn more about this effort and for links you can follow to the press we've gotten.Our ongoing educational publishing work also continues to play an important role, and is relied on by advocates around the world. There is no other source besides our web site where one can find a comprehensive rundown on all the news stories of interest in all the different areas of drug policy reform. Because there is so much more going on now than there used to be, many of those stories now only get links. But that's our way of getting the this needed job done, and it's a good problem to have. Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle to read the latest in our Drug War Chronicle newsletter if you haven't lately.
If you were planning to donate to our organization at some point, but weren't sure when, or if you've been thinking about it but just haven't gotten to it yet, I hope you'll make this the time. June, unfortunately, is a "dry season" for donations to organizations, despite our having had rain here in Washington the last few days. Your gift today or this week -- whether it's a large one, or a small one together with those made by others -- could be what makes the difference in our being able to press forward full speed at this important moment.
Donations to our tax-deductible nonprofit, DRCNet Foundation, and our non-deductible lobbying nonprofit, Drug Reform Coordination Network, both can be put toward these uses that I've described. Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org/donate to donate by credit card or PayPal, or send your check or money order (made out to one of the two names listed above) to P.O. 9853, Washington, DC 20016.
We can also accept donations of stock; the information to give your brokerage is Ameritrade, (800) 669-3900), DTC #0188, and account number 781926492 for tax-deductible gifts to DRCNet Foundation or 864663500 for non-deductible gifts to Drug Reform Coordination Network -- please contact us if you are donating this way.
Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this message. With your help, we will change things for the better -- time, and the truth, are on our side!
Sincerely,
David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org
P.O. Box 9853
Washington, DC 20016
http://stopthedrugwar.org
back to top
Did you know that "A new strain of marijuana has motivated hundreds of families with epileptic children to pack up and move to Colorado to legally obtain the drug"?, Read the details on medicalmarijuana.procon.org, part of the ProCon.org family.
This is the first of a Drug War Chronicle "Did You Know" series of important facts from ProCon.org. Follow the Chronicle the next six weeks to read them, or sign up for ProCon.org's email list or RSS feed.
ProCon.org is a web site promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan primarily pro-con format.
back to top
The House tells the DEA to stay out of medical marijuana states, California and Oregon move toward regulating medical marijuana grows, CBC cannabis oil bills and programs make progress, and more.
This article contains a correction to the original version, in the Minnesota subsection.
NationalOn Wednesday, the House voted to bar the DEA from interfering in states with CBD cannabis oil and medical marijuana laws. The moves were part of a broader assault on the DEA in the House. Click on the link for more information.
Arizona
Last Tuesday, the state Supreme Court agreed to review DUID immunity for patients. The court agreed to review a state Court of Appeals ruling issued last November that said medical marijuana patients can still be prosecuted under laws against drugged driving. Arizona has a zero tolerance per se DUID law under which all that is necessary to convict if the presence of inactive metabolites in the blood.
California
On Monday, a medical marijuana regulation bill won a committee vote. The Assembly Appropriations Committee has approved a compromise regulation bill that combines features of two competing bills, Assembly Bill 34 and Assembly Bill 266. The bill would create a Governor's Office of Medical Marijuana Regulation, with three divisions. The Agriculture Department would handle cultivation, the Public Health Department would handle product safety and labeling, and the Board of Equalization would be responsible for licensing. The compromise bill is AB 266. A floor vote is expected later this week.
Florida
Last Wednesday, a state judge cleared the way for the CBD cannabis oil program.A judge in Tallahassee dismissed the final challenge to the state's CBD cannabis oil law passed last year, clearing the way for the long-delayed program to actually get underway. Now, growers should be able to provide CBD cannabis oils to patients within a few months.
Illinois
Last Saturday, a bill to add PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions moved ahead. The House last Saturday approved a bill that would add PTSD to the list of qualifying medical conditions. The bill has already been approved by the Senate, but will have to go back there for approval after the House added language clarifying that patients are not prohibited from having a state firearms owner ID card.
Minnesota
As of Monday, the CBD cannabis oil program is taking registrants. Patients can sign up for the state's CBD cannabis oil program, which will go into effect July 1. The state estimates that some 5,000 people will sign up.
[Ed: The initial version of this article initially described the Minnesota program erroneously as involving "CBD cannabis oil." While the program has limits including not allowing smoked or edible marijuana, it does not specify THC vs. CBD content.]
Oklahoma
On Saturday, a medical marijuana initiative campaign get underway. Hundreds of people showed up at the state capitol for the launch of a medical marijuana initiative campaign led by Oklahomans for Health.
Oregon
Last Friday, the Senate passed a bill restricting medical marijuana growers. The state Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill widely opposed by patients and growers that limits the number of plants caregivers could grow. The measure, Senate Bill 964, also requires regular reporting by growers and allows localities to prohibit dispensaries.
South Carolina
Last Friday, the medical marijuana bill was pronounced dead for the year. A bill that would have allowed for the use of medical marijuana is dead in the state legislature this year, senators said. Senate Bill 672, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort), will, however, get more hearings before the legislature begins the second year of its two-year session in January.
Texas
On Monday, the CBD cannabis oil bill was signed into law. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Monday signed into law the CBD cannabis oil bill, Senate Bill 339, which allows the use of the oil for treating severe forms of epilepsy. Texas is now the 15th state to allow the use of CBD cannabis oils.
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
back to top
Another jail guard goes down, a probation officer may need probation himself, and a Florida sheriff's officer was looking up information he wasn't supposed to. Let's get to it:
In Jacksonville, Florida, a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office patrol officer was arrested last Thursday as part of a federal drug roundup that netted 13 people. Officer Michael Rounsville, 46, is charged with unauthorized use of the National Crime Information Center database. He allegedly used it to check an undercover agent's criminal history without authorization. Others in the case face drug trafficking and money laundering charges.In Charlotte, North Carolina, a Mecklenburg County probation officer was arrested last Friday on heroin and pain pill charges. Justin Shame McGlamery is accused of buying heroin four times in the past two weeks and selling hydrocodone and oxycodone. At last report, he was still trying to make a $125,000 bail bond.
In Tecumseh, Nebraska, a Nebraska prison guard was arrested last Saturday for allegedly offering to sneak marijuana in to a prisoner last year. Guard Michael Splittgerber, 21, went down after an inmate ratted him out. When authorities searched him on the job, they found a joint inside a state-issued plastic glove on him. At last report, he was in jail and trying to make bail.
back to top
Police enforcing the drug laws killed five people in separate incidents last month. The victims become the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th persons to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year. Also killed in May drug war mayhem were two Mississippi police officers whose deaths were noted earlier here.
Here's who was killed and the circumstances in which they died:
On May 5, US Marshals shot and killed a drug fugitive in a Honolulu parking garage. The man, who was not identified, was sitting in his car when marshals tracked him to the parking garage. They said he reached for a weapon as they approached, so they tasered him. When that didn't work, they shot and killed him. He died at the scene.
On May 9, a Fort Worth, Texas, police officer shot and killed a man "who tried to back over a plainclothes narcotics officer." Police had gone to a residence that was under surveillance for drug activity when they realized that a wanted drug felon, Kelvin Goldston, was in the house. When Goldston left the home and got into his pickup truck, officers approached from the front and rear of his vehicle. Goldston put the truck into reverse, forcing the officer at the back to jump into the grass, where she sustained minor injuries. The officer in front then opened fire, hitting Goldston multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On May 10, two Jacksonville, Florida, police officers shot and killed a man they encountered while carrying out an eviction order at an apartment complex. D'Angelo Reyes Stallworth, 28, had nothing to do with the eviction, but was apparently selling marijuana at the complex when he encountered the officers. Police said he stuck a gun in one officer's chest, struggled with both, then broke free and ran down a staircase. He then turned around, and the officers, thinking he was still armed, shot him. But Stallworth had dropped the gun during the struggle and was unarmed when shot.
On May 21, Kentucky State Police officers shot and killed a drug suspect at a Motel 6 in Owensboro. They were in a joint drug investigation with Owensboro police and tracked their as yet unnamed suspect to the motel, but when they attempted to arrest him, he refused to exit the room and said he would not cooperate. Because a woman was in the room with him, police set up a hostage negotiation team, but the man emerged from the room around midnight and fired at officers. Police returned fire, hitting him. He later died at a local hospital.
On May 29, a Northglenn, Colorado, peace officer shot and killed a man during a drug raid. Officers had used a battering ram to open the front door of the residence during their no-knock SWAT raid and were met with gunfire from inside the house. One officer was shot and wounded and a man inside the house, who has not been identified, was shot and killed.
back to top
The Maine legislature kills a pot DUID bill, the Arizona Supreme Court will take up the issue, Florida's CBD cannabis oil program will finally roll out, the Dutch crack down on grow shops, Australia's Greens want to ban drug dogs, and more.
Marijuana and driving remains a contentious issue. (flickr.com)
Maine Marijuana DUID Bill Stalls in Legislature. An effort to pass a per se marijuana impaired driving law has stalled in the legislature after experts said that, given the state of the science, any specified limit would be "arbitrary." Under per se impaired driving laws, merely testing positive for the specified amount is sufficient to get you convicted of drugged driving. The legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted Tuesday not to advance LD 1320, but instead to convene a working group to study the issue.
Medical Marijuana
Arizona Supreme Court Will Review Ruling on DUID Immunity for Patients. The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to review a state Court of Appeals ruling issued last November that said medical marijuana patients can still be prosecuted under laws against drugged driving. Arizona has a zero tolerance per se DUID law under which all that is necessary to convict if the presence of inactive metabolites in the blood.
Florida Judge Clears Way for CBD Cannabis Oil Program. A judge in Tallahassee Wednesday dismissed the final challenge to the state's CBD cannabis oil law passed last year, clearing the way for the long-delayed program to actual get underway. Now, growers should be able to provide CBD cannabis oils to patients within a few months.
Oregon Senate Passes Bill Restricting Medical Marijuana Grows. The state Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill widely opposed by patients and growers that limits the number of plants caregivers could grow. The measure, Senate Bill 964, also requires regular reporting by growers and allows localities to prohibit dispensaries.
South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Dead for This Year. A bill that would have allowed for the use of medical marijuana is dead in the state legislature this year, senators said. Senate Bill 672, sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort), will, however, get more hearings before the legislature begins the second year of its two-year session in January.
International
Dutch Police in Massive Raid on Grow Shops. Dutch police enforcing a new law cracking down on people aiding or promoting illicit marijuana cultivation raided 27 grow shops across the country Tuesday, arresting 11 people. Under the new law, it is now illegal to deliberately supply equipment for illicit marijuana cultivation. Violators face up to three years in prison.
Australia Greens File Bill to Ban Drug Dogs from Festivals. The Greens have filed a bill to end the use of drug-sniffing dogs at music festivals, bars, on public transport, and in Sydney's Kings Cross neighborhood. The bill is part of a broader Green campaign against the use of drug dogs. The Greens say the drug dogs program doesn't work, but does subject thousands of young people to humiliating searches. The Greens also argue that the dogs program doesn't target major suppliers, but people carrying small amounts of drugs for personal use.
back to top
California could finally end up with statewide medical marijuana regulation as a compromise bill moves, asset forfeiture reform is moving in Michigan, an omnibus heroin bill moves in Illinois, and more.
Illinois is the latest state to try to legislate a response to heroin. (wikimedia.org)
Maine Legalization Bill Rejected in Committee. The Criminal Justice Committee last Thursday rejected Rep. Diane Russell's legalization bill, LD 1380, but the bill is not yet dead, and supporters say the real battle will be on the House floor. Stay tuned.
Medical Marijuana
California Medical Marijuana Regulation Bill Wins Committee Vote. The Assembly Appropriations Committee has approved a compromise regulation bill that combines features of two competing bills, Assembly Bill 34 and Assembly Bill 266. The bill would create a Governor's Office of Medical Marijuana Regulation, with three divisions. The Agriculture Department would handle cultivation, the Public Health Department would handle product safety and labeling, and the Board of Equalization would be responsible for licensing. The compromise bill is AB 266. A floor vote is expected later this week.
Illinois Bill to Add PTSD Moves Ahead. The House last Saturday approved a bill that would add PTSD to the list of qualifying medical conditions. The bill has already been approved by the Senate, but will have to go back there for approval after the House added language clarifying that patients are not prohibited from having a state firearms owner ID card.
Oklahoma Initiative Campaign Began Saturday. Hundreds of people showed up at the state capitol Saturday for the launch of a medical marijuana initiative campaign led by Oklahomans for Health.
Heroin
Illinois Heroin Bill Passes House. The House last week approved House Bill 1, a comprehensive bill aimed at combating heroin use. Sponsored by Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), the bill would expand access to the opiate overdose reversal drug naloxone, establish a prescription drug return program, expand Medicaid services to include rehabilitation, and expand the use of drug courts for people charged with simple possession. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
Asset Forfeiture
Michigan House Committee Approves Asset Forfeiture Reform Package. The House Judiciary Committee has passed a package of bills aimed at reforming the state's asset forfeiture laws. The package raises the standard of proof before goods can be seized and mandates increased reporting of seizures by law enforcement agencies. One of the bills would bar asset forfeiture in cases involving less than an ounce of pot.
Drug Testing
California Assembly Committee Rejects Uber Driver Drug Testing Bill. The Appropriations Committee has voted down Assembly Bill 24, which would have required drug testing of Uber and Lyft drivers.
Law Enforcement
Silk Road Mastermind Gets Life in Prison. Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Dark Web's first widely-known drug sales website, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday, the harshest possible sentence he faced. With no chance at parole, Ulbricht will die in prison unless his sentence is overturned.
International
British Ban on Psychoactive Substances Could Cripple Brain Research. Last week, the British government announced it would ban all unregulated psychoactive substances via a new act, the Psychoactive Substances Bill, but some scientists are now saying the bill would cripple research on the brain. The bill would ban laughing gas, salvia, "poppers," and synthetic cannabinoids, among other things. Dr. David Nutt, the former top drug advisor to the government, said that such efforts could bring some areas of scientific research to a standstill. "It's going to end brain research in this country. It will be disastrous," he said.
British Lib Dem Leadership Candidate Says Legalize Marijuana. Norman Lamb, who is seeking to lead the Liberal Democrats after their poor showing in the last election, is calling for Britain to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana commerce. Lamb said he is seeking immediate legalization for medical use and a swift, evidence-based policy change regarding recreational use.
back to top
Massachusetts politicians start to figure out that marijuana is going to be legalized, Congress is set to take up measures to protect legal marijuana states, Texas becomes the 15th CBD cannabis oil state, the Supreme Court nixes deportation of an immigrant for drug paraphernalia, and more.
This article contains a correction, in the Minnesota subsection.
The US Supreme Court rejects deportation of immigrant who had pills in a sock. (supremecourt.gov)
House Getting Ready to Vote on Measures to Protect State Marijuana Laws. The US House is set to vote this week -- perhaps as early as tonight -- on a series of amendments to the Justice Department appropriations bill that would limit federal government interference in states that have legalized marijuana production and consumption. Reps. Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) are sponsoring an amendment that would halt the federal prosecution of people involved in marijuana-related activities legal under state law. Last year, the Congress passed a similar measure barring the Justice Department from prosecuting people in medical marijuana states, but this year's amendment covers both legal and recreational states.
Massachusetts Senate President Floats Notion of 2016 Nonbinding Legalization Question. State Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) said Monday that lawmakers should consider putting a nonbinding question about marijuana legalization on the 2016 ballot. He said that would give lawmakers the political cover to craft their own legalization bill. But they may not get the chance: two separate groups are planning legalization initiatives for 2016, and if either makes the ballot and passes, Massachusetts will have legal weed without the legislature.
Medical Marijuana
Minnesota's Cannabis Oil Program Now Taking Registrants. As of Monday, patients can sign up for the state's cannabis oil program, which will go into effect July 1. The state estimates that some 5,000 people will sign up. [Ed: The initial version of this article initially described the Minnesota program erroneously as involving "CBD cannabis oil." While the program has limits including not allowing smoked or edible marijuana, it does not specify THC vs. CBD content.]
Texas Governor Signs CBD Cannabis Oil Bill. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Monday signed into law the CBD cannabis oil bill, Senate Bill 339, which allows the use of the oil for treating severe forms of epilepsy. Texas is now the 15th state to allow the use of CBD cannabis oils.
Law Enforcement
US Supreme Court Rejects Deportation for Drug Paraphernalia. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that an immigrant could not be deported for possession of drug paraphernalia -- in this case, a sock that was used to hold Adderall pills. The immigrant in question was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and served a probated sentence, but was then targeted for deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Board of Immigration appeals upheld his deportation, ruling that his paraphernalia possession triggered deportation even though the drug his paraphernalia (the sock) contained was not federally scheduled. The Supreme Court found this untenable: "The incongruous upshot is that an alien is not removable for possessing a substance controlled only under Kansas law, but he is removable for using a sock to contain that substance. Because it makes scant sense, the BIA's interpretation, we hold, is owed no deference…" The case is Mellouli v. Lynch, Attorney General.
back to top
The DEA gets its budget cut and its activities restricted in the House, but is still wiretapping like crazy, a Delaware decrim bill advances, so does a CBD cannabis oil bill there, and more.
DEA was in the crosshairs on Capitol Hill this week. (justice.gov)
Delaware House Approves Decriminalization Bill. The House Tuesday passed decriminalization 24-14 with no Republican "yes" votes. The measure now goes to the Senate. Gov. Jack Markell (D) has said he supports it.
Second Maine Legalization Initiative Gets Go-Ahead for Signature-Gathering. A legalization initiative sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project can begin collecting signatures, state officials said Tuesday. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol will need at least 61,123 qualified voter signatures to make the ballot. Another legalization initiative from Legalize Maine is already in the signature-gathering process.
Milwaukee Common Council Votes to Shrink Pot Fines. The council voted Tuesday night to reduce the maximum fine for possessing 25 grams or less from $500 to $50. Mayor Tom Barrett must approve the measure before it can go into effect.
Medical Marijuana
Delaware Senate Passes CBD Cannabis Oil Bill. The state Senate approved Senate Bill 90 w/ SA2, known as "Rylie's Law," after a Rehoboth Beach girl who suffers from epileptic seizures. The measure now heads for the House.
Law Enforcement
DEA Slapped Down in Series of Congressional Budget Votes. In a series of votes yesterday, the House voted to end the DEA's controversial bulk data collection program and also passed three amendments cutting funding from the DEA and shifting it to other federal law enforcement priorities. In more votes today, it approved three amendments aimed at blocking DEA and Justice Department interference with industrial hemp, CBD cannabis oil, and medical marijuana in states where they are legal. A fourth amendment that would have barred interference in legal marijuana states was narrowly defeated. The votes came as the House considers the FY 2016 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill. Click on the link for full coverage.
DEA Wiretaps Triple in Nine Years. The DEA conducted 11,681 wiretaps in 2014, up from 3,394 in 2005, according to USA Today. Over that period, the agency has increasingly resorted to state court judges to get wiretap warrants in a bid to get around more rigorous federal requirements. "Federal law requires approval from a senior Justice Department official before agents can even ask a federal court for permission to conduct one," the newspaper explained. "The law imposes no such restriction on state court wiretaps, even when they are sought by federal agents."
back to top
