Chronicle AM: Denver Public Pot Use Effort, House GOP Eases Up on Needle Exchange Ban, More (6/18/05)

We're heavy on the marijuana news today, but there's also good news from Congress on needle exchange, and Peru's Shining Path wins a second bad-news designation from the US government.

Denver, the Mile High City. Soon, you may be able to smoke marijuana in a club there. (wikipedia.org)

Delaware Senate Committee Approves Decriminalization. The state Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday voted 4-2 to approve House Bill 39, which would replace criminal penalties and possible jail time for marijuana possession with a civil fine similar to a traffic ticket. The committee chair, Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington), sponsored the bill. It has already passed the House, and Gov. Jack Markell (D) has said he is "hopeful" Delaware will decriminalize.

New Poll Has Strong New Jersey Majority for Legalization. A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll has support for legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana at 58% among Garden State residents. Click on the link for demographics and more detail.

Ohio Secretary of State Attacks ResponsibleOhio Signature-Gathering. Secretary of State John Hustad (R) said Wednesday that signature-gatherers hired by ResponsibleOhio may be responsible for fraud. He cited several irregularities, including registrants with non-existent addresses, signatures that are illegible or don't match the signature on file for the applicant in the voter's existing registration record, and multiple applications submitted on the same day for a single applicant at different locations. ResponsibleOhio denied those charges, saying it had fully complied with state election laws and that it had met earlier with Hustad, and he didn't bring up any problems with their signature-gathering. The group has gathered more than 500,000 signatures; it needs 305,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Another Ohio Legalization Initiative Approved for Signature-Gathering. Two initiative campaigns have already bowed out this year, a third (ResponsibleOhio) appears poised to qualify for the ballot (but see item above), and now a fourth has been approved for signature-gathering. The latest is the Ohio Cannabis Control Amendment, proposed by Ohioans to End Prohibition. The group has only two weeks to qualify for this year's November ballot, but could continue to gather signatures beyond the July 1 deadline to try to get on next year's ballot. The group's web address -- www.legalizeohio2016.org -- suggest that next year is its real target.

Washington State Pot Workers Join UFCW. In a first for Washington, employees at the Cannabis Club Collective in Tacoma have voted unanimously to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). This is the first union contract in the state's marijuana industry. The UFCW has organized medical marijuana workers in California.

Denver Activists Plan Local Initiative to Allow Limited Public Use. Some of the same people who led the statewide campaign to legalize marijuana in 2012 are now gearing up a plan to allow public use. They're talking about an initiative that would allow indoor vaping and outdoor smoking at bars and other spaces that want to do so. A public hearing on the proposal with Denver officials is going on right now.

Harm Reduction

Congressional Republicans Easing Opposition to Needle Exchange. Faced with rising heroin use in their home states and attendant public health implications from it, House Republicans are now easing their opposition to federal funding for needle exchange programs. The health spending bill now in the House would still bar federal funding to buy needles or syringes, but would allow federal block grant funds to states and localities to be used for the other costs of operating exchanges.

International

US Designates Peru's Shining Path as Narcotic "Kingpins." The remnants of the Maoist guerrilla group that plunged Peru into bloody civil war in the 1980s has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997, but this month, the US Treasury Department designated Shining Path as a significant foreign drug trafficking organization. Shining Path is accused of being involved in cocaine trafficking in south central Peru.

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Chronicle AM: Delaware Decriminalizes, Supremes Make Synthetic Convictions More Difficult, More (6/19/05)

The marijuana reform bandwagon rolls through Delaware, federal bills on opiates and racial profiling get filed, the Supreme Court issues an interesting decision on synthetic drug sales, and more.

The Supreme Court clarifies that criminal intent matters. (supremecourt.gov)

Delaware Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession. With the signature of Gov. Jack Markell (D) Thursday night on House Bill 39, Delaware becomes the 20th state to either decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana or make it legal for adults. The new law, which goes into effect in six months, removes the criminal penalties for the possession of up to an ounce by an adult, replacing them with a civil infraction punishable by a maximum $100 fine. For those between 18 and 21, a first offense would be a civil infraction, while any more would be misdemeanors. For people under 18, possession would remain a misdemeanor. Public use would be a misdemeanor punishable by a $200 fine and up to five days in jail. That includes moving vehicles, public areas, and outdoors on private property within 10 feet of street, sidewalk, or any other areas generally accessible to the public.

Missouri Cannabis Conference Next Weekend. Missouri advocacy groups Show Me Cannabis and Missouri NORML are holding a joint conference beginning next Friday in Kansas City. Click on the title link for all the details.

Heroin and Opiates

Federal Bill to Deal With Opiate Use Filed. A bipartisan group of six House members Thursday filed HR 2805 as a multi-pronged effort to grapple with opiate and heroin use. Several other bills on the topic have already been filed. This one would increase prescription monitoring requirements, create an inter-agency task to develop best practices for pain management, create a grant program to increase the number of first responders carrying the opiate overdose reversal drug naloxone, and direct the drug czar's office to establish a public awareness program.

New Synthetic Drugs

Supreme Court Rules People Can't Be Convicted for Selling Synthetic Drugs If It's Not Clear They're Illegal. A unanimous US Supreme Court ruled Thursday that people cannot be convicted for selling synthetic drugs unless prosecutors prove they knew the drugs were prohibited by law. Stephen McFadden had been convicted of violating the Controlled Substance Analog Enforcement Act for selling "bath salts," and a federal appeals court ruled that trial court jury instructions saying he could be convicted if the jury found he intended the drugs for human consumption. But the Supreme Court disagreed, saying prosecutors must prove the defendant knew the substance was either a controlled substance or an analog. The case is McFadden v. United States.

Law Enforcement

Federal Racial Profiling Bill Introduced. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Thursday filed S 1610, which would eliminate racial profiling by police officers and promote accountability for state and local law enforcement. The bill also has provisions to eliminate sentencing disparities and promote reentry programs. It has not yet been assigned to a committee.

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Chronicle AM: Dalai Lama on MedMJ, OH Initiative Shenanigans, First MA Dispensary Will Open, More (6/22/05)

Ohio's political establishment gears up to block a controversial legalization initiative, the Dalai Lama supports medical marijuana, the Obama administration removes a barrier to marijuana research, Louisiana's governor rejects clemency for a man doing 13 years for two joints, and more.

The Dalai Lama is down with medical marijuana. (wikipedia.org)

Ohio Official Says Proposed Amendment Could Block Marijuana Legalization Initiative. GOP Secretary of State Jon Husted said last Friday that an amendment to block private-interest monopolies would render the ResponsibleOhio legalization initiative invalid if the former passed. Husted and Republican lawmakers have vowed to adopt a resolution to place the monopoly amendment on the ballot. Husted said that if that amendment passes, the ResponsibleOhio initiative would be invalid, even if it also passed, and even if it passed with more votes than the monopoly amendment. The ResponsibleOhio initiative would limit commercial marijuana growing to ten specified locations, the owners of which are also the financiers of the initiative campaign.

Montana Anti-Marijuana Initiative Proposed. Billings anti-pot zealot Steve Zabawa is back at it. In 2014, he proposed an initiative saying that any federal Schedule I controlled substance (read: marijuana) "may not be legally possessed, received, transferred, manufactured, cultivated, trafficked, transported or used in Montana." It failed for lack of signatures. Now he has filed the same initiative again.

Medical Marijuana

Dalai Lama Endorses Medical Marijuana. Speaking at a an event in Guanajuato, Mexico, last week, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism said he supported the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Speaking in response to a question about legalizing marijuana, the Dalai clarified that he opposed its recreational use, but using it medicinally would be "the exception."

White House Removes Crucial Barrier to Marijuana Research. The Obama administration announced today it is ending a major impediment to marijuana research, the Public Health Service review. That hurdle, created under the Clinton administration, required all applications for marijuana research to undergo an individual review, slowing down marijuana research and making it more difficult to study than heroin or cocaine.

First Massachusetts Dispensary Approved to Sell Medical Marijuana; One Inspection Left. The Alternative Therapies Group in Salem is ready to start selling to patients after winning a temporary waiver from state testing guidelines widely viewed as too strict. The Department of Public Health has said it will reconsider the standards. The dispensary is one of four in the state that have started growing their own supply, and is the furthest along. It must still pass a final inspection before it opens its doors. Much more at the link.

Drug Testing

California Appeals Court Upholds Making Employer Pay for Emotional Distress from Random Workplace Drug Testing. The court upheld an award for the intentional infliction of emotional distress on two law office workers pressured into taking a random drug test by their employer. The employee handbook called for random drug testing for certain safety-sensitive categories, or after an accident or for probable cause, but the company compelled all employees to undergo drug testing on one day in 2011. The two plaintiffs were awarded $15,000 each in damages by the trial court, which is what the appeals court just upheld.

Law Enforcement

Philly Court Throws Out 58 Convictions Tied to Dirty Narcs. A Common Pleas Court judge last Friday reversed 58 convictions in cases linked to six former Philadelphia narcotics officers. The six were cleared of criminal corruption charges in federal court in May, but their misdeeds have tainted hundreds of cases. The Public Defender's Office is seeking reversals of 1,370 cases, and the city is facing 135 civil rights lawsuits based on the unit's behavior. Since 2013, prosecutors have refused to prosecute cases tied to the squad after numerous allegations they planted evidence, beat and robbed suspects, and falsified paperwork. Much more at the link.

Sentencing

Louisiana Governor Rejects Clemency for Black Man Doing 13 Years for Two Joints. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) last week denied a clemency petition for Bernard Noble, sentenced to 13 years in prison for two joints under the state's draconian marijuana laws. Jindal said he rejected clemency because Noble had not yet served 10 years in prison.

International

China's Wide Open Illegal Drug Chemical Factories. It's pretty darned easy to get new synthetic drugs by the pound or more from Chinese manufacturers, according to this New York Times report. Need spice or flakka or bath salts? It's just a few clicks away.

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Chronicle AM: Pregnancy and Marijuana Use, Church Group Says Decriminalize Drugs, More (6/23/15)

Guidance from a doctor's group on marijuana use and pregnancy matches what activist groups think the policy should be, the Maine legislature punts on legalization, a California bill to protect patients from discrimination in access to organ transplants passes the legislature, and more.

Pregnancy and marijuana use is in the news today. (wikimedia.org/David Roseborough)

Doctors' Group Issues Guidance on Marijuana Use By Pregnant Women; Advocates Urge Non-Punitive Responses. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued guidance encouraging pregnant women to avoid marijuana use "[b]ecause the effects of marijuana may be as serious as those of cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption." The group also called for non-punitive treatment for pregnant pot smokers: "Seeking obstetric-gynecologic care should not expose a woman to criminal or civil penalties for marijuana use, such as incarceration, involuntary commitment, loss of custody of her children, or loss of housing... Drug enforcement policies that deter women from seeking prenatal care are contrary to the welfare of the mother and fetus." Noting that pregnant women who use marijuana have been arrested in numerous states, National Advocates for Pregnant Women and the Family Law and Cannabis Alliance are urging that non-punitive responses to cigarette smoking and alcohol use be applied to pregnant women who use marijuana. The two groups also call for more unbiased research on marijuana use during pregnancy.

Maine Legislature Rejects Legalization. Solons in both the House and Senate Monday rejected marijuana legalization bills, clearing the way for legalization initiatives next year. The House rejected LD 1380, from longtime legalization advocate Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland) that would have put the issue to a popular vote, while the Senate unanimously LD 1401, sponsored by Rep. Mark Dion (D-Portland). At least two separate legalization initiative campaigns are already underway.

Medical Marijuana

US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control Takes Up CBD Tomorrow. The caucus, generally composed of old school drug warriors, will somewhat surprisingly examine CBDs, focusing on barriers to research and potential medical benefits tomorrow. The hearing is set for 9:30am Wednesday.

California Organ Transplant Bill Passes Legislature. The bill would bar health care providers from denying access to organ transplants based solely on the patient's medical marijuana use. Assembly Bill 258 now awaits the governor's signature.

New Jersey Bill to Allow Sick Kids to Use CBD Oil at School Introduced. Assemblymembers Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) and Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) Monday filed a bill that would allow children to use CBD cannabis oil at school. The bill would require parents or a designated adult to come to the school and administer the oil. The measure is Assembly Bill 4587.

Drug Policy

New England Methodists Call for Drug Decriminalization. The New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, representing some 600 congregations, passed a resolution saying that "the public policy of prohibition of certain narcotics and psychoactive substances, sometimes called the 'War on Drugs,' has failed to achieve the goal of eliminating, or even reducing, substance abuse" and called for "seeking means other than prohibition to address the problem of substance abuse." The resolution was supported by Christians Against Prohibition and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

International

British Liberal Democrats Call for Medical Marijuana, Drug Decriminalization. The Lib Dems have offered amendment to the government's psychoactive substances bill that would decriminalize drug possession and legalize the medicinal use of marijuana. "When I was a police officer, I realized that locking up drug users is simply not the answer," said party leader Brian Paddick, who offered the amendments. "We have to learn the lessons of why our current approach is failing before we make the same mistakes with new psychoactive substances as we have done with other illegal drugs."

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Chronicle AM: Federal OD Prevention Bill, OH Pols Gun for Marijuana Initiative, More (6/24/15)

Ohio politicians move to undercut a marijuana legalization initiative, South Florida heads toward marijuana decriminalization, Delaware's governor signs a kids' CBD cannabis oil bill, Louisiana's governor signs an overdose prevention bill, federal lawmakers file an overdose prevention bill, and more.

The 45th annual DC Smoke-In will take place on the 4th of July. (smoke-in.us)

Ohio House Panel Approves Measure That Could Block Legalization Initiative. A House committee Tuesday approved a resolution that could block a marijuana legalization initiative that appears to be poised to make the ballot. If approved by the legislature, the resolution would place an initiative on the November ballot that would bar amending the constitution through ballot measures that provide direct economic benefits to a few people or create monopolies. That is precisely the model adapted by ResponsibleOhio, whose initiative would allow only 10 commercial grows linked to investors in the campaign. Legal questions that could be tested if both initiatives are approved by voters are whether the ResponsibleOhio initiative will be invalidated if the amendment reform resolution gets more votes; whether it will be invalidated if amendment reform passes but with fewer votes; or whether the legalization provisions might be "severable" under Ohio law, and take effect, with only the monopoly provisions being invalidated.

Florida's Palm Beach County to Explore Relaxing Pot Penalties. Palm Beach County officials Tuesday night agreed to explore decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Officials cited a clogged court system and the problems that arise for people after a marijuana arrest. Neighboring Miami-Dade County officials are pondering a similar move, and so is nearby Broward County.

DC Smoke-In Will Celebrate 45^th Anniversary July 4. The 45^th annual DC Smoke-In is set for the 4^th of July, and organizers are calling on all smoke-in alumni to return to DC for the rally, march, and concert. You might be able to legally possess a joint in the nation's capital, but federal prohibition still obtains. Click on the link for event details and more.

Medical Marijuana

Delaware Governor Signs CBD Cannabis Oil for Kids Bill Into Law. Gov. Jack Markell (D) Tuesday signed into law Rylie's Law, named after a Delaware youth who suffered from epileptic seizures. The law will allow physicians to recommend the use of CBD cannabis oils for epileptic children who do not respond to other treatments. The oil will only be available at medical marijuana dispensaries, the first of which opens Friday.

Drug Policy

New York City Council Ponders Bill to Shift Drug Policy Toward Public Health and Safety. The council is considering a measure to create an Office of Drug Strategy, which would coordinate policy and program priorities across city agencies and in collaboration with community groups. If approved, it would be the first such office in the US. The idea is to shift away from punitive criminal justice approaches and toward a public health approach.

Harm Reduction

Federal Lawmakers Introduce Overdose Prevention Bill to Combat Heroin and Opioid Overdose Crisis. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) Wednesday introduced identical bills to support the expansion of overdose prevention services. Both bills would expand community-based overdose prevention programs that provide resources to those likely to witness an overdose and be in a position to help, such as first responders and family members. Resources include trainings on how to recognize the signs of an overdose, seek emergency medical help, and administer naloxone and other first aid. Both bills would provide federal funding for the purchase and distribution of naloxone by community and public health stakeholders to people at risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose. They are not yet available on the congressional website.

Louisiana Governor Signs Overdose Reversal Drug Access Law. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) Tuesday signed into law House Bill 10, which allows doctors to write prescriptions for naloxone, the opiate overdose reversal drug, for drug users, friends, and family members. Louisiana law already allows first responders to carry the drug.

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