Drug War Chronicle #978 - June 22, 2017

Customs Seizes Childproof Marijuana Lock Boxes, Calls Them "Drug Paraphernalia" [FEATURE]

In a prime illustration of the perversities of the war on drugs, US Customs has seized a shipment of a thousand lock boxes aimed at allowing marijuana, tobacco, and pharmaceutical users to keep their stashes safe from kids. Customs has officially designated the boxes as drug paraphernalia, even though everyone involved concedes the boxes are aimed at preventing drug use by kids.

The stash cases were designed by and destined for Stashlogix, a Boulder, Colorado, firm established in the wake of marijuana legalization in the state in 2012 to address a mini-panic over news reports about the dangers of marijuana for kids. Those reports were generally overstated, but the need for secure stashes for pot and other potentially dangerous goodies remained.

"People didn't have ways to safely store these items out of reach of kids, other than up on shelves or in sock drawers," Stashlogix cofounder Skip Stone told the Washington Post. So he and a partner founded the company to market cases and containers "for the storage and transport of medicine, tobacco, and other stuff."

The company's small, lockable cases, with tiny jars and odor-neutralizing inserts included, were a hit with customers. "People love the product," Stone said. "They use it for all sorts of things, but cannabis is definitely one of them. They keep it locked, they feel safer, they feel more responsible."

So the company geared up production, placing orders with a Chinese factory, but things came to a crashing halt on April 28, when Customs seized 1,000 of the storage cases.

"This is to officially notify you that Customs and Border Protection seized the property described below at Los Angeles International Airport on April 28, 2017," read a letter received by Stashlogix. The agency had seized the bags, valued at $12,000, because "it is unlawful for any person to import drug paraphernalia."

When challenged by Stashlogix, Customs conceded that "standing alone, the Stashlogix storage case can be viewed as a multi-purpose storage case with no association with or to controlled substances," but it pointed out that the odor-absorbing carbon inset could be used to hide the smell of weed, and it cited favorable reviews of the product in the marijuana press, concluding "that there exists one consistent and primary use for the Stashlogix storage cases; namely, the storage and concealment of marijuana."

The federal government doesn't officially recognize the legality of medical or recreational marijuana, and Customs is following decades-old drug war paraphernalia laws to achieve a perverse result: Making marijuana potentially riskier in places where it is legal. After all, half of current pot smokers are parents, and this application of federal policy is making it more difficult for them to keep their kids out of their stashes.

Stone is appealing the ruling, but in the meantime, he's had to write off an additional $18,000 worth of goods still outside the country and lay off his three employees. He's looking for a domestic manufacturer for his cases, since Customs can't mess with domestic goods and the DEA hasn't made paraphernalia a high priority, but the ultimate solution lies in Washington.

"It's going to take an act of Congress to clear up some of these contradictions between state and federal law," he told the Post. "These paraphernalia laws are outdated. Keeping kids safe should be more important than outdated regulations."

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Medical Marijuana Update

Congress sees a pair of medical marijuana bills filed, the New York legislature has voted to approve medical marijuana for PTSD, Kentucky residents sue the state over the medical marijuana ban, and more.

National

Last Thursday, the CARERS Act was reintroduced in the Senate. US Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Corey Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced a bill that would end the federal prohibition of medical marijuana. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also signed on to the legislation as original cosponsors. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (or CARERS) Act of 2017 would allow individuals and entities to possess, produce, and distribute medical marijuana if they are in compliance with state medical marijuana laws. It would also open up avenues to medical marijuana research and allow physicians employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend medical marijuana to veterans in states where it is legal. The bill also proposes excluding cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana, from the federal government's definition of "marijuana."

Last Thursday, Corey Booker and Steve Cohen filed identical medical marijuana protection bills. Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen has filed House Resolution 2920, "to extend the principle of federalism to drug policy, provide access to medical marijuana, and enable research into the medicinal properties of marijuana." New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has filed a companion bill, Senate Bill 1374, in the upper chamber.

Arkansas

Last Friday, medical marijuana regulations took another key step. The Legislative Council, which serves as the legislature's governing body between sessions, approved draft rules from the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Department of Health, and the Medical Marijuana Commission aimed at regulating the state's nascent medical marijuana system. The state will begin accepting applications for licenses to operate marijuana cultivation centers and dispensaries June 30.

Kentucky

Last Wednesday, a lawsuit challenging the state's medical marijuana ban was filed. Three Kentuckians who say they have used marijuana to ease health problems have filed a lawsuit in state court charging that banning medical marijuana violates their constitutional privacy rights. The suit names as defendants Gov. Matt Bevin (R) and Attorney General Steve Beshear (D).

Michigan

Last Thursday, lawmakers filed bills to ban medical marijuana billboard ads. State Sen. Rick Jones (R) and Rep. Andy Schor (D) have filed identical bills that would effectively ban billboard for medical marijuana businesses. The bills are Senate Bill 463 and House Bill 4767. They are not yet available on the state legislative web site.

New Mexico

Last Friday, the state nixed medical marijuana for opioid addiction and Alzheimer's. Rejecting the recommendation of the state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, Secretary of Health Lynn Gallagher declined to add opioid use disorder and Alzheimer's as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana.

New York

On Tuesday, the Senate approved medical marijuana for PTSD. The state Senate voted to approve Senate Bill 6092, which allows medical marijuana to be used to treat PTSD. The Assembly passed an identical measure earlier this year, so the bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Pennsylvania

Last Thursday, the governor warned Attorney General Sessions not to interfere with medical marijuana. In a sharply worded letter, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) warned Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to interfere with medical marijuana in the state. "For a lot of patients, this is the only medicine that works. So for him to go after medical cannabis is kind of flying in the face of science and the facts," said a spokesman for the governor.

On Tuesday, the state issued the first medical marijuana permits. The Department of Health on Tuesday announced 12 medical marijuana grower permits, with the permits going to two companies in each of the six permitting regions the department established as part of the implementation of the state's medical marijuana law. The department will announce the allocation of 27 dispensary permits before the month ends, it said.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]

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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

It's a New York-New Jersey special edition! The Troy Police drug unit is under investigation, an NYPD officer gets popped for transporting drugs for money, a New Jersey cop gets caught with his hand in the pill jar, and more. Let's get to it:

In Troy, New York, the entire Troy Police drug unit was under investigation as of last Friday for trying to cover up a raid where members entered a home without a search warrant. Members of the unit filed a false burglary report to try to justify their warrantless entry resulting in a "fractious argument" among them. Now, all six officers in Firearms Interdiction and Narcotics Suppression (FINS) unit have been suspended pending the results of an internal investigation.

In Bridgeton, New Jersey, a Vineland police officer was arrested last Wednesday after allegedly pilfering drugs from a prescription drug drop-off box while on duty at police headquarters. Officer Richard Janasiak, 30, went down after an internal audit uncovered possible criminal activity. He is charged with unlawful possession of prescription legend drugs.

In New York City, an NYPD officer was arrested last Thursday for transporting marijuana and cocaine in exchange for money. Officer Nysia Stroud, 29, agreed to transport drugs after meeting with an undercover police officer in March and became transporting large quantities of supposed marijuana and cocaine for payments ranging from $250 to $1,000. Stroud was under investigation after Internal Affairs received allegations she was involved in drug activity. She was charged with possession of a controlled substance and official misconduct.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, a former Middlesex County probation officer was sentenced last Friday to three years in prison for taking bribes from a man so he could avoid court-ordered drug tests. Rhonda Battle, 48, repeatedly accepted bribes from the probationer to allow him to skip drug testing while in the drug court program. After being caught on surveillance video taking money from the man, Battle pleaded guilty in April to a single count of official misconduct.

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Chronicle AM: Federal CARERS Act Refiled, RI Legalization Commission Bill Advances, More... (6/15/17)

A bipartisan group of senators reintroduce the CARERS Act to protect medical marijuana in the states, marijuana legalization is keeping legislators busy in the Northeast, New York GOP senators want more drug war to fight opioids, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Massachusetts Legal MJ Rewrite Bill Delayed By Errors, Concern at High Tax Rates. House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) has postponed a vote on the legislature's rewrite of the marijuana legalization law approved by voters last fall after errors in the drafting of the bill and the high tax rate proposed -- 28% -- drew protests from Democratic lawmakers. "I think there are certain things that we have to clear up, so because of that, I think it's important that with a bill of this mag that we try to get it right or close to right this first time, so I'd rather do that than try to rush it through," DeLeo said, adding that there was a consensus among Democrats on the basics of the bill.

New Jersey Legalization Bill Gets Hearing Monday. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Monday morning on Senate Bill 3195, which legalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana and sets up a system of taxed and regulated marijuana commerce. The Drug Policy Alliance has expressed "concern" that the bill "does not include essential components to create a fair and equitable marijuana market in New Jersey." Such legislation must include polices to repair past harms to minority communities, DPA said.

Rhode Island Legalization Study Commission Bill Passes House. A bill that creates a legislative commission to study marijuana legalization -- instead of just legalizing it -- passed the House Wednesday night. House Bill 551A now heads to the Senate. Regulate Rhode Island, the main advocacy group for legalization, has said it will not participate in the commission, which it describes as a delaying tactic.

Medical Marijuana

Bipartisan Bill to End Federal Prohibition of Medical Marijuana Reintroduced in US Senate. US Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Corey Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced a bill Thursday that would end the federal prohibition of medical marijuana. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also signed on to the legislation as original cosponsors. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (or CARERS) Act of 2017 would allow individuals and entities to possess, produce, and distribute medical marijuana if they are in compliance with state medical marijuana laws. It would also open up avenues to medical marijuana research and allow physicians employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend medical marijuana to veterans in states where it is legal. The bill also proposes excluding cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana, from the federal government's definition of "marijuana."

Kentucky Lawsuit Challenges State's Medical Marijuana Ban. Three Kentuckians who say they have used marijuana to ease health problems have filed a lawsuit in state court charging that banning medical marijuana violates their constitutional privacy rights. The suit names as defendants Gov. Matt Bevin (R) and Attorney General Steve Beshear (D).

Rhode Island Governor Proposes Medical Marijuana Expansion. Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) has proposed a budget amendment that calls for "no less than six licensed compassion centers" and increased licensing fees that would generate $1.5 in revenues for the state's general fund. There are three existing dispensaries, which would each be allowed to open one more store front, plus the three additional ones proposed.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

New York Republicans Want More Drug War to Fight Opioids. A Republican Senate task force says that adding funding for addiction treatment is good, but that it's time to increase heroin penalties "to get dealers off the street." The senators are proposing charging dealers with murder if one of their customers dies and increasing penalties based on the weight of the drugs sold. Assembly Democrats rejected the idea, calling the approach one that's been "tried and failed." The Assembly killed a similar approach last year.

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Chronicle AM: MJ Policy Keeps Northeast Busy, Major Louisiana Sentencing Reforms, More.... (6/16/17)

Marijuana policy continues to roil statehouses across the Northeast, a US senator and a congressman file identical medical marijuana protection bills, Louisiana -- the lock 'em up state -- enacts comprehensive sentencing reforms, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Massachusetts to Get New Legalization Rewrite Bill on Monday. After criticism and errors in the text force the House leadership to pull its marijuana legalization rewrite bill this week, House committee chair Rep. Mark Cusack (D-Braintree) said a redrafted version of the bill would be released on Monday, with debate expected in the House on Wednesday. At issue are tax rates and a governance model for the industry.

New Jersey Arresting More People Than Ever for Marijuana, ACLU Report Finds. Marijuana arrests have climbed steadily in the state in recent years, with black residents three times more likely than whites to be targeted. The report, which analyzed FBI Uniform Crime Report and U.S. Census data from 2000 to 2013, comes as lawmakers are making a push to legalize marijuana in the state. The report found a steady increase in marijuana arrests over that period, from 19,607 in 2001 to 24,067 in 2013.

Rhode Island Legalization Advocates Offer Compromise Bill. Rep. Scott Slater (D-Providence) and Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Cranston), along with Regulate Rhode Island, have outlined a compromise bill that would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana starting July 1, 2018, with an advisory board to study the effects of legalization and report to the General Assembly next year on setting up a taxed and regulated system of marijuana commerce. Assembly leaders are pushing a bill that would defer legalization until a legislative commission studies the issue.

Vermont Governor Says Legalization Deal Still Possible. Gov. Phil Scott said Thursday an agreement with legislators on marijuana legalization is still possible this year. Scott vetoed the legalization bill last month, citing concerns about drugged driving and children. "We are still negotiating," Scott said. "They understand... what my reservations are in terms of what they're planning, but I still think it's workable." If an agreement is reached, House Republicans would have to agree to suspend the rules of the veto session to allow a vote on the pot bill. They do not sound very interested in that, but Scott has said that if he can reach agreement on a bill, he will try to persuade his GOP colleagues to allow a vote.

Medical Marijuana

Corey Booker, Steve Cohen File Identical Medical Marijuana Protection Bills. Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen has filed House Resolution 2920, "to extend the principle of federalism to drug policy, provide access to medical marijuana, and enable research into the medicinal properties of marijuana." New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has filed a companion bill, Senate Bill 1374, in the upper chamber.

Michigan Lawmakers File Medical Marijuana Billboard Ad Ban Bills. State Sen. Rick Jones (R) and Rep. Andy Schor (D) have filed identical bills that would effectively ban billboard for medical marijuana businesses. The bills are Senate Bill 463 and House Bill 4767. They are not yet available on the state legislative web site.

Pennsylvania Governor Warns Session Against Interfering with Medical Marijuana. In a sharply worded letter, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) warned Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to interfere with medical marijuana in the state. "For a lot of patients, this is the only medicine that works. So for him to go after medical cannabis is kind of flying in the face of science and the facts," said a spokesman for the governor.

Criminal Justice

Louisiana Enacts Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reforms. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) on Thursday signed a package of 10 bills that shrink sentences, mostly for nonviolent offenders, and expand parole and probation and reentry opportunities for offenders. The state has the highest proportion of its population behind bars of any state, but Edwards predicts that the new laws will see the state's prison population falling by as much as 10% in the next decade. The bills are House Bills 116, 249, 489, 519, 680 681 and Senate Bills 16, 139, 220, 221. They can be viewed at the state legislative website.

International

British Columbia Court Throws Out Mandatory Minimums for Marijuana Producers. The BC Court of Appeals last week threw out the mandatory minimum sentence for people caught producing more than six marijuana plants, saying the law mandating it was unconstitutional. "I note that a six-month sentence is typical for a first-time trafficker involved in a relatively sophisticated commercial dial-a-dope operation. Imposing that sentence on a 19-year-old student or a migraine sufferer who is growing six plants intending to share them with friends would, in my view, be abhorrent to most Canadians," the trial court judge held, instead giving the man a suspended sentence. The government appealed, and lost last week.

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Chronicle AM: Roger Stone Wants to Legalize, MA Regulation Battle, More... (6/19/17)

The politics of marijuana regulation continue to roil Massachusetts, Trump adviser and political trickster Roger Stone has formed a legalization lobbying group, the government of the Republic of Georgia backs away from harsh pot sentences, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Trump Associate Roger Stone Forms Legalization Lobbying Group. Longtime political trickster and Donald Trump associate Roger Stone announced last Friday that he has formed the United States Cannabis Coalition for the express purpose of legalizing marijuana. He will be joined by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I), as well as both Democratic and Republican political strategists. "I am going to be working with a coalition of Republicans and Democrats, progressives and libertarians, liberals, and conservatives to persuade the president to keep his campaign pledge," Stone said, "and to remind the president that he took a strong and forthright position on this issue in the election." During the campaign, Trump said marijuana legalization should be a state issue and that he was "100%" behind medical marijuana.

Massachusetts Senate Plan Would Not Raise Taxes. State Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) last Friday released the Senate's plan to implement marijuana legalization, a sharp contrast with the House bill that would raise the tax rate on marijuana from 12% to 28% and allow local elected officials to ban pot businesses. Jehlen's bill would keep the tax rate at the 12% envisioned by last fall's successful initiative. "A high tax rate is not the will of the voters," she said after releasing the outline of the Senate bill. "You want to start low enough to make the legal market catch hold." The two bills should pass their respective houses and go to conference committee later this month.

Mobile Retreats from Decriminalization Ordinance. Mobile, Alabama, Mayor Sandy Stimpson has requested that discussion of a municipal ordinance to decriminalize marijuana possession be withdrawn from the agenda for Tuesday's city council meeting. The reason for the withdrawal is unclear, but the topic has been controversial with law enforcement and city staff.

Medical Marijuana

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Regulations Take Another Key Step. The Legislative Council, which serves as the legislature's governing body between sessions, last Friday approved draft rules from the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Department of Health, and the Medical Marijuana Commission aimed at regulating the state's nascent medical marijuana system. The state will begin accepting applications for licenses to operate marijuana cultivation centers and dispensaries June 30.

New Mexico Nixes Medical Marijuana for Opioid Addiction, Alzheimer's. Rejecting the recommendation of the state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, Secretary of Health Lynn Gallagher declined to add opioid use disorder and Alzheimer's as qualifying conditions for medical marijuana.

International

After Protests, Georgia Marijuana Reform Bill Filed. The government has filed a bill in parliament that would end prison sentences for the possession, cultivation, or sale of less than 70 grams (a bit more than a quarter-pound) of marijuana. The move comes after mass protests last weekend over the arrests of two rappers on what are widely believed to be trumped-up marijuana charges for releasing videos critical of police. The bill would also slash by nearly half prison sentences for marijuana offenses involving larger quantities.

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Chronicle AM: Mexico Legalizes MedMJ, China Bans More Synthetic Opioids, More... (6/20/17)

New Jersey pols look to legalize pot next year, Vermont pols look to legalize it this week, China bans more synthetic opioids, Mexico officially embraces medical marijuana, and more.

Marijuana Policy

New Jersey Legalization Bill Gets Hearing. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a legalization measure, Senate Bill 3195, on Monday. The testimony was largely favorable, including from a former state Republican Committee head, the head of a doctors' organization favoring legalization, and from a long-time municipal prosecutor. "I believe by legalizing and regulating it and discouraging, officially as official government policy, like we do with tobacco and alcohol, we will be far better off than the status quo," prosecutor J.H. Barr told the committee. No vote was taken. The bill is strongly opposed by Gov. Chris Christie (R), but he'll be gone in January.

Vermont Legislators Will Try to Get Weed Legalized in Special Session This Week. Gov. Phil Scott (R) vetoed the legalization bill in May, saying he had public safety concerns. Supporters of legalization have come back with a bill that now has stiffer penalties for drugged driving, smoking pot in cars with kids, providing pot to kids, and selling pot in school zones -- all in a bid to win the governor's support. The bill does not include "impairment testing mechanism" requested by Scott, largely because there are no marijuana breathalyzers on the market. Scott has declined to comment on the revised bill. The special session begins Wednesday.

Harm Reduction

Boston Ponders Supervised Injection Sites. With six people a day dying of opioid overdoses in the city so far this year, the city council has set a hearing next Monday to explore the potential impact of supervised injection sites. The move comes after the Massachusetts Medical Society urged state officials to open at least two of the facilities.

International

China Bans Synthetic Opioids Linked to US Overdose Deaths. China announced on Monday that it is banning the ultra-potent synthetic opioid U-47700 and three others. The DEA says China is the chief source of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and carfentanil, which China has already banned. U-47700, MT-45, PMMA, and 4,4-DMAR will be added to the country's list of controlled substances as of July 1, said Deng Ming, deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Commission.

Mexico Legalizes Medical Marijuana. President Enrique Pena Nieto issued a decree on Monday officially legalizing medical marijuana in the country. Legislation authorizing medical marijuana sailed through the Senate in December and passed the lower house on a 347-7 vote in April. Now, the Ministry of Health will be tasked with drafting and implementing rules and regulations.

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Chronicle AM: NV MJ Sales Could Be Delayed, Forfeiture Reform Goes to PA Gov, More... (6/21/17)

MPP loses bank accounts as the financial sector gets worried about a Trump crackdown on legal marijuana, Nevada's July 1 goal for legal pot sales hits a bump, a New York bill that would allow medical marijuana for PTSD goes to the governor, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Marijuana Policy Project Loses Bank Accounts. PNC Bank has notified the Marijuana Policy Project that it will close the group's bank accounts on July 7 in what is seen as "a sign of growing concerns in the financial industry that the Trump administration will crack down on the marijuana industry in states that have legalized it." Many financial institutions refuse to do business with marijuana companies while marijuana remains illegal under federal law, but policy groups like MPP have up until now been spared. In this case, PNC Bank said because MPP received money from marijuana businesses, it is cutting the cord.

Nevada July 1 Legal Marijuana Sales Date in Jeopardy After Court Ruling. A district judge in Carson City on Tuesday extended a temporary order barring the state from moving ahead with plans to issue marijuana distribution licenses to existing dispensaries so they can begin recreational sales on July 1. The order comes in a case brought by licensed liquor wholesalers, who say they should have exclusive rights to those licenses for the first 18 months. State officials said they remain committed to the July 1 date, but it's not clear how that's going to happen.

Medical Marijuana

New York Senate Approves Medical Marijuana for PTSD. The state Senate voted Tuesday to approve Senate Bill 6092, which allows medical marijuana to be used to treat PTSD. The Assembly passed an identical measure earlier this year, so the bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Pennsylvania Issues First Medical Marijuana Permits. The Department of Health on Tuesday announced 12 medical marijuana grower permits, with the permits going to two companies in each of the six permitting regions the department established as part of the implementation of the state's medical marijuana law. The department will announce the allocation of 27 dispensary permits before the month ends, it said.

Asset Forfeiture

Pennsylvania Legislator Passes Timid Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill. With a unanimous vote in the House on Tuesday, the legislature has approved Senate Bill 8, which does not end civil asset forfeiture, but does require county governments to audit all asset forfeitures by local law enforcement agencies and send reports to the state attorney general and the General Assembly each year. The bill also establishes a higher legal threshold before police can seize high-value assets such as cars and houses and bars the seizure of real estate without a hearing. The bill originally would have ended civil forfeiture, but it was amended under pressure from district attorneys to be less strict.

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