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Has Jay Leno Ever Heard of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries?
Of course, it's a win just to have these kinds of conversations on The Tonight Show, and you can't look for perfect messaging from entertainers. But seriously, what the hell was Leno talking about with this:
Leno: Well, here's my thing, here's my thing. California, they spend all this money trying to get things on ballots. But federal law trumps state law.
Maher: Oh, Jay you're such a buzzkill.
Leno: Well, it's true. No matter what the state says, the federal government goes "sorry, it's a federal law. You lose."
Really, Jay? I wonder how far you'd have to walk from your studio in Los Angeles to find a dispensary selling marijuana in violation of federal law. Come on, man. We've moved way beyond that nonsense, and you don't have to be constitutional scholar to understand that state-level marijuana policies can be reformed dramatically by popular vote. All you have to do is read the LA Times any day of the week.
If the drug czar doesnât even know what the hell the feds would do about this, I can't fathom why Jay Leno thinks he's got it figured out.
Drug Truth 04/06/10
Ciudad Juárez: Caught in the Crossfire
Press Release: PhillyNORML Statement on Local Marijuana Change
Press Release: Maryland Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
APRIL 6, 2010
Maryland Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
By 7-4 vote, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee OKs Bill to Provide Qualified Patients With Safe Access to Medical Marijuana
CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND â Last night, Marylandâs Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 7-4 to pass SB 627, a bill that would provide qualified patients with safe access to medical marijuana and protection from arrest for using the medicine that works best for them. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
        âThis vote represents the biggest victory to date for supporters of an effective medical marijuana law in Maryland,â said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project. âI look forward to a productive discussion on the Senate floor, and I sincerely hope Maryland legislators do all in their power to get this bill passed and ensure Marylandâs most vulnerable citizens donât have to spend another year living without effective medicine or in fear of arrest.â Â
        Sponsored by Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick), a two-time cancer survivor, and co-sponsored by Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Takoma Park) and key members of the Senate leadership, including Senate President Thomas V. âMikeâ Miller (D-Clinton), SB 267 would not only protect patients from arrest but also allow pharmacies or other similar dispensing entities to distribute marijuana to patients.
      Currently 14 other states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine, have medical marijuana laws that provide qualified patients with safe access and protection from arrest. The District Council of Washington, D.C. is working on a medical marijuana law expected to be implemented by the end of this year.
        With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.
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Americans for Safe Access: April Activist Newsletter
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Press Release: Speakers Make Case for Decriminalizing Marijuana to New Hampshire Senate Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
APRIL 6, 2010
Speakers Make Case for Decriminalizing Marijuana to New Hampshire Senate Committee
HB 1653 Would Remove Criminal Penalties for Possession of Quarter-Ounce of Marijuana, Replace with a Fine of Up to $200
CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policyâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦(603) 391-7450
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE â Today, a panel of witnesses told the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee how a proposed bill to decriminalize marijuana in the state would save law enforcement costs, allow police to focus on more serious crimes, and stop wasting resources arresting otherwise law-abiding citizens who choose to use a substance that is safer than alcohol.Â
           Sponsored by Rep. Steve Lindsey (D-Keene), HB 1653 would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to a quarter-ounce of marijuana and replace them with a fine of up to $200. Last month, the bill passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan 214-137 vote.
           âEven though most offenders in New Hampshire donât actually get sentenced to jail for possessing one or two marijuana cigarettes, our state still goes through the expensive process of arresting these people, prosecuting them, and branding them with criminal recordsâall for using a substance that by any objective standard is safer than alcohol,â said Matt Simon, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. âThe conclusion reached by every study Iâve ever read on this subject is that the harshness of penalties has little or nothing to do with an individualâs choice to use or not use marijuana.â
           âI believe passage of this bill would simply mean weâve gotten smarter,â said Rep. Joel Winters (D-Manchester). âThat police would be able to waste less time dealing with marijuana users and have more time and resources freed up for dealing with serious crimes.âÂ
           In 2008, 65 percent of voters in neighboring Massachusetts voted to remove criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana and replace them with a $100 fine. Twelve states across the country, including Ohio, Mississippi, and North Carolina, have passed marijuana decriminalization laws.Â
Under current New Hampshire law, possession of any amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense, carrying a potential penalty of up to one year in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a criminal conviction that could damage someoneâs ability to find employment, secure government benefits, or qualify for student financial aid.
The bill would also require parents of offenders younger than 18 to be informed of the offense, and underage offenders would have to complete a drug awareness program within one year of the violation, or face a $1,000 fine.
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Since When do Rockstars Know Anything About Drugs?
"Sting should stick to singing and not meddle in matters he doesn't understand. We do not need pop stars coming out and making irresponsible statements like that," said a spokesperson for DARE, which teaches schoolchildren about the dangers of drug use. [Daily News & Analysis]
How classy. I think it's pretty telling that Sting, an A-list international celebrity, was proud to associate himself with this cause, while the DARE spokesperson who chides him for it chose to do so anonymously. It's obvious who is more embarrassed by their viewpoint.
Note to anti-drug zealots: if your argument sounds ridiculous even to you, to such an extent that you don't even want your name attached to it, then just don't talk to the media. I know it sucks to see the political climate changing before your eyes. I know you canât bear the thought that mainstream entertainers can now come out against the drug war and get nothing but positive press. But your stupid ideas are what got you into this mess in the first place, so opening your mouth right now isn't going help at all.
DARE's only accomplishment here was to erase any doubt about whether Sting's announcement is a big deal.
UPDATE: Philadelphia DA on Philly's "Decrim"
Based upon inquiries to this office it appears that some confusion exists regarding potential changes in charging policy when it comes to minimal amounts of marijuana. "We are not decriminalizing marijuana--any effort like that would be one for the legislature to undertake. The penalty available for these minimal amount offenses remains exactly the same. What we are doing is properly dealing with cases involving minimal amounts of marijuana in the most efficient and cost effective process possible. Those arrested for these offenses will still be restrained, identified and processed by police in police custody. They will still have to answer to the charges, but they will be doing so in a speedier and more efficient process. We want to use valuable court resources in the best way possible and we believe that means giving minor drug offenders the option of getting into diversionary programs, get drug education or enter drug treatment centers. Again we are NOT decriminalizing marijuana, and the penalty for these offenses remains the same."It looks like DA Williams is trying to have it both ways. The Inquirer story--which Williams doesn't contradict in his statement--says that small-time pot offenders will be sent to a special "quality of life" court and fined. While Williams is correct that it would be that state legislature that woud decriminalize marijuana possession, It is a sort of de facto partial decriminalization, with people arrested, but not processed in the criminal courts or jailed upon conviction. I'll try to have this cleared up by the time we publish the Chronicle story about it on Friday.
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