ASA ACTION: Suit Seeks Correct Cannabis Info MICHIGAN: Flint Latest City to Consider Medical Measure SOUTH CAROLINA: State Bill Before Lawmakers VERMONT: Expansion of Medical Exemption in State MINNESOTA: Bill Advances in House DISPENSARIES: Communities Grapple with Local Solutions CALIFORNIA: ID Card Cost Increase Cause for Concern FEDERAL: Rosenthal Raising Money for Court Battle ______________________________________________ ASA ACTION: Suit Seeks Correct Cannabis Info The government’s refusal to acknowledge what doctors have been telling patients for centuries – that cannabis can help a variety of symptoms and conditions – is facing a court challenge from ASA. The law requires federal agencies to use sound science in the information they disseminate. ASA is asking a court to force the FDA and Health and Human Services to acknowledge the multitude of medical and scientific findings proving the medical efficacy of cannabis. Medical Marijuana Advocates Sue Feds by Lisa Leff, Associated Press Armed with a new study that showed smoking marijuana eased pain in some HIV patients, medical marijuana advocates launched their latest attempt to decriminalize the drug by suing the federal government Wednesday over its claim that pot has no medical value. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4236 Medical marijuana activists sue United Press International Medical marijuana activists in San Francisco are suing the federal government saying regulators should retract statements that marijuana has no medical value. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4244 U.S. Is Sued Over Position on Marijuana by Carolyn Marshall, New York Times Frustrated by government policy and inaction, a group of advocates for medical marijuana sued two federal health agencies on Wednesday over the assertion that smoking it has no medical benefit. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4235 Advocacy group's suit calls on U.S. to acknowledge pot's medicinal value by Eric Bailey, Los Angeles Times A patient advocacy group sued the federal government Wednesday to try to force U.S. health agencies to acknowledge that marijuana has merit as a medicine. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4231 Group Challenges Feds on Medical Pot by Fox News, WSJV Fox28 New medical evidence is cited in a lawsuit against the federal government over its ban on medical marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4243 Pot activists sue feds over 'false' data about drug by Josh Richman, Oakland Tribune Medical marijuana advocates have sued the federal Department of Health and Human Services, accusing it of lying to the nation about the drug's lack of accepted medical use despite scientific studies showing its efficacy. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4234 Medical marijuana activists cite little-known law in suit by Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle Medical marijuana advocates tried a new approach Wednesday in their tug-of-war with the federal government, filing suit under a law that requires the government to correct its own misstatements -- including, the advocates say, the assertion that marijuana has no medical value. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4233 Advocacy Group Sues Federal Agencies Over Statements About Medical Marijuana, Including Benefits for HIV-Positive People Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report The Oakland, Calif.-based advocacy group Americans for Safe Access on Wednesday filed suit in Oakland federal court against HHS and FDA over statements the organizations have made about medical marijuana, citing several studies that found the drug might benefit HIV-positive people, the Los Angeles Times reports (Bailey, Los Angeles Times, 2/22). http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4232 Lawsuit seeks retraction of US government statements on medical marijuana by Joe Shaulis, Jurist: Legal News & Research A group that advocates the therapeutic use of marijuana is suing the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services for their statements that the drug has no medical value. According to a complaint filed Wednesday in US District Court in San Francisco, Americans for Safe Access alleges that the government's statements "deter sick and dying persons from seeking to obtain medicine that could provide them with needed, and often life-saving, relief." http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4241 OPINION DEA stymies science by EDITORIAL, St. Petersburg Times Disingenuousness is a specialty of the Drug Enforcement Administration when it comes to the issue of medical marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4263 ______________________________________________ MICHIGAN: Flint Latest City to Consider Medical Measure Several Michigan cities have passed local initiatives to protect medical cannabis patients, and voters in Flint are the latest to consider the action. State legislators may get the message soon and pass a statewide law allowing compassionate use. Group promotes proposal to OK medical marijuana by Shantell M. Kirkendoll, Flint Journal (MI) Marijuana cigarettes stacked in a prescription-labeled plastic tub were displayed Thursday during a news conference held by proponents of legalization of marijuana for medical use. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4251 Medical marijuana issue to be decided Tuesday by Rebecca Trylch, WJRT ABC 12 TV Next Tuesday Flint voters will decide whether to legalize the use of medical marijuana in the city. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4253 ______________________________________________ SOUTH CAROLINA: State Bill Before Lawmakers A state senator whose wife died of cancer is pushing a bill to allow medical use of cannabis in South Carolina. Opinion polls show strong public support throughout the southern U.S. South Carolina lawmakers review bill to legalize marijuana for medical use WPDE ABC TV News Channel 15 (SC) Marijuana could be a prescription drug, if a Lowcountry senator's bill passes through South Carolina Legislature. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4259 Medical Marijuana in SC by Live 5 News, WCSC TV Charleston Later today (2/22) the legislature in the State of Vermont will take up a proposed law to legalize marijuana for medical use. 10 states across the nation expect to take up a vote on allowing patients to use the drug. A similar bill is being pushed in South Carolina by State Senator Bill Mecher. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4256 ______________________________________________ VERMONT: Expansion of Medical Exemption in State Recognizing the success of their state law for many patients, lawmakers in Vermont are looking to expand it to cover more patients. Vt. Senate may soon see medical marijuana bill by Daniel Barlow, Rutland Herald (VT) A bill expanding Vermont's medical marijuana law to patients suffering from chronic pain passed a key committee this week and may come to the Senate floor for a vote next week. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4252 Senate to see Rx marijuana bill by Neal Goswami, Bennington Banner (VT) A new medical marijuana bill is close to reaching the Senate floor after it unanimously passed in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Tuesday. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4262 ______________________________________________ MINNESOTA: Bill Advances in House A bill authored by bi-partisan coalition of 13 members of the state House has made it out of its first round of committees. As is the case in many states, legislative action can take a few sessions to gain headway. Making marijuana legal for medical use gains support by Danielle Cabot, The Pilot-Independent (MN) Legalization of medicinal marijuana use, once a dubious political proposal, has gathered bipartisan momentum this session, and was passed last Wednesday by the Health, Housing and Family Safety committee, the first of many committee hearings to come. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4258 ______________________________________________ DISPENSARIES: Communities Grapple with Local Solutions How patients can get access to the medicine their doctors recommend is a recurring question for states with medical cannabis laws. California has turned to cannabis dispensing collectives as a compassionate, community-based solution to safe access. ASA’s study of the experience of officials around the state has found that regulated dispensaries are working for patients and their communities. See ASA’s report at http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3676. Council paving way for pot clubs by Justin Hill, Contra Costa Times A man who runs a medical marijuana dispensary in Oakland said this week he is still interested in opening one in Albany after the City Council gave initial approval to an ordinance allowing such an establishment. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4261 City Council hears proposal for medical marijuana dispensary by Christina Hanford, The Argonaut Nathan Hamilton, 23, and his business partner and friend, Logan Aries, 20, are trying to open what would be the first nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Monica, at the corner of Main and Pacific Streets. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4254 Medical marijuana dispensary to close down in April by Jennifer McLain, Whittier Daily News It's 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, and in 15 minutes the lone medical marijuana dispensary in the area will open for the day. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4257 ______________________________________________ CALIFORNIA: ID Card Cost Increase Cause for Concern Not just patients but county officials are reacting with alarm to a state plan to increase the cost of California’s cannabis ID cards. The increase is supposed to make up for the low percentage of patients who have so far signed up, but counties are still rolling out their programs, and the state has done nothing to encourage patients to get the cards. A Temporary High by Ana La O’, LA City Beat California’s medical marijuana patient I.D. program has struggled over the past three years, with low enrollment forcing the program to operate at a loss. But thanks to an impending 200 percent increase in card price, Palm Spring patients are now rushing to apply for I.D.s before it’s too late. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4247 Supervisors to decide on pot ID cards by Josh Fernandez, Daily Democrat (CA) The Yolo County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the Health Department's proposal to implement the statewide Medical Marijuana ID Card Program. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4246 Medicinal marijuana card rates to jump San Mateo County Times On the heels of the announcement of a tenfold hike in the state fee for medical marijuana identification cards, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote Tuesday to raise card fees to $174, a $129 increase. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4248 State fees for medical marijuana cards jump by Katy Brandenberg, Union Democrat (CA) The California Department of Health Services has exponentially increased its portion of the application fee medical marijuana patients in Calaveras County must pay to receive an identification card showing they can legally use the drug. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4249 Calaveras Spares Marijuana Patients State Fee by Vanessa Turner, Motherlode News Medical marijuana patients in Calaveras County can thank local officials for saving them a little extra money this year. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4260 Lack of medical marijuana ID card program violates state law Lassen News (CA) “To not act on this and to not approve (a medical marijuana) ID card program would be a violation of state law,” Dennis Hines told the Lassen County Board of Supervisors last week. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4250 OPINION State's medical marijuana program stumbling EDITORIAL, The Record (Stockton) California’s medical marijuana identification card program is sick. The California Department of Health Services says county governments are on track to issue 8,656 of the cards in the fiscal year that ends June 30, or less than 6 percent of the 150,000 cards per year the agency expected when it told counties statewide to proceed with the program 18 months ago. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4245 ______________________________________________ FEDERAL: Rosenthal Raising Money for Court Battle Even the judge in the case has asked why the federal government is re-trying cannabis author Ed Rosenthal. Convicted of 3 federal felonies for his work growing cannabis for patients, Rosenthal was sentenced to but a single day in jail, time which he had already served. So expending hundreds of thousands of dollars on another trial would seem to be an exercise in futility, but the government refuses to back down, forcing Rosenthal to defend himself again. Chong helps out 'Guru of Ganja' by Josh Richman, ANG Newspapers "Guru of Ganja" Ed Rosenthal is bringing in another celebrity of the marijuana movement to help him raise money for his upcoming federal trial. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4255