Medical marijuana dominates the drug policy news today, plus a legalization bill is filed in New Jersey, welfare drug testing advances in a pair of states, the Russians halt anti-drug cooperation with the US, and more. Let's get to it:

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Marijuana Policy

New Jersey Legalization Bill Introduced. State Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) introduced a marijuana legalization bill today. The bill is not yet available online, but Scutari said it is modeled on the laws in Colorado and Washington state. "Anybody that looks at the facts, knows that the war on marijuana has been a miserable failure," Scutari said in a press release. "We're not delusional about how simple the effort would be, but I think from a standpoint of moving this state and this country forward on its archaic drug laws, I think it's a step in the right direction."

Medical Marijuana

Arizona Judge Okays Use of Medical Marijuana Extracts. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that using marijuana extracts is legal under the state's medical marijuana law. The state Health Department had argued that that the law only allows patients to consume parts of the actual plant, but Judge Katherine Cooper said nothing in the law backs that conclusion.

Arkansas Attorney General Rejects Initiative Language. Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has rejected the popular name and ballot title of a proposed medical marijuana initiative. The initiative is sponsored by Arkansans for Medical Cannabis. Another Arkansas initiative, from Arkansans for Compassionate Care, is already in the signature-gathering phase.

Iowa Lawmakers Introduce Resolution for Medical Marijuana Study. A bipartisan group of 10 Iowa lawmakers have introduced a resolution seeking a legislative interim study of the feasibility of legalizing medical marijuana in the Hawkeye State. Senate Resolution 112 now goes to the Iowa Legislative Council, which meets in June to consider requests for interim studies, which are typically completed prior to the next legislative session.

Oregon Health Authority Says No to Edibles at Dispensaries. The Oregon Health Authority last week released draft rules for dispensaries that do not allow medical marijuana edibles to be sold there. The authority said it feared edibles would be attractive to young people, but advocates said some patients need to take the drug orally.

Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Dead. A bill to allow for the use of medical marijuana in Tennessee is dead after sponsors reported no possibility of action on it in the state Senate. House Bill 1385, sponsored by Rep. Sherry Jones (D-Nashville) also got no respect in the House, where the Health Subcommittee heard unscheduled testimony opposing it from the Department of Health and the hearing ended without Jones being able to present an amendment to the bill and get a vote on it.

Alabama CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Passes Legislature. A bill to authorize and fund a $1 million University of Alabama study of the effectiveness of CBD cannabis oil in treating seizures has passed the Alabama legislature. Senate Bill 174 now goes to the governor's desk.

Georgia CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Dies. A bill to allow the use of CBD cannabis oil for epileptic seizures died in the legislature last week. House Bill 885 fell victim to parliamentary maneuvering as the session neared an end. After it passed the House, Senate leaders tied it to a favored autism bill and approved that, but the House never voted on the merged bill. Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon), the bill's sponsor, vowed to try again next year.

Kentucky CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Passes House Committee. A bill to allow the use of CBD cannabis oil for children suffering seizures passed the House Judiciary Committee last week and now heads for a House floor vote. Senate Bill 124 has already passed the Senate.

South Carolina CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Advances, But With Restrictions. A bill that would allow children with epilepsy to use CBD cannabis oil won a Senate committee vote last week and now advances to the Senate floor. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 1035, but only as part of clinical trials testing federally approved drugs.

Utah Governor Signs CBD Medical Marijuana Bill. Gov. Gary Herbert (R) has signed into law House Bill 105. The measure allows children with epileptic seizures to use CBD cannabis oil and allows their families to bring it back to the state with a neurologist's consent.

Drug Policy

Massachusetts Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Would Consider Decriminalizing Drug Possession, But… Democratic gubernatorial candidate Juliette Kayyem said last week she would consider decriminalizing some drugs, including cocaine, in an effort to treat nonviolent drug offenders differently within the criminal justice system. "Decriminalization of marijuana has been important. I think we should consider it for other drugs, or create more drug courts so that people do not fall into the criminal justice system," Kayyem said. But she later clarified that she meant drug users should be sent to treatment, not jail.

Harm Reduction

Georgia 911 Good Samaritan, Naloxone Bill Passes Legislature. A bill that would provide a "medical amnesty" to people seeking medical attention for overdose victims has passed the Georgia legislature. House Bill 965 was also amended to include allowing for the distribution of the overdose reversal drug naloxone. It now heads for the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal (R).

New Jersey EMTs to Carry Overdose Reversal Drug. The office of Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced last week that emergency medical technicians will be able to carry and administer the overdose reversal drug naloxone. The move required a waiver of state EMT rules, which do not cover the use of naloxone. "Allowing first responders to administer Narcan [naloxone] will save lives," Christie said in a statement. "We want to encourage people to seek medical assistance when a drug overdose occurs."

Drug Testing

Georgia Food Stamp Drug Testing Bill Passes Legislature. A bill requiring food stamp recipients to undergo drug tests if state officials have "reasonable suspicion" they are using drugs has passed the state legislature on the last day of the session. House Bill 772 now goes to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal (R) for a signature.

Michigan Senate Passes Welfare Drug Testing Bill. A bill that would require drug testing for welfare recipients if state officials suspect they are using drugs has passed the state Senate. It would set up a pilot program in three counties. The bill is part of a package of welfare drug testing bills that are still under consideration in the House.

Methamphetamine

Illinois Pseudoephedrine Prescription Bill Gets Hearing. A bill that would require prescriptions to obtain cold medications containing the meth precursor pseudoephedrine got a hearing before a Senate panel last week. Senate Bill 3502 is supported by law enforcement, but opposed by OTC drug manufacturers.

Sentencing

New Jersey Supreme Court Committee Report Urges Major Bail Reforms. The state Supreme Court has released a report from its Joint Committee on Criminal Justice calling for significant changes to the current bail system in New Jersey and enactment of speedy trial legislation. Click on the links for more details.

International

Russians Warn US Sanctions Will Halt Anti-Drug Cooperation. Russia's anti-drug agency said Friday US sanctions imposed over the Crimea crisis would wreck its cooperation with the US. "The U.S. administrations' arbitrary and ill-considered decision will, in one day, destroy our unique experience of cooperation," the agency said.

Canadian Court Rules Medical Marijuana Patients Can Keep Growing Their Own. A Canadian federal court judge has issued an injunction exempting patients already licensed to possess or grow medical marijuana from the Conservative government's new rules attempting to restrict such grows to commercial facilities. The federal government announced its plans to overhaul the production of medical pot last year, arguing the current system had grown out of control and was rife with problems ranging from unsafe grow-ops to infiltration by criminals. The injunction is only good while a lawsuit filed by patients works its way through the courts.

Bermuda Marijuana Reform Report Coming Next Month. A final report detailing local opinions on cannabis reform is to be handed in to the government by April 17, according to the Cannabis Reform Collaborative (CRC). The group has canvassed views through seven focus groups, targeting different age groups. Bermuda's marijuana laws are being appraised following a call last year by National Security Minister Michael Dunkley for a public discussion on decriminalizing the drug.

Bermuda Has Near Majority for Marijuana Decriminalization. The Bermuda National Household Survey on Drug Consumption and Health is out, and it shows that nearly 49% support marijuana decriminalization, with 41% opposed and 9% undecided.

Australian Government Toughens Penalties for New Synthetics. The Australian government said it has added four substances marketed as "synthetic LSD" to its list of drugs that attract the most serious penalties. Under the move, importers will face a minimum of two years in jail. Currently, importers pay only a fine set a three times the value of the product. The substances are derivatives of phenethylamine marketed under names like "N-Bomb."

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