Arkansas will join Florida in voting on medical marijuana in November, California's Prop 64 legalization initiative just got another $1.25 million from Sean Parker, a major investigative report finds that police field drug tests are shoddy, unreliable, and are sending innocent people to jail and prison, and more.
Alaska Governor Signs Bill for National Criminal Background Checks on People Seeking Marijuana Business Licenses [18]. Gov. Bill Walker (R) has signed into law Senate Bill 165 [19], which will allow state regulators to send fingerprints acquired as part of the application process for marijuana business licenses to the state Department of Public Safety and FBI. Until now, regulators have been issuing licenses based on the applicant's sworn certification he does not hae a disqualifying criminal history.
Sean Parker Kicks in Another $1.25 Million for California Prop 64 Legalization Initiative [20]. Former Facebook president and tech sector billionaire Sean Parker has just doubled his contribution to the Prop 64 [21] campaign. Parker donated $1.25 million, bringing his total contributions so far to $2.5 million.
Medical Marijuana
Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act Qualifies for November Ballot [22]. Arkansans for Compassionate Care (ACC) has collected enough valid voter signatures to qualify its medical marijuana initiative [23] for the November ballot, Secretary of State Mack Martin confirmed Tuesday. A second initiative, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, has yet to qualify for the ballot, and ACC is calling on its organizers to end their campaign and join forces.
California: San Bernardino Initiative to Allow Dispensaries Will Go to Voters [24]. The city council voted Tuesday night to put a dispensary regulatory system before the voters in November, even though a majority disapproves of it. Their hand was forced by a petition campaign that gathered more than 6,000 voter signatures. A second, competing proposal may also make the ballot.
California: Long Beach to Vote on Allowing Dispensaries [25]. City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia announced Tuesday that an initiative to allow dispensaries has qualified for the November ballot. A city council member may try to add another ballot measure that would allow dispensaries, but with more restrictions.
Drug Testing
Roadside Drug Tests Are Sending Innocent People to Jail [26]. In a major investigative piece, Pro Publica and the New York Times Magazine have collaborated to examine the pervasive use of cheap drug field tests by law enforcement and have found that the test generate huge numbers of false positives, resulting in innocent people being jailed and wrongfully convicted of drug charges. Faced with possible prison sentences, many pleaded guilty to lesser charges despite being innocent of any crime.
International
Uruguay Marijuana Consumer Licensing System About to Get Underway [27]. This month, Uruguay will begin signing up pot smokers to buy marijuana from state-licensed pharmacies in the world's first scheme for state-licensed production and sale of the herb. The first crop is being harvested and should be available for sale by mid-August.