The Supreme Court will decide if the case against Colorado can go forward, Ohio pot legalizers call it quits for now, Detroit dispensaries are facing a crackdown, a New Jersey bill would criminalize pregnant women who use drugs, and more.

Where did the drugs go? (justice.gov)

Supreme Court Hears Case Against Colorado Legalization Today. The nation's highest court is deciding whether to take up a challenge against the state's legal marijuana law from neighboring Nebraska and Oklahoma. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia last weekend could alter the balance. If the court splits conservative vs. liberal, that would mean a 4-4 vote on the case. In regular cases that would mean that lower court rulings would hold. But the Supreme Court has "original jurisdiction" when states sue each other, meaning that there are no lower court rulings, raising the question of what would happen next.

Ohio Legalization Initiative Campaign Calls It Quits. The group, Legalize Ohio 2016, says it has put its signature gathering drive on hold because it doesn't have any money. The group's political action committee, Ohioans to End Prohibition, had only $268 in the bank. The group has some 80,000 signatures, but needs more than 300,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. It says it will instead concentrate on supporting the Marijuana Policy Project's medical marijuana initiative.

Medical Marijuana

Detroit Dispensary Boom Faces Looming Crackdown. The Motor City is now home to more than 200 dispensaries, but an ordinance that goes into effect March 1 is likely to put some of them out of business. The new ordinance insists that dispensaries must be at least a thousand feet from schools, parks, churches, libraries, and other dispensaries, and an unknown number are not going to be in compliance. Don't expect immediate raids, though; dispensary owners will have a chance to apply for licenses, and police said they would give dispensaries some time to comply before moving against them.

Asset Forfeiture

Illinois County Sued for Asset Forfeiture "Racketeering." Three people have filed a federal lawsuit against the Kane County Sheriff's Office alleging it is running a racketeering enterprise by stopping drivers, falsely arresting and searching them, and seizing their cash and cars for the benefit of the county. The suit also names three deputies, including one -- Sgt. Hain -- who is also employed by a private company, Desert Snow, that trains police to prolong traffic stops, conduct searches without warrants or consent, and aggressively seize assets. The plaintiffs allege they were stopped, searched, and had several thousand dollars in cash seized, and that they were booked into the county jail overnight, but never charged with a crime. They were released the next day. Police found no drugs or other suspicious items. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages

Law Enforcement

Justice Department Inspector General Rips DEA Over Evidence Handling Procedures. The DEA isn't properly documenting, tracking, and relocating the drugs it seizes, compromising the security of the drugs and undermining their usefulness as evidence in court, the inspector general said in findings released Thursday. In nearly one out of every 10 cases, DEA could not even find the tracking documents that are supposed to account for the drugs. "Gaps in the formal documentation of the chain of custody for drug exhibits can compromise the security of the drugs and jeopardize the government's ability to use the evidence in court proceedings," the IG said. The IG also found that more than half of all seizures, DEA forms did not list the amount of drugs seized, making it impossible to know if they had been tampered with. The inspector general made nine recommendations in total to improve the oversight of DEA drug seizures, all of which the agency agreed to address.

New Jersey Bill Would Criminalize Drug Use By Pregnant Women. A trio of Democratic Assembly members have introduced Assembly Bill 774, which would make using drug while pregnant a felony crime. Advocates for pregnant women called the bill "blatantly discriminatory" and said it will deter pregnant women from seeking prenatal care and drug treatment. They also said it was aimed at poor women.

International

Report Criticizes Use of Private Contractors in Colombia Aerial Coca Fumigation. A new report from the United Kingdom's Swansea University analyzes the role of private contractors and finds their primary benefit to the governments involved -- Colombia and the US -- are "secrecy and lack of accountability." "The ineffective policy is of dubious legality, causes damage to people and the environment, and would, if carried out by US military forces, imply the direct involvement of the US in Colombia's civil war, thereby triggering the application of international law as it applies to armed conflict," the report found. Still, aerial fumigation achieved "strategic objectives" of the two governments by displacing rural populations from areas of insurgent influence.

New Hampshire's governor signs a package of heroin and prescription opiate bills, a similar package goes to the desk of the Wisconsin governor, Illinois patients seek to add more qualifying conditions, South Dakota's GOP governor rejects a welfare drug testing bill, a key Mexican politician endorses pot legalization, and more.

Student Marijuana Group Wins Free Speech Lawsuit Against Iowa State University. A federal judge last Friday ruled that ISU administrators violated the First Amendment rights of ISU NORML by barring the group from using ISU logos on its t-shirts. ISU NORML won a permanent injunction against the university preventing it from using its trademark policy to block the group from printing shirts depicting a marijuana leaf.

Denver Social Pot Club Effort Gains New Life. A shelved ballot measure that aims at winning approval for marijuana use at some private businesses is being brought back to life by a newly formed NORML chapter. Denver NORML says it is going to take up where advocates left off. Advocates from the Vicente Sederberg law firm and the Marijuana Policy Project had begun such a ballot effort last year, but withdrew and is now seeking a potential compromise ordinance with city officials and other interested parties. But Denver NORML says it time to "get this done."

Medical Marijuana

Arizona GOP Rep Withdraws Bill to Cripple Medical Marijuana Program. State Rep. Jay Lawrence (R-Fountain Hills) has withdrawn HCR 2019, which would have barred naturopaths and homeopaths from recommending medical marijuana. Nearly 90% of all recommendations in the state are written by those health care professionals. Lawrence said he withdrew his bill after his office "received so many calls" and he actually learned about how the program works.

Georgia Lawmaker Admits Breaking State Law to Help Families Obtain CBD Cannabis Oil. Rep. Alan Peake (R-Macon) admitted last week that he has been going to other states to obtain the medicine and bring it back for patients. Under a law he sponsored last year, CBD cannabis oil is legal for people for certain diseases, but there is no provision for in-state cultivation or sales. "We made sure that families properly registered with the state got access to medical cannabis, including delivering it to them if that's the only way we can make that happen," Peake said. "Maybe at some point there is a need for civil disobedience. It comes down to, 'What would I do if it were my child?'" Peake said.

Hawaii Bill Would Bar Patients From Growing Their Own. Now that dispensaries are set to open up in the state, Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D-Oahu) has filed a bill that would prohibit patients from growing their own, instead requiring them to use the dispensaries. The bill is House Bill 1680. Patient groups don't like it.

Illlinois Petition Seeks to Prod Governor to Expand Qualifying Medical Conditions. The state Medical Cannabis Advisory Board has recommended adding eight new qualifying conditions to the state's medical marijuana program. The petition is directed at Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) and the head of the state Department of Public Health, who will make the final decision. The petition currently has more than 19,000 and has been endorsed by Melissa Etheridge.

Ohio Attorney General Rejects Wording on Medical Marijuana Initiative. State Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has rejected a third petition for a medical marijuana constitutional amendment. He said there were five discrepancies between the language of the proposal and its summary language.

Heroin

New Hampshire Governor Signs Heroin Bills. Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) has signed into law two bills, Senate Bill 447 and Senate Bill 576 that were part of a comprehensive proposal to deal with heroin and opiate addiction she put forth last fall. The former bill creates a study commission on using naloxone more broadly, while the second increases penalties for the sale of fentanyl, requires insurance companies to use similar evaluation criteria to streamline access to drug treatment, and strengthening the state's prescription monitoring program.

Wisconsin Legislature Approves Package of Prescription Monitoring Bills. The state Senate last week gave final approval to the package, which is aimed at reducing heroin use by requiring pharmacists to register prescriptions within 24 hours and requiring police to register prescription drugs found at the scene of an overdose. The package now goes to Gov. Scott Walker (R) for his signature.

New Psychoactive Substances

Massachusetts Bill Would Criminalize More Than a Dozen New Synthetic Drugs. State Rep. Tim Whelan (R-Brewster) has cosponsored a bill that would specifically target 19 new psychoactive substances listed as controlled substances by the DEA. The possession, manufacture, and distribution of the drugs would be criminalized under the bill.

Drug Testing

South Dakota Governor Rejects Welfare Drug Testing. Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) is not supporting a recently filed bill to require suspicionless drug testing of welfare recipients. He said he had not been enthusiastic about similar bills in the past, that the effort was a waste of money, and it is "somewhat insulting."

International

Israeli Likudnik MK Filed Marijuana Decriminalization Bill. Member of the Knesset Sharren Haskel (Likud) has filed a bill to decriminalize pot possession. Such bills usually come from the left of the Israeli political spectrum. "More than a million Israelis occasionally consume cannabis, and the population that uses it is mostly not a criminal population," wrote Haskel. "These are normative people from all parts of society -- academics, public representatives, and others, who consume cannabis in their leisure time."

Key Mexican Lawmaker Calls for Marijuana Legalization, Medical Access. The president of Mexico's chamber of deputies, Jesus Zambrano, is calling for both medical and recreational marijuana use to be legalized. "The topic has its international component and efforts need to be combined, particularly between the United States and Mexico, to have common rules, laws that are essentially identical, though each with its own modalities, because we are distinct, but the United States must help our country apply, for instance, legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use," said Zambrano. His was the opening salvo in a national debate on the topic that began Sunday.

It's another one of those all-marijuana news days -- the California initiative hits the ground running, New Hampshire legalization bills get filed, Canadian MPs get a pot package, and more.

Dana Larsen's gift to all 184 Liberal MPs in Canada (Twitter/Dana Larson)

California Adult Use of Marijuana Act Initiative Can Start Signature Gathering. The AUMA is now the most viable shot at legalizing weed in California this year. It has the backing of tech billionaire Sean Parker, as well other marijuana mavens and reform movement donors. It needs 365,000 valid voter signatures by June to make the November ballot.

Contributions Start Coming in for California's AUMA Legalization Initiative. The AUMA has picked up $1.25 million in donations, including $250,000 from the Marijuana Policy Project, a matching $250,000 from Sean Parker, $250,000 from the New Approach PAC, $250,000 from Drug Policy Action (the lobbying and campaign arm of the Drug Policy Alliance), and $250,000 from the Californians for Sensible Reform committee (Weedmaps). That should cover the cost of signature gathering for the initiative.

Nebraska, Oklahoma Accuse Colorado of Acting Like Drug Cartel. Attorneys for the two states urged the US Supreme Court to let them sue their neighbor over its legal marijuana production and distribution system, accusing Colorado of creating "a massive criminal enterprise whose sole purpose is to authorize and facilitate the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of marijuana… "If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel." The Obama administration has urged the high court to refuse to hear the case.

Trio of New Hampshire Legalization Bills Filed. Granite State lawmakers have filed not one, not two, but three bills to legalize marijuana. House Bill 1675 would legalize possession of up to 2.2 pounds of marijuana for personal consumption by adults 18 and older, and would also legalize cultivation of up to six pot plants at home. It was also allow the sale and taxation of marijuana. House Bill 1610 would legalize marijuana possession of up to two ounces for personal use by adults 21 and older, and would legalize cultivation of up to six plants at home -- limited to three mature plants at any one time. It would not allow retail sales, but would allow adults to gift up to an ounce to other adults. House Bill 1694 would legalize marijuana possession of up to one ounce by adults 21 and older, and would permit home cultivation of up to six pot plants, with a limit of three mature plants at one time. The bill would allow the sale and taxation of marijuana.

Vermont Governor Calls for Legalizing Marijuana in State of the State Address. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin called on lawmakers to pass legislation legalizing and regulating marijuana in his final State of the State address today. He also declared the drug war a failure and expressed desire to continue emphasizing a health-based approach to drug policy by expanding treatment and overdose prevention programs, as well as by removing the stigma associated with drug use and addiction. With Shumlin entering his last year in office, this is a strong signal that he intends to make marijuana legalization a priority in the upcoming legislative session. "The outdated war on drugs has also failed," said Shumlin, "and there is no greater example than our nation's marijuana laws." Earlier this week, top legislative leaders downplayed the likelihood of legalization this year.

Drug Policy

Legalization Advocate Gary Johnson Announced Libertarian Presidential Bid. The former Republican New Mexico governor, who championed a discussion of drug legalization while in office, announced Wednesday that he is seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. He resigned from his position as president and CEO of Cannabis Sativa Inc. to do so.

Medical Marijuana

First New York Dispensaries Opened Today. Eight dispensaries opened in the state today, a slow start to a medical marijuana program in a state with nearly 20 million people. The state has authorized another 12 to open later this month.

International

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Marijuana business access to banking services takes a hit from a federal judge, DC marijuana social clubs take a hit from the city council, Vermont legalization prospects get downplayed, pain patients are in the cross-hairs, and more.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera says legalize it. (wikipedia.org)

Federal Judge Throws Out Marijuana Credit Union Lawsuit. US District Court Judge R. Brooke Johnson today dismissed a lawsuit seeking approval from the Federal Reserve branch in Kansas City for the first credit union for pot businesses in the state. Jackson said he was compelled to dismiss the suit because marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

DC City Council Approves, Then Bans Marijuana Social Clubs. In a topsy-turvy day, the council first voted 7-6 to let an emergency ban on pot social clubs expire, but moments later, two council members switched positions, and the ban was extended a a 9-4 vote. The ban remains in effect for 90 days, and activists will continue to agitate for it to be allowed to expire.

Vermont Legislative Leaders Pour Cold Water on Legalization Prospects This Year. As the legislative session opens, House Speaker Shap Smith (D) said that there are still too many unanswered questions about how legalization would work and that he doesn't think it is ready for a full debate at this time. Minority Leader Sen. Joe Benning (R) said he, too, had similar questions and that the effort was "not quite ready for prime time." Both Smith and Benning said they generally support legalization.

Medical Marijuana

Georgia Medical Marijuana Cultivation Bill Filed. State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) has filed House Bill 722 (not yet available on the legislative website), which would allow the state to issue up to six licenses for medical marijuana growers. The legislature last year passed a bill allowing for the use of high-CBD marijuana, but included no provisions for growing it in the state.

New Psychoactive Substances

Florida Grand Jury Calls for Statewide Bans on Broad Classes of NPSs. Empaneled to confront the use of "flakka," a synthetic cathinone called alpha-PDP, a Broward County grand jury has issued a report calling for a state law that would ban entire classes of new psychoactive substances, such as synthetic cathinones, rather than limited bans on specified chemical compounds. The report calls for passage of the 2016 Florida Designer Drugs Enforcement Act proposed Monday by Attorney General Pam Bondi (R). Flakka has been linked to some 60 deaths in the state over the past four years.

Pain Treatment

CDC Proposed Opiate Prescribing Guidelines for Chronic Pain Include Provisions for Drug Testing All Pain Patients -- Still Time to Comment. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain includes provisions for requiring drug testing of all pain patients -- including those with cancer or terminal illnesses. Comment on the proposed guidelines here. Comments are open until January 13.

International

Mexico City Mayor Supports Marijuana Legalization, Says Would Hurt Cartels. Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said last week that marijuana legalization is an issue of personal freedom and that it would hurt illegal drug trafficking organizations. "My position is always in defense of freedom," he told El Universal. "I do support legalization." Legalizing marijuana would not be attractive for drug cartels, he added, saying "it would be a blow to them." Mancera's comments come as the country prepares for a national debate on legalization later this month.