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Medical Marijuana

Man Smokes Medical Marijuana at Taxpayers' Expense

On a recent chilly morning, Fort Lauderdale stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld interrupted his client calls for a quick medical marijuana cigarette in the company parking lot. Then he went back to work. The cigarette perfectly legal for him was one of about 120,000 the federal government has provided to him at taxpayer expense for the past 29 years. He's one of only four people who remain in a now-closed compassionate drug program.

Oakland Could Have A New Medical Marijuana Policy in Two Weeks

The Oakland City Council is talking about sanctioned medical marijuana cultivation again after some legal scares put the issue on ice late last year, and a new policy could be in place within two weeks. The council voted in December to hold off implementing its program to permit and tax industrial-sized medical marijuana cultivation businesses. The proposal, which would also double the number of permitted dispensaries, was delayed until the new cultivation law could be revised to address some legal concerns that local prosecutors said could land the council members in jail.

New Jersey DHSS Mum About Medicinal Marijuana Program Conflicts (Press Release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2011

CONTACT: Ken Wolski at (609) 394-2137

DHSS Mum About Medicinal Marijuana Program Conflicts

WHO:      New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

WHAT:     Refuses repeated attempts to clarify conflicting Medicinal Marijuana Program statements

WHEN:     January and February 2011

WHERE: Trenton, New Jersey

WHY:        DHSS has not responded to requests for clarification

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has published conflicting statements about its Request for Applications (RFA) by which non-profit entities may become Alternative Treatment Centers as part of the Medicinal Marijuana Program.  The DHSS has refused repeated attempts to clarify the issue.

The RFA to become medical marijuana providers in the state was published on the official DHSS web site: http://www.state.nj.us/health/med_marijuana.shtml.  This RFA has an announced closing date of 2/14/11.  However, the proposed regulations, published on the very same web site, at "8:64-6.1 Notice of request for applications" note that the DHSS "shall announce a request for applications…for a permit to operate an alternative treatment center by publishing a notice of request for applications in the New Jersey Register."  The soonest this notice of RFA could be published in the Register is 2/22/11, or after the final day of open application period noted on the DHSS web site.

It is an expensive and cumbersome process to apply to become an ATC and applicants do not want to submit an application for a process that was given improper notification.  On the other hand, they do not want to be excluded either because they misinterpreted the rules or because the DHSS changed the rules when it publishes the official version.  Yet the DHSS refuses to clarify whether the RFA deadline is appropriate as noted on its web site or whether a new, initial application period will be forthcoming in an upcoming New Jersey Register announcement.

For more information, contact:

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.  www.cmmnj.org
219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618
609.394.2137 [email protected]

CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the benefits of safe and legal access to medical marijuana.

Advocates for Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law Fear Disclosure of Records Will Hurt Patients

As founder of Michigan Association of Compassion Clubs, Jamie Lowell thinks the federal government's request for records on the state's medical marijuana registry will discourage legal use. He knows of a teacher who could use marijuana, but she is terrified of being identified. "When you get the application, you are under the impression all of the information will remain confidential," he said.

Medical Marijuana Proponent Files Ethics Complaint Against Iowa Representative

A Des Moines man filed an ethics complaint against a state legislator who admitted he lied about having hemorrhoids and depression to obtain a medical marijuana recommendation in California last year. Mike Pesce said he brought the complaint against Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, because the representative said he knowingly provided false information to obtain a California medical marijuana card as a way to demonstrate why a similar program should not be adopted in Iowa.

Canadian Patients Ask Ottawa to Fix Flawed Medical Marijuana Program

A group of medical marijuana patients traveled to Parliament Hill to draw attention to the government's "wildly dysfunctional and onerous medical marijuana regulations" and the effects they are having on sick Canadians. "Ten years ago, we put in place a government program, a legal government program, that would allow sick patients to have access to a medicine that worked for them," said Member of Parliament Dr. Carolyn Bennett. "We now are seeing a perfect storm of administrative delays that have these patients with a licence waiting four to six months till the point that it expires – and then they are criminalized because they don't have a licence because the government's backlogs and lack of resources have put them there."

2011: Fighting Hard for Our Rights!

 

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) started the new year strong. We are working  in statehouses, city halls, courtrooms, and communities nationwide with one common goal – to protect and expand safe access for medical cannabis patients. ASA needs your support right now to keep the momentum and keep making a difference.

Can you take a minute to make a special contribution to help ASA keep fighting?

January was a busy month for ASA. In Washington, DC, our staff welcomed each of the new members of the Congressional delegation. This is an important step in building needed capacity in Congress. We also worked with the Mayor’s office in the ongoing effort to implement the District’s medical cannabis law.

Your support in January helped ASA do all this and more:

 

  • In California, Senator Mark Leno (D-san Francisco) introduced ASA-sponsored legislation that will protect patients from employment discrimination.
  • We also filed an appeal on behalf of Jovan Jackson, a medical cannabis provider facing prosecution in San Diego. This strategic appeal will help stop the ongoing prosecutions in the state!
  • And as part of our 2011 effort to re-energize and retrain our grassroots base, ASA kicked off the first of many “Putting Patients First” trainings for medical cannabis professionals in Oakland.
  • In Michigan and Nevada, ASA Chapters organized high-profile rallies to oppose federal interference and intimidation, including new DEA raids and threats to patients’ privacy – a top priority for ASA nationwide.
  • ASA filed an amicus brief in Michigan to stop the federal government from confiscating patient records.
  • ASA provided suggested improvements to correct troubling provisions in Colorado’s law.
  • I published an op-ed on patient privacy in the Huffington Post and elsewhere, reaching millions of readers.

These are all important steps in fulfilling our goal of ensuring safe access to medical cannabis for everyone who needs it. That is exactly what the nation’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization should be doing – and you can help make it happen! ASA needs your help today to make sure we can take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges every month in 2011.

Thank you in advance for helping us help medical cannabis patients nationwide. Your support has brought us this far, and I know you can help us win this fight once and for all.

Sincerely,

Steph Sherer

Executive Director

PS – Don't forget to register for our "National Call to Action: Activist Boot Camp" February 19-20 in cities nationwide!

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Bill to Restrict Medical Marijuana in Montana Draws Fire

A proposal to make it harder for people to get medical marijuana cards for severe and chronic pain drew plenty of opposition and little support at a hearing. Senate Bill 170, by Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, would require a panel of three physicians experienced in pain management to review and ultimately decide whether to approve or reject another doctor's recommendation that a patient be authorized to use medical marijuana for severe and chronic pain. The lone supporter of SB170 was Mark Long, representing the Montana Narcotics Officers Association.
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