Medical Marijuana

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.

Czech Police Want to Use Seized Marijuana for Treatment

Czech policemen have proposed that the seized marijuana be used for medical purposes -- for instance, for the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. The Justice Ministry does not oppose the idea. "It is certainly logical," Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil (senior government Civic Democrats, ODS)) said.

Berkeley Exports Its Cannabis Expertise

In a sign of the growing professionalization of the medical cannabis industry, Mark Rhoades and Ali Kashani, the owners of the Berkeley development company Citycentric Investments, have teamed up with Debby Goldsberry, a founder of the Berkeley Patients Group, to open a number of medical marijuana facilities around the East Bay. Goldsberry, Rhoades, and Kashani represent a new breed of medical marijuana entrepreneurs: people expert in land use policy, non-profit work, and running cannabis collectives. Itâs a set of services that is growing in demand as more states adopt medical marijuana laws and as more people try to navigate the byzantine laws permitting medical marijuana in California.

Arizona Releases New Draft Rules for Medical Marijuana Program

A new set of draft rules for Arizona's medical marijuana program were published on the state Department of Health Services' website. The rules cover everything from applying for a patient or caregiver registered identification card, to revocation of identification cards, to dispensary information, including the application process.

Bill Would Limit Firings of Medical Marijuana Users

Californians who use medical marijuana outside of work would be protected from job dismissal due to medical marijuana use under a bill that has been introduced by state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. The bill, SB129, would make it illegal for an employer to consider either a worker's status as a registered patient or a positive drug test when making hiring and firing decisions. The bill would not change existing laws that bar employees from using medical marijuana at the workplace or during work hours.

NJ: Medical Marijuana Patients Move Issue Forward

Jennifer Lande, Stephen Cuspilich and Charles Kwiatkowski are fighting for legal access to medical marijuana. They traveled to Trenton on a bitterly cold day to participate in a rare process of the state Constitution. They all live with serious medical conditions and offered honest and, at times, painful testimony. Their pleas for a working medical marijuana program in New Jersey created an important record for how to proceed next.

Marijuana Activists Fight DEA Efforts to Eviscerate Medical Privacy

If the State of Michigan won't protect the people, activists will. So went the cry of medical marijuana groups in Michigan, concerned that the privacy of medical marijuana patients there is at grave risk. The Michigan Association of Compassion Clubs filed an emergency motion this week to halt efforts by the federal government to gain access to the records of several Michigan medical marijuana patients.

Submit Your Video to ASA and Join Us for Our National Organizers' Call in February

Dear Friends,

In advance of our upcoming Activist Boot Camp on February 19th & 20th, Americans for Safe Access is putting together a video to showcase who we are and why we do what we do.

And we want to hear from you!

We are asking our chapters and individual supporters for videos and photos from all parts of the country that share the importance of medical cannabis activism. All you need is a digital video camera - your computer's webcam would work fine.

First, we would like to hear from chapters and affiliates everywhere. If you can't get together a video of your group, we would still love a photo! But if you can get a video, we would love a big "Hello from XXX City ASA!"

For individuals, we are looking for a 30-second clip with the following:
- Your name
- Your city
- Your chapter affiliation
- A hello message to other ASA chapters and members around the country

And another 15-second clip, telling the world why YOU are a member of Americans for Safe Access.

We plan to showcase some of the best videos to the Activist Boot Campon February 19th & 20th, and then later put them all up on ASA National's website.

It takes less than a minute - but we need that minute before Friday, February 4th. Practice a few times, frame the video so that we can see your face from the chest up, and then email video footage in digital format in Quicktime (mp4 or mov file - hi def if possible!) to Sam Sabzehzar at[email protected].

Also, sponsorships are still available for the Boot Camp until Monday, January 31st. If you are able to help sponsor, or have any questions about the Boot Camp, please contact[email protected].

Or, if you have questions about the video, please contact[email protected].

Additionally we would like to invite each of you to be a part of our National Organizers' Call on Wednesday, February 9th at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST. You can join us by calling 832-431-3335 and entering access-code 1618568. Please RSVP to the call by emailing ASA Field Director Kristen Ford -[email protected].

Thanks for being part of this movement!

~Amber

Amber Langston
Americans for Safe Access
Conference Director

Disclaimer: Permission to use video footage is deemed granted by submission. Footage may be used in any and all future media, including, but not limited to, conferences and trainings hosted by Americans for Safe Access and affiliates. Footage may also be found on ASA’s website and/or Youtube, unless otherwise noted on submission.

Medical Marijuana Attorney Rob Corry Calls Colorado's Dept. of Revenue Draft Regs "Death by 1,000 Cuts"

When asked to synopsize his problems with the regs as written Corry said, "It's hard to pick out the more significant ones, because there are so many. But I think probably my greatest concern is the cameras." "This is an intrusive, Orwellian proposal. Every single patient who comes into a center and purchases any amount of medicine has to place his or her registry card on an overhead projector, and that person's name, address, Social Security number, the amount of the purchase and where they live will all be recorded," he added.

Medical Marijuana in Washington, DC: Mayor Gray Could Tweak Medical Marijuana Program

Mayor Vince Gray is reviewing the policies that will govern the District's medical marijuana program and is being pushed to make changes that could help improve the program's reception on Capitol Hill. At-large Councilman David Catania informed Gray that if the mayor doesn't act, the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will be able to send out solicitations for marijuana dispensary applications on February 14. Gray said, "Hopefully by [Feb. 14] we'll be operative, but we'll see how it works out."

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