ASA's Medical Marijuana News Summary: 2/9/07

NEW MEXICO: Medical Marijuana Measure Passes Senate MINNESOTA: Patient-Protection Bills in Both Chambers OREGON: Right to Fire Patients Sought CALIFORNIA: Caregiver Status Before Supreme Court CALIFORNIA: Dispensaries OKed, Opening, Studied and Stopped CALIFORNIA: Card Cost Increase Spurs Signups ________________________________________________________ NEW MEXICO: Medical Marijuana Measure Passes Senate State lawmakers have again moved a bill through one chamber of the New Mexico legislature. The governor has said he supports the measure, as he did last time. The proposed law stalled in the state House at the end of the last legislative session, held hostage to partisan political wrangling. Medical marijuana bill passes NM Senate Associated Press The New Mexico Senate has passed a proposal to allow certain patients to legally use marijuana under a state-run program. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4137 Senate OKs medical marijuana bill by Walter Rubel, Current-Argus (NM) For the third year in a row, the Senate has passed a bill that would allow for the restricted medicinal use of marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4142 NM medical pot bill moves ahead by Associated Press, Las Cruces Sun-News A Senate committee has approved a medical marijuana bill, which would allow certain patients to use marijuana under a doctor's supervision to relieve pain and the nausea caused by some medical treatments. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4155 ________________________________________________________ MINNESOTA: Patient-Protection Bills in Both Chambers Supporters of a proposed medical cannabis law in Minnesota are pushing matching measures through both the state House and Senate. MN medical marijuana bill introduced Chaska Herald (MN) A bill was introduced to the Minnesota House Monday that would legalize medical marijuana in Minnesota. A similar bill was recently introduced in the Minnesota Senate. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4145 ________________________________________________________ CALIFORNIA: Caregivers Status Before Supreme Court Who qualifies for the protections the law in California affords caregivers has been a contentious question since voters passed it. In this case, a dispensary operator argues that the jury should have been able to consider whether to acquit him as a medical caregiver. State Supreme Court to clarify Proposition 215 by Shanna McCord, Santa Cruz Sentinel Medical marijuana advocates hope the state Supreme Court will set rules that protect and broaden the role of caregivers who grow and distribute marijuana for the sick. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4156 Court to refine medical-marijuana law by Howard Mintz, Mercury News The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider whether being a primary caregiver can be a defense against criminal charges of cultivating marijuana under the state's 1996 medical marijuana law. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4140 ________________________________________________________ OREGON: Right to Fire Patients Sought An attempt to remove any worker protections for medical cannabis patients in Oregon may be less about safe workplaces than it is misguided prejudices. Since drug testing cannot determine if someone is using cannabis while at work or only on personal time, allowing employers to fire workers who test positive forces patients to choose between their health and their jobs. Bill would allow medical-marijuana users to be fired for failing drug tests by Aaron Clark, Associated Press Employees who legally use marijuana under Oregon's voter-passed medical-cannabis laws could be fired for flunking a drug test under a proposed Senate bill under committee consideration Wednesday. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4139 ________________________________________________________ CALIFORNIA: Dispensaries OKed, Opening, Studied and Stopped Los Angeles-area dispensaries have been the focus of media attention in the past few weeks, as the City Council considers how to regulate them, the police chief calls for a moratorium on new ones, and the DEA flexes its muscle. ASA’s study of dispensary ordinances found that they work. Regulated dispensaries can serve patients and the community alike. You can find out more about the report and download a copy at http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3676. SLO County OKs medical marijuana dispensaries by Sarah Arnquist, The Tribune (San Luis Obispo) The Board of Supervisors gave its final approval Tuesday to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in San Luis Obispo county’s unincorporated inland areas. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4147 New medical marijuana dispensary in the Valley KESQ ABC TV (Palms Springs) A new medical marijuana dispensary is in business in Desert Hot Springs. This comes after raids at other shops in Palm Springs and Palm Desert and also around the Los Angeles area. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4149 Desert Hot Springs council mulls ban on pot dispensaries by K. Kaufmann, The Desert Sun A new medical marijuana dispensary in Desert Hot Springs is facing pressure to close as the City Council considers a moratorium tonight on allowing dispensaries in the city. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4150 DHS council votes "no" on medical marijuana dispensaries KESQ ABC TV (Palms Springs) A heated debate in Desert Hot Springs Tuesday night and it ended with the city council voting no to any new medical marijuana dispensaries. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4146 Marina rejects marijuana proposal by Larry Parsons, Monterey Herald (CA) Marina City Council members want no part of their community becoming the first site in Monterey County for medical marijuana clinics. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4141 Indio votes "no" on medical marijuana -- for now KESQ ABC TV (Palms Springs) It's a big no to medical marijuana dispensaries in Indio, after a city council meeting Wednesday night. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4138 Pot clubs have critics fuming by Sandy Mazza, Press-Telegram (Long Beach) Medical marijuana dispensaries, fed by a stream of patients from evaluation clinics, have sprung up by the dozens in strip malls across Los Angeles County. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4151 ________________________________________________________ CALIFORNIA: Card Cost Increase Spurs Signups State officials raised the fee for California’s voluntary patient ID cards in part because so few people had begun to sign up. But the announcement has spurred many to apply for cards in advance of the increase. Regardless of start up cost, taxpayers are served by subsidizing the program, since it helps law enforcement identify qualified patients, freeing up resources for better community policing. Increase in 215 cards to be implemented next month by Christine Bensen-Messinger, Eureka Reporter Two people at Tuesday morning’s Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting spoke out against the increase in 215 cards, voicing concerns that it is unfair to users who do not have a lot of money to have to spend more to get their medication. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4148 Marijuana card fees going up Times-Standard (Eureka) The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will on Tuesday consider voting to pass on a significant increase in the cost of obtaining a medical marijuana card by making it a part of its fee schedule. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4154 Pot ID applications spike with price hike news by K. Kaufmann, The Desert Sun (CA) The number of Coachella Valley medical marijuana users applying to Riverside County for patient identification cards has jumped dramatically following the announcement that the cost of the card will double in July. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4153 Applications soar with Riverside County pot ID card cost hike Associated Press There's been a spike in medical marijuana identification card applications since Riverside County announced the cost will jump from $100 to $220 this summer. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4152 ___________________________________________ MORE NEWS: See ASA's Website News stories and archives of the weekly news summaries are available on ASA's website, www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org. For previous summaries, see http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=122.