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ASA’s Medical Marijuana in the News: 10/05/07

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FEDERAL: Medical Marijuana Provider Turns Himself In

About 50 ASA activists and other supporters of medical marijuana provider Mickey Martin protested at the federal court house when he turned himself in to authorities. Last week, DEA agents raided food-preparation locations they allege are connected to Martin and arrested three others. Martin, who was on vacation with his wife and two young sons, surrendered Thursday and was released on bond. Martin has been a leader in developing alternatives to smokeable forms of medicinal cannabis.

Pot Candy Maker Out On $300,000 Bail
KTVU TV2 (San Francisco)
The founder of an Oakland food factory that laces everything from cookies to barbecue sauce with marijuana surrendered Thursday to face a federal drug charge.

Owner of pot-candy factory surrenders on federal drug charges
by Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle
The owner of an Oakland marijuana candy factory surrendered Thursday to face federal drug charges, but not before blasting the U.S. government for what he called an unfair attack by federal bullies on ailing patients who rely on medical marijuana.

Pot Candy Dealer Turns Himself In
by Katie Hammer, ABC7/KGO-TV
A man who makes edible marijuana products for medical patients turned himself in this morning to federal authorities after they raided his Oakland factory. He had a lot of supporters today at the federal courthouse in Oakland.

ASA ACTION: Defending Democracy

The victory in ASA’s legal challenge to the electronic voting machines used in a local California election got more attention this week not because the questionable recount was of a medical marijuana measure but because of widespread concerns about the integrity of votes cast without a “paper trail.” The ruling makes clear to election officials that voters have a right to verifiable recounts.

Judge orders Berkeley medical marijuana measure back on ballot
Associated Press
A judge ordered a failed 2004 city initiative on medical marijuana returned to the ballot next year because county election officials failed to hand over data from voting machines.

Judge Orders Sanctions, New Election in Measure R Case
by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor, Berkeley Daily Planet
In what would appear to be the most stinging rebuke possible to the conduct of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office in the November 2004 Berkeley Measure R Medical Marijuana initiative election, a California Superior Court judge has ordered that a new Measure R election be held in November of next year, and that Measure R proponents be reimbursed for litigation and recount costs.

Berkeley pot bill put on 2008 ballot after judge nullifies results
by Chris Metinko, Contra Costa Times (CA)
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has nullified the results of a hotly contested 2004 election because of mishandling of a recount by Alameda County election officials, and she ordered Berkeley's Measure R -- a citizen-sponsored medical marijuana initiative -- back on the ballot for a re-vote in 2008.

Election Results Tossed in E-Voting Case
by Catherine Pickavet, InternetNews
Electronic voting has promised security, accuracy, expediency and fairness since its advent. But amid continued controversy, a new ruling in California may add yet another mark in the tally against it.

DISPENSARIES: Long Beach, Visalia, Claremont, Arcata, Santa Ana

The crucial service medical marijuana dispensaries provide to the most seriously ill and elderly patients is detailed in two articles this week. Action being considered by Long Beach has caused much debate, as has the closing of a popular dispensary in Visalia that had worked diligently with local officials. The benefits of dispensaries to patients and the advantages of a regulated local approach are outlined in ASA’s report on the experience of California local officials at http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DispensaryReport.

A patient pleads for access
by Tom Hennessy, Columnist, Long Beach Press-Telegram
"My husband has terminal lung cancer," said the woman on the phone. That was her introduction to a complicated, sometimes harrowing story about trying to obtain the only medicine that gives her husband relief. The medicine is marijuana.

Patients make case for pot
by Gerald Carroll, Visalia Times-Delta (CA)
Visalia Compassionate Caregivers have suspended their long-standing practice of quietly dispensing marijuana to patients as a result of the city's nuisance-ticket ordinance.

Medical marijuana likely to be sold at a dispensary in Claremont in the near future.
by Paul Foreman, Student Life, Pomona State College
It seems likely that medical marijuana may be sold at a dispensary in Claremont in the near future.

Visalia pot shop faces closure
by Tim Sheehan, Fresno Bee (CA)
An organization providing medical marijuana to about 1,500 people is being forced to shut its doors in downtown Visalia.

Shannon denies pending action vs. pot clinics
by Tracy Manzer, Long Beach Press Telegram
In a memo issued to the mayor and City Council Tuesday, the city attorney denied his office is taking formal legal action against a group of medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city without business licenses.

City identifies medicinal marijuana dispensaries operating without licenses
by Tracy Manzer, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Proposed legal action by the Long Beach city attorney's office is expected to ignite a new battle in the ongoing war over medical marijuana. Police have identified 11 locations in Long Beach where medical marijuana is sold to patients by dispensaries, which, according to the city attorney's office, are operating illegally.

Arcata council takes on regulations for marijuana growing houses, clinics
by Cerena Johnson, Eureka Reporter (CA)
The regulation of marijuana grow houses and clinics was a hot topic of discussion at the Arcata City Council meeting Wednesday.

Santa Ana outlaws marijuana stores
by Doug Irving, Orange County Register
City council members voted unanimously late Monday to outlaw storefront medical-marijuana dispensaries, but they left the door open for hospitals and other state-licensed care centers to provide the drug.

OPINION ON DISPENSARIES

Medical pot law trumps Anaheim
EDITORIAL, Orange County Register (CA)
Superior Court Judge David Thompson last Friday essentially punted the issue of whether the city of Anaheim's law that essentially bans anything that remotely resembles a medical marijuana dispensary is in conflict with state law. Qualified Patients Association, an association of medical marijuana patients and caregivers, had challenged the law and sought an injunction against its enforcement.

It's time for L.B. to come to terms with pot dispensaries.
EDITORIAL, Long Beach Press-Telegram
The Long Beach City Council issued a six-month moratorium on business licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries in 2005. The pot dealers went ahead and opened or continued to operate 11 known dispensaries not far from homes, business and - in a couple cases, schools - in Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, Naples and other neighborhoods where getting a liquor license can be tougher than uncorking a wine bottle with your incisors.

Publisher’s Notebook: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
by Michael Rosenthal, Santa Monica Mirror (CA)
60 Minutes did a hatchet job on medical marijuana the other night. They criticized how easy it is to get a prescription for medical marijuana, yet made no comparison to how simple it is to get one for Valium, a more widely prescribed drug. Any good doctor can see the benefit of a drug that allows for almost instant relaxation and in a method that allows the patient to regulate the usage. The story ended by having one of the subjects in the piece claim the current system is just “chaos.” It seems to me the only thing chaotic is the Federal government’s randomness in attacking dispensaries.

ASA IN THE NEWS: Speaking Up For Patients

When confronted with another story of a patient whose terrible suffering or debilitating condition was relieved by medical marijuana, officials from the DEA and the Drug Czar’s office universally dismiss the experiences as “anecdotes” and insist there are legal alternatives. ASA spokespersons point out that the history of such anecdotes is well-documented and thousands of years long, and the government’s own research concludes that Marinol is not a substitute for medical marijuana in all cases.

Two report relief from medical marijuana, but government doctor unconvinced
by David Olson, Press-Enterprise (CA)
Carl Casey is convinced marijuana saved his sight. Kathy Jones says cannabis provides more relief for her muscle-related disease than the 27 pills she used to take for it. Caren Woodson, director of governmental affairs for Oakland-based Americans for Safe Access, which supports the use of medical marijuana, said many people say that smoked or baked marijuana provides much more relief than Marinol and other prescription drugs.

FEDERAL: FBI Raids Patient Garden in California

Raids by federal agents are becoming nearly routine in California, but they continue to expand in scope, targeting smaller collectives and individual patients and using IRS agents as well as DEA. Now the FBI is even getting involved, seizing a small, fully documented, state-legal collective garden.

FBI makes medical marijuana seizures in Lakeport
by Elizabeth Larson, Lake County News
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local authorities last week seized nearly 100 marijuana plants from a home whose owner said he was growing it for medicinal purposes.

FEDERAL: Locals Ask Court to Bar Feds From Interfering

The outrage over the 2002 DEA raid on a medical marijuana collective in Santa Cruz has not dimmed with passing years. City and county officials are joining again with the patients’ group to sue the federal government, seeking to prevent them from interfering in efforts to distribute medical marijuana.

Santa Cruz Leaders, Group, Sue Government Over Medical Marijuana
KSBW Monterey
The city and county of Santa Cruz, along with the Women's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, are suing the federal government over the use of pot to help ease chronic pain.

MONTANA: Employment Rights for Medical Marijuana Patients Tested

A court case in Montana may help decide the employment rights of medical marijuana patients there. Oregon has faced similar questions, and a landmark appellate case ASA is litigating in California, Ross v. Raging Wire, has had oral arguments scheduled for next month.

Testing Montana medical marijuana users and the law
by Paul Peters , Missoula News (MT)
A Kalispell man may be the first in the country to test an employer’s right to fire workers who use state-sanctioned medical marijuana.

ASA BLOG: Comments from ASA Staff and Guests

New blog entries from ASA staff and invited guests are helping keep activists informed on the issues and events affecting medical marijuana patients and providers.

No Pattern or Rules to DEA Attacks
by James Anthony
Patients and advocates often ask if there’s any pattern to DEA raids. This a common and understandable question–as human beings we want a predictable and sensible universe.

Nice Reponse to Daily Bulletin smear Op-Ed
By Noah Mamber
Drug Law Blog does a nice job of taking apart a misinformed Inland Empire Op-Ed railing against medical marijuana dispensaries.

MORE ABOUT AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS

Find out more about ASA at AmericansForSafeAccess.org. More medical marijuana news summaries can be seen at AmericansForSafeAccess.org/News.

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