Chronicle AM -- November 27, 2013

Denver wants to put the kibosh on outdoor pot-smoking, a California appeals court okays a local ban on medical marijuana grows, Costa Rica enacts a sentencing reform, and more. Let's get to it:

No medical marijuana grows for you in Live Oak, CA!

Denver City Council Takes First Vote Approving Ban on Front Porch Toking. Despite heated public opposition, the Denver city council Monday night voted 7-5 to approve an amendment to the city's marijuana ordinance that would ban smoking on one's front porch or balcony. A second and final vote is set for next week, but is considered a formality.

Faced With 2016 Initiative, Arizona Legislator Urges Colleagues to Take Up Legalization. Rep. Ruben Gallegos (D-Phoenix) is calling on his fellow legislators to take up marijuana legalization because if they don't, voters will likely legalize it themselves at the polls in 2016. But a key Republican legislator, Rep. Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert), head of the House Judiciary Committee, said he's opposed to the idea.

Medical Marijuana

Guam Public Hearing on Medical Marijuana Gets Emotional. Guamanian legislators heard heart-wrenching testimony Tuesday at the first of two public hearings for the Joaquin Concepcion Compassionate Cannabis Use Act of 2013 (Bill 215) as several patients and caregivers described how medical marijuana had (and could) alleviate suffering. The Guam Medical Association is opposed. A second hearing is set for December 12.

California Appeals Court Upholds City's Ban on Medical Marijuana Cultivation. California's 3^rd District Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the city of Live Oak can ban medical marijuana grows, even personal ones. The court relied on the state Supreme Court's ruling in the Riverside case, in which the high court held that localities can regulate and even ban dispensaries. "This decision makes it imperative that California adopt legislation specifically recognizing the right of all patients in need to access medical marijuana," said Dale Gieringer, head of California NORML.

International

Costa Rica Takes Softer Line on Women Caught Smuggling Drugs into Prisons. A bill signed into law earlier this year by President Laura Chinchilla reduces the possible sentences for women caught smuggling drugs into the country's prisons. The term has been reduced from between eight and 20 years to between three and eight years. The law also allows judges to consider alternative sentences, such as house arrest or confinement in a halfway house. The law is retroactive and will initially benefit about 100 women currently doing time for this offense.

Britain's New Drugs Minister Doesn't Rule Out Marijuana Legalization. Liberal Democrat Norman Baker, the new drugs minister in the coalition government dominated by the Conservatives, refused to rule out the possibility of marijuana legalization in his first appearance before parliament Tuesday. "I think it needs to be considered along with everything else. It is not my prime objective and I am not advocating it at the moment. We should be prepared to follow the evidence and see where it takes us," he said.