Cannabis News

"Now that it's been legalized, I want to pursue it," said Doak, who was among the roughly dozen people who attended a town hall meeting at the Collingswood Library sponsored by the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey. "I just think it's going to really enable me to have a better quality of life." Read More... Kerlikowske Speaks on His Job as Nations Drug Czar Posted by on March 19, 2010 at 05:34:06 PT By Amy Goldstein, Washington Post Staff Writer Source: Washington Post Washington, D.C. -- R. Gil Kerlikowske became director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy in May. Kerlikowske, 60, has worked in law enforcement for nearly four decades. Most recently, he was police chief for nine years in Seattle, where prevailing attitudes towards drugs are relatively liberal. Before that, he ran police departments in upstate New York and his native Florida.

During the Clinton administration, he was deputy director of the Justice Department's community-policing office. In his second stint in Washington -- as "drug czar," a term he dislikes -- he oversees a $428 million budget and a staff of about 100, working out of an eighth floor office across the street from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. His desk is flanked by two large flags. Read More... Backers of Medical Pot Want Workers Shielded Posted by on March 19, 2010 at 05:30:22 PT By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services Source: Arizona Daily Star Phoenix -- Arizona workers who use medical marijuana - should voters approve use of the drug in November - won't have to worry about being fired for testing positive at work.

A proposed initiative would allow doctor-authorized use of marijuana to relieve suffering from several specific conditions, and would allow creation of a network of nonprofit shops that could sell the drug. Read More... Medical Pot Deal Reached Posted by on March 19, 2010 at 05:26:46 PT By Ethan Wilensky-Lanford, Staff Writer Source: Kennebec Journal Augusta, Maine -- A legislative committee on Thursday reached unanimous, bipartisan accord on implementing Maine's citizen initiative that expanded the rights of medical marijuana users. Marijuana advocates who brought the initiative before voters last November were satisfied, but unenthusiastic, about the final product.

"It's livable," said Jonathan Leavitt, executive director of the Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative, about the legislation, L.D. 1811, which received the support of the nine present members of the Health and Human Services committee. Read More... Mile High City, Sparks Up a Counterculture Clash Posted by on March 18, 2010 at 19:36:25 PT By Stephanie Simon Source: Wall Street Journal Denver, CO -- Attorney Warren Edson would like to throttle the anonymous marijuana breeder who named a potent strain of weed "Green Crack." He's not too fond, either, of those breeders who have given strains names like "Jack the Ripper," "White Widow," "AK-47" and "Trainwreck."

"How can I find them and strangle them?" Mr. Edson asks. His beef: Mr. Edson is in the vanguard of an aggressive movement to make pot respectable —but decades of stoner culture keep dragging him down. Read More... Medical Marijuana a Frequent Target for Criminals Posted by CN Staff on March 18, 2010 at 16:51:55 PT By Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press San Francisco, CA -- Patients, growers and clinics in some of the 14 states that allow medical marijuana are increasingly falling victim to robberies, home invasions, shootings and even murders at the hands of pot thieves.

There have been dozens of cases in recent months alone. The issue received more attention this week after a prominent medical marijuana activist in Seattle nearly killed a robber in a shootout - the eighth time thieves had targeted his pot-growing operation. Read More... Isles Warned Over Medical Marijuana Posted by on March 18, 2010 at 11:25:43 PT By Melissa Tanji, Staff Writer Source: Maui News Wailuku -- Hawaii could see an increase in crime and other economic fallout if it legalizes medical marijuana dispensaries and softens medical marijuana laws, two Los Angeles police officers warned Wednesday.

"It's so bad in L.A.," said Sgt. Eric Bixler of the Narcotics Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. He said law enforcement officials there deal daily with the effects of California's Proposition 215, which allows patient caregivers to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal medical use. People driving while smoking, and teens buying marijuana at dispensaries to resell on the street are just some of the problems caused by the law, the officers said. Read More... Pot or Not? Posted by CN Staff on March 18, 2010 at 08:45:49 PT By Jenna Browning Source: Brown and White Pennsylvania -- Some students at Lehigh have recreationally used marijuana, but they have not realized the reality of its legalization, especially for those with severe illnesses. Pennsylvania may become one more state to legalize the use of medical marijuana.

In April 2009, State Representative Mark Cohen, along with six other co-sponsors, presented the House Bill 1393, or the "Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act," to the general assembly of Pennsylvania. Read More... Medical Pot Lights Up D.C. Debate Posted by on March 17, 2010 at 18:03:16 PT By Shaun Waterman, The Washington Times Source: Washington Times Washington, D.C. -- Medical marijuana is coming to the District of Columbia - but still with too many restrictions for some pot advocates.

Now that Congress has lifted its decade-old hold on the measure, legislation to implement a 1998 voter-passed referendum is backed by 10 of the citys 13 D.C. Council members and seems sure to pass. Read More... Violence Prompts Marijuana Debate Posted by on March 16, 2010 at 19:03:12 PT By William Yardley Source: New York Times Seattle, WA -- A shooting and a beating death linked to medical marijuana have prompted new calls by law enforcement officials and marijuana advocates for Washington State to change how it regulates the drug and protects those who grow and use it.

In the past week, a man in Orting, Wash., near Tacoma, died after he reportedly was beaten while confronting people trying to steal marijuana plants from his property. On Monday, a prominent medical-marijuana activist shot an armed man who is accused of breaking into his home in a suburban area near Seattle where he grows and distributes marijuana plants. Read More... Time To Put a Cap on Dispensaries Posted by on March 16, 2010 at 09:08:13 PT Sacramento Bee Editorial Source: Sacramento Bee Sacramento, CA -- California's cities can't afford to wait for the state to fix the medical marijuana mess. The plan in the works in Sacramento is a reasonable local solution to a no-win situation.

The proposal outlined last week at a City Hall hearing would cap the number of marijuana dispensaries at 12; keep them away from schools, parks and neighborhoods; and charge fees to cover the cost of regulation. Read More... House Votes Against Legalizing Medical Marijuana Posted by on March 16, 2010 at 05:51:24 PT By Marty Swant Source: Columbia Missourian Jefferson City, MO -- The House shot down efforts to legalize medical marijuana during debate on a bill that would ban the fake stuff.

The amendment, which popped up in the middle of a House debate to criminalize the synthetic marijuana known as K2, was voted down. But, the bill itself received first-round approval. Read More... Veteran Hopes for Legalization of Med Marijuana Posted by on March 15, 2010 at 07:08:01 PT By Michael Barrett Source: Gaston Gazette North Carolina -- When a seizure strikes, Joshua Cook typically hits the ground. His hands clench spastically into fists. His torso contorts. His body shakes uncontrollably for several minutes.

The condition first struck the 25-year-old National Guard veteran while he was serving in Iraq three years ago. After receiving a medical discharge, he was prescribed a slew of drugs that either made him sick, caused headaches or simply didn’t prevent his convulsions. Read More... Weed Legalized in Breckenridge Posted by on March 14, 2010 at 19:37:28 PT By Jay Hamburger, Park Record Source: Salt Lake Tribune Breckenridge, CO -- When Park City's tourism boosters boast why skiers and snowboarders should choose the city, they talk about Utah's fluffy powder, the easy access from Salt Lake City's airport and the three local ski resorts being so close to each other.

It's a sales pitch that really cannot be replicated elsewhere in North America. Another mountain resort, though, a formative competitor one state to the east, offers something else that some would consider an enticement to visit: the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana -- a sales pitch that Park City certainly cannot emulate. Read More... Gregoire Expected To Sign Bill Posted by CN Staff on March 13, 2010 at 20:42:43 PT By Josh Farley Source: Kitsap Sun Olympia -- Gov. Christine Gregoire is expected to sign a bill that will give more health care professionals the authority to recommend medical marijuana to qualified users in the state.

Senate Bill 5798 allows naturopathic doctors, advanced physician assistants and nurse practitioners the power to OK a course of cannabis. It was driven by the idea that patients in rural areas — mainly those who live outside Seattle — don’t have access to clinics where doctors can give the OK to get cannabis, its proponents say. Read More... R.I. Doctors Tell Why They OK MMJ Requests Posted by on March 13, 2010 at 04:58:45 PT By Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau Source: Providence Journal Providence, R.I. -- They are on the front lines of the marijuana debate, the ones who decide who should be allowed to smoke, ingest or inhale what is still an illegal drug in Rhode Island without fear of arrest.

They include neurologists, oncologists, infectious disease specialists, more than one family clinic doctor, the medical director of a drug-abuse addiction center and a psychiatrist running for mayor of Providence who is a conservative on most other issues, but not the politics of marijuana for a patient prone to nausea, anxiety and panic attacks. Read More... MJ Legalization? A White House Rebuttal, Finally Posted by on March 12, 2010 at 18:34:24 PT By The Monitor's Editorial Board Source: Christian Science Monitor Washington, D.C. -- The Obama White House has finally laid out its most thorough, reasoned rebuttal to arguments for marijuana legalization – countering a campaign that is gaining alarming momentum at the state level.

The president’s tough position was delivered in early March by his “drug czar,” Gil Kerlikowske, in a private talk before police chiefs in California – which is ground zero for this debate. Read More... Patients vs. Prosecutors at Marijuana Hearing Posted by on March 12, 2010 at 04:58:34 PT By Ernest Luning, The Colorado Statesman Source: Colorado Statesman Colorado -- State lawmakers could be within shouting distance of a plan to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries with pending legislation that leaves hardly anyone happy. After hearing testimony late into the night on March 4, the House Judiciary Committee put off making any decisions about House Bill 1284, sponsored by Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, moving consideration of amendments and a committee vote to March 15.

Noting the bill has been redrafted several times since he first unveiled it a month ago, Massey called his legislation a “significant compromise” and acknowledged few would find it entirely to their liking. Read More... Bill Would Let More Professionals OK Use of Pot Posted by on March 12, 2010 at 03:40:43 PT By Mark Rahner, Seattle Times Staff Reporter Source: Seattle Times Seattle, WA -- The bill allowing patients to get medical-marijuana authorizations from a wider range of health-care professionals came a step closer to becoming law as it passed in the Legislature Thursday.

Senate Bill 5798 extends the ability to authorize medical pot to a variety of other licensed health professionals in addition to MDs and osteopaths — including naturopaths, advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Read More... Panel Seeking Ways To Clarify Pot Proposal Posted by on March 11, 2010 at 19:27:01 PT By Mal Leary, Capitol News Service Source: Bangor Daily News Augusta, Maine -- Nearly everyone who testified Thursday on legislation designed to fine-tune a voter-approved expansion of the state’s 10-year-old medical marijuana law wanted to see changes in the bill.

“We simply ask that you respect the work that came before you and the will of the voters that was passed in both 1999 and last November,” said Jonathan Leavitt, executive director of the Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative, the group that put the expansion to the voters last year. “Make this happen and make it happen soon.” Read More... Marijuana, a Valid Medical Option Posted by on March 11, 2010 at 12:01:10 PT By Patricia Harris Source: BC Heights USA -- For years, American culture has linked the use of marijuana with images of blazed-out stoners who seemingly spend their time either high or longing to be high. Though it would be comfortable and all-too-easy to continue to associate the drug with that sole image and other negative connotations, to do so would be doing not only the drug a disservice, but our society as well.

The medical benefits of marijuana are undeniable, and when a patient’s health is concerned, decisions based on which drug should be used should be made between the patient and the doctor, without Washington politicians in mind. Read More... MMJ Dispensaries Bill Set for Public Hearing Posted by on March 11, 2010 at 05:54:49 PT By Rebekah Metzler, Staff Writer Source: Lewiston Sun Journal Augusta, Maine -- A public hearing will be held Thursday on a citizen initiative, passed last fall, that authorizes the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Members of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee will be presented with a modified version of the legislation developed for implementation by a task force. Read More... Marijuana Bill Clears House Posted by on March 11, 2010 at 04:20:02 PT By The Associated Press Source: Nashua Telegraph Concord, NH -- New Hampshire's House voted Wednesday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults, but the victory was followed immediately by the governor's pledge to veto the bill.

The House voted 214-137 to send a bill to the Senate to allow adults to possess one-quarter ounce or less of the substance. It also would decriminalize transporting less than one-quarter ounce of the drug. Read More... Iditarod Launches Drug Testing of Mushers Posted by CN Staff on March 09, 2010 at 17:34:08 PT By The Associated Press Source: Associated Press Anchorage, Alaska -- Every competitor now running the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be tested for alcohol and illegal drugs on the trail for the first time in the history of the 1,100-mile race -- a change defending champion Lance Mackey believes is directed at him. "I know for a fact," said the three-time winner.

Mackey, who has been open about using medical marijuana on the trail, on Tuesday was among the early front-runners in the race, which began with 71 teams Sunday in Willow. Read More... State Laws Gradually Going To Pot Posted by on March 09, 2010 at 07:51:48 PT By UPI Source: United Press International Washington, D.C. -- From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, state laws restricting marijuana use are slowly going up in smoke, a newspaper review indicates.

Advocates of legalizing marijuana say shifts propelled by culture, politics and generational attitudes have moved the United States to the point that could see the relaxation of 40 years of tough restrictions on medicinal and recreational marijuana use, USA Today reported Tuesday. Read More... Nation's Sole MJ Farm Focuses on Limiting Abuse Posted by on March 09, 2010 at 05:42:30 PT By Chris Joyner, USA Today Source: USA Today Oxford, Mississippi -- It is the smell — pungent and slightly citrusy — that first greets visitors to Mahmoud ElSohly's office on the University of Mississippi campus.

Next are pictures lining the hallways of the bright green plants ElSohly has spent the past 35 years researching as chief cultivator of the nation's only federally sanctioned marijuana farm. Read More... Pot Dispensary Bill Faces Action Posted by on March 09, 2010 at 04:58:18 PT By Peter Hirschfeld, Vermont Press Bureau Source: Times Argus Montpelier, VT -- A legislative effort to provide eligible patients with safe and legal access to medical marijuana could inch forward this week when a Senate committee decides whether to create state-sanctioned dispensaries for the drug.

The Senate Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill that would establish up to five so-called "compassion centers" at which patients could obtain medical marijuana. Read More... Slowly, States are Lessening Limits on Marijuana Posted by on March 09, 2010 at 04:11:44 PT By William M. Welchand and Donna Leinwand Source: USA Today Los Angeles -- James Gray once saw himself as a drug warrior, a former federal prosecutor and county judge who sent people to prison for dealing pot and other drug offenses. Gradually, though, he became convinced that the ban on marijuana was making it more accessible to young people, not less.

"I ask kids all the time, and they'll tell you it is easier to get marijuana than a six-pack of beer because that is controlled by the government," he said, noting that drug dealers don't ask for IDs or honor minimum age requirements. Read More... Listen To Voters on Medical Marijuana Posted by on March 08, 2010 at 04:45:43 PT Editorial Source: Denver Post Denver -- Medical marijuana legislation pending in the state legislature could legitimize hundreds of dispensaries, and we don't think that honors the intent of voters who approved narrowly drawn access for sick people.

While state lawmakers may believe they have the authority to create a dispensary system for medical marijuana — that is, we think, a debatable legal question — we don't think they should. That is an issue voters ought to decide. Read More... Youth Factor Heats Up Medical Marijuana Debate Posted by on March 08, 2010 at 04:09:56 PT By John Ingold, The Denver Post Source: Denver Post Denver -- The divisions between the pro - and anti-marijuana crowds at the state House Judiciary Committee meeting were already clear last week when the young man who described himself as a recovering heroin addict approached the microphone.

As the man spoke about marijuana use leading kids to harder drugs and fears that medical marijuana from dispensaries would make it into teenage hands, the lines became even clearer. Read More...

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Highlights
MMJ News & More MMM News CommonSense for Drug Policy Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin WarOnSomeDrugs Drug Policy Alliance Drug Reform Coordination Network Maximizing Harm Cures Not Wars Marijuana The Forbidden Medicine Patients Out of Time

Older News
Marijuana: A Prescription for Trouble CA MMJ Battles are a Lesson for Michigan Green Hawaii Weighing Marijuana Dispensaries RI Senate Panel Studying Marijuana Laws at Impasse WA MMJ Pot Measure Would Widen List of Prescribers Medical Pot Bill Debated Few on Either Side Happy with Proposed MMJ Rules Dispensary Debate Opens at Capitol Existing Laws on Pot Must Be Enforced Medical Marijuana Bill Changes During Negotiations Cities Swap Notes on Pot City Council Hashed Out MMJ Regulations House Considers Easing Up on Pot Medical Marijuana Advocates Sue Los Angeles L.A. Sued Over New Medical Marijuana Law L.A. Pot Law Challenged Medical Pot Rules Leave Patients with Questions Denver's Initiative Does Little To Curb Citations Legislature Considers Medical Marijuana Montpelier To Vote on Marijuana Tweaking Pot Laws Postcard from Denver Applications for Dispensary Licenses Trickle In Marijuana Petitioners Clash with ACLU Why Growing Numbers of Baby Boomers Smoke Pot In Drug War, Failed Old Ideas Never Die Colorado Senator Wants Tax on Medical Marijuana Polis Wants Feds To Pull Back on Med Pot Raids Legislators Right To Just Say No To Pot Backers Want Fewer Restriction on DC Med Marijuana MMJ Advocates Ask L.A. Prosecutor To Drop Lawsuits Panel Will Study Medical Marijuana Medical Marijuana Effort Sprouts Again Marijuana Could Be Farmers' New Crop Position on Pot is a Bit Hazy Marijuana Use By Seniors Goes Up as Boomers Age Medical Marijuana in DC: The Council Gets It Right A Place for Pot Growers Montana Doctor Launches Med Marijuana-Use Survey Proven Medical Remedy Must Be More Accessible Iowa Should Legalize and Lead with Med Marijuana Don't Rush Into Legalizing MMJ in Iowa Effort To Make Pot Legal in WA State Begins Wait-and-See Attitude on Marijuana Medical Pot: Law Still Says One Patient Per Grower Pharmacy Board Supports Medical Marijuana UC Studies Find Promise in Medical Marijuana Clinical Trials Show Medical Benefits of Pot New Study: Marijuana Useful for Treating Pain Calif. Research Shows Pot Can Ease Muscle Spasms California Pot Research Center May Be Winding Down Iowa Pharmacy Board Opens Door for Med Marijuana ACLU To City: Return Medical Marijuana Iowans Give Thumbs Up To Medicinal Marijuana Mississippi's Marijuana Legal Pot Farm At Ole Miss MMJ Discussion Leads To Talk of Legalization Lawmakers Say Raid Shows Need for Marijuana Rules L.A. Tries To Rein in Wild Market for Marijuana Vermont Mulls Ways To Dispense Pot DEA Raid a Step in The Wrong Direction MMJ Bill Doesn't Give Employees Free Rein Increased Demand for MMJ Strains Regulators Ruling Strikes Fear in Tacoma Marijuana Patients DEA: Colorado Marijuana Dispensaries are Illegal Panel OK's Idea To Ease Pot Penalty Boulder May Require $5,000 MMJ Licenses A Debate Half Baked State Needs Stricter Regulations on Marijuana Pot Returned ~ All 4 Pounds Of It Taking Issue With Medical Marijuana Medical Pot Exceeds Law, But No Charges Decriminalize Pot Assembly Considers Decriminalizing Pot MMJ Ordinance Gets Favorable City Council Response Denver Medical Pot Dispensaries Apply for Licenses 'Father of Medical Marijuana' Speaks Drug Czar Should Go Pot Committee Seeks Lowest Police Priority Medical Marijuana Bill Now in Kansas House Lawmakers: Dispensaries Stay, But As Non-Profits Lawmaker Wants Pot Growers, Sellers To Get License Medical Marijuana Bill, Ballot Initiative Unveiled Hearing Addresses Changes To R.I. MMJ Law New Jersey Legalizes Prescriptions for Marijuana Legislation Proposed To Legalize Medical Marijuana Duo Pushes Rhode Island To Decriminalize Pot Senate Should Back Off Medical Marijuana Missouri Lawmakers Introduce Med Marijuana Bill Scientific Proof for Medical Pot L.A. Can't Go It Alone on Pot

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America Clinton DARE DEA FBI McCaffrey MAP News NIDA NORML arrests cannabis cannabisnews.com drug_testing hemp justice medical narcotics paraphernalia police science surveillance violence

Resources
NIDA - Common Drugs of Abuse lists commonly abused psychotropics. U.S. National Library of Medicine is an execellent resource for medical information. For recreational use of psychotropics one will find Hyperreal informative. Drug Sense, Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Reform Coordination Network, and NORML are among the many organizations seeking to reform cannabis laws.

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