cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Bill Changes During Negotiations
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Medical Marijuana Bill Changes During Negotiations
Posted by CN Staff on March 04, 2010 at 06:56:33 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Summit Daily News
Denver -- Lawmakers who want to regulate the state's growing medical marijuana industry are now willing to let dispensaries advertise and operate for profit, but they want to make sure the state can keep tabs on the source of their products.The overhauled regulations, up for their first vote at the Capitol on Thursday, were worked out in negotiations with dispensaries and patient advocates after the bill was introduced a month ago by Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, and Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver.
The latest compromise, however, hasn't satisfied everyone.Patient groups believe the bill goes too far in limiting the rights of patients. Patients would give up their right to grow their own marijuana if they purchase pot at a dispensary, and no one could possess medical marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school or a daycare center.Brian Vicente, the executive director of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana patients' group, said that could stop people from using medical marijuana in their own homes.“We're pretty upset that after months of negotiations, we've reached a point where this bill wholesale sells patients out for the interests of dispensaries and law enforcement,” he said.His group is preparing to ask voters to pass an alternative plan this fall if they think lawmakers go too far.Dispensaries fought back an attempt to require that they operate as non-profits. But they're still concerned about a rule that would only allow them to buy 25 percent of their medical marijuana from another shop because not every dispensary owner wants to grow their own pot.Nevertheless, dispensaries welcome a chance to be regulated and prevent large household grows like the one busted by federal drug agents in Highlands Ranch recently, said Matt Brown, a medical marijuana patient and leader of a coalition of about 150 dispensaries and over 1,000 patients.The legitimacy that comes from regulation is exactly why the bill is strongly opposed by those in law enforcement, including Attorney General John Suthers.Ted Tow, executive director of the Colorado District Attorneys Council, said voters only intended for there to be small scale grows of marijuana by individuals or their care givers, not businesses, when they passed the medical marijuana law in 2000.“It's a significant step toward decriminalization,” Tow said.Massey initially sided with law enforcement and intended to limit people to growing marijuana for just a handful of people, a move that would have shut down dispensaries. But he said he changed his mind because he didn't think that would pass and because he didn't think it's feasible for the growing number of medical marijuana patients to grow their own.He said that number could hit 100,000 by the time lawmakers adjourn in May.“It didn't make sense to have 100,000 people growing in their own basement,” he said.The latest version of the bill will likely be changed during its hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.If regulations are passed, the bill currently calls for a yearlong moratorium on new dispensaries to give time for state officials to implement the new regulatory system. All dispensaries, old and new, would then have to get state and local licenses.Voters could also vote to ban them in their municipality, but such bans could only be proposed once every four years.Source: Summit Daily News (CO)Published: March 3, 2010Copyright: 2010 Summit Daily NewsURL: http://drugsense.org/url/HST323EyContact: http://drugsense.org/url/yBSkElsLWebsite: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.phpCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on March 04, 2010 at 11:37:13 PT
Daily Camera Guest Commentary
Don`t Kill The Green Goose***By Adam OdoskiMarch 4, 2010The Boulder City Council is currently embarking on an endeavor to create rules for medical marijuana dispensaries. In creating these regulations, let us not kill the green goose that is laying the golden egg of good jobs and increased revenue for the city. As the owner of the Village Green Society, and a member of a larger coalition of dispensaries, we support sensible regulations that will provide a foundation for the industry and the city. URL: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_14506976
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Comment #5 posted by ripit on March 04, 2010 at 11:17:35 PT
#4 
i wondehow and why they got a warrant for his home other than they prob were targeting him and lookin for any exquse they could !
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 04, 2010 at 08:58:12 PT
Off Topic: Kopbuster Busted
URL: http://www.oaoa.com/news/series-43893-busted-marijuana.html
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on March 04, 2010 at 08:45:45 PT
some info 
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2010/03/5505/#commentsHere’s an outstanding news piece covering the situation with Constable David Bratzer reported here yesterdayhttp://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/16955Don't kill the plant at harvest!!
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on March 04, 2010 at 08:42:26 PT
figures
the govt. is a pure whore, they'll do anything for a buck.Now that the dispensaries represent a new source of bribery they'll gladly do their bidding at the expense of patientsthat 1,000 foot thing is ridiculous, are they allowed to change the referendum or can this be challenged in court??
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Comment #1 posted by dongenero on March 04, 2010 at 08:07:06 PT
dumb regulations
So, if you buy at a dispensary, you can no longer grow?
How do they come up with this stuff??What if you wish to try various strains for a given illness? You could buy a gram each of several varieties from a dispensary, find what works best, then start your own grow from seeds or clones supplied by the dispensary. But no, there is some undefined, remote, prohibitionist, reefer madness risk at issue.The certainly do not come up with such goofy concepts by thinking about how all of this actually works for a patient.
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