cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - March 26, 2009 NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - March 26, 2009 Posted by CN Staff on March 26, 2009 at 15:04:43 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML New Hampshire: House Votes To Authorize Physician-Supervised Use Of Marijuana March 26, 2009 - Manchester, NH, USAManchester, NH: Members of the House of Representatives voted Wednesday 234 to 138 in favor of House Bill 648, which seeks to authorize the physician supervised use of marijuana. The vote marked the first time that either chamber of the New Hampshire legislature had voted in favor of the medicinal use of cannabis. In 2007, House members narrowly defeated a similar bill by a vote of 186 to 177. Under the measure, qualified patients would "not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty, or denied any right or privilege ... for the medical use of marijuana."The bill now goes before the state Senate. If enacted, New Hampshire would become the fourteenth state to allow for the state-authorized use of medical marijuana.According to a Mason-Dixon research poll, 71 percent of New Hampshire voters support "changing the law in New Hampshire to allow seriously and terminally ill patients to use and grow medical marijuana for personal use if their doctors recommend it."For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.org or Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. Additional information about this bill is available from http://www.NHCompassion.org or by visiting NORML's Take Action Center.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7833Massachusetts: Lawmakers To Consider Measures To "Tax And Regulate The Cannabis Industry" March 26, 2009 - Boston, MA, USABoston, MA: House and Senate bills seeking to "tax and regulate the cannabis industry" have been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.House Bill 2929 and Senate companion bill S 1801 propose to legally regulate the commercial production and distribution of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. The bills would impose licensing requirements and excise taxes on the retail sale of cannabis. Adults who possess or grow marijuana for personal use, or who engage in the nonprofit transfer of cannabis, would not be subject to taxation under the law."Decades of whispered grumblings about the wisdom and efficacy of prohibition is rapidly giving way to a serious — really serious public discussion about how to replace it," said former NORML Board Member Richard Evans, who assisted in drafting the legislation. "Those who consider themselves leaders in government and the media have the obligation to either show how prohibition can be made to work, or join in the exploration of alternatives."Massachusetts is the second state to consider marijuana regulation legislation this year. In February, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 390: The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act. That bill is currently before the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.Additional information and summaries of H 2929 and S 1801 are available online at: http://www.cantaxreg.comFor more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.masscann.orgDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7832 US Government: Nearly Four In Ten Admitted To "Treatment" For Marijuana Haven't Used PotMarch 26, 2009 - Rockville, MD, USARockville, MD: Nearly four in ten individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment programs for cannabis have not used the drug in the month prior to their admission, according to data provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services.According to federal figures, over 37 percent of the estimated 288,000 thousand people who entered drug treatment for pot in 2007 had not reported using it in the 30 days previous to their admission. Another 16 percent of those admitted said that they'd used marijuana three times or fewer in the month prior to their admission.Commenting on the statistics, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "These statistics make it clear that it is not marijuana use per se that is driving these treatment admission rates; it is marijuana prohibition that is primarily responsible. These people for the most part are not 'addicts' in any true sense of the word. Rather, they are ordinary Americans who have experienced the misfortune of being busted for marijuana who are forced to choose between rehab or jail."According to state and national statistics, between 60 percent and 70 percent of individuals enrolled in substance abuse 'treatment' for cannabis are referred there by the criminal justice system.By contrast, fewer than 15 percent of marijuana treatment admissions are voluntary.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.org Full text of the report, "Highlights of the 2007 Treatment Episode Data Sets," is available online at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/TEDS2k7highlights/TOC.cfmDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7831Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: March 26, 2009Copyright: 2009 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by cliff on March 28, 2009 at 10:21:02 PT oops looks like there is a big section there .. My bad.http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002 Recent Research on Medical Marijuana [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by cliff on March 28, 2009 at 10:13:45 PT Granny Storm Crow's list why isn't Granny Storm Crow's list-http://forum.grasscity.com/medical-marijuana/314173-granny-storm-crows-list-2009-a.htmlon NORMALs website? Why not submit it into the record at these hearings??? for a national debate, I'd expect to see it printed out - each link to a study and the abstract of the study. It would fill boxes! the 'no medical use' people would have to sit down and shut up in the face of a ton of paper. Granny Storm Crow's list [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 27, 2009 at 06:31:36 PT News Article From AlterNet.org http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/133667 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by itsonlyaplant on March 26, 2009 at 20:54:42 PT RE: Mass. legalization bill Does anyone remember H.R. 5843 from Mass. Rep. Barney Frank? I do and wish it had gone somewhere. I fear that Rep. Tom Ammiano's bill in CA and the one in Mass. will unfortunately follow suite. It really is sad that the few progressive governmental representatives that actually listen to their constituency have bills that would save soooo much treasure and lives have their initiatives buried.The link below takes you to view the progress of H.R. 5843, and it's likely ultimate fate. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-5843 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on March 26, 2009 at 15:11:52 PT "show how prohibition can be made to work" I guess the short answer is: NEVER! On a mission from God! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment