cannabisnews.com: Pot Law Takes a Hit

cannabisnews.com: Pot Law Takes a Hit
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Pot Law Takes a Hit
Posted by CN Staff on October 14, 2010 at 06:02:57 PT
Inquirer Editorial
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
New Jersey -- The Christie administration seems determined to sabotage New Jersey's new medical marijuana law by saddling it with even more restrictive rules. The law is known as the "Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act." But the proposed rules to implement it are anything but compassionate, and would make it very difficult for patients to obtain the drug legally.The long-awaited draft regulations released last week were a big disappointment to advocates and thousands of sick and dying patients who believe marijuana can help relieve their suffering.
If adopted, the regulations proposed by the state Department of Health and Senior Services would make only a weak strain of marijuana available to a select few patients lucky enough to qualify and who can afford the biannual $200 fee for a registry card.After watching other states that legalized medical marijuana make mistakes, New Jersey officials justifiably wanted to proceed cautiously. Christie was even given a three-month extension to draft the regulations.But the proposed rules his administration has come up with go far beyond the tough restrictions already in the law by putting up unnecessary roadblocks to how the drug is dispensed. As a former federal prosecutor, Christie should be upholding the law, not undermining it.For example, the new rules say a patient must have one of nine diseases or conditions, must have been treated by a doctor for at least a year, or, seen four times by a doctor. Then a patient must pass scrutiny by a state-appointed review panel.A year is a long time for chronically or terminally ill patients with "debilitating medical conditions," such as cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis.The law took effect Oct. 1, but it is unlikely that any medical marijuana will be available before summer. Patients have waited long enough for that treatment option.The rules limit the potency of THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, to 10 percent. Patients could receive up to 2 ounces of medical marijuana a month.Only two growers would be selected by the state to supply medical marijuana to four dispensaries, or alternative treatment centers. The law called for at least six centers that could grow and sell marijuana.The administration's changes were unnecessary. New Jersey lawmakers did a good job in writing a tough law that avoided the pitfalls made in states such as California, where the medical marijuana industry became a booming recreational pot business with rampant abuses.New Jersey has a chance to re-draft the regulations after a public hearing and make them more reasonable. The state must live up to the intent of the law to ease pain and suffering.Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)Published: October 14, 2010Copyright: 2010 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.URL: http://drugsense.org/url/PACxGbqNContact: Inquirer.Letters phillynews.comWebsite: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #33 posted by The GCW on October 15, 2010 at 11:56:34 PT
Hope,
Gotta love it.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #32 posted by Hope on October 15, 2010 at 11:38:53 PT
Just thinking about that this morning.
"Also give My Teacher, The Ecologician credit and thanks. GLORY. He has flooded My tongue and with out Him I would not have the tongue. -My Father has done well. -Your Father.I've asked the Christ Jesus to show Me the the truth as He wishes for Me to know it and show Me so clearly so that I can help other people know the truth clearly. He has, I have. He continues. I continue. The spirit of truth is alive and well."I did, and I do, and it is.
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Comment #31 posted by The GCW on October 15, 2010 at 11:20:06 PT
Hope,
Thank You.Also give My Teacher, The Ecologician credit and thanks. GLORY. He has flooded My tongue and with out Him I would not have the tongue. -My Father has done well. -Your Father.I've asked the Christ Jesus to show Me the the truth as He wishes for Me to know it and show Me so clearly so that I can help other people know the truth clearly. He has, I have. He continues. I continue. The spirit of truth is alive and well.That communication system, "the spirit of truth" is set up and available for everyone to use.Last night, He let Me know: Christ Jesus is not a Christian and neither AM I. As the Christ Jesus is not a Christian, I AM not a Christian.Biblically, cannabis prohibition and extermination is known as the "Sin of the Priests" Cannabis prohibition is a spiritual issue, with a spiritual war. Cannabis prohibition is a culmination of evil spirits. We must get rid of evil spirits if We are to end cannabis prohibition.That means We must expose evil.God lead Me. The Green Collar Worker-0-Cannabis prohibitionists are murderers. -From the beginning.-0-Millions of Americans are hoping and praying California voters do the right thing and end the immoral "devil law" known as cannabis prohibition. Ending cannabis prohibition and extermination is one of the most important issues of our time.Cannabis prohibition causes murder. There is blood on the hands of those who vote against Prop. 19 and continue the murder.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #30 posted by Hope on October 14, 2010 at 20:33:36 PT
People United for Medical Marijuana - Florida
Google Newshttp://tinyurl.com/32om2yj
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #29 posted by Hope on October 14, 2010 at 20:14:32 PT
Stan the Man
He's been a dynamo. He's been a dynamo, year in and year out. Faithfully. Never wavering.He's stood up to persecution and ridicule. He's scorched the self righteous with the truth, over and over again. He's been "sweeping" them with his righteous knowledge of the Holy Scripture they sometimes claim they believe in. He's done so much to fight for the end of injustice, persecution, maiming, murder, legalized thievery, government's invasion and raids of homes, individuals, and families in the United States, and against the child killing, loss of privacy and rights and life destroying prohibition for so long.I realized that a lot of prohibitionists claimed to be religious "believers and" highly "moral" and extraordinarily self righteous... many of them waving Bibles and accusing and judging people harshly and without mercy... or even good sense. I could wave a Bible pretty well myself if I had to, and I thought maybe I could speak up and "reason" with some of these people. Stan "The Man" White came in and TOLD them what the deal really is. And very well, indeed. He told them over and over again. Year after year. All over this country and all over the world. He made the jail cell synonymous with a "cage". He's made people think about that "Very first page of the Bible". Over and over again. He has made a huge impact in his fight against prohibition. A huge impact.Thank you, Stan.I love you and appreciate, so much, how diligent you've been in fighting cannabis prohibition.You never gave up. You never gave in. And you got so freaking much "Ink", Stan!Yay, Stan!:0)
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 18:06:31 PT
Had Enough
I have an opinion but I think I should keep it to myself about MPP.
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Comment #27 posted by Had Enough on October 14, 2010 at 17:39:08 PT
MPP
Here is a snail mail that was sent to them about 3 weeks ago. I’ve been told they were contacted many other times also. Still there is no update.I can understand that they are really occupied with Proposition 19 and other states that have legislation...But...I’d like to see the Florida page updated. The stuff that is on there is from 2008.************To whom this may concern,There is a political action committee in Florida called People United for Medical Marijuana (PUFMM).This organization is actively collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment to be placed on the 2012 ballot for the people to vote on.So far more than 70,000 signatures have been collected. Approximately 20,000 have been verified through the Supervisors of Elections Office of the different districts. This can be verified by using this website address:http://election.dos.state.fl.us/initiatives/initSignDetailCounty.asp?account=50438&seqnum=1&ctype=CSV&elecyear=2010It is easier to go to the PUFMM website (http://www.pufmm.org/) and go to the last line in the third paragraph and click on:“Click here to see the number of signatures per district”I notice on the Florida section of your website (http://www.mpp.org/states/florida/) there is no mention of this, and only outdated information.Something should be put on that page similar to, or like the following (Edit as needed):Important Update for 2010 & 2011..!!!Attention Florida Residents:There is a Political Action Committee known as People United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM) who is actively circulating petitions and collecting signatures to amend the Florida State Constitution by voter ballot process in November 2012.676,811 signatures are needed by 2/1/2012 for the initiative to be on the Nov. 2012 ballot.This is all-volunteer group that have regular meetings throughout the state and needs help gathering signed petitions along with other events and fundraising activities.Stand up and do your part, these signatures do not collect by themselves.For more information, or how you can help, go to the following website:http://www.pufmm.org/I was at a meeting and this was a topic of discussion, and thought I’d write to you to see if this information could be included on your Florida web page. Thank you for your attention regarding this matter, and I hope to see something on the web page.From your friends in Florida.***The outdated MPP Florida pagehttp://www.mpp.org/states/florida/
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 17:37:33 PT
U.S. War Veterans Gain Medical Marijuana
U.S. War Veterans Gain Medical Marijuana: Best News for Vets Since WWIIBy Dr. Phillip Leveque, Salem-News.comThe U.S. Veterans Affairs Department finally woke up to smell the coffee...October 14, 2010URL: http://salem-news.com/articles/october142010/vets-marijuana-pl.php
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 17:23:47 PT
Had Enough
I just did a search and I think it is great that he left MPP and now is with SSDP. That had to be very hard for him as it was for all the people that were hurt by that terrible scandal.
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 17:13:43 PT
Had Enough
I just watched the debate. I must say that Aaron Houston has turned into a fine spokesman for our cause. He didn't flinch and I won't even comment on what she said. That made my head spin.
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Comment #23 posted by Had Enough on October 14, 2010 at 16:59:53 PT
Me too FoM
I’m happy he is here too!!!I’d like to see Calvina Fay in a debate with him...Of course she would decline...The GCW would have her stuttering all over the place...And probably threatening to sue him over her lies...Check out Calvina at her finest.http://daregeneration.blogspot.com/2010/07/ill-sue-you-for-talking-about-my.htmlThat's basically how Calvina Fay threatened SSDP's Aaron Houston during a debate regarding D.C.'s recently approved medical marijuana legislation on Russia Today. Watch the whole debate above. For those of you unfamiliar with this drug warrior, Calvina Fay is the founder and executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation. Aaron really pushes Fay's buttons when he brings up Straight, Inc (incorrectly identified as "Scared Straight" during the debate), a non-profit drug rehab center that tortured children and teenagers for months and years at a time. Even former executive staff members have apologized for Straight's actions and admitted to many forms of abuse including brainwashing, sexual abuse, food and sleep deprivation, coerced confessions and denial of medical care.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 16:37:11 PT
Had Enough
The GCW is a dedicated and good activist. I am proud to have him a part of our web site.
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Comment #21 posted by Had Enough on October 14, 2010 at 16:32:09 PT
The GCW got published again...
US FL: PUB LTE: Marijuana Is A God-Given RightPubdate: Thu, 07 Oct 2010Source: Independent Florida Alligator, The (FL Edu)Sean Quinn is mistaken when suggesting that Florida should decriminalize marijuana. It's clearly time to completely re-legalize cannabis for responsible adults.The rest...http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n816/a05.html?1237***Thanks GCW...cool, really cool...************People United for Medical Marijuana – Florida (PUFMM)http://www.pufmm.org/
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Comment #20 posted by HempWorld on October 14, 2010 at 15:57:43 PT
OT I just wanted to share this very accurate
information:reply.Here are some facts concerning the situation in Holland.:
by malcolmkyle (not verified), October 09, 2010, 12:00pm
Please save a copy and use it as a reference when debating prohibitionists who claim the exact opposite concerning reality as presented here below:”Cannabis coffee shops" are not only restricted to the Capital of Holland, Amsterdam. They can be found in more than 50 cities and towns across the country. At present, only the retail sale of five grams is tolerated, so production remains criminalized. The mayors of a majority of the cities with coffeeshops have long urged the national government to also decriminalize the supply side.A poll taken earlier this year indicated that some 50% of the Dutch population thinks cannabis should be fully legalized while only 25% wanted a complete ban. Even though 62% of the voters said they had never taken cannabis. An earlier poll also indicated 80% opposing coffee shop closures.
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/02/public_split_on_cannabis_l...It is true that the number of coffee shops has fallen from its peak of around 2,500 throughout the country to around 700 now. The problems, if any, concern mostly “drug tourists” and are largely confined to cities and small towns near the borders with Germany and Belgium. These problems, mostly involve traffic jams, and are the result of cannabis prohibition in neighboring countries. “Public nuisance problems” with the coffee shops are minimal when compared with bars, as is demonstrated by the rarity of calls for the police for problems at coffee shops.While it is true that lifetime and “past-month” use rates did increase back in the seventies and eighties, the critics shamefully fail to report that there were comparable and larger increases in cannabis use in most, if not all, neighboring countries which continued complete prohibition.According to the World Health Organization only 19.8 percent of the Dutch have used marijuana, less than half the U.S. figure.
In Holland 9.7% of young adults (aged 15–24) consume soft drugs once a month, comparable to the level in Italy (10.9%) and Germany (9.9%) and less than in the UK (15.8%) and Spain (16.4%). Few transcend to becoming problem drug users (0.44%), well below the average (0.52%) of the compared countries.The WHO survey of 17 countries finds that the United States has the highest usage rates for nearly all illegal substances.In the U.S. 42.4 percent admitted having used marijuana. The only other nation that came close was New Zealand, another bastion of get-tough policies, at 41.9 percent. No one else was even close. The results for cocaine use were similar, with the U.S. again leading the world by a large margin.Even more striking is what the researchers found when they asked young adults when they had started using marijuana. Again, the U.S. led the world, with 20.2 percent trying marijuana by age 15. No other country was even close, and in Holland, just 7 percent used marijuana by 15 -- roughly one-third of the U.S. figure.
thttp://www.alternet.org/drugs/90295/In 1998, the US Drug Czar General Barry McCaffrey claimed that the U.S. had less than half the murder rate of the Netherlands. “That’s drugs,” he explained. The Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics immediately issued a special press release explaining that the actual Dutch murder rate is 1.8 per 100,000 people, or less than one-quarter the U.S. murder rate.Here’s a very recent article by a psychiatrist from Amsterdam, exposing "Drug Czar misinformation"
http://tinyurl.com/247a8mpNow let's look at a comparative analysis of the levels of cannabis use in two cities: Amsterdam and San Francisco, which was published in the American Journal of Public Health May 2004,The San Francisco prevalence survey showed that 39.2% of the population had used cannabis. This is 3 times the prevalence found in the Amsterdam sampleSource: Craig Reinarman, Peter D.A. Cohen and Hendrien L. Kaal, "The Limited Relevance of Drug Policy"
http://www.mapinc.org/lib/limited.pdf

Moreover, 51% of people who had smoked cannabis in San Francisco reported that they were offered heroin, cocaine or amphetamine the last time they purchased cannabis. In contrast, only 15% of Amsterdam residents who had ingested marijuana reported the same conditions. Prohibition is the ‘Gateway Policy’ that forces cannabis seekers to buy from criminals who gladly expose them to harder drugs.The indicators of death, disease and corruption are even much better in the Netherlands than in Sweden for instance, a country praised by UNODC for its “successful” drug policy."Here's Antonio Maria Costa doing his level best to avoid discussing the success of Dutch drug policy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExNjEhdSkY&feature=relatedThe Netherlands also provides heroin on prescription under tight regulation to about 1500 long-term heroin addicts for whom methadone maintenance treatment has failed.
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/free-heroin-brings-everyone-a-bit-peaceThe Dutch justice ministry announced, last year, the closure of eight prisons and cut 1,200 jobs in the prison system. A decline in crime has left many cells empty. There's simply not enough criminals
http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2246821.ece/Netherlands_to_close_...For further information, kindly check out this very informative FAQ provided by Radio Netherlands: http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/faq-soft-drugs-netherlands
or go to this page: http://www.rnw.nl/english/dossier/Soft-drugs
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 14:08:54 PT
Related Article From The Star-Ledger
N.J. Sen. Scutari Plans To Repeal Gov. Christie's Rules on Medical MarijuanaOctober 14, 2010Trenton -- The sponsor of the state's medical marijuana law said today he intends to repeal the rules Gov. Chris Christie's administration introduced last week because he says they would make it too difficult for people who need the drug to get it.Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) said the bill signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine in January called for six regional centers that would grow and sell medical pot to screened patients. Last week, state Health and Senior Services Commissioner Poonam Alaigh released a plan calling for two growing sites to serve just four dispensaries statewide. The dispensaries would have to provide delivery for patients who cannot obtain the drug on their own, according to the rules.Snipped:URL: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/nj_senator_plans_to_repeal_gov.html
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Comment #18 posted by Had Enough on October 14, 2010 at 10:43:08 PT
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN FORIDA
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN FORIDA The Sunshine State has the nation's stiffest pot penalties, but everyone seems to be lighting up.Francisco AlvaradoThursday, Oct 7 2010Florida and California have a lot in common. Both states have great weather, sunny beaches, and an abundance of marijuana. Except the Golden State is far more accepting of residents who spark up. California was the first state to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes in 1996. Thirteen states have followed Cali's lead. And this November, California voters will have the historic opportunity to legalize marijuana for recreational use in a move that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature hope will generate $1 billion in annual tax revenue.If the measure succeeds, Florida is in trouble. Despite being the number one producer of indoor-grown, highly potent ganja, the Sunshine State has the harshest criminal penalties for marijuana possession and trafficking in the nation. Just holding an ounce of weed is considered a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Two years ago, Gov. Charlie Crist signed the Florida Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act, which made it easier for law enforcement officials to charge marijuana growers, even those with just one plant, with drug trafficking. And during the recently completed legislative session, state senators and representatives unanimously voted to ban the sale of bongs at head shops across the state. Yet there is no evidence these tough laws have decreased marijuana use among Floridians.Click to see the rest...along with 92 comments...http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-10-07/news/legalize-marijuana-in-florida/************People United for Medical Marijuana - Floridahttp://www.pufmm.org/
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 10:35:39 PT
charmed quark
I understand for sure.
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Comment #16 posted by Sam Adams on October 14, 2010 at 10:00:15 PT
New Jersey
If you drive the highways of NJ you will see many gigantic HQ buildings of Big Pharma corporations. Christie is just a figurehead for them, a PR flackie just like O'Donnell in Delaware.It's basic economics what happens to Big Pharma when medical cannabis becomes available. Some % of their market disappears, especially as people become un-insured and/or have to pay big portions of their prescription drug bill. Many will be turning to cannabis.Once ALL risk is gone the cannabis price will plunge and that's when many Big Pharma products will face a big drop in sales volume, they want to stave off that day as long as possible
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Comment #15 posted by charmed quark on October 14, 2010 at 09:53:53 PT
FoM
I'm glad I couldn't make the town hall meeting as I would probably have been led away in handcuffs.
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Comment #14 posted by runruff on October 14, 2010 at 09:11:47 PT
Prohibition, goin' down....
...in a blaze of gory!
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 08:55:40 PT
charmed quark
I better not say what I think about that or I might have to delete my own comment.
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Comment #12 posted by charmed quark on October 14, 2010 at 08:54:25 PT
Prop 19
Most politically savvy people thinks the federal government will file a suit to stop the law when prop 19 passes:"I have no doubt that the feds will file suit if Proposition 19 passes," said Dale Gieringer, California director for the pro-legalization National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws.
In an Aug. 24 letter, nine former administrators for the Drug Enforcement Administration urged Attorney General Eric Holder to bring suit against California – just as the Obama administration sued Arizona when that state passed a controversial law aimed at illegal immigrants."The California proposition is not a close call," wrote the ex-DEA administrators, including Robert Bonner, the former supervising U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. "It will be a clear conflict with established federal lawRead more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/08/3088861/prop-19-passage-could-spark-us.html#ixzz12LhRwTJF
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Comment #11 posted by charmed quark on October 14, 2010 at 08:49:08 PT
take one for the team
In a town hall meeting this week a dying woman asked Christie why medical marijuana won't be made available before she dies, given that she had waited so long. He told her, in essence, that she would simply have to take one for the team and die, because the was the price of ensuring no recreational users would get access to medical marijuana.
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Comment #10 posted by dongenero on October 14, 2010 at 08:29:42 PT
Good plan for promoting the black market
Apparently Christie has a vested interest in the black market/organized crime status quo.Makes one wonder what exactly the angle is for Christie. Is he getting kickbacks from the organized crime entities directly or is it from those who make their living by playing the game of chasing the tail of organized crime, police or prison officials?
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 08:23:35 PT
Vincent
I watch the news and see them yelling about taking our country back and I think what country do you want back and why do people forget over half of the voting population wants things to keep going in the direction it is trying to go now? I don't want them back in power to mess our economy up worse then they did before.
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Comment #8 posted by vincent on October 14, 2010 at 07:48:57 PT:
Republicans
As a Socialist, and as a true Cannabis advocate, I find most Republicans to be lowlifes. Do you REALLY think that I am surprised by Christir's actions?
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Comment #7 posted by runruff on October 14, 2010 at 07:29:41 PT
...former prosecutor, eh?
Another despicable piece of toxic waste!
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 07:01:59 PT
Excerpt From Arizona Poll
Similarly, the proposal is backed by 66 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents, versus just 40 percent of Republicans.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 07:00:12 PT
Arizona News
Poll: 52% of Likely Voters Support Medical MarijuanaOctober 14, 2010URL: http://www.azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/article_561165af-afbf-536b-ae48-4bea0c1215b2.html
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 06:56:57 PT
Video: Democracy Now
Backing Prop 19, California NAACP Calls Marijuana Legalization a Civil Rights IssueOctober 14, 2010URL: http://www.democracynow.org/seo/2010/10/14/backing_prop_19_california_naacp_calls
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 14, 2010 at 06:54:33 PT
Republican
I get very annoyed when the Party isn't mentioned too. I feel the same way about political ads on TV. If they mentioned the Party I would know if I should take it one way or the other.
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on October 14, 2010 at 06:34:21 PT
Republican
Christie seems unreasonable. The article doesn't include the info that He's a Republican.I'd like the label: REPUBLICAN to be included everywhere He's mentioned.Also: the Philadelphia Inquirer's article seems to favor sick citizens getting cannabis, yet they refer to the PLANT as "drug." I think that hurts.
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on October 14, 2010 at 06:22:33 PT
Christie
The embodyment of Republican compassion!
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