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Thursday, December 30, 2010
Activist Who Smoked Marijuana In Parliament Smokes Again on CBC!
This guy has an awesome medical marijuana company. I believe that the National did a story about his place. He has a large, very well secured location with lots of plants and lots of patients. He is very angry because his wife can now be arrested for making cookies or food with butter. Anything considered making hash or having hash in your possession has high penalties now. He is stepping up to the plate and he has a tonne of money to back him up. Good luck sir.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
New Mexico Expands Medical Marijuana Program to 25 Growers
New Mexico Expands Medical Marijuana Program to 25 Growers
New Mexico health officials have once again decided to expand the state’s medical marijuana program. From the Associated Press:
[I]n another change that was welcomed by advocacy groups, Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil agreed to license eight new growers, boosting the state total to 25 in a push to increase plant production and serve more patients.
Since the program started in 2007, the state has faced problems ensuring a steady supply.
Vigil also agreed to allow growers to produce 150 mature plants and seedlings. Under earlier regulations, the limit was 95 plants.
To help finance the program, the state is also enacting new annual fees for growers, “ranging from $5,000 for producers licensed for less than a year up to $30,000 for those licensed for more than three years.” There are currently about 3,000 patients in New Mexico’s program, about half of whom have licenses to grow their own medicine.
Medical Marijuana Documentary Airing Sunday
Medical Marijuana Documentary Airing Sunday
This Sunday, at 9 p.m. Eastern, (8 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain, 6 p.m. Pacific, and 4 p.m. Hawaii) Free Speech TV (FSTV) will be premiering the hour-long version of Jed Riffe’s Waiting to Inhale! FSTV is available on DirecTV channel 348 and DISH Network channel 9415. If you subscribe to either of these providers, please check local listings for details.
MPP Launches Radio Ads for Illinois Medical Marijuana Law
MPP Launches Radio Ads for Illinois Medical Marijuana Law
Supporters of a medical marijuana law in Illinois, headed by MPP, have announced the release of radio ads calling on Illinois residents to urge their state representatives to support Senate bill 1381, which would allow doctors to recommend marijuana, also known as cannabis, to qualified patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating illnesses.
The ad – which will be broadcast in the Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities, and Rockford media markets – features Chicago resident and multiple sclerosis patient Julie Falco, who has used medical cannabis to help ease the pain and muscle spasms associated with her condition.
“I’ve tried many prescription drugs to control the extreme pain I’ve lived with every day,” Falco says in the ad. “However, most of them caused terrible side effects that left me flattened and nonfunctional. I’ve found that cannabis works best for me. It allows better control of my symptoms so I can lead a fulfilling, healthier quality of life. In Illinois, though, it’s a crime for me to use my medicine – even though my doctor recommends it. Thankfully the legislature can change that in early January.”
Falco then encourages the 68 percent of Illinois voters who support medical marijuana, according to a 2008 Mason-Dixon poll, to visitprotectpatients.org and ask their state representative to support SB 1381. “People living with chronic illness should not be criminalized for following doctor’s orders,” Falco says.
To hear the ad, visit www.mpp.org/julie.
The state House of Representatives voted on SB 1381 on Nov. 30, but when neither side reached a majority, the bill’s sponsor asked for “postponed consideration,” meaning the bill could be raised again in early January before the new legislature is sworn in. Under the bill, qualified patients could obtain medical marijuana from state-licensed organizations regulated by the state health department, which would also issue medical marijuana ID cards to patients who receive a recommendation from their doctor.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Michigan: Mount Pleasant marijuana dispensary ruled legal, not intended as statewide decision
A Mount Pleasant medical marijuana dispensary is operating within the parameters of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, Isabella County Judge Paul Chamberlain ruled in an opinion today.
Compassionate Apothecary, 311 W. Michigan St., which now operates as C.A. of Mount Pleasant, had its legality challenged by Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick in August.
Burdick argued the dispensary was not legal because the law, approved by voters in 2008 as a ballot initiative, did not stipulate how the substance may be legally distributed. He wanted an injunction against Compassionate Apothecary, but Chamberlain ruled the business operates legally.
Chamberlain did distinguish he was not ruling on the legality of dispensaries across the state. The Compassionate Apothecary case specifically questions the legality of patient-to-patient transfers even though it operates as a dispensary.
Both owners of C.A., Brandon McQueen and Matt Taylor, are registered caregivers who are allowed to distribute the substance among their patients. McQueen also is a registered patient.
Chamberlain said the costs and profits of McQueen and Taylor’s business fall within their roles as caregivers, and therefore their business is legitimate.
“Thus, this court finds that defendants’ acts, occupation, or structure is not a nuisance at all times and under any circumstances,” Chamberlain wrote in his opinion. “Defendants only operate their business during designated business hours … and perform their medical marijuana-related conduct pursuant to the MMMA.”
Chamberlain also said C.A. does not interfere with public health or safety and they operate within provisions of the MMMA.
Oh, but it does effect everyone statewide, it shows that we can win transfer cases with our law, we knew it all along but now we have some proof. Great news for Michigan!
What the stats on teens and marijuana don't show - latimes.com
What the stats on teens and marijuana don't show - latimes.com
The latest numbers are in and it's clear: For the first time since 1981, fewer high school seniors report having used cigarettesin the past month than marijuana. This is a victory for U.S. tobacco policy, which has used education, prevention and regulation to massively reduce cigarette smoking; it's also an embarrassment for marijuana prohibition, which has wasted enormous amounts of taxpayer money arresting millions of citizens with very little to show for it except construction of new prisons and shocking racial disparities.
Yet instead of asking what can we learn from historically low tobacco use rates that might improve U.S. marijuana policy,White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske points a finger at statemedical marijuana laws, the national debate on Proposition 19,and, well, anything but the failed, counterproductive marijuana policies of the last 40 years. The Times' editorial board was right to call him to task for going too far ("One toke over the line," Dec. 16).
Yet instead of asking what can we learn from historically low tobacco use rates that might improve U.S. marijuana policy,White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske points a finger at statemedical marijuana laws, the national debate on Proposition 19,and, well, anything but the failed, counterproductive marijuana policies of the last 40 years. The Times' editorial board was right to call him to task for going too far ("One toke over the line," Dec. 16).
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Arizona: State looks for input on medical marijuana
Arizona: State looks for input on medical marijuana
What do they mean same mistakes of california and colorado, the only mistakes being made is by the oppressors of freedom.
Virginia Lawmaker To Reintroduce Marijuana Decriminalization Measure In 2011
Virginia Lawmaker To Reintroduce Marijuana Decriminalization Measure In 2011
State Delegate Harvey Morgan will reintroduce legislation in 2011 to reduce criminal marijuana penalties for first-time offenders. As introduced, House Bill 1443 eliminates criminal misdemeanor penalties and convictions for minor marijuana possession offenders.
Passage of HB 1443 will spare thousands of Virginians from criminal arrest and incarceration, as well as the emotional and financial hardships that follow -- including the loss of certain jobs and student loans. The measure would also have allowed the law enforcement and court systems to reallocate resources toward activities that will more effectively target serious criminal behavior and keep the public safe.
You can read more about this pending legislation here.
Vermont Lawmakers To Seriously Consider Decriminalizing Marijuana In 2011
Lawmakers will be reintroducing legislation in 2011 to reduce the penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses from a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $500 fine to a civil offense punishable a fine only. Passage of the measure, which has been endorsed by Governor-elect Peter Shumlin will allow state law enforcement to reallocate an estimated $700,000 annually.
Calif's 3rd-largest city new medi-pot battleground
Calif's 3rd-largest city new medi-pot battleground
By MARCUS WOHLSEN
The Associated PressSaturday, December 18, 2010; 3:21 PM
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As marijuana goes mainstream in communities across California, the state's third-largest city has become the next big battleground over the drug's future.
Medical marijuana retailers this fall have faced raids and stings by narcotics agents who accuse them of old-fashioned drug trafficking, even as the San Jose City Council debated regulations for pot dispensaries and voters approved a cannabis tax to fill depleted city coffers.
The crackdown highlights a stubborn legal reality that persists despite a growing sense that storefront pot shops have become a permanent part of the California landscape: the law around medical marijuana is vague, and you can still get busted.
"They're trying to make money off it, and that's ridiculous," Bob Cooke, the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement agent overseeing the raids, said of the dispensary owners who have been targeted.
Medical marijuana advocates say the raids have undermined efforts by dispensaries to comply with the law and to act as good neighbors who have much to contribute to the city's hard hit economy.
Dispensaries shut down by law enforcement include members of the city's Medical Cannabis Collectives Coalition, a group that lobbies the City Council on behalf of dispensaries, said MC3 spokesman Paul Stewart. Dispensary owners in the group were acting in good faith and feel tricked by the raids, he said.
"We're stepping back saying, we're the ones trying to work with you to come up with sensible regulations," Stewart said. "Now you're hitting the same collectives trying to help you and will ultimately generate revenue for you?"
The crackdown highlights a stubborn legal reality that persists despite a growing sense that storefront pot shops have become a permanent part of the California landscape: the law around medical marijuana is vague, and you can still get busted.
"They're trying to make money off it, and that's ridiculous," Bob Cooke, the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement agent overseeing the raids, said of the dispensary owners who have been targeted.
Medical marijuana advocates say the raids have undermined efforts by dispensaries to comply with the law and to act as good neighbors who have much to contribute to the city's hard hit economy.
Dispensaries shut down by law enforcement include members of the city's Medical Cannabis Collectives Coalition, a group that lobbies the City Council on behalf of dispensaries, said MC3 spokesman Paul Stewart. Dispensary owners in the group were acting in good faith and feel tricked by the raids, he said.
"We're stepping back saying, we're the ones trying to work with you to come up with sensible regulations," Stewart said. "Now you're hitting the same collectives trying to help you and will ultimately generate revenue for you?"
Pot, The New Tobacco!
With our opponents being morons like Ron Allen how can we ever lose this war on prohibition?
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Pot ads on Denver buses prompt complaints
Pot ads on Denver buses prompt complaints
Read more:Pot ads on Denver buses prompt complaints - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_16846685#ixzz181fnfWzy
DENVER—Marijuana conference ads on Denver-area buses have law enforcement groups complaining they promote illegal drug use.
The ads for this weekend's KushCon "cannabis lifestyle" convention in Denver are believed to be the first marijuana-related advertising on public transit anywhere in the country. The ads say "Have a Kush Day!" and promote the convention. Kush is a type of marijuana and the name of the California-based sponsor, Kush Magazine.
The Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police and the Colorado Drug Investigators Association have complained about the ads to the Regional Transportation District.
The Denver Post reports that RTD will keep the ads, but modify them to better reflect that they are paid advertisements.
Read more:Pot ads on Denver buses prompt complaints - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/news/marijuana/ci_16846685#ixzz181fjNhsg
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
Rave - Medicinal Marijuana is Now the Biggest Cash Crop
Rave - Medicinal Marijuana is Now the Biggest Cash Crop
Isn't it ironic that with a difficult economy, huge unemployment, and cutbacks in government services, that business is booming in the marijuana industry? It seems that by many experts, the marijuana business is estimated at around $45 billion to $120 billion a year. This seems to be a business that doesn't have a need for any government stimulus monies.It is now estimated that the legal marijuana business is the largest growth industry in the United States. At over $14 billion a year, it is also considered the number one cash crop in the state of California. Those numbers will continue to grow as more states continue to approve medicinal marijuana use.What is interesting is that this growth has happen in spite of the fragmented marijuana business model. The industry is made up of many growers and distributors who are not well organized. However, as more money seems to be pouring in, we are seeing developers coming in and positioning themselves to capitalize on the huge expansion that is the medicinal marijuana business.These businesses will come in, streamline the fractured sectors of the medicinal marijuana business, and find the ways to maximize the efficiency and profitability. The medicinal marijuana business will see growth in management services, internet presence, financial services, and better lobbying and policymaking advisors.
General Cannabis (OTCBB: CANA) Marijuana Market Lighting Up with Acquisitions
General Cannabis (OTCBB: CANA) Marijuana Market Lighting Up with Acquisitions
As the legalization debate continues to maintain prevalence and notoriety in popular American culture, fueled in no small part by California’s unsuccessful bid to sanction the plant with Prop 19 last month, investor’s are taking increased notice. The medical marijuana market is growing a little more every day.
That growth is reflected in small-cap, publically-traded companies catering to the unique needs of medical marijuana dispensaries, websites, and their budding operations. Among the shining stars in this arena is General Cannabis (OTCBB:CANA), which has begun acquiring entities within the medical marijuana field, most recently purchasing Weedmaps.com, the popular Yelp-for-pot social sharing and networking site for an undisclosed amount.
Weedmaps, with over 50,000 members, 2 million hits per months and annual revenue expected to reach 3 million, the digital hub is an excellent representation of the growing interest in medical marijuana. Prior to the completion of the purchase, investors bid up the shares of General over 300%.
Acquisitions and consolidation or the defragmentation of the medical marijuana industry appears to be its future. General Cannabis is leading the way on that trend announcing on December 6th, under their management sector US Cannabis, the signing of closing documents to purchase substantially all of the assets of Synergistic Resources, LLC. Synergistic Resources runs Marijuana Medical Evaluation Centers (MMEC) and specializes in the turn-key management of medicinal marijuana clinics throughout California.
As the legalization debate continues to maintain prevalence and notoriety in popular American culture, fueled in no small part by California’s unsuccessful bid to sanction the plant with Prop 19 last month, investor’s are taking increased notice. The medical marijuana market is growing a little more every day.
That growth is reflected in small-cap, publically-traded companies catering to the unique needs of medical marijuana dispensaries, websites, and their budding operations. Among the shining stars in this arena is General Cannabis (OTCBB:CANA), which has begun acquiring entities within the medical marijuana field, most recently purchasing Weedmaps.com, the popular Yelp-for-pot social sharing and networking site for an undisclosed amount.
Weedmaps, with over 50,000 members, 2 million hits per months and annual revenue expected to reach 3 million, the digital hub is an excellent representation of the growing interest in medical marijuana. Prior to the completion of the purchase, investors bid up the shares of General over 300%.
Acquisitions and consolidation or the defragmentation of the medical marijuana industry appears to be its future. General Cannabis is leading the way on that trend announcing on December 6th, under their management sector US Cannabis, the signing of closing documents to purchase substantially all of the assets of Synergistic Resources, LLC. Synergistic Resources runs Marijuana Medical Evaluation Centers (MMEC) and specializes in the turn-key management of medicinal marijuana clinics throughout California.
Victory: NIU Allows Drug Policy Reform Group on Campus
Victory: NIU Allows Drug Policy Reform Group
on Campus
Young adults are the most vehement critics of the war on drugs, with polls showing voters under 35 overwhelmingly oppose marijuana prohibition in particular. But when Jeremy Orbach tried to start a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at Northern Illinois University (NIU) to channel anger with the status quo into action, the student government stopped him, refusing to even allow his group to organize and post fliers on campus.
But after challenging the school administration to defend free speech -- and after more than 230 Change.org members wrote NIU President John G. Peters demanding he intervene -- Orbach reports the university is overturning the decision and recognizing his chapter of SSDP as a student organization.
“We’ve done it,” Orbach tells Change.org. “We’ve gotten it done.”
As he explained in an interview earlier this week, Orbach founded the NIU chapter of SSDP about nine months ago after attending an on-campus debate about marijuana legalization. “When I walked in, I noticed the fact that there were many hundreds of students at Northern Illinois that really obviously had a passion toward changing drug laws, and specifically marijuana policy.”
But when Orbach tried to get his group recognized as a “social advocacy” organization, the NIU Student Association (SA) Senate refused to do so, ordering him to instead apply for recognition as a “political” group, an arbitrary distinction that would deny it the funding from student fees that other campus organizations -- many decidedly political -- receive.
In a December 10 letter (pdf) to Orbach, NIU Associate Vice President John R. Jones III announced that, after a “careful review of your application, minutes from the meetings where SSDP business was addressed, information submitted by SSDP, the standards set forth within the SA bylaws for student organization recognition, etc., I have made the determination, under the unique circumstances of this case, to administratively recognize SSDP as a student organization at Northern Illinois University.”
The administration’s move overrides the SA Senate’s December 5 decision to refuse SSDP recognition, and establishes that it will from now on “be treated as all other recognized student organizations.”
Orbach had been pushing for more than just recognition, however. After witnessing firsthand the school's arbitrary method of recognizing student groups, he wanted a complete overhaul of the system. And it looks like he just might get that.
As Associate Vice President Jones writes, "the Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management is establishing a task force comprised of University officials and Student Association members to review and revise the recognition and funding processes as they relate to student organizations." The task force will issue recommendations by the end of the Spring 2011 semester. The school will also be developing "a more formal training module for use by the Student Association on the applicable legal standards that have been established by the court systems regarding student recognition processes in public university settings," a move that comes after the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) accused the school of violating SSDP's constitutional rights.
In an emailed statement to supporters, Orbach says "we could not have gotten such an incredible response without your help. On behalf of NIU SSDP, we appreciate everything that you have done, and we also appreciate that this was brought to the appropriate light."
Marijuana-legalization push gets voice on Capitol Hill
Marijuana-legalization push gets voice on Capitol Hill
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/LEGALIZATION+GETS+VOICE+CAPITOL/3968433/story.html#ixzz181Nu4fR9
The cannabis industry has flexed its muscles in 15 states where it's legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes. Now the industry is ready to go to work in Washington.
Photograph by: CHBC News, File
WASHINGTON — The cannabis industry has flexed its muscles in 15 states where it's legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes. Now the industry is ready to go to work in Washington.
A new trade group, called the National Cannabis Industry Association, is an attempt to bring together sellers, growers and manufacturers and to promote pot on Capitol Hill.
"Our intent is to be the go-to organization in Washington for this industry," said Aaron Smith, the group's executive director.
For the past five years, Smith worked as the California director of the Marijuana Policy Project.
"Coming out of California and expanding into this national field is pretty exciting," he said. "There's been a lot of enthusiasm. . . . It's pretty clear that the medical marijuana industry is becoming recognized more and more by the mainstream as a fully legitimate part of the economy."
Even though California voters last month rejected a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for all adults, Smith said it was just a matter of time before the drug was fully legalized.
"Legalization is looking inevitable," he said. "It didn't happen in 2010, but it's likely to happen in 2012. . . . It's going to be relatively soon we're going to see states move from medical marijuana into broader legal markets. And the federal government needs to catch up. Frequently the American people are ahead of the Congress."
But Smith will have a hard time finding many marijuana advocates in Congress.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 400-4 to back a resolution sponsored by California Republican Rep. Wally Herger that calls on authorities to get tougher with those who cultivate marijuana on federal land.
In a speech on the House floor, Herger said the presence of Mexican marijuana cartel operations in national forests in Northern California "poses a serious threat to our public safety and use of our public lands."
Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin called medical marijuana "a misnomer," adding: "There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana."
Smith said the association officially formed this month, putting together a 23-member board that includes leaders in the cannabis industry, who represent dispensaries, operators, publications and insurance providers, among others.
The association's first target will be a federal law that prohibits marijuana use even if states have legalized it. The law has resulted in confusion amid overlapping jurisdictions, with state authorities enforcing state laws and federal officials enforcing federal laws.
But President Barack Obama's administration has been easing up. Last year, Attorney General Eric Holder ordered federal prosecutors to back away from cases against medical marijuana patients and to focus on higher-level traffickers or money launderers.
"I'd like to see that codified by Congress, to become the law of the land, not just an executive order," Smith said. "This industry's biggest challenges are the obstacles presented by federal law, so that's why we're focusing on the change to federal law first and foremost."
With Republicans poised to take control of the House, Smith said: "I can't say that I'm super optimistic, but we'll definitely be pushing the message of federalism, which the Republicans should listen to. All we're really asking for is to allow the states to essentially make up their own minds on marijuana policy."
Smith noted that the issue of medical marijuana has bipartisan appeal: Republican candidates won a clean sweep in Arizona last month, but voters still approved the use of medical marijuana.
"This is not a left issue," he said. "This is a mainstream issue, and Republicans should embrace it."
Cincinnati, Ohio: POT LAW A BUST, CRITICS SAY
POT LAW A BUST, CRITICS SAY
by Amanda Amsel, (Source:Cincinnati City Beat)Ohio
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Repeal Would Save City of Cincinnati $350,000 Annually
As Cincinnati City Council frets about how to close a $62 million budget deficit, some local activists are asking officials to consider repealing an ordinance they say isn't enforced evenly and wastes taxpayers' money.
Critics allege that city's Anti-Marijuana Ordinance is being used to target specific races and is adding to the city's crippling budget deficit.
"When the ordinance was first passed, they said it was just to give police broader leeway to pull people over and search for guns," says activist Justin Jeffre. "However, it has had no effect on the guns in the city and has actually resulted in less guns being found."
The ordinance, which criminalizes possessing a small amount of marijuana, was first introduced by then-City Councilman David Pepper in 2005, while he was preparing for a mayoral campaign.
Initially there was little support and it was dropped.
About a year later, Democrat Cecil Thomas ( pictured ) - a retired Cincinnati police officer - was elected to council and revived the proposal. He was joined in lobbying for passage by Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz, a Republican. At the time, those who spoke out against the increased penalty included then-Councilman Jim Tarbell, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, some judges and Libertarians.
After much debate, council approved the ordinance by a 6-2 vote in March 2006 for a one-year trial basis. Besides Thomas and Ghiz, supporters were Chris Bortz, Laketa Cole, John Cranley and Chris Monzel.
In 2006, Thomas said the measure was meant to discourage people from Northern Kentucky, Indiana and surrounding communities in Ohio from coming to Cincinnati to buy pot, along with allowing police to more readily conduct full body searches of people they suspect of carrying guns. After the year-long tryout, statistics showed the reduction in out-of-state residents buying pot here was minimal - less than 1 percent - but costs to prosecute the cases more than doubled.
Portune asked City Council not to extend the law indefinitely, stating some judges had approached him privately and complained that the tougher penalties were clogging up court time that could be spent dealing with more serious crimes.
"As we have examined the issue of jail overcrowding, I have been approached by numerous members of the county judiciary who have complained that the legislation was unnecessary; inappropriate and a major contributor to current overcrowding," Portune wrote in a letter to council.
Nevertheless, council extended the law indefinitely in 2007, this time in a 7-2 vote. ( Councilman Jeff Berding, who was absent the first time, joined in the yays. ) Despite its approval, some council members who supported it said they would reconsider if its use increased jail-overcrowding or targeted certain groups.
Today many people are saying exactly those things are happening, but that council members who support the ordinance aren't listening. An analysis of data for people arrested under the ordinance between March 2006 and May 2010 found that 85 percent of them were African American, despite statistics indicating that marijuana use among blacks and whites is roughly equal.
Moreover, the data showed the majority of those arrested under the ordinance weren't charged with more serious offenses, undercutting Thomas' "getting guns off the streets" rationale.
"They are crowding the jail and targeting certain people, but no one cares," Jeffre says. "There is a huge difference between the number of white and black people arrested even though studies show they both smoke marijuana at the same rate."
Thomas didn't return several calls and e-mails from CityBeat. He's also been unresponsive to other media about the topic.
Other members of the Hamilton County judicial system, though, are listening and do have opinions on the issue. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Nadine Allen says she can't say whether she supports the ordinance. But she can see how the ordinance can destroy a person's life.
Under Ohio law, having 100 grams or less of marijuana is a minor misdemeanor that results in a citation and $100 fine. Violators don't get arrested and it doesn't go on the person's criminal record. But with Cincinnati's ordinance, if a person is caught possessing any amount of marijuana - no matter how small - he or she is arrested, charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor and could face up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. More importantly, the charge goes on their criminal record, which must be reported when applying for a job or student loan.
If someone is arrested a second time, the person is charged with a first-degree misdemeanor and could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Worse, the initial arrest can no longer be expunged.
"You become a convicted drug offender," Allen says. "That will be on your criminal record for the rest of your life and can cause real problems for you later on in life."
Some of the problems having a drug conviction can cause include losing federal financial aid for college, being evicted from subsidized housing and not being able to get a job.
"People shouldn't lose their lives over a joint," Jeffre says. "The punishment for a crime shouldn't do more damage than the crime actually did."
Councilman Wendell Young - who also is a retired police officer and wasn't on council when the ordinance was approved - opposes it precisely because of the misfortune it is causing people and how expensive it is to enforce.
"In my opinion, the marijuana ordinance has brought unfair consequences to the public and has caused them more harm than good," Young says. "At the time it was passed, it may have made sense, but now it doesn't make sense and the city cannot afford to enforce it."
Some of the added expenses due to the ordinance include paying police officers overtime to appear in court, jail bills, lab fees from the Coroner's Office and prosecutor's fees.
"If we repealed the ordinance, we would save the city at least $300,000 annually and that is just the lab and jail space costs," Young says. "I think we could save the city more, but the police do not track their overtime per arrest, so we cannot see how much we are paying them in overtime to enforce this law."
CityBeat made a public records request to the Cincinnati Police Department for how much in overtime costs were incurred related to marijuana arrests but it was denied. Police Sgt. Danita Kilgore, the department's spokeswoman, said no such report currently exists and they're not easily quantified.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLOSED TEMPORARILY BY RESTRAINING ORDER REOPENS
MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLOSED TEMPORARILY BY RESTRAINING ORDER REOPENS
by Andrea Swayne, (Source:Dana Point Times)California
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Last Thursday the 4th District Court of Appeals overturned a November 19 restraining order that temporarily halted operation of the Holistic Health medical marijuana collective in Dana Point.
Although a previous injunction against Holistic Health based on zoning violations was also temporarily stayed, the city had hoped that the court would not intervene this time since this recent injunction was granted on the basis of the city's assertion that the dispensary is not in compliance with California law, including engaging in for-profit sales, said City Attorney Patrick Munoz following the November 19 closure order.
"We had patients/members that suffered unnecessarily during the 13-day closure and we are pleased that the appeals court has once again overruled the lower court," said Holistic Health Collective President Garrison Williams. "We intend to continue our fight because we have a right to be here and accusations that we are operating illegally are false. Our attorney and CPA carefully oversee our day-to-day operations to ensure that we are following all pertinent rules."
Williams went on to say that he has offered to sit down and show the city their books numerous times in order to demonstrate their legal operation but that they will continue to resist the release of private patient information due to their patients' fear of negative recourse form the city.
"Not only do patients object to city officials knowing that they use medical marijuana, many don't want it to be common knowledge what their illness is-AIDS, Parkinson's, cancer, mental health disorders and other diseases they feel they should be allowed to keep private. The city just flat out wants us out of town," said Garrison.
The city began seeking the records of this and other collectives more than a year ago in order to determine whether they were operating legally. When all of the shops refused to comply with the records request earlier this year, the city filed lawsuits seeking to shut down all of the dispensaries in Dana Point.
Both sides remain steadfast in their respective efforts. Expect the legal volley to continue for some time
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