Sorry Blogger but We've Moved...

As much as I love blogger, I use it for my personal blog, Mile High NORML has moved on to bigger and better things. With the help of a few key people our new Blog Site is www.milehighnorml.org/MHN Please stop by and Stay High!

Press Release: Denver's Rally to Free Marc Emery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re: Denver’s Worldwide Rally to Free Marc Emery

Contacts: Mile High NORML, Cannabis Therapy Institute

Denver, CO – Join Mile High NORML in its Worldwide Rally to Free Marc Emery! The Rally will be held at the Denver Federal Courthouse at 1823 Stout Street Saturday, May 22^nd from 2-5pm. Support the cause and have your voice heard! Anger and indignation should be channeled against the governments that allow the drug war to exist everywhere on Earth, and towards the politicians that makes these injustices and cruelties happen!

Marc Emery is a Canadian political prisoner about to be extradited to the United States for selling cannabis seeds on the Internet and using the money to fund marijuana legalization groups. The DEA wanted him, and now they’ve got him ordered and extradited thanks to Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada. Marc is just one of the hundreds of thousands of North Americans imprisoned for marijuana. Now is the time to STAND UP and demand an end to the destructive DRUG WAR and the imprisonment of non-violent cannabis growers and consumers!

Protest banners, signs, etc. are permitted and encouraged at this event. Sign suggestions include “Free Marc Emery,” “Google Marc Emery,” “Canada Must Bring Marc Emery Home,” “End Prohibition,” “No More Drug War,” etc. The purpose of the signs is to stir the mind of any passerby who might Google “Marc Emery,” “Prince of Pot,” or “Drug War.”

In the words of Marc Emery, “One person can undo the evil of several thousand people. You should never underestimate your power.” Expand awareness, be heard! Join Mile High NORML and the Cannabis Therapy Institute in their support of Marc Emery on Saturday, May 22^nd, at the Denver Federal Courthouse from 2-5pm. For more information please visit www.milehighnorml.org

VETO MARCH against HB-1284

Saturday May 15^th 2010

Civic Center Park 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

East Side, between Colfax & 14^th @ Broadway

For those able to participate in the march, we will walk south on Broadway to 7^th and then walk east 4 blocks to Logan.

Governor’s Park 12:15 to 3:30

Northeast corner of 7^th & Logan

For those individuals that are sick and disabled and not able to make the 11 block walk, please meet us at Governor’s Park. This will allow time for you to get situated and be as comfortable as possible.

Peaceful gathering to OPPOSE HB10-1284

This is a gathering to actively demonstrate to our Governor that

“We the People of Colorado”

Are asking for a VETO on HB10-1284 and SB10-109

1. It is Unconstitutional; It destroys what the voters passed in 2000 for Patients and Caregivers

2. It is Monopolistic; Due to State and local fees and numerous other guidelines

3. It is Exclusionary; Caregivers and Dispensaries that provide medicine at low cost or no cost will not be able to continue helping their patients. A 5 patient limit was adopted, L.140 for caregivers that are not a dispensary model. This undermines the caregiver’s ability to produce enough to meet the needs of their patients. Caregivers will have to pay licensing fees as well as deal with Armed Revenue Auditors according to Sen. Romer.

Please bring what you need to be comfortable! Water, Chairs, Blankets & Food. Please bring something with you to contain anything you will need to throw away. Please be responsible and leave the parks as we found them! This is a ZERO Waste Event! Please bring everyone possible that you can! It’s time for our voices to be heard!!! Thank you for your time and efforts!

NO MARIJUANA ALLOWED AT THIS EVENT!!!

WEAR GREEN!!! BRING your VETO HB10-1284 SIGNS and whatever else you need to say!!!

STRONG DRUM CIRCLE * BRING YOUR DRUMS * Coalition for Alternative Healing Access

If it is raining on Saturday, everyone assemble at The Governor’s Park at 12:00 PM

Senate Gives Initial OK To Medical Marijuana Dispensary Rules

Mile High NORML opposes HB1284 in its entirety and URGE Everyone to contact there State Senators Immediately! HB-1284 will be heard early Thursday morning (May6th). If HB-1284 passes and we are afraid it is going to, it will destroy the medical marijuana industry creating unfair playing fields while damaging patients access.

COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press
DENVER (AP) ― The state Senate on Wednesday gave initial approval to regulating medical marijuana dispensaries and growers after opening the door to waiving sales tax on pot sales to some patients.

Senators made few other significant changes to the bill, which still allows cities and counties to ban dispensaries and limits individuals, as opposed to regulated shops, from providing marijuana to more than five people. That increases the chances that lawmakers will be able to pass regulations for the estimated 1,100 dispensaries in Colorado before they adjourn next week.

Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, said the state's medical marijuana program, approved by voters a decade ago, has become a "runaway train". She warned colleagues wary of legitimizing the booming marijuana industry that inaction would usher in de facto legalization of the drug.

"If this doesn't pass there will be more recreational users," Spence said.

Currently she said there are an estimated 83,000 people who have a doctor's permission to use medical marijuana in Colorado. An exact count isn't available because the state has been inundated with about 1,000 requests a day.

Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, warned that allowing local bans violates the constitutional amendment voters passed a decade ago allowing medical marijuana. She said that would open the door to a total ban across the state.

"If all did what one did, there is no more Amendment 20," she said.

While most prescription drugs are tax exempt in Colorado, the state has been treating marijuana much like a vitamin supplement and charging 2.9 state sales tax on all sales.

The bill requires that $2 million in taxes from marijuana sales be spent on substance abuse programs. Senate GOP leader Josh Penry said the state shouldn't be profiting off patients who rely on the drug. He passed an amendment that requires the health department to come up with rules allowing doctors to exempt patients from paying sales tax when they buy marijuana.

Penry said he opposed the overall bill because it's a regulatory "quagmire". It would hire 27 enforcement agents, auditors and administrators paid for with $2 million in fees paid by dispensary owners, growers and makers of marijuana products.

Senators also backed keeping the location of grow operations secret although law enforcement agencies would still have access to the information.

Cities and counties dealing with the proliferation of dispensaries in the last year have been pushing for lawmakers to pass regulations, which will require that store owners be licensed by both the state and local governments.

Dispensary owners, meanwhile, are willing to put up with criminal background checks and audits to give them protection against possible federal drug raids. Some, though, are worried about having to pay thousands of dollars in fees while regulators finalize the details of rules that could end up putting them out of business.

A final vote on the bill is expected Thursday in the Senate. It must then go back to the House where lawmakers will have to vote on whether to accept the changes made in the Senate.

"There are MANY substantial issues with HB1284, as passed by the House. You MUST take action to meet with your State Senator and his/her staff IMMEDIATELY and urge them to vote NO on this bill. This bill contains many unconstitutional provisions that amend or modify the Constitutional rights guaranteed to you by Amendment 20. More importantly, this law will make it close to impossible for most of you to continue to help your patients." Attorney Lauren Davis

What changes were actually added to Colorado HB10-1284

Below is a list of what actually was added to Colorado HB10-1284 on Tuesday April 27. Some changes are livable but others not so much... The bill will now be voted on by the full Senate. Mile High NORML is urging patient rights supporters to contact their state senators and urge them to vote No on HB1284.

L.105 -- withdrawn, Romer is planning on offering it at appropriations (this is one with the $35,000 fee)

L.106 -- withdrawn (would have required centers with 300+ patients to have massage therapist etc onsite)

L.107 -- Adopted (requires 2yr residency)

L.108 -- withdrawn (1000ft school ban)

L.109 -- withdrawn, Romer would like to offer it on the floor after he works with people on this, Newell is interested in it (edibles waiver)

L.110 -- withdrawn (excess product to nonprofit)

L.111 -- withdrawn, Romer wants to debate this one on the floor (under 21 ban in dispensaries)

L.112 -- Adopted (allows state charter banks, added in credit unions, to accept deposits)

L.113 -- Adopted (technical clean up; the second part of amendment moves violations under the criminal code)

L.119 -- Adopted, proposed by Foster, clarified language around local municipalities denying a renewal, struck lines 9-12 of amendment that dealt with public notice and hearings

L.120 -- Adopted, department of health amendment (clean up amendment, redefined caregiver and when patients card can be revoked - if knowingly went to a doc to get a recommendation and that doctor ended up losing right to recommend)

L.121 -- Adopted, proposed by Foster, state moratorium on licenses make local moratorium until state law is in effect, Newell voted no on this amendment.

"There are MANY substantial issues with HB1284, as passed by the House. You MUST take action to meet with your State Senator and his/her staff IMMEDIATELY and urge them to vote NO on this bill. This bill contains many unconstitutional provisions that amend or modify the Constitutional rights guaranteed to you by Amendment 20. More importantly, this law will make it close to impossible for most of you to continue to help your patients." Attorney Lauren Davis

"Let's hope legislators can understand even more basic economies of scale. With 100,000 voters now registered as patients and another couple million who believe strongly in medical marijuana rights, lawmakers should think twice before dismantling the dispensary industry." Attorney Rob Corry

2010 Global Marijuana March Aftermath

Saturday May 1st 2010. The weekend outlook called for a cold rainy morning and afternoon but the weather man couldn't have been more wrong. The sun was shining, the air was warm and the buds were fresh as 100 local activists from Denver gathered in Civic Center Park.

The Denver Police were eager to march along with us as they outnumbered us 2-1 at 10:30 in the morning when we showed up. Our crowd like usual took a little while to arrive but everyone got there in time and the march left at 11am sharp!

The Denver Police issued 2 citations for smoking cannabis in public during the march after we were told that there would be no problems?!? They claimed to have warned use before the event that they would still be issuing tickets along the parade route but no time did we ever hear them say that at all. Everyone in the parade was smoking, even as the Denver Police video taped the crowd but they used "there discretion" as they were quoted saying and picked out a young lady from the crowd and who was walking a little slower and pulling up the rear of the march and gave her a citation for public consumption and let her go on her way.

Denver Global Marijuana March

Denver, CO -Join in the Denver Global Marijuana March on May 1^st, 2010, at 11am. Assembly will start at 10:30am at Civic Center Park and the March will commence at 11am. This is a permitted event with honorable police escorts that will be protecting our 1^st Amendment rights to free speech. The March will start at the Denver City & County Building; proceed down the middle of15^th Street, to Welton and 17^th Street, up 17^th Street to Broadway, and finishing at Lincoln Park on Colfax and Broadway in front of the Veterans Memorial. Entertainment and various speakers will follow at Veterans Memorial Park across from the State Capitol. Speak out, stand up!!

The Denver Global Marijuana March addresses many social issues, including Marijuana and the people around Marijuana Prohibition, Sexual Orientation Disparities, Immigration Disparities, Poverty Disparities, Health Care Reform, Economic Justice, Civic Engagement, Women's Rights, and other social issues. The March is key in uniting these groups through Marijuana. United we stand, divided we fall.

The Denver Global Marijuana March will feature speakers, education, and a plethora of information. The March will provide people with a voice and help them develop confidence to not be afraid of a stigma! The March is all-inclusive and also provides encouragement and support for Civic Engagement. Miguel Lopez the leader of the 420 Rally explains, "Through the Global Marijuana March, we will help these groups unite!"

The organizers of the March are asking all participants to wear white shirts. Protest banners, signs, etc. are permitted and encouraged at this event. The focus is on re-legalization with a priority for medical marijuana patients and those with medical conditions and debilitating diseases. Speak out and be heard!

This event is proudly sponsored by Rob Corry, Mile High Norml, and the 420 Rally/Miguel Lopez, Community Organizer. For more information, please contact either Tiny Martinez at 720.365.8187, or Miguel Lopez at 720.338.8766.