Happy New Year Colorado

Its has been a great first year and we would like to thank everyone who helped make this year such a huge success for us. 2009 was the most productive year by far for NORML and Marijuana Legalization across the Nation, but the outlook for 2010 appears to be shaping up to be a even better year and we plan on being there every step of the way in Colorado! And to close the year out a grand note, there was a huge victory for patients and caregivers throughout the state yesterday in the city of southern suburb of Centennial. Colorado newest city closed the doors of Canna Mart, a medical marijuana dispensary located on Arapaho Rd. late last year. Yesterday An Arapahoe County judge Wednesday barred the city of Centennial from shutting down any medical marijuana dispensary, saying the city had no right to use federal law as a pretext for doing so. "The city of Centennial cannot use the potential violation of a federal law to order a business legally operating under our state constitution to cease and desist its business," District Judge Christopher Cross said in his ruling from the bench...

A BIG Thank You goes out to District Judge Christopher Cross and his Ground Breaking decision yesterday!

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Where is America’s Cannabis Capital?

From NORML Blog

Because of the numerous media reports and typical Hollywood hype many close observers would immediately place the city of Los Angeles as America’s cannabis capital. Or maybe they’d guess that ever-cannabis tolerant San Francisco must be it. Possibly, ‘Oaksterdam’? but they'd be wrong...

Based on the size of the populations and number of reported medical cannabis dispensaries by each city’s respective City Council, America’s cannabis capital is….drum roll please, And the winner is

Denver Colorado


Los Angeles – 1,000 dispensaries for a population of 9,862,049 = 1 dispensary per 9,862 people

Denver – 198 dispensaries for a population of 598,707 = 1 dispensary per 3,023 people

Cannabis Hope for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

With articles like, Marijuana Damages DNA And May Cause Cancer and another article that stated "New Test Reveals Cannabis Damages Young Brains More Than Originally Thought, Study Finds Hardly anything that the website, Science Daily says is creditable and its usually a bunch of B.S. but every once in a while they'll post a little gold...

ScienceDaily (Dec. 21, 2009) — Chemicals found in cannabis could prove an effective treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, say scientists.

Laboratory tests have shown that two compounds found in the cannabis plant -- the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol -- interact with the body's system that controls gut function.

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which affect about one in every 250 people in Northern Europe, are caused by both genetic and environmental factors. The researchers believe that a genetic susceptibility coupled with other triggers, such as diet, stress or bacterial imbalance, leads to a defective immune response.

Dr Karen Wright, Peel Trust Lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University, presented her soon-to-be published work at The British Pharmacological Society's Winter Meeting in London.

She said: "The lining of the intestines provides a barrier against the contents of the gut but in people with Crohn's Disease this barrier leaks and bacteria can escape into the intestinal tissue leading to an inappropriate immune response.

"If we could find a way to restore barrier integrity in patients we may be able to curb the inflammatory immune response that causes these chronic conditions."

Dr Wright, working with colleagues at the School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health in Derby, has shown that cells that react to cannabinoid compounds play an important role in normal gut function as well as the immune system's inflammatory response.

"The body produces its own cannabinoid molecules, called endocannabinoids, which we have shown increase the permeability of the epithelium during inflammation, implying that overproduction may be detrimental," said Dr Wright.

"However, we were able to reverse this process using plant-derived cannabinoids, which appeared to allow the epithelial cells to form tighter bonds with each other and restore the membrane barrier."

The research was carried out using cell cultures in a dish but, interestingly, when the team attempted to mimic the conditions of the gut by reducing the amount of oxygen in the cells' environment, much lower concentrations of cannabinoid were needed to produce the same effect.

Dr Wright added: "What is also encouraging is that while THC has psychoactive properties and is responsible for the 'high' people experience when using cannabis, cannabidiol, which has also proved effective in restoring membrane integrity, does not possess such properties."

Science Daily

Doctors group backs marijuana for medical uses

Good Day, Hope everyone's weekend was fantastic and filled with cannabis!!!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading U.S. doctors group has endorsed using marijuana for medical purposes, urging the government to roll back a prohibition on using it to treat patients and supporting studies into its medical applications.

The American College of Physicians, the second-largest doctors group in the United States, issued a policy statement on medical marijuana this week after it was approved by its governing body, the group said on Friday.

The group cited evidence that marijuana is valuable in treating severe weight loss associated with AIDS, and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients.

"Additional research is needed to clarify marijuana's therapeutic properties and determine standard and optimal doses and routes of delivery. Unfortunately, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana and the debate over legalization," the group said. Reuters

Denver Safety committee hears Charlie Brown's latest pot proposal

Denver city councilman is back proposing his new medical marijuana regulation bill picking up where they left off two weeks ago on Dec2.

Since December 1st 194 medical marijuana dispensaries have filed for there city tax license and the city thinks that they need to step up regulate the area thinking themselves as pioneers creating an ordinance that other cities can follow.

First up was on-site consumption which I was personally interested because me and many others enjoy the fact that we can go into a safe and friendly place and medicate but the council members feel a bit differently Charlie Brown was quoted saying "I do not believe we should allow it," Brown says. "I do not believe that's what the voters had in mind in 2000 -- to have cannabis clubs on-site. Let's get ready for a big discussion on this one."

Patients can go to any number of dispensaries purchase there medicine and safely medicate on site out of the public view while they socialize with other patients, something that they may not have been able to do if they were got there medicine on the black market or the "streets" but councilman Brown would like to see this stopped, claiming that it is "dangerous to let them leave the site, while intoxicated, where they are likely to enter a automobile and maybe cause harm to or others and or themselves" That's when Councilman Chris Nevitt stepped up and mentioned that the city allows bars where patrons are able to leave after consuming at times dangerous levels and enter a auto no questions asked. Still the other council members didn't agree. They did agree to ban consumption on-site. Moving forward

Next on the agenda was the Buffer Zone. A date of December 1st was proposed but the date January 1st and 1,000 ft was approved. This means that a dispensary after Jan 1st will not be allowed to operate within 1,000 ft of a day care center, and level public school any libraries or city recreation centers, trying to keep them from eyes of children that use those facilities, even tho there is no restrictions on any Denver ordinances regarding restaurants that serve alcohol near any of these kinds of business. Irregardless the council approved the measure on a 5-4 vote. Moving on...

Up next was the smell. Now i know for a fact that no business in Denver is regulated by way of smell. I work hundred yards from the Purina Dog Food Plant in Commerce City and that is by far the smelliest place in and or around Denver. I can smell that horrible smell at my house downtown on some mornings if the wind is blowing in from the north. And finally the city council agrees with me. They dont regualte any other business regarding odor and they are not re-inventing the wheel here and there not going to start with the medical marijuana industry. "I don't think we do that for anyone else" Chairman Linkhart says and a spokesman from the Department of Environmental Health said "Odor is primarily a nuisance issue," he says. "We don't make a distinction as to the quality of the odor."

Next up was cultivation on site. Now this is where I tend to agree with the council members on this one. I dont like to see any kinds of grows on-site. First off if the Feds do come down on you and close the location they will not also close your grow down and then it also keeps the criminals who prey on marijuana clinics because they think there is a large amount of product or plants inside away from you and your customers but the item is removed from the proposal by Chris Nevitt proposes removing section H in 24-408, which refers to cultivation and Linkhart agreed and it was removed.

With that they concluded for the day and the year. The proposal will go to the Mayor/Council meeting next week, with a first reading at Denver City Council on January 4 and a public hearing January 11.

"In the meantime, members of the public are welcome to contact us," Linkhart concludes.

Please take the time out of your day and contact Councilman Brown and let him know what you think Charlie Brown Councilman 303-871-0601

Cannabis Holiday Health Fair

Yesterday at the Holiday Inn in Denver, over 40 Cannabusiness, 2 lawmakers and thousands of people gathered for the first ever Cannabis Holiday Health Fair brought us by the amazing and hardworking Laura Kriho of Cannabis Therapy Institute or C.T.I.

“It’s really exciting to nurture the little seeds and introduce ourselves to the community and show how professional we are and how important we are to the economy, I think we’ve done that very successfully.” Kriho told the reporter of Denver Daily News. One of the several news agency's in the city to cover the event

And even though they might not like each other personally, The two Colorado lawmakers who have been leading the push to regulate the industry — Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown and Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver — both made appearances at the fair.

Romer meet one on one with several patients and talked with attendees and defended his bill to an often-disagreeing crowd. Brown also made the rounds talking with businesses and attendees stopping at our table only only for seconds, to get an ear full of complaints regarding his city proposal's.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this an amazing event and one I hope to see every year here on out as we move into 2010 and another step closure to Freedom!

3 time Iditarod champ admits to using Cannabis

Have you ever seen the coldest sport on earth???

Three-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey may have to mush without marijuana in next year’s race.

Iditarod Trail Committee officials have announced plans to test mushers for drugs and alcohol in March. Officials haven’t decided who will get tested, or when, where and how it will be done. “It might be random. It might be a group of mushers at a specific checkpoint,” said Stan Hooley, executive director of the committee.

Alaska law allows for personal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, provided the use occurs at home. In addition, Mackey, as a throat cancer survivor, has a medical marijuana card that entitles him to use the drug legally for medical purposes.

Mackey admits marijuana has helped him stay awake and focused through the 1,100-mile race, but he insists it doesn’t give him an edge... for the rest of the story please visit ohmidog.com

Update: End of the Year Meetings and Events

Hello NORML Friends!!!

The End of the Year is once again upon us and we have had great success early on, working several tables handing out free information, educating the masses, Plus helping organize the large gatherings on the last Saturday of every month at the Colorado State Capital over the past six months. We have had the privilege of working closely with The Denver 420 Rally Team, who have been out there gathering peacefully, over the course of several years, month in and month out.

1) We are having our Monthly Meeting, which is open to the public and all are welcome to attend on December 16th, 7pm at the Gypsy House 1279 Marion St (303) 830-1112 Denver, CO. Its easy to find and serve great food and herbal teas.

2) Our friends at the Mile High Wellness Center (6740 E Hampden suite 100 Denver CO 80224 720-382-8516 http://www.milehighwellness.net) are having a Charity Dinner to help raise money for a local orphanage in Denver this Holiday season. The event will be at Mile High Station, on Dec 17th. Cocktails will be served at 6 with dinner @ 7:30 and the silent auction will end at 9. Tickets can be ordered online for $30 at milehighwellness.net, semi-formal attire if you can help please bring any and all donations. They can be brought to the store or by contact us!!

3) Join Mile High NORML and the Denver 420 Rally Team on Saturday December 26th from 3-5pm on the West Side of the Capital Steps where we will be peacefully protesting the Criminalization of Marijuana, with local guest speakers, great music, vendors and dispensaries passing out educational pamphlets.

4) Join us January 14, 2010 from 11:00am - 2:00pm on the West Side Steps of the Colorado Capital as we address the Colorado General Assembly on the upcoming marijuana issues. List of confirmed speakers for the 14th:

Shawn Hauser: DU Law Student and President of the newly formed DU N.O.R.M.L chapter, Rob Corry: Stanford Law Grad, Most experienced criminal marijuana and civil liberties lawyer, Mason Tvert: Executive Director S.A.F.E.R. Member of Denver Mayors Marijuana review policy panel, Carlos Valverde: Executive Director Colorado Progressive Coalition, Dr. Robert J. Melamede: Ph.D. Chairman of the Biology Department of the University of Colorado Conducting Scientific research on Cannabinoids, Paul Saurini: Marijuana Radio Host, Shannon Smith: Metro State College Student plus several other noteworthy speakers Sean McAllister: Founder of Sensible Colorado , a drug policy reform nonprofit, Warren Edson Defense and Marijuana Law Attorney in Colorado , Brian Vicente, Miguel Lopez, Damian Lagoy, Larry Frieling and Dan Pope

Denver Councilman Charlie Brown presents his 'pot' proposal

Early today on a cold snowy morning, The Denver City Council Safety Committee meet today to discuss the blooming industry of Medical Marijuana and how to regulate them within the Denver city limits... Councilman Charlie Brown, not the famous Peanuts character has drafted a ordinance in which HE THINKS will help the city regulate the industry.

There are several things wrong with the councilman's proposal. I have highlighted some of the items that we here at Mile High NORML are most concerned with...

1) The council will not try to define the term caregiver. They will leave that up to the Colroado Dept of Health, they plan to define the defination there next meeting, Time TBA

2) In Sec. 24-403 section (a) On and after [March, 1, 2010] it shall be unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise distribute any marijuana for medical use without obtaining a license to operate as a medical marijuana dispensary pursuant to the requirements of this article. This licensing requirement shall apply regardless of whether or not a medical marijuana dispensary has commenced operation prior to said date...

The only problem I for see in this is the price of obtaining the license itself 1. Application fee is $2,000 2. Criminal background check fee, per person checked 3. License fee, per year is $3,000

3) In Sec. 24-405 - Application (a) Application for a medical marijuana dispensary license shall be made to the director upon forms provided by the director for that purpose. In addition to the information required by Chapter 32 of this Code, the application shall include the following information: #'s 1 though 4 are basic standard application stuff all but number (4) Name and address of any manager or managers of the medical marijuana dispensary, if the manager is proposed to be someone other than the owner. The application shall also contain 24-hour contact information for the manager or managers of the licensed premises which shall be made available to the general public in order to provide a prompt response to public questions and concerns about the operation of the licensed premises

We are pleased to announce that this was slashed down after 10 minuets or so of debating. In no other buisness is there a need for the owner to have 24 contact info. If in the middle of the night something happens the police will not have any problems locating the owner/s of the building. Actually the whole Application section is filled with quarky things. They are just trying to make it as hard as they can.

4) In 24-408. Requirements related to licensed premises (a) No marijuana shall be smoked, eaten or otherwise consumed or ingested on the licensed premises....

FUNK THAT. We should be able to use our medicine where ever we fell the need.

in the same section

(g) The licensed premises shall be monitored and secured 24-hours per day including, at a minimum, the following security measures:

Just another cost that will be passed along to the consumer.

***They stopped only after 7 pages of simple debate and agreed to reconvine the meeting and discuss the rest of the proposal, two weeks from now on 12/16/09.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Denver Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licensing Ordinance
Amend Chapter 24, D.R.M.C. ("Health and Sanitation") by adding a new Article XI, to read as follows:

Article XI. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Sec. 24-401. Purpose and legislative intent. Although the possession and use of marijuana is and remains unlawful under Federal law, Section 14 of Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution ("Amendment 20") provides an exception to prosecution under state criminal laws when marijuana is possessed and used for medicinal purposes by a patient who has been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition and by the patient's primary caregivers. Amendment 20 does not, however, contain any provision for the lawful sale or distribution of marijuana to patients and, to date, the State of Colorado has failed to adopt laws or regulations to clearly explain how and whether marijuana may be lawfully sold or otherwise distributed to patients. As a result of this ambiguity in the State law, unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries have proliferated in Denver and elsewhere in Colorado. The purpose of this Article is to license and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in the interest of public health, safety and general welfare. In particular, this Article in intended to regulate the sale and distribution of marijuana in the interest of patients who qualify to obtain, possess and use marijuana for medical purposes under Amendment 20, while promoting compliance with other state laws that prohibit trafficking in marijuana for non-medical purposes. Nothing in this article is intended to promote or condone the sale, distribution, possession or use of marijuana in violation of any applicable law. Compliance with the requirements of this article shall not provide a defense to criminal prosecution under any applicable law. Persons who cultivate, possess, sell, distribute, purchase, or use marijuana, whether for medical or non-medical purposes, do so at their own risk of prosecution under any applicable federal, state or local law.

Original Article Denver Westword

Marijuana Has Probably Has Been Studied More Than The Atom! Allen St Pierre NORML

Untitled:

ooh i hate those bastards for all the suffering they cause. Everyday the death machine sends out its brain police to murder freedom wherever it may grow.

They don't hate you because you are a criminal -

They hate you -

for being free.

A Poem by Lou C the Professor

Colorado justice commission suggests lighter penalties for drug possession

There is more and more cannabis related news breaking daily some good and bad... And also some HUGE steps in the right direction. Sunday the Denver Post reported...

"A commission of Colorado criminal justice leaders voted Friday to recommend reduced penalties for possessing marijuana and other illegal drugs.

If Colorado legislators adopt the recommendations, possessing up to 4 ounces of marijuana would become a petty offense instead of a criminal misdemeanor, and possessing 8 to 16 ounces would become a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

The Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice also favored lower-level felony charges for possessing a few grams of cocaine or methamphetamine and reducing the charge for illegally possessing various prescription drugs from a felony to a misdemeanor. It excepted possession of "date-rape" drugs, which would remain a felony." Denver Post

Now granted this is a great start. Being personally arrested over ten times in several Colorado cities it is good to see that the judges agree that is time to re-think the drug laws not only in this state but throughout the country. It is although not good enough. We will not be happy unless any and all laws regarding cannabis are removed.

Great News Today in the Denver Court...

Today Marijuana advacates all over Colorado celebrated today as Denver Judge Larry Naves took 2 hours to come to the conclusion that last weeks emegency Colorado Board of Health hearing was invalid and now void...

"By the evidence presented here today, I find that the defendants have violated the court order when, in November, there was a meeting without notice that complied with the law and the parties changed the rules," says Naves. "I find that there was no emergency. The justification for an emergency was a Court of Appeals decision that was not even final. And the Court of Appeals could not use the [Board of Appeals rule in question]...

"It appears from the transcripts from the meeting on November 3rd [that they] did not understand how Court of Appeals decision even worked, even though it was suggested here that the explanation was given off the record...

"Even though the Court of Appeals had an opportunity to say in the ruling that this new rule was in conflict with this decision, they did not do that...

"[I had a concern] two years ago, and it appears that the board did the exact same thing they promised not to do. One of the reasons they violated the rules is that they seem to forget the plaintiffs in this case. In the transcript, there isn't any mention of the plaintiffs in the case... These people have, without dispute, serious problems for which they have prescriptions for medical marijuana... There was no mention of the impact of this change on these people... There is no consideration of how plaintiffs and others who need medical marijuana would obtain it...

"So, again, I find that the board in their November 3rd meeting violated the law. Therefore the rule change they enacted is invalid and void....

MPP’s Aaron Houston on Fox Freedom Watch 11/09/2009

MPP Director of Government Relations Aaron Houston appears on Fox Freedom Watch to talk about the advances in marijuana policy and the failure of the drug war with Judge Andrew Napolitano. 11/09/2009

The Drug War and the Constitution

I think I may have found the best argument on the web with regards the drug war and how it violates the very principles of our Constitution and The Bill of Rights. The Aurthur Paul Hager is the 2000 Libertarian Senate nominee of the Indiana Libertarian Party. Hager received 33,992 votes for 1.6% of the total vote.

I'd like to draw your attention to companion notes that I put together for this talk. They're located on the tables out back there, and I think that those of you who are doing CLE have them in your manuals.

Well, I'm going to attempt to descend into the murky depths of political philosophy and Constitutional analysis. At the outset, I do have a caveat: the arguments I am going to be presenting have never been endorsed by Congress or the courts and I hope that during the question and answer session we can get into this in a little bit more detail.

The thesis that I want to advance today is that the drug war and the laws that prohibit the private consumption of certain drugs are un-Constitutional. Prohibition laws, themselves, violate every tenet of limited government that is embodied in our Constitution.

To begin, let me pose a question: why was it necessary to amend the Constitution in order to prohibit the drug alcohol? And, while you are cogitating on that: how is it possible to prohibit other drugs without going through the formal amendment process? Well, I think, in order to answer these questions, it's necessary to take a look at what the Constitution is supposed to be.

At the recent confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas (uh, Clarence Thomas, by the way, -- he and I have at least two things in common: we're both ex marijuana users [chuckles from the audience], and we're both married to attorneys) -- in any case, there was a lot of discussion at the hearings about natural law and natural rights. Just about all of the participants seemed to agree that our system recognizes the existence of "inalienable" natural rights and that government exists to "secure" those rights for its citizens. It's just as well that they agreed on that -- the architects of our system of government, in fact, had that principle in mind, and they viewed the Constitution as being a blueprint for a limited government in which those powers that were to be made available to the federal government would be listed. If a power is not listed in the Constitution, it is not supposed to be available to the Federal government. Two hundred odd years ago, when the Bill of Rights -- which we're here to celebrate -- was being debated, there were those who opposed the Bill of Rights on the grounds that, uh, they're completely unnecessary. It's redundant -- the rights already exist and therefore they don't have a place in the Constitution. In fact, they made the argument that a Bill of Rights is dangerous because at some future point in time, people would get the idea that if a right wasn't to be found in the Constitution -- like privacy -- it did not exist. Perhaps the best articulation I've ever seen of this principle is to be found in The Federalist Papers...

The rest of this excellent article can be found at the Drug War Library

David Nutt: Governments should get real on drugs

IF THERE is one thing that politicians can and should do to limit the damage caused by illegal drugs, it is to take careful note of the evidence and develop a rational drug policy. Some politicians find it easier to ignore the evidence, and pander to public prejudice instead.

I can trace the beginning of the end of my role as chairman of the UK's official advisory body on drugs to the moment I quoted a New Scientist editorial (14 February, p 5). Entitled, fittingly enough, "Drugs drive politicians out of their minds", the editorial asked the reader to imagine being seated at a table with two bowls, one containing peanuts, the other the illegal drug MDMA (ecstasy). Which is safer to give to a stranger? Why, the ecstasy of course.

I quoted these words in the Eve Saville lecture at King's College London in July. This example plus other comments I have made – such as horse riding is more harmful than ecstasy – prompted Alan Johnson, the home secretary, to say that I had crossed the line from science to policy. This, he said, is why I had to go.

But simple, accurate and understandable statements of scientific fact are precisely what the advisory council is supposed to provide. Why would any scientist take up some future offer of a government advisory post when their advice can be treated with such disdain?

As well as ignoring its own advisers, the UK is falling out of step with international trends. When Portugal softened its drugs laws in 2001, drug use remained roughly constant, but ill health and deaths from drug taking fell. Decriminalisation quietly crept up the agenda in Vienna this year at a meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, where governments heard new, independent evidence on how the harms of criminalisation were outweighing the benefits. In August, President Felipe Calderón of Mexico approved a law decriminalising possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs. And just last month, Eric Holder, the US attorney general, instructed federal prosecutors to stop hounding medical users of marijuana in the 14 states where such use is legal.

No one doubts that heavy users of marijuana are risking trouble with their mental health. What I have simply pointed out is that we need a consistent policy, recognising that heavy users of alcohol and tobacco are more numerous and are causing themselves – and others – even more trouble through their indulgence.

Policies that ignore the realities of the world we live in are doomed to fail. This is true for just about all the biggest issues that we confront, from energy and climate to criminal justice, health and immigration. I'm not arguing that science dictate policy; considerations such as cost, practicality and morality also have a role. But scientific evidence should never be brushed aside from the political debate.

The current British government has said repeatedly that it wants its policies to be evidence-based, but actions speak louder than words. On ecstasy, for example, it made policy first, sought advice second – and cynically rejected the advice it was given. The result is shambolic policy-making which gives great cause for concern if that is how governments operate more generally.

The results of a government inventing its own reality and acting on it can be seen in the appalling consequences the George W. Bush presidency had for world peace, the environment and human rights. The message for the British government is a simple one: don't exclude rational argument in order to exploit a visceral public response. Politicians have to win the hearts and minds of their electorate. If your policy is informed by an underlying moral imperative, be open about what that is, and don't try to disguise it with a veneer of pseudo-science. We ignore scientific evidence at our peril.


Original Article New Scientist
David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, was chairman of the UK government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs until he was dismissed last week by the UK home

Health board changes MMJ "caregiver" rule

The smoke has cleared and when everything was said and done I think that its not that bad of an outcome today.

In a 9-0 vote the Colorado Board of Health voted today to temporarily revise rules governing medical marijuana in order to comply with a court decision that said a 'caregiver' must do more than give patients medicine.

For the consumer, they will receive different services that may not have been offered to them in the past. We think that this is something that should have been happening years ago but. Now if you look at it from the caregivers side... they now have to provide other services that have expenses, and it will have a price tag that will most definitely be passes along to the consumer. And it will also 'weed' out (pun intended) the bad shop and force the other 'non players' back into the underground system with possibility of being busted and clogging up the justice system.

The next hearing will be on December 16th and the Time is TBA but this is a cant miss event and something that everyone should and i think will attend.

CO. Health Board plans emergency vote to Weaken Medical Marijuana Law!!!

In an underhanded move, the Colorado Board of Health will be voting to weaken the medical marijuana law at an "emergency" meeting on Tuesday, November 3 at 10:30am in Denver. At this stealth meeting the Board will be voting to redefine what a "caregiver" is to require such individuals to provide supplementary-- and often unnecessary-- services beyond simply providing sick patients with medical marijuana.

"This is like requiring my pharmacist to give me a massage or make me a sandwich," said Dan Pope, muscular dystrophy patient and medical card holder. "I can do those activities myself. I need a caregiver to give me medicine. End of story."

This meeting, which was announced in a late afternoon email to a small handful of patient advocates, is another example of the state engaging in underhanded tactics in their effort to undermine the medical marijuana law and the will of the Colorado voters. Please help hold them accountable.

Here's How You Can Help:

(1) Attend the Meeting. This meeting will occur at 10:30am on Tuesday, November 3 in the Snow Room, 1st Floor Building A of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Dr. South, Denver CO.

(2) Call-in to the Meeting. While we strongly prefer that you attend in person, you can also call-in at 1-866-899-5399, conference code *3529725*

(3) Spread the Word. Please tell friends and family to attend the meeting and forward this alert widely!

THC: Think Hemp Colorado

There has been so much goings on in the past week and not only in this great state of Colorado but all across the country in regards to cannabis. I heard one reporter on FOX news no less, say that the memo released on Monday from President Obama and the D.O.J. was in comparison to the Berlin Wall falling in the mid eighty's. Having said this we here at Mile High NORML are rejoicing but we also think that its only the beginning and the final chapter has yet to be written.

On Tuesday the day after the historic memo was released. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers came out and lashed the president publicly using harsh words of criticism. Suthers thinks that the Federal Government should "stay out of Colorado affairs regarding medical marijuana" because the laws are so vague. He would like to see clarification in the subject but with Colorado's medical marijuana law a part of the state constitution it makes it nearly imposable to amend. Which is exactly how the authors designed it.

On Wednesday Dem. State Sen. Chris Romer announced plans to introduce a medical-marijuana bill next year clarifying regulations involving pot-using patients. Denver attorney Rob Corry, who handles medical-marijuana cases, was quoted in saying, he is leery of lawmakers adding more government regulations "But if Sen. Romer is approaching this from the perspective of making medicine more accessible to patients and at a lower price, I'm less concerned about it," Read the DP article on Sen Romer

I read the Denver Post everyday and everyday i see the stories regarding marijuana and i am not sure how i should take it. The DP editorials dept support medical marijuana but by the sounds of its writers Reefer Madness is in full effect. This week article by Mike Mcphee in the paper really showed the true intentions of the paper. DEA Claims that the Mexican Cartels are supplying the Dispensaries here in Denver "dispensaries are popping up like mushrooms" And whats it doing is trying to scare the public away from medical marijuana. Now I have meet several growers recently around here and none of them are Mexican nor do they have any ties with any cartels. And quite frankly the pure racism is incredible hard to swallow. Read the DP article on Cartels This is not the first time that the DP has made comments against Mexicans. Over the summer the DP reported that the Forrest service released a statement saying "If you come across people listening to Mexican music drinking Hecate and eating tortillas there is a good chance that they are Mexican cartel members growing marijuana illegally??? Really

And finally with over 12,000 documented studies on Cannabonoids archived by the U.S. Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health the US Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske on Fox Business High Noon yesterday he still said that there is no medical use for marijuana??? Really Gil Really???

Obama to sign new medical marijuana policy

AP NEWS BREAK - WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.

Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

California is unique among those for the widespread presence of dispensaries — businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services. Colorado also has several dispensaries, and Rhode Island and New Mexico are in the process of licensing providers, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that promotes the decriminalization of marijuana use.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in March that he wanted federal law enforcement officials to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.

A three-page memo spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the 14 states, and also to top officials at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the legal guidance before it is issued.

"This is a major step forward," said Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "This change in policy moves the federal government dramatically toward respecting scientific and practical reality."

At the same time, the officials said, the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business.

In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or other crimes.

And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law.

The memo, officials said, is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. Attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that pot sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources.

Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama's repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.

Shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government's plans.

AP NEWS BREAK

Another Stiletto Stoner Story: Elle Magazine on marijuana as anxiety relief

We are seeing a barrage of Main Stream News articles of the past few weeks regarding marijuana and here's the newest... First there was the Stiletto Stoners in Marie Claire followed by Coverage of the article on The Today's Show with Matt Lauer and now this. Elle magazine looks into the benefits of marijuana when suffering with or from anxiety. Elle Magazine

"Each time I went to pick up my dosage at a dispensary, I weighed the costs of medicinal marijuana. While the literal cost was roughly the same as street weed (on average, $55 for the standard 3.5 grams, known colloquially as “an eighth”), I did pay a price in that all of a sudden, my pot smoking was a habit to be discussed with others. My parents resisted the idea at first; my mom handed me more than her usual share of newspaper clippings on the harm smoke inflicts on the lungs or the latest DEA dispensary raid. I got good at relaying what I’d read in studies—that modulation of my cannabinoid system may alleviate anxiety disorder more quickly than SSRIs and with fewer side effects—to the point that people usually agreed to let me go about my own business, as long as it made me feel better."

2009 National NORML Conference

I'm back from San Francisco and the 2009 National NORML Conference. I also brought back with me some gross kind of illness that put in bed for two days. My body ached my head hurt and i was freezing but i made the best of it and i feel much better today.

For those who haven't had the privilege of attending a NORML Conference let me tell you what your missing. Depending on the event there are 300 - 500 Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers, Students, Mothers, Daughters, Brothers and Fathers get together and discuss the marijuana movement. Its 24 hours of meetings and lectures but don't worry, it isn't all talk... Just outside the hotel doors usually in the large open patio dozens of people come to talk and medicate. Its a chance for everyone to meet up, smoke, get some sun or just talk outside without interrupting the conference. The hotels that are chosen are very laid back and respect the fact that we are going to smother the hotel in marijuana smoke.

Paul Armentano started the conference off the first day which strictly focused on medical marijuana. Throughout the whole conference over 40 doctors and attorneys spoke for the crowd, including Colorado's own high profile attorneys Rob Correy (pictured here) and Warren Edson. All three days were great. Some many people so little time. I reached out to everyone I could introducing myself and the chapter.. More pictures to come soon...

Attention We Need Your Support...

Three weeks before the 2008 4/20 Rally, Miguel Lopez and Team 420 were soliciting contributions for the 420 rally in front of the Denver Pavilions in Downtown Denver when Security Guard Gus Rupel came out to complain about there presence on the 16th Street Mall. Security Guard Rupel ridiculously claimed to Denver Police that the group was "trying to get kids high." Later On April 8th of that same year. Miguel Lopez went into the Pavilions to purchase some rolling papers when Rupel physically assaulted Lopez and charged him with trespassing. Miguel was not soliciting nor had he been warned not to enter the Pavilions, so his presence there was legal; he did not trespass.

Rupel commented false arrest and lied to Denver Police. He targeted Miguel because of his political views and violated his civil rights in an attempt to silence him. The Pavilions still employs Rupel and has failed to repudiate his outrages conduct.

PLEASE CALL TODAY THE GENERAL MANAGER REED BENNETT at 303-260-6001 AND DEMAND THAT THEY FIRE RUPEL AND APOLOGIZE FOR ASSAULTING ONE OF ITS PATRONS. PLEASE BOYCOTT ALL BUSINESS IN THE PAVILIONS UNTIL THERE MANAGEMENT COMPLIES.

PLEASE COME SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR MIGUEL!!!
WHERE: COURTROOM 150F, DENVER CITY HALL, 1437 BANNOCK ST.
WHEN: WEDS. SEPT 23 AT 8:30AM. PLEASE ARRIVE AROUND 8:15

Recap: Marc Emery Rally @ Skyline Park

Thousands across this country and all over the world protested the incarceration of Marc Emery on Saturday the 19th and the turn out in Denver was fantastic! Thanks to all who came and voiced there opinion.

At 4:20 the place was packed and the speaker at the time Attorney Rob Corry took a moment to recognize the time, The crowed cheered and a hush fell over the place and the air was quickly filled with a Grey haze. The police were absent and there were no altercations as people smoked freely on the busy outside mall, all except for one lonely motorcycle cop that sat in the back at the mouth of the outside mall, he didn't bother anybody but watched closely and scribbled a few notes. So be it.

Again thanks to everyone who came out and we will see you at the end of the month on the west steps of the capital! The link to some great pics are coming soon!

For more info on other rallies across the globe:
Cannabis Culture

HUD Agrees to Give Medical Marijuana Patients a Second Chance

An agreement has been reached in the case of Colorado licensed medical marijuana patient Bill Hewitt and The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The agreement allows for the reinstatement of Mr. Hewitt’s federal housing voucher provided he agrees not to engage in the illegal use of a controlled substance as defined under state and federal law.

Mr. Hewitt, who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, had his housing voucher rescinded shortly after being featured in an article in the local newspaper regarding his use of medical marijuana. Mr. Hewitt then filed a discriminatory complaint against the Montrose Housing Authority and the Colorado Division of Housing alleging that by rescinding his housing voucher they had failed to make reasonable accommodations for his disability.

This precedent setting case is very important to medical marijuana patients who are receiving federal housing assistance and unknowingly violate the terms of their housing agreement by using medical marijuana in their homes. Thanks to Mr. Hewitt and his attorney, Bradley Switzer, medical marijuana patients who are receiving federal housing assistance now have second chance!

According to Sensible Colorado's blog

'Marijuana is SAFER' book review

This book is a MUST Read for Everyone in America!

I finished reading the book "Marijuana is SAFER... So why are we driving people to drink?" for a second time just recently and literally I couldn't put the book down reading it a second time with a yellow highlighter in hand.


This book is Absolutely Fantastic! This should be a real eye opener for anyone who is still hypnotized by "Reefer Madness". This book Exposes the Lies, Racism and false propaganda that is responsible for much of today's crime and gang problems, responsible for the extreme petroleum era damage to our earth, and the ruining or ending the lives of 100's of Millions of People Worldwide.

The book is authored by 3 of the great minds on the subject of Prohibition today. Steve Fox MPP, Paul Armentano NORML'S Deputy Director and Mason Tvert of SAFER based here in beautiful Denver, Colorado. With a wonderful forward by Former Police Chef Norm Stamper now a Director with LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)

This in-depth book is broke down into 3 parts...

Part One: The Choice: Marijuana vs. Alcohol
According to a study 90% of Americans have drank alcohol while 45% of Americans have smoked marijuana. Being that marijuana is still illegal, it is hard to come up with accurate numbers on users nation wide but in the study America came in, of course #1 in marijuana uses by adults world wide. Americans spend just over $130 billion a year on alcohol making it the number 1 way Americans alter there natural state. The marijuana industry in American alone tops an estimated $110 million and that's with $0.00 in advertising giving alcohol a run for its money.

Part Two: Choice, Interrupted
"Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) 18 Dec. 1840, to Illinois House of Representatives

Part Three: Freedom to Choice
In this chapter they have an excellent vision of the future with a story of someone getting off a long hard day at the office, driving home stopping at the movie store then heading to the local marijuana store. A licensed and regulated business that sells locally grown cannabis by the gram to legal aged adults. Its a great vision of the future and I know after reading this book i am ready to fight for it as well. Are you?

Sept 19th World Wide Rally for Marc Emery

Marc Emery is a well-known activist, Vancouver retail store owner, and editor of Cannabis Culture Magazine. He was raided by Canadian police and the US DEA on July 29th, 2005, and arrested for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet.

Marc is expected to be sentenced in the Seattle Federal Court of Ricardo Martinez on or around Monday, September 21. The plea agreement is for a 5-year sentence in US Federal Prison. The global rallies in support of Marc will be on Saturday, September 19th @ Skyline Park (16th Street Mall and Arapahoe) Downtown Denver from 3 - 5 pm with guest speakers and great music Skyline Park Info

Fine for pot in Denver could go down to $1

Thanks to 9NEWS in DENVER -

A city panel in charge of overseeing marijuana possession crimes in Denver recommended on Wednesday that the fine for possession be set at $1

If Denver's presiding judge accepts the recommendation from the Denver Marijuana Policy Review Panel, the fine would be the lowest in the entire nation for marijuana possession.

The panel was created by Mayor John Hickenlooper in December 2007 after voters passed an ordinance that made it so adult marijuana possession is the city's "lowest lawn enforcement priority."

In May 2008, the city attorney's office made it so those cited for the crime can mail in their fines instead of having to appear in court. At that time, the city attorney's office assigned the value of the fine at $50.

"By setting the fine at just $1, we are sending a message to Denver officials that the era of citing adults for using a less harmful drug than alcohol is over. It's simply not worth the city's time or resources," said panel member and SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, who coordinated the successful Denver marijuana initiatives.

Lt. Ernest Martinez with the Denver Police Department is also part of the panel and voted against lowering the fine.

"There's no indication that there's a problem with the fine schedule," Martinez said. "The panel is going outside the bounds of the language of the ordinance."

Martinez thinks there should be more dialogue about the changes.

9NEWS

New Medical Marijuana States to Come

Medical Marijuana is steamrolling along and I believe along with many others that 2010 will be a great year but we are not there yet. We still have a few states lagging behind, slowing the rest of us all down. If all 50 states have some sort of medical marijuana law, then the Feds would have to listen!

Currently, 14 new states Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin are actively working on Medical Marijuana bills with Idaho and Oklahoma having initiatives and/or bills being formed.

While there are 14 states having medical marijuana protection, there are still 22 states doing absolutely nothing. If you live in one of these states please visit NORML.ORG For help in getting bills started and passed!

July 16th Rally for Caregivers!

Dear Marijuana Activists, Caregivers, and Patients:

If the city gets there way, they will limit the number of patients that a caregiver can have to 5. And in a time where the economy needs any and all the help it can get, it will then destroy almost 100 business throughout the state and it will cost more than a hundred people there jobs. All they want to do is provide a valuable, and much needed service!

If you are like us and find this absurd please show up on July 20,2009 and show your support.

Hearing Location:
Tivoli Student Union
Turnhalle Conference Room 250
Auraria Campus, 900 Auraria Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
9am - 4pm

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PATIENT TO ATTEND & SUPPORT!

The Colorado Coalition of Patients and Caregivers is demonstrating next week, Thursday, July 16 at the CDPHE and the Attorney General's office to publicize their attack on Amendment 20 of our Constitution (the Medical Marijuana Amendment). Please read and make copies of the attached press release and flyers and go viral: we need your help to turn out as many people as possible to our protest! Please help by posting notice on any websites, blogs, boards; tell all your friends, patients, loved ones; anything and everything you can do to help us get the word out is much appreciated. I realize that this is short notice, but if we work together we can really help set the stage for and complement what Sensible Colorado and NORML will say to the Board of Health on July 20.

Directions and Time to follow shortly!

Important Hearing: Colorado Dept of Health to Limit Patients of Caregivers

If the State gets there way, they will limit the number of patients that a caregiver can have to 5. And in a time where the economy needs any and all the help it can get, it will then destroy almost 100 business throughout the state and it will cost more than a hundred people there jobs. All they want to do is provide a valuable, and much needed service!

If you are like us and find this absurd please show up on July 20,2009 and show your support.

Hearing Location:
Tivoli Student Union
Turnhalle Conference Room 250
Auraria Campus, 900 Auraria Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
9am - 4pm

Click here for more info!
Colorado 420

LAPD: Fire-gutted building housed pot farm

This article was from the A.P today

Pot Farm on Fire!

If Marijuana was legalized this wouldn't happen! Am i wrong??If "it" marijuana was legal, the fire department like all other business, would have inspected the farm and told the owners of what they were doing wrong and what needed change.

LOS ANGELES — Police hauled bags of marijuana out of a fire-gutted warehouse Thursday after firefighters discovered a full-blown pot farm inside, authorities said.

About 1,000 plants with a street value of $1 million were found after firefighters doused the blaze, police officer Tenesha Dobine said.

It was unclear how much marijuana might have been destroyed in the fire, she said.

The immature, 4- to 6-inch-high plants were grown in an elaborate hydroponic setup and investigators were trying to determine whether electrical equipment used in the operation may have sparked the fire, police and fire officials said.

"They had lights and an air conditioning system for the plants and a whole water circulation system," Los Angeles fire Capt. Henry Amaran told KCAL-TV.

No arrests were immediately made.

Flames and heavy smoke were pouring through the roof when firefighters arrived at the one-story commercial building near the Los Angeles River shortly after 6:40 a.m., fire Capt. Steve Ruda said.

It took 75 firefighters about 40 minutes to douse the blaze.

The roof collapsed and the 100-by-150-foot building was gutted but no firefighters were injured, Ruda said.

Ruda said half of the building was vacant and had a "for lease" sign up.

The other half of the building contained the marijuana farm.

Denver Post's Greene: What is state smoking?

This article appeared in the local section of the paper today!

Denver Post

On good days, Jason Young walks with a cane or uses a wheelchair. On bad ones, he can't get out of bed.

"The pain overwhelms me without something to take care of it," says the 33-year-old multiple sclerosis patient from Denver.

At first, he treated his muscle spasms with prescribed Percocet, which made him drool. Then he switched to Vicodin, which made him dumb.

Finally, Young turned to a different treatment — daily fixes of high-grade marijuana. Now he's having more good days than bad.

"The law works," he says. "The state is trying to fix a policy that isn't broken."

Young is one of 7,630 Coloradans registered under a voter-approved law legalizing marijuana for people with medical problems. The state doesn't track the number of so-called caregivers designated to grow and dispense the "medicine."

(Turns out that terms like "dealer" and "pot" are frowned upon by health officials.)

The caregiving business has boomed since Barack Obama signaled that his administration won't prosecute medical users or suppliers who follow state laws. Some 30 dispensaries have opened in Colorado since he took office.

One of the busiest is Patients' Choice on South Broadway, offering 18 organic strains to take the edge off everything from broken bones to nausea. Its "A-Train" herb offers a peppy buzz that's light on the lungs. I'm told. And "Maui Wowie" promises sleep for insomniacs.

Young is partial to a prescribed blend of "Endless Sky" and "Island Sweet Skunk," and to orange-flavor hashish lollipops that ease pain smoke-free.

Co-owner Jim Bent claims his shop has 300 customers; he and partners opened it in February.

To keep business budding, he and fellow caregivers are rallying against a proposed policy to limit their clientele to only five patients per provider. The reforms also would redefine "caregiver" to mean someone who also cooks, cleans or gives rides to sick users.

The first attempt to curb legal dealing went up in smoke.

That was after the Board of Health passed the five-patient cap in 2004. Legalization advocates persuaded a judge to overturn the policy because the meeting was held in secret.

The board has scheduled a hearing on its proposed rule changes for July 20. It has taken the unusual step of renting a bigger room to accommodate members of the public, 350 of whom already have commented by e-mail.

Oddly, the same officials pushing the reforms refuse to discuss the rationale behind them.

"We just don't get out and beat a drum and make a case of what the department's position is going to be," says health spokesman Mark Salley in a statement that sounds pretty paranoid to me.

Meantime, critics are fuming, arguing the changes stray from what voters passed in 2000.

"They would block safe access, limit choices and rip patients from their caregivers," says Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a nonprofit pushing for legalization.

Advocates also argue the proposals would steer sick people to black-market cannabis that could be moldy, laced with chemicals and expensive. Caregivers take umbrage at the suggestion that cultivating marijuana isn't caring enough. They gripe that the redefinition diminishes their talents.

"I grow medicine, top-notch, with unparalleled professionalism," says Todd Young, a self-described "urban shamanist" from Boulder.

"No one would ever think of making a neighborhood Walgreens pharmacist prepare food and wipe up after patients."

Susan Greene writes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach her at 303-954-1989 or greene@denverpost.com.

Happy Independence Day !

July 4 1776, 233 years ago our country DECLARED it Independence. We have come along way. Help us carry her over the hump. Mile High NORML's Independence Day Rally at the Capital from 3:30pm - 4:30. Come Celebrate your freedom of speech by DECLARING that the Federal/State agencies CEASE its war against adult cannabis consumers. See you there!

Sunday @ the Capital

Here are a few pictures from a good crowd on Sunday. We go there kind of late and i heard that the Troopers were messing us for a little bit but they left before 4:20. Remember last weekend of the month @ 4:20 at the west end of the capital! Feel free to come and join us. Now is the time the wind is at our backs.

Video: Marijuana Expo Draws 20,000

Rally at the Capital

Hello to all.

On the last Saturday of every month at the State Capital People have been gathering since the mid 90's to express there First Amendment rights and protest for legalization/decriminalization of Marijuana not only in Colorado but the rest of the Country as well. Feel free to come join us next month!

Hello World