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???
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
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
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."
"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."
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