Month: November 2019

Growers come in all shapes and sizes. And all may have their various reasons and methods to keep their crops alive in various climates, both geographically and politically.

This New York Times piece details the poignant struggle of one grandmother in Swaziland, Africa as she tries to make ends meet.

“Without weed, we would be starving,”

PIGGS PEAK, Swaziland — After her daughters died, Khathazile took in her 11 orphaned grandchildren without hesitation. It is what a gogo, or grandmother, does in a country where the world’s highest H.I.V. infection rate has left a sea of motherless children.

Perhaps. But Khathazile has some insurance in case divine intervention fails: Swazi Gold, a highly potent and valuable strain of marijuana that is sought after in the thriving drug market of next-door South Africa. In a field deep in the forest, atop a distant hill in this arid corner of tiny Swaziland, Khathazile grows Swazi Gold to keep her growing brood of grandchildren fed, clothed and in school.

Read more.

Medical marijuana sign by activist Jim Miller on the steps of the NJ State House- *photo by Diane Fornbacher

7/12/2011 – Commentary by Chris Goldstein – Governor Christie and the New Jersey Legislature often tout the state’s medical marijuana law as being the “most restrictive in the nation.” Sure, it is so strict that seriously ill or even terminal residents don’t get any marijuana at all.

Some of the blame falls right back on the Legislature. Elected officials spent five years debating a law that included provisions for home cultivation. That pragmatic language was cut at the last minute by the Assembly Health Committee. States like Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington and Maine have allowed small plots by patients and caregivers while dispensary regulations are worked out. Without these provisions New Jersey residents have been left without any legal access.

Yet the delays, legal wrangling and plain opposition to the compassionate use law from the Christie Administration have been among the most unsettling acts of politics in NJ. The issue cast a clear picture of the storm that has hit Trenton. Governor Christie cares to spend time on cancer patients and those living with AIDS only to keep them from consuming state-approved cannabis. Perhaps if every suffering patient were a millionaire living in a North Jersey suburb they would get better treatment.

Last year Gov. Christie requested a six-month to one-year delay in implementing the law. At the same time he suggested that Rutgers University should have a monopoly contract for growing and distributing the state regulated cannabis. Like all of the Gov’s other medical marijuana ideas the giant Crimson Knights Cannabis Farm was clearly designed to fail. Patients and advocates rallied against both concepts. But the legislature passed a 90-day delay. Christie has since extended this indefinitely.

The Legislature then passed concurrent resolutions stating that the Christie Administration’s proposed regulations for the program violate the intent of the law. Patients were forced to re-testify again and again before committees in Trenton. But elected officials have not taken the final steps to remove those maliciously constructed rules.

At the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey we hear directly from NJ patients on the phone, via email and through social media.

Given false hopes and hollow assurances many patients have already given up on the program. Some are planning to move to states like Maine, Colorado or Rhode Island. Others hit the streets to pay exorbitant prices for medical grade cannabis.

And qualifying patients do get arrested. We saw the state vigorously prosecute John Ray Wilson, a man without health benefits trying to treat Multiple Sclerosis by growing seventeen marijuana plants. Wilson got a five-year prison sentence. Another qualifying patient, David Barnes, chased down Gov. Christie at several Town Hall Meetings. Christie told Barnes that he would have a state issued ID card for medical marijuana; twice …back in 2010.

But not every ill patient can corner the governor for a bold-faced lie in front of TV cameras. At this time, not a single ID card has been issued.

Then there are the strictly law abiding citizens, some of them dying from their conditions. Although their physicians recommend cannabis and they know it could help relieve their suffering, they wait for fully legal access. Thousands of qualifying terminally ill residents have passed away already, waiting in vain.

Unfortunately the compassionate use program was not immune from Jersey-style politics from both parties. Six medical marijuana Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC) have been approved by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Three ATCs have close ties back to none other than Gov. Christie. Another ATC has Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, a powerful Democrat, as the leader of the Medical Advisory board. Adding to the intrigue, the two physicians at DHSS who had seen through the regulations for the cannabis program, Dr. Poonam Alaigh and Dr. Susan Walsh, abruptly resigned just days after the ATC applications were approved.

The  Gov’s new spin is that he wants legally unrealistic assurances from the federal government. Because he is a former US Attorney, Christie is a qualified expert at playing both sides of the legal fence on this issue.  The real question is to why he would waste so much time and energy fighting the state law.

Christie has also been trying to carefully groom his national image as being brutally honest. But this has not been the case for medical marijuana. The governor has refused to meet with patients or advocates and is now keeping the NJ program suspended by a personal whim. All of this has been done while Christie and his fellow NJ Republicans trash western states with blow-dried conservative rhetoric about medical cannabis.

It does not help that a myriad of state positions in New Jersey are now held by former criminal prosecutors. These are talented attorneys but they lack transparency and diplomatic ability. Dismissing the wisdom of the community and locking out advocates, the policy for cannabis (along with many other public health issues) is decided in the thick-walled vault of Christie’s office.

Medical marijuana isn’t the only policy that has been negatively affected by this approach to governance. But this may be the most heartbreaking.

Right now, hundreds more qualifying patients are lamenting our state government from their deathbeds in a haze of fully legal opiate drugs. The only way to end this impasse over medical marijuana is for Chris Christie to follow the state Constitution in the best spirit of American federalism and show some true, human compassion. It is also long overdue for the NJ Legislature to stand up to the bully governor to protect the state’s most vulnerable residents by aggressively moving every option to implement the law.

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

A research team based in Poland may have discovered that a CBD-like compound is a major component of the flax plant. The Cannabis plant makes CBD (Cannabidiol), a miraculous plant compound that demonstrates the potential to treat a wide range of diseases with virtually no side effects.

Interestingly, the researchers discovered the presence of a CBD-like compound  in flax accidentally. They were analyzing genetically modified flax plants and comparing them to natural flax plants.  The team noted that the production of several compounds was slightly enhanced in the GMO plants and decided to identify them.

Further analysis revealed that CBD-like compounds were prevalent in many parts of the flax plant and their products, such as such as fibers, seeds, leaves, and seedcakes.

The authors believe the beneficial actions of flax (such anti-inflammatory effects) may be due to the presence of this CBD-like compound. However, the mechanism of CBD’s benefits remains a mystery since CBD does not activate the same receptors as THC.

THC acts on the cannabinoid receptors called CB1 and CB2, which are part of the endocanabinoid system (ECS). The ECS includes the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), as well as a variety of other compounds and additional receptors. Scientists may someday discover the mechanism of CBD, but it will take many years of thorough research to understand exactly how CBD works.

The discovery of CBD in flax is an important one, but the authors make some misleading claims in their manuscript; claims which are not supported by their work or the work of other scientists. They authors claim to be the first people to find cannabinoids IN another plant. Their article was published in 2012—one of the earliest discoveries of non-cannabis sources of cannabinoids is from 1979.

In fact, flax is now part of an ever-growing list of plants that can produce cannabinoids (See image of Phytocannabinoid Producers).

Cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBC), and cannabicitran (CBT)  have been discovered in the following: species of rhodenderons (Rhodenderon Anthpogonoides), Voacanga Africana, liverwort (Radula Marginata), and woody umbrella (Helichrysum Umbraculigerum). Beta-caryophyllene is a cannabinoid present in virtually all plants and activates the CB2 receptor, notably it occurs in high amounts in cloves and black pepper.

The author’s description of CBD also contains a serious discrepancy:

“…CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, is responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of marihuana, acting mostly on the CB2 receptor…” The authors suggest that CBD is activating CB2 receptors.

This statement regarding the activity at a CB2 receptor is not supported by any data from the authors nor is it supported by the referenced studies in the article. The studies (one and two) referenced by the authors did not use CBD in a single experiment. They provide no evidence that CBD is directly interacting with the CB2 receptor. The authors could have cited this article as indirect evidence of CBD interacting with CB2, but there is substantial evidence to suggest that CBD doesn’t need the CB2 receptor for its beneficial effects.

A similar misconception was also made by TIME Magazine last year, claiming that CBD activates CB2 receptors.

As mentioned above the mechanism of CBD isn’t clear yet, but there is enough evidence to SUPPORT that the effects of CBD can occur without activating cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. CBD might be the first modulator of the ECS, enhancing or inhibiting certain activities. Different experiments have shown:

• CBD can block CB1 and CB2 receptors-the opposite of THC, which activates them.
• CBD is also an antagonist at other cannabinoid receptors, it blocks GPR55 and 18.
• CBD enhances Adenosine receptor signaling, which may explain why it provides benefits to arthritis and other pain conditions.
• CBD is neuroprotective, it protects the brain from damage by activating TRPV1 receptors.

Misrepresenting a compound or drug may appear as a minor issue, but it can negatively influence lawmakers and doctors, leading to legal and medical quandaries and ultimately preventing a plant compound like CBD from reaching the clinics. The main hurdles for a successful cannabis-based medicine are the unacceptable side effects that can occur from THC; CBD does not have undesirable side effects.

Cannabis that contains CBD remains prohibited, while flax products are widely available in concentrated forms such as dietary supplements. Although the precise mechanism of CBD remains elusive, its promising medicinal effects are already recognized, and it is legally available when harvested from the appropriate plant.

Here are some additional links to research on the mechanisms of CBD:

CBD enhances anandamide signaling and alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia

Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid?

Cannabidiol dispays unexpectedly high potency as an antagonist of CB1 and CB2 receptor

CBD protects brain cells by mechanisms that do not involve CB1, CB2, TRPV1 or PPARg receptors

CBD may represent a novel, protective strategy against  brain injury by attenuating key inflammatory pathways and oxidative/nitrative tissue injury, independent of classical CB1/2 receptors

Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Questions?   Contact   [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

Medical marijuana growing in CA – pic by C. Goldstein

New Jersey recently approved six Alternative Treatment Centers to produce medical cannabis under some heavy restrictions. But the science just doesn’t add up for some of the complex regulations proposed by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Trying to run one of the new non-profits under these rules may prove to be impossible.

One of the biggest concerns for medical professionals, scientists and the patients who qualify is the proposed 10 percent limit on THC potency.  NJ DHSS claims that these provisions follow the federal cannabis program at the University of Mississippi (UMiss).  This program serves a total of four (4) patients.

It is true that the Ole Miss program doesn’t usually provide Cannabis cigarettes with more than 10% THC but New Jersey regulators leave out the reason: Cannabis cigarettes with greater THC content will get stuck in the federal program’s cigarette rolling machine:

“The cigarettes are not made here, unless there’s a requirement for high-potency material, which doesn’t lend itself to mechanized production of cigarettes, because it gets resinous and gums the machine. We use a small hand roller for that,” says ElSohly. “But if we need them in bulk, like say 60,000 cigarettes, we have a subcontract with a company in North Carolina.” read full

Dr. ElSouly handling federal medical marijuana

Other differences exist between New Jersey’s regulations and the federal government’s marijuana program:
–   Dr. ElSohly can process Cannabis into cigarettes, patches, suppositories, etc. in order to fit specific research and clinical needs.
–   Dr. ElSohly also grows high potency varieties for research and in doing so has discovered new cannabinoids.

Every government sponsored medical marijuana program in the world, including at UMiss, allows the Cannabis plants to be homogenized and thus standardized. But NJ DHSS has failed to acknowledge even the simple fact that THC content can vary within cannabis strain varieties, and even within a plant itself.

When asked what cannabis producers should do if the crop tested over 10 percent THC Dr. Susan Walsh the former Deputy Commissioner at DHSS responded, “The plants would have to be destroyed.”

It would take another three-month cycle to produce a replacement crop. This could put the Alternative Treatment Center in the position of great financial risk and leave patients with a limited supply.

Some basic high school biology is important here: The Cannabis plant does not produce uniform amounts of cannabinoids in its flowers. Light helps plants grow, and the parts of a plant that are exposed to more light (on the top of the plant) become more developed than the fruits on the lower branches. So, in theory a Cannabis plant could have 15% THC on the very top flowers but a mere 3% level on the lower branches.

In the rest of the world, the method of production employed is that the cannabis plants are ground up and a mixture is prepared. If the material in New Jersey is going to be processed then there is no need for THC limits, testing each plant, or destroying potent medicine. The desired THC level can be reached by mixing low and high potency plant materials. This is also how GW Pharmaceuticals produce their Cannabis spray called Sativex, a mixture of two cannabis varieties that have been processed and standardized.

Again, NJ DHSS is implying that every medical marijuana plant would need to be tested to prove they are below this arbitrary threshold. The cost of setting up and running such a lab to fulfill these extraneously inefficient rules could be in the tens-of-millions of dollars. This is extremely inefficient and wasteful but it also demonstrates ignorance when it comes to regulating medicines and plant products.

Dr. ElSohly, who runs the federal medical cannabis program said in The Memphis Flyer, “The market demands higher potency all the time, and the higher-potency marijuana is more expensive and creates less bulk.”

If NJ is going to mandate any testing by the ATCs the plant material should be screened in large batches just like the University of Mississippi and every other medical marijuana program in the world.

Currently no regulations exist for any other drug like those being proposed for marijuana in New Jersey. Even opium has fewer regulations. Is every poppy plant from Tanzania or Afghanistan tested for opiate levels before it’s shipped to the U.S.? No, of course not. Raw opium flowers are shipped in pressed bricks to laboratories for processing before it is delivered to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

New Jersey is ignoring the reality of common scientific practices for medical marijuana and is presenting a health policy that is almost science fiction.

Read more at Science at Freedomisgreen.com

A Brief History of Cannabinoid Research

Inhaled Marijuana May Keep Brain Cancer in Remission

Case Report Shows Dronabinol (Delta9-THC) can Help Autistic Children

Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA).   Contact:  science { at } freedomisgreen.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

I feel so much safer now…

(Aileen Lam, 72 and Virginia Pon, 65 charged with growing hundreds of marijuana plants in San Bruno home.)

It all began when neighbors heard loud banging coming from the women’s home on Valleywood Drive, nestled in between Skyline Boulevard and Interstate 280.

Then they saw two men, later identified as Kitae Chae, 38, and Kenny Kong, 34, breaking down the front door and lingering inside for a few minutes before driving off in a BMW, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

The neighbors called police, and officers who stopped the BMW in South San Francisco found the men with $12,000 in cash, marijuana packaging material and seven ecstasy pills, Wagstaffe said.

When they arrived at the Valleywood Drive home, investigators found a substantial pot-growing operation: more than 800 marijuana plants, $3,000 in cash and a bypass through which electricity was being stolen from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., police said.

In short order, officers arrested the occupants — 72-year-old Aleen Lam and Virginia Chan Pon, 65. It’s not Pon’s first run-in with the law: She is already facing charges in Yolo County for allegedly passing more than $40,000 in bad checks over a three-day period at Cache Creek Casino.

“I have never seen or heard of women in their 60s and 70s running a grow house,” Wagstaffe said. “I certainly hope it is aberrational rather than a trend. I suppose profiteering in illegal enterprises crosses all the generations.”

The two women face a variety of drug charges, and Chae and Kong are accused of drug and burglary counts. Lam has not yet entered a plea, while the others have pleaded not guilty. All four are being held at San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail each.

Prosecutors have filed a motion requiring that the two women show a legitimate source for any bail they post.

12/20/2012 – Over one hundred and fifty supporters gathered in Philadelphia on Saturday December 15th to call for the federal legalization of cannabis. “Smoke Down Prohibition” was organized by a local comedy activism crew The Panic Hour and supported by PhillyNORML. The event took place in front of Independence Mall and the Liberty Bell.

Speakers included: N.A. Poe and Steve Miller-Miller from The Panic Hour; Adam Kokesh from AdamvsTheMan; Ken Wolski from The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ);  Vanessa Waltz medical marijuana patient; and yours truly from Freedomisgreen.com and PhillyNORML.

At 4:20PM most of the crowd participated in civil disobedience by smoking cannabis until 4:30PM.

Although there was presence of Philadelphia Police and National Park Police, there was no interference of the protest: No arrests or citations took place at the event.

A 48foot by 14foot banner asking to “Legalize Medical Marijuana”  from Robert Platshorn at The Silver Tour was rolled out with passing cars and even SEPTA buses honking their support.

Many of the participants called specifically on President Obama to end federal marijuana prohibition.

Medical Marijuana 48×14 banner rollout

48x14ft medical marijuana banner test

Steve Miller Miller from The Panic Hour opens w comedy set

Supporter holding Women Love Pot sign 12/15/2012 Philadelphia

Marijuana legalization supporters hold signs at "Smoke Down Prohibition" Philadelphia 12/15/2012

Ken Wolski RN "Together we can create more rational drug laws—drug laws that are worthy of respect and obedience. Not like the unjust laws that we have today."

NJ cancer/medical marijuana patient Vanessa Waltz from CMMNJ speaks

Rachel, Steve, Poe and Vanessa from The Panic Hour

Chris Goldstein and NA Poe at 4:20PM

Ah stoners. They get a bad rap, for sure. But sometimes it’s well-deserved and just plain funny.

Note this recent video I found on cleaning your pipe. (A little background: I had a persistent cough. A friend noticed the state of my pipe and suggested that could be to blame, which I hadn’t cleaned in quite a while. I’m guessing there may be some truth to it, since you’re smoking an old tar-like substance and particulates that probably can’t be that good for your lungs. I’ll have to ask Jahan Marcu about that.)

“So this is a new method I invented today. It’s called the “fishing line method.” First, you need….fishing line. You can find it in your basement or in any, I don’t know, fishing store.”

Anyway, laugh and learn:

(I went with the method my friend suggested. Soak pipe in rubbing alcohol then use pipe cleaners. I was surprised how much stuff came out.)

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

6/30/2011 – UPDATE 7/1/2011 – Freedomisgreen.com obtained the new Department of Justice memo concerning medical marijuana. The communication is from US Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.  It was released on June 30th after New Jersey US Attorney Paul J. Fishman forwarded it to NJ state AG Paula Dow. The memo was sent to Dow in response to her multiple requests for federal clarification about medical marijuana operations authorized by state law.

Below is the full transcript. Link to original memo as a pdf

June 29, 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS

FROM:                  James M. Cole
Deputy Attorney General

SUBJECT:     Guidance Regarding the Ogden Memo in Jurisdictions
Seeking to Authorize Marijuana for Medical Use

Over the last several months some of you have requested the Department’s assistance in responding to inquiries from State and local government seeking guidance about the Department s position on enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in jurisdictions that have under consideration, or have implemented, legislation that would sanction and regulate the commercial cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical use. Some of these jurisdictions have considered approving the cultivation of large quantities of marijuana or broadening the regulation and taxation of the substance. You may have seen letters responding to these inquiries by several United States Attorneys. Those letters are entirely consistent with the October 2009 memorandum, issued by Deputy General Ogden to federal prosecutors in the States that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana (the “Ogden Memo”).

The Department of Justice is committed to the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in all States. Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a serious crime that provides a significant source of revenue to large scale criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels. The Ogden Memorandum provides guidance to you in deploying resources to enforce the CSA as part of the exercise of the broad discretion you are given to address federal criminal matters within your districts.

A number of states have enacted some form of legislation relating to the medical use of marijuana. Accordingly the Ogden memo reiterated to you that prosecution  of significant traffickers in illegal drugs, including marijuana, remains a core priority, but advised that it is likely not an efficient use of federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or their caregivers. The term “caregiver” as used in the memorandum meant just that: individuals providing care to individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses, not commercial operations cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana.

The Department’s view of the efficient use of limited federal resources as articulated in the Ogden Memorandum has not changed. There has, however, been an increase in the scope of commercial cultivation, sale, distribution and use of marijuana for purported medical purposes. For example, within the past 12 months, several jurisdictions have considered or enacted legislation to authorize multiple large-scale, privately-operated industrial marijuana cultivation centers. Some of these planned facilities have revenue projections of the millions of dollars based on the plant cultivation of tens of thousands of cannabis plants.

The Odgen Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement action and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law. Persons who are in the business of cultivating. selling, or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law. Consistent with the resource constraints and the discretion you may exercise in your district, such persons are subject to federal enforcement action, including potential prosecution. State laws or local ordinances are not a defense to civil enforcement of federal law with respect to such conduct, including enforcement of the CSA. Those who engage in transactions involving the proceeds of such activity may also be in violation of federal money laundering statutes and other federal financing laws.

The Department of Justice is tasked with enforcement of existing federal criminal laws in all states, and enforcement of the CSA has long been and remains a core priority,

Cc:  Lanny Breuer
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division

B. Todd Jones
United States AttorneyDistrict of Minnesota
Chair, AGAC

Michele M. Leonhart
Administrator
Drug Enforcement Administration

H. Marshall Jarrett
Director
Executive Office for United States Attorneys

Kevin L. Perkins
Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division
Federal Bureau  of Investigations

Link to memo as a pdf

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5/10/2011

This year PhillyNORML has partnered with local sponsors and a high-quality group of local musicians for the Philadelphia Freedom Festival concert at the Theater of the Living Arts, a premier venue in the city. Bands include: Psychadelphia, Before the Accident Happens, The Primate Fiasco, I Yhan I Arkestra and headliners The Synth Circus. Local activists will deliver speeches throughout the night. A full list of speakers and additional information will follow next week.

PhillyNORML’s volunteers have been instrumental in recent efforts to reform local marijuana laws.

Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ) is supporting local legislation. State Representative Mark B. Cohen introduced a medical cannabis bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2009. State Senator Daylin Leach re-introduced it as SB 1003 from the 2011 session. This bill would create legal protections for citizens with serious medical conditions to safely access or grow medical marijuana for therapeutic use. It also creates a statewide system if Compassion Centers for patient access.

April 2010 saw the news break on PhillyNORML’s efforts to work with city officials to change local pot procedures when District Attorney Seth Williams announced an easing of minor possession penalties.  The new Small Amount of Marijuana court program was put into practice in June of 2010 and has saved the city millions of taxpayer dollars. The procedure still requires an arrest but stops the criminal prosecution, collects a fine and automatically expunges the arrest once a weekend class is completed.

Over 800,000 pot arrests are performed each year in America with almost 30,000 in Pennsylvania and over 4,500 in Philadelphia. Ninety percent of these arrests are for minor possession.

PhillyNORML advocates for legalizing the regulated, responsible use of marijuana by adults.

CONTACT: Chris Goldstein [email protected]

ATTENDING: Please arrive at Broad and South no later than 5PM ET Saturday May 21, 2011

CONCERT TICKETS: Available through LiveNation $15 pre-event, $20 at the door

http://www.livenation.com/event/020046A49E2B7BED?artistid=1593008&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=766

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