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7/14/2011- Tubbs and Crockett could be issuing tickets for pot possession and saving their city’s tax dollars. Popular tourist destination Miami Beach is cranking up the heat for cannabis reform. Some dedicated advocates have spent the last year gathering 9,000 signatures for a decriminalization measure. This week the petition was submitted to the Miami Beach City Commissioners.

The reduction in penalties would mean that adults caught with less than 1 ounce of cannabis would face a $100 fine and no criminal record. That would be a big change from the possible year in jail and $1000 fine currently for up to 20 grams of pot.

Some nationally prominent marijuana activists are residents of the Miami area and have given significant momentum to the cause.

Robert Platshorn served the longest sentence in history for a non-violent marijuana offense: 28 years. He is involved with the campaign and was on the scene this week: “We went in to present the 9,000 signatures and ten of us also testified. Now we’ve verified most of them [signatures]. If 6,400 are verified they have to put it on the ballot or call a special election. The only concern by Commissioners was triggering a special election in these tough economic times. That would cost the city about 250,000 dollars.”

Although concerned about the technical details the Miami Beach Commissioners, including Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, did take the issue seriously. “They were really very receptive to the petition,” Platshorn said, “where we didn’t have a sponsor on the commission; we do now. They all made statements that they were not against it. Again, we were very well received….many of the speeches got applause from the Commissioners.”

Irvin Rosenfeld is one of the few federal medical marijuana patients and garnered some of those applause. Rosenfeld’s tins of 300 cannabis cigarettes are manufactured by federal authorities under a program created in the late 1980’s.Florida saw a state medical marijuana resolution introduced earlier this year but there was no legislative action.

“I care about medicine getting to patients,” said Rosenfeld,”decriminalization helps patients because now they don’t have to worry about being arrested.”

He brought his tin of cannabis to show the Commissioners, “I asked them to hold up their hands and asked if they paid federal taxes. And they all raise their hands and then I took out my tin – I said ‘Isn’t it silly that city police would be spending time and money chasing people down for the same thing you paid for that helps me!’”

Platshorn said that he was optimistic after the meeting, “The actual outcome was as good as we could hope for. We got a realistic appraisal.”

Basically the Commissioners would rather place the ballot on the election in 2012 rather than endure the cost of a separate election just for the decrim measure. This was not lost on activists. “The whole point here is to save the city money,” said Irvin Rosenfeld.

But there is another option where the penalty reductions could simply be adopted without an election. “The City Charter says that if we get 6,400 verified signatures that they may be obliged to call a special election, “ said Platshorn, “So they were willing to consider the possibility of a resolution just to pass the change in penalties on their own.”

The massive amount of tourists in Miami Beach was part of the challenge for the petition. Signature gatherers would be mobbed at popular locations but only a few in the interested crowd would be local voters. They had to shift strategies netting a few signatures at a time with more frequent outings to places like supermarkets.

A strong base of student activism was key to the petition drive, “Miami University, FAU, Florida Central NORML chapters…it really has been terrific down here. Eric Stevens did an amazing job,” said Platshorn, adding, “Then Rakontur Films really did a wonderful thing by supporting this too.”

Platshorn’s story was told in the documentary Square Grouper from Rakontur that showcased the common trade of South Florida marijuana smuggling in the 1970s. The film company gave much needed funding to the effort.

But the same tourism that made voters hard to sift out was another reason for decriminalizing in Miami Beach. There are now sixteen states with legal medical marijuana. Irvin Rosenfeld points out that medical cannabis patients may have been avoiding the area because of the harsh prohibition laws.

“Say I’m a patient in Maine and have to go to a wedding to go to in Miami? Now it would also be safer for patients who are also tourists or here visiting family,” said Rosenfeld, ”there would at least be that security.”

It will take some time for Miami Beach to officially verify the petition signatures but the organizers are confident. Bob Platshorn was inside federal prison for three decades over marijuana, emerging with his head up to re-build his life and family. He also resolved to change the law.

“I honestly believe that Miami Beach will be the first city in Florida to decriminalize.”

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]

5/10/2011 – State Representative Diane Russell started up the testimony on LD 1453 today in front of the Criminal Justice Committee.  “We have absolutely no control whatsoever over the marijuana market today. This bill creates a regulatory structure to limit access to marijuana to those under 21. Let me ask you –  when was the last time you heard of a drug dealer carding someone?”

The committee room was overflowing with supporters. A live audio stream can be found here:  http://www.maine.gov/legis/audio/crj_cmte.html

Russell continued, “This bill, by my estimates, would bring an additional eight and a half billion dollars in tax revenue.”

LD 1453 would tax and regulate recreational marijuana sales and cultivation. The bill would also expand provision s for medical marijuana care givers.

“Right now because we have no control of this market the vast majority of the marijuana market is in the hands of criminals,” said Russell.

Representative William D Burns (D) is a former state trooper. He posed several questions to Rep. Russell.

Burns-“ Why would I want to support legalizing another drug?”

Russell – “It’s not a perfect science but it works a heck of a lot better than outing people in jail.”

Another former state trooper took a different tactic at the hearings. Jack Cole, the founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), testified in favor of the bill.

“It will save us billions of tax dollars while creating addition revenue of billions more,” said Cole.

After spending 14 years as part of an undercover narcotics team, Cole had some stark assessments.

“For 40 years we’ve fought this war with one and a third trillion dollars and ever harsher policies. We’ve made over 41 million arrests in that time of non violent drug offenders – More than half were for marijuana charges.”

The hearings will continue this afternoon in Maine. Listen live with this link: http://www.maine.gov/legis/audio/crj_cmte.html

Questions?  [email protected]

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey.

Legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults is moving forward in Hartford. The Joint Judiciary Committee approved the bill on Tuesday April 12th. The proposed change in state law would allow for a $100 fine and a non-criminal citation for those caught with up to a half-ounce of cannabis. The original language called for possession of up to one ounce.

The CT Mirror reports:

“This proposal is just saying, let’s save all that hassle. These offenses do take up a lot of time and effort in the court system,” said Michael Lawlor, a senior adviser to Malloy and former chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Lawlor said the proposal will save the state “multi-millions” by not having an estimated 2,000 offenders who are caught each year with small amounts of marijuana brought into the justice system. The legislature’s non-partisan research office reported that states that have reduced penalties for possession have “significantly reduced expenses” for arrests and prosecution. read full

Former Governor Jodi Rell, a Republican, fought a similar piece of legislation in 2009. Because she loudly threatened a veto the bill never got a floor vote.

But this year the measure has seen steady progress as a leading agenda item for the newly elected Governor Daniel Malloy, a Democrat.

A Quinnipiac poll found that 65% of Connecticut residents support decriminalized marijuana possession.

Visit NORML’s Take Action Center for more information

Empire State NORML logo

5/11/2011 – The number should be zero, but marijuana possession arrests in New York City have soared to over 50,000 per year. That’s almost as many pot arrests that are seen annually in New Jersey and Pennsylvania combined. A new bill has been introduced in Albany that is looking to solve this $75 million dollar problem.

SB 5187 would seek to make the Big Apple follow a 1977 New York state law that  removed the criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults. The bill makes for compelling reading as it succinctly and unequivocally reinforces cannabis decriminalization.

PURPOSE:

To standardize criminal penalties for unlawful possession of marihuana.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: This bill amends sections 221.05 and 221.10 of the penal law to standardize penalties for unlawful possession of marihuana.

JUSTIFICATION:

In 1977, the Legislature made possession of small amounts of marihuana a violation punishable by a fine, while possession in public view was made a misdemeanor. The intent behind the law was clear.

Chapter 360 of the Laws of 1977 reads: “The legislature finds that arrests, criminal prosecutions and criminal penalties are inappropriate for people who possess small quantities of marihuana for personal use. Every year, this process needlessly scars thousands of lives and waste millions of dollars in law enforcement resources, while detracting from the prosecution of serious crime.”

According to data from the Division of Criminal Justice Services, in 2010, a total of 54,813 people were arrested for this offense in New York – and fully 50,383 of these arrests took place in New York City. One out of every seven arrests in New York City is for marijuana possession, comprising 15 percent of all arrests in that city.

From 1977 -1994, few people were arrested for 221.10. But from 1997 to 2010, the New York City Police Department arrested and jailed more than 525,000 people for this offense. Those arrested were charged with the lowest level criminal offense – a misdemeanor- and nearly every person was handcuffed, placed in the back of a police car or van, and taken to the local police station, where they were photographed, fingerprinted, and then held, often for 24 hours or longer, in one of city’s jails.

The bill goes on-

Many of these arrests are the result a stop-and-frisk encounter and contribute to stark racial disparities in the criminal justice system. In 2009, for example, the NYPD stopped 574,304 individuals. Of those who were the subject of a police stop that year, nearly ninety percent were people of color; and nine of every ten persons stopped were released without any further legal action taken against them. Of the 50,383 people arrested in New York City for marijuana possession in public view, nearly eighty six percent were black and Latino, and nearly seventy percent were between the ages of 16 – 29 even though U.S. Government surveys of high school seniors show that whites use marijuana at higher rates than blacks and Latinos.

These arrests are extremely costly. According to research by Queens College professor Dr. Harry Levine, the cost of each arrest is between $1,000 and 52,000 – thus New York City spent between $50 – $100 million on marijuana possession arrests in 2010 alone. read full bill

New York is also considering a medical marijuana bill, SB 2774.

Comic Rob Cantrell was one of those busted for a small amount of pot in NYC; his story below:

 

Follow NY marijuana activism:  http://www.facebook.com/NYcannalliance

Read more at Freedomisgreen.com

• Maine Marijuana Legalization Bill Could Go To Voters

• ACLU Calls on US Attorney General For Cannabis Clarification
• Listen up: WNYC on the racial disparity of pot arrests

 

Questions?  [email protected]

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey.

 

4/1/2013 by Chris Goldstein – The April showers are just arriving but some May flowers have already bloomed. Tourists discovered six marijuana plants in the Rose Garden just as President Obama announced a major victory in the so-called War on Drugs.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) marijuana experts rushed to the scene this morning and estimated that each four-foot tall cannabis plant was getting ready to yield  500 pounds of pot.

“We think it’s Sour Diesel,” said one expert who declined to be named citing the ongoing investigation.

ONDCP Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowse arrived and personally eradicated the crop with a gold-plated weedwacker that he keeps in a glass case behind his desk.

“Think of the children,” said Kelikowse, “imagine what would happen to the ice cream reserves if three thousand pounds of Sour D hit Capitol Hill.”

The Czar was pulled away from a high profile “Victory on Drugs” press conference with President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.

They announced that Drugs (including crack, heroine, meth, bath salts, Krispy Kreme donuts and others) were tracked to their secret hideout in Afghanistan and eliminated in a joint special operation last night.

Still images taken from combat video cameras and drones showed Drugs being shot numerous times.

Drugs were then put into a rocket and fired directly into the Sun.

Reporters immediately pointed out the distinctive sound of the Drug Czar’s 24kt cannabis eradicator just outside.

President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry seemed unsurprised, saying that the timing of the raid (4:20AM) allowed Marijuana to remain at large.

Kerry pointed out that official government scientists at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are not sure if marijuana is a Drug.

“Right now we encourage American citizens and the citizens of every country in the world to get quality health insurance,” said Kerry, “everyone needs to start taking wholesome, nutritious, US FDA approved prescription pharmaceuticals.”

The DEA said that Mexican or South American cartels were the primary suspects in the White House farming operation.

But one observer noted that staffers from Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) were milling around the Rose Garden with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) looking “really bummed out.”

Filed under “Satire” updated 4:20PM April 1, 2013

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?  chris(at)freedomisgreen.com

The Terpenes in the Cannabis Plant

By – Jahan Marcu, Science EditorThere are numerous references in popular Cannabis literature which claim that Cannabis strains can smell like mango, melon, and even grapes. Well, it might not be their imagination. The odor of cannabis comes from over 120 terpenes (a.k.a. terpenoids fragrance molecules) that are made by the plant(1).Continue reading full article at cannabination.com

WNYC, the local public radio station for America’s biggest metropolis, trained their microphones on the police practices concerning marijuana arrests. NYC has the dubious distinction of having the greatest number of marijuana arrests for any locality – it surpasses many whole states. Still, the urban police practice of targeting young, African-American marijuana consumers is not isolated to the Big Apple. Similar racial disparities exist in Philadelphia and likely in most other large cities.

Dr. Harry Levine with the Drug Policy Alliance issued a detailed report about the NYC arrests in March that has spurred increased attention to the issue.  $75 Million a Year: The Cost of New York City’s Marijuana Possession Arrests

The WNYC audio is embedded below but the full text story is also essential reading.

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WNYC: Alleged Illegal Searches by NYPD May Be Increasing Marijuana Arrests

[This is the first story in a two-part series. Read the second part here.]

Police arrest 140 people every day in New York City for possessing small amounts of marijuana. It’s now by far the most common misdemeanor charge in the city, and thousands of these arrests take place when police stop-and-frisk young men in the poorest neighborhoods. While police say these stop-and-frisks are a way to find guns, what they find more often is a bag of marijuana.

An investigation by WNYC suggests that some police officers may be violating people’s constitutional rights when they are making marijuana arrests. Current and former cops, defense lawyers and more than a dozen men arrested for the lowest-level marijuana possession say illegal searches take place during stop-and-frisks, which are street encounters carried out overwhelmingly on blacks and Latinos.  READ FULL STORY

7/7/2011  by Jahan Marcu – The annual International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) meeting is taking place this week in Chicago. I’m here with over 250 researchers to take in 55 presentations on the subject of Cannabis and cannabinoids. This year I’m also honored to be presenting some of my recent work. The ICRS meeting is a unique and concentrated pool of cannabinoid science showcasing the latest breakthroughs.

The morning presentations on the opening day were devoted to the study of cannabinoids in learning and memory.

Indole derivatives such as WIN55212, a compound that is related to JWH-018, may disrupt learning and memory in a way that is much more distinct than THC.

The first talk was given via Skype with Dr. Robert Hampson from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. WIN55212 suppresses the encoding of new information but does not suppress memory recall. The research supports the role of cannabinoids in learning and memory, modulating the strength of neural encoding for long and short term storage. This research may help develop drugs for the treatment of PTSD or learning disabilities.

Next Marocoita Gilbert  of East Carolina University gave a stunning presentation on the effects of cannabinoids on memory in birds (Finches). Birds and humans learn to communicate through vocal learning, imitating sounds of the parents. In birds the song can be passed down from parents to offspring. WIN55212 reduced the ability of birds to memorize songs, which was directly correlated with a down regulation in an important brain protein known as ARC. These finches tended to improvise the song! In a sense, the finches that were given a cannabinoid would preform jazz instead of classical.

Dr. Jerry Wright Jr.  of Scripps Research Institute conducted a study on the effects of visual memory and learning in monkeys, using pure THC.  The monkeys correct responses were affected by the number of stimuli given to the monkeys. Conceptually, if the monkeys were only doing one task, there was no difference. However, as the number of tasks increased, the monkeys incorrect responses increased. Interestingly, the psychomotor or coordination of monkeys was unaffected in raisin and pellet acquisition tests which required manual dexterity.

The research presentations then focused on pain and inflammation. In short, the following studies showed that Endocannabinoids such as PEA are effective in treating models of arthritis, pain, and inflammation.

Dr. Barbara Costa began by discussing that existing arthritis drugs are restricted to analgesics (pain management) with limited efficacy and lots of side effects. Cannabinoids may represent a reasonable approach to this chronic condition. PEA speeds recovery. Strong decreases could be found in inflammation, pain, and positive increase in peripheral nerves; where arthritis impairs movement. Dr. Costa suggested that endocannabinoids should be compared with a steroid; compared or co-applied with NSAIDS.

James Burton of the University of Nottingham showed that PEA was also able to inhibit immune cell migration, a hallmark of tissue damage and inflammation. Sharleen Yuan from the University of South Dakota complimented the pain research by showing data that outlined the mechanisms modulating EC signaling in neurons.

Ending the first symposium of the ICRS conference, Aron Lichtman from Virginia Commonwealth University shared research on a new drug, JZL184 which shares many properties of THC without motor skill effects.

The second session focused on the effects of cannabinoids on the gut and intestinal disease.

Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are precursors to many important biological factors. Amino acids are thought to form conjugations with fatty acids to mediate important events related to neuro-transmission. Dr. Kitty Verhoeckx shared her team’s discovery of fatty acid serotonins which were able to inhibit the FAAH enzyme, which raises the levels of endocannabinoids in the body. The research studied the effect of various combinations of oils (fish, sunflower) on the metabolism of these N-Acyl serotonins in animals. The production of fatty acid seratonins was directly related to diet.

Erin Rock from the University of Guekph presented research on Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is usually the second most adundant cannabinoid on the Cannabis plant. CBD does not appear to activate the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 or CB2. Instead CBD appears to interact with serotonin receptors (5HT-1A) to reduce nausea and vomiting. CBD may be an effective anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs for cancer patients.

Steven Kinsey of the Virginia Commonwealth University showed that THC could block the formation of gastric hemmorages. Additonally, the protective effect of THC was mimicked by raising endocannabinoids through FAAH inhibition. FAAH is the enzyme that breakdown endocannabinoids. JZL184 knocked down and almost completely blocked hemorrhages, but tolerance developed after 6 days, if larger doses are administered chronically.

Dr. Alhouayek from the University of Louvain shared her work on inflammatory bowl disease (IBD) and cannabinoids. IBD occurs in about 10,000 people a year in developed countries. The root causes of IBD are unknown and a curative therapy remains elusive. Activating CB receptors is protective while blocking the receptors makes Colitis or IBD much worse.  AEA is known for its protective effect but little is known about the effectiveness of 2-AG. Mice with IBD were effectively treated by raising the body’s own natural endocannabinoids, using synthetic compounds known as JZL184 and URB597. Colon tissue was shown to be protected by raising the levels of endocannabinoids. The protective effects were stopped by blocking by CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 and CB2 activity is important for a healthy colon. However, it was the elevated levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG that were thought to be responsible for the beneficial effects.

The day ended with a flurry of cancer research highlighting the effectiveness of CBD to treat wide variety of cancers.

Members of Cristina Sanchez’s and Manuel Guzman’s labs from Spain discussed mechanisms of cancers, demonstrating the role of CB2 and GPR55 in cancer pathogenesis.

Dr. Alessia Ligresti from the Italian Endocannabinoid Research Group looked at 12 different plant cannabinoids and found that CBD was a potent anti-cancer agent against prostate cancer.

Dr. Sean McAllister from the California Pacific Medical Center demonstrated the effectiveness of CBD to treat aggressive cancer cells that were removed from cancer patients.

Lastly, Gabriella Aviello from the University of Naples showed how CBD may prevent or treat colon cancer, one most common and deadliest forms of cancer in the western world.

CBD was the star of the show on opening day here at ICRS, demonstrating potent anti-cancer effects in a variety of cancer types. CBD shows great promise, and may be used in an upcoming clinical trial with breast cancer, organized in part by Dr. Sean McAllister.

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.

The grassroots resistance movement continues to grow, as these protesters take to the street in Livingston, Michigan, where a dispensary was raided and the owners arraigned on charges they delivered marijuana to an undercover officer posing as a medical marijuana patient.

As a mother of four children, Robin Schneider sympathizes with women who try to provide medical marijuana in a safe, legal place.The Lansing-area woman uses a medical marijuana ointment on her back to relieve chronic pain from a serious fall when she was 19, and she said she won’t travel to a “back alley” to get a substance voters have determined is now legal for limited use in Michigan.

Schneider was one of 15 protesters outside Brighton’s District Court, where a Handy Township couple, who operated a medical marijuana dispensary that was twice raided by police, was being arraigned on charges they delivered marijuana to an undercover officer posing as a medical marijuana patient.

One of the owners, Christi Marshall, is a mother, Schneider noted.

“I’m grateful to them for helping so many people obtain medical marijuana safely,” she said.

Read more.

I’ve been a long-time fan and Internet friend of Mr. Dan Carlin, a Libertarian-leaning journalist, commentator and historian who painstakingly crafts some of the best podcasts in podcast history. Hardcore History is a captivating look at historical events and should be a must-listen for any college student who is tired of history being flat and boring. (I’ve learned more from this program than all of my college years combined.)

Dan Carlin’s other podcast is Common Sense. This is where Dan gets down and dirty with current political events and their bigger implications on our individual freedom.

What does this have to do with medical marijuana?

His latest podcast called “Fearsome Safety” is an in-depth look at the local and federal incentives behind drug busts as well as the increasing militarization in our police forces.

To have a greater understanding of what’s going on behind-the-scenes in California as the federal authorities there continue to close established, law-abiding medical marijuana dispensaries by the dozens, listen to this first.

I’ll give you a little hint:

In short: the Feds reward police forces with money and equipment for drug raids – and have for a long  time. Due to forfeiture laws, police keep money and property seized as “suspected” drug proceeds. No conviction is required. Drugs destroyed, money kept.

In the US Attorney’s current “witch hunt” in California, the financial and political gains are multiplied exponentially. Millions of dollars are being seized and dispersed, with little to no accountability. Legal profiteering, plain and simple.

And even more insidious are the ultimate Big Brother goals, which are to rid the U.S. of these “mom and pop” dispensaries and replace them with Big Pharma companies hand-chosen by greedy politicians such as Haag.

And to put a cherry on top of this pile of…corruption is the oh-so-noble reason Haag gives for these relentless and needless crackdowns:

Come on, let’s say it together. You know the words: THE CHILDREN.

“The main theme that I was hearing from members of this community, members of our community in the northern district of California was a concern about children.” – Melinda Haag

So touching, her concern. I wonder if she can babysit for me tonight.

Listen to Dan’s Podcast Now!

Dan Carlin’s Facebook Page

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Americans for Forfeiture Reform

Book suggestions by Dan Carlin on this topic:

(Click on books for purchase information – Amazon free!)

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