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6/6/2011 – Governor Pete Shumlin is keeping Vermont on a steady course to open medical cannabis dispensaries amidst a recent storm of federal activity. Seriously ill residents can already cultivate at home or through a caregiver, now Shumlin has signed a law that will attempt to implement a small medical cannabis system in 2012.

Sue Allen, Communications Director for Gov. Shumlin, spoke with Freedomisgreen about the careful approach right now in the Green Mountain State.

“We were keenly aware of the federal government’s position,” Allen said. “We received a letter from the US Attorney‘s office.”

Tristiam Coffin of Vermont joined US Attorneys in eight states in sending harsh letters to local officials about cannabis dispensaries.

But on June 2nd – the very same day that the bill was signed Vermont – US Attorney General Eric Holder made statements on a visit in Rhode Island hinting that the US Department of Justice would work with states to open heavily regulated medical cannabis facilities.

Allen said it was a coincidence, “We moved forward with the bill, signed it on schedule and as-planned.”

Still, Gov. Shumlin has been keeping a close eye on things from Montpelier.

“We have been in touch with other states that are going through this right now,” added Allen.

When asked which states they were looking to for insight she replied; “East Coast states; Rhode Island.”

Some final regulations still need to be crafted but Vermont’s four medical marijuana dispensaries could be open in about one year.

Allen pointed out an interesting innovation: the VT Department of Public Safety will be the oversight entity for the program. In other states the medical cannabis programs are under the Departments of Health.

“Public Safety recently took over the DUI testing program,” Allen noted. “They deal more with enforcement issues.”

Various state divisions, such as the Department Law and Public Safety in New Jersey, are key players in crafting regulations and implementing medical marijuana laws. But Vermont will be the first state with a medical marijuana program controlled by the same entity that directs the State Police.

Allen also said that Governor Shumlin understood the issue from many personal contacts.

“We’ve had medical marijuana for over a year and he knows that this law is important. I can’t tell you how many people came up to him on the campaign trail and asked about medical marijuana. These were older folks too, grandparents.”

Vermont joins Delaware, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in actively regulating medical marijuana dispensaries on the East Coast.

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]

Jay Lassiter is a news-maker, frequently appearing on local TV programs to discuss New Jersey politics. Thankfully he has also been on the front lines of the medical marijuana effort in Trenton.

Jay lives with HIV in NJ and he qualifies for the new medical cannabis program.  But Governor Chris Christie and his appointees at the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) have offered a set of broken regulations. Among the problems with the draft rules: A 10% cap on THC, just two ounces per month as a maximum patient supply and draconian instructions for physicians.

NJ was the first state to pass a medical marijuana law without provisions for home cultivation.  Seriously ill residents must wait for Alternative Treatment Centers to be licensed by DHSS.  After a series of delays patients are still waiting for  administration to implement the compassionate use program in the No-Garden State. (Russ at NORML coined that one)

On March 7, 2011 a public hearing was held by DHSS to gather public comments. Here is Lassiter’s testimony:

Read Jay Lassiter’s blog: www.blujersey.com

State Representative Diane Russell of Maine held a press conference on 4/20/2011 to discuss her comprehensive marijuana legalization bill. LD 1453 would tax and regulate recreational marijuana, expand the state’s existing medical cannabis program and allow for the farming of industrial hemp. A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for May 10th.

The videos below showcase the event.

Supports can help by visiting  http://www.facebook.com/LegalizeMaineFirst and signing this online petition.

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Douglas Greene at Empire State NORML organized the press conference and it was a privilege for me to speak alongside some powerhouses of reform. Our job was to take an important message to the streets: Smoking marijuana is much safer than drinking alcohol for St Patrick’s Day.

The public gave us us a tremendously positive response. Scores of passersby gathered on both sides of Broadway listening to the speeches.

Read more about the event: Big Apple Goes Green with Most Expensive Pot in America

We’ll post a higher definition version next week.

5/2/2011 – Governor Lincoln Chafee has announced that he will put an indefinite hold on the state’s three medical marijuana dispensaries from opening after receiving a threatening letter from US Attorney Peter Neronha on April 29th.

The Providence Journal published Chafee’s press statement:

May 2, 2011
Statement from Governor Lincoln D. Chafee Regarding Compassion Centers

The United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island delivered a letter to me on Friday afternoon which was copied to the Director of the Department of Health and the three Compassion Center applicants. That letter, as well as similar letters sent to officials in other states, clarified the Department of Justice’s position on medical marijuana. The Department of Justice previously indicated that it would not focus its limited resources on doctors and their sick patients who prescribe and use marijuana if such use was permitted by state law. This position was interpreted by some states as giving them latitude to authorize medical marijuana cultivation and distribution programs. Friday’s letter makes it clear that DOJ will now pursue certain commercial cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, even if such cultivation and distribution is permitted by state law. Compassion centers, their owners, landlords, financiers and other operations “facilitators” are identified as potential targets of federal law enforcement activities.

None of Rhode Island’s compassion center applicants have received a certificate of registration to date. In light of the United States Attorney’s articulated position on closing compassion centers, seizing proceeds and prosecuting business enterprises that market and sell medical marijuana, I have placed a hold on the State’s medical marijuana certificate of registration program. During this hiatus, I will be consulting with the governors of other states with similar medical marijuana programs, with federal officials and with the compassion center applicants themselves.

Several governors have recently alluded to a planned meeting on the medical marijuana issue. The National Governors Association is the official body of these elected officials. NGA is currently led by Governor Christine Gregoire of Washington.  DOJ also sent a letter to Gregoire, that action prompted her to veto parts of a new law that would have regulated medical cannabis dispensaries.

You know, the real problem here is the fact that this woman and her friends are incredibly boring – pot or not. Don’t go blaming the weed.

The captions become increasingly funny though. They include:

“Do marijuana smoking men make good husbands? Are they reliable? Responsible?”
“While many claim to function well on grass, outside observers disagree.”
“Marijuana can be a gateway to other drugs, such as mescaline.” [Really? Mescaline? Who can get their hands on that stuff?]

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director 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 often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at the local dive bar. Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Other blogs:

Opensalon.com

Silly Lists of Nothingness

The Most Boring Blog Ever

12/8/2011 – It seems that student government is ahead of the state legislature in New Jersey. Seventy-five percent of Rowan University student senators voted to support a state bill to reduce penalties for adults possessing cannabis.

The bill to decriminalize possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana, A4252, was introduced in Trenton this summer. A4252 came out strong with eighteen bi-partisan co-sponsors in the Assembly, but a companion bill has not been introduced in the state Senate.

A4252 would make possession an “infraction” instead of a “misdemeanor” and create a tiered set of fines for those over the age of 21 ranging from $150-$500. Those under 21 would also need to attend an education class.

The Rowan University Student Government is the first in the state to formally support the bill. The final vote among the student senators was 70 in favor, 20 against and 2 abstentions

There are over 26,000 arrests every year in New Jersey for marijuana, about 85% of those arrests are for possession of less than 50 grams.

New York State decriminalized marijuana possession in 1979 and Connecticut passed a decrim law earlier this year. There are 14 states that have reduced penalties for adults possesing cannabis. NORML Decrim map

The Rowan senators can count on public support as well. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll on November 30, 2011 found that 58% of New Jersey residents favor decriminalizing marijuana for adults.

Rowan student senator Phillip Simmons, who is also president of the campus chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), said, “I am happy that the Rowan Senate voted in favor of this bill because it means that the student body recognizes the unfair, unjust, and crippling effects of the current law.”

Rowan Student Government Supports NJ Bill No. A4252 An Act to decriminalize possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana. from Phil Simmons on Vimeo.

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]

4/12/2011 – The nascent medical marijuana program in New Jersey may change the laboratory research landscape for cannabis. Several of the first six Alternative Treatment Centers are planning heavy investments (tens of millions of dollars) into lab equipment and manpower. Although explained away as regulatory compliance the long-term profits from this type of science could be substantial.

In other states the legal medical marijuana industry consists of small businesses using a holistic model of care. The Garden State is  exploring a centralized system modeled on corporate health care instead. This could be the biggest change yet for the domestic medical cannabis market.

The result could be a disaster for patients like Sandy Faiola in Asbury Park, NJ and Charles Kwiatkowski in Hazlet who both live with Multiple Sclerosis. They joined well-known MS patient Montel Williams on a recent Dr. Oz Show. All three use raw Cannabis flowers to treat their symptoms and they all must access the underground market for relief.

New Jersey’s draft regulations – set to be finalized in May – call for each licensed facility to grow just three strains of cannabis, all of them less than 10 percent THC. Patients would only be allowed two ounces per month. The soviet-style regulated supply will be inadequate for Chuck and Sandy. They may continue to face arrest even though they have supporting physicians and would fully qualify for the program because they will need to find better quality pot on the street.

The dust never really settled in NJ for the medical marijuana debate, the battle lines only shifted. Governor Chris Christie, a conservative Republican with national presence, has been right in the middle since his first day in office. While bulldozing through a difficult budget, the characteristically aggressive Governor also rolled his heavy tracks over local AIDS and cancer patients. He successfully delayed the implementation of the compassionate use law for over a year, now Christie is pushing forward a set of regulations for therapeutic cannabis have their roots in deepest bedrock of big-money politics.

Half of the first six Alternative Treatment Centers were awarded to groups who have close ties right back to the Christie Administration. Democrats suddenly got a green thumb too; another licensed ATC has the Deputy Majority Leader in the State Assembly, Thomas Giblin, on the medical advisory board.

Then the two top officials at the Department of Health and Senior Services who have overseen the NJ medical marijuana program for over a year, Dr. Poonam Alaigh and Dr. Susan Walsh,  resigned just after the ATC awards. It was a strange and still unexplained twist, but somehow par for the course in NJ.

Now, even the most politically connected marijuana production centers in the country are still complaining about Governor Christie’s very unscientific ‘ten-percent cap’ on THC potency. Because of federal prohibitions cannabis research in the United States is very limited. By exploiting the current conflict between state and federal law the ATCs in New Jersey could be used to study marijuana and its component cannabinoids for pharmaceutical endeavors years down the road. Limiting THC might interfere with the super-lab concept.

But Sandy, Chuck and Montel don’t need research or something years away. Thousands like them risk arrest every day as Governor Christie demonizes medical marijuana programs in other states while select politicos are awarded the pot futures. The Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act had a model to bring sick and terminal patients out of the underground marijuana market. It was not passed as a plan to turn marijuana into a processed pharmaceutical.

Thankfully the Legislature is ready to act. Senator Nicholas Scutari has introduced SCR151, a resolution that would invalidate the worst parts of Governor Christie’s proposed regulations. The rare legislative maneuver is meant to maintain the integrity of the compassionate use law and the state Constitution.  If successful, the move could re-focus the regulations on the patients instead of business interests. The Senate and the Assembly have already passed similar resolutions and it would not require the Governor’s signature.

Still, the fact that health insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufactures, mainstream political players and hospital groups now actually own most of New Jersey’s regulated marijuana market is a major sea-change for the issue. The debate is no longer centered on whether medical cannabis should be legal or not but who makes the money.

Seriously ill and terminal residents use marijuana safely every day. Humans have used it for thousands of years and American medical cannabis is already turning a healthy profit.  But the big green bubble of the US cannabis economy is inflated only by federal policy; the current cost for high-grade medical cannabis is simply the price of prohibition. The mainstream corporate interests looking to farm some of that cash have found fertile ground in the Garden State.

Birdwatcher and troublemaker Robin Brown of Hollywood, Florida, was arrested after Broward County Sheriffs found her in possession…of sage, which they suspected was marijuana. And get this: the field kit that the police used tested positive for narcotics. Now she is suing over the wrongful arrest.

So much for sage clearing away negative energy.

 

Just because you’re buzzed doesn’t mean life stops being annoying. In a perfect world, we’d beam ourselves to a hassle-free planet and ride unicorns and eat marshmallow pies all day.

Until then, we must deal with these 10 buzz kills:

1. Cops

The uniform, the car, the militaristic attitude…goodbye buzz, hello “Can you step out of the vehicle?” (If you’re lucky, it’s a stripper cop and it’s all a great big joke with a sexy ending.)

2. Losing Stuff

My friend Lisa had a rule of thumb: get everything ready before you get stoned. Everything. If you wait until after, you will search endlessly for your keys, phone or general purpose in life. And never find it…never find it.

3. Frigid Temperatures

When I was a flannel-wearing teen lass, I used to hang out at an arcade in South Jersey. Our long-haired gang would pop into the woods on an icy winter’s night to light up. We’d all wonder why we didn’t feel high…until we went back into the arcade and our high would thaw out, just like magic! Head magic.

4. The Rambler

Nothing can be more deadly to a perfectly good high than the Rambler, who starts a story with no intentions of ending it. And because you’re high, you can’t muster up the energy to interject. So instead, you get sucked in, deeper and deeper. Soon your buzz has been bored right the hell out of you, never to return. (The Lecturer has a similar effect.)

5. Your Mother

Okay, some of you get high with your mom and she’s so cool and blah, blah, blah. But parents are similar to cops; you feel like you’ve done something wrong by merely being in their presence. They’re judging, watching all the time. And don’t you forget it.

6.  A Blow to the Head

Once during a party I got hit on the head by a lamp while pulling my coat out of the closet. Boom – high completely gone. Fucking lamp.

7. Monsters

They’re fun in the movies but when they are in your living room, they are unpredictable, angry and messy (because of the green goo). They also will eat your weed and projectile vomit it back up, which isn’t pleasant and a waste of perfectly good weed.

8. Dental Work

I thought it would be a good idea to smoke a little prior to some extensive dental work I had years back. Unfortunately, it just heightened the torturous sensations. Pretty soon, I thought the dentist had it out for me like Olivier in Marathon Man. My buzz was literally drilled out of my head.

9. Existential Angst

There is no god. You are all alone. The people are laughing at you and you look ridiculous. The world feels dry, chalky and desolate and you’re the only scrap of humanity left. The best you can do is listen to some Pink Floyd and embrace the painful truth. Cheetos may help but I make no guarantees.

10. Alien Abduction

I know, it depend on the alien, of course. Some aliens are totally down for a good time but others are into naval probing and mind melding. I find the smaller, ET-style aliens are much more easy going than the ones with the two rows of teeth.

So watch out for buzz kills. Life is short and highs aren’t cheap. Remember: you can always just walk away…even from the cops. Especially from the cops. Go do your own thing. Create your own world. Screw everyone else. Marshmallow pies await you, my friend.

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