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5/26/2011 – State Senator Pat Vance (R-31) chairs the Public Health and Welfare Committee where the medical marijuana bill, SB 1003, has been assigned.  And the bill may be staying right there. Senator Vance’s Chief of Staff, Amy Bolze, said that there is currently no intention to scheduling any public hearings. Further, she stated that there is no intention to bring the bill before the committee for a vote.

This leaves SB 1003 in a state of suspended animation, where it could remain for the entire legislative session.

Senator Daylin Leach, the main sponsor of SB 1003, described it as “… a common-sense bill that would simply give sick people access to medication so they feel better.”

When the bill was introduced in April Leach said, ”Countless studies show marijuana can alleviate the side effects of many diseases. It’s time we give Pennsylvanians access to the treatment they need and deserve.”

Two hearings were held before the House Health and Human Services Committee in 2009 and 2010. Senator Vance has stated that she felt those hearings had garnered enough public comment regarding the issue.

During those House hearings most of the testimony favored passage of a medical cannabis law. Doctors, religious leaders, medical experts and seriously ill residents made a compelling case for the bill.

Dr. Harry Swidler, an Emergency Medicine physician testified: “Marijuana is non-addicting. There is no physical dependence or physical withdrawal associated with its use. It is, from a practical standpoint, non-toxic. Marijuana is safer by some measures than any other drug. There is simply no known quantity of marijuana capable of killing a person.”

A Franklin & Marshall poll in 2010 indicated that 81 percent of Pennsylvania residents support having legalized access to marijuana for qualifying residents. Over 40 percent of the respondents in that poll described themselves as “conservative.”

There have been no Republican co-sponsors to the medical marijuana bill in either the Senate or the House, despite the notably strong support among voters.

Bolze said that Senator Vance’s office does receive regular communications via phone and email from residents who support the bill. But it seems unlikely that Vance will consider the issue before the Health and Welfare Committee unless her peers in the Senate show more interest.

Representative Mark B. Cohen originally introduced the medical marijuana bill to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Cohen’s office reported today that a co-sponsorship memorandum has been released. The bill is expected to be re-introduced in the House this summer.

Follow PA medical marijuana at www.pa4mmj.org

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]

On Tuesday May 10, 2011 the first committee hearing will be held in Maine for LD 1453, legislation that takes a comprehensive approach to legalizing cannabis. Rep. Diane Russell is sponsoring the bill that would tax and regulate recreational marijuana, expand provisions for medical care givers along with lifting all restrictions on industrial hemp farming. Local awareness for the measure is steadily growing and media attention has been strong. An online petition has seen hundreds of Maine residents voice their active support.

One particularly effective speaker who is planning to testify in favor of the bill is Jack Cole, the founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). He is a former undercover narcotics agent who now speaks about ending prohibition, especially for marijuana.

Cole sent this message to Rep. Russell today “I bear witness to the abject failure of the U.S. war on drugs and to the horrors produced by its unintended consequences.I really appreciate your courageous stand in introducing this bill. It will help countless people. I am honored to be asked to testify.”

Maine already has a medical marijuana law and the state also decriminalized adult cannabis possession. Rep. Russell says there ha been more curiosity about the concept than opposition, “EVERYONE is talking about it in the state house.”

LD 1453 will be heard by the Criminal Justice Committee at 1:00PM on May 10th.

Support the effort in Maine with this online petition:  http://signon.org/sign/support-mj-legalization

Full text of the new bill here: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/HP106701.asp

5/9/13 by Chris Goldstein – Advocates working to legalize marijuana are keeping a busy schedule in the Philly area with a series of public events.

On May 7th the NORML Women’s Alliance held a vigil at the historic Betsy Ross House in a memorial tribute to Rachel Hoffman and victims of Prohibition.

After an arrest in Florida for marijuana Hoffman was recruited as a police informant, a role that led to her murder.

The group of about two dozen activists, almost all women, solemnly read the names of those who have suffered tragically under prohibition policy including prisoners currently behind bars in America’s war on marijuana consumers.

Vanessa Waltz helped to organize the event; “The mood was very reflective and somber;  these were people who were killed in botched police raids or because they felt they had to be police informants,” Waltz added; “I hope everyone realizes that there are people in prison, for life, because of non-violent marijuana offenses.”

On Saturday May 11th PhillyNORML will hold the annual Global Cannabis March on South Street. The long-running event (over a decade) attracts hundreds of participants for a 4:20PM walk from Broad Street to the Front Street pedestrian bridge.

“Cannabis prohibition costs the Commonwealth more than three-hundred million tax-payer dollars every year for about twenty-four thousand arrests,” said Philly NORML Executive Director Kevin Clough.

“This march shows how sick and tired people are of closing schools, building prisons and wasting money on marijuana prohibition.”

 

Then the following week, on Saturday May 18th, PhillyNORML and comedy/activism crew The Panic Hour will be back on Independence Mall for their monthly “Smoke Down Prohibition” protest. During the last outing, hundreds lit joints in open civil disobedience to call for cannabis legalization on a sunny 4/20/13.

 

Pennsylvania has two pieces of marijuana reform legislation currently active in Harrisburg. The Governor Shafer Compassionate Use Act HB1181/SB770 would allow for seriously ill patients to access a state medical marijuana system. The bill is different than New Jersey’s ineffective law because it also allows for patients and caregivers to cultivate at home.

Informational hearings were held for the medical access bill in the PA House during the 2010 and 2011 sessions but the Public Health Committee never held a vote. It is currently assigned to the same committee chaired by Republican Rep. Matthew Baker, who is an opponent of the measure.

Several polls by Franklin&Marshall put public support for a local cannabis program above 80% (impressive for any issue ) making it one of the most popular policy issues in PA politics.

 

A separate bill has been introduced to create a taxed and regulated system to sell recreational marijuana to adults. SB 528 is currently assigned to the Senate Law and Justice Committee chaired by Senator Charles McIlhinney, a Republican who has not offered a position on the bill. The same committee is currently (and not without irony) embroiled in the issue of privatizing PA’s state-run liquor stores.

The primary sponsors of both cannabis bills are Mark Cohen in the House and Daylin Leach in the Senate.

Yet the legislation is Harrisburg seems stalled. The respective committees (namely their chairperson) will need to offer the bills for hearings to move them forward. The Republican majority caucus of the PA General Assembly seems unwilling to take a break from their heavy investment into alcohol and consider the benefits of something far safer.

Still, the overwhelming super-majority of Pennsylvanians (in both parties) support some level of change … so the spring of 2013 seems to be the right time for this surge of public participation to have some measurable impact on politicians.

FB Event – Philly March 5/11:    https://www.facebook.com/events/136148226571083/

FB Event – Smoke Down Prohibition protest 5/18   https://www.facebook.com/events/455712674507072

10/23/2012 by Chris Goldstein –  NJ Medicinal Marijuana Program (MMP) Director John O’Brien responded to questions from freedomisgreen.com and clarified some details about access. Last week the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) announced that Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair is now the only Alternative Treatment Center fully permitted to dispense cannabis in the Garden State. Registered patients also started to receive ID cards (see photo).

Medicinal Marijuana Program Questions

1-[FiG] – How do registered patients and caregivers obtain their ID cards? [re:physical cards]

• [O’Brien] – DOH originally engaged the Alternative Treatment Centers with the prospect of being the centralized distribution point for ID card delivery.  At that time, the ATCs showed interest in being distributors.  However during a recent progress meeting, Greenleaf representatives expressed concerns regarding security at their Montclair dispensary related to ID card distribution.  The department developed an alternative approach using the mail.  The identification cards are being mailed to the patient and caregiver residences through the mail.  All caregivers and patients who had previously registered will have their cards dated effective Oct. 15—the date Greenleaf was issued its permit. The identification cards are good for two years.

2- [FiG] -How many patients and caregivers have completed the registration process to receive an ID card?

• [O’Brien] -As of close of business on Friday 10/19/12, there are 223 approved patients, 49 patients under review (the review process involves the validation of a patients submitted documents, proof of residency, photo ID, picture and government assistance if applicable) and 82 patients with physician authorization but have not initiated their registration.  The number of potential patients is 354.  There are 16 approved caregivers and 23 caregivers under review for a total of 39 potential caregivers.  Our customer service unit has contacted and is working with each applicant to ensure a timely and successful registration process.

3- [FiG] – Has DOH check[ed] through the list of registered physicians to confirm their participation in the MMP?

• [O’Brien] – DOH conducts a routine confirmation of registered physician status with the BME for license in good standing and a valid CDS registration.  To date there are 176 physicians registered with the program.  37 have requested to be inactivated.  72 physicians are actively authoring Attending Physician Statement for their patients.

4- [FiG] -Has DOH, MMP or the NJ Board of Medical Examiners sent instructions, information or offered presentations on how to utilize cannabis therapy and/or participate in the MMP? [specifically to physicians]

• [O’Brien] -The MMP has been in contact with registered physicians and patients via email and phone providing guidance on MMP procedures.  The MMP also provides information on our web site.  The MMP has engaged the Drug Policy Alliance in the development of a resource library of scholarly articles geared toward providing physicians and patient’s information on the use of medical marijuana.  The MMP has also partnered with the Medical Society of New Jersey in preparing and hosting a webinar to educate the states physician population on issues related to the MMP.  Both of these initiatives are in process.

The Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act of New Jersey was signed into law in January 2010. The Medicinal Marijuana Program was created under DOH in 2011 and John H. O’Brien was hired as Director. Some have been put off by his previous job; 26 years with the NJ State Police. But O’Brien has shown earnest commitment to getting the very limited NJ program running for patients.

The fact that O’Brien responded directly to questions via email, rather than NJDOH communication staff, does indicate a more open dialogue between the MMP and the public.

NJ MMP website: http://www.state.nj.us/health/medicalmarijuana/index.shtml

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]

Each year PhillyNORML, the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, looks at the marijuana arrest data for the city. The information comes directly from the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System.

Here are the numbers for 2009, the most recent data available:

There were 6, 402 marijuana related arrests by Philadelphia City Police in 2009. These were stand-alone violations not in conjunction with other crime.

4, 656 were adults arrested for simple possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana.

Of the adults arrested for simple marijuana possession more than 75% were 18-29 years old (3,129) and 91% were men (4,251).

The trend of white women being the group who have the least amount of annual possession arrests was true again with just 104 all year; less than 10 per month.

Black women were three times more likely to be arrested than white women, with 300 women taken into custody in 2009 for marijuana possession less than 30 grams.

Overall, black residents were four times more likely to arrested for pot than white residents. For all marijuana violations, African Americans comprised 80% of those arrested in Philadelphia, a total of 5,158 adults.

To put this into perspective there were 10,661 African American residents arrested in all of Pennsylvania for marijuana violations during 2009. Thus, Philadelphia city police are performing about half of the annual statewide arrests of black people for marijuana.

Earlier this year District Attorney Seth Williams created a new diversion court for minor marijuana offenses. Instead of criminal prosecution offenders now pay a $200 fine.

While this alleviated the court burden of marijuana violations it does not address the arrests.

11/26/12 by Chris Goldstein – Pennsylvania maintains a crime reporting database that is almost unique in the United States for the excellent level of “sunshine.”  At PhillyNORML we’ve been analyzing the marijuana arrest data for many years.  Unlike other states – we can access detailed information about the marijuana arrests in every county or even down to individual precincts in a city.

First, the hard numbers for 2011, the most recent year that full data is available.

Pennsylvania:

Code 18F Drug Possession Marijuana Total Adults =   17,542

Total Juveniles =   2,995

PA 2011 Marijuana possession arrests            TOTAL = 20,537

Code 18B Drug Sale/Manufacture Marijuana Total Adults = 5,115

Total Juveniles =    480

PA 2011 Marijuana Sale/Manufacture Arrests TOTAL  = 3,475

2011 Total marijuana arrests in Pennsylvania = 26,132

There was some interesting trending by age: 18-21 year-olds were most-arrested; accounting for almost half of all adult possession arrests. Overall 18-34 year-olds accounted for more than 85% of arrests in PA demonstrating that enforcement of marijuana prohibition falls largely on the shoulders of younger residents.

Although women self-report marijuana smoking at rates somewhat less than men, gender was a major factor in the arrest data. Men comprised almost 90% of marijuana possession arrests in PA. White women were the least arrested category in all ages and regions of Pennsylvania.

Philly Cops Love Weed (arrests)

Philadelphia has the largest concentration of pot arrests each year with some notable trends that break with the rest of the state.

First the numbers:

Philadelphia:

Code 18F Drug Possession Marijuana   Total Adults =   4,226

Total Juveniles =   605

PHILLY – 2011 Marijuana possession arrests            TOTAL = 4,831

Code 18B Drug Sale/Manufacture Marijuana Total Adults = 2,177

Total Juveniles =   187

PA 2011 Marijuana Sale/Manufacture Arrests TOTAL  = 2,364

2011 Total marijuana arrests in Philadelphia = 6,895

Philadelphia created the Small Amount of Marijuana (SAM) program in 2010 so that about 85% of these arrests are now diverted out of criminal court.  Still, Philadelphia is the only county or municipality in PA that requires a mandatory custodial arrest for any amount of pot. That means police in Philly must put marijuana offenders in handcuffs for a joint – but other PA police can write a Summary Violation to avoid the physical arrest.

The ethnic/racial disparity to Philadelphia marijuana arrests is the most noticeable trend. Of the 4,226 adult possession arrests 698 were white, 393 Hispanic and 3,495 black.

All available data shows that white and black people smoke marijuana at nearly equal rates.

The next largest area in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Metro Area , saw 3,059 adult marijuana possession arrests in 2011: 1,897 white and 1,148 black.

It is unclear as to why Philadelphia maintains a uniquely harsh policy for marijuana. The custodial arrest practice for even a joint may be costing the city more than $3 million per year out of the Public Safety budget.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly could take the pragmatic step of simply decriminalizing adult cannabis possession. This would get rid of the harsh and racially disparate enforcement in Philadelphia and save tens of millions of tax dollars across the Commonwealth.

Voters in Washington and Colorado authorized legalizing and regulating recreational marijuana, making the continued arrest of large numbers of East Coast cannabis consumers even more senseless.

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]

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office is calling a new set of procedures for minor pot cases a success and plans to continue with the Small Amount of Marijuana (SAM) program.

Last year the Pennsylvania Supreme Court worked with the new DA, Seth Williams, to make a pragmatic change in how the justice system deals with marijuana possession of 30 grams or less. A new program was created that includes a diversion court appearance, an education class and fees of $200. The major difference is that there is no longer an instant criminal prosecution. The offender pleads to a non-drug related charge that is automatically expunged from their record.

In January PhillyNORML’s Chris Goldstein spoke with Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Joe McGettigan about the new marijuana policy. McGettigan said that the SAM program is working, “Look, certainly this was a much better option than sending all these people into the criminal court last year for misdemeanors.”

The DA’s office provided the following figures related to the SAM program:

June 2010 to September 2010

1636 marijuana possession cases less than 30 grams TOTAL

339 bench warrants issued for failure to appear

1297 marijuana possession cases less than 30g are heard

1025 enter the Small Amount of Marijuana diversion program ( 79% )

81 went to trial

187 statuses continued

4 cases withdrawn

The procedural shift has eased penalties and a particularly harsh process for offenders. For the last two decades anyone in Philadelphia who was caught with a single joint on up to 30 grams was held for bail then prosecuted in a criminal court. This involves a tremendous amount of the justice system’s resources and the expensive procedure was almost unique in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

There are over 4,500 such cases in Philly every year (the largest concentration of pot arrests in PA) so minor marijuana offenses were literally clogging holding cells, bail officer, printing machines, court reporters, clerks, judges and courtrooms. The real world cost savings for the city this year by eliminating those expenses could tally into the millions.The shift also made a significant, tactile change; residents who consume marijuana and run afoul of prohibition laws have a less traumatic experience.

PhillyNORML’s Chris Goldstein said, “This was a positive shift for the city. Still minor marijuana possession arrests are increasing and continue a disturbing trend of being extremely racially disparate.”

An average of about 325 black men, 50 black women, 95 white men and 8 white women will be arrested every month this year in Philadelphia.

On March 17th at high noon things with get a little greener in Manhattan: Empire State NORML will remind New Yorkers that marijuana is a safer alternative to alcohol for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.  A rally and a press conference are planned for City Hall Park.

Douglas Greene of Empire State NORML organized the event. He was inspired by the book Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? by Steve Fox, Paul Armentano and Mason Tvert.

“While scores of New Yorkers are out getting hammered, we want to remind the Big Apple that there is a safer, greener and cleaner choice for adults: marijuana.”

The State of New York decriminalized minor marijuana possession in 1979. But the city has since enacted municipal codes that spur all of the arrests. For instance, Marijuana in Public View is a criminal misdemeanor.

SEE:CORRECTIONS: NYC Rally, East Coast Gets Serious

“New York City made over 50,000 marijuana possession arrests last year alone, and over 500,000 since 1996,” Greene said today.  “Why are we wasting all of this money and why is the Bloomberg Administration continuing to push New Yorkers to drink?”

According to Greene the NYPD is now handling nearly 1,000 arrests a week just for pot or 15% of all arrests in New York City. This is no small matter, with 2.7% of the U.S. population; New York City alone now represents a striking 6% of all the marijuana arrests in the country.

Press conference speakers include:
· Dr. Julie Holland is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology, with a private practice in New York City established in 1996. She is the editor of The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis, and Ecstasy: The Complete Guide.  Holland is the author of Weekends at Bellevue: Nine Years on the Nightshift of the Psych ER.  She has frequent appearances in news media as an expert guest on drug issues.

· Dr. Harry Levine: is a professor of sociology at Queens College, City University of New York.  He has won awards for his writing about the history of addiction, about alcohol prohibition and regulation, and about crack cocaine and the war on drugs. His current research examines the epidemic of racially-biased marijuana arrests in the U.S and why, since 1997, New York City has arrested more people for possessing small amounts of marijuana than any city in the history of the world.

· Tony Newman, Director of Media Relations for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), the nation’s leading organization calling for alternatives to the drug war and policies based on science, compassion, health, and human rights.

· Daniel Jabbour: New York State Coordinator for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities.

· Chris Goldstein:  Chris worked on behalf of PhillyNORML with city officials in Philadelphia to urge for a change in procedures. A new marijuana diversion court was employed in 2010.  Goldstein is also on the Board of Directors at NORML-NJ and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana-NJ (CMM-NJ). He recently launched www.freedomisgreen.com to cover East Coast cannabis reform.

More information:

Facebook Event Page

PRESS CONFERENCE: Marijuana is Safer than Beer for St. Pat’s
Empire State NORML
New York State Chapter – The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
WHEN: St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17th, 2011 at high noon
WHERE: City Hall Park – Broadway between Park Place and Barclay (east side)
WHO: Empire State NORML, national marijuana policy experts
WHAT: Press Conference
CONTACT: Douglass Greene (516) 242-4666 doug{ at }empirestatenorml.com

On January 11, 2010 the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was passed by the Legislature and later signed by then-governor Jon Corzine. It marked the 14th US state to create legal access to cannabis for seriously ill residents.Lawmakers and advocates expected the program to be running by the fall of 2010 but the new governor, Chris Christie, has put up significant hurdles in the regulatory process.Currently there is no medical marijuana program running in the Garden State. The NJ Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) launched a controversial physician registry for doctors to begin recommending cannabis to their patents.DHSS representatives said in a phone call today that 69 doctors in 18 counties had registered so far, but the system to allow the registry of patients has not been brought online.

7/17/2011 by Justin Escher Alpert – Last night may not have seemed unique in New Jersey, another pleasant and clear summer evening the likes of which fill my memories of The Garden State.  After a day with the family trolling the shore for bass, or after a day with friends hitting a links in the lush green mountains, or after a day with the kids basking in the sun at the town pool, people gathered together under the stars and a nearly full moon.

Maybe they drank sangria and maybe they made fresh fish tacos.  They shared and they talked and they gossiped and maybe they thanked God for the life that they were given, for the friends and family that they have, for their past experiences and future opportunities.

And maybe, as everyone relaxed, the sweet smell of Sensimilla filled the air.

They were your doctors, your lawyers, your bankers, your hairdressers… they were the clerk at that store you love and your trainer at the gym… they were Democrats and they were Republicans (definitely Libertarians), they were gay and straight, they were Christian and Jewish and Muslim and some other religions of which you may or may not have heard.  They were parents and grandparents. They were friends and neighbors.

No, last night wasn’t particularly different than any other summer night in The Garden State.  Last night was beautiful.

Do you know any of those people who got together last night?  Those people who are adults and have lived their lives according to the rules, and studied hard, and married the right person, and are raising their kids properly, and are working real hard but don’t always get it right… do you know any of those folks?  The folks navigating their lives pursuant to the sum of their past experiences and doing the best to captain their own ships?… do you know any of those folks?

Come in real close… I have a favor to ask.  Do you think you could ask just a few of those folks to write to their State legislators?

We’re not asking them to light up a doobie on the State House steps in protest… No, just a simple email to their legislators.

They can find them and email them here (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp).

Just something simple like-

Dear Senator _________, Assemblyman/woman __________, and Assemblyman/woman __________,

I support the intention of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act and believe that safe, effective, and legal medicinal marijuana ought to be made immediately and readily available to those patients who might benefit upon the recommendation of their physician.

I also support Assembly Bill A4252, which would decriminalize possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana.

I am an adult and believe that other adults are capable of making responsible choices when it comes to the use of marijuana.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
Phone

Do you think you could ask them to do that?…  Your friends and neighbors?  They are adults now, with real jobs and real families and it is their real destiny to be in the place to make the decisions about the rules that will govern their real lives.

There is no telling what we will be able to accomplish together when we are honest with ourselves, and we ask others to be honest with themselves.

Read it, digest it, talk about it, copy it, paste it, email it, post it, share it, like it.

Today will be another beautiful summer day in The Garden State.

Justin Escher Alpert is an attorney, writer, musician, actor, activist, husband, father, friend, and neighbor, and he lives his life to the best of his abilities with his family in Livingston, New Jersey.

[Editor’s Note – Justin walks-the-walk by keeping up a regular email dialogue to NJ legislators and testifying in Trenton (video below). Freedomisgreen posts commentary and other submitted content that is exclusive to the site. If you are interested in sending text or photos please contact [email protected] .]