The Pelosi-Boehner Cannabis Conundrum
January 29th, 2009 by Alex
A recent editorial from Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, delves into the political disconnect between prominent legislator’s statements on marijuana reform and the actions they end up (not) taking.
Allan focuses on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), illustrating their two completely different backgrounds and positions while showing how their actions are essentially identical when it comes to marijuana law.
Pelosi has been a positive advocate for medicinal marijuana for years, but has yet to put those words into definitive action. On the flip side, Boehner is a libertarian that favors reduced governmental interference while still regurgitating DEA-styled talking points against marijuana. He’s more than happy to support that status quo, instead of listening to his (and basically the entire country’s) constituents.
It’s going to take one politician with the power and guts to stick their neck out to really advance marijuana law reform. As it sits, the chances of Nancy Pelosi being a champion for the cause are looking more and more unlikely.
Allan finishes his article perfectly by coining the term Pelosi-Boehner Cannabis Conundrum, a fitting reference for leaders who are not leading.
MMJ Law Changes for Missouri, Montana
January 21st, 2009 by Perry
A bit of good news and a bit of bad news this week for marijuana activists.
The good news: Medical Marijuana may be that much closer to reality for patients in Missouri.
State Representative Kay Meiner (D-Kansas City) introduced a bill which would allow MMJ for patients suffering from deblitating diseases such as AIDS and multiple sclerosis, arguing that if addictive pain killers can be prescribed, marijuana should also be allowed.
The bad news: Registered medical marijuana patients in Montana will now be considered ‘under the influence’ (aka the dreaded DUI) if found driving while high on marijuana. The law also goes one step further and gives the arresting officer the right to revoke a driver’s MMJ registration card for refusing a field sobriety test.
From a purely legal point of view, I understand the harsh response to operating motor vehicles under the influence of narcotics, but taking away a patients access to his or her medicine seems counterintuitive. Believe me, if you get tagged with a DUI, you’re in for enough suffering as is – court time, lawyers, fines, community service – it’s no fun.
Here’s full text of the Montana law, which is one of 13 states to legalize marijuana for medical use.
Marijuana Is Not Just a Political Liability Anymore
January 15th, 2009 by PerryFor the 2nd round of voting on Change.gov, marijuana law reform is again near the top of the list at number two the number one issue of concern.
A question regarding incarcerating marijuana users came in sixth, with the most important issues still pertaining to our dreadful economic conditions.
Under the category of national security questions, reducing the violence of drug traffickers by our neighbors to the South, wound up being the number one question.
As The Hill’s congressional blog notes, the times when the issue of marijuana reform led to a candidate being demonized or ostracized by his party may be behind us.
Either way, it should be completely apparent to Barack Obama and his incoming administration that legitimate marijuana reform is a high priority for a large number of people in America.
Sanjay Gupta, Surgeon General?
January 8th, 2009 by Perry
In an article from Time Magazine, CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who is widely projected to be Obama’s pick for surgeon general, is against medical marijuana.
Maybe it’s because I was born a couple of months after Woodstock and wasn’t around when marijuana was as common as iPods are today, but I’m constantly amazed that after all these years–and all the wars on drugs and all the public-service announcements–nearly 15 million Americans still use marijuana at least once a month.
Gupta, a neurosurgeon at Emory University and famous television-doctor personality, has a stance and character which lends to him being more reasonable than most of the drug’s opponents. However, the pick has done little to ease concern that Obama’s bipartisan efforts could leave him making compromises in his first term which would disappoint a liberal support base hoping for change sooner, rather than later.
In a different interview though, Gupta also talks about MMJ’s effectiveness against Alzheimer’s disease and with glaucoma. Even though Dr. Gupta has shown the ability to be balanced, this whole article reeks of talking head factor and retention of the status quo.
Team Obama Says “No” to Legalizing Marijuana
December 16th, 2008 by Alex
A few people have written to us for an opinion on the recently updated ‘Open for Questions‘ feature on the President-elect’s official Change.gov website.
It’s a pretty simple format. People submit questions that they would like answered by Obama’s transition team, then those questions are voted up or down depending on their popularity / relevance. The 5 most voted on questions then get answered.
Out of the 5, here is the question that most of us are interested in:
Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.? – S. Man, Denton
And here is the transition team’s expansive response:
President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.
It might not be the answer we wanted, but at least their reasoning is clear. And by clear, I mean non-existent.
Before everyone gets worked up about this, let’s think about the venue more than the response. Is a Change.gov blog post really going to be the launching point for an incoming administration’s marijuana policy? I don’t believe so.
Instead, this feels more like a boilerplate response than a final answer. Out of all 5 questions, the marijuana response was the shortest answer (only 1 sentence) and there was no attempt made to delve into any of the root issues.
In other words, this isn’t what marijuana progressives wanted to see, but it’s not an end-all / be-all either. I’m sure the MPP, NORML and LEAP will all continue to push just as hard for marijuana reform. I also bet they’ll hold the incoming administration accountable for a logical and thorough response to the legalization movement as a whole.
Tommy Chong Prosecutor Won’t Resign
December 9th, 2008 by Alex
It looks like the soon-to-be outed vestiges of the Bush administration are digging in their claws and not leaving without causing some discomfort first.
Breaking from the custom of leaving service once a new administration takes office, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan has indicated she will not resign from her position.
Not sure who Mary Beth Buchanan is? She’s the one who spent $12 million of tax payer money prosecuting Tommy Chong (and other paraphernalia sellers) via the federal government’s Operation Pipe Dreams.
The sting, its effects and underlying causes were chronicled in the award winning documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong – which is now playing on Showtime.
Luckily, US Attorney personnel decisions (including all hiring & firing) are under the full authority of the President. Buchanan’s unwillingness to follow tradition in no way means she’ll be staying at her position for the upcoming years, but she will definitely be a thorn in Obama’s side if he plans to remove her immediately.
We’ll keep you posted.
LEAP Speaks Out on Prohibition
December 5th, 2008 by Alex
On December 4th, 1933 the United States government put an end to prohibition – a failed experiment to curb one of America’s (and the world’s) base appetites. We are now seeing reflections of this movement in the present day war on drugs.
A group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, which is made up of former law enforcement officials against the war on drugs, is using this anniversary to continue their lobbying on behalf of drug legalization.
In their efforts to get more direct conversation between constituents and federal / state lawmakers, LEAP has created an email form for people to easily contact your local elected officials.
One thing to point out is LEAP supports not just the legalization of marijuana, but also cocaine, heroine and other illegal drugs. It’s hard to find complete literature on their website about each drugs’ potential consequences (if legalized), but there is a provided study about today’s drug prohibition.
We all know this is a complex subject, but it’s even more interesting to see the increase in a push for legalization as a result of the downturn in America’s economy. If major shifts do happen, we will be looking back at this unexpected economic decline as one of the deciding factors.
Let’s finish off with a prescient quote by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the famous industrialist. He said:
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.
Hmmm. Remind you of anything?
Big Win for State-Level Medical Marijuana Laws
December 2nd, 2008 by Alex
Today is a good day for California’s Compassionate Use Act, and it’s ironically due to a landmark non-decision by the US Supreme Court.
How does a non-decision affect anything? Well, let’s start from the beginning…
In June 2005, Garden Grove police pulled over Felix Kha and seized his medical marijuana. Felix sued, not necessarily for the return of his pot, but to uphold patients’ rights in California. Law enforcement argued that seizure was necessary because federal law trumps state law.
Finally, two years later, the Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Felix Kha, saying that local police are not paid to enforce federal drug laws.
Garden Grove wasn’t too pleased with this, so they took the case all the way to the Supreme Court, who officially refused to hear Garden Grove v. Superior Court of California, et al.. This means the lower court ruling stands, and over 90% of police traffic stops that result in seizure of medical marijuana will now be drastically reduced.
As far as court decisions go, this is a big one, and significantly strengthens the position of medical marijuana patients in California and other states with medical possession laws.
