|
|
|
CONTACT
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE! Congressional
House Members Introduce Multiple Medical Marijuana
Reform Measures |
|||
|
Washington, DC, USA: A bi-partisan
coalition of United States House lawmakers have introduced multiple measures in Congress to reform
federal marijuana laws. House
Bill 1983, The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, ensures that
medical cannabis patients, caregivers, or third-party providers in states
that have approved its use will no longer have to fear arrest or prosecution
from federal law enforcement agencies. It states, "No provision of the
Controlled Substances Act Says
the bill's primary sponsor, Rep Barney Frank (D-MA): "The time has come
for the federal government to stop <continued
on page 3 > |
Oregon Medical Cannabis Patients Brace for Fee Hike
Basic
Fees for registering with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program will increase
from the current $100 per year and from $20 for a majority of those qualified
for the Reduced Fee, due to a Budget Bill (SB5529-A) that was legislated in
the last session and signed by the Governor. The legislators also approved
imposing a new $200 fee on growers who are not already patients. <continued on page 7 > _________________________
Cannabis Compound Induces Death Of Cells Associated With Liver
Fibrosis
New York, NY, USA: The administration of
the non-psychotropic cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol)
induces selective apoptosis in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), according to
preclinical findings reported in the journal Cell Death and
Disease. The <continued
on page 3 > |
US Attorneys Frighten Oregon Landlords
Resource Centers throughout Oregon and across America closed as a result of being unjustly evicted due to deliberately broad, misleading, and threatening letters from US Attorneys, part of a series sent to state officials and Centers, like MERCY, the Medical Cannabis Resource Center. And all just a part of shutting down Medical Cannabis altogether, really. <continued on last page > _______________________
Vermont Legalizes Establishment Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Montpelier, VT, USA: Democrat Gov. Peter
Shumlin signed legislation into law last week that allows for the
establishment of state-sanctioned medical cannabis distribution facilities.
The Governor signed the law despite last-minute warnings from the U.S. Justice Department <continued
on page 4 > |
|
|
* Volume 8, Issue 7 * July * 2011 * www.MercyCenters.org *
|
||
|
* The MERCY News * |
|
_____________________ The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news,
announcements and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across
America and around the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1469 Capital
St. NE, Suite 100, Salem, Ore.,
97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube!
in Salem, Oregon area thru Capital Community
Television, Channel 23. See
us on Wednesdays at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and
Saturdays at 06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and
concerned citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for
those involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the
Salem, Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective marijuana
laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower voters to
implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching people to
fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1469 Capital
Street NE, Suite #130, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to
help folks get their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a
grower or getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along
other info and resources depending on the issue. visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1469 Capital Street NE, Suite
#100, Salem, 97301 - or, in the Salem-area, fax them to 503-581-1937, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable
deposit required. Transportation and
Delivery Services available for those in need. For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of
Clinics around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public
–or- Cardholders Only * visit:
http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the
Medical Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
2 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
|
|
Volume 8, Issue 7 * July
* 2011 |
|
||
|
<continued from CANNA-BILLS IN US CONGRESS, page 1 > preempting
states' medical marijuana laws. For the federal government to come in and supersede
state law is a real mistake for those in pain for whom nothing else seems to
work. This bill would block the
federal prosecution of those patients who reside in those states that allow
medical marijuana." House
Bill 1984, The Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011, provides
that state- Finally,
House Bill 1985, The Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011,
amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for expenses in
connection with the trade or business of selling medical cannabis pursuant to
state law. Says the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA): "Our
tax code undercuts legal medical marijuana dispensaries by preventing them
from taking all the deductions allowed for other small businesses. While
unfair to these small business owners, the tax code also punishes the
patients who rely on them for safe and reliable access to medical marijuana
prescribed by a doctor. The Small Business Tax Equity Act would correct these
shortcomings." In
May, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), a co-sponsor of both H.R. 1984 and H.R. 1985, also
reintroduced H.R. 1831, The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011, which
would exclude low potency varieties of marijuana from the federal Controlled
Substances Act. The measure has 25 Congressional co-sponsors and is presently
before the both the House Judiciary and the Energy and Commerce Committees. |
To
take action, visit NORML's 'Take Action Center' online at: http://www.capwiz.com/norml2/issues/ Contacting
Officials.
You can also visit NORMLs page to find
your rep as well as other Resources. Go to - http://capwiz.com/norml2/home/.
_____________________________________________________________ <continued from
LIVER FIBROSIS, page 1 > activation
of HSCs is considered to be a key cellular event underlying hepatic
fibrogenesis (excessive tissue build up), a condition that can result in
liver failure. Authors reported: "In this study, we find
that CBD selectively kills activated HSCs. ... We provide a molecular basis
of action for CBD and identify CBD as a novel potential therapeutic agent for
liver fibrosis." They concluded, "These promising findings
warrant future investigation evaluating the anti-fibrotic effect of CBD in
vivo. The prospect <continued on next page> |
|
|
503.363-4588 * www.MercyCenters.org 3 |
||
United
States House of Representatives | Information on the lower body of the
federal legislature:
|
* The MERCY News * |
|
||
|
<continued from previous page> of CBD as a new anti-fibrotic compound is
rendered more appealing by the fact that CBD is a non-psychoactive small
drug-like molecule already approved for clinical use in many countries."Liver
fibrosis is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Previous
studies have consistently reported that cannabinoids can selectively
promote cell suicide in various malignant cell lines, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and glioma. For
more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Cannabidiol causes activated hepatic stellate
cell death through a mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced
apoptosis," appears in Cell Death and Disease. _____________________________________________________________ THC Administration Halts Disease Progression, Decreases Mortality In
Primate Version of Human Immunodeficiency Virus
New
Orleans, LA, USA: The
long-term administration of delta-9-THC, the primary psychoactive compound in
marijuana, is associated with decreased mortality in monkeys infected with
the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a primate model of HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus) Investigators
at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center assessed the impact of chronic intramuscular THC
administration compared to placebo on immune and metabolic indicators of SIV
disease during the initial six-month phase of infection. Researchers
reported, "Contrary to what we expected, ... delta-9-THC treatment
clearly did not increase disease progression, and indeed resulted in generalized
attenuation of classic markers of SIV disease." Authors also reported
that THC administration was associated with "decreased early mortality
from SIV infection" and "retention of body mass." Investigators
concluded, "These results indicate that chronic delta-9-THC does not
increase viral load or |
aggravate
morbidity and may actually ameliorate SIV disease progression." Clinical
trials have previously documented
that the short-term inhalation of cannabis does not adversely impact viral
loads in HIV patients, and may even improve immune function. For
more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Cannabinoid administration attenuates the
progression of simian immunodeficiency virus," is available online here:
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/aid.2010.0218.
Additional studies documenting the disease modifying potential of marijuana
is available in the NORML handbook, Emerging Clinical Applications For
Cannabis & Cannabinoids: Fourth Edition, available online at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from VERMONT DISPENSARIES, page 1 > alleging that it would
conflict with federal antidrug laws. Senate Bill 17 authorizes the state Department of Public
Safety to license up to four facilities to provide marijuana to qualified
patients. Each facility will be allowed to provide cannabis for up to 1,000
patients. The Department is in the process of developing
rules to carry out the new law. It is anticipated to begin issuing licenses
within six or seven months and is required by law to begin doing so within
one year. To date, only the states of Colorado, Maine, and New Mexico have
state-licensed medical marijuana facilities up and running. Regulators in New Jersey and Rhode
Island have selected applicants to operate similar state-licensed
dispensaries, but neither state has allowed those applicants to open their
planned facilities. A similar licensing program in Arizona
is also on hold. Permits for licensed medical marijuana
businesses are expected to be issued within the next 6 to 12 months in Delaware and in the District of Columbia. Vermont
lawmakers initially
approved the physician-supervised use of marijuana in 2004, but failed to
provide a state-regulated supply source. For more information on Vermont's medical marijuana laws, please
visit: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391#Vermont. |
|
4 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
|
||
|
Volume 8, Issue 7 * July
* 2011 |
|
||
|
Maine: Governor Signs Law Expanding
Privacy, Other Legal Protections For Medical Cannabis Patients
Augusta,
ME, USA:
Republican Gov. Paul LePage signed legislation, LD 1296, into law on Friday implementing new privacy
protections for qualified medical cannabis patients. The
measure eliminates a recently enacted legislative mandate requiring medical
marijuana patients to be registered with the state in order to receive legal
protection under state law. It also eliminates statutory language requiring
physicians to disclose a patient's specific medical condition with the Maine
Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally,
LD 1296 limits the ability of law enforcement to seize cannabis from lawful
patients, and mandates for the return of any seized property within seven
days. Only
two additional states
-- California and Washington -- do not require patients to be registered with
the state to receive limited legal protections. The
new law takes effect in October. In
March, Safe Alternatives, the first state-regulated medical marijuana dispensary on the
East Coast, began operations in Frenchville, Maine. Since then, two additional dispensaries have opened their doors. The
state expects to have eight licensed dispensaries up and running before the
end of the year. Full
text of the measure is available online via Maine's
legislative website here: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/HP095102.asp. _____________________________________________________________ Cannabinoids Delay Disease Progression In Animal Model Of
Huntington's Disease
Madrid,
Spain: The combined administration of the plant
cannabinoids THC and CBD
(cannabidiol) provide neuroprotection in rat models of Huntington's Disease
(HD), according to experimental data to be published in The Journal of
Neuroscience Research. Huntington's
Disease is an inherited degenerative brain disorder characterized by
motor abnormalities and dementia produced by selective lesions in the
cerebral cortex and, in particular, the striatum.
There are presently no |
known
conventional therapies available to alleviate HD symptoms or delay HD-associated
striatal degeneration. An
international team of investigators from Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom
assessed whether THC and CBD-rich botanical extracts could delay the progress
of the disease in laboratory animals. Authors reported, "[O]ur data
demonstrate that a [one to one] combination of THC and CBD-enriched botanical
extracts protected striatal neurons against ... toxicity." By contrast,
the administration of individual, selective synthetic cannabinoid agonists
did not produce similarly favorable outcomes. Investigators
concluded, "In our opinion, these data provide sufficient preclinical
evidence to justify a clinical evaluation of [one to one THC to CBD] cannabis-based medicine ... as a
neuroprotective agent capable of delaying disease progression in patients
affected by HD, a disorder that is currently poorly managed in the clinic,
prompting an urgent need for clinical trials with agents showing positive
results in preclinical studies." For
more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Neuroprotective effects of
Phytocannabinoid-based medicines in experimental models of Huntington's
Disease," will appear in The Journal of Neuroscience Research.
Additional studies documenting the disease modifying potential of marijuana
is available in the NORML handbook, Emerging Clinical Applications For
Cannabis & Cannabinoids: Fourth Edition, available online at: http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=7002 _____________________________________________________________ Washington: Supreme Court Says
State's Medical Marijuana Law Provides No Protection For Employees'
Off-The-Job Use Of Cannabis
Olympia,
WA, USA: An
employer may terminate an employee for his or her off-the-job marijuana use,
even if the employee is authorized under state law to use cannabis
medicinally, the Washington Supreme Court ruled last week in an 8 to 1 decision. The
majority determined: "Washington courts have recognized that
[the] purpose [of the Washington State Medical Use of Marijuana Act] is to
protect the rights of qualifying patients to use medical marijuana in
accordance with the advice and supervision of their physicians. ...
Washington court <continued on next page> |
|
|
503.363-4588 * www.MercyCenters.org 5 |
||
|
* The MERCY News * |
|
||
|
<continued from previous page> decisions
do not recognize a broad public policy that would remove any impediment to
medical marijuana use or impose an employer accommodation obligation." The
Court further determined: "Finally, Washington patients have no legal
right to use marijuana under federal law. Though [the petitioner] claims the
divergence between Washington's [medical marijuana law] and federal drug law
is of no consequence to a state tort claim, the two cannot be completely
separated." Writing
for the dissent, Justice Tom Chambers determined: "The law is intended
to treat marijuana like any other medication. ... Even the limitations in the
act support finding a policy in favor of allowing medical marijuana in
situations like this one." In
2010, the Oregon Supreme Court made a similar ruling in Emerald
Steel Fabricators Inc. v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, finding
that an employee who uses marijuana in accordance with state law is
nonetheless "engaged in the illegal use of drugs" and may be fired for his or
her off-the-job conduct. In
2008, the California Supreme Court also similarly ruled in Ross
v. Ragingwire Telecom that: "California's
voters merely exempted medical users and their primary caregivers from
criminal liability under two specifically designated state statutes.Nothing
in the text or history of the Compassionate Use Act suggests the voters
intended the measure to address the respective rights and obligations of
employers and employees." Full
text of the decision, Roe v. Teletech Customer Care Management LLC, is
available here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2011/06/09/2015278482.pdf. _____________________________________________________________ Over One Million Patients
Likely Using Medical Cannabis In California, CA NORML Study Estimates
San
Francisco, CA, USA:
There are now over 750,000 people in California -- some two percent of the
population -- using medical marijuana in compliance with state law, according
to estimates
published this week by California
NORML, the state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws. The
figure represents a substantial increase from the |
organization's
previous
estimates, but it is in line with registration rates in other comparable
states that enjoy similar wide access to medical cannabis clinics and
dispensaries. States
California NORML in a press release:
"Because patients are not required to register in California, their
exact number is uncertain. Under California's medical marijuana law, ...
patients need only a physician's recommendation to be legal. Just a tiny fraction
of the state's medical marijuana population is enlisted in the state's voluntary ID card program, which
issued just 12,659 cards in 2009-10. Therefore, California patient numbers
must be estimated from other sources. Among the most salient are medical
marijuana registries in Colorado and Montana, which report usage rates of
2.5% and 3.0%, respectively. Because California's law is older and has more
liberal inclusion criteria than other states, usage here is likely to be
higher." It
adds: "Despite this, there is no evidence that liberal access to medical
marijuana has spurred overall marijuana use in California. According to U.S.
SAMHSA data, the total number of users in the state, including
non-medical ones, amounts to 6.7% of the population (2.5 million) within the
past month, or 11.3% (4.1 million) within the past year. This
places California only slightly above the national average in marijuana use
(6.0% monthly and 10.4% yearly), and below several states with tougher
marijuana laws. Use of marijuana by California school youth has declined
since Prop. 215 passed, according to data from the Attorney
General's Survey of Student Drug Use in California. The increase in
medical marijuana use therefore appears to reflect a tendency for existing
users to 'go medical,' rather than the enlistment of new users." California NORML estimates that
the total retail value of medical marijuana consumed in California is
"between $1.5 and $4.5 billion per year, assuming a market of 2% to 3%
of the population, average use of 0.5 to 1 gram per day, and an average cost
of $320 per ounce." For more information, please contact Dale Gieringer, California
NORML Coordinator, at: (415) 563-5858. Full text of California NORML's press
release is online at: http://www.canorml.org/news/cbcsurvey2011.html.
State medical marijuana use estimates for other states is available online
from NORML here: http://blog.norml.org/2011/05/31/americas-one-million-legalized-marijuana-users/ |
|
6 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
|
||
|
Volume 8, Issue 7 * July
* 2011 |
|
||
|
<continued from FEE HIKE, page 1 > The greatest suffering will be
over the $20 discount for poor people receiving food stamps and state medical
coverage - which will be eliminated, and only available to people on social
security. The fee increases are currently scheduled to go into effect October
1. It’s egregious, the legislators
are doing this because they can, “punishing” the Patients – making them pay
for the budgets woes – is wrong. It’s not being done because the
patients are costing Oregon, because they’re getting a service and they owe. Not because the Patients can
afford it, they have the money to spare.
Just the opposite! "Medical marijuana patients
are sick, disabled, and very often poor. This stealthy tax is nothing more
than a bedside shakedown of some of the most vulnerable people in
Oregon," said Robert Wolfe, Director of the Oregon Marijuana Policy
Initiative, which represents marijuana advocacy groups statewide. "It's
a dastardly maneuver by cold-hearted politicians to balance their budget on
the backs of the sick and poor." Not even really doing it for the
money, per se, but to drive folks out of the program so they can be fed into
the in-justice system and otherwise become prey for their special interest
masters. And thus it’s really going
to cost Oregon overall. "Legislators failed to kill
the OMMP during the regular session," said Wolfe. "Now they are
trying to discourage participation by imposing high tariffs. Patients will
now avoid the program, and turn to the black market for their medicine. The
legislature will be successful in recriminalizing thousands of sick and dying
Oregonians." The increased fees will NOT be
going to the OMMP, but instead the expected $7 million raised reportedly will go to
other programs within the cash-strapped Oregon Health Authority, including
clean water, emergency medical care, and school health centers. So this isn't even money for the
program. We find it disgusting that they looked to the OMMP for their
funding for these unrelated programs. Learn more > http://mercycenters.org/news/2011/OMMP_Fees_Double.html
Worse than we first thought, it isn't just the 200 for the card (and no low income) - it is also an ADDITIONAL 200 for the grower who isn't a patient....yeah, that will help people |
convince their friends and
family to help them grow their medical marijuana: Keep this in mind at election
time…the same folks who have doubled the cost for your medical marijuana
card, and the same folks who have proposed multiple legislative concepts to
further restrict your rights - they say that they need 10% more money for the
next biennium. For example, we find this quote
particularly interesting: "After scrutinizing for every possible cut,
every efficiency, this is how the budget came out," said House
co-Speaker Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay. He said it's important to invest in
professional staff if the Legislature is going to have the same clout as the
other two branches of government. "Now when we have a disagreement with the executive
branch, we have the horsepower to be there," Roblan said. They need more "clout"
to keep up with the judiciary and executive branches? Maybe we could just cut
their budgets down to size and that would put them on equal footing! Must be nice to be able to allot
yourself more money for your fights - because our community has to do it for
free, . If anyone was under the illusion that these guys aren't paid well
(I've heard this from people) - the bottom lists some of the salaries -
ranging from mostly between 5000-6000 per month. NOTEs: SB 5529 requires the OMMP to
raise the money, but does not specify HOW to raise that money. That decision
is being made administratively. Todd Dalotto of the Advisory Committee on
Medical Marijuana (ACMM) is one activist working on efforts to change the formula
that is being considered for the fee hikes. One reason to pressure House
legislators is to give our side some leverage as the ACMM goes into talks
with the OMMP Interim Director (Barry Kast). If Barry is getting a lot of
calls from elected officials about his proposed method to raise the money, it
may help us influence Barry to CHANGE the way he raises the money,
particularly to preserve the low income discounts. Regardless, we will need a grassroots lobbying
effort to urge them to work with the ACMM to develop an alternative proposal
and to hold public hearings and otherwise allow input at all. Contacts:
Robert Wolfe, OMPI, phone - 541-228-1634 * Todd Dalotto, ACMM,
phone - 541-929-3973 |
|
|
503.363-4588 * www.MercyCenters.org 7 |
||
|
|
||
|
Your Tax Dollars At Waste, Feds Paper Oregon with
Lies and Threats <continued from US ATTORNEYS,
page 1 > In the letters, where they paint a very broad
definition of what is “dispensing” and say the result of it is that all the
little children are using drugs. Sadly, all actual, real studies done to date
on the subject show just the opposite. The most egregious truth that needs to
be pointed out is that these bureaucratic bullies are doing this because it’s
better than going after rich and connected people and businesses; or actual
criminals who really are armed and dangerous and fight back; because it beats
working for a living, like us peasants. Oh, yeah, making war on the pot-heads is much
more fun, profitable and over-all career rewarding, after all. Even if it does cost us all in the long
run. Cease and Desist! Pot-Head
Haters Masquerading as Public Officials Strike Fear for Prohibitions Sake Another
prevarication related to the missives is that the Feds are only looking to
shut down “illegal” activities when in fact their Agenda is ReCINDing the
state Programs altogether . The basis for this is their constant, on-going
policy/lie that cannabis (marijuana) is not medicine. This campaign is to counter the grass-roots
gains by the people on the issue.
Can’t have the truth ruining their little boondoggle now, can
they? What would their big-Pharma
masters say? Our response is to helping the folks who were
dependent upon the places shutting/being-shut down by this. A prime directive
is reaching out and networking with all others involved to maximize the
resource coverage and support, especially in outlying areas. We’re going to Outreach, Organize, Network and prep for Court Support and beyond. Letters to LandLord(s) and other
interested parties and get them to assist in - Letters and other Action to
US Attotrney(s) and Office (AG), as well as Admin (Obama). Web page for
Ideas, Examples. As well as Letters to the editor, Demos/Rallys to get
Media and other the like aware to get this into the Public eye and them
acting upon it also. And Fire/dis-Empower
the Prohibitionists involved. This means targeting budgets and officials for
de-election, etc., as well as the launching and supporting of Bills,
Measures and Initiatives of our own. Read more >>> http://mercycenters.org/news/2011/Tax_Dollars_at_Waste.html
|
DOJ Revises Administration's Position
Regarding State
Medical Marijuana Laws
Washington, DC, USA: The United States
Department of Justice issued a memorandum to US Attorneys last week revising
the administration's position regarding the use of federal resources in
states that have enacted laws allowing for the use of distribution of medical
cannabis to authorized patients. It is the second such memo issued
by the Obama administration. The DOJ memo seeks to clarify the
administration's stance after US Attorneys this spring sent letters to
several state lawmakers threatening The memo states, "[I]t 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." By contrast,
the DOJ notes that "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." To date, three states -- Colorado, New Mexico,
and Maine -- have allowed for the operation of state-licensed medical
marijuana producers and providers. Five additional states -- Arizona,
Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- as well as the District of
Columbia have similar laws, but have either suspended or not yet implemented
their medical marijuana distribution programs. As a
candidate, President Obama had pledged
that he would "not ... be using Justice Department resources to try to
circumvent state laws on this (the medical marijuana) issue." For
more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director,
at (202) 483-5500, or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the Cole memorandum is available online at: http://www.freedomisgreen.com/full-text-department-of-justice-memo-on-medical-marijuana/.
|
|
|
* The MERCY News
>
mercycenter@hotmail.com > (503)
363-4588 <
www.MercyCenters.org * |
||
