UPDATE: Gov. Markell signed the bill into law!

On Wednesday, the Delaware Senate passed the final version of SB 17, which would allow people with certain medical conditions to use marijuana without fear of arrest. Medical marijuana patients are now waiting for Gov. Markell to sign the bill into law. The governor has stated that he supports the bill and is expected to approve it very soon.

Under the new law, patients 18 and over with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, or ALS would be permitted to use marijuana to treat their conditions with a recommendation from their doctor. While the law would not allow home cultivation, it does establish a regulated non-profit dispensary system to provide safe access for patients. There would initially be one dispensary in each of Delaware’s three counties.

If the bill becomes law, Delaware will become the 16^th state, in addition to the District of Columbia, to allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana.

Great news! Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has signed SB 308! As of June 1, patients in Maryland charged with possession of up to one ounce of marijuana who can show they’ve been diagnosed with a debilitating condition that is resistant to other treatments will be found “not guilty” if they demonstrate they’re likely to benefit from medical marijuana.

Congratulations to everyone who helped make this day possible. Del. Dan Morhaim, Sen. Jamie Raskin, and Sen. David Brinkley worked tirelessly to secure their colleagues’ support. Allied drug policy organizations were also instrumental in helping achieve this victory. Finally, and most importantly, brave patients and their loved ones came from all over the state to courageously share their stories with legislators and members of the media. We simply would not be here without their efforts.

This is a proud day for MPP. We’ve been leading the lobbying effort in Maryland for a decade, securing passage of the original Darrell Putman Compassionate Use Act, and now today’s improvement legislation. And we’ll be back next year to help pass a comprehensive law that includes legal access for patients and protection from arrest.

Thank you for all your support!

[caption id="attachment_4048" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Dan Riffle, Former Del. Don Murphy, and Karen O'Keefe"][/caption]

On Thursday, May 5, the Vermont House of Representatives voted 99-44 to approve an amended bill that would allow four well-regulated non-profit medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state.

I am pleased to announce that the Senate has approved the amendments, and the bill is now on its way to the governor to be signed into law!

It is expected that Gov. Peter Shumlin will approve the bill. He has stated his support for marijuana reform publicly in the past and has been a consistent ally.

Hopefully, with Gov. Shumlin’s help, medical marijuana patients in Vermont will soon be able to access the highest quality medicine safely and affordably.

Despite being disappointed with the language of the bill, it appears that Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is not upset enough to veto the final version of S.B. 423, which would destroy the burgeoning medical marijuana industry, force patients to go to the illicit market, and make it extremely difficult for patients to qualify for the program.

On April 30, Gov. Schweitzer announced that while he was not pleased that the legislature had ignored most of the amendments he suggested when he first sent the bill back to them, he felt that it would be better to pass S.B. 423 than leave the status quo. He said he will let the bill become law without signing or vetoing it. He still has time to change his mind, however.

Under S.B. 423, larger marijuana-growing operations and all dispensaries must shut down by July 1. Patients will have to grow their own or obtain it for free from a provider who can grow for up to three people. In addition, doctors who certify 25 patients will have to pay for an investigation into their practices.

Patients and Families United plans to launch a statewide referendum campaign soon and will need help from far and wide. If enough signatures are gathered with the required geographic distribution, S.B. 423 might be prevented from taking effect prior to putting it before voters in November 2012.

Gov. Schweitzer should be commended for vetoing the bill to completely repeal the medical marijuana law and for attempting to get the legislature to amend the current bill in a reasonable fashion. He shouldn’t give up now. S.B. 423 is bad for patients, doctors, and businesses. It will put many Montanans out of work and many more sick people back in pain. And instead of creating a regulated, controlled system for distribution, it will have the opposite effect from what the legislators intended, specifically driving patients into the hands of illicit drug dealers.

Once again, federal law enforcement is cracking down on medical marijuana businesses. On Thursday, just as Gov. Chris Gregoire was considering a veto of a bill that would establish the legality of medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington, federal agents raided several Spokane dispensaries.

Technically, these actions were in step with the Ogden memo, since Washington’s medical marijuana law does not explicitly allow and regulate dispensaries. Earlier this month, however, U.S. Attorneys warned Gov. Gregoire that they could still prosecute any medical marijuana businesses, even if they were allowed under the proposed bill. This prompted the governor to threaten a veto of the bill.

As if to illustrate their point, the DEA decided to start raids at a critical legislative juncture, which can only serve to compound the fears of nervous lawmakers and the governor.

Legislators should not allow this intimidation to affect their judgment. Several states have established licensed medical marijuana industries without seeing the type of aggression we are witnessing here. The key point to remember is that there is still no indication that the feds will go after medical marijuana businesses in states that have already established their legality. This means we need to pass laws protecting safe access as soon as possible!

Please contact Gov. Gregoire and ask her to stand up patients’ rights, and her state, by passing SB 5073.

The Oklahoma Legislature just passed a bill that would make manufacturing hash a felony punishable by up to life in prison! You read that right – life in prison for a substance that has never caused an overdose death.

Ask Governor Fallin to veto this ridiculous bill!

This is costly – if five people are convicted under this new provision and spend just 10 years in prison, the result is a bill of over $1 million to taxpayers. It’s also just plain stupid. Here are some other crimes and their maximum punishments under Oklahoma law:

* Domestic abuse – 1 year

* Drinking and driving with a child in the car – 4 years

* Aggravated assault resulting in “great physical injury” – 5 years

* Assault with intent to kill – 5 years

* Kidnapping a child – 5 years

* Second degree rape – 15 years

* Sexual battery of a child – 20 years

Apparently, the Oklahoma Legislature thinks that making hash, a concentrated form of marijuana, is deserving of more punishment than all of these crimes that involve actual victims who have suffered actual harm.

Please talk some sense into Governor Fallin and ask her to veto HB 1798.

Governor Brian Schweitzer stood up for the voters, medical marijuana patients, and their caregivers Wednesday when he declared his intent to issue an amendatory veto for SB 423. This bill would have drastically hindered the ability of seriously ill patients to become qualified for the program and would have eliminated the bustling legitimate medical marijuana industry, forcing patients to grow their own or resort to the illicit market. Schweitzer said he will send the bill back with amendments that allow strictly licensed commercial growing and distribution, as well as protect the privacy of patients.

The governor stated that the bill, as written and passed by the House and Senate, is unconstitutional. He also expressed disappointment in the legislature for wasting nearly the entire session trying to thwart the will of Montana voters by passing bills that are nothing but repeal in disguise.

From Missoulian:

Schweitzer said he doesn't believe the bill will survive a legal challenge.

"I'm kind of disgusted right now," he said...

… Schweitzer criticized the Legislature for managing to "squander away" most of the 90-day legislative session before sending him the bill. He said lawmakers already know it's unconstitutional, which is why they put a "severability clause" in it, saying if a court strikes down part of the bill, the rest stands. Severability clauses are common in complex bills.

"Why don't you just pass something that works, that's constitutional and that can survive the test of time?" he asked.

If the legislature does not transmit the bill in time for an amendatory veto, Gov. Schweitzer will be forced to either veto it outright or allow it to become law. From his statements, it’s not hard to guess which way he’s leaning.

In addition, it appears that the governor of Montana did not overreact to recent statements from U.S. Attorneys in Washington that the federal government could prosecute medical marijuana businesses and state employees involved in licensing them. Unlike Gov. Gregoire, he probably looked at the absence of such prosecutions in states like Rhode Island, Maine, Colorado, and New Mexico, all of which have state-licensed dispensaries. Just because the Department of Justice says they can go after marijuana businesses does not mean that they will, and the experiences of these states suggest that they are not likely to do so, particularly in states that have clear regulations allowing dispensaries.

Let’s all reach out and thank Governor Schweitzer for treating medical marijuana in a rational, principled, and compassionate manner. If he keeps standing up for the will of the people of Montana, his re-election is “guar-an-dang-teed!”

[caption id="attachment_4007" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer breaks out the "veto brand" on bad bills. - Associated Press photo"][/caption]

On Friday, April 22, police at a checkpoint in Connecticut stopped Rhode Island House Minority Leader Robert Watson. Representative Watson cooperated with the police, agreeing to a Breathalyzer that resulted in a 0.05 reading (0.08 is legally impaired). During the stop, police also uncovered a small amount of marijuana and a pipe. Rep. Watson has since stated that he uses marijuana for medical purposes, but that he decided not to become a registered medical marijuana patient in Rhode Island out of confidentiality fears.

This unfortunate situation lends itself to serious contemplation of our current draconian marijuana laws. In Connecticut, as well as in Rhode Island, the possession of even a small amount of marijuana is considered a crime. Criminal convictions haunt individuals as a mark on their records, even if jail time is avoided. Many people will have a difficult time obtaining gainful employment, college admission or loans, and housing because of their record. Are these drastic results really justified for something as simple as possessing a small amount of a substance proven safer than alcohol?

Legislators in both Rhode Island and Connecticut have the opportunity this year to end the heavy-handed practice of labeling anyone a criminal for possession of a small amount of marijuana. Both states have bills pending that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, replacing the current criminal penalties with a more rational civil fine.

Finally, I would like to commend the minority leader for his subsequent bravery and honesty in addressing his entire chamber about this issue. He explained that prescription medications have caused severe side effects, and that marijuana alleviated bouts of pancreatitis, which put him into a coma for five days last November. I am glad he has found a medicine that helps alleviate his pain. Protecting patients, such as Rep. Watson, is why we worked so hard to pass Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law. Rhode Island’s law, for which Rep. Watson voted, includes protection from conviction for unregistered patients who have doctors’ recommendations, as well as protection from arrest for those who register.

Our summertime fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion just got even more exciting. The Marijuana Policy Project and GreenLife Medical Systems present to you the Liberty Belle Ball where freedom is beautiful and victory is our goal.

Join us on July 7, 2011, as we proclaim our liberty from propaganda and blind acceptance of the status quo. We'll rally together to declare independence from our government’s shameful bias against cannabis as a medicine, an industrial fiber, and an alternative to alcohol.

The Liberty Belle Ball is a celebratory show of force for common sense marijuana laws. Get your tickets to the Ball today, before the price increases on Monday, May 16. Visit www.mpp.org/pb2011 for more details.

Part of the price of each ticket is tax-deductible, and 100% of the net proceeds will benefit our work to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.
 
In other words, this is a win/win/win situation: You attend an unforgettable party, you receive a tax deduction, and you help change our nation's absurd marijuana laws.

In addition to the Mansion's famous attractions, the Ball will also feature a major music act, burlesque performances, patriotic body painting, a silent art auction featuring classic Marilyn Monroe pinup photographs, and many other delights.

Guests are encouraged to dress to impress. Those dressed as “liberty belles” will be eligible to enter a drawing for fabulous prizes.

Do the patriotic thing – join us at the Liberty Belle Ball on July 7!

Brought to you by:

For information on group ticket sales or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lindsay Robinson at lrobinson@mpp.org or 415-515-0450