California Senate Urges New Federal Policy on Medical Marijuana
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
Sacramento, CA — The California Senate voted 23-15 yesterday on a resolution that urges the federal government to end medical marijuana raids and to 
“create a comprehensive federal medical marijuana policy that ensures safe and legal access to any patient that would benefit from it.” Recent federal enforcement activity underscores the need for Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 14, introduced in June by State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). Although President Obama has signaled a willingness to change federal policy on medical marijuana, his Administration has yet to come forward with an actual implementation plan.
In a previous statement, Senator Leno stated that, “Patients and providers in California remain at risk of arrest and prosecution by federal law enforcement and legally established medical marijuana cooperatives continue to be the subjects of federal raids.” Once passed, “this resolution will clearly state the Legislature’s opposition to federal interference with California’s medical marijuana law and support for expanded federal reform and medical research,” continued Leno.
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Canada: In Marijuana Grow Case, Alberta’s Top Court Rules Police Use of Power Recording Device Violates Privacy Rights
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
In a 2-1 decision last Friday, the Alberta Court of Appeals ruled that Calgary police violated Canadian privacy protections when they persuaded a utility 
company to attach a device to create a record of electricity usage in a home where they suspected marijuana was being grown. The case is Crown vs. Gomboc.
Daniel James Gomboc was arrested and convicted of marijuana cultivation after Calgary police on another call noticed his home showed signs that a marijuana grow was taking place. After spotting suggestive evidence, Calgary police then went to the utility provider Enmax without a warrant and persuaded it to attach a digital recording amp-meter (DRA) to Gomboc’s home. The meter monitored Gomboc’s power usage for five days, and police used the results to obtain the search warrant that resulted in his arrest and subsequent conviction.
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Tags: Alberta Court Ruling, Canada, marijuana
Hemp: A replacement for common food allergens?
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
Hemp is an easily digestible, gluten-free protein. It has an overall protein content of 34.6 g/100 g, with a low carbohydrate content. Of the shelled hemp seed carbohydrate, 6% is in the
form of fiber. The fiber content of hemp seed flour is 40%, which is the highest of all commercial flour grains.
In addition to containing the basic human nutrient groups, hemp foods have a high content of antioxidants (92.1 mg/100g). The high content of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids make hemp foods beneficial to cardiovascular health (the chart compares hemp milk to soy, rice, and almond alternatives – click on it to see a clearer image). Additionally, hemp seed contains a wide variety of other vitamins and minerals.
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Tags: gluten-free protein, hemp, hemp milk
California has three initiatives filed to legalize marijuana
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
Previous articles compared two marijuana legalization initiatives filed in California and discussed the California initiative 
process and the relationship of initiatives to laws passed by the state legislature. One of these initiatives has been amended and a third filed.
The newest addition to California’s marijuana legalization initiatives is the Common Sense Act of 2010 by Common Sense California.
This initiative, which was filed 4 Aug 09, repeals marijuana prohibition in California, gives the legislature a year to pass laws to regulate and tax marijuana, and calls for California members of Congress to work to remove cannabis from the Federal Schedule of Controlled Substances.
On the same day, 4 Aug 09, amendments to the Regulate, Control and Tax Act of 2010 (ROT 2010) were filed with the Attorney General. Section 2, B. Purposes. Item 2 now reads, “Regulate cannabis like we do alcohol; Allow adults to possess and consume small amounts of cannabis.” The phrase “21 years of age and older” has been removed. However, this will probably have no impact as the phrase “21 years of age or older” still appears twice in the document and the phrase “21 years of age” appears seven times.
Also under Section 2., B. Purposes; Items 7 and 8 have the following appended, “except as permitted under Health and Safety Section 11362.5 and 11362.7 through 11362.9.” Item 7 prohibits the sales of cannabis in cities that do not enact a tax on it. Item 8 authorizes strict control over the cultivation, distribution and sales in cities that do enact taxes on cannabis. It also authorizes cities to limit how much can be bought and sold.
Appending the phrase, “except as permitted under Health and Safety Section 11362.5 and 11362.7 through 11362.9″ to these items explicitly exempts California’s medical marijuana statutes, patients, and providers or caregivers from the provisions of ROT 2010, though it should be noted that California’s Medical Marijuana Program ends with Health & Safety Code §11362.83 and there are no codes between §11362.83 and §11362.9.
While this phrase is not repeated in the subsequent Section 3., C. Intent, which explicitly lists the statutes to be affected and those not affected by ROT 2010, it removes much of the concern previously expressed about any potential impact this law could have on medical marijuana patients and/or the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Most notably, it exempts medical marijuana from the taxing requirements. It is to the credit of Oaksterdam U and Richard Lee that this change was made in a timely manner.
However, §11300(c) which prohibits consumption in public and in the presence of children remains unchanged. Current California law has no prohibition on medical consumption of marijuana in the presence of children and criminalizes the medical smoking of cannabis only where smoking cigarettes is prohibited. While medical marijuana patients appear to be explicitly exempted from this prohibition on consumption in the presence of children and/or in public, it could prove problematic in practice. Currently, “lowest priority” ordinances which prohibit recreational consumption in public are being used to harass medical patients.
A prohibition on consumption in public by medical patients will have the effect of making them housebound. Many cannot easily go without medicating for the time it takes to visit a doctor, buy groceries, have dinner, or go to a movie.
Also, §11304(a) remains unchanged. This section states that nothing in ROT 2010 shall “affect, amend, or limit any statute that … penalizes bringing cannabis to a school enrolling students in any grade kindergarten through 12, inclusive.” This could likewise prove problematic for children and teenagers who are medical marijuana patients, notwithstanding the exemption of current California marijuana statutes previously cited.
It should be noted that §11304(c) or ROT 2010 prohibits discrimination for use, consumption, sales, distribution, and cultivation of cannabis.
In short, the amendments to ROT 2010 amount to appending the phrase, “except as permitted under Health and Safety Sections 11362.5 and 11362.7 through 11362.9″ to items 7 and 8 under Purposes.
Of the three initiatives to legalize marijuana filed with the Attorney General, ROT 2010 is the most likely to acquire the 433,971 valid signatures to qualify for the 2 Nov 10 ballot. The proponents will have a difficult job differentiating their proposals in the minds of the public. Signature validation could prove to be a nightmare. Will most people who support marijuana legalization end up signing the same petition duplicate times through confusion and a desire to see all proposals on the ballot?
The Tax, Regulate and Control Cannabis Act of 2010 (THC 2010) is the most far-reaching of the three initiatives as it legalizes marijuana, grants retroactive amnesty to California marijuana prisoners, decriminalizes hemp, and explicitly protects medical marijuana patients including children.
Common Sense 2010 is the least far-reaching. While, upon voter approval, it will lift the prohibition of marijuana, it leaves taxing and regulating up to the legislature and gives them one year to do it.
THC 2010 prohibits any community from banning sales of marijuana, while ROT 2010 explicitly provides for such bans. THC 2010 levies a $50 per ounce tax on recreational marijuana, while ROT 2010 specifies no amount but encourages taxation and licensing “without limitation”.
Of the three, only THC 2010 cannot be amended by the legislature without approval by the voters. ROT 2010 explicitly allows amendment without approval by the people, and this could prove problematic once the pharmaceutical lobby gets to work on California elected officials. While Common Sense 2010 repeals the prohibition of marijuana at the state level, it enacts no law but rather gives the state legislature a year to do so.
It now appears that none of the proposed initiatives to legalize marijuana in California can be used to nullify or amend current California medical marijuana law.
SOURCE: EXAMINER
The Top 5 Reasons Why We Should Grow Hemp
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
While there are several reasons for legalizing Cannabis, hemp, which comes from the same plant genus as marijuana, 
definitely has the most tangible benefits. Besides, the strains of marijuana used in industrial and consumer products contain such a small level of the intoxicating substance, the two shouldn’t be classified under the same category.
Hemp as paper: Hemp won’t just save trees, but paper made from Hemp is stronger and more durable. According to Ecomall
The hemp plant, like cotton, produces cellulose fibers that are much more pure than fibers derived from wood…Many of the early documents printed on hemp paper hundreds, or even one thousand years ago, are still in existence.
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Tags: cannabis, growing hemp
Mexico decriminalizes small-scale drug possession
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
MEXICO CITY — Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that 
prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government’s grueling battle against drug traffickers.
Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico’s corruption-prone police from extorting casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check.
“This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty,” said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general’s office.
The new law sets out maximum “personal use” amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities no longer face criminal prosecution.
Espino del Castillo says, in practice, small users almost never did face charges anyway. Under the previous law, the possession of any amount of drugs was punishable by stiff jail sentences, but there was leeway for addicts caught with smaller amounts.
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Tags: decriminalization, mexico
Study Says It’s Easier For Teens To Buy Marijuana Than Beer
Aug 31, 2009 Online Issue
A recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has some startling results about teens and drugs.
In their study, they found that 40 percent of teens could get marijuana within a day; another quarter said they could get it within an hour. In another portion of the survey, teens between the ages of 12 and 17 say it’s easier to get marijuana than buy cigarettes, beer or prescription drugs. That number is up 37 percent from 2007.
But, local law enforcement says these numbers don’t match up to what’s happening here in east Idaho.
Kim Ellis, Pocatello Police department: “That’s something that we’re seeing here, but as far as what we’re seeing the statistics don’t bear out, that way, we’re seeing a lot more underage consumption citations than marijuana, possession of marijuana.”
According the Pocatello Police Department, since the beginning of the year there were 58 alcohol violations with minors younger than 18, while there were only 12 marijuana violations.
Law enforcement credit’s this to in school programs like “DARE” and having school resource officers available. For more information about the study: www.casacolumbia.org
SOURCE: KPVI NEWS 6
Tags: beer and marijuana, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
