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Orange Punch ~ Opinion blog maintained by editorial writers Alan Bock, Mark Landsbaum and Brian Calle.

Archive for the 'Medical Marijuana' Category

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Medical marijuana forum in Elsinore tonight

January 25th, 2010, 3:30 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

I’m planning to attend a town hall meeting in Lake Elsinore tonight on implementing the medical marijuana law, specifically relating to the question of medical marijuana facilities. It starts at 5:00 p.m. in the community center, the old building with columns on Main Street. Ed Rosenthal, Judge Jim Gray, Dr. Norman Lepoff and others will give presentations.

As I understand it, the issue is that the city government is inclined toward a moratorium on such facilities, but some citizens are looking into the idea of an initiative that would establish a law to authorize and regulate such facilities through a vote of the people. Is that what it’s going to take to bring foot-dragging officials into line? I suspect the foot-dragging (check out San Clemente’s obstinacy) will build support for the state-level initiative to legalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol, which will be on the ballot in November.

Posted in: California • Civil Liberties • Culture • Democrats • Medical Marijuana • National • | 5 Comments »

Lots of marijuana reform news

January 12th, 2010, 1:31 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

There’s almost so much happening on various marijuana law reform fronts that it’s almost too much to cover in a single post. Yesterday the New Jersey legislature passed a medical marijuana law outgoing Gov. Corzine has vowed to sign before he leaves. It is more restrictive than California’s (only for certain chronic illnesses, more state supervision, etc.) but still a big step forward.

In California, we’ll see a marijuana tax-and-regulate legalization initiative on the ballot in November. Today the Assembly Public Safety Committee approved SF Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s legalize/tax/regulate bill by a 4-3 party-line vote (too bad no Republican showed common sense). It’s not going much farther in the legislative process, but the vote is still historic.

In Washington state the legislature is preparing to consider a bill to legalize, tax and regulate. It probably won’t pass this time around but it’s an important step. And activists have announced that they’re filing an initiative to put before the voters in November.

It’s an exciting time for drug law reformers. The wind is finally at our back and increasing numbers of the public are on our side. I’d still prefer legalization without taxes or regulations beyond older-than-18, but I’ll take what we can get.

Posted in: Civil Liberties • Culture • Drug law reform • Health and Wellness • Medical Marijuana • • • | 6 Comments »

San Diego medical marijuana dispensary owner acquitted

December 2nd, 2009, 1:43 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

Jovan Jackson, owner of a medical marijuana dispensary, was acquitted yesterday of possession of medical marijuana and selling it for profit. He had been ensnared in a sting operation whereby an undercover cop lied to a doctor to get a recommendation, which he then used to get marijuana from Jovan’s dispensary. The DA had tried to portray him as an illegal drug dealer, pure and simple, but the jury didn’t buy it (though it did convict him of possession of ecstasy and Xanax(!)).

This shows that juries still possess power to dispense justice rather than always going with the prosecution. San Diego has a number of cases pending of dispensary proprietors caught in similar stings by lying cops. One may hope that after seeing how Jovan’s jury responded to this attempt to nullify California’s medical marijuana law the prosecutors will drop all those cases as well.

Posted in: California • Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Legal Issues • Medical Marijuana • • | 7 Comments »

Israel legalizes medical marijuana

November 25th, 2009, 4:28 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

Israel’s ministry of health has been ordered to complete, within four months, a detailed set of regulations for medical marijuana, with an emphasis on making it genuinely available to patients. They’re still fixated on making sure it isn’t available to “recreational” users, but this is certainly progress — and a far cry from our own federal government, which continues to insist on a policy rooted in ignorance, deceit and self-deceit. I’ll be truly thankful when our government catches up with Israel on this subject.

Posted in: Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • | 1 Comment »

More questioning of drug war

November 23rd, 2009, 1:59 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

The redoubtable scholar John McWhorter, bouncing off another killing in the Bronx, calls on Obama to end the drug war in the New Republic, though he suggests 2014, midway into the second term, would be good timing. Much as I would prefer yesterday, he might be shrewd politically. Meantime the WaPo has an article on growing support for marijuana legalization around the country (only about six months behind me). And the WaPo has a poll on medical marijuana as well, on which you can vote. Only 89% in favor last time I checked. When will the political class wake up?

Posted in: Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • | 2 Comments »

S.D. Deputy DA buys medical marijuana

November 18th, 2009, 12:23 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

You’ve got to love this one! A San Diego Deputy DA in the county where trying to bust medical marijuana facilities is almost a religion to law enforcement, had to admit in court that he patronized a medical marijuana facility on the advice of his doctor. Video in the link.

Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Legal Issues • Medical Marijuana | 4 Comments »

Marijuana and PTSD

November 10th, 2009, 4:59 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

An Israeli study (on rats rather than humans, but that’s how these studies typically start) strongly suggests that marijuana may be useful in treating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Does that mean that Maj. Hasan (not to mention the rest of us) would have been better off if he had been smoking pot rather than trolling jihadist Web sites and e-mailing radical imams?

Oh, wait . . . he hadn’t been in combat or even overseas, and whatever stress he was under seems to have been largely self-inflicted.

Posted in: Drug law reform • Health and Wellness • Health care • Medical Marijuana • • | 2 Comments »

Can marijuana help autism?

November 6th, 2009, 5:02 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

Here’s a touching story from a mother whose experience — after trying any number of prescription drugs — is pretty sure that marijuana has alleviated — not cured, but alleviated and improved — her son’s autism. But the fedgov says it has no known medical uses, so we should all bow down and yield to the superior wisdom of duly constituted authority.

Today is the 13th anniversary, by the way, of California voters approving the use of medicinal marijuana by passing Prop. 215. Yet some authorities still resist establishing safe and legal distribution methods.

Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • | 17 Comments »

A few interesting election notes

November 2nd, 2009, 4:34 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

The gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia will be watched for hints that the Obama administration and/or Democrats have lost tractions and the Republicans are back. In New York’s 23rd, where the Republican moderate has dropped out and endorsed the Democrat, it will be interesting to see whether a Conservative Party candidate can beat a Democrat in a district that has traditionally elected Republicans but more moderates than conservatives. (We’ll have an editorial pondering all this tomorrow.)

There’s other interesting stuff too. Maine and Washington state have referenda on gay marriage (Maine, where it was approved by the legislature) and marriage-in-all-but-name (Washington). Maine will also have a measure expanding the number of ailments for which medicinal marijuana can be recommended and authorizing non-profit dispensaries (a 1999 measure approved medicinal marijuana but didn’t include a distribution method). Ohio will be voting for the fifth time since 1990 whether to authorize casinos in the state.

Posted in: Congress • Conservatism • Culture • Election 2009 • Medical Marijuana • National • • • | 1 Comment »

Newspaper seeks marijuana critic

October 22nd, 2009, 5:18 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer

There have been a number of signs, from articles about professional women toking up to TV shows, suggesting the “mainstreaming” of marijuana (although most newspaper writers still can’t resist bad puns and pseudo-hip references and phrases). Here’s another. The “alternative” newspaper in Denver, Westword, is seeking a medical marijuana correspondent and critic.

Well, it’s not quite what you might think. The successful applicant will have to have a medical condition that allows him to get into medical marijuana distribution facilities. And his job won’t be to judge the quality of the herb, but to do consumer reporting on the quality of the facilities, presumably things like how well patients are screened, whether doctors are really called to verify recommendations, etc. Still, it’s interesting that even an alternative newspaper would want to cover this beat.

Posted in: Culture • Drug law reform • Health and Wellness • Medical Marijuana | 1 Comment »

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