The nation
posted on January 3, 2013 by
From DC with Bud: Medical Marijuana Patients in the Nation
Recently the D.C. Department of Health (DCDOH) and Americans for Safe
Access (ASA) hosted a Town Hall meeting to answer questions about the
policies and procedures for future medical marijuana patients in the
District of Columbia.
In order to qualify for the program, Title 22, Section C, Chapter 5
of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) stipulates that
patients must:
posted on January 3, 2013 by
Initiative to keep some L.A. pot shops open qualifies for ballot
Prospects
that the emotional debate over medical marijuana dispensaries will
bleed into the Los Angeles’ mayoral race increased sharply this week
when an initiative to keep some pot shops open qualified for the ballot.
The
measure was certified as eligible to appear on the ballot late
Wednesday after officials determined that its supporters had collected
the required 41,138 valid signatures. The City Council has until the end
of the month to enact the proposed ordinance, call a special election
or place it before voters in the May 21 election.
A
second initiative that would allow an even larger number of pot shops
is being vetted by city officials and could appear on the same ballot.
The
proposals are putting lawmakers in an awkward
posted on January 2, 2013 by
Medical Marijuana Measure Qualifies for L.A. Ballot
A city initiative that would apparently allow
continued operation of about 100 medical marijuana shops in Los Angeles
is significantly closer to enactment, the city clerk disclosed today.
City Clerk June Lagmay determined through a sampling process that
backers of the initiative to allow and regulate a certain number of
storefront medical marijuana shops have gathered the necessary 41,138
signatures.
The measure would reduce by hundreds the
number of pot shops operating in the city, but it would allow continued
operation of about 100. The City Council now may decide whether to enact
the measure on its own or put the proposal before voters.
The initiative, dubbed the "Medical Marijuana Collectives Initiative
Ordinance," would put into effect various restrictions on pot-shop
operations, including hours of operation and location. If enacted, the
measure would reduce the number of medical marijuana stores from
somewhere in the hundreds down to about 100.
Key to hitting that target is a provision that would require medical
cannabis dispensaries to prove they were operating before Sept. 14,
2007. That is when the city first tried to place a moratorium on new pot
shops.
The clerk’s certification sends the initiative to the City Council
that can adopt the ordinance as is, call a special election, or place
the item on the May 21 general municipal election ballot. That election
in May will include the race for various city offices, including mayor.
The City Council is expected to make a decision on the pot shop measure
this month.
The group sponsoring the initiative is called the Committee to
Protect Patients and Neighborhoods. It is made up of the United Food and
Commercial Workers Local 770, the Greater Los Angeles Collective
Alliance, and Americans for Safe Access L.A. UFCW Local 770 President
Rick Icaza said the initiative would "guarantee safe access to medical
cannabis for those suffering from debilitating and painful diseases and
conditions, while at the same time enforcing the rule of law and
protecting neighborhoods."
"It’s time to stop playing politics with people’s health and the
safety of our communities," Icaza added, referring to the city’s years
of attempts to regulate medical marijuana. That battle culminated in an
attempt in July to ban storefront dispensaries from Los Angeles. That
effort was reversed in October when medical marijuana supporters
gathered enough signatures to repeal the ban, leaving dispensaries
unregulated and possibly illegal. The issue has been the target of
lawsuits and conflicting court opinions.
City Councilman Paul Koretz has been pushing an ordinance similar to the ballot measure.
"Patients need safe access," said Freddie Metcalf, who uses medical
cannabis to treat symptoms from Sarcoidosis, a disease in which
inflammation occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or
other tissues.
Icaza urged the City Council to adopt the ordinance instead of placing it on the ballot.
Meanwhile, a group backing a separate medical marijuana initiative
last month submitted more than 73,500 petition signatures to qualify a
measure that would place similar time and place restrictions on
dispensaries, but would not limit the number to those that opened prior
to the Sept. 14, 2007 cutoff. That initiative backed by a group called
Angelenos for Safe Access would allow any storefront medical cannabis
collectives that are at least 500 to 1,000 feet from schools, parks,
libraries, childcare centers and religious institutions and would also
impose a business tax of $60 on every $1,000 of marijuana sold at the
dispensaries.
posted on January 2, 2013 by
The Truth About Medical Marijuana Card Privacy
I am a teacher that is credentialed in the State of
California. I have used marijuana for years, both recreationally and to
help with anxiety and insomnia. I would like to get a medical card and
know some other teachers who have done so. However, I am very paranoid
about the fact that federal law still prohibits this, even if a state
tolerates it. I am concerned that my name would be on a "list" that may
prevent me from getting future credentials elsewhere in the US. How
worried should I be about this and should I just continue to get my
supply from a friend?
Mr. Green
Got a friend who just got his rec. He’s now slightly nervous about
how it’s tied to his driver’s license number. I went through this too
and convinced myself it wasn’t an issue, but can only offer vague
reassurances. Convince him that the following is not possible:
1) he gets pulled over for speeding; 2) cop runs his license; 3)
cop comes back to the car and spills the beans to his wife about how
he’s a "pothead."
For a Friend
I talked to two marijuana lawyers and the gist of it is this: The law
is on your side when it comes to the privacy of your medical records,
but don’t accidentally out yourself by failing an employer’s drug test,
getting a DUI, or Facebooking pictures of nugs.
A bit of quick background: You need a valid doctor’s recommendation
to lawfully possess and grow marijuana in California. Those with a
recommendation can also get a voluntary California state medical
marijuana patient identification card.
Let’s start with the issue of privacy at a doctor’s office or clinic,
where you’ll get your recommendation. "Technically, a doctor’s
recommendation for medical marijuana is very private, since HIPAA [the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] makes it nearly
impossible for even law enforcement to obtain private patient records,"
wrote Joe Elford, staff lawyer for medical marijuana group Americans for
Safe Access, in an email.
According to Bay Area marijuana attorney Lauren Vazquez, patients who
see their primary care provider, a specialist, or a doctor at a
marijuana clinic are also protected under very strong doctor-patient
confidentiality statutes. "Whatever you say in the doctor’s office is
completely private, and there really is no way to get that data," she
said. "Doctors aren’t allowed to give that information out to anybody"
posted on January 2, 2013 by
Marijuana Initiative That Would Close Most L.A. Pot Shops Heads For City Council
Two initiatives that would regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in
the city of Los Angeles are headed for the City Council and, possibly,
the ballot.
The L.A. City Clerk’s office today said both the initiatives have
collected enough valid signatures to warrant a vote by the City Council,
which must either approve them or send them to voters, likely in May.
One of the two initiatives would close down most of L.A.’s pot shops:
The office said the Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods’
initiative, which would put most of L.A.’s 1,000 or so shops out of
business save for the 180 or so that were established before October of
2007, meet or beat the requirement to turn in 41,138 signatures.
That one is supported by Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance,
Americans for Safe Access-LA and UFCW Local 770. It would reward the
old-school shops while shutting down most if not all of the newer ones.
The "Medical Marijuana Collectives Initiative Ordinance" also beat
the same signature requirement, the City Clerk’s office announced today.
It would essentially allow dispensaries to stay open so long as they abide by certain rules,
including staying away from schools and parks, hiring licensed
security, having operators undergo background checks, and maintaining
certain hours.
That initiative would also establish city permits for pot shops.
So why are the dispensaries trying to regulate themselves? In hopes
of avoiding another City Hall debacle like the one in October in which
the council overreached and tried to shut down all pot shops only to be rebuffed by a referendum.
Marijuana retailers fear the council will try again. So instead of
leaving it up to City Hall, they want to take pot shop regulation
straight to voters.
In each initiative’s case, the council can approve the proposed law,
call a special election, or put the matter before voters during the next
regularly scheduled election.
Given that these two have opposing qualities, it seems that they would be headed for the May 21 ballot. But we’ll see.
posted on December 28, 2012 by
Insuring medical marijuana: health coverage denied, commercial budding
The number of states that allow medical marijuana use has more than
doubled since 2005, but while health insurance does not cover medical
use of the drug, some property-casualty insurers are tapping into the
growing niche market.
California became the first state, in 1996,
to approve marijuana
posted on December 26, 2012 by
Activists to Push Legislature for Medical Marijuana in Georgia
A coalition of organizations that deal with marijuana policy reform have come together to push the Legislature to address the issue of medical marijuana in the upcoming 2013 Legislative Session.
The new coalition, the Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform & Education Project (Georgia CARE Project), held a press conference at the State Capitol on Monday, December 17, 2012.
According to a press release obtained by Atlanta Progressive News, the Georgia CARE Project is a project of the Georgia Taxpayers Alliance (GTA).
James Bell, 53, both of the GTA and the Project, tells APN he had been involved in the marijuana legalization movement since 1986 as then-Director of the Georgia Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Bell says he is turning to the issue after turning his focus to property tax issues for the last ten years.
posted on December 21, 2012 by
Signatures Submitted to Put Pot Shop Ballot Measure on May City Ballot
A group of medical marijuana advocates on Friday submitted more than
73,500 petition signatures to qualify a ballot measure that would allow
pot dispensaries to operate in Los Angeles under specific conditions.
The proposed ballot measure would allow storefront medical cannabis
collectives that are at least 500 to 1,000 feet from schools, parks,
libraries, child care centers and religious institutions. If approved,
the measure would also impose a business tax of $60 on every $1,000 of
marijuana sold at the dispensaries.
The initiative is backed by a group called Angelenos for Safe Access,
a coalition of medical marijuana collectives and patients. They hope to
get the measure on the May 21 citywide general election ballot. The
group needs 41,138 valid signatures to qualify.
"The city needs a sensible strategy for regulating marijuana that
won’t allow for the unregulated proliferation of dispensaries across the
city," said Steven Afriat, a registered lobbyist and spokesman for
Angelenos for Safe Access. "This initiative protects our neighborhoods,
puts bad operators out of business and raises millions of dollars
annually for the city’s General Fund.”
A separate group has submitted petition signatures for a medical
marijuana initiative that would allow a select group of slightly more
than 100 dispensaries that were in operation prior to Sept. 14, 2007,
when the city attempted to place a moratorium on new pot shops, to
reopen. The competing plan is backed by the Committee to Protect
Patients and Neighborhoods, comprised of the United Food and Commercial
Workers Local 770, the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance and
Americans for Safe Access-LA.
City officials have struggled for years to come up with a legal way
to limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries; however, the city
has been stymied at every turn by lawsuits and conflicting court
opinions.
In July, the Los Angeles City Council opted to ban dispensaries until
ongoing court cases or revised state law provide clarity on how the
city can legally regulate dispensaries. A referendum that would have
overturned the ban qualified for the March ballot, and council members
repealed the ban in October, leaving dispensaries completely
unregulated.
The City Council is now studying a so-called "limited immunity” law
similar to the Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods’ measure.
The plan aims to reduce the number of dispensaries to those that were
operating prior to the 2007 effort to halt the proliferation of pot
shops and to place tight restrictions on them.
