San Diego law enforcement officials have written us that they

San Diego plans to make medical marijuana available to patients through the installation of vending machines at local dispensaries. Many of the city’s medical marijuana dispensaries were shut down in 2011 and new ones re-opened or newly built will support patented vending machines from Medbox.

Medical marijuana advocates are still trying to get dispensaries to re-open after they were shut down in the wake of a federal crackdown. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego shut most of them down due to zoning violations.

The Medbox machines are high-tech security machines, unlike machines that dispense snacks or DVDs.

Patients will be required to have a prepaid card and verify their fingerprint to gain access to the machine and browse for medication.Security doesn’t appear to be a concern for the vending machine providers.

"It’s armor-coated. Second, it’s 800 pounds," said Dr.Bruce Bedrick, CEO of Medbox, as ABC10 News reports. Software built into the vending machines will confirm all prescriptions and dosage amounts.

Since the closing of many of San Diego’s medical marijuana dispensaries, new policies have been put into place by San Diego’s Mayor Bob Filner.  The police department, city attorney’s office and the Neighborhood Code Compliance Department were ordered by Finer to stop the crackdown.

Within the coming weeks, the San Diego Council will decide if it will issue permits for the dispensaries, with Filner’s support. Throughout San Diego, vending machines will be available in as many as 30 newly built dispensaries. The vending machines are valued at $50,000.

"Our technology is not a vending machine that is sitting out on the street corner. This type of technology really helps regulate the industry," said Bedrick.

"I think the key is for patients to get their medicine safely and securely, and if this is a means for them to do that, then by all means, that’s wonderful," said Eugene Davidovich, a medical marijuana advocate with Americans for Safe Access.

Bedrick said all 150 dispensaries that use the machine nationwide and in Canada were safe and free of crime for the past four years.

They dispense snacks and movies, but vending machines in San Diego may soon be kicking out a different product — marijuana.

Those medical marijuana dispensaries shut down during a crackdown in 2011 could soon reappear in San Diego, along with some high-tech help.

"It’s armor-coated. Second, it’s 800 pounds," said Bruce Bedrick, CEO of Medbox.

The Medbox system is a patented machine that resembles a vending machine with one big difference.

Medical marijuana patients swipe a prepaid card, press their fingerprint and browse for medicine.

Bedrick hopes to build up to 30 dispensaries containing the machines in San Diego.

Meanwhile, advocates are continuing their efforts to re-open the dispensaries that have been shut down across the city.

In a few weeks, with Mayor Bob Filner’s backing, the San Diego City Council will consider an ordinance that would issue permits for dispensaries.

"Have we started taking deposits on … locations … yes, we have," said Bedrick.

Unlike machines that dispense movies or snacks, the major difference with the Medbox is security. The fingerprinting helps prevent fraud, and the software also validates prescriptions and dosage.   

10News reporter Michael Chen asked, "Isn’t this inviting for thieves?"

"Actually, no. It’s actually the opposite," said Bedrick.

In Medbox dispensaries, there are no large containers of medical marijuana that thieves could target, according to Bedrick.

Bedrick said by law, the machine must be placed behind a locked, secure door, which means an ATM-style haul away would be less likely.  

Ashley Graddy, who lives in North Park near the former site of a dispensary, said, "If that whole new system prevents robberies, then I would feel safer in this area."

"I think they key is for patients to get their medicine safely and securely, and if this a means for them to do that, then by all means, that’s wonderful," said Eugene Davidovich, a medical marijuana advocate with Americans for Safe Access.

In the past four years, Bedrick said the 150 dispensaries nationwide and in Canada that use his machine have remained crime-free.

The Medbox dispensing machine costs about $50,000.

Earlier this week, while more than 200 citizen lobbyists were meeting
face-to-face with their Congressional legislators in Washington, D.C.
to change federal policy on medical cannabis, a series of events
occurred in Florida, making that state the next political battleground
on this issue.

On Monday, a Miami Herald article
cited a recent poll indicating 81 percent of Florida voters said
approve of doctors recommending cannabis to patients, with only 14
percent opposed. As many as 70 percent of voters said they supported a
state constitutional amendment legalizing medical cannabis, a full 10
points higher than what Florida requires to pass such amendments.

Then, tragically, later that afternoon, the home of Americans for
Safe Access member and Sarasota resident Cathy Jordan and her
64-year-old husband Robert was raided
by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department. With black ski masks and
guns drawn in an intimidating fashion that has become all-too familiar
for medical cannabis patients across the country, sheriff’s deputies
came into their home and seized all 23 of Cathy’s plants, which she uses
to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as "Lou
Gehrig’s disease"), a terminal illness.

Cathy was diagnosed in 1986 with ALS,
a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the
brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of limb control, breathing,
swallowing, and speech. However, after trying cannabis in 1989, she was
able to better manage her symptoms and significantly improve her quality
of life. Now, more than 20 years later, Cathy has outlived five of her
support groups and four of her neurologists.

As you can see from her medical history and the positive impact that
cannabis has had on her life, Cathy is a shining example of why public
policy must be changed, not only in Florida but at the federal level as
well. Therefore, it was no surprise (except maybe to the Manatee County
Sheriff’s Department) that she was chosen as the lead spokesperson for
SB1250, the "Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act," a Florida bill introduced the very next day by State Senator Jeff Clemens (D-Lake worth).

And, if SB1250 fails to get the necessary votes for passage, there is another effort afoot by People United for Medical Marijuana to put an initiative
on the 2014 ballot in Florida that would amend the state constitution
in order to protect patients from exactly the type of raid that Cathy
and her husband had to endure.

This type of aggressive enforcement effort is not unique to Cathy or
to other patients in Florida. It happens virtually every day across
America, even in states that have adopted medical cannabis laws. One of
the main reasons for this is an outdated policy at the federal level.
For decades now, the federal government has refused to recognize the
medical efficacy of cannabis, maintaining the position that it is a
dangerous drug with no medical value. In July 2011, the Obama
Administration denied a 9-year-old petition
filed by ASA and other groups aimed at reclassifying cannabis for
medical use, in an effort to overturn the federal government’s draconian
policy. This bittersweet denial, however, gave ASA the opportunity to
bring the issue of medical cannabis into the federal courts by appealing
the denial to the D.C. Circuit. Cathy Jordan was one of the lead
plaintiffs in this appeal, ASA v. DEA. Unfortunately, last month, the D.C. Circuit sided with the government’s position, denying our appeal and refusing to usher in a new compassionate policy toward patients.

However, advocates are not giving up and the medical cannabis patient
community is now more ardent than ever. ASA will soon be filing for En
Banc review of the appeal with the full D.C. Circuit, but advocates are
not putting all of their eggs in the federal court basket. With last week’s introduction
of two Congressional bills, HR689, the "States’ Medical Marijuana
Patient Protection Act," and HR710, the "Truth in Trials Act," advocates
are hard at work convincing their members of Congress that federal
policy must be changed. Indeed, it was the support for these bills that
brought more than 250 people to Washington, D.C. this past weekend for
the ASA-hosted, first-ever national medical cannabis conference
in Washington, D.C. More than half of the conference participants took
to Capitol Hill Monday to show that they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Given the historical and widespread support for medical cannabis in the U.S., consistently polling at up to 80 percent,
Congress has been woefully out of step with their constituents on this
issue. Yet, that’s about to change. It has to change, unless we want to
be known as a society that favors attacking our most vulnerable citizens
for using a medication that improves — and, in many cases, extends —
their lives. I know we’re better than that. We just have to show
Congress that there will be consequences for ignoring the will of the
people and the plight of patients.

A poll released Wednesday found that a majority of California voters favor the legalization of marijuana.

The poll, conducted by the Field Research Corporation, revealed that Californians support the legalization of marijuana by a margin of five to four, with nearly 54 percent in support.

A motorcycle accident when he was 19 left New Englander Scott Murphy
with a steel rod attached to his femur and four metal plates in his hip.
It wasn

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Monday gave a public coming out event for
a bill designed to stop federal government interference with medical
marijuana patients and providers in states where it is legal. The bill
debuted at a press conference where Blumenauer was surrounded by medical
marijuana supporters who were in town for meetings and lobbying as part
of the National Cannabis Unity Conference sponsored by Americans for Safe Access.

The bill, House Resolution 689,
is known as the State’s Medical Marijuana Patients Protection Act. It
is the latest effort to find a way to end federal interference in
medical marijuana states. It has 13 cosponsors, including California
Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

The bill aims "to provide for the rescheduling of marijuana and for the
medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various
States." It calls on the Department of Health and Human Services and the
DEA to reschedule marijuana to a schedule other than Schedule I or II.

Schedule I — where marijuana is currently placed — is reserved for
substances with a high danger of abuse and "no currently accepted
medical treatment in the United States," while Schedule II drugs have
lower abuse potential and some accepted medical uses. Schedules III, IV,
and V, where the bill mandates marijuana should be placed, all have
some accepted medical use and "moderate to low," "low," and "lower"
abuse potential, respectively.

The bill also bars the use of the Controlled Substance Act to "prohibit
or otherwise restrict" medical marijuana prescribing or recommending,
possession or cultivation, or distribution of medical marijuana in
states where it is legal.

The unwillingness of the federal government to either restrain itself in
states where medical marijuana is legal or to allow for it to be
rescheduled has led to tension and conflict between the states and the
federal government, Blumenauer said.

"This means that the 19 jurisdictions that permit medical marijuana are
operating in a patchwork of inconsistent local and federal laws," he
explained. "These inconsistencies create significant challenges for both
patients and the businesses working to provide access to medical
marijuana.Frankly, the people in the federal bureaucracy are in an
impossible position. The bill gets the federal government and the
Department of Justice out of this never-never land."

Also addressing the press conference was Dr. Karen Munkacy, a breast
cancer survivor who helped lead the successful campaign for medical
marijuana in Massachusetts last year. The lack of protection for medical
marijuana patients left her faced with a cruel dilemma, she said.

"I had to choose between breaking the law and suffering terribly," Munkacy said. "And I chose to suffer terribly."

Iraq war veteran Scott Murphy told the press conference that 22 veterans
killed themselves each day last year and that medical marijuana could
aid returning vets suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"If medical marijuana could help just one veteran, it would be worthwhile," he said.

The Blumenauer bill is only the latest to emerge in Congress this
session. Inspired by the continuing conflict over medical marijuana, as
well as the legalization victories in Colorado and Washington in
November, members have introduced bills on medical marijuana, marijuana legalization, and industrial hemp.

Early in February, Blumenauer teamed up with Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) to announce the introduction of legalization and medical marijuana taxation bills. At mid-month, Blumenauer announced his pending States’ Right bill, while Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced medical marijuana and hemp bills, respectively. A hemp bill was introduced earlier in the House.

Whether any of these bills move remains to be seen. The atmosphere is
especially hostile in the House, where Majority Leader John Boehner
(R-OH) is no friend of marijuana and some committee chairs are even more
hostile than the House leadership. Still, the bills are out there, and
there are more of them than ever before. A new generation is picking up
the slack left by the retirement of veteran drug reformers Reps. Barney
Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) — and then some.

And it is going to win victories, if not this year, then next year, or
the year after that. Marijuana reform isn’t going away in Congress and
it seems to be gaining steam in the states. Medical marijuana could be
the law in nearly half the states by year’s end if the legislative
season goes well, and marijuana legalization bills have popped up in a
half dozen states this year — the latest being Blumenauer’s Oregon.
Legalization initiatives are coming down the pike next year and in 2016.

Increasingly, US congressmen and senators will be representing states
that have adopted medical marijuana and/or legalized marijuana. We are
already starting to see the results on Capitol Hill, and while the
federal government may be the last brick in the wall of pot prohibition,
that wall is already starting to crumble around the edges.

Californians
support legalizing pot in greater numbers than ever — and they want
the federal government to cool it with the crackdowns on medical
marijuana dispensaries.

In a Field Poll released Wednesday, California voters, by a margin of 54 percent to 43 percent, supported allowing legal sales
of marijuana, as long as restrictions are in place on age, driving
under the influence of the drug and licensing those who sell it. That
represents the highest level of support since the Field Poll began
asking the question 44 years ago, when most California believed pot was
the gateway drug to more hurtful substances.

Only 13 percent of California adults supported legalizing marijuana in 1969 — the

"Now, we’re getting to
the point where baby boomers have lived with this stuff for most of
their lives," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll.

Two-thirds of 834 registered
voters said they opposed the Obama administration’s raids on medical
marijuana outlets, in which nearly 200 dispensaries — most in
California — were targeted in President Barack Obama’s first term.
Local governments have taken cues from the administration: Two hundred
cities and counties have banned medical marijuana dispensaries.

The state Supreme Court is poised to issue a ruling on whether local governments can shut down dispensaries.

Nearly three-fourths — 72 percent — of Californians back the state’s existing medical
marijuana law, approved by voters in 1996. And a strong majority — 58
percent — would support allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in
their own community.

"Certainly, it’s a rebuke of the Obama
administration’s tactics," said Kris Hermes, a spokesman for
Oakland-based Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy
group. "It should indicate that the Justice Department’s tactics are
unacceptable and should be reconsidered."

Obama once criticized
President George W. Bush for his aggressive approach to shutting down
medical marijuana dispensaries. But Obama is on pace to exceed Bush’s
record of medical marijuana busts.

Though voters support medical
marijuana, just over two years ago they rejected a ballot measure to
legalize pot, Proposition 19, by a 53 to 47 percent margin. Legalization
had only narrow support — 50 to 46 percent — in a Field Poll four
months before that election, and the measure’s chances for success were
derailed by what political analysts called a lackluster campaign and a
vague regulatory plan.

Well-run campaigns and more detailed regulatory plans led to pot legalization last November in Colorado and Washington state.

A coalition of Proposition 19 supporters

met
in December to discuss potential future California ballot measures.
They’ve said that they’re targeting the 2016 presidential election
ballot, though they haven’t ruled out putting it on the ballot in 2014.

A
younger and more tolerant electorate is changing the political
landscape. Among voters between the ages of 18 and 29, legalization has a
58-39 edge; among 30- to 39-year-olds, it has a 61-38 percent
advantage. Voters 65 or older are the least likely to support
legalization, with only 43 percent in favor and 52 percent against.

Independent voters most strongly support legalization, at 59 percent, closely followed by Democrats, at 58 percent.

Only
42 percent of Republicans favor legalization. And Latinos are just as
against it, with only 41 percent in favor. But Latinos between the ages
of 18 and 39 support it, 53 to 47 percent. Only 30 percent of Latinos 40
and older support legalization.

Voters living in the Bay Area are
most likely to support legalizing pot, with 66 percent in favor. Voters
along the coast south of Los Angeles County are the least likely, at 47
percent.

The poll, taken Feb. 5 to 17, has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Americans for Safe Access has expanded the Nevada County chapter of the
national organization into the Truckee area. The first meeting is
scheduled for noon March 9 and will continue to take place the second
Saturday of the month in the Truckee-Donner Community Recreation Center
Conference Room.

ASA is the largest national member-based
organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and
concerned citizens who support cannabis for therapeutic use and
scientific research. The organization works on the local, state and
federal levels to promote laws that protect patients’ rights.

ASA
membership provides access to resources designed for budding activists,
including the Training Center, Think Tank & Policy Shop,
Federal Advocacy Project and the Patients’ Right Project. ASA-NC hosts
numerous educational events, including recent medical discoveries, legal
rights seminars, responsible growing techniques and Good Neighbor
policies. The group occasionally hosts fun events like movies, music
festivals and community barbecues.

Founded in 2002 by Steph
Sherer, Americans for Safe Access strives to overcome political and
legal barriers to medical cannabis by using a multifaceted approach that
incorporates public education, grassroots activism and media campaigns.
ASA has worked with local governments to draft sensible regulations
that work to benefit the community. When negotiations fail, ASA’s legal
team will institute proceedings against any policy that infringes on
patients’ civil liberties or any attempt to restrict safe access to
medicinal cannabis.

Americans for Safe Access recently hosted a National Unity Conference in Washington, D.C. In an effort that might qualify
for the Guinness Book of World Records, hundreds of activists from
across the country met to lobby with every senator and representative in
a single day. The group hopes to raise support for pending legislation
that would recognize states’ rights to chart their own course on medical
marijuana without interference from the federal government.