Sacramento Bee, 30 Jul 2012 – Re "Science supporting medicinal pot is clear" (Viewpoints, July 25): Earlier this year, I stood around a campfire as a member of our group who bakes cannabis brownies for a "medical marijuana" store eagerly distributed some of his wares. As he did, he enthusiastically described how easy it was to get a medical pot card. Perhaps out of courtesy or curiosity, two obvious non-users in the group ate his offerings, even though both were going to be driving long distances the next morning, and THC ingested in this manner stays active much longer than when inhaled. This, not the good research being done by UC San Diego and UC San Francisco, is the reality of most medical marijuana use in California. Paul Armentano’s professed concern for medical use of cannabis is but a smokescreen for the complete legalization NORML seeks.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 30 Jul 2012 – Today’s editorial regarding the illegal marijuana growing on our public (and private) forest lands well defines the increasing problems facing forest management agencies and the public but only suggests as a solution, a "full scale assault" on the growers. Who’s to do it, when, and at what cost? The truth is there are really only two viable solutions, neither of which is perfect and each carries with it their own problems and costs. We can legalize marijuana and bring the value of illegal crops so low that it would eliminate any profit in illegal growing.

Ventura County Star, 30 Jul 2012 – Bundles of marijuana were seized Thursday off the Santa Barbara County coast. The seizure was one of the latest in what federal authorities say has been a busy year for attempts to stop smugglers. The amount of marijuana seized from smuggling boats has dramatically increased this year in Southern California, authorities say – a trend that’s been reflected in Ventura County.

The Tribune, 29 Jul 2012 – Admissions for treatment, sheriff’s seizures and overdose deaths are on the rise When Christa Holt last used heroin in March, she was on a three-month binge. Still, she had to spin her arm in circles to pump hard-to-find veins with blood so that she could inject the drug.

San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jul 2012 – Your editorial ("From chaos to prohibition," July 26) succeeds in herding the cats: It makes sense of the chaos caused by current medical marijuana policy, and by the absence of good policy. Without clear rules and standards, as you wrote, it has been impossible for dispensaries, cities and counties to thread the ever-moving needle of federal enforcement messages. However, through the efforts of my office, Sacramento has not been ignoring this issue. The Assembly passed my AB2312 to regulate production and distribution of medical marijuana. And, as you know, I asked for the bill to be held in the Senate so we could work on it some more. Though it hasn’t been easy, things are not at a standstill. The Senate will hold a hearing on the bill in the coming fall session. I’m hopeful that we can get on the road that doesn’t lead to prohibition, but goes from chaos to coherent care.

San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Jul 2012 – Regarding your July 26 editorial "From chaos to prohibition": It’s true that anyone in California who wants a medical marijuana recommendation can get one. The recommendation allows consumers to purchase locally grown marijuana of known quality and safety from dispensaries that generate tax revenue. As long as there is a demand for marijuana, there will be a supply. Is it somehow preferable that consumers purchase untaxed marijuana from Mexican drug cartels that also sell cocaine, meth and heroin?

DrugSense

Petaluma Argus-Courier, 27 Jul 2012 – Despite indoor marijuana-growing operations having been the source of numerous local fires in recent years, city efforts to create an ordinance regulating these gardens have died due to the ongoing conflict between state and federal law. While the state of California allows the use of medicinal marijuana and the cultivation of the plant, the federal government still classifies marijuana as an illegal drug. Because of this, public safety officials have realized that regulating marijuana cultivation is not currently possible.

Sacramento News & Review, 26 Jul 2012 – What Happens If the City Changes Its Medical-Marijuana Ordinance? Maybe it was imprudent and naive to think that, back in November 2010, when city council passed its medical-cannabis dispensary ordinance, the future would be bright for marijuana in Sacramento.

Chico Enterprise-Record, 26 Jul 2012 – Little by little, people are realizing the environmental damage done by squatters in our national forests. Talk to people in more populated parts of California about what’s happening with marijuana plantations in our national forests, and they just can’t fathom it.