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"Well there goes my high!"

I just finished a piece where a Saskatchewan driver was acquitted on impaired driving charges even though she admitted to using marijuana before she drove. It brought several questions to the judge’s mind:

1. What signs of impairment would one expect to see in someone who has been using marijuana?
2. How long after using marijuana would you expect to see these signs and how long would they last?
3. Can the results of drug evaluation tests taken over 1½ hours after the time of driving be reliably related back to the time the woman was stopped?
4. Was the woman’s performance in some of the tests an indication of poor balance or poor coordination?

It should be noted that this woman was stopped at a checkpoint. She had not exhibited any erratic driving. She was polite and accommodating when the officer requested her paperwork and conversed with him normally.

But she couldn’t touch her nose…and that’s where we enter the wild and crazy land of field sobriety tests where even the creator of these tests (Marcelline Burns) concluded that there is no direct correlation between field sobriety tests and impaired driving.

From my personal experience, I’ve watched a friend ace a field sobriety test while very intoxicated and another acquaintance fail it miserably after two drinks. If you asked me to say the alphabet backward, I’d get stuck somewhere around X.

So where do pot smokers fall in this spectrum? Obviously, alcohol affects your equilibrium far more than marijuana. But can you be too stoned to drive?

According to one study:

Both levels of THC cigarettes significantly affected the subjects in a dose-dependent manner. The moderate dose of alcohol and the low THC dose were equally detrimental to some of the driving abilities, with some differences between the two drugs. THC primarily caused elevation in physical effort and physical discomfort during the drive while alcohol tended to affect sleepiness level. After THC administration, subjects drove significantly slower than in the control condition, while after alcohol ingestion, subjects drove significantly faster than in the control condition. No THC effects were observed after 24 h on any of the measures.

After reading several other studies, I can’t help but wonder whose behind them. Certain findings just seem so radically unlikely (such as performance levels being affected 24 hours after smoking marijuana or that some effects of marijuana were on par with those under the influence of alcohol.) And then there’s more comprehensive studies that prove that drunk driving fatalities are less in states where marijuana is legal. (Because apparently, people will substitute marijuana for alcohol.)

Personally, I don’t think one should drive right after smoking pot. No, I don’t think your reaction time is that drastically affected but you are under the influence of a drug and hell, driving high just isn’t that enjoyable (to me). An hour or two later? Yes, I would, without thinking twice. Because most of us know, we’re capable of driving after smoking.

My bigger concern is this: in our increasingly over-reaching militaristic world, what kind of new laws will be enacted in order to target marijuana smokers? (Because heck, no one really cares about those cocaine-induced road ragers or asleep-at-the-wheel heroin-addicts, right? We can’t catch them easily with a piss test, so let’s let those seriously impaired folks off the hook.) Do we really want the police to obtain any more power to bully citizens? Will we have to take an “on the spot” swab test that will (again) unfairly target marijuana users? (You know, we’re about this close to that happening.)

Driving while stoned does not seem like a great idea. But driving after taking a couple Valiums doesn’t sound that wise either and I’m sure the “authorities” have no problem with that. This Canadian judge actually asked some smart questions and kudos to him for not doing the “throw the book at her” routine.

P.S. What about the really old people? Do we think for one second that some of our older citizens could pass these field sobriety tests? Where I live, they pose the most danger. The only fender bender I’ve ever had was when an elderly woman slammed on her brakes in the middle of a highway (55 mph) because she couldn’t merge into the right lane. I rear-ended her and was held entirely responsible. I’d trust a pot smoker over an 80 year-old with the beginnings of dementia any day of the week.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5/10/2011

This year PhillyNORML has partnered with local sponsors and a high-quality group of local musicians for the Philadelphia Freedom Festival concert at the Theater of the Living Arts, a premier venue in the city. Bands include: Psychadelphia, Before the Accident Happens, The Primate Fiasco, I Yhan I Arkestra and headliners The Synth Circus. Local activists will deliver speeches throughout the night. A full list of speakers and additional information will follow next week.

PhillyNORML’s volunteers have been instrumental in recent efforts to reform local marijuana laws.

Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ) is supporting local legislation. State Representative Mark B. Cohen introduced a medical cannabis bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2009. State Senator Daylin Leach re-introduced it as SB 1003 from the 2011 session. This bill would create legal protections for citizens with serious medical conditions to safely access or grow medical marijuana for therapeutic use. It also creates a statewide system if Compassion Centers for patient access.

April 2010 saw the news break on PhillyNORML’s efforts to work with city officials to change local pot procedures when District Attorney Seth Williams announced an easing of minor possession penalties.  The new Small Amount of Marijuana court program was put into practice in June of 2010 and has saved the city millions of taxpayer dollars. The procedure still requires an arrest but stops the criminal prosecution, collects a fine and automatically expunges the arrest once a weekend class is completed.

Over 800,000 pot arrests are performed each year in America with almost 30,000 in Pennsylvania and over 4,500 in Philadelphia. Ninety percent of these arrests are for minor possession.

PhillyNORML advocates for legalizing the regulated, responsible use of marijuana by adults.

CONTACT: Chris Goldstein [email protected]

ATTENDING: Please arrive at Broad and South no later than 5PM ET Saturday May 21, 2011

CONCERT TICKETS: Available through LiveNation $15 pre-event, $20 at the door

http://www.livenation.com/event/020046A49E2B7BED?artistid=1593008&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=766

ON FACEBOOK:

“Well, I didn’t really smoke it. My roommate blew it in my face. A bunch of times. Do you think I’ll pass?”

First I tried to figure out why my friend felt the need to have pot smoke blown repeatedly in her face. A fear of holding joints? A mating ritual akin to “Why don’t you give me a little massage”?

Then I had to wonder about the bigger issue: drug testing and all of its nefarious implications.

My friend is a geologist. She doesn’t operate heavy machinery. She doesn’t operate on hearts. She works with rocks and dirt. She writes reports about working with rocks and dirt. Why, then, does she have to pee for perfect strangers?

“I don’t know. I hate it too. I just have to.”

And again, we allow our constitutional rights go right up in smoke.

A few facts about drug testing:

• According the American Management Association, only 8 percent of companies with drug testing programs had performed any cost-benefit analysis.

• The National Academy of Sciences formed the Committee on Drug Use in the Workplace claims, “Illicit drugs contribute little to the overall rate of industrial accidents. This is because most workers who use illicit drugs never use them at work. And when they do so, it is in a way that does not affect their work performance.”

• The most common type of testing specimen is urine, followed closely by hair, saliva and breath testing. Blood testing is seldom used for employment testing, except in cases of accidents or court order.

• Most employers use a standard five-panel test of “street drugs,” consisting of marijuana (THC), cocaine, PCP, opiates (such as codeine and morphine) and amphetamines (including methamphetamine). Most drugs, as well as alcohol, are out of the system within days of use, except for marijuana.

• Urinalysis tests for marijuana, in their current form, are not suitable for detecting drug impairment or recent drug use because the procedure only looks for and detects drug metabolites, not the parent drug THC. Presently, no dose-concentration relationship exists correlating drug metabolite levels to drug impairment.

• Marijuana (or the metabolites created from it) can hang out in your body for quite some time because of its fat solubility. The amount of time ranges from several weeks to as long as 70 days, depending on body weight, frequency, etc. This means that drug testing in the workplace tends to discriminate against pot smokers most readily and easily. And, as mentioned above, pot smokers don’t tend to smoke on the job (unless they work for the arcades, movie theaters or the circus. I used to get stoned before working at this ice cream parlor at a mall. Good fun.)

Not what gets me (and undoubtedly many of the readers here) is that you could be a complete drunk, pose a genuine threat to your workplace, and easily be overlooked by most drug tests. (Heck, it’s only booze, right? The most dangerous “drug” out there.)

But what do expect employers supposed to do? They don’t want to hire a bunch of druggies. Presumably, “potheads” and the like costs them money in missed hours, workplace accidents and, I don’t know, general stoney behavior. But it doesn’t take a scientist to realize that alcohol can be much more a problem in the workplace. Pot smokers don’t tend to suffer from crippling hangovers or the shakes at lunchtime. Pot smokers don’t tend to be full-blown addicts.

Here’s some possible alternatives to discriminatory drug testing, suggested by the Cannabis Consumers Campaign :

Rather than submit a person to drug testing, why not use the traditional method of checking references to find out about an potential employee?

Supervisors need to be trained to identify, confront, or refer impaired employees to Employee Assistance Programs or other intervention programs. Impairment testing not only detects people who are impaired by drugs and alcohol, but also by sleep deprivation, stress, fatigue, emotional problems, over-the counter medications and prescription medications. These tests, once administered, can improve safety far better than drug tests can. They are not discriminatory. Rather, they measure everyone equally by their performance, which is the most significant factor in employment.

That’s crazy talk. Call previous employers? Watch an employee’s behavior? Why, when strangers can examine your bodily fluids and make false judgments about your performance ability?

So to recap:

• Drug testing costs a lot of money and doesn’t prove to be effective.
• Drug testing discriminates against pot smokers.
• Drug testing leaves raging alcoholics, well, raging.

Where’s the cup? Sign me up!

My geologist friend has a good job now. (She passed.) It pays well, she’s insured, she’s doing what she likes, but she sacrificed privacy and her beliefs to get it. I, on the other hand, may never have that kind of career-advancing, well-paid job because I would never submit to a piss test. So a drug test means more than a humiliating piss in a cup; it has far-reaching implications that shape professional paths and money-making ability. And that pisses me off.

[Warning: Below is a photograph of a geologist high on the job. This could be you.]

Sources:

MAF Background Screening

NORML

CannabisConsumers.org

Jahan Marcu

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

6/30/2011 – UPDATE 7/1/2011 – Freedomisgreen.com obtained the new Department of Justice memo concerning medical marijuana. The communication is from US Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.  It was released on June 30th after New Jersey US Attorney Paul J. Fishman forwarded it to NJ state AG Paula Dow. The memo was sent to Dow in response to her multiple requests for federal clarification about medical marijuana operations authorized by state law.

Below is the full transcript. Link to original memo as a pdf

June 29, 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS

FROM:                  James M. Cole
Deputy Attorney General

SUBJECT:     Guidance Regarding the Ogden Memo in Jurisdictions
Seeking to Authorize Marijuana for Medical Use

Over the last several months some of you have requested the Department’s assistance in responding to inquiries from State and local government seeking guidance about the Department s position on enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in jurisdictions that have under consideration, or have implemented, legislation that would sanction and regulate the commercial cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical use. Some of these jurisdictions have considered approving the cultivation of large quantities of marijuana or broadening the regulation and taxation of the substance. You may have seen letters responding to these inquiries by several United States Attorneys. Those letters are entirely consistent with the October 2009 memorandum, issued by Deputy General Ogden to federal prosecutors in the States that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana (the “Ogden Memo”).

The Department of Justice is committed to the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act in all States. Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a serious crime that provides a significant source of revenue to large scale criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels. The Ogden Memorandum provides guidance to you in deploying resources to enforce the CSA as part of the exercise of the broad discretion you are given to address federal criminal matters within your districts.

A number of states have enacted some form of legislation relating to the medical use of marijuana. Accordingly the Ogden memo reiterated to you that prosecution  of significant traffickers in illegal drugs, including marijuana, remains a core priority, but advised that it is likely not an efficient use of federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or their caregivers. The term “caregiver” as used in the memorandum meant just that: individuals providing care to individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses, not commercial operations cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana.

The Department’s view of the efficient use of limited federal resources as articulated in the Ogden Memorandum has not changed. There has, however, been an increase in the scope of commercial cultivation, sale, distribution and use of marijuana for purported medical purposes. For example, within the past 12 months, several jurisdictions have considered or enacted legislation to authorize multiple large-scale, privately-operated industrial marijuana cultivation centers. Some of these planned facilities have revenue projections of the millions of dollars based on the plant cultivation of tens of thousands of cannabis plants.

The Odgen Memorandum was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement action and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law. Persons who are in the business of cultivating. selling, or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law. Consistent with the resource constraints and the discretion you may exercise in your district, such persons are subject to federal enforcement action, including potential prosecution. State laws or local ordinances are not a defense to civil enforcement of federal law with respect to such conduct, including enforcement of the CSA. Those who engage in transactions involving the proceeds of such activity may also be in violation of federal money laundering statutes and other federal financing laws.

The Department of Justice is tasked with enforcement of existing federal criminal laws in all states, and enforcement of the CSA has long been and remains a core priority,

Cc:  Lanny Breuer
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division

B. Todd Jones
United States AttorneyDistrict of Minnesota
Chair, AGAC

Michele M. Leonhart
Administrator
Drug Enforcement Administration

H. Marshall Jarrett
Director
Executive Office for United States Attorneys

Kevin L. Perkins
Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division
Federal Bureau  of Investigations

Link to memo as a pdf

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

In the eastern United States a dramatic change is stirring for cannabis laws. Medical marijuana, decriminalization and even fully taxed legalization are on the march forward from Maine to Florida. Backed by striking public support, new bills are being introduced and old ones are getting a second chance.

The surge in recent polling is important to note. Most polls show that 70% to 80% of voters (in all demographics) favor their local marijuana reform legislation.

To put this into perspective; the most popular individual politicians quickly open bottles of champagne when they break 45% in their approval ratings.  Soon there may be a safer, greener choice than the old bubbly.

It is not just about the future; existing laws are being implemented in three states. Just this week Maine opened their first medical marijuana dispensary and Rhode Island announced three medical marijuana operators will get permits.  Although legislators and advocates here in New Jersey are trying to fix some badly broken regulations, Garden State officials are set to announce the six Alternative Treatment Center sites on March 21st.

Here’s a rundown of cannabis reform on the East Coast. Most links go to NORML’s Take Action Center so if you are a resident of any of the states below take a moment to contact your elected officials.

Maine: Medical marijuana dispensary implementation, decriminalization bill LD754 & LD750

New Hampshire: Medical marijuana bill HB442 – Cleared committee on 3/10/2011

Vermont: Medical marijuana bill SB 17, decriminalization bill HB 427

Connecticut: Medical marijuana bill HB 6566, decriminalization bill SB953

Massachusetts: Medical marijuana bill HB 625, tax and regulate bill HB 1371

Rhode Island: Medical marijuana implementation, decriminalization HB 5031  tax and regulate bill HB 5591

New York: Medical marijuana bill S2774

New Jersey: Medical marijuana law implementation

Maryland: Medical marijuana bill HB 291, decriminalization bill HB 606

Delaware: Medical marijuana bill SB 17

Virginia: Decriminalization bill HB 1443 – stopped in committee 1/17/2011

West Virginia: Medical marijuana bill HB 3251

Florida: Medical marijuana resolution HJR 1407

North Carolina: Decriminalization bill HB 324 – (thanks to freedom readers for the NC update)

Keep up with the cannabis reform effort across the country in NORML Take Action Center.

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey. He enjoys old-school hip-hop, vintage airplanes and changing the world. Contact chris { at } freedomisgreen.com

Ah stoners. They get a bad rap, for sure. But sometimes it’s well-deserved and just plain funny.

Note this recent video I found on cleaning your pipe. (A little background: I had a persistent cough. A friend noticed the state of my pipe and suggested that could be to blame, which I hadn’t cleaned in quite a while. I’m guessing there may be some truth to it, since you’re smoking an old tar-like substance and particulates that probably can’t be that good for your lungs. I’ll have to ask Jahan Marcu about that.)

“So this is a new method I invented today. It’s called the “fishing line method.” First, you need….fishing line. You can find it in your basement or in any, I don’t know, fishing store.”

Anyway, laugh and learn:

(I went with the method my friend suggested. Soak pipe in rubbing alcohol then use pipe cleaners. I was surprised how much stuff came out.)

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

8/12/2011 – Politics are staying green this summer as state legislators keep momentum on bills to legalize medical cannabis or decriminalize pot possession for adults. Extended debates continue for some legislation, but there is significant momentum behind new campaigns.

Here is a short rundown of what’s already on the books.

Massachusetts: It looks like there will be two chances in 2011/2012 for medical marijuana to become law. HB625/SB1611 had an important hearing in June before the Joint Committee on Public Health. Patients and advocates are preparing for an active fall session. At the same time, the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance has submitted language for a statewide ballot initiative on medical cannabis. Voters could have a say in the matter during the important 2012 election. Finally, the Bay State is also considering a bill to Tax and Regulate recreational marijuana for adults. HB1371 is supported by MASSCANN/NORML and is seeking a hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in 2011.

The 22^nd Annual Boston Freedom Rally takes place on September 17, 2011. The largest marijuana reform event on the East Coast draws a crowd of 50,000 to the Boston Common. MASSCANN/NORML and other local groups helped to pass a statewide ballot initiative to decriminalize marijuana in 2008.

New York: Two important bills remain active in the Empire State. Advocates have kept up the medical marijuana fight for thirteen years, now there are more co-sponsors than ever for HB2774. Unfortunately the language has evolved to be very limited, following New Jersey’s model of prohibiting home cultivation. The restricted scope may be more palatable to politicians. Legislators also took a strong step in June to bring New York City in line with the existing marijuana decriminalization policy.  A new bill, SB5187/AB7620, would stop more than 50,000 racially disparate pot arrests each year in the Big Apple.

Rhode Island: Advocates are continuing to pressure Gov. Lincoln Chafee to lift his suspension of medical marijuana dispensaries. Three compassion centers have been approved but have not been allowed to open.  A bill to Tax and Regulate marijuana remains on the legislative schedule. HB 5571 would set up at least one cannabis retail store per county.

New Jersey: Gov. Chris Christie announced that he would expedite the startup of medical marijuana Alternative Treatment Centers. Six have been approved and the Garden State government is working though final regulations for implementation. Concurrent resolutions are active in the Senate and Assembly that would revise the proposed rules. ACR188/SCR151 would remove some of the worst restrictions like the 10 percent cap on all THC potency.

New Jersey also got its first decriminalization bill this year. A4252 was introduced in June with the first reading and a committee assignment expected in the fall. The legislation would remove criminal penalties for adults caught with 15 grams or less. The effort has notably strong support right out of the gate with 18 bi-partisan co-sponsors.

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State will go into its third year of considering medical marijuana. SB1003/HB1653 were re-introduced and assigned to the Health committee in both houses. Favorable public hearings were held in 2009 and 2010.  Philadelphia has been making news about the Small Amount of Marijuana program. The new court diversion for minor pot possession cases has saved the city millions and measurably reduced the jail population.

Maryland: As mandated by the legislature this year, the state will continue a study phase for medical cannabis. A law allowing seriously ill residents to offer a positive medical necessity defense was passed as an interim measure to a full program.

East coast advocates are hopeful for some further reform activity in the fall such as marijuana bills in North Carolina, Connecticut, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Florida.

Check back for more updates on cannabis politics here at Freedomisgreen.

NORML’s Take Action Center

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

5/27/2011: UPDATE 6/4/2011 – Elected officials on the East Coast continue a period of intense activity working on marijuana reform bills. From Maine to Florida legislators are considering medical access, decriminalization and full legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Some bills have passed or remain active while others have been stalled or killed in committees.  Here are some details of the notable actions along with a quick-reference list that includes activism links.

Delaware passed a medical marijuana bill that Governor Jack Markell signed on May 14th. The law allows qualifying patients to access up to 6 ounces of cannabis per month.  Yet patients will not be allowed to cultivate at home or form collective gardens. A centralized production and distribution system will be created in each county…unless federal interference prevents them.

Vermont has passed a bill, SB 17, to legalize and regulate medical cannabis dispensaries. Governor Pete Schumlin has not yet signed it into law. The state already allows seriously ill residents access to cannabis. The new legislation would require patients to choose whether to cultivate or access a dispensary. [UPDATE – Vermont Governor signed the bill into law June 2, 2011.]

Maryland passed and signed into law a concept that is referred to as an “affirmative medical necessity defense.” The provisions signed on May 10^th allow those who are arrested or minor marijuana possession to present medical records when they go to court. If the resident is deemed to suffer from a serious condition then they pay a $100 fine. A bill that would have created a safe access dispensary system was not passed. Instead, a heavily altered bill was turned into discovery exercise. Maryland will now explore the issue through a special study group.

Maine had the first public hearings on the East Coast for a bill to tax and regulate recreational marijuana, LD 1453. They were well attended on May10th.  Ultimately the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee did not recommend passage, but the bill is still alive. Maine is currently moving ahead with opening the first medical cannabis dispensaries in the state; two have now started operations. A pair of bills, LD750 and LD754, that would expand the state’s existing decriminalization law to allow for up to 5 ounces and/or six plants had hearings.  Finally, LD 1296 amended state law to make the cannabis patient registry a volunteer-only requirement to protect patient privacy.

New York is seeing a major effort underway to standardize a long-standing marijuana decriminalization law. Back in 1977 the state made small amounts of pot a civil offense. But New York City police are still arresting 50,000 people every year for joints and dime-bags. SB5187/AB7620 would standardize the penalty for possession of 25 grams or less to a $100 non-criminal fine. New York has also been considering a medical marijuana bill for over a decade. The Assembly passed the measure but the Senate let the bill time-out.

Rhode Island has suspended three medical marijuana dispensaries that were approved by the state. The hold was placed by Governor Lincoln Chaffee after he received a letter from US Attorney Peter Neronha detailing the conflict with federal law. Separately, notable hearings were held in the state Senate on HB5031 /SO270, a decriminalization bill. [UPDATE – US Attorney General Eric Holder says that he will work with RI Gov. Chafee and other states on authorized dispensaries on June 2, 2011.]

New Hampshire has been very close to passing a medical marijuana law for several years. But Governor John Lynch, nearly single handedly, has stopped the effort. HB 442 passed a floor vote in the House this March. But the Senate denied the bill a floor vote after another veto threat from Gov. Lynch.

New Jersey has also suspended the six approved medical marijuana Alternative Treatment Centers. Governor Chris Christie directed state Attorney General Paula Dow to seek clarification from federal authorities at the US Department of Justice before moving ahead. Meanwhile, NJ Legislators are still considering changes to final regulations for the program. ACR188/SCR151 would throw out the most restrictive provisions proposed by Governor Christie’s administration, including a 10% cap on THC potency. Also, a new resolution was introduced on May 26th, SCR120, that would have New Jersey support the “States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act” now active in the US Congress.

Connecticut is moving forward on a decriminalization bill. Governor’s Bill 1014 was passed by the Judiciary Committee and now goes to the Senate for a floor vote. After amendments the bill would make possession of ½ ounce or less by adults a civil penalty punishable by a fine only.

Quick reference list of East Coast legislative action on marijuana:

Legalize, Tax and Regulate

Maine: LD 1453 – Active. First hearings held, no further scheduled.

Rhode Island: HB 5591– Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Massachusetts: HB 1371- Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Decriminalization

Vermont:  HB 427 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Connecticut: SB953 – final vote scheduled before Senate

New York: SO5187/AB7620 Penalty standardization bill – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Maine: LD 750 and LD754 – Killed in committee.

Maryland: HB 606 – passed/signed

Virginia:  HB 1443 – killed in committee 1/17/2011

North Carolina: HB 324 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Rhode Island: HB 5031/SO270 – Stalled in Senate 5/24/2011

Medical Marijuana

Maine: Dispensaries opening; LD 1296 Medical Marijuana Protection- passed

New Hampshire: HB442 – Cleared committee on 3/10/2011, stopped in Senate 5/10

Vermont: SB 17 – passed both houses – signed into law on 6/2/2011

Connecticut: HB 6566, – stalled

Massachusetts: HB 625 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Rhode Island: Medical marijuana dispensaries on hold

New York: S2774 – Passed by Assembly, timed-out in Senate

Delaware: SB 17- passed, signed into law by Go. Markell

New Jersey: Alternative Treatment Centers on hold;

Invalidation of Medical Marijuana regulations, ACR188/ACR151 – Active for final floor votes

Support federal Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act: SCR120 – Active

Maryland: Medical Marijuana program study exercise approved

Pennsylvania: SB 1003 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Delaware: SB 17 – passed/signed.

North Carolina: HB 577 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Washington DC: Medical marijuana program implementation, final dates unclear

West Virginia: HB 3251

Florida: HJR 1407 – Active, assigned to committee; no scheduled hearings.

Check back for updates here at Freedomisgreen.com.

Get involved with cannabis reform:

NORML- www.norml.org

Students for Sensible Drug Policy – www.ssdp.org

The Drug Policy Alliance – www.drugpolicy.org

The Marijuana Policy Project – www.mpp.org

NORML Women’s Alliance – http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=8059

Willie Nelson’s Teapot Party – www.teapotparty.org

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

St. Patrick’s Day has some green competition as March 2011 could see three states on the East Coast open their medical cannabis industries. Maine, Rhode Island and New Jersey are all in the process of licensing facilities to supply medical grade cannabis to qualifying residents.

Maine’s first dispensary is actually set serve patients this week. That will represent the tangible beginning to state-regulated cannabis coming to this side of the country, but just barely.

The Portland Press Herald published an extensive piece today, well worth reading in full:

The opening of Maine’s dispensaries — the first east of Colorado — comes 16 months after voters approved a network of dispensaries to expand access to marijuana for patients with a limited number of medical conditions, such as cancer and glaucoma. Registered patients can still grow their own or have a caregiver grow marijuana for them.

Five operators have been working to set up eight dispensaries, one in each of Maine’s public health districts Read full

Medical marijuana growing – photo by Editor

Maine essentially legalized medical marijuana in 1999 and has spent the rest of the time trying to come up with a dispensary system. Until now, patients there could only grow their own cannabis or have a designated caregiver cultivate it for them.

That was also the case in Rhode Island where a medical marijuana law was passed in 2006. Patients and caregivers there could form collective gardens or cultivate personally.

Last year RI officials denied every application and then published the carefully crafted business plans online (much to the chagrin of the applicants).

The Ocean State was set to announce the winners of their second round of applicants this week but there has been another delay.

The Providence Journal – The state Health Department has once again postponed making a decision as to whom, if anyone, will be allowed to operate medical-marijuana dispensaries in Rhode Island.

In a news release Monday morning, the department said its new interim director, Dr. Michael D. Fine, needed an additional week — until March 15 — to review the 18 applications that have been submitted. Read

Unfortunately it is also a series of delays that have been seen in New Jersey. The NJ Department of Health and Human Services is moving ahead under some questionable regulations charging a $20,000 application fee.

New Jersey saw 21 groups bid to run one of six Alternative Treatment Center sites. Although the rules to operate the facilities have not been finalized Garden State officials say they will announce the winners on March 21st.

So along with Spring and Shamrocks it could be medical cannabis that green the East this month.

Unless there’s another set of delays.

YouTube video below of Diane Riportella in New Jersey who does not have any more time to spare.

More information

Maine
Grassroots http://www.asamaine.org/

Rhode Island
Grassroots http://ripatients.org/

New Jersey
Grassroots http://www.cmmnj.org

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey. He enjoys old-school hip-hop, vintage airplanes and changing the world. Contact chris { at } freedomisgreen.com

3/17/2011- CORRECTION – Maine allows for designated caregivers to grow medical marijuana for patients as well as personal cultivation by patients. Added “or have a designated caregiver cultivate it for them.” in sixth graph.