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4/28/2011 – State Senator Daylin Leach (D-17) re-introduced Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana bill on April 25th. The issue has strong public support, Franklin & Marshall polling in 2010 showed that 80 percent of residents are in favor of a medical cannabis law.

Senator Leach issued this statement on Wednesday April 27th: “I’m happy to have re-introduced Senate Bill 1003 and am hopeful it will be brought up for consideration by the Legislature. It is a common-sense bill that would simply give sick people access to medication so they feel better. Countless studies show marijuana can alleviate the side effects of many diseases. It’s time we give Pennsylvanians access to the treatment they need and deserve.”

SB 1003 would legalize the use of cannabis for residents with serious medical conditions such as cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and HIV/AIDS. The bill includes provisions for a system of Compassion Centers, ID cards for patients, home cultivation and sales tax.

Senators Larry Farnese, James Ferlo and Wayne Fontana are the initial co-sponsors. The bill has been referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. READ SB 1003

PA residents may contact their legislators via www.pa4mmj.org

Found this video while browsing through the lovely website, UK-based Dope-Smoker. (Take note of their clean, contemporary design. There are so many collegiate-looking weed sites out there bogged down with too much green and pot leaves – nice to see something more modern.)

On a lighter note, my picks for the very few holiday tunes that don’t want me want to impale myself with skewers:

Robert Platshorn Senior Cannabis Activist (Silver Tour) at NORMLCON 2010 – photo by NORML/David Sygall

12/5/2011 – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the entire New Jersey Legislature got a big green wake-up call from voters last week. A Rutgers-Eagleton poll found overwhelming support for medical marijuana (86%) and a majority (58%) strongly favoring the decriminalization of cannabis possession. So what is driving the continued groundswell for cannabis reform?

Freedomisgreen.com spoke with Rutgers Professor David Redlawsk, who managed the poll. Redlawsk said that the results for medical marijuana showcased unprecedented level of public support.

Asked if any other issue came close Redlawsk replied, “I don’t think we’ve run across anything that positive in any issue we have looked at… A recent example is that we’ve polled in the 70s [percent range] for what has been dubbed the ‘Millionaire’s Tax.’”

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was passed two years ago but the Christie Administration has not fully implemented the law. The program has been overburdened with strict regulations that are unique compared to other states like a 10% cap on THC, a physician registry and a questionable facility selection process. Not a single NJ patient has been allowed to register or gain legal protections. Many patients have already given up on the program and have turned to the underground market for relief.

A bill that would remove criminal penalties for adults in possession of 15 grams of marijuana or less was introduced this summer with a strong group of bi-partisan co-sponsors. But A4252 has yet to receive a committee hearing or a floor debate in Trenton.

Professor Redlawsk explained why the marijuana questions were posed to voters. “We are celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Rutgers-Eagleton poll and we’re asking some of the original questions.”

An interesting coincidence is that the poll started in 1972, the same year that cannabis was locked into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act by the Nixon Administration.

Redlawsk explained that voters age 60+ have driven up the overall percentages for marijuana reform in 2011. “The reason we see an increase in support at all levels of this question is that older people are more supportive. Young people remain as supportive…almost as they always were.”

Politicians might want to take note (in bold and underlined) that senior voters have not changed their college-age views about cannabis.  Unfortunately it also highlights that elected officials at the state and federal level have ignored the will of the people throughout modern cannabis prohibition.

The Rutgers poll is the second time in three years that voters have polled 86% in favor of medical marijuana. Again, the most popular public policy issue in the state.

Action link- NJ residents can send emails supporting decrim bill A4252 online http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=50985736

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]

Writer with partner in crime Vicki, in front of Madison Square Garden before concert.

Back in the day, you smoked pot. Or really crappy homegrown. Or maybe even oregano. You felt high anyway, not knowing any better.

Back in the day, the weed was often dry and crispy, with sticks and seeds and all sort of shit in it. Maybe even an occasional spider’s nest. Not all boutique-y, the way it is now.

Back in the day, when you finally got your hands on good pot, your impressionable young brain got a little too high. Suddenly you were practically tripping – floors melting, spaceships flying, small bald men speaking in a hurried whisper – the works. Friends had to be talked down. Occasionally slapped in the face.

Back in the day, when you kept the joint for too long, it was called “bogarting.” (Was Humphrey Bogart known for hogging a joint? “Pass it again, Sam.”) We also called it “head smoking.” Like “Stop head smoking that, man. Pass it.” This could be applied to drinking the entire 7-Eleven Big Gulp (which was referred to as “head gulping”).

Back in the day, smoking weed the traditional way wasn’t enough; you had to kick it up a notch sometimes by giving your friends a California shotgun. Three people were required: one friend would blow a ton of smoke in your mouth and another would pick you in a Heimlich-type position and hold you there for a good, long while, while you held your breath. Once you were released, you would fall or pass out and we’d laugh. Brain damage may have occurred.

Back in the day, you smoked pot before high school to make it more palatable. But paranoia would creep in and you were sure every teacher was going to bust you. Sometimes they did bust you and you had to leave school, where you’d go to the woods and hang out with the other busted stoned kids.

Back in the day, you were part of the “burn out” crowd and that wasn’t so bad. It was better than being a nerd or a jock. You wore flannel shirts and your hair hung over your eyes. You mumbled a lot.

Back in the day, you heard Pink Floyd for the first time and thought “Finally, someone understands me.” It was also the perfect trippy music to listen to while high.

Back in the day, you were forced to smoke “sick weed” for two years, guaranteed to give you a headache. That’s all the dealer had and it was a small town. (Of course, not smoking it wasn’t an option.)

Back in the day, you wore a roach clip in your hair, with multi-colored feathers hanging from it. Practical and fashionable. (Secretly, you wish they’d come back in style – you’d so wear one.)

Back in the day, a friend’s mom decides she wants to try just a little of your weed. She asks for a “remnant” instead of a “roach” which sends you and your friend into a fit of laughter and will for years to come. A remnant. Ha…

Back in the day, you could get a joint for a dollar. Sure, it was probably a pinner. But a good deal nonetheless.  The pre-rolled aspect was handy as well.

Back in the day, you smoked pot in a circle with your friends where everyone would laugh convulsively over practically nothing. The type of laughter where you struggled to breathe. Good, painful laughter. You miss that most of all.

Vicky and I laughing about nothing in particular, circa a long time ago.

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

4/7/2011 – Riding a green wave of unprecedented public support, medical marijuana legislation is gaining significant progress in several East Coast states. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina all reached important milestones in the last two weeks towards legal access to therapeutic cannabis.

Yesterday Connecticut’s Joint Judiciary Committee voted 34-10 to move forward their compassionate use bill. A previous, hard-fought attempt saw the Legislature pass medical marijuana only to have it vetoed by the then Governor Jody Rell. An attempt to overturn that veto fell achingly short by just two votes. But newly elected Governor Daniel Malloy has been a champion of marijuana issues in Connecticut, including decriminalization. Malloy has stated that he would sign it into law if it passes again.  Take Action in CT

The Delaware Senate passed a bill on March 30th to legalize marijuana for medical use and create a dispensing system. The floor vote on Senate Bill 17 was notable in its strength, passing by 18 to 3. Delaware is unfortunately following in the footsteps of New Jersey and Washington DC by eliminating all provisions for patients to cultivate their cannabis at home. The model bill from the Marijuana Policy Project creates a strict, centralized system but does allow patients to posses six ounces per month.  Take Action in DE

Maryland’s Legislature is taking an interesting approach with a clear focus on protecting patients from arrest. On March 24th the Senate passed a bill to allow some seriously ill residents a medical necessity defense in court. Then on March 28th a Joint Committee moved forward an official study process for a full-fledged medical cannabis system. Fines for minor marijuana possession in Maryland are $100.Take Action in MD

On April 3rd North Carolina joined the growing ranks of active states, legislation was introduced there with language for home cultivation. HB 577 certainly enjoys popular support, although several previous attempts have faced an uphill battle. Still, a Harris Poll released last week may help shore up support in a state that has many traditionally conservative politicians. Although stereotyped as a liberal, west coast issue, the poll showed that more support exists in the “East” for medical marijuana. Vast majorities, 80 percent, of voters favor the issue across the political spectrum. Take Action in NC

On the horizon: Vermont will consider legislation for a medical cannabis system,  New Hampshire’s Senate will hold a hearing on HB 442 and Pennsylvania will re-introduce a compassionate use bill that was active last year.

This month: Regulated medical marijuana programs on the East Coast will see major progress as systems are brought online under existing laws in New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island and Washington DC.

Stay tuned for further updates on the spring bloom here at Freedomisgreen.com.

Get involved at NORML’s Take Action Center

Read the Weekly Legislative Round Up from NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano

Lean a little left? – Willie Nelson’s Teapot Party

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. Contact chris {at} freedomisgreen.com

9/26/2012 – Representative Diane Russell (D-Portland), who introduced legislation to fully legalize marijuana in the state of Maine, is running for Speaker of the House.

The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments.

Russell has been a consistent champion for cannabis reform issues, working to win privacy protections for medical marijuana patients and sponsoring a bill to regulate all uses of cannabis.

Hearings were held in June 2011 on LD1453 “An Act to Legalize and Tax Marijuana” before the Maine House Criminal Justice Committee. Although the committee stopped the bill, Russell already has plans to re-introduce it. Similar laws are going directly before voters in Colorado, Oregon and Washington.  If any of them pass this November it would give significant traction to marijuana reform in states that do not have a direct ballot process.

While only Maine residents can sign on to a letter supporting Russell for Speaker, anyone can donate to assist her run.

An effective political strategy for pro-marijuana citizens is to make a donation to candidates with a strong record on the issues. Getting like-minded politicians elected to office is the first step.  The more state legislators and federal elected officials who include marijuana reform into their agenda and hold power-positions in government bodes well for us all.

Everyone should vote. Yet the local choices are often narrow. Consider punking a few of the SuperPACs by making some individual political donations non-local and pro-pot.

Find out more about Rep. Diane Russell’s House Speaker run here. Make a donation here.

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]

7/12/2011 – During an hour-long public radio program Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said that the Pennsylvania DA’s Association is taking no position on the medical marijuana bill. Freed explained the stance on WITF’s Radio Smart Talk , “I don’t think any prosecutor I know would want to prevent a terminally ill person from alleviating [their] suffering.”

Freedomisgreen Editor Chris Goldstein was the proponent guest representing Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana and PhillyNORML.

Later in the program Freed reinforced the position, “I don’t think that medical marijuana is necessarily a law enforcement issue. I think that advocates like Chris need to go to the Legislature and what happens there …happens.”

SB1003/HB 1653, The Governor Raymond P. Shaffer Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, is waiting for committee votes in both houses. The bill was re-named this year to honor the former Republican governor who asked President Nixon to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act in 1972.

In a rare, comprehensive discussion the Radio Smart Talk program covered medical marijuana, decriminalization and full legalization. Questions from the callers ran the gamut from supporting reform measures to blaming the Greek economic crisis on weed.

Listen to Radio Smart Talk July 8, 2011

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 a classic case of “you can’t win for losing”, protesters in attempting to aid Barbara Agro’s court case are now being blamed actually doing more harm than good. Their interactions with jury members was seen as tampering.

The 70-year-old woman is a registered medical marijuana patient and caregiver charged with one count of delivery/manufacture of marijuana and may serve up to four years in prison.

This case also exemplifies an increasing trend where the defendant is not able to use the defense of being a patient or a caregiver to support their case.

Jerome Sabbota said jurors in the recent case of Barbara Agro – charged with one count of delivery/manufacture of marijuana, a four-year felony – were approached by the protesters as they walked back into the courthouse.

“The judge then brought each juror in after and said, ‘Are you going to follow the law?’” said Sabbota.

“The court felt (the protest) was jury tampering.  In the end, that hurt Barb.”

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said there was an attempt to influence the jury.  Some protesters handed a statement to jurors.

“Were they able to do (influence the jury)? Apparently not,” said Cooper.  “This is a very serious crime and apparently (those tampering ) have been identified on video.”

Cooper said “hi-jinks” such as this are not being attempted by “people who are obeying the law.”

Agro was convicted on June 8.  She could receive up to four years in jail, Sabbota said.

Agro, a former Lake Orion police dispatcher, worked as a receptionist at a medical marijuana dispensary in Ferndale called Clinical Relief.  When the facility was raided on Aug.  25, 2010, Agro told deputies that she had marijuana plants growing at her home in Lake Orion.  Deputies searched the house and found 19 marijuana plants and other items.

Agro is a registered medical marijuana patient and caregiver.  In a previous ruling, Oakland Circuit Judge Wendy Potts granted a motion from prosecutors seeking to preclude Agro from referencing the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act during the trial.

“Barb believes the truth did not really come out,” said Sabbota.  “There was no reason the jury couldn’t have been told that (she was a patient and caregiver ).”

Read more.

5/26/2011 – State Senator Pat Vance (R-31) chairs the Public Health and Welfare Committee where the medical marijuana bill, SB 1003, has been assigned.  And the bill may be staying right there. Senator Vance’s Chief of Staff, Amy Bolze, said that there is currently no intention to scheduling any public hearings. Further, she stated that there is no intention to bring the bill before the committee for a vote.

This leaves SB 1003 in a state of suspended animation, where it could remain for the entire legislative session.

Senator Daylin Leach, the main sponsor of SB 1003, described it as “… a common-sense bill that would simply give sick people access to medication so they feel better.”

When the bill was introduced in April Leach said, ”Countless studies show marijuana can alleviate the side effects of many diseases. It’s time we give Pennsylvanians access to the treatment they need and deserve.”

Two hearings were held before the House Health and Human Services Committee in 2009 and 2010. Senator Vance has stated that she felt those hearings had garnered enough public comment regarding the issue.

During those House hearings most of the testimony favored passage of a medical cannabis law. Doctors, religious leaders, medical experts and seriously ill residents made a compelling case for the bill.

Dr. Harry Swidler, an Emergency Medicine physician testified: “Marijuana is non-addicting. There is no physical dependence or physical withdrawal associated with its use. It is, from a practical standpoint, non-toxic. Marijuana is safer by some measures than any other drug. There is simply no known quantity of marijuana capable of killing a person.”

A Franklin & Marshall poll in 2010 indicated that 81 percent of Pennsylvania residents support having legalized access to marijuana for qualifying residents. Over 40 percent of the respondents in that poll described themselves as “conservative.”

There have been no Republican co-sponsors to the medical marijuana bill in either the Senate or the House, despite the notably strong support among voters.

Bolze said that Senator Vance’s office does receive regular communications via phone and email from residents who support the bill. But it seems unlikely that Vance will consider the issue before the Health and Welfare Committee unless her peers in the Senate show more interest.

Representative Mark B. Cohen originally introduced the medical marijuana bill to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Cohen’s office reported today that a co-sponsorship memorandum has been released. The bill is expected to be re-introduced in the House this summer.

Follow PA medical marijuana at www.pa4mmj.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]

On Tuesday May 10, 2011 the first committee hearing will be held in Maine for LD 1453, legislation that takes a comprehensive approach to legalizing cannabis. Rep. Diane Russell is sponsoring the bill that would tax and regulate recreational marijuana, expand provisions for medical care givers along with lifting all restrictions on industrial hemp farming. Local awareness for the measure is steadily growing and media attention has been strong. An online petition has seen hundreds of Maine residents voice their active support.

One particularly effective speaker who is planning to testify in favor of the bill is Jack Cole, the founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). He is a former undercover narcotics agent who now speaks about ending prohibition, especially for marijuana.

Cole sent this message to Rep. Russell today “I bear witness to the abject failure of the U.S. war on drugs and to the horrors produced by its unintended consequences.I really appreciate your courageous stand in introducing this bill. It will help countless people. I am honored to be asked to testify.”

Maine already has a medical marijuana law and the state also decriminalized adult cannabis possession. Rep. Russell says there ha been more curiosity about the concept than opposition, “EVERYONE is talking about it in the state house.”

LD 1453 will be heard by the Criminal Justice Committee at 1:00PM on May 10th.

Support the effort in Maine with this online petition:  http://signon.org/sign/support-mj-legalization

Full text of the new bill here: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/HP106701.asp