In the wake of California's Prop 19 being voted down, MAPS hosted a Mile High Marijuana Summit in Denver, Colorado on November 6, 2010 to discuss the future of marijuana reform policy. The entire summit was streamed online, and can be viewed on the MAPS website. The footage features Rick Doblin, Ph. D, Executive Director of MAPS, Ethan Nadelmann, J.D., Ph.D., Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance, Sue Sisley, M.D., and Steve Fox, Director of Government Relations and the Marijuana Policy Project.
In other pot-related news, NORML has asked New Jerseyans to speak up for marijuana's extensive medicinal purposes in a state in which Big Pharma is deeply embedded. The New Jersey Department of Health officials have drafted new regulations to the proposed medical marijuana law which would limit the manufacturing of medical cannabis to two licensed state facilities, giving further control on the valuable cash-crop to Big Pharma. Furthermore, the state would dictate that there are only between one and three strains, despite the recognition that different strains are compatible with different people. The new proposal also aims to minimize one of the active healing agents in marijuana, THC, which would not be allowed to be present over ten percent. Additionally, the demand has been made that "doctors who authorize their patients to use marijuana must 'make reasonable efforts' at least every three months to wean them off the drug."
NORML, and the sponsor of the original law, believes that these new proposals are harmfully restrictive to the patient, as well as "violate the intent of the Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act." NORML is asking New Jersey residents to write to their lawmakers asking them to approve a pair of concurrent resolutions towards the revised proposal.
"On Monday, November 8, members of the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee and members of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming voted in favor of the resolutions, which may be acted on by the floors of both chambers as soon as November 22. If you live in the Garden State, please visit NORML’s ‘Take Action’ Center, and tell your member of the Assembly and Senate to affirm these votes by going here."
Further news, on Saturday, Arizona passed their medical marijuana law prop 203, taking their first step in incorporating the healing benefits of the herbal remedy. New Mexico approved of six new medical marijuana dispensaries, expanding their medical cannabis program. And a Maine couple has been cleared to open a marijuana clinic. Meanwhile Michele Leonhart who openly pledged to ignore the presidential administration's formal medical marijuana guidelines is another step closer to officially heading up the DEA.
Please take the time to contact your respective legislated bodies and help these states, and the country, move on to greener pastures.
Image: "Medical Marijuana Thousand Oaks" by MedicalMarjiuana on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing.