You might have questions or wonder what the deal is with that plant that everyone keeps talking about. Cannabis, marijuana, weed, reefer…watch this full, 7-part video series for a rundown on the state of marijuana in our world today. Start with Part 1 here:
The rest of the videos (all 7 parts) can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/YTdocs
MADISON: The La Crosse City Council tonight overrode Mayor Matt Harter’s veto of an ordinance that would make first-time possession of small amounts of cannabis a municipal infraction instead of a criminal offense.
Harter had twice before vetoed cannabis decriminalization ordinances with a November 2010 veto falling two votes short of an override. The Thursday night passage of District 3 council member Chris Olson’s ordinance gives law enforcement discretion to cite first-time possession of up to 7 grams of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia as a municipal offense rather than a misdemeanor or even a felony. Seven grams is about a quarter ounce of cannabis.
According to the La Crosse Tribune, Council member Olson stated issuing citations would generate additional city revenues and provide “a first-time offender a second chance.” He criticized Police Chief Ed Kondracki for saying he would not ask his officers to enforce the ordinance. La Crosse Police Capt. Rob Abraham later said the department would allow officers to use the ordinance at their own discretion. He also noted that La Crosse County Sheriff’s have yet to cite anyone under a similar ordinance.
from NORML:
House lawmakers introduced legislation in Congress today to end the federal criminalization of the personal use of marijuana.
The bipartisan measure – entitled the‘Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011’ and sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank and Texas Republican Ron Paul along with Reps. Cohen (D-TN), Conyers (D-MI), Polis (D-CO), and Lee (D-CA) – prohibits the federal government from prosecuting adults who use or possess marijuana by removing the plant and its primary psychoactive constituent, THC, from the five schedules of the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Under present law, all varieties of the marijuana plant are defined as illicit Schedule I controlled substances, defined as possessing ‘a high potential for abuse,’ and ‘no currently accepted medical use in treatment.’
The ‘Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act’ seeks to federally deregulate the personal possession and use of marijuana by adults. It marks the first time that members of Congress have introduced legislation to eliminate the federal criminalization of marijuana since the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Language in this Act mimics changes enacted by Congress to repeal the federal prohibition of alcohol. Passage of this measure would remove the existing conflict between federal law and the laws of those sixteen statesthat allow for the limited use of marijuana under a physicians’ supervision. It would also allow state governments that wish to fully legalize and regulate the responsible use, possession, production, and intrastate distribution of marijuana for all adults to be free to do so without federal interference. (To date, lawmakers in six states have introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the adult use of cannabis, and separate statewide initiative measures are planned for 2012 in several additional states.)
Speaking in support of the measure, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said, “The federal criminalization of marijuana has failed to reduce the public’s demand or access to cannabis, and it has imposed enormous fiscal and human costs upon the American people. It is time to end this failed public policy and to provide state governments with the freedom to enact alternative strategies — such as medicalization, decriminalization, and/or legalization — without running afoul of the federal law or the whims of the Department of Justice.”
NORML, along with representatives from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA),Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), and the Marijuana Policy Project(MPP), worked closely with members of Congress in drafting the measure.
Additional information regarding this measure is available from NORML’s ‘Take Action Center’ here.
MADISON: Medical cannabis supporters will gather next Tuesday at the King St. corner of the State Capitol to remember victims of medical marijuana prohibition. This year will mark the third year for the vigil, which runs from 4-6pm. The vigil will feature tributes to patients who fell victim to medical cannabis prohibition as well as Madison guitarist Mark Shanahan. Shanahan will begin the event by performing the Wisconsin medical cannabis anthem, “Legal Medicine Blues” at 4pm.
The vigil is again being organized by the medical cannabis advocacy group Is My Medicine Legal YET?, along with the Madison and Wisconsin chapters of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and JRMMA.org.
The list of names of those who passed away without legal access to medical cannabis read at the vigil grows each year. Last year the passing of Madison medical cannabis patient activist Mary Powers still hung heavy on friends at the event. This year, attendees will be remembering longtime Madison activist Ben Masel, who died April 30 after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. At the conclusion of the vigil at 6pm, attendees will parade around the Capitol in support of medical cannabis in Wisconsin.
