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Insights from the “Candidating” Forum in Missoula

May 17th, 2010

After work today, I was a guest speaker at one of the local Rotary Clubs in Missoula. The members were gracious and generally agreed with my statements that the best way forward with cannabis policy is a regulated market for adults. I was prepared for a vigorous debate but didn’t get it. Everyone was nodding. The more people I talk to, my belief in public support for regulated marijuana gets stronger and stronger.

Afterwards, I headed to the Badlander for a candidate forum put on by Forward Montana. It was called “candidating“, and was modelled on speed dating, in which you just have a few minutes with your partner, and then everyone switches. Cool idea, and a great way to meet a bunch of candidates and ask the questions you need answered. What follows is my brief recollections of those conversations.

Tyler Gernant, candidate for the U.S. House: He agreed that marijuana has no business being a schedule I drug federally, and that a system of responsible regulation is the wisest policy.  Results: Thumbs Up.

Tom Facey, candidate for Senate District 48:  I never really got out of him his position on the prospect of tax & regulate, as he kept coming back to medical marijuana.  Results: Inconclusive.

Ellie Hill, candidate for House District 94: She supports our efforts. Results: Thumbs Up.

Bryce Bennet, candidate for House District 92: He supports our efforts. Results: Thumbs Up.

Brad Giffin, candidate for Missoula County Sheriff: Right out of the gate, he said he thought it was inevitable that marijuana would become legal in the not-too-distant future, and he was fine with that.  He reminded me of William Macy.  Regarding Initiative #2, he would not change policy; i.e., his deputies would continue citing people for marijuana when it was encountered. He was concerned about the lack of an empirical test for impaired driving.  Results: Inconclusive.

Bob Parcell, candidate for Missoula County Sheriff. Now this guy seems like a SHERIFF. A smokejumper and 30-year Marine reservist with experience in the battle of Fallujah, he’s a no-nonsense military tough guy. I sat with him for 10 minutes or so, and he’s thoughtful and reasonable and willing to hear facts that counter his preconceived notions, such as marijuana causing cancer (which it does not). I talked to him about LEAP, and he was nodding in understanding that veteran narcotics cops may well end up believing that the Drug War was a tremendous waste of time and money and lives.  He said repeatedly that alcohol is about the worst thing out there.  (UPDATE: When I replied that well, maybe we should prohibit alcohol?” he said “no way, we know how that turned out”. ) He also said that no new policy would be issued by him related to Initiative #2, but pointed out that a guy smoking cannabis in his house is already the lowest possible priority. When I asked him how he would vote if an initiative that provided for responsible regulation of marijuana for adults was on the ballot, he paused, and said he’d abstain from voting, because he has to answer the question from “the other side” too. (I read that as cautiously supportive.)  He also was concerned about the lack of an empirical test for impaired driving. He said repeatedly that as a “lawman”, he’d enforce the law, as long as he didn’t believe it was unconstitutional or immoral. Results: Inconclusive.

On balance, because I chair the Initiative #2 committee, I think Brad Giffin might be easier to work with, but I didn’t spend too much time with him.

In a few weeks, we’ll have a chance to vote on the folks who might be headed to Helena to create the law of the land. The above is a subset of what you’ll find in our upcoming voters guide.

Not sure whether you’re registered to vote, or need to figure out who you’ll be voting for? The state provides the tool you need here.

If you can get to candidate forums and ask questions about where the hopefuls stand on regulating marijuana, please contact us with your findings!

-JM

2 comments »

Posted in Initiative #2, Missoula, Prohibition, Tax & Regulate

Montana NORML Newsletter – Taking Action, Firebombs in Billings and Other News

May 13th, 2010

Good evening Montana!

Well, another week of lurid headlines and calls to restrict or repeal medical marijuana in Montana, and almost nobody concluding as we do: the solution to the medical marijuana conundrum is to make cannabis legal for all adults.

Even though we have truth, justice, and liberty on our side (seriously, think about it), the medical marijuana law will almost certainly be substantially restricted in next year’s legislature, and legal cannabis for all adults is probably still a few years away for us in Montana.

What we can do right now is try to affect the media’s depiction of marijuana through letters to the editor and local events, and engage directly with elected (and soon-to-be-elected) public officials.

To that end, I’m volunteering my evenings this week and next to work on several projects for Montana NORML:

  1. A carefully-worded letter to the editor to help people understand that the violent crimes we’ve heard about are not a marijuana problem, but a prohibition problem.
  2. A voters’ guide for cannabis advocates in Montana. (more news soon.)
  3. An essay/blog post about the business aspects of medical marijuana.

Will you join me in taking action next week to help make cannabis legal in Montana? It would be a cool (and potentially impactful) if a whole lot of us all took an action within a few days of each other. If you’re stumped on what to do, email me back and let me know where you’re located and I’ll give you a suggestion.

So, here’s the news:

Montana Marijuana News

National News:

Enjoy the links, these are good ‘uns.  And, if you get a letter to the editor published, or get quoted positively on the topic of making marijuana legal for all adults, email the details to norml@montananorml.org and we may just send you a goody-pack.

Onwards.

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Posted in Montana

Today’s marijuana hearing in Helena

April 27th, 2010

Today the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee met in Helena to discuss the state of Montana’s medical marijuana program. Here are some notes on what transpired.

There were four panels of invited guests: bureaucrats, law enforcement, community leaders, and stakeholders.

Bureaucrats: They were from DPHHS and pretty much just went through the basics of how the law works and what their role is. They double-check paperwork, send out cards, send out renewal notices, and confirm patient status upon law enforcement request.

Law Enforcement:  Mark Long (the state’s top narcotics cop) and the chief of police from Lewistown were  on this panel. Long mentioned a few times the wasted resources associated with marijuana enforcement efforts – seriously.  His examples were that any time the police get a report about marijuana growing, they must investigate. So they rally the guys, make some calls, set up a stake-out, do some background checks, clean their machine guns, whatever else they do. Then they bust in and find out the garden is 100% legal under state law. Wasted resources, indeed.

His other example was when they nail someone for carrying cannabis, take them to jail or issue a citation, seize the evidence, have it tested and securely stored, prepare the prosecution case, and then the person produces their patient card (having failed to carry it at all times), and the whole thing is dropped. Wasted resources.

Their complaints and suggestions about the law included:

  • Locations: they want all locations of legal gardens published so they can avoid the wasted resource problem above.
  • Safety concerns: they say medical marijuana is a mostly-cash business, so there can be stacks of cash and valuable bud around, increasing likelihood that knuckleheads will commit a robbery. They also say indoor gardens are doing dangerous things with electricity, and sometimes there are children around.
  • Diversion: the provisioning of medial marijuana by registered patients for the purposes of resale. They pointed out that the law does not prevent a patient from buying an ounce every hour of every day, for example.
  • DUI: They say there has been a 1200% increase in DUI arrests at which marijuana is present. If I recall correctly, he phrased it sort of carefully. He didn’t say that the DUI was for cannabis-related impairment specifically. I intend to track down these data.
  • Marijuana delivery drivers:  sometimes caregivers’ drivers get pulled over with large quantities of cannabis and the cops just don’t know what to do. Sometimes they have photocopied cards, but their name is not on them,. Interestingly, the Lewistown chief of police said that  prosecutors are hesitant to really move on any marijuana case because of the Affirmative Defense provision of the law.  This provision allows anyone to argue in court that their marijuana charges should be dropped because their activity was consistent with the medical marijuana act.
  • Hash & Edibles: a representative from the state crime lab cited criminal laws which “equate” 60g of cannabis to 1g of hash. (Does anyone think this is a valid analysis? Which bag would you rather have, assuming the price was the same?)  She went on to express the crime lab’s confusion over how to interpret the law regarding hash and edibles.

Community Leaders: This consisted of the city attorneys of Great Falls and Bozeman, and some guys from the Montana School Board Association. Some random notes from their comments:

  • Great Falls city attorney proposed caregiver patient count maximums, asked for deeper background checks, including national records, and proposed that any felony conviction should bar someone from being a caregiver, not just drug felonies. He asked dramatically, “What about sex offenders?” Not sure what his point was there.
  • Bozeman city attorney directed people to the city’s website for their position statement on regulating medical marijuana, as well as information about a series of public meetings the city is conducting to get community feedback on the issue (the next one is May 5th). He also rehashed (ha!) the state/federal conflict, and pleaded with legislators to ensure that cities and counties retain some local control over medical marijuana, rather than a dictate from the state.
  • The school board guys said that marijuana is always illegal on any school property, due to federal law. They are getting questions from local school boards about things like 18-yr-old students loading up on brownies before coming to algebra class, and about whether Individual Education Plans (developed for certain struggling students) could include cannabis consumption at school.

Stakeholders: These were people in the business of medical marijuana: Jason Christ of MCN, Jim Gingery of MMGA, and Tom Daubert of MTPFU & Montana Cannabis.

  • Jason:  We need to clarify whether caregiver-to-caregiver transfers are legal. We think 2oz usable, 8oz medibles would be a good change. And please add PTSD, depression, anxiety as conditions.
  • Jim: Growers could live with inspections, records-keeping requirements, and a doctor and patient list on site (identified only by their state-issued patient number).
  • Tom:  Patients and the cops are really not too far apart. The voters did not envision travelling clinics, did not envision 2-minute doctor visits, and did not envision flashy marijuana billboards on main street. Everyone wants clarity, so let’s work together to fix the law.

Thus concluded over two hours of scheduled panels, and so the thirty minutes of public comment were next. Maybe 20 people spoke, here are a few random recollections:

  • Talyn Lang of Zoo Mountain in Missoula spoke briefly about the economic development potential.
  • A mom and her weeping teenage daughter talked about how the demon weed destroys everyone’s lives. I sympathized with their story of systemic and destructive family substance abuse, but the melodrama and “gateway” connection to pills and meth was really too much, especially that there’s emerging evidence that cannabis can be an “exit ramp” for people dealing with more serious addiction.
  • An elderly psychiatrist expressed his opposition to medical marijuana in general.
  • Our friend Katrina talked about her experience with a variety of herbal remedies, including cannabis.
  • A middle-aged woman told her marijuana miracle story about how cannabis allowed her to get out of the house and work after many years on disability.
  • A caregiver talked about his ailing cancer patients and urged the committee to always remember the patients when crafting new policies.

Here’s what I had to say (lifted mostly from our Getting Past Medical post, of which I distributed hardcopies to all present):

Thank you for the opportunity to be heard, and thank you for taking up this important issue thoughtfully.

At the core of our current medical marijuana conundrum is a problem. The problem is that “legitimate medical use” cannot be defined objectively.

The solution? A regulated market for all adults, as most taxpayers now agree.

A legal market solves many problems at once and acknowledges the scientific truth that cannabis is safer than alcohol and cigarettes, and many over-the-counter drugs.

  • First, the best way to protect patients is to remove the barriers currently posed by the medical marijuana registration and renewal system. As medicines go, marijuana is perhaps the safest medicinal herb known in human history; lethal overdose isn’t possible, and it is less addictive than caffeine.
  • Second, we have already developed a working system of taxation and regulation of marijuana — in our beer and brewery laws. Adults are allowed to purchase from licensed retailers who are responsible for verifying the age of the buyer and acquire wholesale product from licensed producers. It’s not a perfect system, but it works. In fact, teenagers consistently say that (regulated) beer is harder to buy than (black market) marijuana!
  • Third, we’re experiencing an economic downturn of historic proportions. Projections of Montana’s budget shortfall is in the tens of millions of dollars. We estimate that a $50 per ounce tax on legal marijuana sales would raise $24 million per year.
  • Finally, there is simply nothing wrong with responsible adult cannabis consumption, and public policies to the contrary are a waste of our scarce and precious criminal justice resources. With the same law enforcement resources, what other crimes could be solved if cannabis were not a criminal matter?

The work you’re doing today is important. But you will not resolve the debate about what constitutes “legitimate medical use”.

We should embrace this historic confluence of scientific truth, individual liberty, popular opinion, and economic stimulus and regulate marijuana for all adults.

Two legislators stopped in the hall to thank me for presenting our policy suggestions afterwards. I’ll be in touch with them to discuss further.

-JM

9 comments »

Posted in Medical Marijuana, Montana, Tax & Regulate

Montana NORML Newsletter – 4/20, Global Marijuana March and Legislative Meeting

April 23rd, 2010

Good evening troops,

This was a momentous week, with 4/20 and all. And it’s not slowing down for a while. Next week, we have an important legislative committee meeting, and of course the Worldwide Marijuana March on May 1st.

Legislative Committee Meeting

On Tuesday, April 27th, 2010, the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee will meet beginning at 8AM in Room 137 of the State Capitol in Helena and discuss medical marijuana around 9:45 (Agenda). The committee is not convening in order to repeal our medical marijuana law. However, significant changes will be discussed, in an effort to regulate an industry-gone-wild. If you have specific ideas for how to improve the law, submit your comments to: mmcomment@mt.gov

In your email, be respectful, relevant, brief, and substantive. Spellcheck. There’s no need to tell the story of your personal medical marijuana miracle; just propose how the law should be changed and why, to calm the perception that the program is ‘out of control’. This law will change next year, and your comments can make it more likely that it changes for the better.

Law enforcement’s biggest concern is about diversion — the transfer of medical marijuana to people without cards. So, any proposed changes should take that into account. Simply asking for higher plant counts and new qualifying conditions will not work. We need to help the committee figure out a tolerable compromise. Here’s the background material they’re digesting (PDF) prior to the meeting. (Of course my advice will be that they adopt an adult marijuana regulation bill, regardless of medical condition. More on this later.)

Worldwide Marijuana March

Every year, citizens in hundreds of cities worldwide march together in solidarity, demanding the end of cannabis prohibition. I hope you’ll join us as we participate in this annual international event, right here in Montana onSaturday, May 1st. Here are some local details:

Missoula: March commences at 4:20 at Jacob’s Island/ Bark park near the UM Footbridge. Contact:norml@montananorml.org / 542-8696 (Can you volunteer to help organize and promote this event? Can you hang posters? Let me know asap!)

Bozeman: March commences at 4:20 at the court house, Contact: bonusattheboz@hotmail.com

Great Falls: March commences at 3:00PM at Gibson Park. Contact: huckleberries4us@yahoo.com /http://mmpamt.org/

Flathead — I am awaiting details from the organizers.

Montana Marijuana News

National Marijuana News

I leave you tonight with a message that Jack Herer impressed upon activists frequently over the decades.

The two most important truths for anyone involved with cannabis activism:
The first is that marijuana is not going to legalize itself and anyone interested in re-legalization must register to vote (and promote the registration of like minded folk) as the highest political priority.
The second is that those interested in re-legalization will spend hundreds of dollars on a bag, but not donate two cents or two minutes to reform, and, that unless this fact changes, re-legalization will simply never occur.

You can support reform by volunteering, writing a letter to the editor, coming to events, talking to your friends about marijuana law reform, or donating money by clicking the yellow donate button on our website.

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Posted in Montana

4/20 Events in Montana

April 19th, 2010

A quick run-down of NORML & marijuana events in Missoula on 4/20/2010. Click though for details.

Missoula: Green Prom, Top Hat, 134 W Front in Missoula. 6-9PM

Missoula: FREE Local Music at the Badlander & Palace 208 Ryman in Missoula. Free, 21+. Montana NORML volunteers will be tabling, drop by and say howdy.

Missoula: How Weed Won the West, at the Wilma, 8PM

Missoula: Missoula Ethical Caregivers Association fundraiser, at the Top Hat, 9PM. $4.20 door, 21+.  Costume contest.

Feel free to comment below with any additional 4/20 Montana cannabis events!

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Posted in Events, Missoula

Marijuana Education Day TODAY, 4/19

April 19th, 2010

University of Montana, UC Ballroom, 10AM-10PM 4/19

Schedule (subject to change pending public officials’ participation availability):

In Honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

(UC Ballroom, Missoula, MT. Monday, April 19th) – The University of Montana’s student chapter of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) is excited to host Marijuana Education Day (MED) Faire on April 19th, 2010 in the University Center Ballroom on the University of Montana campus. MED Faire will run from 10 am to 10 pm. Students, activists, caregivers, parents, police authorities, and the community at large will gather together to discuss Cannabis policy in Montana. Marijuana Education Day promises to explore medical marijuana including science, “green business”, zoning, ethical caregiver practices, and the future of Cannabis regulation. The event will feature informational displays, panel discussions, and community experts in the fields of marijuana science, law, and policy. All interested citizens with marijuana questions, concerns, and suggestions are welcome to attend.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS, FEATURED SPEAKERS

~ 10 am – ALL DAY – Informational Exhibits by various Care-Givers in the Business of providing Medical Marijuana, PLUS, other tables of information sharing.

~ 10 am: Welcoming by UM Student chapter of NORML –

President Majessa Kerner, and Vice-President Kelsey Lee

~ 10:15 -11:30 am: Discussion of medical marijuana and its economic effects. “Green Business” – facilitated by Tayln Lang, of Zoo Mountain Natural Care (Care-providers).

~ 12 – 1 pm: Among the Speakers will be Missoula City Council members Roy Houseman, Bob Jaffe, and Jason Wiener, Tom Daubert – Patients and Family United, Caregiver Shaneca Adams – Grizzly Green, Attorney Neil Leitch, Other community members are invited to voice concerns/suggestions via open microphone.

~ 1-3 pm: “Law enforcement Issues” – panel discussion featuring Patients, County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg; candidates for sheriff: Bob Purcell, Brad Giffin; Care-givers, Growers; Attorneys Neil Leitch, Craig Shannon, questions from community? facilitator, Barry Adams

~ 3-4 pm: Legalization – Discussion with John Masterson of MT NORML, also, Barry Adams – Cannabis Awareness Network (CAN), many others.

~ 4 20 ~ Honoring of Jack Herer: Pioneer of Hemp, Legalization, Truth

wrote “Emperor Wears No Clothes” – Hemp, Hemp, TODAY…

~ 4:30-5:30 pm: Legislative discussion, readying testimony, organizing the Montana Cannabis Community, with Tom Daubert – Patients and Families United, Jim Gingery, also, Missoula Ethical Caregivers Association (M.E.C.A.), Jim Gingery (MMGA), Chris Lindsay (MMGA), others…

[ Note: April 27th, Representative Diane Sands will be holding hearings on these issues, in Helena]

~ 6:00-8 pm: Medical Personnel Speak/discuss Medical Marijuana, on hand: Dr. Chris Christensen, Victor, Mt., ND Ian Nesbit, Naturopathic Clinic, Missoula, C.P.M. Clinical Herbalist Darla Torrez, Missoula, on “Integrated Cannabis Therapeutics”, and, FNP, Deni Llovet, River City Family Health, Missoula.

~ 8-9 pm: Closing statements by people such as Deni Llovet, FNP – River City Family Health, Jim Gingery – Executive Director of Montana Marijuana Growers Association (MMGA), Robert Carpenter of – A Kinder Caregiver – (care-provider), Attorney Craig Shannon, John Masterson – MT NORML, Attorney Chris Lindsay – MMGA – Patients and Families United.

~ 9-10 pm: Live music by Andrea Harsell.

Sponsors: Green Bean Coffee Shop, Zoo Mountain, Grizzly Green, MECA, MT NORML, and, Axis Mundi Productions & SweetWater, plus, Students for NORML & Peace and Justice, Cannabis Awareness Network (CAN), others…

Sound by Audio Montana, Gabe

Poster Art by (student): C. Murphy

Thanks to all who have helped put on this Event, and, to those who attend.

2 comments »

Posted in Events, Missoula

Montana NORML Newsletter – Jack Herer, Marijuana Education Day, and the News

April 15th, 2010

Friends,

I lead my correspondence this evening with sad news. Jack Herer, the Emperor of Hemp, died this morning in Oregon. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, Jack was pretty much the first person in modern times to understand the many, many uses of this remarkable plant called cannabis and call vigorously, often, as a matter of conscience, for the end of prohibition.

I am saddened by Jack’s passing, but this is all the more reason to stand up, get ready, and proceed with moral pride and righteous purpose.

And what better way than to come together for a full day of information distribution, community conversation, and marshaling of political capital at Marijuana Education Day, in Missoula on Monday April 19th.

Please spread the word, and we’ll see you there. We have hemp tshirts now. You can get one today!

On Tuesday the 20th,  there are 4/20 events at the Top Hat (“Green Prom” starts at 6!) and Badlander in downtown Missoula  — drop by the Badlander and look for our table.

Montana Marijuana News

Other Marijuana News

A final thought. Maybe you signed up for this newsletter a while back, and show up at hempfest every year. That’s great. But you know what?

Marijuana is not going to legalize itself.

It takes boots on the ground to affect social change like this. It takes committed individuals, unafraid to state the truth in the face of opposition.

Sure, we could use your donation. But if every single one of you reading this would simply commit to talking to five people between now and 4/20 about the disaster that is marijuana prohibition, and the urgent need for change, that would go a very, very long way towards making it happen. Do it without a wink or a giggle. Do it for justice. Do it for liberty.  Do it for truth.

Do it for Jack.

Onwards.

1 comment »

Posted in Montana

Addressing some concerns about marijuana law reform strategy

April 11th, 2010

We’ve got a Montana NORML Facebook Fan named Sean who regularly engages us in online discussions of strategy and policy regarding marijuana. He took the time recently to publish some of  his core criticisms. I welcome rational debate, and I promised him a reply. Here it is.

I’ll try to address each of his concerns using his section headings. First, you should read his post.

1. “Medical marijuana is needlessly divisive.”

Sean seems to believe that Montana NORML either devised or at least supports the idea that medical marijuana is the best way to get to legalization (or decriminalization).  I voted for I-148 in 2004, and we informed Montana NORML supporters about its substance and progress, but we did not initiate the strategy or gather signatures or otherwise have anything to do with the initiative. I’m not trying to distance myself from the hard work done by those on the ground or the funders who made it happen, I’m just stating a fact.

But I have often wondered if there were downsides to the medical approach, such as:

  • The state medical marijuana laws seem to be getting more restrictive with each passage (compare California’s to New Jersey’s). Will “medicalization” of marijuana eventually become “pharmaceuticalization” and make adult spiritual/social/personal use even harder to legalize?
  • Will people get their “medical cards” and then become ambivalent about efforts to make marijuana legal for any adult?

I understand and share some of Sean’s concerns that medical marijuana is “needlessly divisive”. The line that brings me around though, coined by MPP I believe, is: If we must have a war on people who use marijuana, shouldn’t we at least remove the sick and dying from the battlefield?

Sean goes on to say that the “fabrication” of a “medical” usage is “ludicrous”. I’m not sure how he explains away the mountain of scientific evidence of marijuana’s medical benefits in a variety of ailments; he even acknowledges the existence of FDA-approved Marinol, the active ingredient of which is synthetic THC.

2. “Commercialization and regulation are not good for anyone but medical MJ businessmen.”

Sean mischaracterizes my position that marijuana should be responsibly regulated as somehow meaning that the plant should be a “vehicle for venture capitalists”.

Then he tries to create a conflict between my statements about regulating marijuana and national NORML’s.  I’m not saying marijuana is the same as alcohol (marijuana is much safer), but I think alcohol’s general regulatory model makes sense for marijuana: adults only, no driving under the influence, advertising restrictions, licensed producers and retailers, etc.

I particularly like the beer & wine regulatory model because it is legal to create your own at home, and that’s an essential ingredient of future legal marijuana policies for me. Like beer and wine, most people won’t want to go through the trouble and will prefer to simply buy marijuana at a licensed retailer. Regulations could ensure that marijuana is organic (or not), as well as purity and potency.

He makes some good points about capitalist profiteering often resulting in low quality, characterless products, but I don’t think this is inevitable with commercialization. Take the recent surge in microbreweries for example. Or high-end chocolates. Or wines. Or gourmet peanut butter.

In one comment thread, I asked Sean what sort of legal model he envisioned or thought we should be working for. He suggested we treat marijuana like cocoa beans or wheat. That would imply that parents could serve it to their kids for breakfast, and school bus drivers and surgeons could have it on their lunch breaks. I don’t think that’s what anyone really wants.

3. “Partial legalization and regulation create targets for law enforcement.”

You won’t get much of an argument from me on Sean’s points here. Law enforcement has been a foe in nearly all efforts to make marijuana legal, medical or otherwise (but check out Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). However, now that we’re six years into medical marijuana in Montana, I think many officials are coming around to believe that it’s here to stay.

4. “Incrementalism is not a successful path to political reform.”

Actually I think the opposite is true. Social movements for equal treatment of women and minorities, and the gay rights movement, come to mind.

5. “If you have political momentum for medical MJ passage, you have such momentum for decriminalization.”

Sean again seems to to think that Montana NORML is focused entirely on medical marijuana.  We’re not.  Every chance I get, I maneuver medical marijuana discussions into legalization discussions. We are working towards the day that marijuana is legal for all adults, regardless of their medical condition.

Recent polling on medical marijuana versus full legalization shows that public support for medical is a slam dunk at 70-80% approval, but making marijuana legal for everyone has not yet attained majority support nationwide. Voters in western states may support legalization by a small margin, depending on which poll you read, and California will vote on legalization this fall. Support for full legalization has grown considerably just in the last few years. Is that because of the passage of medical marijuana laws? There’s no way to know for sure. But support is growing, and legal marijuana is likely to become a reality in one or more states over the next several years.

There will always be strategy debates within social movements. It’s a healthy part of the process and helps refine and improve defensible positions and arguments. Overall, Sean and I are on the same side. We want adults to be legally allowed to grow, possess and use marijuana responsibly.

2 comments »

Posted in Medical Marijuana, Montana, Tax & Regulate

Montana NORML Newsletter: Hash Case & High-Ku

April 9th, 2010

I’ve said before that hashish may not be covered by the Montana Medical Marijuana Act. It may be just a controversial claim today, but all it takes is one county attorney to prosecute a valid cardholder for hash and win, and it becomes the truth.

This is happening in Missoula County right now. A medical marijuana cardholder is being prosecuted on the theory that any amount of hashish is illegal, no matter if you’re a patient or not. If the prosecution wins, you can expect other prosecutors to rely on the judge’s ruling and send more people to jail.

We’re in touch with the patient being prosecuted, and she had this to say recently:

“I know this case is very important to all of us but it is frustrating in that I can’t afford to fight it on my own…do you have any other helpful suggestions?”

She has an attorney but needs help paying for it.

So, we’re passing along her request to you for help.  If you can spare some dollars, click the donate button on our website to send help via PayPal, or via check to: Montana NORML, PO Box 8411, Missoula, MT, 59807.

On a lighter note, we have a winner in our Haiku contest! This little gem was written by ‘boredatwork‘, and we thought it had the subtle, simple grace of classic haikus, as well as a powerful statement about prohibition. Here it is:

a leaf I carried
now I wait for my free day
the border caught me

We’ll be in touch with ‘boredatwork‘ to get them their prize. Thanks everyone for your submissions. It was not an easy decision!

And now, the news….

Montana Marijuana News

Marijuana News from Somewhere Else

Would you like to receive the free weekly NORML Newsletter in your inbox? We have a form for you.

8 comments »

Posted in Montana

Montana NORML Newsletter: UM Marijuana Ban, re-legalizing

March 26th, 2010

Thank you for your continued interest in marijuana law reform in Montana.  Please consider joining Montana NORML with an annual membership: http://mtnorml.org/join

The big news today was that the University of Montana has banned medical marijuana on  campus (more details here).  This was mostly true.

A reporter called me for my perspective this afternoon, and before offering it, I got to listen to her explanation of the backstory that resulted in the headline. Here it is, paraphrased roughly:

There was a Curry Health Center seminar training session at which medical marijuana was discussed. An officer from UM Public Safety was present. Some days later, KECI picked up the story somehow and it spread like wildfire.  The truth, I’m told, is that this is not a new policy. The marijuana policy at UM simply does not recognize state-legal medical marijuana, and they’re motivated to keep it that way on the theory that federal officials might pull some funding if they embrace or even acknowledge legal marijuana as long as it’s still illegal federally.

So, if you are a registered patient on campus and campus cops find your stash, they may bring you up for some sort of disciplinary hearing. No criminal charges would be filed, because you’re a legal card-carrying patient. The administrative sanction can kick you out of school permanently, I assume.

Also, in response to this article, I wrote an op-ed that was published in the Great Falls Tribune: Stop hand wringing and ‘re-legalize’ marijuana

Events

Hope to see you at Marijuana Education Day 4/19 and the Global Marijuana March 5/1 in Missoula.

Can you organize something around 4/20 in your neck of the woods? Please let us know. We have Global Marijuana March posters for you!

Are you in Kalispell or the Flathead Valley and ready to help out? We recently made a friend in the region who passes this on:

Rumors & Innuendo- how do you sort fact from fiction? The Cowgirl Hempster is starting a local network and Newsletter to stay informed, track local hemp-related politics & events and stay ahead of the rumor mill to bring you the facts you need. There’s a good chance that the Kalispell City Council will succeed in permanently banning marijuana businesses in city limits, unless you and everyone you know gets involved. If you want to receive the Newsletter & join the Network to protect our rights, write cowgirlhempster@hotmail.com.

and now, the news:

Marijuana News

Just a few items of note this week:

Oh, finally. Our $100 Marijuana Haiku Contest is over. We’ll be announcing a winner very soon. Thanks to everyone for your contributions!

Would you like to receive the Montana NORML newsletter in your inbox? We have a form for you.

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