Yesterday’s News – April 23, 2015
Rep. Rohrabacher has reintroduced legislation to allow states to choose their marijuana policy (Image: You Tube)
Respect State Marijuana Laws Act Introduced in the House
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), together with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, introduced legislation yesterday that would force the federal government to acknowledge state cannabis laws and prevent prosecution for marijuana activity that complies with state law. The bill comes after recent measures to stop raids and prosecution of medical marijuana dispensaries have been misinterpreted and ignored by federal law enforcement agencies. “It’s time for restraint of the federal government’s over aggressive weed warriors,” Rohrabacher said in a statement. Read more on the Huffington Post:
huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/22/state-marijuana-laws_n_7121900.html
GOP-led Bill Would Legalize Hemp and Low-THC Marijuana
A medical marijuana and industrial hemp bill is gaining traction in the House. Last month Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Robert Dold (R-IL) introduced a bill that would exempt hemp and low-THC cannabis from the federal definition of marijuana, thereby legalizing industrial hemp and the medical use of limited types of cannabis. The legislation, entitled Charlotte’s Web Medical Access Act, would essentially be a federal CBD-only law. It’s important to remember that while CBD has been shown to have a tremendous impact on epilepsy and other conditions in some people, CBD-only legislation often does not address the medical needs of many and the benefits of whole plant medicine. U.S. News & World Report has the complete details:
usnews.com/news/articles/2015/04/22/republicans-rally-to-legalize-low-thc-cannabis-everywhere
Supreme Court Reins in Use of Drug Dogs
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that holding a suspect without probable cause in order to wait for drug-sniffing dogs is unconstitutional. The case, Rodriguez v. United States, involved a man who was held for “seven or eight minutes” during a traffic stop before a drug dog was deployed and found methamphetamine in his car. By a vote of 6-3, the Supreme Court found that search illegal and the evidence obtained therein inadmissible in his trial. You can read excerpts from Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s ruling on behalf of the court at The Hill:
thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/239513-court-rules-cops-cant-hold-suspects-to-wait-for-dog
Activists See Leonhart’s Departure as an Opportunity
The impending departure of the DEA’s Michele Leonhart has cannabis activists optimistic that the next leader could shift the agency’s culture and enforcement priorities. Leonhart has long been an enemy of drug reform activists, and several organizations, including Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy, called for her removal before the latest incidents of mismanagement because of her antiquated and draconian stance on marijuana. TIME has the full story:
time.com/3831647/michele-leonhart-dea-marijuana/
Synthetic Marijuana Presents Public Health Concern
Hospitals across the country have seen an alarming uptick in patients admitted after using synthetic marijuana, and officials speculate that it has caused at least eight deaths in Pennsylvania. The substance known as spice is typically made from synthetic cannabinoids produced in China, which are then sprayed on plants leaves. Consumers can procure spice at head shops and convenient stores and usually smoke the chemical-laced plant matter as they would cannabis, though the effects are vastly different from those produced by natural cannabinoids. In most places, it’s easier to buy spice than actual cannabis, and apparently the newest versions on the market are more dangerous than past batches. Several news outlets have stories on recent public health issues related to synthetic marijuana.
Pennsylvania:
6abc.com/news/synthetic-marijuana-believed-to-be-cause-of-8-deaths/676777/
New York:
Illinois:
chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/04/22/doctors-warn-about-more-dangerous-forms-of-synthetic-marijuana/
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