Colorado troopers get training on spotting drivers under influence of pot

 

[Source: TheDenverPost]

Colorado State Patrol troopers cited 60 people in January for driving offenses in which marijuana was believed to be involved, a CSP sergeant said Monday in reporting the first such numbers in the state.

Trends in stoned driving have proved difficult for state officials to track, and the State Patrol began keeping tallies on impaired-driving cases involving marijuana only in January. In that month, stoned-driving citations made up about 15 percent of the total impaired-driving citations for the month, Sgt. Mike Baker said.

"This is the first year we've had such specific, quantifiable totals for marijuana-related citations," Baker wrote in an e-mail. "We won't be able to make an educated, reasonable assessment about the effect of the new marijuana laws for a few years at the earliest."

See more: Colorado Troopers get training for spotting drivers...

Obama Hates Medical Marijuana And He Doesn't Care What The States Think

 [Source: Huffington Post]

Lawmakers across the country are fed up with the Obama administration's disrespect for local marijuana laws.

On Monday, the United States Conference of Mayors unanimously passed a resolution asking the federal government to allow states to implement their own marijuana policies and to stop draining limited resources by targeting marijuana in states where it is legal for medical and recreational uses. A bipartisan group in Congress has also introduced a bill that would prohibit the federal government from interfering with state marijuana laws.

President Obama has already spent more taxpayer money fighting medical marijuana than George W. Bush did during his two terms, according to a report released by the pro-medical marijuana group Americans For Safe Access. Most Americans think he should stop.

House Resolution 1635 - the National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy Act of 2013

[Source: Jennifer Huizen, Marijuanadoctors411.com]

Congressmen last week introduced House Resolution 1635 - the National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy Act of 2013 – which lays out terms for a 13-member committee consisting of ‘weed experts’ who will work together with government aid to review “the state and efficacy of current policies of the Federal Government toward marijuana.” Among other topics, the committee will focus their time on exploring how federal policy should act in conjunction with State law, the cost of prohibiting marijuana versus the potential tax benefits of legalization, the health impacts of marijuana, and the role of the current legal system in furthering improper or excessive marijuana prosecution. The committee will also rework the Controlled Substances Act, recommending “appropriate placement of marijuana in the schedule of the [federal] Controlled Substances Act,” in hopes of redefining marijuana from the same classification as heroin.

<<<Time to talk Federally continued>>>

Ask your U.S. representative to cosponsor H.R. 1523, the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act!

via The Marijuana Policy Project: There is big news in the halls of Congress! A new bipartisan bill would modify the federal Controlled Substances Act so that anyone acting in compliance with a state marijuana law would be immune from federal prosecution.

That’s right. The federal Controlled Substances Act simply would not apply to marijuana users, dispensary operators, and other individuals who have been courageous enough to help take marijuana production and sales above ground into state-regulated markets. Click here to urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act.

We would like to thank Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) for his leadership on this bill. It presents a perfect opportunity for members to embrace the notion that states should be able to devise systems for regulating marijuana without their citizens having to worry about breaking federal law.

The goal is to have this bill be truly bipartisan, so it is being introduced with three Republicans (Reps. Rohrabacher, Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), and Don Young (R-AK)) and three Democrats (Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Jared Polis (D-CO)). In order to build up the list of co-sponsors, we need you to make your voice heard.

Please use our online action center to urge your member of Congress to co-sponsor the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act. Just two minutes of your time will make a big difference. And please don’t forget to share this email with friends and family so that they can take action too.

ACT NOW!!!

Boulder approves pot use for adults on private property

 

 [Source:By Erica Meltzer Camera Staff Writer/Dailycamera.com]

Adults will be able to smoke marijuana on private property in Boulder, even if their neighbors are able to see them, and people younger than 21 caught with pot will be treated like underage drinkers.

The Boulder City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt new marijuana ordinances in light of Amendment 64, which legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and directed the state Legislature to come up with a regulatory framework for retail sales.

Boulder is waiting to develop rules for marijuana stores until the state decides what its regulations and licensing procedures will be.

For now, the city is adopting new ordinances saying marijuana cannot be smoked in public or by people under 21.

In response to earlier concerns about the definitions of public and private, the ordinance was clarified to say that marijuana can be consumed on private property, like in a backyard, even if neighbors might see or smell it.

Amendment 64 applies to people 21 and older. The ordinances adopted Tuesday will treat underage use of marijuana similar to underage drinking.

People between ages 18 and 21 will still have the right to use marijuana if they have a medical card. If someone is accused of underage pot use and intends to present a medical defense, he or she will be asked to present that before trial to avoid unnecessary legal costs for the city.

Read more: Boulder approves pot use for adults on private property - The Denver Post

 

Minnesota medical marijuana push to wait until 2014

A report issued by Yahoo yesterday that medical marijuana backers have to wait until 2014 session for planned push to change Minnesota law. Hoping the best to Heather Azzi of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care. Medical marijuana bills have been approved in several states in the past and then not implemented by the leadership within that state’s government. Is it unfair or unjust? Do state governments disregard requests and desires from its people?

Minnesota Medical Marijuana push continued...

Colorado House Judiciary Committee Passes Marijuana DUI Bill – House Bill 1114

 

[Source: Medical Jane; by MJ Zach]

Colorado’s House Judiciary Committee passed House Bill 1114 in an 11-0 vote on Tuesday night. Under the new bill, drivers caught with 5 nanograms of THC in their blood stream would be considered to be ‘driving under the influence of marijuana’.

Although this is not the first time a marijuana DUI bill has been introduced to the Colorado legislature, previous attempts have been criticized and shot down. Opponents have argued that the 5-nanogram limit is too strict for regular pot smokers, especially medical marijuana patients who rely on the plant as a daily medicine.

Some argue there is no way to tell whether someone is too high to be behind the wheel, and the limit is completely subjective. Tyron Link, a medical marijuana patient in Colorado, told The Denver Channel, “It doesn’t make me impaired now if I haven’t smoked since yesterday. We’re not even going by scientific evidence at all. We’re just saying, ‘Oh, lets pick 5 nanograms.’”

Marijuana DUI Bill continued...