Montana Poll: Leave cannabis law in place
This week’s Question of the Week received a heavy turnout in our unscientific online poll and no shortage of thoughtful comments on both sides of the issue. We asked whether the Legislature should overturn Montana’s medical marijuana law, which was approved by a ballot initiative in 2004.
Among more than 4,000 votes cast as of late Friday afternoon, 2,417 said the lawmakers should leave the law in place, while 1,666 votes came in in favor of repeal. Here’s a sampling of some of the comments from those who took the time to write:
- “The Republican manufactured hysteria is completely at odds with reality. They ignore many well-established statistics, such as high school pot use being down 27 percent, in favor of an anecdote or two. Anecdotes like kids are prostituting themselves for pot, our schoolyards are knee-deep in pot, and Montana, as a new drug central, now deserves mention in the same breath as Mexico and South America. I’m getting very tired of uninformed Repub’s catering to the religious right, and telling me how I must live my life. I wonder how many of these same Repub’s are getting big campaign donations from the alcohol industry?”
Marijuana smokers: Establish legal limit for THC-blood level
If people are allowed to drive after drinking — provided their blood-alcohol level is under the legal limit — then why shouldn't people be allowed to drive after smoking marijuana? That seems to be the question raised by a bill in the Colorado state legislature, which would set a legal limit of under five nanograms per milimeter of THC in a person's bloodstream.
As long as a driver's THC-blood level is under five nanograms, he would legally be allowed to drive. While some are in support of the current zero-tolerance policy, we agree with the idea of establishing a legal limit. If used responsibly, marijuana does not significantly impair a person's ability to drive. A 2004 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study shows that marijuana, if used responsibly, does not significantly impair a person's ability to drive.
Indiana may reassess medical marijuana laws
Indiana may not currently have much in common with California, but that could change due to recent legislation that would place the Hoosier state one step closer to
decriminalizing marijuana.
Senate Bill 192 successfully passed through the Senate Committee on Corrections, Criminal and Civil Matters on Tuesday with a vote of 5-3.
The bill would require an existing committee to research the effects of marijuana’s current illegal status.
According to the Indiana General Assembly’s website, the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee would study marijuana’s possible medicinal usage, its effect on the Indiana justice system and whether or not it should be controlled and regulated like alcohol.
Police in Halifax discover a serious grow-op
Inside the Bedford grow-op Credit: Metro contributed
Police have uncovered a marijuana grow-op at a business in the industrial park in Bedford.
RCMP say they executed a search warrant at the property, which is on Bluewater Road, around 10 p.m. on Saturday and seized 375 mature marijuana plants. Grow-op equipment was also found, police say, as was an electrical bypass, suggesting that power was being stolen.
Poll: Michigan voters would back medical marijuana law again
A recent poll showed that Michigan voters would again approve the state's medical marijuana law.
The poll, conducted by Marketing Resource Group, Inc., showed that 59 percent of voters would approve the law, while 35 percent would not. Two percent leaned toward approving, while 2-percent leaned against.
The poll results were announced by Marijuana Policy Project, which helped draft the law. In November 2008, 63-percent of voters approved medical use of marijuana.
Oregon State Police find a couple pounds of pot in disguised gift box
Oregon State Police say an older man stopped for speeding recently on Interstate 5 had about two pounds of marijuana stashed in a box decorated as a gift.
Police say Robert Cowart is from Laytonville, Calif.
Toronto police seize 1 million dollars worth of marijuana from pizzeria – is that including the cocaine and cash?
Pizza Gigi's owner, 57-year-old Salvatore Crimi, sold the drug from the restaurant, police alleged.
Investigators obtained a warrant for Monday's raid after watching customers enter and leave without any food.
Police said in a statement they had also seized cocaine, other drugs and 8,000 Canadian dollars in the search.
The restaurant, said to be popular with University of Toronto students, has been at its location for 30 years, according to the Toronto Star.
Somewhere in Illinois Police find 600 pounds of pot during a traffic stop – is this news worthy?
Hundreds of pounds of marijuana were found in a truck during a traffic stop in Collinsville on Monday, investigators said Tuesday.
An Illinois State Police trooper pulled the semi-tractor trailer over for a safety check on Interstate 55/70 between Illinois state routes 157 and 159, according to a news release.
‘Dancing’ star Aaron Carter caught with marijuana – and you said stoners couldn’t dance?
Dancing With the Stars alum Aaron Carter has checked into rehab.
Carter, 23, brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, was working on an album and a show in Florida but decided to take time "to heal some emotional and spiritual issues he was dealing with," his manager Johnny Wright said in a statement to E! Online.
"He has chosen to enter a facility where he feels he will get the guidance and cleansing he needs," says Wright. " Which in turn will help him on the music journey he's about to take."
Former New Mexico Governor says: Yes, It Is time for Pot Legalization, Mr. President
The Web is humming with stories and discussion from the aftermath of President Obama's response to questions about drug legalization during last Thursday's YouTube forum. While his words this time around are a bit more encouraging than previous signals from the administration, I would strongly suggest that we all, including the president, cut through the platitudes and get to the truth about marijuana prohibition.
If, as the president suggests, it is time for a "serious debate" about legalization, let's get to it, starting with a few questions that beg for truth:
Texas State Representative wants to end jail time for possession of small amount of marijuana
While some lawmakers are calling for the prohibition of synthetic marijuana derivatives marketed as incense, state Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D-Houston) wants to relax penalties on the real deal.
As he has in past sessions, Dutton filed legislation to reduce punishment for possession of relatively small amounts of marijuana. His House Bill 458 would reclassify possession of less than one ounce of marijuana from a Class B Misdemeanor to a Class C Misdemeanor (the same level as a parking ticket).
A Class B Misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and/or six months in jail, while a Class C Misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine. Currently, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is a Class B Misdemeanor.
