Closure of More Permitted SF Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Marked by Funeral Procession and Press Conference Paul Marini | July 31, 2012 San Francisco, CA -- As two city-permitted dispensaries are shut down today after 9 years of service to thousands of medical marijuana patients, a coalition calling itself San Francisco United for Safe Access will stage a funeral procession with somber... Read more
Medical Marijuana Patients Get Their Day in Federal Court with the Obama Administration Paul Marini | July 30, 2012 Washington, D.C. -- Late last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed to hear oral arguments in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, a lawsuit challenging the federal government's classification of marijuana as... Read more
Medical Marijuana Advocates Decry Los Angeles Dispensary Ban Vote, Announce Referendum Campaign Paul Marini | July 24, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- After more than four years of attempting to craft a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance, despite dozens of regulatory examples across California, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to ban the facilities outright. The ban... Read more
Medical Marijuana Patients Rally at Obama Fundraiser in Oakland, Demand End to Federal Attacks Paul Marini | July 20, 2012 NEW: Watch video of last night's action -- Images projected onto Obama's Oakland Campaign HQ: http://youtu.be/Ci0XlKAgbWU Read more
Congressional Medical Marijuana Bill Would Lift Current Ban on Evidence in Federal Court Paul Marini | July 18, 2012 Washington, DC -- Late yesterday, U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) and 18 co-sponsors introduced HR 6134, the "Truth in Trials" Act, bipartisan legislation to allow defendants in federal criminal prosecutions the ability to use medical marijuana evidence at trial, a... Read more
California's Most Well-known Medical Marijuana Dispensary Slapped with Federal Asset Forfeiture Suit Paul Marini | July 11, 2012 Oakland, CA -- California's most well-known medical marijuana dispensary, Harborside Health Center, was served with a civil complaint for "forfeiture of property" on Monday for both of their locations in Oakland and San Jose. The Oakland dispensary has been fully... Read more
Patient Advocates File Brief in Support of Federal Appeal by Medical Marijuana Dispensary Operator Paul Marini | July 10, 2012 San Francisco, CA -- Medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) filed an amicus 'friend of the court' brief yesterday in a federal appeal brought by California dispensary operator Charlie C. Lynch. Lynch's case drew a lot of... Read more
New Study: Leading U.S. Medical Marijuana Researcher Says Current Federal Classification 'Not Tenable' Paul Marini | July 09, 2012 San Diego, CA -- Dr. Igor Grant, director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR), and two other investigators published a study in the most recent issue of The Open Neurology Journal, which concluded that the Schedule I classification... Read more
California Court of Appeal Affirms Legality of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Rejects Municipal Bans Paul Marini | July 03, 2012 Los Angeles, CA -- The Second District Court of Appeal in California issued a landmark decision yesterday in County of Los Angeles v. Alternative Medicinal Cannabis Collective (AMCC), which affirmed the legality of medical marijuana dispensaries under state law, and... Read more
New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill Despite Strong Bipartisan Support Paul Marini | June 21, 2012 Concord, NH -- In a rebuke to the New Hampshire state legislature and thousands of patients, Governor John Lynch vetoed medical marijuana legislation today for the second time since 2009, despite strong legislative and popular support. SB 409 passed the... Read more