Pages tagged "Federal"

Members of Congress Urge President Obama to Reschedule Cannabis

| October 28, 2011 |

Today, in a joint effort between Congressional Representatives and Americans for Safe Access, several members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama expressing "concern with the recent activity by the Department of Justice against legitimate medical cannabis dispensaries in...

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California Medical Association Says U.S. Has “Failed Public Health Policy” on Medical Marijuana, Urges Rescheduling

| October 19, 2011 |

The first broad marijuana policy statement by a state medical association has become a hot topic of conversation, repeatedly referring to the current federal approach as a “failed public health policy.” Indeed, the October 14, 2011 official policy statement by...

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The Ongoing Saga of Federal Interference in Washington State & Push Back from Congress

| October 15, 2011 |

         Earlier this year, on April 21st, the Washington State legislature passed SB 5073, a bill that would have established a licensing system for the dozens of medical marijuana distribution centers that existed to provide much-needed medication to thousands of patients...

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Some City Council Members in LA and Long Beach Move to Ban Patients’ Coops and Collectives

| October 12, 2011 |

[caption id="attachment_1977" align="alignnone" width="202" caption="Long Beach City Attorney Robert Shannon"][/caption]In the wake of a confusing ruling in Pack v. Long Beach from California’s Second Appellate District, efforts are under way in Los Angeles and Long Beach to ban medical cannabis...

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Elected Officials Push Back Against Threats by DOJ Over Medical Marijuana

| October 11, 2011 |

         On Friday, President Obama’s Justice Department (DOJ) made clear its motivations to disrupt and undermine California’s medical marijuana laws. However, advocates argue that last week’s announcement by the state’s four U.S. Attorneys, which included threats against property owners, comes after...

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Push Back on the Federal Attack

| October 08, 2011 |

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a major new crackdown on medical cannabis patients, providers, growers, and property owners on Friday. US Attorneys told reporters at a press conference in Sacramento that every medical cannabis patients’ cooperative and collective in...

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CA Congressman Stark Pushes Back on IRS

| October 06, 2011 |

 [caption id="attachment_1949" align="alignnone" width="180" caption="Congressman Pete Stark"][/caption]The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is playing hardball with medical cannabis providers in California and Colorado, and Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA) is moving to stop them. Using a provision of federal law adopted to...

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California Appellate Court Creates Contradictory Law on Federal Preemption of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

| October 05, 2011 |

      The California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District issued an opinion yesterday in Pack v. City of Long Beach, a case involving a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance adopted last year by the Long Beach City Council. The court...

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ATF is Latest in Long Line of Federal Agencies to Bully Medical Marijuana Patients

| October 05, 2011 |

      Two weeks ago, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the Obama Justice Department, issued a memorandum instructing firearms dealers not to sell to lawful medical marijuana patients. The ATF memo -- an affront to patients’...

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Rhode Island Governor Chafee Buckles to Federal Intimidation as He Puts the State’s Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Limbo

| October 05, 2011 |

Rather than acting as the champion of Rhode Island’s Medical Cannabis Program, Governor Lincoln Chafee has failed the medical cannabis community by halting the legislated licensing of dispensaries.  Governor Chafee’s failure to effectively implement H5359, the state’s dispensary licensing law,...

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