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Politics : THE WHITE HOUSE -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gersh Avery who wrote (25275)	12/8/2008 12:42:07 PM
From: TideGlider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25737

It is possible for anyone to do something illegal. You know what EOD means? It means End Of Discussion. As an Internal Affairs Investigator and Special Investigations Supervisor for nearly 30 years I arrested and charged more than my share of officers of all ranks, as well as politicins, Doctors, Nurses, Teachers etc etc. People from all walks of life commit criminal acts. Thanks and I am retired now and don't wish to go ver it again.

To: Gersh Avery who wrote (25275)	12/8/2008 1:05:25 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25737

News video from Odessa: youtube.com

To: Gersh Avery who wrote (25275)	12/30/2008 12:48:10 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25737

Girding for new marijuana law, state offers enforcement tips By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff \| December 30, 2008 boston.com Police officers should issue tickets, similar to a building code citation, to anyone possessing an ounce or less of marijuana, under an advisory released by the state yesterday recommending ways to manage the law decriminalizing possession of the drug. The law is effective Jan 2. Violators may appeal the citation - a civil infraction - in court within 21 days or pay the $100 fine set by the statute. Municipalities would be responsible for collecting the fines, according to the recommendations. With much confusion over how police should handle marijuana possession, ranging from enforcement measures to whether officers themselves can be punished for using the drug, the state's Executive Office of Public Safety and Security released the seven pages of guidelines hoping to set a clear standard before the law takes effect Friday. The guidelines, which are not binding, were issued even as aspects of the law continue to trigger new questions - such as whether people who smoke marijuana in public face only the civil fine as punishment. "It gives some people guidance so that they can move forward, so that we can eliminate any confusion as to how this statute is meant to be applied, and alleviate any concerns," said Kevin M. Burke, secretary of Public Safety and Security. The recommendations also unveiled new interpretations of the initiative petition, similar to acts passed in 13 states, that was approved overwhelmingly by voters in November. Not only is possessing an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense, but the same amount of any substance - including hashish, or hash oil - with the active ingredient THC would also be decriminalized. In addition, the state is asking communities to consider passing local ordinances criminalizing the use of marijuana in public, which, as of Friday, would not warrant any punishment beyond the civil citation. The law states that simple possession is not an arrestable or reportable offense that would taint someone's criminal record. Violators under 18 years of age would have to pay the fine and attend a drug abuse counseling course, or have the fine increased to $1,000. But the law does not specify how the fine should be issued, leaving decisions up to communities. "There needs to be a statewide standard," said Brockton Police Chief William Conlon, who said the law as written leaves too much discretion to local communities. "It wouldn't be fair to anyone to have a different standard across the state." Elaine Driscoll, a Boston Police Department spokeswoman, said Commissioner Edward F. Davis has not seen the state's recommendations, but said he will review them while also seeking the counsel of city lawyers. She said the commissioner has contacted City Hall on the possibility of a bylaw banning the use of marijuana in public, but no determination has been made. Under the state's recommendations, police would have to rely on their training and experience to identify whether a substance is marijuana and determine the amount. The individual can be arrested if it exceeds an ounce. If a ticket is issued, the substance would not be tested, since no crime is involved. However, Burke said, the officer's testimony could be used in a court hearing if the ticket is appealed. Burke said his agency and the state Department of Youth Services is establishing a drug counseling program for juveniles that would be funded by the state. However, it will be several weeks before details of the program are announced, he said. Municipalities would be responsible for creating and tracking their tickets in partnership with local courts, and for collecting fines. Revenues will go into the community's general fund. Addressing concerns that police officers would be allowed to use marijuana, the recommendations note that the law does not ban municipalities from following their own personnel policies, which typically maintain that public safety employees refrain from any illegal substance. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued its own advisory yesterday stating that the law does not restrict public or charter schools from following their own disciplinary procedures regarding marijuana possession on school grounds or at school events. "This doesn't change the existing policy of schools," said Heidi Guarino, chief of staff for the education agency. "In no way do we see this as an open door for students to start bringing pot to school, no way." Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.

To: Gersh Avery who wrote (25275)	12/30/2008 1:07:49 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	1 Recommendation Respond to of 25737

2008: The Year In Review - NORML's Top 10 Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy by www.norml.org Monday Dec 29th, 2008 11:00 PM indybay.org State provisions allowing for the possession and use of medical marijuana do not conflict with federal anti-drug laws, according to a series of California court rulings. In two separate cases, the California Supreme Court refused to hear challenges to the state's 12-year-old marijuana law finding that counties are obligated to issue identification cards to qualified patients and that police cannot seize marijuana from state-sanctioned medical pot users. Read the full story at............ NORML News of the Week 12/29/08 This Week's News from NORML ========================================================== 2008: The Year In Review - NORML's Top 10 Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy: #1 Landslide At The Ballot Box: Election Day Voters Reject Bush War Doctrine Millions of Americans nationwide voted on Election Day for marijuana law reform, approving nine out of ten ballot measures to liberalize penalties on cannabis use and possession. In Massachusetts, where 65 percent of voters decided to reduce marijuana possession penalties to a $100 fine, and Michigan, where 63 percent of voters approved legalizing the medical use of cannabis, supporters for pot law reform outnumbered supporters for President-Elect Barack Obama. Read the full story at: norml.org . #2 Members Of Congress Demand An End To Federal Pot Possession Arrests Members of Congress convened a Capitol Hill press conference in July to demand lawmakers enact legislation to eliminate the government's authority to arrest and prosecute adults who possess marijuana. Lawmakers called on colleagues to endorse HR 5843, which sought to remove federal penalties for the possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana by adults. The legislation was the first proposal introduced in Congress in 30 years to eliminate criminal marijuana penalties. Read the full story at: norml.org . #3 California Courts Rule: Medical Pot Statutes Don't Conflict With Federal Anti-Drug Laws State provisions allowing for the possession and use of medical marijuana do not conflict with federal anti-drug laws, according to a series of California court rulings. In two separate cases, the California Supreme Court refused to hear challenges to the state's 12-year-old marijuana law finding that counties are obligated to issue identification cards to qualified patients and that police cannot seize marijuana from state-sanctioned medical pot users. Read the full story at: norml.org . #4: Marijuana "Exceptional" At Reducing MRSA The administration of natural plant cannabinoids significantly reduces the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (aka MRSA), according to a study published this fall in the Journal of Natural Products. MRSA is responsible for over 18,000 hospital-stay deaths each year. Read the full story at: norml.org . #5 Marijuana Arrests For 2007 Reach All-Time High Police arrested a record 872,721 Americans for marijuana violations in 2007, the highest annual total ever reported by the FBI. Since 1965, over 20 million Americans have been arrested for violating state or federal marijuana laws. Read the full story at: norml.org . #6 Cannabis Determined To Be Less Harmful Than Alcohol The potential health risks associated with cannabis are less than those associated with alcohol and do not justify the continued criminalization of the plant or its users, according to a report published in October by The Beckley Foundation an independent British think-tank that analyzes drug use and drug policy. Read the full story at: norml.org . #7 Teen Pot Use Declines In States With Medical Cannabis Laws States that have enacted legislation authorizing the use of medical cannabis by qualified patients have not experienced an increase in the drug's use by the general population, according to a comprehensive report issued in June by the Marijuana Policy Project. Read the full story at: norml.org . #8 Medical Marijuana Use Not Associated With Adverse Side Effects The medical use of cannabis is not associated with serious negative side effects, according to a meta-analysis published this summer in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association (CMAJ). Read the full story at: norml.org . #9 California Attorney General Issues Guidelines Recognizing Patients' Medical Cannabis Use State and local law enforcement should not arrest state qualified patients who possess, cultivate, or travel with medical marijuana, according to guidelines issued in August by the California Attorney General's office. The guidelines also permit for the distribution and non-profit sales of medical cannabis is permitted by qualified "collectives and cooperatives." Read the full story at: norml.org . #10 NORML Daily Audio Stash Gains record Listenership The popularity of NORML's podcast grew significantly in 2008, topping more than 110,000 downloads in the month of October alone. Said host Russ Belville, "When it comes to the subject of marijuana, more and more people are turning away from the federal government and away from the mainstream media; instead, they are turning to groups like NORML and the NORML Daily Audio Stash as their most trusted source of information for all things cannabis." Read the full story at: norml.org . NORML and the NORML Foundation: 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington DC, 20006-2832 Tel: (202) 483-5500 Fax: (202) 483-0057 Email: norml [at] norml.org -- For the latest marijuana and medical marijuana news please visit health.groups.yahoo.com norml.org