Riverside  County  BOS Flip-Flops on Allowing Marijuana Businesses

Four of the five Riverside County Supervisors appear to be backsliding on their commitment to implement the commercial business provisions of Prop. 64 as reported by the Riverside Press-Enterprise. This is a major step backwards from their commitment to allowing marijuana businesses to operate when a committee was formed last year to develop an ordinance to license, regulate and tax marijuana businesses.

There will be a critical meeting by the Board of Supervisors (BOS) on whether to honor their commitment or to renege on it this Tuesday, March 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Riverside Co. Administration Bldg, 4080 Lemon St. At this meeting, Board members will be discussing whether they want to continue with the drafting of an ordinance allowing for marijuana businesses or continue the total ban.

This poorly publicized meeting comes as a complete surprise. Last year the Riverside Co Board of Supervisors appointed a committee to draft an ordinance and tax measure to be voted on in November 2018 to allow for the regulation, licensing and taxation of commercial marijuana businesses as allowed under Prop. 64. Serving on the committee was Supervisor Kevin Jeffries and Supervisor Chuck Washington.

The idea was that a draft ordinance was supposed to be released in January 2018 for public comment. When January came and went and then February did the same, I should have been suspicious that some skullduggery was afoot. As far as I know, this committee had held no public meetings while the ordinance was supposedly being drafted. Also as far as I know, I have heard of absolutely no one being contacted for input on the drafting of the ordinance.

After Riverside County enacted one of the most enlightened personal cultivation ordinances in the state, I had been lulled into complacency believing that after years of fierce opposition, antagonism and hostility to all things marijuana, the BOS had seen the writing on the wall and was finally going to do the right thing. WRONG!!!!

Here’s the story:

In a report presented to the Aug. 29, 2017 BOS meeting, it seemed that the County was pro-actively moving forward as committee members Jeffries and Washington wrote “The ad-hoc committee concluded that developing a comprehensive regulatory framework, for the Board’s consideration, related to medicinal and adult-use cannabis businesses and a companion tax measure would enable the County to better manage an already growing and uncontrolled industry.”

In an August 2017 article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Supervisor Kevin Jeffries is quoted as saying “Local government lost this battle when the voters of California and Riverside County decided to legalize marijuana in phases. The only question now for local government is do they want to keep spending taxpayer money while the black market thrives, or do they want to get out in front of it and do what government does best – regulate it and tax it? I didn’t vote for it, but we are obligated to respect the will of the voters.”

Now it appears that they may not give a damn about any obligation to “respect the will of the voters.”

Like when we were able to change the BOS mindset to ban all patient marijuana cultivation and instead institute a viable and reasonable cultivation ordinance, we need to be at this meeting in big numbers and make our voices heard to allow marijuana businesses to cultivate, manufacture and distribute marijuana in unincorporated Riverside County.

We need to not just remind but insist that Riverside Co. honor its commitment made in August 2017 to submit an initiative to Riverside Co. voters to license, regulate and tax marijuana businesses as permitted under Prop. 64 which, incidentally, passed in Riverside County.

MOST IMPORTANTLY we must emphatically insist that this ordinance allow for the licensing of microbusinesses as permitted under Prop. 64 so that small operators can cultivate, manufacture and distribute marijuana in the same way that small vineyards, wineries and microbreweries operate in the beer and wine industry. Most cities and counties that have passed ordinances allowing marijuana businesses have not made provisions for licensing microbusinesses. Riverside County with its large rural and agricultural base yet close to large metropolitan areas is the ideal county for cannabis microbusinesses.

We must also insist that the drafting of this ordinance not be made behind closed doors, but through a transparent public committee process similar to what Palm Springs did back in 2008 when it drafted and eventually enacted the first ordinance in the Inland Empire allowing for the distribution of medical marijuana. The Palm Springs committee was composed of two council members, the city attorney, chief of police, planning department director and a broad cross-section of community members. We should expect no less of Riverside County.

It is absolutely critical that as many of you as possible attend this meeting whether it is to speak or be an applauding member of the community demanding that this ordinance be drafted and submitted to the voters in November 2018.

If you chose to speak, you will have three minutes to make your presentation. I strongly urge you to incorporate the following three points into your presentation:

1. Support the drafting of an ordinance to be submitted to the voters in Nov. 2018.
2. Insist that the licensing of microbusinesses be included in the ordinance.
3. That a public committee be appointed to oversee the drafting of the ordinance.

Get as many friends, family members and whoever else you can to attend the meetings at the Riverside Co. Administrative Center. Here’s the meeting info:

Date & time: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.

Location: Riverside County Administration Bldg, 4080 Lemon St, Riverside CA 92501 in the BOS Council Chambers on the first floor.

What if you cannot make the meeting?

If you cannot make the meeting, then send an email to the Riverside Co. Clerk of the Board at [email protected]. In the email tell Ms. Harper-Ihem why you are in support of the drafting of the ordinance utilizing the three points above and any other points you want to make. You can also call the Clerk of the Board at 951-955-1069, but do send an email as it will be included in the official record of the meeting and will be provided to every member of the Board.

Questions? Need more info? Email me at [email protected] or call me at 760-799-2055.

In my last newsletter entitled Gripes, Grumbles and Grouses over Prop. 64, I wrote:

Consumption in a moving car is prohibited as well as possession of an open unsealed container. It is permissible to transport an open container if it is stored in the trunk. Medical marijuana patients can have an open container of marijuana in their car just like they can have an open bottle of prescription medications.

That isn’t quite accurate. A medical marijuana patient can have a container that has been opened, but it must be closed while in the car so bottles must be capped, boxes closed and baggies zip-locked. Recreational users cannot have anything that has been opened and the seal broken – capping, closing and zip-locking is not an option. It must be stored in the trunk.

Loose marijuana is verboten for both medical and recreational users and must be stored in the trunk. Two things I am not sure of is:

1 - what if your car is a hatchback and does not have a trunk?

2 – would a baggy that is not a ziplock be considered closed if it is rolled up?

I don’t have the answers for that yet, but I will try and find out and have the answers in the next newsletter.

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Ending 80 Years of Reefer Madness Prohibition Ain't Easy

There has been grumblings, grouchings and grousings over the implementation of the commercial licensing provisions of Prop. 64.

The Bureau of Cannabis Control is well aware of the bottlenecks and is doing its best to open them up. One of the major impediments it has little control over is to get cities and counties to stop banning implementation of Prop. 64's commercial distribution and business provisions. For that to happen it is up to folks in their local communities to bring the political pressure on their local elected officials to stop banning and to start implementing in reasonable and rational ways so this nascent industry isn't hamstrung from the get-go.

The State Legislature is considering a number of bills with more being introduced all the time. Some are good like Assemblyman Jones-Sawyer's bill to prevent cooperation between state and local police with federal police in busting legal marijuana businesses and arresting their owners. Others are not so good like State Senator Jerry Hill's bill that would make it illegal for drivers under 21 to have any marijuana in their system losing their licenses if they test positive for any amount of THC. We need to be vigilante and pro-active to make sure the good ones pass and the bad ones never make it to the floor for a vote.

Los Angeles got the message and has just announced that it will quintuple the number of positions in its Department of Cannabis Regulation. With the industry projected to reach sales of $3.7 billion by the end 2018 increasing to over $5 billion in 2019, legal marijuana will be a tax windfall for the state but only if the state gets its regulations streamlined efficiently and orderly.

With that kind of money involved, order will come but have patience. Prop. 64 is not wizardry that will undo 80 years of reefer madness prohibition with a wave of a magic wand - it is a major advance that we must not let get undone by those who benefited from marijuana's previous illegal status such as police, private prisons, drug warriors and the legendary pirate growers selling marijuana for $2,000 a pound and more. 

In the meantime, there have been major benefits in states that have legalized marijuana that are accruing to California as you read this. Let's take a look at these facts and then see how California's new law will work and is working. There is a lot more to it than just legalizing personal possession and cultivation.

What has happened in states that legalized cannabis in 2012 and 2014?

Statistics From Prohibition to Progress: A Status Report on Marijuana Legalization issued by the Drug Policy Alliance

Cannabis arrests are down

Arrests for cannabis in all legal cannabis states and Washington, D.C. have plummeted, saving states hundreds of millions of dollars and sparing thousands of people from being branded with lifelong criminal records. The total number of low-level cannabis court filings in Washington fell by 98 percent between 2011 and 2015.

The total number of cannabis related court filings in Colorado declined by 81 percent between 2012 and 2015, and cannabis possession charges dropped by 88 percent.

In Washington, D.C., cannabis arrests decreased 76 percent from 2013 to 2016, with possession arrests falling by 98.6 percent.

In Oregon, the number of cannabis arrests declined by 96 percent from 2013 to 2016.

In Alaska, the number of cannabis arrests for possession and sales/manufacturing declined by 93 percent from 2013 to 2015.

Cannabis decriminalization and penalty reductions for youth and young adults

In several states, cannabis legalization is reducing historically high numbers of youth (under 18 years of age) and young adults (between 18 and 20 years old) stopped and arrested for cannabis offenses.

Cannabis legalization lowers opioid-related harm

Opioid overdose death rates are almost 25 percent lower in states with medical cannabis access, than in states with no legal access to cannabis. The reductions in overdose death rates increased over time. Legal access to medical cannabis has been associated with a 23 percent reduction in opioid dependence or abuse-related hospitalizations and 15 percent fewer opioid treatment admissions.

Youth cannabis use is stable

Youth cannabis use rates have remained stable in states that have legalized cannabis for adults age 21 and older. In Washington, Colorado and Alaska, rates of cannabis use among high school students largely resemble national rates.

Legalization has not made our roads less safe

DUI arrests are down in Colorado and Washington. The total number of arrests for driving under the influence, of alcohol and other drugs, has declined in Colorado and Washington, the first two states to regulate cannabis for adult use. There is no correlation between cannabis legalization and crash rates. The crash rates in both states are statistically similar to comparable states without legal cannabis.

Calls to poison control centers and visits to emergency departments for cannabis exposure remain relatively uncommon

In Oregon, less than one percent of calls to the state’s poison centers in 2016 were related to cannabis exposure. In Colorado, less than one percent (0.04 percent) of the state’s 2.3 million emergency department visits in 2014 were for cannabis exposure.

Cannabis tax revenues exceed initial estimates

Cannabis sales in Washington generated $315 million in tax revenues in the 2016-17 fiscal year. Cannabis sales have generated almost $600 million for Colorado since sales began on January 1, 2014. By the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year, Oregon collected $70 million, more than double the predicted revenue.

The cannabis industry is creating jobs

Preliminary estimates suggest that the legal cannabis industry employs between 165,000 to 230,000 full and part-time workers across the country. This number will only continue to grow as more states legalize cannabis and replace their unregulated markets with new legal markets.

What about California?

Adults 21 and over may possess one ounce and cultivate up to six plants. Only six plants may be cultivated per household even if there is more than one adult in the household.

Medical cannabis patients with a doctor’s recommendation retain the right to cultivate as much cannabis as is medically necessary even if that amount exceeds the six-plant limit and may possess up to 8 ounces.

Local government cannot ban indoor personal cultivation but they can enact “reasonable” regulations. Some local jurisdictions have enacted regulations that many do not consider reasonable and they are currently being adjudicated in court. A greenhouse is considered indoor cultivation.

Local governments can ban outdoor personal cultivation, but if they do they forfeit receiving any public safety or other grants from the cannabis taxes collected by the state.

Prop. 64 allows for commercial cultivation, manufacture and sale of cannabis. Local government retains complete control over all licensing, operating and zoning regulations for commercial cannabis businesses and can totally ban or license, regulate and tax all commercial activities. If they do not allow commercial businesses, they forfeit any public safety or other grants from the taxes collected by the state.


The state collects a production tax at the cultivation level of $9.25/ounce dry weight for flowers, $2.75/ounce dry weight for leaves and $1.29/ounce per fresh plant. On the retail level there is a 15% excise tax. In 2018, the state expects to collect over $1 billion in taxes. The tax can be lowered by a simple majority of the legislature or it can be raised by a 2/3rd vote.

Local governments may impose an excise tax in addition to state excise and sale taxes. Medical cannabis patients can obtain an exemption from sales taxes, but not excise taxes, by obtaining the state medical cannabis ID card from their local county health department. Local governments can also impose licensing fees, but they must be reasonably related to the cost of issuing the licenses and enforcing the regulations.

In deference to small cultivators, commercial cultivation is limited to one acre per license until 2023. There is no limit to cultivation size after 2023 unless the legislature extends the limit which will require a 2/3rd vote.

Prop. 64 allows the cultivation of industrial hemp which is defined as any part of the plant not containing more than 0.3 percent THC.

Adults may consume cannabis at home or in businesses licensed for on-site consumption. Consumption of cannabis in all public areas, including areas where tobacco smoking is allowed, is prohibited.

Consumption in a moving car is prohibited as well as possession of an open unsealed container. It is permissible to transport an open container if it is stored in the trunk. Medical marijuana patients can have an open container of marijuana in their car just like they can have an open bottle of prescription medications.

People currently serving prison terms for cannabis offenses and/or convicted of cannabis offenses can petition the court to be released and/or have their records expunged. People convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses are not barred from participating in commercial cannabis operations.

Youths under the age of 18 may only be charged with civil infractions for cannabis offenses. They are no longer threatened with incarceration or financial penalties. Instead, they are required to attend drug awareness education, counseling or community service. All cannabis offenses will be automatically expunged from a young person’s record when they turn 18. The penalties for most cannabis-related activities were either decriminalized or reduced for young adults 18-to-20 years old.

MAPP MEETING

Wed. March 7 @ 7:30 p.m.

We will continue our discussion on how the IE is proceeding with allowing cannabis businesses to operate. Unfortunately only a handful of cities have moved forward with licenses and regulations. Most are taking a wait-and-see attitude and more than just a couple are downright hostile.

The California Democratic Convention was a real barn-burner. You may have read about how Senator Diane Feinstein did not get the endorsement for her re-election from her own party. Although there were many reasons why, one was her opposition to drug law reform and refusal to support the voters of California in passing Prop. 64 by working to end federal prohibition of marijuana. I will have pics and a first hand account of what happened, who I met and what it all means for marijuana law reform.

There will be an update on the latest marijuana legislation being considered in the state legislature including information on Assemblyman Rob Bonta's bill to protect medical marijuana patients from being fired for using marijuana.

Also will discuss the strange behavior of Palm Springs’ City Attorney in refusing to allow a cannabis consuming fundraiser to go forward as well as discuss the refusal of San Bernardino 3^rd District Supervisor James Ramos to meet with MAPP members from the Morongo Basin concerning implementing the provisions of Prop. 64 allowing for commercial marijuana businesses.

Meet with old friends, make new ones and network on all manner of marijuana issues. Cookies, milk and punch will be provided and if you bring a friend, you both will go home with a free pocket pipe.

Wednesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. – Moreno Valley/Western IE MAPP meeting –. Meeting held at Greenview Medical, 22275 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

It's Not March Reefer Madness

It's March Reefer Sanity

Support the March to Reefer Reasonableness

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#marijuana #marijuananews #marijuanalegalization #marijuanacultivation #cannabis #medicalmarijuana #MAPP #marijuanaantiprohibitionproject #marijuanataxes #drugpolicyreform #drugwar #warondrugs #growingmarijuana #outdoormarijuana #prop64

Fear

No

More

One of the most egregious omissions in Prop. 64 was any measure protecting employees from arbitrary firing for using marijuana off-the-job. A toke on Saturday night could get you fired on Monday.

Riding to the rescue are California Assemblymen Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) with their marijuana using employee protection bill AB 2069. The bill, if enacted, would provide the protection of non-discrimination in employment to users of marijuana who have obtained a medical marijuana recommendation.

If an employer found out that an employee or potential employee was a medical marijuana patient, or that the employee had tested positive for marijuana, AB 2069 would make it illegal for the employer to:

“Refuse to hire or employ the person or to refuse to select the person for a training program leading to employment, or to bar or to discharge the person from employment or from a training program leading to employment, or to discriminate against the person in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.”

That means that peeing in a cup would no longer be grounds for dismissal if the only metabolite found in your urine was the THC you inhaled the previous night. Drug testing companies will no doubt ferociously fight this bill as pee-testing is a multi-billion dollar business, but don’t sell your drug-testing company stocks as employers can still pee-test you for a laundry list of other verboten substances.

The need for this legislation came about because of a 2008 “screw-the-fourth-and-fifth-amendment” ruling by the California Supreme Court in a lawsuit filed by medical marijuana patient Gary Ross under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) against Raging Wire Telecommunications. Ross had been fired because he tested positive for marijuana use.

In Ross v. Raging Wire Telecommunications, Inc. the California Supreme Court ruled that an employer was not required to accommodate an employee’s medicinal marijuana use. The court's opinion found that because marijuana is illegal under federal law, it could not be legalized for medical purposes and that marijuana could not be given the legal status as a prescription drug. Since the FEHA does not require employers to accommodate illegal drug use, the Supreme Court held that the employer could fire the employee for using marijuana even though it was for medical purposes.

By adding medical marijuana patients to the list of protected classes such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and eleven other classes, medical marijuana users would now be protected and employers would no longer be able to fire an employee who tested positive for marijuana use and possessed a medical marijuana recommendation.

Although most marijuana users have not obtained a doctor’s recommendation, those who wanted to protect their jobs could do so. Since most people's health benefits from the use of marijuana, it is relatively easy to obtain a medical marijuana recommendation. The renewed interest in medical marijuana recommendations could prove a boon to medical marijuana doctors whose offices, since the passage of Prop. 64, have been closing faster than poppies at sunset.

Of note is that the bill’s author Rob Bonta is not concerned if it causes people to become medical marijuana patients instead of remaining recreational users. According to the Californian, Bonta is “more concerned with keeping people away from opioids than with correcting a potentially inflated medical marijuana market.” Health and safety trumps reefer madness – a truly unique and refreshing perspective from a legislator.

There are two exemptions that would still allow an employer to fire an employee for marijuana use even if they are a medical marijuana patient.

Exemption #1 - An employee using medical marijuana on the job could be fired as could employees who are unable to perform their job or appear intoxicated due to the consumption of marijuana.

Exemption #2 - Because marijuana remains a Schedule 1 narcotic under the federal Controlled Substance Act, companies that contract with the federal government are required to maintain a drug-free workplace. Due to this federal regulation companies that could “lose a monetary or licensing-related benefit under federal law or regulations” would not be in violation of AB 2069 for terminating employees for off-work marijuana use.

Even with this distasteful “safe harbor” provision, this will be a very difficult bill to get passed. In the past, similar bills have been opposed by a consortium of police and industry such as the California Hospital Association, the California Employment Law Council and the California Police Chiefs Association.

Expected to be introduced in March, this most necessary and critical piece of the puzzle for ending marijuana prohibition will be one of the most-watched and controversial pieces of legislation in the 2018 session.

HOW TO TURN TRUMP'S LATEST THREATS INTO GOOD NEWS

President Trump has threatened to pull Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents out of California if the state goes ahead with its sanctuary bills. The Daily Koss and Newsweek reported the following:

“Frankly, it’s a disgrace, the sanctuary city situation,” Trump said at the White House. "Frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California, you would have a crime nest like you've never seen in California. If we ever pulled our ICE out, and we ever said, ‘Hey, let California alone, let them figure it out for themselves,’ in two months they’d be begging for us to come back. They would be begging. And you know what, I’m thinking about doing it."

Maybe we can get The Trump to threaten to pull out DEA agents if we pass Jones-Sawyers AB 1578 which is in essence a Ganja Sanctuary Bill which prevents cops from cooperating with feds in the arrest and apprehension of legal marijuana businesses. If California also passes the MJ using employee protection bill maybe we can also get Sessions to threaten to pull out the DOJ Prosecuting Attorneys.

Palm Springs Threatens Cannabis Infused Fundraiser

San Bernardino Co. Refuses to Talk

Democratic Convention Report

Hear it all and more at the

MARCH MAPP meets

What happened at the CaDEM convention may be very uplifting but the strange behavior of Palm Springs’ City Attorney in refusing to allow a cannabis consuming fundraiser to go forward is perplexing. In addition we will be discussing what can be done regarding the refusal of San Bernardino Counties 3^rd District Supervisor James Ramos to meet with his constituents from the Morongo Basin concerning implementing the provisions of Prop. 64 allowing for commercial marijuana businesses.

Info on the Moreno Valley meeting will be in the next newsletter.

Saturday, March. 3 at 12 noon - Palm Springs/Coachella Valley meeting – Meeting held at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon Dr., downtown Palm Springs 92262.

Saturday, March 3 at 3 p.m. - Joshua Tree/Morongo Basin meeting – Meeting held at Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree 92252.

Wednesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. – Moreno Valley/Western IE MAPP meeting –. Meeting held at Greenview Medical, 22275 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Bring a guest and you will both receive a free pocket pipe. Everyone can enjoy a delightful assortment of cookies with milk and punch.

It's Not March Madness

It's March Sanity

Support the March to Reefer Reasonableness

Join our 420 Club

Donate $4.20 a month

automatically, privately & reverentially from your credit card

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MAPP'S 420 CLUB

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Help Your Business

Help MAPP

For info email

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3,000 Delegates, 1,000 Elected Officials, Candidates and You

Outside of the national Democratic and Republican Party conventions held once every four years, the largest political party convention in the U.S. takes place in California at the annual California Democratic Party Convention. The state political party conventions are the grassroots of American Democracy. If you have never attended a state convention, then here is your opportunity to add to your list of memorable events as there is not a better or more exciting one to explore than the 2018 CaDEM State Convention which will be taking place Friday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, Feb. 25 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Everyone is welcome to attend - you do not have to be a Democrat to attend and, except for the State Delegate sessions, its FREE to attend and participate.

With over 3,000 delegates, it is a whirlwind of grassroots activism. These delegates are the people who go back to their communities and participate in shaping local government policy whether it be as members of local political action groups or serving on local commissions, running for seats on water boards, school districts, city councils and county boards. If you have ever thought of getting involved politically in your community, then you can meet and talk with people just like you that are doing it right now in their communities.

In addition to the delegates there are another 1,000+ attendees who are party officers, elected officials, candidates for office and a cadre of media to make a Hollywood starlet's head swim.

This convention is going to be especially exciting because 2018 is an election year with every statewide office from Governor on down up for grabs plus every member of the state assembly and half the members of the state senate. The California Democratic Party (CaDEM) will be endorsing Democratic candidates for each office in the June primary election. This endorsement is critical translating into millions of votes and millions of dollars in campaign financing so every single candidate for these statewide offices will be there.

This includes such political luminaries as Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom who is running for Governor, Attorney General Xavier Becerra running for election to the office he was appointed to, State Treasurer John Chiang who is running for Governor, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones who is challenging AG Becerra and a cornucopia of other candidates. Most extraordinarily, Senator Diane Feinstein will be making a very rare appearance at the CaDEM Convention as for the first time in decades she has a serious challenger in the person of State Senate President Kevin DeLeon.

Also in attendance will be a virtual cornucopia of political superstars including US Representative Maxine Waters, US Senator Kamala Harris, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, US Representative & House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, NextGen Founder and Billionaire Tom Steyer, and a host of other politicians, party officials and political gadflies 

from California and throughout the country.  The only place you will ever see more elected officials in one place would be in state and federal legislative chambers.

Most of these people will be making their presentations at the General Sessions or in Delegate Sessions which are open only to delegates but there is plenty else going on - it is literally non-stop action the entire three days, but the truly BIG day is Saturday, Feb. 24.

Of particular interest would be to attend any of the 19 caucus meetings ranging from progressive to Native American to environmental to veteran. With speakers of considerable note, some of these can be very spirited and everyone is welcome to attend.

One of the most exciting areas to visit is Exhibit Hall where there are over 50 information booths sponsored by Democratic, progressive, civil liberties, labor, health care, businesses and other organizations.  The Brownie Mary Democrats will have its much celebrated and fabulous booth where in addition to displays and literature on medical and adult-use marijuana, BMD will be handing out the oh-so-popular brilliant green marijuana-leaf necklaces and having a free drawing for a BIG basket of cannabis products. You are cordially invited to visit our booth and join with us - you can even help staff the booth if you have a mind too.

You especially will want to be in attendance at the Hospitality Suites Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 10 p.m. many serving drinks, desserts and other delectables. Mingle and socialize with national, state and local elected officials, candidates for office, thousands of Democratic party movers and shakers as well as social, environmental, health, labor, civil rights, women and a multitude of community activists from all over California. The Hospitality Suites are sponsored by elected officials, candidates for office, businesses and organizations - they are the social highlight of the convention and are not to be missed.

In addition to all the convention activity, the Brownie Mary Democrats of California will be holding their annual award banquet and meeting at the Convention on Saturday, February 24 at 6:00 p.m. Featured speakers at the meeting include Dale Schafer, who along with his wife Dr. Mollie Fry served five years in federal prison for furnishing medical marijuana patients with their recommendations and medicine, Yami Bolanos from the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance, Marcia Blount from the Sacramento Brownie Mary Club and, yes I will also be making a presentation.

Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting. The Banquet/Meeting is being held at TGIFridays at 743 Fifth Ave. in San Diego just six blocks from the Convention Center. There is no charge to attend and food may be ordered directly from the TGIFriday menu.

It all takes place at the monumental and cavernous San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101 located between San Diego's beautiful waterfront and the storied Gas Lamp District. Discover and be part of the nitty-gritty of grassroots political activism. Visit the exhibit area and the Brownie Mary booth, attend some caucus meetings, partake of the hospitality suites and hobnob with the 3,000+ delegates and the 1,000+ elected officials, party officers and other convention attendees.

I have written about and invited people to attend the CaDEM election since 2013 when I first served as an elected State Delegate. Many have taken me up on it and no one has ever regretted taking the time to come and visit and see what our political system is all about and how it functions and be part of where it all starts on the grassroots level. If you can make it, I look forward to seeing you.

For general information on the CaDEM Convention CLICK HERE. To see the CaDEM Convention agenda CLICK HERE.

An Unusual Way to Commemorate President's Day

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Not Only Has The World Not Come to An End,

MJ Legalization Has Made the World Better

Not only has the world not come to an end, but marijuana legalization appears to making the world better. A free 58 page booklet from the Drug Policy Alliance, From Prohibition to Progress: A Status Report on Marijuana Legalization, clearly and concisely establishes how and why marijuana legalization is working so far.

Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. have all legalized marijuana. Vermont has become the first state to legalize marijuana through its legislature instead of at the ballot box.

Legalization ballot initiatives for the 2018 election have been filed in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota while state legislators in.Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York are considering legalization legislation.

To understand the effect and scope of marijuana legalization, the booklet examines the impact of marijuana legalization by focusing on four measures: social justice, public health, road safety, and state economics. It provides much-needed information as to what happens when a state legalizes marijuana for adult-use. As it turns out, there is very little bad and an awful lot of good.

States are saving significant sums of money and protecting the public all at the same time by comprehensively regulating marijuana for adult use.

One of the key findings is that the average number of arrests in states that have legalized marijuana have plummeted by over 90% saving states millions of dollars and preventing the criminalization of thousands of people.

Most amazing is the positive effect marijuana legalization has on public safety and health.

• Contrary to the predictions of drug prohibitionists, youth marijuana use has remained stable in states that have legalized.
• Access to legal marijuana is associated with reductions in some of the most troubling harms associated with opioid use, including opioid overdose deaths and untreated opioid use disorders.

What should gladden the hearts of both lawmakers and taxpayers is that states are exceeding their marijuana revenue estimates and filling their coffers with hundreds of millions of dollars. Most importantly states are putting this money to very good use.

Colorado, Nevada and Oregon combined are providing hundreds of millions of dollars to state schools. Washington allocates 55% of its marijuana tax revenue to fund basic health plans. Drug and alcohol treatment programs receive significant funding in most states.

Of particular interest relating to social justice, California and Massachusetts invest a substantial share of their marijuana tax revenues in the communities most adversely impacted by drug arrests and incarceration, particularly low-income communities of color, to help repair the harms of unequal drug law enforcement.

Counter to the claims that marijuana legalization will result in bloody carnage on our roadways, the report finds that DUI arrests are down in Colorado and Washington. Most significantly the report finds that there is no correlation between marijuana legalization and automobile collisions as crash rates in both states are statistically similar to comparable states without legal marijuana.

Not only is legal marijuana filling state coffers it is also filling people’s pockets. Preliminary estimates suggest that the legal marijuana industry employs between 165,000 to 230,000 full and part-time workers across the country. As more states legalize marijuana and replace their unregulated markets with new legal markets, the number of jobs will skyrocket.

 
It’s not all nirvana however as the report notes consuming marijuana in public is illegal in all jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older. This means that people who lack the means to pay the fines and fees, or those without homes or in federally-subsidized housing, risk being jailed for consuming a lawful substance. Public use violations are also disproportionately enforced against people of color, particularly Black people.

 
Although marijuana legalization has reduced historically high numbers of youth (under 18 years of age) and young adults (between 18 and 20 years old) from being stopped and arrested for marijuana offenses, these reductions are inconsistent from state-to-state.

The statistics are astounding and there is so much more to the report then I have summarized here, so download a copy for yourself by CLICKING HERE. Good news travels slowly so help speed it up by sending copies to your friends, family members, co-workers and associates of all kinds who were doubting Thomas’s about the wisdom of legalizing marijuana.

Making Babies With Marijuana is Fun and Efficacious

Previous studies examining the effects of marijuana use on reproductive hormones and semen quality have produced conflicting results including the oft-cited study that marijuana slows sperm motility reducing the likelihood that it will arrive at the egg to do its thing.

Stop fretting as a new study entitled Marijuana Use and Fecundability in a North American Preconception Cohort Study issued by researchers at Boston University's School of Public Health has reported that marijuana use - by either men or women - does not lower a couple's chances of getting pregnant.

Published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the study evaluated the association between female and male use of marijuana and fecundability (the probability of conception) in 1,125 couples over a period of four years.

The study’s lead author Lauren Wise stated the importance of this study as “Given the increasing number of states legalizing recreational marijuana across the nation, we thought it was an opportune time to investigate the association between marijuana use and fertility,”

About 15 percent of couples’ experience infertility costing the US healthcare system more than $5 billion per year. Identifying modifiable risk factors for infertility, including recreational drug use, is of public health importance. Marijuana is one of the most widely used recreational drugs among individuals of reproductive age so people need to know whether using marijuana can lower their chances of conceiving.

The bottom line was that conception probabilities did not differ among couples who used marijuana versus those who did not. The authors concluded "In this preconception cohort study, there was little overall association between female or male marijuana use and fecundability.”

If you find marijuana for sex is exciting, erotic and enjoyable, keep right on being excited, erotized and enjoyed. If you haven’t used marijuana for sex, it’s long past time you give it try. Bet you won’t do it just once.

Dennis Peron Remembrance, 2nd Hand Smoke & 1 Year of Legalization at Wedneday, Feb. 7 Moreno Valley MAPP meet

It's that most joyous time of the month again in the western Inland Empire with the upcoming MAPP meeting this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Moreno Valley. We will be taking a look at the first month of legal adult-use sales of marijuana in California and how it is progressing in the Inland Empire. You will also be given a sneak preview of the questionnaire that will be circulated to candidates running for office in the June primary and learn how the information will be used to grade candidates’ A – F on issues relating to marijuana.

We will also memorialize the life of Dennis Peron who died last Saturday at the much too young age of 72. Lauded as the father of medical marijuana legalization, Dennis lead a colorful and productive life that has impacted us all.

Grab a loved one, friend, family member or co-worker and join us at the Wednesday, Feb. 7 MAPP meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Greenview Medical Clinic at 22275 Alessandro Blvd., Moreno Valley CA 92553. Milk and cookie will be served.

Nothing big and ostentatious this time, just a small little appeal asking you to join our 420 Club and donate $4.20 a month to help provide the resources to continue to educate the literate and infuriate the illiterate.


To simply join our 420 Club - CLICK HERE

To simply make a one-time donation - CLICK HERE

Thanks for reading - thanks for helping

Lanny

Dennis Peron Changed the World

Medical Marijuana

Was Only Part of It

Dennis Peron died Saturday, Jan. 27 at the far too young age of 72. He is being remembered and eulogized as the father of medical marijuana. Yes he was certainly that, but he was much more than that. In my estimation he changed the world for the better more than almost any living person today.

The last time I was a guest at his fabled Castro Castle was in 2015 where we had marijuana fueled chats late into the night. It was there that I told him that not only was he a personal hero of mine, but that I considered him to be one of the most important and influential people of our time. He shook his head in denial of my thesis but under his modest exterior I knew he knew better.

Dennis understood the power and necessity of political involvement. He was a realist of the first order and knew that marijuana legalization and the end of the War on Drugs would not come about until people took action.

Knowing firsthand how marijuana benefited people afflicted with AIDS, Dennis recounted in an interview for the unreleased Documentary American Dream: Cali’s 215 how the death of his lover Jonathan West from AIDS in 1990 inspired him to take action. “I dedicated my life to the thousands of Jonathans in the world who were suffering from purely political reasons.”

To that end, he was the originator, propagator, organizer and chief agitator for Prop. P which legalized medical marijuana in San Francisco. It was the first time since the beginnings of marijuana prohibition in 1937, that a law was passed directly challenging federal and state prohibition laws and making it available again.

Prop. P was just the beginning as he successfully got three bills through the state legislature legalizing the use of marijuana medicinally only to have all three vetoed by Governor Pete Wilson.

Out of sheer frustration and with a mountain of determination, he then took the extraordinary step of commencing a state initiative that would legalize the medicinal use of marijuana. With the help of activists and lawyers, the three medical marijuana bills were rolled into one initiative which was given the number 215.

There has been all kinds of arguments and recriminations on how it got passed, who got it passed and who should get the credit ad nauseum. It really doesn’t matter who got the nuts and bolts together to get it passed. None of the people or organizations who put in the blood, sweat, tears and money into getting it onto the ballot and eventually passed would have had the chutzpah to even begin a ballot initiative in 1996. Everyone was talking – Dennis was doing.

Dennis wanted to see marijuana legalized, but being a political realist and being so impacted by the life affirming qualities of marijuana, he knew the path to legalization and ending the War on Drugs had to be incremental.

In the documentary interview he explained that “Part of me was to expose this War on Drugs for what it really is which is a war on patients, war on people, war on the most wonderful people of America - the most thinking and loving people of America - the people who smoke marijuana. My whole being has been to legalize marijuana but in the interim maybe we could legalize medical just for those people.”

I know from my talks with Dennis that he had reservations about the marijuana legalization initiatives, but he was well aware that the linchpin of the War on Drugs was marijuana prohibition and that only by legalizing marijuana would that linchpin ever come undone and the iron door of prohibition fall.

He knew what he had begun was far more than just re-storing the medical uses of this ancient plant. At the very beginning of the interview he stated “My name is Dennis Peron. I am the author of Prop. 215. You can say that is the beginning of the end of the War on Drugs. It did change the world.”

Next to the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans, the War on Drugs is the most hideous, murderous, reprehensible and inhumane racist program undertaken by the United States government and abetted by almost all segments of American society. This country has exported our War on Drugs throughout the world resulting in millions murdered and tortured with untold millions of lives and families destroyed and ruined through imprisonment and criminal sanctions.

Dennis is indeed the father of medical marijuana, but that is just an adjunct achievement to the major accomplishment of his life. More than any one other individual, Dennis dealt a lethal blow to the police/prison/industrial triumphant that profits from the trillions of dollars shoveled down the bottomless pit of prohibition and the cruelties and misery inflicted on people all over the world.

Without the foresight and dynamic energy of Dennis, the U.S. would not be even close to where it is today in legalizing marijuana and winding down the War on Drugs. We follow in his footsteps with gratitude and a determination to finish what he so bravely, knowingly and heroically foresaw and began.

Dennis was interviewed by Eddie Funxta in the making of the documentary American Dream: Cali’s 215. The interview was conducted in 2010 at the Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles which Dennis was hoping to open as a hotel similar to his Castro Castle in San Francisco only on a much larger scale.

The documentary from which this interview was taken has still not been released but to view the interview with Dennis Peron CLICK HERE. To see a video recounting the life and times of Dennis Peron, CLICK HERE.

FEBRUARY MAPP MEETINGS ARE COMING!

Insights from the Real World on How Marijuana Legalization is Proceeding in California

If you are fortunate enough to live in the Inland Empire, then mark your calendars for the first week in February for the MAPP meetings near you. We will be taking a look at the first month of legal adult-use sales of marijuana in California and how it is progressing in the Inland Empire. You will also be given a sneak preview of the questionnaire that will be circulated to candidates running for office in the June primary and learn how the information will be used to grade candidates’ A – F on issues relating to marijuana.

Saturday, Feb. 3 at 12 noon - Palm Springs/Coachella Valley meeting – Meeting held at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon Dr., downtown Palm Springs 92262.

Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. - Joshua Tree/Morongo Basin meeting – Meeting held at Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree 92252.

Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. – Moreno Valley/Western IE MAPP meeting –. Meeting held at Greenview Medical, 22275 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Bring a guest and you will both receive a free pocket pipe. Everyone can enjoy a delightful assortment of cookies with milk and punch.

is going to be a crucial year for marijuana law reform!

Help provide the resources to keep the work of MAPP going in the right direction with a much appreciated donation.

Make a one-time donation - CLICK HERE

Join MAPP's 420 Club and automatically donate $4.20 from your credit card every month - CLICK HERE

Prop. 64 Problems?

Taxes & Regulations Off-the-Wall?

AG Sessions Waving His Sword?

                            Brownie Mary Says

YES WE CANNABIS!

California is coming off of 80 years of reefer madness infused prohibition. Our elected officials on both the local, state and national level see caution as the name of the game, but there are problems inherent in Prop. 64 like the ban on smoking in public places and the lack of protection from being fired for using marijuana off the job that must be dealt with. In addition there are concerns regarding the implementation of Prop. 64 such as the size of commercial grows, onerous taxes and overly burdensome licensing fees and regulations.'

And now AG Sessions threatens fire and brimstone on states that legalize marijuana by tearing up the Obama Administration's Cole Memo which allowed U.S. Prosecutors to send to the bottom of the barrel enforcement of federal marijuana law if states were following eight conditions such as preventing access to children, keeping criminals out of the business and deterring cannabis from going-out-state.

For many reasons the Brownie Mary Democrats of California (BMD-CA) are in the best position to be one of the most effective organization to address and correct these and other problems that directly affect you.

BMD-CA is one of only seven statewide Democratic organizations that is officially chartered by the California Democratic Party (CDP). They are an active and influential member of the Party that controls the government of the most populous state in the U.S. and the 6^th largest economy in the world.

From rank and file Democrats to elected officials on the state and local level, their members come from all over California and are involved in every level of government interacting with the people who are passing the laws and making the regulations you have to live and work under. Members are active throughout the party as delegates to the annual state convention, as members of the Executive Board which sets policy for the state party as well as being elected to their county Democratic Central Committees where they work with local Democratic officials on County Boards, City Councils and other local governing commissions and committees.

BMD-CA is seen by the 3,000 state delegates, the 300+ Executive Board members and state party officers and elected officials as the most knowledgeable and, because they are part of the Democratic party, as the most trustworthy.

BMD-CA has made the implementation of Prop. 64 a priority for the CDP through the adoption of pro-marijuana planks in the Party’s platform and resolutions. Just a few of the planks and resolutions adopted by the party that were introduced by BMD-CA are:

1. Calling for the legalization of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco

2. Denouncing bans and moratoriums and encouraging cities and counties to adopt ordinances implementing the commercial provisions of Prop. 64.

3. Opposing IRS Code 280E which disallows any business deductions for any commercial activity related to marijuana

4. Support making California a cannabis sanctuary state by not allowing state and local police to cooperate with federal police in the arrest and prosecution of licensed marijuana businesses

5. Support passage of a law preventing hospitals from denying organ transplants to medical marijuana patients.

Within the CDP, BMD-CA is not viewed with skepticism and seen as some outside special interest group. As a chartered member they have an unprecedented ability to interact with Democrats at all levels of government and to further the interests of marijuana consumers and businesses. Democratic candidates seek the endorsement of BMD-CA as they have personally seen the significant influence we have earned with party officials, activists and rank and file Democrats.

To that end, they are in the process of interviewing candidates for elective offices eliciting their position on issues relating to cannabis. With this information, BMD will produce a voter’s guide that will be distributed throughout the state for the June primary and November general elections. Candidates know that thousands of voters, especially Democratic voters, trust and follow their endorsements.

Democrats holds every statewide office and a super-majority in the state legislature. BMD-CA is in the best position of any cannabis advocacy organization to influence policy and get our elected officials to solve the problems inherent in Prop. 64, resolve the issues that have cropped up now that legalization has commenced and enact legislation that will further the interests of marijuana consumers and businesses. There is simply no other organization in the state of California that has the political clout, connections and insider networks like the Brownie Mary Democrats of California.

One of the most effective outreaches for BMD-CA is to participate in the annual California Democratic Party State Convention which this year takes place February 23 - 25 in San Diego. The State Convention is where Democratic office holders and candidates from throughout the state of California come to seek support, endorsements and funding for their campaigns. It is an unprecedented opportunity to meet these elected officials and candidates for office and to educate them and elicit their support for policies that are beneficial to the cannabis consumer and business community.

$5,000 is needed for an exhibit booth, annual meeting at the state convention, participation in the many caucuses and meetings held at the convention and to prepare brochures and other items to be handed out to the 3,000+ delegates and more than 1,000 Democratic Party officers and elected officials. This includes a new brochure entitled “What Has Marijuana Legalization Wrought? - What Every Candidate Needs to Know!"

There is no other marijuana advocacy group like the Brownie Mary Democrats of California. As the chair and founder of the Brownie Mary Democrats, I would appreciate your supporting contributions for their presence at the State Convention to help you and the cannabis community take its rightful place in the governance of California and the United States of America.

As a way of thanking your for your support, contributors of $100 or more will receive a display quality CERTIFICATE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY suitable for framing and your contribution will be duly noted on a display board posted in the exhibit area.

Contributions may be made by credit card by CLICKING HERE or by check made out to BMD-CA and mailed to: BMD-CA, PO Box 739, Palm Springs CA 92263. Please note that contributions are not tax deductible.

Thanks for your help and support,

Lanny

Lanny Swerdlow RN LNC

The Case for
Marijuana &
World Peace

The socialization aspects of cannabis are one of its most important, but least understood usages. That cannabis calms people down, makes them more amenable to all situations and is capable of defusing even the most hostile of circumstances is legendary.

This remarkable ability of marijuana to relax, soothe and promote congeniality is applicable to more than just individual social situations. Its potential to improve outcomes on the world political stage is gargantuan.

Can marijuana actually make political negotiations more likely to succeed? Can it bring disparate parties together to form a common bond and reach agreements to defuse crisis situations where hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives hang in the balance?

Hashish, a concentrated and potent form of cannabis, provides a viable answer.

Hashish originated in Arabia at least a thousand years ago. It is so Arabic that the word hashish derives from the Arabic word for “grass.”

From the legendary tales of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights to the incendiary Satanic Verses, hash was de rigueur in Arab society. Many social interactions involved either consuming hash as an edible or smoking hash. Hookahs were common and ornate and were perfect to use for the communal consumption of hashish. One of the reasons postulated for the former perfusion of cannabis use in the Middle East is because alcohol is forbidden to adherents of Islam

Although the redrawing of national boundaries in the Middle East at the end of World War I has led to many of today’s problems, the fact remains that Sunnis have been quarreling viciously with Shiites for some fifteen hundred years along with various incursions by Christian nations stirring up the pot even more.

What has changed that these internecine problems are no longer constrained? Why has all-hell broken out over the last 50 or so years? One major change could be attributable to the status of hashish in the Middle East.

Recent orthodox Islamic leaders have uncharacteristically accepted the Great Satan’s reefer madness ideology and deemed cannabis an intoxicant or haram and forbidden its use. Enacted into criminal law as well as religious decrees, the use of hashish has significantly decreased during the same time that the horrors of intolerance and civil war have exploded in the Middle East. Is it a coincidence or is there a connection?

As any regular cannabis consumer will tell you, there is a more than a kernel of truth to the idea that if the Sunnis and Shiites shared a hookah brimming with hash before sitting down for peace negotiations, maybe the legendary ability of marijuana to calm, ameliorate, broaden perspective and induce tolerance might lead to a breakthrough in understanding and compromise. Hard to see how it could make things any worse.

Although the Israeli/Palestine conflict is relatively new, if hashish consumption could reduce the friction between different segments of Arabic societies as it did in the past, then marijuana could even provide concrete help in this intractable imbroglio. With death and destruction plaguing the Middle East from Egypt to Iraq, the problems are so extreme that very potent strains of cannabis would be needed to achieve any kind of breakthrough. Dabbing with concentrates might be just the ticket.

A simple and cost-effective experiment would be to provide and promote hash use before any Israeli/Palestine negotiations. If after one year of hash infused negotiations peace has not been achieved then concluding that these problems are so inexorable that even marijuana cannot save them would be justified.

However if the negotiations mitigated with hashish consumption actually bring about peace, then sharing a hookah or a joint at the beginning of all international negotiations whether it be in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa or at the United Nations would be part of established diplomatic protocols.

Cannabis for fiber, food,
fuel, medicine, recreation
and WORLD PEACE!

MORENO VALLEY/WESTERN IE
MAPP MEET WED. DEC. 6

While Riverside County plows ahead with developing commercial marijuana regulations, San Bernardino County has firmly buried its head in the sand. In stark contrast the City of San Bernardino, the seat of SB County government, is plunging full speed ahead as a result of an initiative passed last year by the voters of this beleaguered and bankrupt city.

Will the City of San Bernardino have dispensaries open by Jan. 1, 2018? Will they be conveniently located? Where will cultivation take place? Will there be businesses manufacturing edibles and concentrates? Find out just what is happening from our featured speaker William Cioci who has worked with several San Bernardino City Council members on this most delicate issue and has spoken before the SB City Council more times then he can probably remember. Join William in an energetic discussion about the tangled history of the city's initiative, what the initiative will do, the progress being made to make it happen and the timeline for its implementation.

The implications of the passage of a resolution by the California Democratic Party calling on cities and counties to stop banning and start implementing the provisions allowing commercial marijuana businesses will be discussed along with a discussion on how to use the resolution to get San Bernardino County and other recalcitrant local governments to get on Prop. 64's commercial bandwagon.

Find out what is happening in the IE and what is going to be happening at the MAPP meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is held at the Greenview Medical Clinic, 22275 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553 Bring a friend and receive a free pocket pipe. Milk, cookies and camaraderie will be served.

GEORGIA
ON MY MIND

Marijuana in the Bible Belt

When it comes to marijuana, living in the south can be very dangerous. Georgia reflects that danger but change is afoot as Atlanta GA decriminalized marijuana possession in October 2017. Leading the charge to reform Georgia's draconian marijuana laws is Peachtree NORML battling for common sense marijuana laws where few dare to tread.

Dean Sines is the fearless Deputy Director of Peachtree NORML and has been involved for years working to end marijuana prohibition. On this special segment of Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense, Dean speaks out about the current law in GA today, the political environment regarding changing the law, NORML's role in Atlanta's recent decriminalization of marijuana, the ease of finding and the quality of marijuana in Georgia, what is being done to change the law, what Peachtree NORML is up to and a few more intriguing tidbits about life in the deep south.

Listen to the award winning podcast of Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense at www.blogtalkradio.com/marijuananews and find out how marijuana legalization is changing the political landscape in the south and is helping bridge the cultural gap between north and south. It’s on right now –  CLICK HERE to listen.

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Finding the Gun to Fire
Prop. 64's Magic Bullets

Although Prop. 64 allows for the implementation of laws allowing for commercial cultivation, manufacture and distribution of marijuana, Prop. 64 also allows local governments to totally ban any commercial activities. Unfortunately most cities and counties have been enacting bans rather than allowing commercial marijuana businesses forcing people in their communities to drive long distances to secure marijuana or more likely continuing to buy it from criminals.

To encourage implementation rather than bans, Prop. 64 has several carrots to entice local governments to allow commercial marijuana businesses. The most enticing is the ability to license and tax all phases – cultivation, manufacture and distribution. Local governments can make millions of dollars in taxes and for those that have allowed commercial production, developing a new source of tax revenue is the reason most allow it.

Financially challenged cities in the Inland Empire like Desert Hot Springs and Adelanto have literally bet the bank on marijuana licensing. Desert Hot Springs is permitting over 2 million square feet of cultivation and manufacturing in their industrial zones as well as permitting an almost unlimited number of dispensaries.

Another carrot found in Prop. 64 requires cities and counties that want to share in the grants from the billion plus dollars the state takes in from taxes and license fees, must permit commercial businesses. If they don’t, they don’t get any of the money.

It is so ironic that most of these grants will be for public safety projects meaning most of the money goes to the police. If police oppose allowing commercial businesses as they have opposed medical marijuana businesses in the past, they will be the biggest money losers. It will be interesting to see if police now call for licensing commercial businesses.

An unexpected carrot found in Prop. 64 that most people are not aware of is very important not for businesses but for personal cultivation. If local governments ban outdoor personal cultivation, they will also not be eligible for any of the state grant money. This can be really good news for people who are not medical marijuana patients and can only grow six plants. Growing six plants indoors won’t get you much pot, but growing six plants outdoors can get you pounds of pot.

Unfortunately, all those carrots don’t seem to be enough to get a lot of local elected officials to overcome 80 years of reefer madness. Marijuana advocates need as many arrows in their quiver as possible and California’s Democratic Party has given them a new and powerful arrow to encourage implementation rather than bans.

As a member of the Executive Board of the California Democratic Party and elected member of the Party’s State Central Committee, I can introduce planks and resolutions that if enacted become policy for the Democratic Party and elected Democratic officials on both the federal, state and local levels.

I have introduced a number of planks and resolutions including a plank in the 2014 Party platform calling for the legalization of marijuana. The adoption of the plank paved the way for the Party to actively support Prop. 64 in 2016 which played a crucial role in its resounding success.

The inclusion of a plank supporting legalization in the Party platform made it possible for many Democratic elected officials to support Prop. 64 who otherwise would have been reluctant to publicly support it. When something becomes Party policy, whether it is single-payer health care, immigration reform or marijuana legalization, Democratic elected officials are supposed to not just support it, but too actively develop programs to make it happen.

At the Nov. 17 – 19 California Democratic Party Executive Board meeting, I introduced a resolution calling on the California Democratic Party to encourage “ counties and cities to cease banning and to enact ordinances regulating the commercial cultivation, manufacture and sale of cannabis.”

The resolution was passed unanimously and is now the official policy of the California Democratic Party. If you live in a city or county that has banned implementation of Prop. 64’s commercial marijuana production provisions, you can inform your local elected Democratic officials that banning goes against Party policy and that they should be implementing regulations allowing commercial marijuana businesses. If the taxes to be made were not enough to move them in the right direction, this new policy directive from the state Party might do it.

The California Democratic Party is the largest state political party in the U.S. and controls the government of the 6th largest economy in the world. It has CLOUT. Since the state and local county Democratic Parties help many candidates with their campaigns both in financing and securing volunteers, many Democratic office holders pay close attention to policies favored by the Party.

Of course if you don’t have any elected Democrats on your local governing boards, then it won’t do much good. Maybe you can try to get the California Republican Party to pass a similar resolution, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

If commercial marijuana businesses are banned where you live and you want to see that ban repealed and regulations enacted that allow commercial businesses, there are far more arguments on your side now then on those opposing commercial businesses.

You just need to leverage those advantages with your local elected officials. I would be delighted to provide you with information on how to do that and help you in any way that I can to stop banning and start implementing in your communities. Feel free to contact me at any time by calling 760-799-2055 or sending an email to [email protected].

GEORGIA
ON MY MIND

Marijuana in the Bible Belt

When it comes to marijuana, living in the south can be very dangerous. Georgia reflects that danger but change is afoot as Atlanta GA decriminalized marijuana possession in October 2017. Leading the charge to reform Georgia's draconian marijuana laws is Peachtree NORML battling for common sense marijuana laws where few dare to tread.

Dean Sines is the fearless Deputy Director of Peachtree NORML and has been involved for years working to end marijuana prohibition. On this special segment of Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense, Dean speaks out about the current law in GA today, the political environment regarding changing the law, NORML's role in Atlanta's recent decriminalization of marijuana, the ease of finding and the quality of marijuana in Georgia, what is being done to change the law, what Peachtree NORML is up to and a few more intriguing tidbits about life in the deep south.

Listen to the award winning podcast of Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense at www.blogtalkradio.com/marijuananews and find out how marijuana legalization is changing the political landscape in the south and is helping bridge the cultural gap between north and south. It’s on right now –  CLICK HERE to listen.

DECEMBER
MAPP MEETINGS

Looking Back - Looking Ahead

Join us for our last MAPP meeting of the year for a round-up of what happened in 2017 including a look at the one year anniversary of California's foray into marijuana legalization.  Of special interest will be a look ahead as to what is in store for 2018. As you can tell from this newsletter, a main emphasis in 2018 will be to get local governments to implement the provisions of Prop. 64 which allow for commercial cannabis businesses whether it be cultivation, manufacturing or distribution.

Join us at one of our meetings to celebrate the advances in 2017 and help set the agenda for 2018.

Saturday, Dec. 2 at 12 noon - Palm Springs/Coachella Valley meeting. There will be discussion of Palm Springs’ recent actions regulating marijuana including regulating on-site consumption. Meeting held at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon Dr., downtown Palm Springs 92262.

Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. - Joshua Tree/Morongo Valley meeting. Information on the Yucca Valley marijuana initiative. Meeting held at the fabulous Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree 92252

Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. – Moreno Valley/Western IE MAPP meeting - Greenview Medical, 22275 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Milk, cookies and camaraderie at all three meetings.

There is so much to do to protect our
rights to access marijuana and we
could use a little help from our friends.
Become a friend and
hang out at our 420 Club

Donate $4.20/month
CLICK HERE TO JOIN

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION

If you are reading this, others are too!
Support our efforts and your business
by advertising on our radio show and our newsletter.
Rates so low that if we could afford an attorney,
they would not allow us to publicize them.
For rates and other info,
send an email to:
[email protected]
or
call 760-799-2055

Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project
http://www.marijuananews.org/

#marijuana  #marijuananews  #marijuanalegalization  #marijuanacultivation  #marijuanafundraiser  #cannabis  #medicalmarijuana  #MAPP  #marijuanaantiprohibitionproject  #marijuanataxes #drugpolicyreform #drugpolicyalliance #michellealexander #drugwar #warondrugs #growingmarijuana #outdoormarijuana #prop64