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THE STATE

LAWSUITS TARGET LOS ANGELES’ LOTTERY PLANS

Two lawsuits are targeting Los Angeles latest plans to use a lottery process to decide which dispensaries will be allowed to operate within city limits. In all, 21 dispensaries are suing the city and fighting it

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THE STATE

LAWSUITS TARGET LOS ANGELES’ LOTTERY PLANS

Two lawsuits are targeting Los Angeles latest plans to use a lottery process to decide which dispensaries will be allowed to operate within city limits. In all, 21 dispensaries are suing the city and fighting its plans to rely on a random drawing of 100 dispensaries. A third lawsuit is expected. The city has accepted lottery applications from 231 dispensaries and ordered 206 others to close. Opponents have described the lottery as “discriminatory, arbitrary, capricious, confiscatory and oppressive,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

 

ONE-HIT WONDER RAPPER SUED ON 420

Because I got . . .  sued? Afroman, the one-hit wonder behind the song “Because I Got High,” was sued last month for allegedly failing to perform at an agreed-upon concert in Ohio. The concert promoter is seeking to recover the $1,000 deposit Afroman (real name: Joseph Edgar Foreman) was paid for the performance as well as promotional expenses, lost profits and the cost of ticket refunds.

 

LAGUNA COUNCILMAN VOTES AGAINST BAN

The Laguna City Council last month voted to ban collectives—though one elected official voted against it, according to The Orange County Register. Councilman Robert Ming said the city needs to take more time to consider treating dispensaries like pharmacies. One idea would involve issuing dispensary permits and requiring audits, security and record-keeping.

“There are far more addictive drugs and far more powerful drugs that you can get at a pharmacy,” Ming told the Register.

 

THE NATION

 

MONTEL WILLIAMS’ POSSESSION CHARGE DROPPED

Montel Williams, a supporter of medical marijuana and a longtime patient himself, was charged for possession in January when airport authorities in Milwaukee found a marijuana pipe in his luggage. Last month, charges were dropped after the pipe tested negative for cannabis. Williams, who uses marijuana to treat chronic pain due to multiple sclerosis, apologized and insists he was not trying to make a statement, saying that he simply forgot the pipe was in his bag.

 

GEORGIA FINALLY KICKS OFF MMJ RESEARCH

Georgia has finally began to implement its Medical Marijuana Necessities Act of 1981, which will establish procedures and a medical board. Patients can soon be prescribed medical marijuana as part of clinical research trials. The law, which was de-funded in the Reagan era, outlines statewide investigational studies, protocols and guidelines for those studies, and will apply to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for the receipt of marijuana, but does not state how the findings will be used.

 

WASHINGTON OVERHAULS ITS CANNABIS LAWS

Washington state has passed a measure that would for the first time protect patients from being arrested and create a system for licensing storefront dispensaries and grow operations despite a veto threat by the governor. Gov. Chris Gregoire argued that the licensing scheme would cause state workers to be held liable for violating federal law, while supporters insist that it would remedy uneven treatment dispensaries and patients have received from law enforcement and other officials. Gregoire said that she will review the bill to see if she can sign off on anything that won’t jeopardize state workers.

 

COLORADO COACH FIRED FOR MEDICATING

A Colorado cancer patient who uses medical marijuana was fired from his volunteer coaching position, according to The Colorado Independent. The patient, Jay Sanner, has used cannabis since 2002 because the painkillers he had previously been using to treat pain from a broken back were causing dangerous side effects, such as impacting his liver. Sanner also underwent surgery recently to treat his colon cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy and continues to use marijuana.

 

THE WORLD

ONTARIO COURT REJECTS CANADA’S MMJ LAWS

An Ontario court found that the country’s medical marijuana program is failing to provide access to the drug for those who need it, and thus has struck down Canada’s laws against possessing and growing cannabis. The federal government now has 90 days, from the initial ruling, to launch an appeal or change its regulations to fix the problems the court found. If the federal government fails to improve its system of licensing, marijuana will be legal to use and grow for any purpose.

 

GERMANY ANNOUNCES LEGALIZATION

The German health ministry has announced plans to legalize medical marijuana. Health Minister Philipp Roesler said that the plan could be carried out by a simple change in policy and that no change in German law was necessary. Compared to other European countries, Roesler believes that the process in Germany could go quickly. This will allow prescriptions for medical marijuana to be prescribed to seriously ill patients.

 

IRELAND CONSIDERS PLANS TO ALLOW MEDS

Reports released by Ireland’s Department of Health indicate that the country could adopt certain parts of the Schengen Agreement—a European accord that removes internal borders within most European states—which would allow people to bring prescribed medical marijuana into the country. As of yet, Ireland and the U.K. are not apart of the agreement. The Department says that it would examine making such agreements later in the year.

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