NORML Canada: September 2013 Newsletter
Greetings Cannabis Law Reform Community In this month’s newsletter: 1. US Dept. of Justice Signals Green on State Regulation of Cannabis 3. Health Canada Licenses Prairie Plant Systems Inc. and CanniMed Ltd. to produce medical cannabis US Dept. of Justice Signals Green on State Regulation of Cannabis
Although it is possible that a future White House will reverse this decision, August 29, 2013 might be the day the war on drugs began to end. Unknown, at this time, are practical issues concerning how this decision actually plays out on the streets of Colorado and Washington. In testimony before Congress, Mr. Cole argued that “a robust system [of state-managed regulation] may affirmatively address those [eight] federal priorities … replacing an illicit marijuana trade that funds criminal enterprises with a tightly regulated market in which revenues are tracked and accounted for.”
The District of Columbia (aka Washington, DC, the hub of the global war on drugs) has a legalization bill before its legislature
While D.C. Council members have demonstrated broad support for decriminalization of possession, not so for legalization. The decriminalization bill before council would make possession of an ounce or less a civil violation punishable by a $100 fine and require forfeiture. Excluding Colorado and Washington, 15 states have some form of marijuana decriminalization on the books — but no single standard exists. While passage of a decriminalization bill seems assured in the District, activists are mixed in their support of legalization efforts with some worried that by pushing the envelope the city could set itself back in the long run.
Health Canada Licenses Prairie Plant Systems Inc. and CanniMed Ltd. to produce medical cannabis
On the other hand, there is good reason to hold the applause. Having no access to the engine room of the regulations to which PPS and CM are subject, it’s too soon to know whether the end result will be a product that users will actually benefit from. Are these regulations intended to meet the needs of users or producers? There is good reason to be skeptical based on past behaviour from this government and the previous Liberal government. The licensing of commercial producers brings us one step closer to the end of personal growing which officially ends on April 1, 2014. If you are not happy with your medical grow rights being taken away please contact MMARCoalitionAgainstRepeal.com.
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