Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news - Tue, 07 Jul 2015 04:20:21 PST
Oregon: Law Takes Effect Permitting Adults To Consume Cannabis
Salem, OR: Legislation took effect on Wednesday permitting adults to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use.
Fifty-six percent of state voters approved Measure 91 in November, which allows those over the age of 21 to legally possess up to one ounce of cannabis and/or to engage in the non-commercial cultivation of up to four marijuana plants (yielding up to eight ounces of marijuana). The law also permits adults to possess up to a pound of cannabis-infused edibles, 72 ounces of cannabis-infused liquids, and/or one ounce of marijuana concentrates.
Separate regulations allowing for the licensed production and retail sale of cannabis to adults have yet to be finalized by lawmakers. Legislation is under consideration to permit adults to temporarily purchase cannabis from state-licensed medical dispensaries as soon as the fall.
State-licensed recreational retailers are not anticipated to be operational until mid-to-late 2016.
Oregon is the fourth state - joining Alaska, Colorado, and Washington - to permit adults to legally possess limited quantities of marijuana for their own personal use. The District of Columbia also allows adults to possess and grow marijuana legally. All of these measures were enacted by the passage of voter initiatives.
Louisiana: Marijuana Sentencing Reform Measure Signed Into Law
Baton Rogue, LA: Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal signed legislation this week significantly reducing criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses.
House Bill 149, which took effect upon signing, amends sentencing guidelines for repeat offenders. Under the previous law, second-time marijuana possession offenders faced up to five years of hard labor in prison. Third-time offenders faced up to 20 years hard labor in prison.
Under the revised law, two-time marijuana possession offenders face a maximum sentence of six-months in prison. Three-time offenders face a maximum sentence of two-years in prison. Those convicted of marijuana possession for a fourth time face up to eight years in prison.
The new law also reduces criminal penalties for first-time offenses involving the possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis from six months in jail to no more than 15 days. It also allows offenders to apply to have their record expunged if they are not convicted of a marijuana violation within two years of the first offense.
Governor Jindal also signed separate legislation, SB 143, amending the state's dormant Therapeutic Research Act. Specifically, the measure asks the state to adopt rules and regulations "relating to the dispensing of prescribed marijuana for therapeutic use" for patients with glaucoma, spastic quadriplegia, or who are undergoing cancer chemotherapy. However, because this language directly conflicts with federal regulations prohibiting doctors from ‘prescribing' schedule I controlled substances, it remains to be seen whether any licensed Louisiana physicians will agree to participate in the state's proposed program.
New Jersey: Statewide Poll Shows Majority Support For Legalizing Marijuana
New Brunswick, NJ: Nearly six out of ten New Jersey adults favor legalizing the use and sale of marijuana, according to the results of a recently released Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that they support "legalizing, taxing, and regulating marijuana for adults 21 and over." Thirty-nine percent of respondents oppose legalizing cannabis.
Support for legalization was highest among those age 18 to 34 (67 percent), Democrats (64 percent), and Independents (61 percent). Support was lowest among Republicans (41 percent) and those over the age of 65 (47 percent).
When respondents were asked if they supported regulating marijuana in the same manner as alcohol, support rose to sixty percent.
In a recent appearance on CBS's program Face the Nation, New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced that, if elected President, he would use the power of the federal government to prosecute marijuana-related activities in states that have legalized the plant.
Oregon: Governor Signs Law To Vacate Past Marijuana Convictions
Salem, OR: Democrat Gov. Kate Brown has signed legislation, Senate Bill 364 allowing for expungement of some past marijuana convictions.
The measure states, "When a person convicted of a marijuana offense based on conduct occurring before July 1, 2013, files a motion for a court order setting aside the conviction pursuant to ORS 137.225, the court shall consider the offense to be classified as under current law when determining if the person is eligible for the order."
The bill took effect immediately upon signing.
Voters in November approved a statewide ballot measure permitting adults to legally possess marijuana for their own personal use.
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