Marijuana Blog

The California Supreme Court will rule Monday, May 6 on a Riverside case that will decide whether local governments can ban storefront medical marijuana dispensaries.

 

The ruling will decide whether cities and counties that have banned medical marijuana clinics through zoning ordinances are on solid legal ground, or whether they have overreached by blocking a way to purchase marijuana for use that is permitted by state law.

 

There are an estimated 200 local bans statewide on medical marijuana stores.

 

Inland governments that prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries include Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the cities of Riverside, San Bernardino, Hemet, Redlands, San Jacinto, Corona, Norco, Murrieta, Temecula and Moreno Valley.

 

The Supreme Court's review of the case followed conflicting opinions in lower courts.

 

Read more: http://www.pe.com

In federal court this morning, prosecutors filed three asset forfeiture lawsuits against properties in Santa Ana where a total of seven marijuana stores are currently operating. Authorities also executed federal search warrants at two of the stores involved in the asset forfeiture actions. Additionally, prosecutors sent warning letters to people associated with 56 other stores not involved in the forfeiture actions. The federal actions involve all known marijuana stores in the City of Santa Ana.

 

The federal actions in Santa Ana were done in cooperation with the Santa Ana Police Department and the Santa Ana City Attorney’s Office.

 

The three civil asset forfeiture complaints filed this morning in United States District Court target three properties in Santa Ana where seven marijuana stores are currently operating. The civil lawsuits state: “Under federal law, the distribution of marijuana (a Schedule I controlled substance under Title 21) is prohibited except under very limited circumstances not applicable here. The government is informed and believes that at all times relevant to this complaint, the operation of the [marijuana stores] on the defendant property was not (and is not) permitted under California law.”

 

Read more: http://health.groups.yahoo.com

The proposed Illinois medical marijuana program is not what you think it is. Lawmakers, policy experts, patients and advocates joined together to create legislation, although restrictive, that allows residents safe and legal access to medical marijuana. The four-year Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program will be self-sustained - not generating any revenue.

 

“We want the best marijuana program in the nation,” said Mike Graham, an Illinois resident who uses medicinal marijuana to treat severe pain caused by a degenerative disc disorder. “The way the bill is set up, we want a clear black and white picture of what the program is.”

 

Graham said that marijuana, which is still illegal in Illinois, gave him a better quality of life and while he advocates its use, he wants a tightly controlled program so the drug doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

 

“We don’t want this getting to kids on the playground,” said Graham. “We just want to sick people to have safe afford access to a product that improves quality of life.”

 

Read more: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu