• Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1103 -- 7/14/20 Table Of Contents with Live

    From Bobbie Sellers@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 14 10:16:32 2020
    XPost: alt.drugs.psychedelics, alt.drugs.pot, alt.hemp.politics

    Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1103 -- 7/14/20
    Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1103

    A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
    David Borden, Executive Director, borden@drcnet.org
    "Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

    PLEASE SUPPORT THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A RECURRING OR ONE-TIME DONATION: https://stopthedrugwar.org/donate

    Table of Contents:

    1. DRUG REFORM INITIATIVES ALREADY ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND THOSE THAT
    COULD STILL MAKE THE CUT [FEATURE]
    Drug decriminalization, marijuana legalization, medical marijuana, and psychedelic reform initiatives have all already qualified for the ballot
    this year, and more still may. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/14/drug_reform_initiatives_already

    2. EVENT: NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT: DRUG POLICY REFORM IS MORE URGENT
    THAN EVER
    Please join our online event at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, Wednesday July 8th, noon-1:30pm ET. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/07/event_no_time_present_drug

    3. THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
    Hoo, boy! Highway patrolmen cooking up 'shrooms, district judges tipping
    off friends and messing up drug investigations, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/14/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories

    4. OR DRUG DECRIM WILL GO TO VOTERS, VA MARIJUANA DECRIM NOW IN EFFECT,
    MORE... (7/1/20)
    The Old Dominion decriminalizes pot possession, Oregon will vote on decriminalizing all drugs, drug overdoses are jumping during the
    pandemic, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/01/or_drug_decrim_will_go_voters_va

    5. NASHVILLE TO END SMALL-TIME POT PROSECUTIONS, MORE COPS CHARGED IN
    WAKE OF FATAL HOUSTON DRUG RAID, MORE... (7/2/20)
    Drug reform initiative campaigns are handing in signatures as deadlines approach, Nashville's DA says no more petty pot prosecutions, Mexican
    gunmen kill 24 in a raid on a drug rehab center, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/02/nashville_end_smalltime_pot

    6. AUSTIN POLICE TO END MINOR MJ BUSTS, SOUTHERN CA DAS LET 100,000 MJ CONVICTIONS BE CLEARED, MORE... (7/3/20)
    The capital of Texas gives up on enforcing minor marijuana possession
    offenses, Virginia Democratic lawmakers are eyeing legalization next
    year, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/03/austin_police_end_minor_mj_busts

    7. ARKANSAS MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION INITIATIVE WON'T MAKE BALLOT, MORE
    MEXICO MAYHEM, MORE... (7/6/20)
    Nevada's governor pushes for wholesale marijuana possession pardons, prohibition-related violence flares in Mexico, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/06/arkansas_marijuana_legalization

    8. HOUSE SPENDING BILLS INCLUDE MEDMJ PROTECTIONS, DC PSYCHEDELIC
    INITIATIVE HANDS IN SIGNATURES, MORE... (7/7/20)
    Mexico once again looks set to move forward with medical marijuana,
    House funding bills include protections for medical marijuana -- but not recreational marijuana -- and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/07/house_spending_bills_include

    9. DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM TO CALL FOR RESCHEDULING AND DECRIMINALIZING
    MARIJUANA BUT NOT LEGALIZING, CANADA POLICE CHIEFS WANT DRUG DECRIM,
    MORE... (7/13/20)
    Democratic task forces working on the party platform have settled on rescheduling and decriminalizing marijuana but not legalizing, the
    Justice Department rips a Massachusetts dope squad for its resort to
    excessive force, Canadian police chiefs call for drug decriminalization,
    and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/13/democratic_platform_call

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    ================

    1. DRUG REFORM INITIATIVES ALREADY ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND THOSE THAT
    COULD STILL MAKE THE CUT [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/jul/14/drug_reform_initiatives_already

    With signature-gathering deadlines now past nearly everywhere, the
    picture of where voters will have a chance to vote on drug reform
    initiatives becomes clearer -- although not yet finalized because state officials are still counting petitions in some cases. Marijuana
    legalization will be on the ballot in at least two states and as many as
    four states and ditto for medical marijuana. Groundbreaking initiatives
    on psychedelic policy and drug decriminalization will also go before voters.

    In a handful of cases, statewide initiative campaigns had qualified
    before the coronavirus reared its head, but most campaigns had to
    struggle to find ways to get signatures in the midst of virtual
    lockdowns. The virus proved particularly lethal to marijuana
    legalization efforts in the Heartland as initiative campaigns in
    Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Oklahoma all succumbed.
    It also helped fell a Washington state drug decriminalization campaign,
    with organizers there opting instead to go the legislative route.

    But in some other states, organizers managed to overcome such obstacles
    and have -- as of this writing -- either already qualified for the
    ballot or have handed in enough raw signatures to suggest that they well
    could qualify once state officials get their counting done.

    Here's where things stand at this juncture.

    QUALIFIED:

    Mississippi -- Medical Marijuana. Ballot Initiative 65 (https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections/initiatives/InitiativeInfo.aspx?IId=65) qualified for the November ballot before the pandemic hit. If approved,
    it would allow patients with any of 22 specified medical conditions to
    possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.

    New Jersey -- Marijuana Legalization. A constitutional amendment (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/SCR/183_I1.PDF) to legalize
    marijuana was already on the ballot before the pandemic hit. It would
    legalize the possession, cultivation, processing, transport, and
    distribution of marijuana under the purview of the already-existing
    Cannabis Regulatory Commission, with sales subject to the state's sales
    tax. This is not a citizens' initiative -- the state doesn't have those
    -- but a legislative one. After the governor and the legislature
    couldn't manage to come to agreement on a legalization bill last year,
    the state's elected officials punted, instead passing a resolution in
    December that refers the question to the state's voters.

    Oregon -- Drug Decriminalization. For the first time, drug
    decriminalization will go before voters after the Drug Addiction
    Treatment and Recovery Act (http://egov.sos.state.or.us/elec/web_irr_search.record_detail?p_reference=20200044..LSCYYYTREATMENT)
    (IP44) qualified for the November ballot. The initiative would
    decriminalize the possession of personal use amounts of drugs and
    channel marijuana tax revenues into drug treatment.

    Oregon -- Therapeutic Psilocybin. Using an online signature-gathering
    strategy after pandemic lockdowns took effect, the campaign behind
    Initiative Petition 34 (https://yesonip34.org), which would legalize
    psilocybin to use for therapeutic purposes in a controlled setting with
    a licensed facilitator qualified for the November ballot in early July.

    South Dakota -- Marijuana Legalization. With support from the Marijuana
    Policy Project and the New Approach PAC, Constitutional Amendment A (https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/assets/2020_CA_LegalizeMarijuana_Petition.pdf)
    has qualified for the November ballot before the pandemic hit. It would legalize the personal possession of up to an ounce and the cultivation
    of up to three plants by adults, as well as setting up a system of taxed
    and regulated marijuana sales. The measure would also compel the
    legislature to come up with regulations for medical marijuana and hemp
    by 2022.

    South Dakota -- Medical Marijuana. Maybe the third time will be the
    charm. South Dakota is the only state to twice defeat medical marijuana initiatives, in 2006 and by an even bigger margin in 2010. Initiated
    Measure 26 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qbo3-t5u6xBFKosUvGjAEKW0n-6CWnXA/view), another New Approach-supported campaign, would allow patients from a
    list of qualifying conditions to possess up to three ounces and grow up
    to three plants, as well as create a system of dispensary sales.

    WAITING TO HEAR:

    Arizona -- Marijuana Legalization. Backers of the Smart and Safe Arizona
    Act (https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.44/t79.ef1.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2020-Initiative-Smart-Safe-Arizona.pdf)
    marijuana legalization initiative filed more than 420,000 raw signatures (https://norml.org/blog/2020/07/01/arizona-marijuana-legalization-proponents-turn-in-nearly-twice-the-signatures-required-to-qualify-for-2020-ballot/)
    with the secretary of state's office on July 2. It only needs 237,465
    valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The
    initiative would allow people 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, allow for cultivation, distribution, and retail sales, and
    use tax revenues from those sales to fund public education and public
    safety programs.

    District of Columbia -- Natural Entheogens. Decriminalize DC, the folks
    behind Initiative 81 (https://decrimnaturedc.org/initiative-81/), which
    would makes natural psychedelics law enforcement's lowest priority,
    handed in some 35,000 raw signatures (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dc-activists-submit-signatures-to-put-psychedelics-decriminalization-on-november-ballot/)
    on July 6, the deadline for submitting them. They need 24,712 valid
    voter signatures, and organizers say they have already independently
    verified they have 27,000 valid signatures. DC officials will rule
    officially in 30 days.

    Montana -- Marijuana Legalization.New Approach Montana, the group behind
    the I-190 marijuana legalization initiative (https://newapproachmt.org/initiatives) and the C-118 constitutional
    amendment (https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/cannabis-campaign-submits-legalization-drafts-for-ballot/article_50526692-712a-540b-b88f-8bb516310471.html)
    to set the legal age for marijuana at 21, turned in more than 52,000 raw signatures (https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/marijuana-campaign-130k-signed-to-legalize/article_99a50551-cee8-5d36-98b9-79a5f5e6562e.html)
    for the initiative (it needs 25,000 valid voter signatures) and 80,000 signatures for the amendment (it needs 50,000 valid voter signatures) on
    June 19. Now it's nail-biting time as organizers wait for the state to
    see if they came up with enough good ones.

    Nebraska -- Medical Marijuana. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the
    group behind the state's proposed medical marijuana initiative (https://idahopoliticsweekly.com/politics/2532-idahoans-support-medical-but-not-recreational-marijuana),
    handed in some 182,000 raw signatures (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nebraska-medical-marijuana-campaign-submits-182000-signatures-to-qualify-for-ballot/)
    on July 2. They need at least 121,669 valid voter signatures to qualify
    for the November ballot. The campaign must also meet a requirement that
    at least 5% of voters in at least 38 counties sign up.

    STILL GATHERING SIGNATURES:

    Idaho -- Medical Marijuana. The Idaho Cannabis Coalition had given up
    the ghost in the face of the coronavirus back in March, but its medical marijuana initiative
    (https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/inits/2020/MM_Final.pdf) has received an unexpected boost and could still make the ballot after federal court
    decisions around electronic signature-gathering for an unrelated
    initiative opened the door for a potential revival. Now, the group is
    asking the state to allow them to collect signatures electronically (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/idaho-medical-marijuana-activists-ask-state-for-electronic-signature-gathering-option-following-court-ruling/).
    They would still need some 55,057 valid voter signatures to qualify for
    the ballot.

    Come November, medical marijuana and marijuana legalization could
    continue to expand across the country, while we could also break new
    ground on drug decriminalization and psychedelics. Let's get out and
    vote. As if you needed to be told that this year.


    ================ ...
    ___________________

    It's time to correct the mistake:
    Truth:the Anti-drugwar
    <http://www.briancbennett.com>

    Cops say legalize drugs--find out why:
    <http://www.leap.cc>
    Stoners are people too:
    <http://www.cannabisconsumers.org>
    ___________________

    bliss -- Cacao Powered... (-SF4ever at DSLExtreme dot com)

    --
    bobbie sellers - a retired nurse in San Francisco

    "It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
    It is by the beans of cacao that the thoughts acquire speed,
    the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
    It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
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