XPost: alt.drugs.psychedelics, alt.drugs.pot, alt.hemp.politics

Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1205 -- 2/23/24
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1205

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

After 30 years we still have work left. Will you support it? https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2023/dec/21/what_are_we_after_30_years

Table of Contents:

1. GERMANY'S PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION TODAY [FEATURE]
There will be no commercial sales, but home cultivation and cannabis
social clubs will be permitted. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/german_parliament_passes_cannabis_legalization_bill

2. TOM COTTON FILES BILL TO "ELIMINATE THE JALISCO CARTEL LEADERSHIP"
[FEATURE]
Yet more bellicose posturing on drugs from the Grand Old Party. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/13/tom_cotton_files_bill_eliminate

3. MEDICAL MARIJUANA UPDATE
An Arkansas medical marijuana expansion initiative is cleared for signature-gathering, Wisconsin GOP lawmakers declare medical marijuana
is dead for the session, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/medical_marijuana_feb21_2024

4. THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
A Michigan narc developed a taste for the stuff he was supposed to be repressing, a San Diego detention deputy got caught with cocaine in his
car in the jail parking lot, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/14/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories

5. GERMANY POT LEGALIZATION ONE VOTE AWAY, SD BILL TO HIKE SENTENCES IN
FATAL ODS ADVANCES, MORE...(2/5/24)
The US and China form an official counternarcotics working group to deal
with fentanyl and its analogs, a Virginia bill to clear the way for
retail marijuana sales advances, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/05/germany_pot_legalization_one

6. MAGIC MUSHROOM BUSTS JUMP, "GAS STATION HEROIN" BRAND RECALLED,
MORE... (2/6/24)
Fifty members of Congress are worried that the Chinese Communist Party
is profiting from illegal weed grows, Pennsylvania's governor calls
(again) for marijuana legalization, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/06/magic_mushroom_busts_jump_gas

7. ID LAWMAKERS MOVE TO BAN WEED ADVERTISING, CA THERAPEUTIC PSYCHEDELIC
BILL FILED, MORE... (2/7/24)
The DEA settles with another opioid distributor, Oklahoma's Republican
governor calls for civil asset forfeiture reform, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/07/id_lawmakers_move_ban_weed

8. OR DRUG RECRIMINALIZATION DEBATE, AR MEDMJ ADVOCATES RESUBMIT BALLOT INITIATIVE, MORE... (2/8/24)
A South Carolina medical marijuana bill is back, an eighth Massachusetts municipality endorses psychedelic reform, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/08/or_drug_recriminalization_debate

9. SF MAYOR'S BID TO DRUG SCREEN WELFARE SEEKERS DRAWS OPPOSITION, PA
DRUG COURTS TO ALLOW OPIOID MEDS, MORE... (2/9/24)
A pair of Tennessee bills would allow voters to weigh in on marijuana
policy questions, the European Union gives the go-ahead for a
multi-national initiative campaign on medical marijuana and research,
and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/09/sf_mayors_bid_drug_screen

10. MA THERAPEUTIC PSILOCBYIN BILL ADVANCES, WA HOME GROW BILL DIES
WITHOUT A VOTE, MORE... (2/12/24)
Virginia lawmakers keep moving toward approving a legal marijuana
marketplace, Hawaii lawmakers now have a pair of complementary marijuana legalization bills to ponder, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/12/ma_therapeutic_psilocbyin_bill

11. NM THERAPEUTIC PSILOCYBIN RESOLUTION ADVANCES, PHILIPPINES MEDMJ
BILL ADVANCES, MORE... (2/13/24)
Battles over what to do with Oregon's drug decriminalization continue,
an Arizona bill ostensibly aimed at homelessness would heighten
penalties for some drug crimes and create a new offense, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/13/nm_therapeutic_psilocybin

12. HI LEGAL MARIJUANA BILL ADVANCES, SAN FRANCISCO VOTERS READY FOR
CRIME CRACKDOWN, MORE... (2/14/24)
Marijuana-related legislation is popping up at statehouses around the
country, North Carolina lawmakers ponder banning "gas station heroin,"
and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2024/feb/14/hi_legal_marijuana_bill_advances

13. NH MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL ADVANCES, ZELENSKY SIGNS UKRAINE
MEDMJ BILL, MORE... (2/15/24)
It's all marijuana policy today, from Madison and Phoenix to Bonn and Kyiv. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/cannabis_ukraine_germany_us

14. IL THERAPEUTIC PSILOCYBIN BILLS FILED, BOISE POLICE RAID HARM
REDUCTION OFFICES, MORE... (2/16/24)
South Dakota lawmakers remove job protections for medical marijuana
patients, Virginia lawmakers add them for state workers, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/harm_reduction_medical_marijuana_backward_forward

15. NEW YORK APPROVES DRAFT HOME GROW RULES, IDAHO RESORTS TO FENTANYL MANDATORY MINIMUMS, MORE... (2/20/24)
Bills addressing therapeutic psilocybin advance in Alaska and Hawaii,
Honduran forces destroy more coca plots, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/new_york_home_grow_fentanyl_mandatories

16. VA LAWMAKERS SEEK MJ SALES COMPROMISE, AR MEDMJ EXPANSION INIT
APPROVED FOR SIGNATURE-GATHERING, MORE... (2/21/24)
Arizona could be the next state to okay interstate commerce in
marijuana, the Idaho House approves a fentanyl test strip bill, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/arizona_cannabis_commerce_idaho_fentanyl_tests_more

17. JOB CORPS EASES RULES FOR MARIJUANA, OR DEMS AGREE TO DRUG
POSSESSION RECRIM, MORE... (2/22/24)
A Utah bill with powerful backers would punish cities who punish medical marijuana patients, a New Hampshire bill to legalize marijuana wins a
House floor vote, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/oregon_dems_drug_recrim_more

18. VETS' GROUPS URGE QUICK MARIJUANA RESCHEDULING, GERMAN PARLIMENT
VOTES TO LEGALIZE WEED, MORE... (2/23/24)
Lawmakers in Virginia are working toward a compromise on getting legal
retail sales going, prohibition-related violence flares in Mexico's
Guerrero state, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/vets_rescheduling_call_mexican_drug_war_violence_more

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1. GERMANY'S PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION TODAY [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/german_parliament_passes_cannabis_legalization_bill

(This article was updated following the Friday vote.)

Germany is on the cusp of legalizing marijuana, with the Bundestag
approving through a vote on Friday. It now has to pass the country's
Federal Council before becoming law.

The final bill is a watered-down version of the full commercial
legalization that was originally envisioned, and it comes after long
delays because of opposition from lawmakers inside the ruling "traffic
light" coalition government. (The "traffic light" comes from the
colors of the three parties in the coalition -- the Social Democrats
[red], the Free Democrats [yellow], and the Greens/Alliance 90
[green]).

The country could enter the era of
legal marijuana on April 1. According to the bill, as of that date,
adults will be able to carry up to 25 grams of weed and grow up to
three plants for their own use. Marijuana consumption will remain
forbidden for those under 18.

With no legal marijuana sales (for now), people who cannot grow their
own will have to resort to membership in nonprofit marijuana social
clubs or collectives. The social clubs, which will be limited to 500
members each, will be allowed to grow and distribute marijuana to
their members. But for people 18 to 21, that marijuana will be limited
to a THC potency of no more than 10 percent, far lower than what is commercially available in the United States, where kind bud has THC
levels in the 25-30 percent range.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has been spearheading efforts to get
the bill done. Lauterbach said Tuesday (https://www.marijuanamoment.net/multiple-german-parliament-committees-set-to-consider-marijuana-legalization-this-week-ahead-of-final-vote-on-friday/)
that the object of legalization was to weaken the black market, reduce prohibition-related crime, and protect consumers from contaminated
products.

"The likelihood that the black market for cannabis will significantly
shrink is very high," he said, citing the example of Canada and
studies that suggest that legalization will shrink the black market by two-thirds.

The legal marijuana system will reduce the role of criminals who
target children and teens, he added. "We can hope that with this law
we can end two-thirds of the black market, and in doing so we will
solve a big problem, because the black market cannabis is now on the
market in toxic concentrations that are very harmful. The criminal
dealers specifically try to get children and young people addicted and
then try to convert the users into other drugs… I believe that we
are taking an important step away from a failed cannabis policy."

The Bundestag had a busy final stretch, with eight different
parliamentary committees -- Finance; Health; Family, Seniors, Women,
and Youth; Nutrition and Agriculture; Education, Research and
Technology Assessment; Legal Affairs; Budget; and Transportation --
taking up the bill before the Friday vote.

Several of those committees will also heard an opposition motion from
the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU)
parliamentary faction.

But Lauterbach was confident. There will "definitely" be enough
support to get the bill enacted, he said. "The law will go through the Bundestag," he said. "There will definitely be an appropriate vote. We
will get through this."

While the Germans started out with a vision of legalization that
included commercial legalization, that excited strong opposition from
the European Union and from within Germany itself. Instead, the German
bill is now modeled after the legalization law approved in neighboring Luxembourg last year. There, each household can grow up to four
plants, but possession and consumption are restricted to the home.
People caught with small amounts of weed outside the home face a fine
of $157, but no criminal prosecution.

There was also language that would have allowed for pilot programs in commercialization in the German bill, but even that was removed from
the final bill. If Germany decides it is ready for full-blown
commercial legalization, that will have to come later. Assuming final enactment, for now it will be grow your own and cannabis co-ops.

================  ...


                                         ___________________

                                          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>
                                       ___________________

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--
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."
         --from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.

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