Month: August 2016

The Arizona Supreme Court has put the final nail in the coffin (to state a cliche) of those trying to prevent a cannabis legalization initiative (Proposition 205) from being voting on this November. The highest court rejected a lawsuit by Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy calling on the initiative to be removed from the November ballot.

According to opponents of the measure, it should be removed from the 2016 general election ballot because petitions that were signed by voters left out provisions, had a misleading title, and proponents allegedly failed to be transparent about revenue sources. The court rejected all of these complaints, stating that the group behind the initiative did everything legal in gathering enough signatures to make the ballot.

The initiative, which would legalize the possession, personal cultivation and licensed distribution of cannabis, will be voting on November 8th. Voters in Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts and California will be voting on legalization the same day.

The post Arizona Supreme Court Rules Cannabis Legalization Initiative Will Be On November Ballot appeared first on TheJointBlog.

New York’s Health Department has announced that the state’s medical cannabis program will soon be expanded to allow nurses to recommend the medicine, and to allow dispensaries to deliver it.

Under current law only physicians can recommend medical cannabis to patients, but only around 600 of roughly 80,000 physicians in the state have begun recommending the medicine to their patients. The expansion is meant to make it easier for people who could use cannabis to have it recommended to them by allowing nurses to recommend it; this will take effect after a 45-day comment period.

The the expansion also allows dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis to patients; the state plans to send a letter to dispensaries within a week telling them that they must soon start delivering to patients who can’t leave their homes. Deliveries are expected deliveries are expected to start by the end of September.

The Health Department is also considering adding chronic pain as a medical cannabis conditions and greatly expanding the number of dispensaries allowed throughout the state.

The post NY Expanding Medical Cannabis Program: Nurses to Recommend, Dispensaries to Deliver appeared first on TheJointBlog.

By Monterey Bud, Marijuana.com

Purportedly reducing penalties for both marijuana and meth possession by the end of the year, Thailand’s officials are apparently cognizant of their constituents’ passion for marijuana reform — a recent poll showed the majority of respondents believe the Thai government should legalize marijuana.

Polled on whether or not marijuana should be legalized in the beautiful Southeast Asian country made famous by its tropical beaches, ornate temples, and love of Buddha, 80.31% of those surveyed answered with a resounding “Yes, I believe it should be legalized for both medicinal and recreational uses;” conversely, 13.23% felt marijuana should only be legalized for the sick and suffering, and only 6.46% felt that keeping marijuana illegal was the best path forward.

Smelling the political and ideological shift in international marijuana reform, Bangkok’s officials announced today that “penalties and restrictions on marijuana and methamphetamine will be relaxed by year’s end,” according to online sources.

Also on the short list to be rescheduled — hemp. After reviewing the economic benefits of reclassifying hemp, Sirinya Sitdhichai, director of the Narcotics Control Board, noted that “hemp and marijuana will undergo reclassification first…followed by meth.”

In an attempt at keeping Thailand current with the fast-changing attitudes around the globe, Justice Minister Paiboon Khumchaya explained, “I have told relevant agencies to study and draft reclassification of many types of drugs, for the sake of appropriateness and compliance with [the] worldwide situation of narcotics.”

Currently, those caught in Thailand with even a minimal amount of ganja can expect to face a harsh reality:

• For minor use of marijuana, the maximum sentence is up to 1 year in prison and/or a fine of up to $290.

• For possession of up to 10kg, the maximum sentence is 5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,445.

• For possession of 10kg or more, this is considered as possession with intent to sell, the sentence can range from 2 – 15 years in prison, and/or include a fine of $580 to $4,400. Charges can also be levied for amounts of 10kg or more for the intent to produce, import or export cannabis.

While it’s great to travel the world and see the sights, it pays serious dividends to understand the different countries marijuana laws before heading abroad.

The post New Survey Shows 80% in Thailand Support Legalizing Cannabis for All Uses appeared first on TheJointBlog.