Potimus Prime

City council members of Pullman, Washington shall gather Tuesday, 08/22/2011, to discuss the topic of medical marijuana and the possibility of regulating newly approved “community gardens” that have been sprouting up all across the Evergreen State. In a recent (July 22) law change, patients in groups of up to 10 are allowed to join together and cultivate “community gardens” for the benefit of supplying themselves with medical marijuana.

Each garden would be limited to a maximum of 45 marijuana plants. The law also authorizes cities and counties to adopt zoning regulations, business licensing requirements, taxes and health and safety regulations related to these dispensaries.

Source: Standard Examiner

One week ago yesterday the Washington D.C. Department of Health issued a series of strict guidelines and strictures that govern the application process and even acts as an initial screening process.

Potential applicants must consider a detailed security plan and outline the entire cultivation, harvesting and storage processes; then they must submit these along with a $5,000 application fee, $2,500 of which is non-refundable. Applications received are run through a vigorous and meticulous screening process.

Last month, the health department rejected 31 letters of intent to apply for one of 10 cultivation licenses or five dispensary licenses because of errors as simple as forgetting to put down an email address. [...] Applicants also must heed the finer points of the process, such as making 10 printed copies and one electronic PDF of all application materials. [...] No one can “amend, add to, correct, revise, or supplement” an application after it is submitted, so the health department advises applicants to take heed of revised rules in the regulations posted Friday.

You can view more information about the Washington D.C. Medical Marijuana Program at the Health Regulation and Licensing Administration website.

In today’s special session at Connecticut’s Capitol, the Connecticut Senate passed legislation (SB 1014) which will decriminalize the possession of smaller amounts of cannabis.

In hopes of pushing it to the House by next Wednesday’s adjournment, Senate Bill 1014 was modified by proponents for the bill recently to increase the fines incurred and removing medical cultivation from the decriminalized items after it received heat from other Senators concerned about the implications of increased usage in minors as well as marijuana cultivation.

The bill would make possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana punishable with a fine of $150 for a first offense and $200 to $500 for subsequent offenses. Anyone under 21 years old would face a 60-day driver’s license suspension.

(Source: NBC Connecticut)

If State Legislature passes a bill sponsored by Tom Ammiano to reduce the criminal penalties for growing marijuana, California could see marijuana growing turned into a wobbler offense — giving district attorneys the choice to charge the offense as a misdemeanor or a felony. AB 1017 cleared committee on Wednesday (05/18/2011) and will see its way to the Assembly floor.

Patrick Goggin, a San Francisco lawyer who has worked on hemp legislation in Sacramento, said Ammiano’s bill has a good chance of passing through the assembly and the senate. The question will be whether Gov. Jerry Brown, who is close with the prison guards union, is willing to sign it, he said. (Source: The Bay Citizen)

California seems to be gung-ho for legalization, and they appear to be on the right tracks. With luck and perseverance, other states will soon follow suit in wake of the Golden State’s actions: reducing possession of marijuana (up to 1oz) penalties to an infraction that surmounts to a $100 ticket and cultivation to a possible misdemeanor.

Remember to let your Assembly Member know you support AB 1017!