Chronicle AM -- January 22, 2014

Marijuana, marijuana, marijuana. It sure is generating lots of activity, plus Chris Christie speaks out on the drug war, a major farm organization endorses hemp, and Honduras wants to shoot down drug planes. Let's get to it:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) wants to end the "failed war on drugs." (state.nj.us)

Philadelphia City Councilman Will Introduce Decriminalization Bill. City Councilman James Kenney said Tuesday he would introduce a bill that would end mandatory arrests for simple marijuana possession. The bill would allow police to issue a summons requiring a $200 fine and a three-hour drug abuse class instead of arresting violators. Philadelphia DA Seth Williams already doesn't prosecute such cases, instead sending offenders straight to class and giving them the fine. "If the DA is not going to prosecute, there's no reason to arrest," Kenney said.

Wisconsin Legislature Passes Bill to Let Localities Prosecute Marijuana Offenses Even if DAs Don't Want To. A bill, Assembly Bill 164, that would expand municipalities' ability to enforce local marijuana ordinances even if district attorneys decline to prosecute passed the state Assembly Tuesday. It already passed the state Senate last September.

Louisiana Legislators Hear Marijuana Legalization Pitch. Supporters of marijuana legalization told lawmakers Tuesday it could generate tax dollars, provide a cash crop for farmers, shrink jail populations, and bring relief to the sick. The testimony was part of a House Criminal Justice Committee study requested by Rep. Dalton Honore (D-Baton Rouge). No legalization bill has been proposed in Louisiana this year.

Legalization Efforts Coming to Three More Maine Cities. After successfully getting a local legalization initiative passed in Portland, the Marijuana Policy Project said Tuesday it will try to do the same thing in Lewiston, South Portland, and York. The group will attempt to put a marijuana legalization question on ballots in all three municipalities through local citizen petitions. The move is part of a larger effort to legalize marijuana statewide in Maine.

Montana Legalization Advocates Turn Eyes to 2016. Big Sky Country marijuana legalization advocates are halting efforts to put an initiative on the ballot this year, and are instead looking to do so in 2016. An initiative had already been filed and cleared for signature gathering, but "the timing wasn't right," said the Marijuana Policy Project.

Medical Marijuana

Illinois Issues Medical Marijuana Draft Rules, Gets Criticism. The Illinois Department of Public Health Tuesday issued draft rules for the state's medical marijuana program, which set a $150 fee to apply for a patient card, require fingerprinting at the patient's expense for a background check, and bar anyone with a drug felony from getting a card, among other things. Patient advocates criticized the lethargic timeline -- it could take up to a year for some patients to get cards -- the costs imposed on patients, and the background checks. The department is soliciting comment on the draft rules until February 14.

Chicago Ordinance Would Limit Dispensaries to Manufacturing Zones. A proposed ordinance (click on the link) supported by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Councilmember Edward Burke would restrict the locations of dispensaries in Chicago to manufacturing zones. The Marijuana Policy Project is calling on patients and supporters to attend a Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards tomorrow to speak out against the restrictive measure. The meeting starts at 10:00am at city council chambers.

North Carolina Poll Has Solid Majority for Medical Marijuana. A new Public Policy Polling survey sponsored by NORML has support for medical marijuana at 63%, up five points from last year. The poll also found support for legalization growing, but still a minority position. Some 42% of North Carolinians now support legalization, up from 39% last year.

New Mexico Doctor Sues Medical Marijuana Board Over Documentation Requirements, Conflict of Interest. A Santa Fe physician has filed a complaint against the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, claiming the agency exceeded its authority in requiring patient documentation beyond that required by state law and that the director of the board, Dr. Steven Rosenberg, has a conflict of interest because he reviews patient applications for his own practice.

Hemp

Farm Bureau Calls for Removal of Hemp from Controlled Substances List. At its annual convention in San Antonio last week, the American Farm Bureau Federation passed a policy resolution calling for the repeal of hemp's classification as a controlled substance. The Farm Bureau now joins a majority of leading farming organizations that support hemp farming, including the National Grange, the National Farmers Union, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Drug Policy

New Jersey Gov. Christie Calls for End to "Failed" Drug War. In his inaugural address Tuesday marking the beginning of his second term in office, New Jersey's embattled Gov. Chris Christie (R) said the war on drugs needs to end. "We will end the failed war on drugs that believes that incarceration is the cure of every ill caused by drug abuse," he said. "We will make drug treatment available to as many of our nonviolent offenders as we can and we will partner with our citizens to create a society that understands this simple truth: every life has value and no life is disposable."

International

Honduras Passes Law to Shoot Down Drug Planes. Honduran legislators late last week approved a bill that would allow the government to shoot down planes suspected of trafficking drugs. Under the bill, authorities would take progressively more forceful steps to make unidentified aircraft land, although with only the defense minister authorized to order a plane be shot down. The Honduran military shot two small planes in 2012 suspected of carrying drugs, and that led the US to suspend anti-drug radar support for about three months.