Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Baker Institute, Rice University (Houston, Texas)

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana programs, but they differ widely on such matters as the range of conditions qualifying for treatment, the ease of obtaining permits for use, and the right to grow one’s own medical marijuana.

This discussion of the therapeutic promise and legislative possibility for medical marijuana in Texas will feature an experienced legal grower and dispensary operator from New Mexico, a physician, a Baker Institute drug policy expert, a veteran Texas legislator, and current user and non-user advocates and activists.

SPEAKERS

Terri Davis Carriker
Advocate for Families of Children With Epilepsy

Amy Lou Fawell
President, Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana For Autism (MAMMA)

Vincent Lopez
Director of Patient Outreach, Texas Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
Founder, Patient Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics

William Martin, Ph.D.
Director, Drug Policy Program, Baker Institute

Leslie Grady McAhren
Executive Director and Director of Research, CG Corrigan

The Honorable Elliott Naishtat
Texas State Representative, District 49

Katharine A. Neill, Ph.D.
Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy, Baker Institute

Jeronimo Saldana
Coordinator, Movement Building Team, Drug Policy Alliance

Neeraj Shah, M.D.
Physician, Seton Medical Center

Marijuana reform in Texas has been a long time coming, but as the end of this momentous year in cannabis legalization draws to a close, it is now on the legislative road map of reform, potentially as soon as 2015. The State Legislature plans to take up decriminalization in January, on the heels of states around states around the country that will be getting serious about implementing new voter driven laws post November.

Click here to read more: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/texas-puts-marijuana-reform-on-legislative-agenda-for-2015

A move to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana emerged Wednesday as a major issue in the contentious race for Harris County District attorney with both candidates claiming ownership of the idea. At a news conference, Republican Devon Anderson, the incumbent, said that beginning Monday, non-violent first offenders carrying less than 2 ounces of marijuana will be able to escape prosecution by performing eight hours of community service or going through a drug awareness class.

“We are targeting the people we believe are self-correcting and will be ‘scared straight’ by being handcuffed and transported,” Anderson said. “Our goal is to keep these individuals from entering the revolving door of the criminal justice system.”

The announcement, a month before Anderson faces Democrat Kim Ogg in November’s election for district attorney, brought harangues from the challenger who in August announced her idea for dealing with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Read more here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/First-offenders-could-get-a-pass-on-pot-5794016.php#photo-6938538

By: Roger M. Jones
Dallas News
09/16/2014

“[Would you support legislation to eliminate jail time for small amounts of marijuana?]

“Yes, I would. The time has come for us to do this and take a thoughtful approach. And so what you’ll see me do if I have the privilege of being re-elected by the people of Denton County in November, and the Speaker would continue to have me as his corrections chairman, I think you’ll see me work with the right and the left, which is kind of interesting that they’re coming together on this topic — the experts on both sides, to take action in these areas.

“…we’re as tough on crime as we’ve ever been. We’re also being more intelligent on crime, and, I think, doing the right thing for taxpayers, protecting families and providing counseling and rehabilitative services, which are so critical, as opposed to spending time in a jail cell.”

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By: Matt Ferner
09/08/2014

In a report to be released Tuesday, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, a panel of prominent political figures and activists, will call upon governments around the world to decriminalize drug use and legalize marijuana.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/global-drug-policy_n_5773994.html

By R. Scott Rappold
04/02/2014
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

A majority of doctors say that medical marijuana should be legalized nationally and that it can deliver real benefits to patients, a new survey by WebMD/Medscape finds.

WebMD’s web site for health professionals surveyed 1,544 doctors as more than 10 states consider bills to legalize medical marijuana. It is already legal in 21 states and Washington, DC.

The survey found solid support for those legalization efforts, with most doctors saying medical marijuana should be legal in their states. They agreed that medical marijuana should be an option for patients. The survey included doctors from more than 12 specialties and 48 states.

Read more at: http://www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/marijuana-on-main-street/20140225/webmd-marijuana-survey-web

Posted: 28 Jul 2014 03:45 PM PDT

The New York Times — the “national newspaper of record” — published a historic editorial this weekend calling for an end to marijuana prohibition! Read it here and share it with your friends.

JOSHUA FECHTER : JUNE 30, 2014 : Updated: June 30, 2014 5:37pm

AUSTIN — A national marijuana group is ramping up efforts to ease penalties for marijuana users in Texas and create a pathway to legalizing the drug statewide by 2019.

Heather Fazio, political director for the Marijuana Policy Project’s Texas arm, said the organization is drafting three bills to pitch to state legislators that would create legal protections for medical marijuana usage for patients and allow the drug to be taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol.

The focus comes after Colorado and Washington lifted state prohibitions on pot and legalized it for personal use for adults 21 and over.

Fazio called Texas “a critical state in the movement to repeal marijuana prohibition in America.”

“We are ramping up our efforts in light of what happened in those two states and that a growing number of Texans for in favor of legalizing marijuana and making it available to adults, just like alcohol,” Fazio said.

But, those efforts face an uphill climb in a deeply conservative state where lawmakers may be wary of the effects of legalization.

“The hard part is stepping away from this culture of fear, of being afraid to talk about this issue,” Fazio said.

Hope may lie in Texas’ right-wing insurgents who decry perceived federal overreach in areas deemed private, Fazio said, citing remarks by Gov. Rick Perry at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year that he’s for the decriminalization of marijuana use, but not legalization.

“As governor, I have begun to implement policies that start us toward a decriminalization” by introducing alternative “drug courts” that provide treatment and softer penalties for minor offenses, Perry said.

But, Texas Republicans rejected adding medical marijuana to their party platform during their convention in early June.

Matt Mackowiak, an Austin-based Republican consultant, said he doesn’t foresee sweeping marijuana legislation passing during the 2015 legislative session — especially with pressing issues such as the budget, water and transportation likely to suck up much of the session’s oxygen.

However, Mackowiak said he wouldn’t rule out a smaller move toward decriminalization making its way through the Legislature. But, that relies on lawmakers’ willingness to take up the topic.

“I don’t know that that risk vs. reward calculation ended up being in favor of taking action on marijuana,” Mackowiak said.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/politics/article/National-marijuana-group-eyes-legalization-in-5590729.php

The results are in. More than 11,000 sworn LEOs took time out of their busy schedules to tell us what they think about America’s fast-changing drug policy. The survey offers an excellent opportunity for the people on the front lines enforcing our drug laws to weigh in on the effect and effectiveness of those laws. We at Law Officer hope that these results will be of interest to policy makers and the general public as the nation arrives at a cohesive, sane and workable drug policy.

Perhaps the statistic that will be most striking to many readers is the fact that 36% of respondents think that marijuana should be legalized, with an additional 11% saying it should be legal with a doctor’s prescription. In other words, nearly half of all respondents think marijuana should be legalized in some proscribed capacity. But respondents were also clear that this is not a panacea. They foresee increases in addiction (61%), impaired driving (76%) and domestic violence (57%) as a result of legalization or decriminalization of drugs. Meanwhile, a recent nationwide poll conducted by the Associated Press reveals that approximately 75% of Americans think that marijuana legalization seems inevitable, whether they support it or not.

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