Pubdate: Wed, 07 Nov 2012
Source: Daily Helmsman, The (TN Edu)
Copyright: 2012 Daily Helmsman
Contact:  http://www.dailyhelmsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2828
Author: Michelle Corbet

REEFER-ENDUM MADNESS

Colorado and Washington will be on a Rocky Mountain high as 
recreational use of pot became legal in the two western states, but 
the possibility of the first southern state passing medical marijuana 
legislation went up in smoke for Arkansas.

Medicinal marijuana was almost a drive across the Memphis-Arkansas 
Memorial Bridge away, but Arkansas failed to pass the act with 51 
percent against it and 49 percent in favor.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act would have allowed doctors to 
certify patients with "qualifying medical condition[s]" to grow, 
possess and use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Chris Kell, campaign strategist for the main group advocating for the 
act, Arkansans for Compassionate Care, said since the act lost by a 
narrow margin, he's confident that with a stronger campaign, Arkansas 
will pass a medical marijuana referendum in the near future.

"The dividing line on the vote wasn't young versus old, conservative 
versus liberal aE& it was between people who had knowledge and people 
who were misinformed," Kell said. "It's about compassion. It's safer 
than most treatments and more effective."

Kell said over the past two years, as he worked to put the act on the 
ballot, he listened to countless stories of people who have benefited 
from the medical use of marijuana.

Arkansans for Compassionate Care used campaigns of state residents 
suffering from debilitating medical conditions that found relief 
through marijuana. Emily Williams, for instance, was diagnosed with 
lymphoma. The only way she could get through chemotherapy without 
vomiting and losing a dangerous amount of weight was through 
illegally obtaining marijuana from what she called her "Angels of Mercy."

The opposition came from the Physician Coalition Against Medical 
Marijuana, which worked to raise awareness about the dangers of 
legalizing medical marijuana, such as addiction, drugged driving and 
an increased use among teenagers.

Kell said he hopes the Senate and House of Representatives will pass 
the act in about four months at the upcoming Arkansas General 
Assembly. If not, his group will campaign again to pass it as an 
initiative, which will give the people another chance to vote.

Being the first southern state to pass medicinal marijuana 
legislation would make Arkansas an example for the rest of the 
nation, Kell said.

"We will tweak it a bit and set it as an example for the country and 
the rest of the world to pass this compassionate care issue," he said.

Colorado has had medicinal marijuana since 2000. This election, the 
state decided to make the drug available to everyone for recreational use.

Colorado Amendment 64 changes the state's constitution to legalize 
and regulate marijuana use for adults 21 and older, but Colorado Gov. 
John Hickenlooper advised citizens not to celebrate prematurely as 
federal law remains unchanged.

"The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," 
Hickenlooper said in a statement Tuesday night. "This will be a 
complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, 
federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break 
out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly."

The Drug Enforcement Administration released a statement Wednesday 
morning that said the DEA's "enforcement of the Controlled Substances 
Act remains unchanged."

"In enacting the Controlled Substances Act, Congress determined that 
marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance," the DEA press 
release states. "The Department of Justice is reviewing the ballot 
initiatives, and we have no additional comment at this time."

The DEA said "smoked marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no 
accepted medicinal value treatment in the U.S. and [there is] 
evidence that there is a general lack of accepted safety for its use 
even under medical supervision."

Massachusetts' voters disagree.

Massachusetts marks the 18th state to pass medical marijuana 
referendums, approving Question 3 by 63 percent, allowing physicians 
to prescribe a 60-day supply of the drug.

In order to qualify, a patient must have a hindering medical 
condition and become certified by a physician "with whom the patient 
has a bona fide physician-patient relationship," according to the ballot.

The law allows for the establishment of up to 35 nonprofit medical 
marijuana treatment centers to produce and distribute the drug to 
patients. Selling marijuana for nonmedical purposes will be viewed as 
a felony and is punishable by up to five years in prison. The law is 
expected to go into effect Jan. 1.

Washington state legalized the drug completely in an effort to raise 
tax revenue. Initiative 502 regulates the legal production, 
possession and distribution of marijuana for adults 21 and older.

A 25 percent tax rate will be imposed for each stage of cannabis 
commerce: when growers sell it to processors, when processors sell it 
to retailers and when retailers sell it to customers. Tax revenue 
estimates from supporters run as high as $500 million -- a figure 
analysts say may be overstated.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana 
Laws, "enforcing marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers an estimated 
$10 billion annually and results in the arrest of more than 750,000 
individuals per year -- far more than the total number of arrestees 
for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robbery and 
aggravated assault."
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