National News
C a n n a bi s C o n n e c t i o n
ACLU Sues Wal-Mart (cont. from page 9)
Imagine, for a moment, if employees were similarly reprimanded for having any other legal medication in their system. Surely WalMart wouldn't fire someone for following their doctor's advice to take, during afterwork hours, any of the prescription painkillers sold daily in Wal-Marts all over the country, the majority of which carry far more harmful risks than marijuana. Yet that's essentially what happened to Casias. He was punished for following his doctor's advice to take a legal drug that provided him relief. And sadly, that same injustice has affected untold numbers of legal medical marijuana patients across the country, the majority of whom remain silent about their experiences because they fear compromising their chances at future employment. An investigation earlier this year by The Denver Post revealed stories about school teachers, HR employees, and government workers who lost their jobs not because of any performance problems, but because they were medical marijuana patients. While the language of laws varies from state to state-Michigan's employee protection is one of the clearest, while others, like Colorado's, specify that employers are not required to accommodate medical marijuana use--the problem remains the same. Reliable workers are losing their jobs because the medicine they take is held to a different standard than other medications. In essence, this creates a new underclass of people and discriminates against them for trying to lead normal lives. That is, until the courts affirm a patient's right to treat his or her condition in any lawabiding way that they and their doctor see fit--and still remain gainfully employed.
The need for such patient protection will become only more urgent as time goes on: in 2010 alone, more than a dozen new states considered medical marijuana legislation. That's because it's becoming harder and harder for officials to deny the mounting body of evidence confirming that, for many conditions, marijuana is safe and effective medicine. Medical marijuana patients already face enough challenges trying to treat often lifethreatening illnesses, such as cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. They shouldn't have to worry about their jobs as well. Mike Meno is communications director for Marijuana Policy Project, and Scott Michelman
harvest time Christine said, “We wanted to do a Fall PYR 420 tour, but as all of you know, life happens. In this case, life has added the following twists and turns: brain tumor growth and surgery, getting a job that pays real money, how to redistribute multiple responsibilities and priorities, relatives that come to visit and end up staying, and more. This situation reminds us all how delicate and precarious life is, and how important it is for each of us to take a stand and speak out when we are able.” They are still available for consult and training upon request. Visit www.protectyourrights420.org or call: 541-210-8790.
is a staff attornet for the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Project.
Protect Your Rights Cont. from page 4
cardholders are confronted by the police, which include a pedestrian walking, driving a vehicle, search warrants, and a “compliance check”, aka warrantless search or “knock and talk”. Christine says, “A ‘knock and talk’ is where an officer arrives at a cardholder’s home and asks to see their garden to make sure it is in compliance with the law. In this situation the officer is most likely at the cardholder’s home to gather evidence without a warrant, and the cardholder does not have to let the officer into their home!” The first “Protect Your Rights 420” workshops were presented this spring in Medford, Eugene, Salem, Bend, Seaside, Brookings, Albany, Portland, Tigard, and Grants Pass from June 2nd through June 21st. The logistics were daunting as the tour traveled a long distance in a short time, presenting the workshop every couple of days in different cities. They had nearly 100 participants for the first tour. When asked if she feels the workshop is a success, Christine says, “Absolutely. We got great feedback from participants saying they felt EMPOWERED, and we got a lot of good publicity, including being the top story at Eugene’s ABC TV station affiliate.” Protect “Your Rights 420” was planning a fall tour, with a different focus. They were planning to specifically address concerns and situations that arrive at
National News Nugs Sativex in GBR
Sativex, a drug derived from cannabis, went on sale in Great Brittan on June 21st. The drug is intended to treat Multiple Sclerosis patients and is considered the world’s first prescription made from marijuana. Canadian regulators approved the drug in 2005. British regulators approved the drug on June 18th, and the developer, GW Pharaceuticals, is also seeking approval in Spain, Germany, and Italy. Bayer will be marketing the drug in Brittan. The potential revenues from such a drug have ignited a debate over pharmaceutical companies’ involvement in developing marijuana derived drugs. There is a potential for these giant companies to possibly outcompete marijuana in its natural form, and potentially encourage them to keep natural marijuana illegal. Another argument is that the decision shows the medical value of marijuana. Paul Armentano , Deputy Director of NORML said, “the bigger question still remains. That is: ‘How can the US government continue to promote a policy that calls for the arrest and prosecution of patients who use a substance that fourteen states and much of the rest of the western world now acknowledges as a safe and legitimate medicine?’ “.
Canada Marijuana Expo
Treating Yourself magazine, a Canadian alternative medicine magazine, held the first Canadian Medical Marijuana and Hemp Expo July 16th to 18th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) in Toronto, Canada. Marco Renda, Publisher of Treating Yourself, commented on the venue, saying, “The reason for holding it at the MTCC is that the venue is located right in the heart of Toronto easily accessible via public transit. The MTCC is also wheelchair friendly. We will have over 100 vendors.” The expo, touted as the largest in the world, offered a 4,600 sq ft vapor lounge for attendees to try a vaporizer. No marijuana was sold at the event, and
Page 11 patients that wished to use the vapor lounge were asked to bring their own medicine. Renda said, “ What a better way to choose what vape you want to purchase by trying them out first in the vapor lounge.” The tickets for the event were only $15.00 for 1 day, or $25 for all 3 days, in Canadian dollars of course.
DARE Book Giveaway
The 23rd Annual D.A.R.E. National Training Conference was held in Cincinnati, OH, in July and Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) , offered all participants a free copy of the book he co-authored, . The publisher of the book, Chelsea Green Publishing backed Tvert in the endeavor. Although none of the officers that attended have requested a copy, Tvert was inspired by an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News by Skip Miller, chairman of DARE America. Among other misinformation Tvert objected to in the article, Miller said, “I have yet to see one that overcomes the body of scientific research demonstrating that smoking marijuana is harmful and does just one thing well: It gets people high.” In response to the letter in the Mercury News, and the D.A.R.E. website’s content, Tvert said, “Alcohol is far more toxic, more addictive, and more harmful to the user and to society than marijuana. Why shouldn't we allow adults to make the rational, safer choice to use marijuana for those very same purposes?” That’s a good question, Mason!
D.C. Official Now!
Medical marijuana is now officially legal in the nation’s capital after the Congress declined to overrule a City Council bill the empowers the city to establish as many as 8 dispensaries.The Washington D.C.’s city council passed a medical marijuana law in May, but the Congress has a 30 legislative day period that allows them to intervene
D.C.’s only member of congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, said “"We have faced repeated attempts to reimpose the prohibition on medical marijuana in D.C. throughout the layover period…yet, it is D.C.'s business alone to decide how to help patients who live in our city and suffer from chronic pain and incurable illnesses.". Although the bill has now cleared Congress, patients will likely have to wait at least several months before they can obtain the drug from a city-sanctioned dispensary. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the Department of Health now have to establish regulations outlining who can bid for a license to open a dispensary. The law allows patients with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and other chronic ailments can possess up to four ounces of the drug. Patients will not be allowed to grow their own marijuana, but licensed companies will be able to sell the drug to people who first obtain a doctor's prescription