KY: Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program now taking applications for 2017

Posted on October 13, 2016 by aaron

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New measures set to enable sustained growth of the program

FRANKFORT (October 11, 2016) — Kentuckians interested in participating in the industrial hemp research pilot program in 2017 are invited to submit an application with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

“The pilot research program will continue to build on the successes of the previous administration by developing research data on industrial hemp production, processing, manufacturing, and marketing for Kentucky growers,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. KDA’s objective is to expand and strengthen Kentucky’s research pilot program, so that if the federal government chooses to remove industrial hemp from the list of controlled substances, Kentucky’s growers and farmers will be positioned to thrive, prosper and ultimately prevail as national leaders in industrial hemp production.”

The KDA operates its program under the authority of a provision of the 2014 federal farm bill, 7 U.S.C. § 5940 that permits industrial hemp pilot programs in states where hemp production is permitted by state law. Participants planted more than 2,350 acres of hemp in 2016 compared with 922 acres in 2015 and 33 acres in 2014, the first year of the program.

Applicants should be aware of important new measures for the 2017 research program, including the following:

· To strengthen the department’s partnership with state and local law enforcement officers, KDA will provide GPS coordinates of approved industrial hemp planting sites to law enforcement agencies before any hemp is planted. GPS coordinates must be submitted on the application. Applicants must consent to allow program staff and law enforcement officers to inspect any premises where hemp or hemp products are being grown, handled, stored, or processed.

· To promote transparency and ensure a fair playing field, KDA will rely on objective criteria, outlined in the newly released 2017 Policy Guide, to evaluate applications. An applicant’s criminal background check must indicate no drug-related misdemeanor convictions, and no felony convictions of any kind, in the past 10 years. Staff with the KDA’s industrial hemp pilot project program will consider whether applicants have complied with instructions from the department, Kentucky State Police, and local law enforcement.

· As the research program continues to grow, KDA’s hemp staff needs additional resources and manpower to administer this tremendously popular program. The addition of participant fees will enable KDA Hemp Staff to handle an increasing workload without needing additional taxpayer dollars from the General Assembly. Program applicants will be required to submit a nonrefundable application fee of $50 with their applications. Successful applicants will be required to pay additional program fees.

Grower applications must be postmarked or received by the KDA marketing office no later than November 14, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. EST. Processor or handler applicants are encouraged to submit their applications by November 14, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. EST.

For more information, including the 2017 Policy Guide and a downloadable application, go to kyagr.com/hemp.

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Pew Poll: Public’s Attitude Shifts Dramatically In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization

Posted on October 13, 2016 by ushempmuseum

Legalize marijuanaNearly six in ten Americans now believe that marijuana use ought to be legal and only about one in three favor continuing to criminalize the plant, according to nationwide survey data published today by the Pew Research Center.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents say “The use of marijuana should be made legal,” the highest percentage of Americans ever to answer the question affirmatively in a Pew poll. Only 37 percent of respondents disagree with legalization.

The percentages mark a dramatic shift in public opinion over the past decade. In 2006, only 32 percent of Pew survey respondents favored legalization, while 60 percent opposed the idea. Much of this change is a result of shifting opinions among Millennials (those ages 18 to 35). While only 34 percent of Millennials favored legalizing marijuana in 2006, nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of younger Americans support this policy change today.

Democrats (66 percent), Independents (63 percent), and men (60 percent) were also among those most likely to endorse legalization. Support was lowest among those respondents over 71 years of age (33 percent) and Republicans (41 percent).

The survey possesses a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

Separate nationwide surveys conducted by Gallup, CBS, and Morning Consult, among others, show similar levels of support for marijuana legalization among voters.

Voters in five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada — will be deciding on initiatives to legalize and regulate the adult use and retail sale of cannabis on Election Day.

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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Indiana: Medical Marijuana Legislation Defeated

Posted on October 12, 2016 by ushempmuseum
SB 209, legislation to protect qualified patients who consume cannabis under a physician’s written authorization, has been defeated  in committee.

The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Karen Tallian, sought to permit qualified patients — including patients with arthritis, migraine, PTSD, and seizures — to engage in cannabis therapy.

 
However, this battle is far from over and we still encourage you to enter your zip code below and continue to voice your support for medical marijuana access in the state of Indiana. 

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have enacted statewide provisions allowing patients access to cannabis therapy. Indiana patients deserve these same protections. We will continue to keep you informed if/when lawmakers revisit this issue.

For more information, please contact Indiana NORML here  or visit their Facebook page here.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Study: Cannabis Inhalation Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms

Posted on October 12, 2016 by ushempmuseum

Marijuana researchInhaling cannabis improves symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the European Journal of Pain.

Investigators at Tel Aviv University and the Rabin Medical Center in Israel assessed the impact of cannabis exposure on motor symptoms and pain parameters in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers reported that cannabis inhalation was associated with improved symptoms 30-minutes following exposure. “Cannabis improved motor scores and pain symptoms in PD patients,” authors concluded.

A prior Israeli trial evaluating the impact of cannabis on PD patients reported “significant improvement after treatment in tremor, rigidity, and bradykinsea (slowness of movement) … [as well as] significant improvement of sleep and pain scores.”

Over 20,000 Israeli patients receive cannabis under a federally regulated program. Over 90 percent of those participants report significant improvements in pain and function as a result of their medicinal cannabis use.

An abstract of the study, “Effect of medical cannabis on thermal quantitative measurements of pain in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” is available online here.

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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Georgia: House Lawmakers Fail To Act On Medical Marijuana Bill

Posted on October 11, 2016 by ushempmuseum
Efforts to expand the state’s current medical cannabis program stalled just before the legislative session came to a close. 

House lawmakers tried to resurrect language from House Bill 722 by attaching it to a separate, already approved bill but lawmakers did not approve of the addition. House lawmakers had previously approved HB 722 but the Senate failed to take action on it.

Under a 2015 law, qualifying patients are permitted to possess 20 ounces of infused cannabis oils containing not more than 5 percent THC and a equal or greater amount of CBD. However, the law provides no legal supply source for these products and, as a result, it has failed to meet the needs of patients.

NORML would like to thank those of you who contacted your state elected officials in support of this legislation. Hopefully, lawmakers recognize the inadequacies of the state’s medical cannabis program and return next legislative session with proposed changes to increase access to those patients who need their medicine. 

More information regarding this effort is available from Peachtree NORML or on their Facebook.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Virginia: Lawmakers Table Marijuana Decriminalization Measures

Posted on October 11, 2016 by ushempmuseum

House and Senate lawmakers have set aside legislation that sought to eliminates criminal penalties for marijuana possession offenses, replacing them with civil fine-only penalties — no arrest and no criminal record. 

On February 3rd, Senate Bill 104, was passed by indefinitely by the Courts of Justice Committee in an 11-4 vote. The committee failed to take any additional action before the end of the 2016 legislative session. 

On January 25th, House decriminalization legislation, HB 997, was killed in Committee by a voice vote. Separate House legislation, HB 1074, was also killed in Committee by a voice vote, as was separate House legislation seeking to expunge past marijuana convictions.
 
It is apparent by these actions that Virginia lawmakers need to hear from constituents that marijuana law reform ought to be a legislative priority.

The number of Virginians arrested for violating the state’s marijuana possession laws increased 76 percent between the years 2003 and 2014, at a time when arrests for similar violations were falling nationwide.

The number of African Americans arrested for possessing marijuana climbed from 4,991 in 2003 to 10,293 in 2014 – an increase of 106 percent. In 2013, African Americans accounted for nearly half (47 percent) of possession arrests, but comprised only 20 percent of the state population.

Presently, Virginia police make over 22,000 annual marijuana possession arrests — one of the highest totals of any state in the nation.

Minor marijuana possession offenders, many of them young people, should not be saddled with a criminal record and the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it. Please urge lawmakers to reconsider their actions by contacting them with the pre-written letter below.

To find out more information about this legislation you can contact Virginia NORML or visit their Facebook page. 

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Maryland: Marijuana Paraphernalia Is Decriminalized

Posted on October 10, 2016 by ushempmuseum
On January 21st, members of the Maryland House and Senate voted to override a 2015 veto and to decriminalize the possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Members of the House decided 86 to 55 in favor of overriding the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 517. Members of the Senate decided 29 to 17 to enact the legislation.

Senate Bill 517 amends existing criminal penalties regarding the possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia from a misdemeanor, punishable by possible jail time, to a civil violation. However, amended language also includes a provision establishing a civil fine of up to $ 500 for offenses involving the use of marijuana in public. NORML and our affiliates will be working in the future to amend this penalty. 

In 2014, former Gov. Martin O’Malley signed legislation into law decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses involving ten grams or less.

NORML wishes to thank those of you who took time to write your lawmakers and encouraged them to vote to override the Governor’s veto. We especially thank those with Maryland NORML and their associates in the Marijuana Policy Coalition of Maryland for their efforts.

 
For more information of legislative efforts in Maryland, please contact Maryland NORML here or write info@marylandnorml.org.

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Utah: Lawmakers Adjourn Without Moving Medical Marijuana Plans

Posted on October 10, 2016 by ushempmuseum
Lawmakers have adjourned for 2016 without taking action to expand medical cannabis access to seriously ill patients.

Members of the House Health and Human Services Committee voted 8-4 on Monday, March 7, against the passage of Senate Bill 73, the Medical Cannabis Act, which sought to permit for the production and possession of non-herbal formulations of cannabis, such as oils and pills, to qualified patients. The bill’s sponsor recently announced his intention to leave the state.

House Committee members did approve an amended version of separate legislation, Senate Bill 89, which was expanded to include for the production and dispensing of primarily, but not exclusively, high-CBD strains of cannabis to qualified patients. However, lawmakers ultimately failed to back the measure, alleging that the law would be too expensive to implement.

While the bill’s sponsor says that he intends to reintroduce a version of SB 89 next session, medical marijuana proponents say that they will try to put a broader measure to a vote via a 2018 statewide initiative.

NORML thanks those of you who contacted your members of the legislature in support of medical cannabis reform.

Additional information regarding these efforts are available from The Libertas Institute or by visiting: http://legalizeutah.net/.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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New Hampshire: Governor Signs Penalty Reduction Measure Into Law

Posted on October 9, 2016 by ushempmuseum
On June 21st, Governor Maggie Hassan signed legislation, Senate Bill 498, into law to reduce the penalty for first-time possession of marijuana offenses from a Class A offense to an unspecified misdemeanor. 

Members of the House previously voted 298 to 58 to amend Senate Bill 498 to make first-time offenses a civil violation rather than a criminal offense. The civil penalty would have been limited to a fine only: no arrest, prosecution, or criminal record. Subsequent offenses would have continued to be classified as misdemeanors.

However, members of the Senate failed to concur with the House changes. In conference, Senate leadership moved to keep marijuana possession offenses classified as a misdemeanor but agreed to lower the fine from $ 500 to $ 350 for the first offense. However, this change will do nothing to reduce arrests or to reduce the stigma and ancillary penalties surrounding a marijuana conviction.

In past years, the Senate has been consistently hostile to any House efforts to decriminalize marijuana possession penalties.

According to marijuana arrest data compiled by the ACLU, police in New Hampshire annually arrest an estimated 3,000 individuals for simple marijuana possession offenses.  These criminalization policies are out-of-step with the views of New Hampshire adults, 72 percent of whom now endorse legalizing and regulating the plant, according to a July, 2015 WMUR Granite State Poll. 

NORML would like to thank those of you who contacted your state lawmakers in support of this legislation.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Kansas: Governor Signs Marijuana Sentencing Reform Measure

Posted on October 9, 2016 by ushempmuseum
Governor Brownback signed House Bill 2462 into law on Friday, May 13th 2016 to amend marijuana possession penalties. 

The law reduces criminal penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenses from a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year incarceration and a $ 2,500 fine) to a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by no more than six months in jail and a $ 1,000 fine). Second convictions will no longer be classified as a felony offense. You can read the full summary of the engrossed bill here.

The sentencing changes take effect imminently.

NORML would like to thank those of you who contacted their state lawmakers in support of this legislation. 

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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