The Stoner Army

San Diego Union Tribune, 10 Jun 2010 - LEGALIZING AND TAXING MARIJUANA WOULD BENEFIT SOCIETY California's budget turmoil is the worst in the nation. Sacramento closed a $42 billion deficit this summer only to face tens of billions more red ink already. Most expect another round of tortured budget balancing that further slashes aid to the most vulnerable, raises taxes and fees and kicks the can down the road with billions more in borrowing.

Detroit News, 02 Jun 2010 - Detroit -- A push to legalize marijuana appears to be ready for a decision by voters after petitions were certified by the Detroit Elections Commission, backers say. Last month, the Coalition for a Safer Detroit filed petitions with City Clerk Janice Winfrey seeking to legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. Backers said petitions that would put the initiative before voters in November were certified May 19.

Missoulian, 01 Jun 2010 - Years ago, as Tom Daubert envisioned a medical marijuana initiative for Montana, one thing never crossed his mind. "I guess as I thought about the language from laws in other states, I always saw medical use of marijuana as something that would happen in private," said Daubert, one of the leaders of the movement that led to passage of the state's medical marijuana initiative in 2004. "I didn't really see that we'd be having a discussion about the public use of something being used as medication."

Helena Independent Record, 01 Jun 2010 - 1. A person must get a written recommendation from a doctor that he or she qualifies for using medical marijuana. The doctor uses a state-issued form to write the recommendation. It is not a prescription. 2. The applicant submits the doctor's recommendation along with a one-page application form, the name of his or her caregiver (if any) and a $25 fee to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. Patients under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign their application form and act as their caregiver.

Montana Standard, 01 Jun 2010 - 1. A person must get a written recommendation from a doctor that he or she qualifies for using medical marijuana. The doctor uses a state-issued form to write the recommendation. It is not a prescription. 2. The applicant submits the doctor's recommendation along with a one-page application form, the name of his or her caregiver (if any) and a $25 fee to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. Patients under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign their application form and act as their caregiver.

The Billings Gazette, 01 Jun 2010 - DOCTORS VIEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA WITH SKEPTICAL EYES Plenty of Montana doctors supported the voter initiative that made medical marijuana legal, but good luck finding one who supports what is happening now.

Montana Standard, 01 Jun 2010 - WHERE IS IT LEGAL TO USE POT? MISSOULA - Years ago, as Tom Daubert envisioned a medical marijuana initiative for Montana, one thing never crossed his mind. "I guess as I thought about the language from laws in other states, I always saw medical use of marijuana as something that would happen in private," said Daubert, one of the leaders of the movement that led to passage of the state's medical marijuana initiative in 2004. "I didn't really see that we'd be having a discussion about the public use of something being used as medication."

Los Angeles Times, 01 Jun 2010 - STATE VOTERS LEAN TOWARDS LEGAL POT 49% Support a State Ballot Measure. Of the 41% Who Oppose It, Most Believe It Will Worsen Social Ills. California voters, by a modest margin, think they should be allowed to grow and consume marijuana, according to a new poll that also found more than 1 in 3 voters had tried pot and more than 1 in 10 had lit up in the past year.

Missoulian, 31 May 2010 - Editor's note: Today, the Missoulian presents the second in a three-day special report on issues surrounding the state's rapidly expanding medical marijuana industry. People who live in pain aren't the only Montanans benefiting from the state's medical marijuana law.

Missoulian, 31 May 2010 - BUTTE - Butte entrepreneur Glenn Erickson is just trying to stay afloat as the medical marijuana industry evolves into legitimate commerce. Thus far, said Erickson, 55, it has been an adventure. "From a business standpoint, there are a lot of unknowns," he said. "Let's be honest, there is a lot that still needs to be cleared up."

The Billings Gazette, 31 May 2010 - Alone on the choppy and uncharted waters of Montana's medical marijuana laws, Butte entrepreneur Glenn Erickson attempts to stay afloat while making the industry into legitimate commerce. Thus far Erickson, 55, said it has been an adventure.

Helena Independent Record, 31 May 2010 - BUTTE - Alone on the choppy and uncharted waters of Montana's medical marijuana laws, Butte entrepreneur Glenn Erickson attempts to stay afloat while making the industry into legitimate commerce. Thus far Erickson, 55, admitted it has been an adventure.

The Daily Times-Call, 31 May 2010 - LONGMONT -- There were T-shirts, vendors, live music. In that respect, it could have been like a thousand other events at the Radisson Conference Center. Of course, those thousand other events might not have been promoting the use of medical marijuana.

Contra Costa Times, 31 May 2010 - The city of Mountain View is poised to take a hard line in its governance of medical marijuana dispensaries. At a study session tonight, the city council will discuss lifting a citywide ban on pot clubs and replacing it with rules that are strict in comparison to other jurisdictions. Coincidentally, the session comes a day before city officials are scheduled to go to court to try and shut down Buddy's Cannabis Collective, a dispensary that opened in April despite the ban.

The Billings Gazette, 31 May 2010 - MISSOULA - People who live in pain aren't the only Montanans benefiting from the state's medical marijuana law. In the past seven months, ever since the federal government said it would defer to state medical marijuana laws with regard to determining legal and illegal use of the drug, Montana's cannabis industry has boomed. Garden supply companies, real estate agents, insurance providers, irrigation experts, attorneys, Web developers and security companies are among the many mainstream businesses that are getting a fiscal high from the fast-growing industry. When the national recession brought a near standstill to the Missoula real estate market last year, Wayne Smith, a real estate agent with RE/MAX, was juggling several vacant properties.

The Billings Gazette, 31 May 2010 - HELENA - More than 9 percent of Montanans on probation and parole, including those who were previously arrested for drug offenses, carry medical marijuana cards, according to statistics released last week by the Department of Corrections to Lee Newspapers of Montana. According to Corrections, 786 of the 8,710 probationers and parolees here have medical marijuana cards. Of the 967,440 residents in the Treasure State, 12,081 or roughly 1.25 percent of the total population had obtained a marijuana card as of March 31, according to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. That figure rose to nearly 15,000 in April and May.

Montana Standard, 31 May 2010 - . And Business Is Booming People who live in pain aren't the only Montanans benefiting from the state's medical marijuana law. In the past seven months, ever since the federal government said it would defer to state medical marijuana laws with regard to determining legal and illegal use of the drug, Montana's cannabis industry has boomed.

North County Times, 31 May 2010 - Vista Man Faces July Federal Trial for Selling Medical Marijuana A Vista man facing federal drug charges for running a medical marijuana storefront has asked a judge to let him argue to the jury that, essentially, President Barack Obama and his administration said it was OK to do so.

Missoulian, 30 May 2010 - Lawmakers Need to Fine-Tune Law to Rein in 'Chaos' So it begins. The Montana Board of Medical Examiners has announced - belatedly if you ask us, but nobody did - the end to free passes for the assembly-line docs who recommend medical marijuana.

Missoulian, 30 May 2010 - HELENA - Montana is hardly alone among the states that have legalized medical marijuana and now are struggling with how to regulate a rapidly growing and increasingly contentious industry. The most common regulatory effort, officials say, focuses on those who provide the drug to approved patients.