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.

Daily Herald, 02 Jun 2010 - If a member of your family, a close friend or even a neighbor whom you did not know very well were in severe pain, wouldn't you want to do what you could to help relieve their suffering? Of course you would - as a matter of compassion and mercy. Marijuana provides relief not available in any other way to sufferers of chronic and severe pain from cancer, multiple sclerosis and other illnesses. I have met those for whom this is true. In some cases, the relief from pain has saved their lives - literally.

Metro Times, 02 Jun 2010 - Raid on Smokers' Club Highlights Legal Gray Areas Michigan's medical marijuana community was abuzz with the news that a so-called "smokers club" in the Lansing suburb of Williamston Township had been raided by police last week.

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.

Arizona Republic, 02 Jun 2010 - Effort to Legalize Drug's Use by the Ill Earns Enough Support for Ballot Spot The deadline to file petitions to get an initiative on the Nov. 2 statewide ballot is still a month away, but on Tuesday an effort to legalize medical marijuana became the first to qualify for a spot.

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."

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."

The Billings Gazette, 01 Jun 2010 - 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.

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.

Red Deer Advocate, 01 Jun 2010 - Local supporters of Canada's so-called "Prince of Pot" will rally in front of City Hall on Saturday. Marc Emery, 52, pleaded guilty in a Seattle courtroom on Monday to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana and will receive a five-year prison sentence.

Missoulian, 31 May 2010 - HELENA - About 9 percent of Montanans on probation and parole, including those who were previously arrested for drug offenses, carry registered medical marijuana cards, according to statistics released last week by the Department of Corrections. According to Corrections, 778 of the 8,710 probationers and parolees here have medical marijuana cards.

Helena Independent Record, 31 May 2010 - Montanans passed the initiative establishing the state's medical-marijuana law in 2004 with a healthy 62 percent of the vote. The law was largely uncontroversial until the federal government announced several months ago that it would defer to state medical-marijuana laws in determining the legal use of the drug. The medical-marijuana industry boomed in Montana, and some are now saying that the law is so vague it has allowed the sale of marijuana in circumstances that voters didn't have in mind when they passed the initiative.

Kitsap Sun, 31 May 2010 - Bremerton - There was a meth lab inside, but they couldn't prove it. Then-West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team Detectives John Halsted and Roy Alloway walked away from the house after talking to the suspected cooks.

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.

Helena Independent Record, 31 May 2010 - More than 9 percent of Montanans on probation and parole, including those who were previously arrested for drug offenses, carry registered 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 - Parolees Carry Medical Marijuana Cards Approximately 9 percent of Montanans on probation and parole, including those who were previously arrested for drug offenses, carry registered medical marijuana cards, according to statistics released last week by the Department of Corrections to Lee Newspapers of Montana.

Missoulian, 30 May 2010 - HELENA - Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commissioner Robert Pierce was among the 62 percent of Montanans who voted to legalize marijuana for medical purposes six years ago. "It was compassion," Pierce said.

Missoulian, 30 May 2010 - 'Fixes' In Works for State's Pot Law HELENA - She began with hydrocodone for the pain, Cymbalta and Trazodone for the depression, and Flexeril to ease the muscle spasms. The drugs helped soothe the nagging discomfort in her back. On good days, they dulled the pain in her legs.

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.