Washington's First Day Of Legal Pot

CA: Feds Crack Down On Medical Pot

Calling the crackdown "no joke," The Atlantic has more on the DOJ's move to close California's biggest legal marijuana dispensaries.

On Friday, the DOJ issued a press release outlining its recent enforcement actions, and it's clear the feds mean business. In addition to the 38 letters they sent out on Thursday giving dispensaries a 45-day ultimatum to close, they've indicted six people for drug trafficking in connection with a now-closed store called NoHo Caregivers in Los Angeles and raided the store's former site (now a dispensary called Green Camel) where they seized 23.5 pounds of marijuana. The NoHo indictment charges the defendants with distributing "approximately 600 to 700 pounds of marijuana per month" at the NoHo store and other stores in California as well as transporting it to New York and Pennsylvania. The feds also filed three forfeiture actions (meaning they moved to seize the property) against three different properties, including one that held eight separate marijuana dispensaries.

CALIFORNIA: Feds Order Closure Of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The federal government is sending letters to California's legal pot dispensaries ordering them to close within 45 days.

The state's four U.S. attorneys sent letters Wednesday and Thursday notifying at least 16 pot shops or their landlords that they are violating federal drug laws, even though medical marijuana is legal in California. The attorneys are to announce their coordinated crackdown at a Friday news conference. The move marks an escalation of the conflict between the government and the medical marijuana industry.

While medical marijuana has been a literal lifesaver for many cancer and AIDS patients, brazen flouting of wrongfully obtained licenses has long provided ample fodder to the movement's enemies.

UPDATE: It's not yet clear if the "crackdown" is limited only to those pot shops with the worst histories of abuses. Tomorrow's press conference will tell the full story.

Ron Paul On Legalizing Drugs

At last night's GOP debate, Ron Paul hit one of the few libertarian themes with which we can agree, much to the initial dismay but eventual support of the audience.

CALIFORNIA: Beer Sellers Oppose Marijuana Legalization Bill

A coalition of beer distributors is opposing California's Proposition 19, the attempt to legalize and tax the sale of marijuana.

On Sept. 7, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors gave $10,000 to a committee opposing Proposition 19, the measure that would change state law to legalize pot and allow it to be taxed and regulated. The California Police Chiefs Association has given the most to the Proposition 19 opposition with a contribution of $30,000, according to Cal-Access, a website operated by the secretary of state’s office. Rhonda Stevenson, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors political action committee’s coordinator, was out of the office on Wednesday. Nobody else from the group was available to comment. “Unless the beer distributors in California have suddenly developed a philosophical opposition to the use of intoxicating substances, the motivation behind this contribution is clear,” Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in statement. “Plain and simple, the alcohol industry is trying to kill the competition. Their mission is to drive people to drink.”

Some beer manufacturers have disavowed their own distributors. Sierra Nevada has demanded that their name be removed from the membership list of the above-cited group.

Mexico Gets It Right

Yesterday Mexico decriminalized the possession of, well, everything.

Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge. The law sets out maximum “personal use” amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into effect on Friday. Anyone caught with drug amounts under the personal-use limit will be encouraged to seek treatment, and for those caught a third time treatment is mandatory — although no penalties for noncompliance are specified. Mexican authorities said the change only recognized the longstanding practice here of not prosecuting people caught with small amounts of drugs.

No criminal charges for personal use and free government treatment for addicts. In Mexico. And how many Americans are in prison here with third-strike life sentences for possession?