but remember
green flag compliance training is not legal marijuana advocacy
green flag compliance guidelines are strict
green flag rules MUST be followed to obtain legal privilege

if you decide to accept the privilege
you must accept the responsibility

Advocacy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions — that directly affect people’s current lives. (Cohen, 2001)

Therefore, advocacy can be seen as a deliberate process of speaking out on issues of concern in order to exert some influence on behalf of ideas or persons. Based on this definition, Cohen (2001) states that “ideologues of all persuasions advocate” to bring a change in people’s lives. However, advocacy has many interpretations depending on the issue at stake, which can be different from this initial value-neutral definition.

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Forms of advocacy

There are several forms of advocacy, which each represent a different approach in the way change is brought into society. One of the most popular forms is social justice advocacy.

Although it is true, the initial definition does not encompass the notions of power relations, people’s participation and a vision of a just society as promoted by social justice advocates. For them, advocacy represents the series of actions taken and issues highlighted to change the “what is” into a “what should be”, considering that this “what should be” is a more decent and a more just society (ib., 2001.) Those actions, which vary with the political, economical and social environment in which they are conducted, have several points in common (ib., 2001.) They:

• question the way policy is administered
• participate in the agenda setting as they raise significant issues
• target political systems “because those systems are not responding to people’s needs”
• are inclusive and engaging
• propose policy solutions
• open up space for public argumentation.

Some of the other forms of advocacy include:

• Ideological advocacy: in this approach, groups fight, sometimes during protests, to advance their ideas in the decision-making circles.
• Mass advocacy: is any type of action taken by large groups (petitions, demonstrations, etc.)
• Interest-group advocacy: lobbying is the main tool used by interests groups doing mass advocacy. It is a form of action that does not always succeed at influencing political decision-makers as it requires resources and organisation to be effective.
• Bureaucratic advocacy: people considered “experts” have more chance to succeed at presenting their issues to decision-makers. They use bureaucratic advocacy to influence the agenda, however at a slower pace.
• Legislative advocacy: legislative advocacy is the “reliance on the state or federal legislative process” as part of a strategy to create change.(Loue, Lloyd and O’Shea, 2003)
• Media advocacy: is “the strategic use of the mass media as a resource to advance a social or public policy initiative” (Jernigan and Wright, 1996.) In Canada for example, the Manitoba Public Insurance campaigns illustrate how media advocacy was used to fight alcohol and tobacco-related health issues. We can also consider the role of health advocacy and the media in “the enactment of municipal smoking bylaws in Canada between 1970 and 1995.” (Asbridge, 2004)
• Budget advocacy: Budget advocacy is another aspect of advocacy that ensures proactive engagement of Civil Society Organizations with the government budget to make the government more accountable to the people and promote transparency. Budget advocacy also enables citizens and social action groups to compel the government to be more alert to the needs and aspirations of people in general and the deprived sections of the community.

Different contexts in which advocacy is used:

• In a legal/law context: An ‘advocate’ is the title of a specific person who is authorized/appointed (in some way) to speak on behalf of a person in a legal process. See advocate.
• In a political context: An ‘advocacy group’ is an organized collection of people who seek to influence political decisions and policy, without seeking election to public office. See interest group.
• In a social care context: Both terms (and more specific ones such as ‘independent advocacy’) are used in the UK in the context of a network of interconnected organisations and projects which seek to benefit people who are in difficulty (primarily in the context of disability and mental health).
• In the context of inclusion: Citizen Advocacy organisations (citizen advocacy programmes) seek to cause benefit by reconnecting people who have become isolated. Their practice was defined in two key documents: CAPE, and Learning from Citizen Advocacy Programs. See Citizen Advocacy organisations.

Advocacy groups

Advocacy is led by advocates or, when they are organized in groups as is the case most of the time, advocacy groups. Advocacy groups as defined by Young and Everritt (2004, 5) are different from political parties which “seek to influence government policy by governing.” They are “any organization that seeks to influence government policy, but not to govern.” This definition includes social movements, sometimes network of organizations which are also focused on encouraging social change. Social movements try to either influence governments or, like the environmental movement, to influence people’s ideas or actions.

Today, advocacy groups contribute to democracy in many ways (ib., 2004.) They have five key functions:

• Give a voice to (misrepresented) citizen interests
• Mobilize citizens to participate in the democratic process
• Support the development of a culture of democracy
• Assist in the development of better public policy
• Ensure governments’ accountability to citizens.

In comparison to other countries and other the last thirty years, an increasing number (40 percent) of the Canadian population is member of an organization which has had an advocacy role and has tried to achieve political change. Such a level of participation is a positive indicator of the health of the democracy in Canada (ib., 2004.)

Transnational advocacy

Advocates and advocacy groups represent a wide range of categories and support several issues as listed on World Advocacy. The Advocacy Institute, a US-based global organization, is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of political, social, and economic justice advocates to influence and change public policy (Cohen, de la Vega & Watson, 2001.)

The phenomenon of globalization draws a special attention to advocacy beyond countries’ borders. The core existence of networks such as World Advocacy or the Advocacy Institute demonstrates the increasing importance of transnational advocacy and international advocacy. Transnational advocacy networks are more likely to emerge around issues where external influence is necessary to ease the communication between internal groups and their own 1 government. Groups of advocates willing to further their mission also tend to promote networks and to meet with their internal counterparts to exchange ideas (Keck and Sikkink, 1998.)

See also

• Ban Advocates – Cluster bomb victims advocating for a ban on cluster munitions
• Budget advocacy

References

• Asbridge, M. 2004. Public place restrictions on smoking in Canada: assessing the role of the state, media, science and public health advocacy. Social science & medicine 58(1):13-24.
• Cohen, D., R. de la Vega, G. Watson. 2001. Advocacy for social justice. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press Inc.
• Jerningan, D.H. and P. Wright. 1996. Media advocacy: lessons from community experiences. Journal of Public Health Policy Vol.17, No.3: 306-330.
• Keck, M.E. and K. Sikkink. 1998. Activists beyond borders: advocacy networks in international politics. Baltimore, MD: Cornell University Press.
• Loue, S., L.S. Lloyd, D. J. O’shea. 2003. Community health advocacy. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
• Young, L. And J. Everitt. 2004. Advocacy groups. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press

External links

• Public Affairs World The world’s first global news and information site on the subject of lobbying.
• Public place restrictions on smoking in Canada: assessing the role of the state, media, science and public health advocacy.
• How to advocate for yourself

Regulatory compliance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and regulations.

Contents 1 International Compliance 2 Compliance in the USA 3 Compliance in Australia 4 Compliance in the UK 5 Definitions Related to Compliance 6 See also 7 External links

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International Compliance

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) produces international standards such as ISO17799. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) produces international standards in the electrotechnology area.

Compliance in the USA

In general, compliance means conforming to a specification or policy, standard or law that has been clearly defined.

Corporate scandals and breakdowns such as the Enron case in 2001 have highlighted the need for stronger compliance regulations for publicly listed companies. The most significant regulation in this context is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act developed by two U.S. congressmen, Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley in 2002 which defined significant tighter personal responsibility of corporate top management for the accuracy of reported financial statements.

Compliance in the USA generally means compliance with laws and regulations. These laws can have criminal or civil penalties or can be regulations. The definition of what constitutes an effective compliance plan has been elusive. Most authors, however, continue to cite the guidance provided by the United States Sentencing Commission in Chapter 8 of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

On October 12 2006, the U.S. Small Business Administration re-launched Business.gov which provides a single point of access to government services and information that help businesses comply with government regulations.

There are a number of other regulations such as GLBA, FISMA, and HIPAA. In some cases other compliance frameworks (such as COBIT) or standards (NIST) inform on how to comply with the regulations.

Compliance in Australia

Standards Australia revised the standard titled "AS 3806 - Compliance Programs". While many aspects of the original standard produced in 1998 standard appear in the 2006 version there are additional principles covered. The regulators in Australia continue to endorse and encourage (by regulation) the use of the standard when establishing a compliance framework.

The regulators are the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).

Compliance demands in the superannuation industry continue to increase due to the new licensing regime implemented by APRA. The new licensing regime requires trustees of superannuation funds to demonstrate to APRA that they have adequate resources (human, technology and financial), risk management systems and appropriate skills and expertise to manage the superannuation fund. The licensing regime has lifted the bar for superannuation trustees with a significant number of small to medium size superannuation funds exiting the Industry due to the increasing risk and compliance demands.

Compliance in the UK

There is considerable regulation in the UK, some of which is from EU legislation. Various areas are policed by different bodies, such as the FSA (Financial Services Authority), Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Information Commissioner's Office and others.

Important compliance issues for all organisations large and small include the Data Protection Act 1998 and, for the public sector, Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Combined Code issued by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is the Sarbanes-Oxley equivalent in the UK.

Definitions Related to Compliance

Compliance data is defined as all data belonging or pertaining to enterprise or included in the law, which can be used for the purpose of implementing or validating compliance. It is the set of all data that is relevant to a governance officer or to a court of law for the purposes of validating consistency, completeness, or compliance

See also

• Chief Compliance Officer
• Compliance and ethics program
• Business Motivation Model. A standard for recording governance and compliance activities
• Enforcement
• Law enforcement agency
• Call Report
• Category:Law enforcement templates by country or region
• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics
• Health Care Compliance Association

External links

• Business.gov, Official U.S. Government Portal for Complying with Regulations.
• RCA, RCA is a nonprofit-organization that provides firms with an all inclusive resource to effectively manage the escalating Operational Risk Management and Compliance environment.
• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE)
• Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)
• Open Compliance & Ethics Group (OCEG), OCEG is a nonprofit organization that provides numerous resources for corporate governance, risk management, compliance and business ethics.
• European Project COMPAS, European Project COMPAS - Compliance-driven Models, Languages, and Architectures for Services; funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme Information and Communication Technologies Objective.
• Microsoft Resources, Microsoft resources for corporate governance, risk management, compliance.
• International Association of Risk and Compliance Professionals (IARCP), The International Association of Risk and Compliance Professionals (IARCP).

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_compliance"

Categories: Regulatory compliance

compliance brings privilege

California marijuana

legalization debate at Capitol

//

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// ]]>SACRAMENTO — Marijuana legalization advocates and law enforcement officials duked it out in a three-hour legislative hearing Wednesday on whether making the drug legal under state law would be good public policy.

Advocates said legalization and regulation could bring as much as $1.4 billion in state and local excise and sales tax revenue per year; control the drug’s potency; do more to keep it out of children’s hands; and end a centurylong double standard in which alcohol and tobacco — which they say are more harmful — are legal while marijuana isn’t, leading to a war on drugs particularly destructive to people of color.

Law enforcement officials testified the harms caused by marijuana legalization would far outweigh whatever tax revenue it might bring — more, not less, use by children; more people driving under the influence, causing more injuries and deaths; decreased worker productivity that could hurt the economy; and a still-thriving black market.

The hearing was convened by Assembly Public Safety Committee Chairman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, who earlier this year introduced a bill to legalize and tax marijuana under a system not unlike that used for alcohol. Even as several proposed ballot measures for legalization seek to qualify for next year’s ballot, Ammiano is rewriting his bill to bring it forward again in January, and Wednesday’s hearing was supposed to help him gather input for that revamp. First up Wednesday were the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which said state and local law enforcement could save “several tens of millions of dollars each year” by no longer pursuing marijuana cases, and the Board of Equalization, which has estimated $1.4 billion in annual revenue from taxes on legalized marijuana.

Then came the lawyers. Drug Policy Alliance staff attorney Tamar Todd and American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Allen Hopper testified California is free to criminalize or not criminalize whatever it wants, and can and should chart its own course as a laboratory for new social and economic policy.

But Martin Mayer, general counsel to the California Peace Officers’ Association and the California Police Chiefs Association, underscored there would be no protection from federal law enforcement agencies arresting, charging and prosecuting Californians for violating the federal marijuana ban.

California Peace Officers’ Association President John Standish said there’s “no way marijuana legalization could protect or promote society — in fact, it radically diminishes it” by impairing educational ability, worker productivity, traffic safety and drug-related crime rates.

Ammiano asked whether police resources now used to fight marijuana would be better spent fighting harder, more harmful drugs such as methamphetamine.

“That’s like, ‘When did you stop beating your wife?’”‰” Standish replied, calling marijuana and methamphetamine “both equally critical problems our society needs to address.”

Sara Simpson, acting assistant chief of the state Justice Department’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, said much of California’s major marijuana cultivation is run by Mexican drug cartels on remote public lands, and she recited a litany of violent and deadly clashes with armed guards at such sites. Such growing operations also are environmentally devastating, she said, and produce marijuana far more potent than that used just years ago. There’s no reason to believe the cartels would adhere to state laws on cultivation, potency and taxation any more than they adhere to prohibition now, she said.

Rosalie Pacula, co-director of the Drug Policy Research Center at renowned think-tank RAND Corp., said prohibition has kept marijuana prices high, and legalization with heavy taxation that elevates marijuana’s price far above the cost of its production will lead to a thriving black market.

But Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice Executive Director Dan Macallair said arrest statistics from the past 20 years show California law enforcement is far more focused on prosecuting simple possession and use than cultivation and sales. Various counties are more or less tolerant of marijuana use, he said, a lack of consistency and continuity that could be solved by regulation.

And retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Jim Gray said the state can allow and regulate marijuana without condoning its use just like alcohol and tobacco, but any legalization legislation must ban advertising lest marijuana use become glamorized.

green flags rules will bring green flag compliance

 

Now that the Obama administration says it won’t arrest medical marijuana patients and suppliers who are following their own state laws, a Northern California congressman wants the same leeway for those who are already being prosecuted.

Currently, someone who’s charged in federal court with growing or selling marijuana can’t argue that he or she was just doing what’s allowed by the law of California or one of the 13 other states that recognize the medical use of cannabis. A bill introduced Tuesday by Rep. Sam Farr, D-Monterey, would change that.

Farr’s H.R. 3939 wouldn’t legalize medical marijuana under federal law. But it would require a not-guilty verdict if the defendant was complying with state law, even if a future presidential administration repealed the guidelines announced by Attorney General Eric Holder earlier this month.

“This bipartisan bill is about compassion and states’ rights,” said Farr.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, a co-sponsor, said, “The federal government should never have overridden state law on this issue to begin with, and this legislation will prevent them from doing it again.”

It’s yet another attempt to get Congress to soften the federal law that prohibits all possession, cultivation and transfer of marijuana and has been used by successive administrations to go after medical pot suppliers in California.

A group of Democrats and libertarian Republicans has been trying for years to get the feds to lay off marijuana dispensaries and growers in states where they operate legally. They’ve been beaten back by law enforcement interests and presidential drug czars who argue that medical pot is a myth and a smokescreen for legalization.

Whether the Obama administration follows the same course remains to be seen.

In Sacramento, meanwhile, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s bill to legalize marijuana for personal use in California in being heard this morning before the Assembly Public Safety Committee. If the San Francisco Democrat’s AB390 becomes law, or voters approve any of the circulating legalization initiatives next November, get ready for another state-federal drug war.

Bob Egelko covers legal issues for The Chronicle. E-mail him at begelko@sfchronicle.com.

Posted By: Michael Collier (Email) | October 28 2009 at 11:33 AM

compliance brings privilege

A US newspaper says it has received well over 100 applicants for the post of marijuana critic – many of whom have offered to work for free.

The alternative Denver newspaper, Westword, is seeking a writer for its weekly review of Colorado’s booming medical marijuana dispensaries.

But there is a catch – candidates must have a medical ailment allowing them to enter a dispensary and use marijuana.

Fourteen US states now allow the sale of some sort of medical cannabis.

‘Stoned’

Compensation will be meagre – and no, we can’t expense your purchases Westword job posting

“Keep in mind this isn’t about assessing the quality of the medicine on site; it’s about evaluating the quality of the establishment,” says the Westword job posting.

“After all, we can’t have our reviewer be stoned all the time.”

States like Colorado and California, where medical use is legal, have seen an explosion in the number of pot shops – ranging from upmarket clinics to dingy drugs dens.

The dispensaries sell more than a dozen varieties, from White Widow to the less expensive Afghan Gold Seal. Some cost up to $360 (£219) an ounce.

But the writer of Westword’s Mile Highs and Lows column is expected to focus on the dispensaries, not the drugs.

“Compensation will be meagre,” says the posting. It says the paper can’t pay for marijuana purchases, “although that would be pretty cool.”

compliance brings privilege

kamala

make this the green flag rules for california

as the next attorney general

jerry

support these green flag rules

in your unofficial run for govenor

++++++++++++++++++++++++

amend the 2010 california attorney general

compassionate care guidelines to read:

make all compassionate care participants take

green flag rules compliance education training annually

like this dmv list of  schools for car dealer pre-licensing

make all caregivers hold a green flag rules license

like this dmv licensed salesperson required in the car sales industry

make all green flag caregivers post a bond

like this bond requirement for licensed car dealers

make all green flag caregivers submit fingerprints

like this fingerprint requirement for dmv licensed salespersons

make all green flag caregivers obtain local zoning approval

like this property use verification form from the dmv

green flag rules will generate green flag compliance

plus a whole network of folks

to monitor and teach green flag compliance

as a matter of fact

why not just add it to the dmv with special green flag funding

from obama and holder

a model green flag rules compliance program

for the nation to follow

you might need a willis to see which way this wind will blow

gina

green flag compliance = certified dealer

October 21st, 2009 ·

From CalFreedom.net:

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday issued new guidelines telling prosecutors they “should not focus federal resources in your States on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.”  Below is a roundup of reactions from libertarians. At the end is a must-see video from Reason TV in which Drew Carey reports on the ongoing efforts of the Obama Justice Dept. to sentence Californian Charles Lynch to five years in prison for dispensing marijuana to the parents of a teenage cancer victim.

The Libertarian Party: This is a small step in the right direction. The federal government currently wastes tremendous resources in the War on Drugs, creating a huge, vicious, violent black market. This new policy will reduce the damage and destruction, and it will hopefully end some of the unjust prosecution of peaceful medical marijuana providers and patients.  The LP has long called for the repeal of laws that criminalize the medicinal or recreational use of drugs.

Article continues at CalFreedom.net

green flag compliance ++ we make it simple for you

//

MARINA DEL REY, CA — 10/21/09 — Medical Marijuana, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) is currently offering Informational Seminars in Mendocino County, CA. These one hour seminars will culminate in an initial series of two day paid seminars beginning November 6 &7, 2009 at the Discovery Inn in Ukiah, California hosted by MMI CEO and King of Pot, Bruce Perlowin, who was featured in CNBC’s most watched television documentary “Marijuana Inc.”Among significant topics to be covered are clarification of State, City and County laws and ordinances governing Medical Marijuana collectives in regard to dispensaries and cultivation. This is tied into Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s transparent patent pending Tax Remittance and Closed Loop Inventory Tracking Systems to ensure total compliance. Also discussed are the cottage industries that will sprout from the core medical marijuana industry beyond cultivation and collectives; cannabis kitchens and bottling companies, testing facilities, distribution and logistics, delivery services, security and more.

REVENUE

The seminar series signals a significant new revenue stream for MMI as schedules will expand to the other 13 states where Medical Marijuana use is legal. In addition to the fees earned initially at the 2 day seminar, MJNA will continue to earn income as these attendees go on to open collectives and use the MJNA tax collection and tracking systems.

An additional revenue stream that MMI will offer is turnkey solutions to those interested in going on to the next step. Paramount to the turn key solution is the ability to cultivate. To that end, MMI will offer grow solutions in part or whole including hydroponic and airponic indoor systems and peripherals. MMI’s paid seminar attendees are likely to take advantage of in-house expertise and materials.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA, INC.’S TURNKEY COLLECTIVE SOLUTION

Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s Turnkey Collective Solution ensures that collectives operate within the guidelines of all laws and regulations regarding the tracking of the marijuana from grow cycle to final distribution. By employing Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s closed loop tracking system, it can be shown to authorities and collectives alike that the source of their supply was an active member of the collective. Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s Regulatory Module provides officials with a comprehensive reporting tool that allows them to remotely audit the industry in real time to ensure regulations are being properly followed. This audit function can be performed online and remotely from the regulators desktop anywhere in the world, making the process more efficient and cost effective for governments to monitor and regulate the industry. Medical Marijuana, Inc. believes that tools to regulate the industry and collect tax revenue are necessary to gain nationwide acceptance and legalization of medical marijuana. Further, Medical Marijuana’s Tax Remittance Platform could not only cost-effectively implement the necessary infrastructure to collect on every sale made within city limits by licensed collectives and collect those taxes on a daily basis, but eliminate the cash problem by using a tax remittance, credit, debit, or proprietary card. The POS system automatically recognizes the collective’s tax ID number, state and local tax rates and then provides Automated Clearing House settlement of the taxes and routes the amount to the City’s appointed financial institution. Taxes can be collected on a daily basis, providing an economic windfall for the city of Los Angeles and any other municipality recognizing the advantages of this model.

Tax Collection

The Stored Value Platform System will provide verifiable solutions to manage the difficult task of revenue and taxation collection. The customers of the dispensary are issued a plastic debit card or medical revenue card. The ease of access to certifiably secure transactions lessens the risk of loss at each level of the transaction.

Internal Management

All collectives/dispensaries in the U.S. are cash businesses. This presents a number of challenges. Dispensary owners risk employee theft and possible competition for sales with unsupervised employees. Our stored value system also eliminates the legal and practical risks of carrying cash.

Solutions

Medical Marijuana, Inc. is developing a suite of solutions to deliver an efficient and secure infrastructure for the Medical Marijuana Industry that will provide the tools to industry operators to effectively manage their businesses with the confidence that they are in full compliance.

ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA, INC.

Medical Marijuana, Inc. is the first public company to recognize the vast and unequaled opportunities that exist in the rapidly expanding medical marijuana industry. The scientific recognition of marijuana as a powerful medicine, and as an effective, non-narcotic pain reliever, has brought legalized marijuana use to the forefront of mainstream discussion thus opening the door for safe and lucrative investment opportunities.

certified dealer education

Medical Pot: Don’t Forget the Pain

My Turn
By Diana L. Chapman

On the marijuana front – it’s so strange to say that because in my lifetime I never thought I’d be defending its use – I received e-mails from Santa Barbara to Arizona.

Defending pot was not one of my priorities – until I got sick.  Now I understand the need and chided two of our Los Angeles attorneys, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and  the County District Attorney Steven Cooley  last week for spending a fortune to start to seize and shut down outlets claiming they were illegal operations under federal law – even though the state has approved it. Those who emailed ran the gamut, complaining that dispensaries handed out marijuana willy-nilly or others contended it should be legalized  to cut down on illegal sales in the brutal drug world.

Both points are valid.

So I need to make this clear – I only defend the herb’s legalization for medicinal reasons which I wrote about in one of my earlier CityWatch column.   I know what it means to be attacked by a chronic illness and why some would want to use the herb to reduce debilitating symptoms that box them around daily.

President Barack Obama last week unofficially told federal prosecutors and agents to back off the dispensaries that are legally dispensing under state laws.

Meanwhile, our local attorneys continue to wage a campaign against the number of pot outlets, somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 plus in Los Angeles County – and are working to shut them down. I argued  that they need to be concerned about those who need it. Santa Barbara resident Sharon Byrne e-mailed that “You missed the point why they are cracking down.”

A few emails later, we realized that somewhere in the middle lies the truth. For Sharon, an endless number of such dispensaries opened in her area and what’s driving her crazy are the youth bringing pot to school, telling administrators that it’s legal. Some are hanging out at dispensaries.

“Clearly, our dispensaries are not all about serving compassionate intent,” she wrote.

“We had a ‘marijuana mile’ march here three weeks ago, and we walked past seven dispensaries within one mile. At one of the dispensaries, the people working there littered the sidewalk with pro-pot flyers, and handed them to the kids and marchers as we passed. I thought it odd that they didn’t mention compassion, or the number of patients with dreaded diseases they’ve helped. No, they were simply pushing pot, and it is this I have a problem with.

“It’s unfortunate, but in the case of Los Angeles, and here in my hometown of Santa Barbara, dispensaries that promote recreational use do bring crime to their area,” she added. “There were 16 armed robberies at dispensaries in Los Angeles last month, and an armed extortion at a dispensary here. Cities are correct in watching out for their residents and nearby businesses if dispensaries opening in their vicinity cause issues.”

My Long Beach friend reported the opposite reaction to two marijuana outlets, that took over run-down liquor stores that often brought crime to her neighborhood. The marijuana dispensaries opened, fixed up the buildings and cleaned up the neighborhood, she said. As far as she concerned, it was refreshing.

The legalization of the drug makes complete sense, if you ask one Los Angeles attorney, who worked as a former probation officer. It’s the only way, he believes, to win against the mafia and gang members who sell these drugs underground – and make a fortune.

He further debated the wasteful spending that goes into prosecuting those caught with marijuana.

The attorney, who asked not to be named, currently represents a homeless man who had less than .06 of an ounce of marijuana – which was prescribed to sooth his mental illness. To prosecute him, the city ran up charges of $10,000, which points out the futility, the attorney said, when the real war is with the illegal drug trade.

“I only have two criminal cases right now,” he emailed. “One is a drug case for .06 ounces  of hash for a schizophrenic homeless person who had a medical Marijuana letter. The city and county has spent over $10,000 on this case if you add up the time of the courts, the Twin Towers, the DA.”

He added he was pleased that Los Angeles Judge James C. Chalfant struck down the city’s ban on new medical marijuana centers last week, citing that the city used an expired ordinance and failed to follow state laws.

“It is nice to hear that some law enforcement officers realize that the income from drugs benefits organized crime,” he continued. “Gangs like MS-13 are no longer mere gangs as we know gangs.  They are international crime syndicates, and Carmen T wants to help them keep their drug profits high.

When push comes to shove, Carmen T places his time and energy into supporting the profits of organized crime and does nothing to help kids. Make no mistake about it.   LA’s new war on pot will have one definite effect  — protecting the profits of organized crime.”

On one side of the coin (Oh, I love clichés), we are in the year 2009 – and conservatives need to accept that this plant has improved the life of those struck down with diseases. On the other side, eager entrepreneurs and those interested in having a free-for all use of the drug for fun need to get their feet planted firmly to the ground.

We need to make it a law that marijuana can only be used with a legal prescription to fix the current blurry lines of the laws that exist. Currently, a person only needs only a letter of recommendation.

Trutanich  and Cooley undergoing this war seems extraordinary considering the scores of much uglier issues that Los Angeles faces, such as foster children being murdered. Where are those attorneys to protect those children? I want to know.

To top it all, one resident in Arizona wrote thanking me for the defense for those who are ill.

”Thanks for such an insightful look into the benefits of marijuana use for medicinal purposes,” the writer emailed, asking not to be identified. “As a two-time cancer treatment patient, (once in 2001 and again in 2007) I don’t think anyone has any idea what we go through with the nausea thing.

“This last time around, surgery was not an option for me so the cancer had to be eradicated solely with chemo and radiation.  It wasn’t pleasant considering the tumor was at the base of my tongue.  My entire mouth, tongue, gums, throat and cheeks were burnt and swollen.  I lost almost 60 lbs.

We don’t have to mention pain, do we?”

(Diana L. Chapman was a journalist for 15 years with the Daily Breeze and the San Diego Union. She can be reached at

hartchap@cox.netorvisit

certified dealer education

// <![CDATA[//

US vows

crackdown on

medical marijuana

By correspondent Kim Landers for The World Today

Marijuana ‘collectives’ could be the answer to ensuring legitimate LA distribution for medicinal purposes. (Victoria Police: supplied)

//

• Audio: LA officials to clean up the joint (The World Today)

Officials in the United States are vowing to crack down on medical marijuana facilities even as the Obama administration signals a new hands-off policy on the drug.

Los Angeles officials have been agonising for two years over a move to introduce what they call sensible guidelines to help regulate the booming industry.

In the US, 14 states have laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, but no state has gone further than California and no city has gone further than LA, where there are more marijuana dispensaries than public schools.

Brian Berens is the owner of Green Oasis, a medical marijuana dispensary in LA.

“Daily I would say we get about 30 to 50 people in a day. We service the local community and most of the people live within two miles of the dispensary,” he said.

“Our collective is a little bit different than most; we’re a large operation, we have a second floor – we have a vapour lounge which is much like an Amsterdam cafe.”

He says his medical marijuana cooperative complies with state laws, but the city of Los Angeles is vowing to eradicate what it calls the illegal sales of marijuana in many of the city’s dispensaries.

Legitimate sales

David Berger, an assistant city attorney for the city of Los Angeles, says not even 10 per cent of the dispensaries are selling marijuana for legitimate reasons.

“How many places are there selling marijuana? About a thousand – how many of them are genuinely supplying medical marijuana to people legitimately in need? Perhaps a hundred,” he said.

“What these other places are doing is basically saying, ‘if you’re a recreational user, if you just want to get high, find a doctor who for $150 will write you a recommendation, come in here on a nod and a wink and we will give you marijuana’.”

The city of Los Angeles says California state law only allows the exchange of marijuana between growers and patients who are members of a cooperative and that it has to be on a non-profit, non-cash basis.

But Mr Berger says that for the past two years, medical marijuana dispensaries have mushroomed in the city.

“How did it happen? It’s because the law that allowed this to come into effect was very poorly written and expressed in very broad terms,” he said.

“And you know the emotion of allowing seriously ill people to obtain some relief was used to basically allow a poorly written law into effect.”

‘For medicinal use only’

LA is now trying to mount a crackdown. The council will debate an ordinance next month that introduces strict new rules about medical marijuana dispensaries.

Mr Berger says marijuana collectives, not shops, is the way forward.

“It has to be a collective, not a shop, a collective, and a collective is basically a group of people who come together for a common purpose,” he said.

“In this case, it’s to cultivate marijuana for medicinal use only and only amongst themselves. They cannot sell it.

“All they can do is share it amongst themselves and share the costs of cultivating the marijuana.”

He also says the dispensaries will not be able to have more than two kilograms of marijuana on the premises at any one time.

No on-site consumption will be allowed and the collectives will not be able to be within 300 metres of schools, parks or other collectives.

Threat of legal action

But Mr Berens says the owners of medical marijuana facilities will fight the ordinance in court if it is passed.

“I don’t know if they will be able to ratify ordinances in November – this might be just a lot of lip service for the public,” he said.

“Even if they do, we have already notified Los Angeles of certain points in the proposed ordinances that our attorney will sue them if they approve them.”

While the city of Los Angeles tries to crack down on medical marijuana dispensaries, the Obama administration has told federal authorities not to arrest or prosecute medical marijuana users and suppliers who are not violating local or state laws.

In a statement, US Attorney General Eric Holder says: “It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana.”

“But we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal,” the statement adds.

The city of Los Angeles says its planned crackdown would comply with these guidelines.

It says the Obama administration is making it clear that its hands-off policy towards medical marijuana only applies to places that are complying with state and local law.

But Mr Berger thinks the Obama administration’s policy is the seed from which the movement to legalise all marijuana will grow.

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Why Is L.A.’s District Attorney

Aiding and Abetting

Mexican Drug Cartels?

By Bruce Mirken, Daily News
http://www.alternet.org/story/143310/

Last week, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley announced a sweeping new plan to boost the profits of Mexican drug cartels, a plan almost certain to increase the slaughter these vicious gangs are perpetrating on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Of course, Cooley didn’t call it that. He claimed, on dubious legal grounds, that all medical marijuana dispensaries in the county are illegal and announced plans to crack down on them. While no one denies that L.A.’s attempts – or, more accurately, nonattempts – to regulate these operations have been a mess, Cooley’s crackdown is guaranteed to make a bad situation worse.

While state law is not as precise as it might be in setting legal parameters for dispensing medical marijuana, guidelines issued last year by state Attorney General Jerry Brown make clear that dispensing collectives are legal and can include storefront operations.

“It is the opinion of this Office that a properly organized and operated collective or cooperative that dispenses medical marijuana through a storefront may be lawful under California law,” the guidelines state, so long as other requirements are met.

It may well be that some are operating outside these guidelines, but until and unless Cooley closely inspects their operations, he is simply making things up. That’s not how law enforcement should operate.

But even if Cooley were right on legal grounds, as policy his stand borders on the insane.

California law unmistakably gives patients the right to use and possess marijuana for medical purposes when recommended by their physician. And a flood of medical research over the last several years – much of it conducted by the University of California – has confirmed that marijuana can indeed provide safe, effective relief for a number of conditions, including certain hard-to-treat types of excruciating nerve pain.

So the question facing local leaders is not whether patients can have medical marijuana, but how they will obtain it. Will it be from licensed businesses operating under appropriate rules and regulations, or from drug dealers on the streets? Does Cooley really believe it’s better for either patients or communities to have the state’s medical marijuana patients – who number more than 200,000 by most estimates – getting their medicine from street dealers?

Sending patients to the streets for their medicine is clearly dangerous, subjecting sick people to risky transactions in order to purchase medicine of unknown quality, purity and origin. But it’s the question of origin that should alarm all of us.

We know that a significant amount of street marijuana can be traced to the murderous Mexican cartels – vicious gangs who make around two-thirds of their profits from the illicit marijuana trade, according to U.S. and Mexican officials. We know that these gangs are operating in at least 230 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Hacienda Heights and Garden Grove.

A mass shutdown of medical marijuana dispensaries will simply hand these thugs a massive new pool of customers and millions of dollars in extra profits. There is a better way.

The experience of other cities, including Oakland and San Francisco, has shown that well-crafted regulations can allow medical marijuana patients to access their medicine safely, from well-run organizations that follow the law and respect their neighborhoods.

In San Francisco, medical marijuana dispensaries have simply ceased being controversial, as explained last year by C.W. Nevius, arguably the San Francisco Chronicle’s most conservative local columnist:

“Quietly, with little fanfare, San Francisco is on the way to becoming a model for medical marijuana clubs done the right way. Exploitative, profit-hungry drug clubs are being forced out and community-based, patient-friendly ones are becoming the norm. Neighbors have shut down dispensaries in school zones, and patient services have been increased.”

It’s long past time for California’s legislature to set clear, statewide standards and licensing rules for medical marijuana providers. But until then, local officials like Cooley need to use common sense and not pursue policies that will simply enrich murderous thugs.

Bruce Mirken is communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

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