Global Ganja Report

As nightmarish violence continues in Mexico, with horrific massacres and chaotic urban warfare right on the USA's southern border, a couple of academics at England’s University of Sheffield provide a readable 250-page primer on why this is happening now, and take a stab at what can be done to address the crisis—other than escalating it with militarization.

Medical marijuana patient, cultivator and former University of Montana Grizzlies quarterback Jason Washington was convicted Jan. 17 in federal court of two felonies, "conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana" and "possession with intent to distribute marijuana," but was acquitted of another felony possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-related crime. Washington claimed to be in compliance with Montana's medical marijuana law but, as is typical with such federal cases, was denied a defense. He is facing a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, up to 40 years in prison, and more than $10 million in fines and forfeitures.

The California Supreme Court on Jan. 16 denied review of a landmark medical marijuana dispensary case. The Fourth District Court of Appeal for California issued a unanimous ruling on Oct. 24 in the case of People v. Jackson, reversing the conviction of former San Diego dispensary operator Jovan Jackson and establishing a clear defense for Jackson and other medical marijuana providers similarly prosecuted in state court. The state supreme court turned down requests to depublish the appellate court decision from the League of California Cities and an amicus brief supporting the high court's review of the case from district attorneys in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Sonoma counties, as well as the Los Angeles city attorney.

Advocates applauded the recent actions of San Diego Mayor Bob Filner in trying to put an end to the years-long crackdown on access to medical marijuana in the city. Two days after announcing at a local chapter meeting of Americans for Safe Access (ASA) that he was going to direct city authorities to stop shutting down dispensaries, Mayor Filner delivered on that promise by sending letters Jan. 9 to San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne and Neighborhood Code Compliance Director Kelly Broughton.

The country’s leading medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) was awarded a permit by the District of Columbia Department of Health last week to implement its compulsory training for cultivators and distributors licensed by the District. ASA Foundation was selected to be the Medical Marijuana Certification Provider based on its longstanding experience providing such trainings across the country. The four-hour long training course, a requirement under the District's Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2010, will cover the basics of medical marijuana, including an overview of its clinical applications, safety and operational protocols, as well as participants’ rights and responsibilities under local and federal laws.

In response to public comments made against marijuana reform by former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, patient advocates wrote to Kennedy inviting him to attend a national conference on medical marijuana scheduled for Feb. 22-25 at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC. Kennedy announced on Jan. 9 the formation of a new group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which claims to take a different approach than either legalization advocates or government drug warriors. However, advocates argue that SAM's supposed pro-public health approach ignores the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant and is simply using a new narrative to make the same arguments used by marijuana opponents for years.

On Jan. 7, Chief Federal Magistrate Maria-Elena James in San Francisco ruled in favor of Harborside Health Center, and denied motions by Harborside's landlords asking the court to order an immediate halt of medical cannabis sales at their properties in Oakland and San Jose. Judge James also declined to grant a motion from the City of Oakland to enjoin the federal government's legal efforts to close Harborside, but scheduled a hearing later this month for further arguments in Oakland's suit.

For years, police forces in the Emerald Triangle and elsewhere around backcountry California have been hyping an increasing presence in the region's forests of Mexican and Russian cannabis grow ops linked to criminal mafias and cartels based abroad. Now, refreshingly, a Los Angeles Times story of Jan. 2, "Roots of pot cultivation hard to trace," takes a dispassionate look at the question. The piece opens with a slightly lurid lead about camo-clad federal agents ready to "lock-and-load" in a stake-out on National Forest land in Kern County, fearing attack by Mexican cartel gunmen. But at the end, the piece basically tells us not to believe the hype: