Tag Archives: Lawmakers
Ohio Lawmakers May Allow Medical Marijuana Bill To Take Flight
Things are looking up in the ‘Buckeye state’, as medical marijuana inches closer to the runway… preparing for a potential flight of the Phoenix.
Cannabis for the sick, could soon be a shining beacon of true civility for Ohio’s MS, cancer, AIDS and PTSD patients. As politicians in the 7th most populous state – stretching across the northern most tip of the Midwestern Bible Belt, are just now hearing the faint screams of pain from their constituents. Funny, or not – how this epiphany coincides with the many recent polls indicating broad voter support for medical marijuana.
No matter how you slice it, the fact of the matter remains; politicians in the ‘Birthplace of Aviation’ [a.k.a. Ohio] may soon allow a medical marijuana bill to take flight, allowing for doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients under certain conditions.
State Representative Robert Hagan sponsored the proposal saying Ohio could benefit from a 15-percent excise tax on marijuana.
Hagan says that money could help restore cuts to public education and local government.
The Youngstown Democrat modeled his ballot proposal on Colorado’s recently passed Amendment 64 that will allow adults 21 and older to legally purchase, cultivate and use recreational cannabis.
Sales establishments would be licensed and registered with the state.
Hagan also reintroduced legislation decriminalizing marijuana for medical use.
The measure joins two similar proposals that have been certified for the statewide ballot but lack the signatures to proceed.
Hagan’s bills lack support from majority Republicans.
Of course it does… typical.
Colorado Lawmakers Contemplate Legal Pot Tax
How much should legal pot be taxed? That’s the question Colorado lawmakers are currently debating. While House Democrats see a 25% tax as both beneficial and attainable, Republicans argue that raising the price of legal weed could recreate the marijuana b…
Florida Lawmakers Pass Bong Ban
What’s older than Florida’s senior population? The Florida Legislature’s mindset when it comes to marijuana.
Last Friday, the state Senate voted 31-2 in favor of a bill that would ban the sale of assorted pipes, bongs, and hookahs. House Bill 49 passed in the House days earlier by a vote of 112-3.
Sen. Jeff Clemens
Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth), one of the few dissenting voices in the Senate, argued that marijuana is far safer than other drugs and should be allowed under strict regulation.
The bill now heads to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. If signed, vendors will be criminalized, the sale of various pipes will become a first-degree misdemeanor, and any subsequent violation will jump to a third-degree felony.
Out-of-touch lawmakers don’t seem to realize that House Bill 49 will do nothing to curb marijuana use. In their quest to harass responsible marijuana users, the Florida Legislature has only harmed legitimate business people.
Michigan Lawmakers Introduce Decriminalization Bill
Michigan Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) introduced a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.
Currently, possession of any amount of marijuana in Michigan could result in a year in jail and a fine of up to $ 2,000 . House Bill 4623 would re-label the offense as a civil infraction punishable by a fine based on whether it was a repeat offense.
Rep. Jeff Irwin
“We know, and the people here in Michigan know, that marijuana prohibition is not working,” Rep. Irwin said today during a press conference at the state Capitol, where he was joined by the bill’s Republican co-sponsors, Rep. Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) and Rep. Mike Callton (R-Nashville).
Rep. Mike Shirkey
“This is the right time to have this debate in Michigan,” said Rep. Shirkey. “We’re using a lot of money, energy and resources in Michigan and across the nation to accomplish something we’ve failed at.”
Maryland Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana
The Maryland legislature approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes on Monday, and Governor Martin O’Malley has said he would sign the measure and make Maryland the 20th state to legalize medicinal cannabis.
NYT > Marijuana and Medical Marijuana
