medical marijuana
Â
Opponents of a Kern County ordinance that would outlaw storefront medical marijuana cooperatives and the sale of edible pot products have blocked the law from taking effect.
The Kern County, California Elections Division on Wednesday verified that Kern Citizens for Patients’ Rights had collected 17,350 valid signatures from registered Kern County voters. That’s the number required to block the bans.
Elections workers reached the 17,350 number Wednesday and stopped counting. About 2,662 of the original 26,326 signatures submitted remained uncounted, a cushion of support Kern Citizens didn’t need.
“People are tired of being told what to do — being told ‘Do what I say, not what I do,’” said one supporter.
Â
Voters in Oakland overwhelmingly approved the nation’s first tax on medical marijuana that is sold ad city cannabis clubs. The new tax rate will be $18 out of every $1,000 in sales at the clubs, generating nearly $300,000 in revenue for the city.
Â
According to the the Marijuana Policy Project blog, the US House of Representatives has moved to allow Washington, DC to implement a medical marijuana law pased by voters in 1998. The Congress has been blocking the implementation of the law - passed by 69% of voters - in it’s DC appropriations bills for over ten years. The law must now be passed by the US Senate and be signed by President Obama before taking effect.
Supporters of a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in South Dakota need to collect just over 16,000 signatures by April 6, 2010 to qualify for the ballot. A similar measure failed by just 2% in 2006.
Florida would join 13 other states in permitting marijuana for medical use under a ballot initiative being circulated for the 2010 ballot. Proponents claim that polls indicate wide support for medical marijuana in the state. The Attorney General’s office had not received the initiative so could not comment on it.