Friendly Skies Even Friendlier in Oregon

Talk about traveling in style: Passengers flying within the State of Oregon may now carry small amounts of marijuana with them.

Officials at Portland International Airport announced in July that they would allow travelers to carry up to 1 ounce of cannabis when flying to another airport in Oregon. It is currently legal statewide to carry up to 1 ounce in public.

Even so, the airport was under no legal obligation to allow passengers carrying cannabis. Airports are typically municipal property subject to special security rules.

In Colorado, for example, marijuana is banned at all public airports. That means only passengers leaving private airports may carry the drug, and then only on flights that don’t cross state lines.

The new rule in Portland took effect toward the end of July. The city’s airport is the largest in the state and one of the busiest on the West Coast.

Marijuana cannot cross state lines

It remains illegal to attempt to fly with marijuana on any flight leaving Oregon. The drug is legal in Washington State, Colorado, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., but it is banned by federal laws, and transport across state lines is treated as criminal trafficking.

“For those flying to other cities in the state of Oregon, traveling with marijuana is allowable as long as that passenger meets all the other legal requirements of the state law,” said Steve Johnson, spokesman for Port of Portland, which owns and runs the airport.

Passengers traveling from Portland are free to carry cannabis through security checkpoints if they’re booked on in-state flights, Johnson said. If the cannabis is spotted by TSA agents, they will check boarding passes to ensure the drug won’t leave Oregon, and they will make sure passengers don’t try to carry more than 1 ounce.

It’s usually quite easy to walk through security carrying small amounts of marijuana, since the TSA is focused on explosives and other terrorist threats, not drugs. That said, getting caught with marijuana at an airport where it is prohibited can lead to arrest by local police.

Fully legal states have varying policies

Airports in Colorado already offer so-called “amnesty boxes” where travelers can legally dispose of cannabis before passing through security. Marijuana is effectively banned on all commercial flights originating in that state.

Washington State, by comparison, allows cannabis to leave at least one facility, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as long as it is within the state’s legal limits.

Alaska has yet to decide whether to allow traveling with marijuana. Given the state’s sheer size and its sparse population, barring the drug on in-state flights could make it harder to get.

Alaska remains undecided

“It would premature for the airport to put forth any policies or procedures until we know what rules we’re supposed to be talking about,” said John Parrot, manager of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska.

Passengers in Oregon will have to dispose of their marijuana before flying out of state. Those who bring too much to the airport must throw away anything beyond the 1 ounce limit. Travelers caught at security with too much marijuana could face both state and federal charges.

Oregon voters legalized cannabis in the November 2014 elections, as did Alaska and the District of Columbia. Washington State and Colorado legalized in 2012, the first states to do so.

Though the announcement is good news for Oregonians, Coloradans and others will likely have to live with current policies, at least in the foreseeable future.

“We don’t have any plans to reevaluate our marijuana policy,” said Laura Cole, spokeswoman for Denver International Airport.

Friendly Skies Even Friendlier in Oregon

Attitudes Toward MJ Improving Among Youths

Marijuana reform hasn’t led more young people to use the drug, but it has had a dramatic effect on their attitudes toward it.

A new study, published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in July, measured cannabis use among teens and young adults, comparing data from 2002 and 2013.

The study found that just 23 percent of youths ages 18 to 25 disapproved of marijuana use in the most recent survey – compared to 41 percent in 2002. At the same time, actual cannabis use increased by only 2 percent.

The study collected information about drug use from more than 400,000 youngsters. Roughly 100,000 of those were between ages 12 and 14, while another 100,000 were aged 15 to 17 and the remaining 200,000 fell into the 18- to 25-year-old category.

Marijuana use among youths holds steady

“What explains this?” asked Christopher Salas-Wright, an assistant professor at the University of Texas and the study’s lead author. “It is hard to know. The rise of medical marijuana, the relaxing of marijuana use laws, and increased exposure of marijuana as perhaps normative, as well as no longer immoral, may be influencing how young adults feel about others using marijuana, but not impacting beliefs about one’s own use of marijuana.”

That discovery is only good news for cannabis users and reform advocates. It means dire warnings about exploding teenage marijuana use have not come to pass, and it also means young people are making smart distinctions between the drug’s safety and its appropriateness in their lives.

Zachary Pion, a recent graduate of the University of Vermont, said he saw plenty of evidence that marijuana’s image has improved.

“I would say I’ve always had a strong opposition to marijuana usage, but seeing it so freely in my college experience, I became far less sensitized to its usage very quickly, even though it did not impact my own decision to not use the substance,” Pion said.

Changing perceptions of marijuana

Among other realities, changing perceptions toward marijuana will almost certainly translate to further reform down the road. Cannabis is now legal for any use in four states and the District of Columbia; with young voters on board, that number is only likely to grow.

Only adults are allowed to use marijuana in any of these places. Minors under age 21 can only consume it if they have legitimate medical clearance, and then it must usually be a non-intoxicating form of the drug.

Still, it remains relatively easy even for young teenagers to get their hands on cannabis. Advocates say legalization will make it harder, but Salas Wright said he wanted to explore other avenues for preventing underage use. He also wondered how legalization has affected attitudes toward marijuana use.

“Our results may suggest that recent changes in public policy, including the decriminalization, medicalization and legalization of marijuana in cities and states across the country, have not resulted in more use or greater approval of marijuana use among younger adolescents,” he said.

Attitudes Toward MJ Improving Among Youths

Obama Commutes Drug Sentences

President Barack Obama has shortened the sentences of dozens of non-violent drug offenders, the latest step in a growing movement to reform the criminal justice system.

Obama signed commutation orders for 46 federal inmates, all serving long sentences for non-violent crimes involving marijuana and other drugs. The president noted that the most of the inmates would already be free if they had been sentenced under current law.

Their long prison terms, including at least one life sentence, resulted from mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted during the so-called War on Drugs. Critics now contend those laws are overly harsh and disproportionately punish black men.

“I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around,” Obama said in a letter to each of the prisoners. “Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. It will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. Perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances. But remember that you have the capacity to make good choices.”

Obama first president to visit federal prison

Obama’s ruling came in late July, just days before he was scheduled to become the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. Neil Eggleston, counsel to the president, said the commutations were meant to address a disconnect between punishment and crime.

“Federal sentencing practices can, in too many instances, lead non-violent drug offenders to spend decades, if not life, in prison,” Eggleston wrote on a White House blog. “Now, don’t get me wrong, many people are justly punished for causing harm and perpetuating violence in our communities. But, in some cases, the punishment required by law far exceeded the offense. These unduly harsh sentences are one of the reasons the President is committed to using all the tools at his disposal to remedy unfairness in our criminal justice system.”

Obama’s signature dramatically increased the number of pardons and commutations he has granted, from 44 to 90. Even that is a relatively small number.

Mass amnesty may be necessary

Marijuana advocates believe mass amnesty may eventually be necessary, once cannabis is widely legal. Thousands of small-time drug offenders remain languishing in prison, typically without ever throwing a punch or drawing a gun.

The president’s decision means all 46 men and women will soon leave prison. But they will continue to carry criminal records, as Obama chose not to pardon them.

The president is the only person in the government with the unquestioned power to pardon federal inmates or commute their sentences. A commutation simply shortens or ends a prisoner’s sentence without overturning the underlying conviction.

Mass amnesty, should it ever happen, could free hundreds if not thousands of low-level drug offenders in federal prison. The last time such a grant occurred, it removed the threat of criminal penalties from thousands of young men who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.

Obama Commutes Drug Sentences

California Dispensary Sues Police Over Raid

A California medical marijuana dispensary has sued local police following a raid during which officers allegedly harassed employees and ate cannabis candy.

The officers’ antics were caught on a secret video camera, even after they dismantled the store’s official surveillance system. One officer joked about a worker’s disability, threatening to kick her in the stump of her amputated leg.

The Santa Ana Police Department has already let the officers off the hook without punishment, even though the video clearly shows one officer taking an edible item from beneath a counter, inspecting it, unwrapping it, and tossing it in his mouth.

The lawsuit claims police violated the civil rights of the dispensary and its employees. Attorney Matthew Pappas said he has obtained new video that proves the officer ate cannabis candy in violation of his legal duties.

Police chief denies the officer ate edible

Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas insisted no such video exists. Some of the officers behaved badly, he said, but he refused to acknowledge drug use or to sanction his officers for breaking the law they swore to uphold.

“We do have information that leads us to believe that they are not consuming edibles,” despite clear video evidence that proves exactly the opposite.

Rojas refused to disclose what proof the department has that officers didn’t break the law, saying the information was a confidential personnel matter.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in early July, seeking damages for the raid. It names the City of Santa Ana and its police department.

Santa Ana bans medical marijuana dispensaries

The raid occurred last month at the Sky High Collective of Santa Ana. The city bans medical marijuana dispensaries, and Sky High allegedly operated in violation of that law.

Officers were caught on tape dismantling the store’s security system after ordering employees to the ground at gunpoint and then herding them into a side room. But the officers didn’t realize there was a hidden secondary camera system.

Mary James, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, was present for the raid after she received a tip police were coming. The secret video captured one of the officers returning from the other room and saying of James, “Did you punch that one-legged old Benita?”

A second officer responds: “I was about to kick her in the fucking nub.”

“How can I respect someone like that?” James said after the raid. “It just makes your stomach turn. Maybe she doesn’t know what it’s like to have an amputation. I don’t know what was going through her head, but man that was disrespectful.”

Medical cannabis is legal in California, but many local communities, including Santa Ana, tightly restrict the stores that sell it. Dispensaries are essentially prohibited everywhere in Orange County, though the area is still home to a thriving marijuana delivery industry.

California Dispensary Sues Police Over Raid

MJ Dealer, Afraid of Cops, Gets Caught Trashing Plants

A 25-year-old Florida man, worried police might soon uncover his illegal marijuana business, made a rookie mistake that quickly brought his nightmares to life.

Christopher Stoddard was arrested in July outside a shopping mall in Bradenton, Fla., where he was allegedly trying to dump several trash bags full of marijuana trimmings into a dumpster. He was charged with growing cannabis, possessing it, and possessing it with intent to distribute it.

Police say an officer spotted Stoddard unloading a large quantity of plant trimmings into a Dumpster behind the Beachway Plaza shopping center in Bradenton. The officer saw Stoddard moving a trash can and bags from his car to the dumpster, according to a police report.

“The officer approached the vehicle and noticed a large amount of marijuana plants in the bags,” the report said.

Defendant allegedly revealed operation to police

After his arrest, Stoddard allegedly told a narcotics detective that he was growing and selling cannabis out of his home nearby. He became convinced police would soon uncover his operation, the report said.

“Mr. Stoddard stated that he was afraid that he was in danger of being discovered and decided to get rid of the evidence of the marijuana grow,” the report said. “Mr. Stoddard went on to explain that he sells the weed he grows and nets approximately $500 a week in marijuana sales.”

That suggests Stoddard may have been working on his own as a low-level dealer. When Bradenton police searched his home, they found a small amount of marijuana and a larger amount of cultivation equipment, according to the report.

Stoddard was booked at the Manatee County Jail in early July and was being held on $10,500 bond. Cannabis cultivation and possession with intent are potentially felonies in Florida, while simple possession is a misdemeanor.

Up to five years in prison

Stoddard could face up to five years in prison on the cultivation charge alone, with an even heavier sentence if more than 25 plants were involved. Police didn’t say how much marijuana they found at Stoddard’s home.

Stoddard isn’t the first Floridian to wind up in trouble over bizarre behavior involving cannabis plants. Last summer, two brothers were arrested after one of them allegedly attacked the other with a marijuana plant.

Less than two weeks later, a woman was caught on dashboard video eating a bag of cannabis while handcuffed in the back of a police squad car.

MJ Dealer, Afraid of Cops, Gets Caught Trashing Plants

Mother Charged with Feeding Kids Marijuana

Marijuana may be a relatively harmless recreational drug, but that doesn’t mean you should feed it to your kids.

A 45-year-old Maryland woman was arrested in early July after giving cannabis to three teenagers at a birthday party, police said. The woman, Tabitha Cassidy, allegedly told officers she also tried to teach a 6-year-old how to smoke the drug.

Cassidy was arrested July 2 and charged with possession of marijuana, four counts of child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was busted by St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s deputies.

Police found cannabis and paraphernalia

Officers said they arrived at Cassidy’s home in the early afternoon following a report that an adult woman had given cannabis to three teens. They searched the house and found paraphernalia and marijuana.

Cassidy allegedly told the arresting deputies she was the woman who gave the teens cannabis at her home in Lexington Park. They also learned she had tried to teach a 6-year-old child how to toke.

Police didn’t immediately disclose the ages of the other minors. They also didn’t say whether the 6-year-old or any of the teens belonged to Cassidy.

She was being held at the St. Mary’s County jail as of early July, and bail was denied. Presumably any children in her custody have been removed.

Possession remains illegal in Maryland

Medical cannabis is legal in Maryland, and the drug has been decriminalized for recreation. But recreational possession remains illegal, and in larger amounts is a crime.

It is also illegal to supply the drug to anyone under the age of 21 anywhere in the United States, including states where the drug is fully legalized. Penalties tend to be severe.

Other parents have been charged with feeding their kids marijuana in the past. Most such cases involve illegal medical cannabis, but in others parents have given the drug to kids for fun.

A Georgia couple was jailed last year and charged with forcing two underage boys to ingest marijuana. The adults lured the children with video games, then trapped them in a basement when they refused to try cannabis.

The Georgia couple were charged with multiple felonies, including corruption of a minor, unlawful restraint of a minor with risk of bodily injury, and endangering the welfare of children.

In that case, both boys fell ill after smoking the drug and were briefly hospitalized. Sheriff’s deputies in the Maryland case didn’t say whether any of the minors there were sickened.

It’s unclear exactly what effects marijuana use has on children and teenagers, as science on the subject is scarce. But the most recent studies suggest cannabis can negatively impact adolescent brain development.

Mother Charged with Feeding Kids Marijuana

Bill Would Open Banks to MJ Businesses

New legislation in Congress would make it easier for marijuana businesses to accept credit cards and use other banking services.

The bill, introduced in the U.S. Senate by three Democratic sponsors and two Republicans, would open new avenues of banking to marijuana providers, who currently must deal mostly in cash. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and the federal government oversees the banking industry, so bankers are typically unwilling to risk criminal charges by helping the legal cannabis industry.

This happened despite the fact that the Obama administration issued guidelines last year that were supposed to allow bankers to work with marijuana businesses. That move has largely failed, leaving the industry with no access to credit and other critical financial services.

That means customers are forced to buy cannabis using cash. Most businesses provide ATMs but cannot make direct credit charges. That is beginning to change, however.

Marijuana businesses can set up merchant accounts

In order to accept credit, businesses must run their charges through a so-called “merchant account.” These services process credit cards and act as go-betweens linking entrepreneurs with the banking sector.

But marijuana providers remain without widespread access to credit and banks. This makes the industry unique as one of the few legal businesses that operates only in cash.

Customers, not surprisingly, frequently find this arrangement too restrictive – and even dangerous. Cannabis shops, grow sites, and delivery drivers face substantial risks when they carry large amounts of cash, which they must do to pay bills, taxes, and salaries.

The backers of the new bill, the Marijuana Business Access to Banking Act, include Sens. Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon; Ron Wyden, also a Democrat from Oregon; Corey Gardner, Republican of Colorado; Michael Bennett, Democrat of Colorado; and Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky.

“The introduction of this historic bill is an important first step in gaining support in the Senate and ultimately opening the banking system to all legitimate cannabis businesses,” the National Cannabis Industry Association said in a statement praising the bill. “There is still much that needs to be done to advance this sensible policy.”

Moving in the right direction

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper called the bill a step in the right direction. Though initially opposed to legalization in his state, Hickenlooper was instrumental in the law’s successful roll-out.

“As marijuana is legalized in states across the country, the federal government has a duty to ensure that this experiment can proceed safely,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “Providing marijuana businesses access to banking will protect the safety and well-being of our residents.”

Robbery is a common worry for legal marijuana businesses. Though stick-ups are uncommon at dispensaries, drivers who carry large amounts of cash risk violence. Cannabis providers must take proactive security measures, such as changing delivery routes.

“The legal marijuana industry is worth nearly $3 billion nationwide,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “We shouldn’t be forced to carry that around in duffel bags.”

Bill Would Open Banks to MJ Businesses