By Denise Sagun A New PATH

After decades of destruction caused by the failed “war on drugs” a coalition of mothers is boldly leading the charge to end drug prohibition.

On April 28, 2010 A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment and Healing) held a rally in front of the San Diego Hall of Justice in honor of the 11th anniversary of its work. PATH’s mission is to reduce the stigma associated with addictive illness through education and compassionate support and to advocate for therapeutic rather than punitive drug policies.

Over 50 mothers, family members, healthcare advocates and people in recovery joined in this event, designed as a protest of punitive and pointless drug policies, a rally to promote restorative recovery systems and services, and a vigil to remember those who have lost their lives or their liberty to the war on drugs. Speakers included moms whose drug-addicted children have been lost in

Read More: Mothers determined to rescue kids from Drug War

Qualified cannabis patients with physician approvals from Norcal Health Care can rest assured that their medical approvals are good, despite the recent legal problems of the medical group’s founder. The health service has been under new management since Nov. 19 to handle renewals and new patients. Doctors Philip Denney and Michael Gitter bought out the Norcal chain — with offices in Oakland, Ukiah, Arcata and Bakersfield CA — with businessman Omar Salah. Denney, 61, is past president of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and widely respected within the field. Denney will also continue to see patients two days a week in Carmichael at the office he shares with Robert Sullivan, MD. The loss of Dr. Assad’s license created concerns for hundreds of patients who rely on Norcal.

The Oregon Court of Appeals rejected the use of an out-of-state physician’s recommendation as a defense against cannabis charges in its state courts. Joel Berringer had argued that since he had a letter of approval for medical marijuana that was issued by a California doctor, he should be able to defend his two pounds of medical marijuana he had been arrested carrying while in the Oregon. Qualified patients in Oregon have a safe harbor from prosecution for possession of up to 24 ounces. However, the Court ruled on April 14 that, since there is no specific reciprocity agreement between the two states, the approval should not apply. Montana and New Jersey are the only two states to offer reciprocity for out-of-state qualified patients.

Hundreds of California voters in Orange County had their registrations switched to Republican when they believed they were supporting the effort to legalize cannabis in California. After as many as 99 complaints were received, the OC Register newspaper investigated and found another 74 voters that were duped into being registered Republican. All were under 28 years of age and most were approached in parking lots at local college campuses and large box stores, such as Wal-Mart. Some reportedly not only did not know they were registered Republican, they did not even know what a Republican was. In most cases the same type of bait and switch operation was used, luring voters in with subjects they had affinities for, such as animals, schools — and, yes, legal cannabis — and conning them into registering for the Republican party. — Mickey Martin

Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson in May ordered that his country’s most famous legalization advocate be extradited to the US for a five-year federal prison sentence. Cannabis seed entrepreneur and Cannabis Culture magazine publisher Marc Emery turned himself in to authorities and is in custody in Washington State.

Emery and two employees, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, were arrested in Vancouver in 2005 by Canadian police acting at the behest of US authorities, who had indicted the trio in Seattle for selling Emery Seed Bank cannabis seeds to US customers over the Internet. After Rainey and Williams were offered plea-bargains allowing them to stay in Canada, Emery pled guilty to one count of distribution in exchange for a five-year sentence. He had faced up to life in prison for his seed sales. — Phil Smith, stopthedrugwar.org