This Week: Dutch Court Upholds Ban on Foreigners Buying Marijuana; How Portugal Successfully Decriminalized Drugs; Drug Czar Claims Hemp Contains THC; Jimmy Kimmel Addresses Medical Marijuana Crackdown at Correspondents Dinner; Moms Unite to End the War on Drugs; Obama Attempts to Rewrite His Cannabis History; Billionaire Peter Lewis Bankrolling Marijuana Legalization; Medical Marijuana Advocates Celebrate NH Victory; Wiz Khalifa Arrested in Nashville; and more.

Unless you are a member of the “choir” (my affectionate name for the hard core cannabis activists who live this movement day in and day out), chances are you’re going to miss a lot of cannabis news.  It’s not that there isn’t any, things are happening in the word of marijuana all the time.  But the mainstream media never seems to make it a priority to report on it.

So, since I follow these things, and am on every cannabis mailing list imaginable, I thought it might be a good idea to do a weekly round-up of the compelling stories that came across my desk the week before.  Sometimes I might discover stories older than a week old but still timely, so I’ll pass them on too.  If you have suggestions for stories to be considered for inclusion in next week’s round up, use the Contact Us form here and let me know.

POLITICS/LEGAL

Obama Attempts to Rewrite His Cannabis History – In a recent Rolling Stone interview, the President attempted to backtrack on his campaign promises to medical marijuana patients.

Medical Marijuana Advocates Celebrate NH Victory — In yet another powerful affirmation that support for medical marijuana transcends partisan boundaries, the Republican-dominated New Hampshire House voted 236-96 on Wednesday to pass SB 409.  Matt Simon, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, praised the House for ignoring Gov. Lynch’s veto threat, which was renewed the day before the vote, and passing the bill with a veto-proof supermajority.  A similar win in the senate is needed for the bill to become law.

Moms Unite to End the War on Drugs — Mothers from around the country will join with law enforcement and students at the National Press Club on May 2nd in honor of Mother’s Day. The press conference will launch a new campaign comprised of national organizations representing mothers, police and students that seek to finally end the disastrous Drug War.

Jimmy Kimmel Addresses Medical Marijuana Crackdown at Correspondents Dinner=  –  While delivering his remarks at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, comedian Jimmy Kimmel addressed the issue of marijuana legalization.  “What is with the marijuana crackdown? Seriously, what is the concern? We will deplete the nation’s Funyun supply?” Kimmel said. “Pot smokers vote too. Sometimes a week after the election, but they vote.”

Billionaire Peter Lewis Bankrolling Marijuana Legalization  — When Massachusetts voters head to the polls this November, marijuana legalization will be high on the agenda. As long as advocates collect enough signatures by July — which looks likely — Bay Staters will be able to vote on whether pot can be used for medical purposes.  If the cannabis reform ballot succeeds, one man will be able to take much of the credit: Peter Lewis, the billionaire behind insurance giant Progressive, who’s put forward almost every penny being spent on pro-legalization lobbying.

HEMP

Drug Czar Claims Hemp Contains THC — Drug Czar R. Gil Kerlikowske has a response(ish) to a petition sent to the White House supporting the legalization of hemp. In his “response,” Gil reveals either a stunning ignorance about hemp, or a shocking propensity to tell a whopper.

INTERNATIONAL

Dutch Court Upholds Ban on Foreigners Buying Marijuana– A Dutch court upheld a new law that will prevent foreigners from buying marijuana in coffee shops across the Netherlands, potentially ending decades of “pot tourism” for which this city and others became universally known.

How Portugal Successfully Decriminalized Drugs  –  Should the United States decriminalize drug possession and focus more on treatment than punishment?  The experience of Portugal since it decriminalized drugs in 2001 shows lower levels of drug use among teens, and the lowest rate of marijuana use in the EU.  The fascinating info-graphic at this link gives you all the important facts.

ENTERTAINMENT

Wiz Khalifa Arrested in Nashville — The Tennessean reported last night that popular musician Wiz Khalifa and a friend were busted in Nashville after police received complaints of the strong odor of cannabis apparently emanating from Wiz’s hotel room.  After unsuccessfully trying to ditch a blunt out a window upon police entry, the pair were busted.