Archive for Driving Under the Influence
420leaks Project Announced At Seattle Hempfest 2013
PRESS RELEASE
August 14, 2013
420leaks Project Announced At Seattle Hempfest 2013
Remove Cannabis From The Controlled Substances Act
(Seattle, WA) 420leaks is a media project that sprung out of the board meetings of the Cannabis Action Coalition (CAC), a Seattle based activist group primarily focused on patient protection. The website 420leaks.org was officially launched in July of this year by its lead editor, medical cannabis patient and advocate John Novak. Contributing researchers to date are CAC Executive Director and founder Steve Sarich, Arthur West and John Worthington.
Its purpose is to act as both a government and industry watchdog group, exposing the public and news media to a new approach to the drug war: restrictive zoning/licensing that favors corporations over people, unscientific DUID laws that guarantee more convictions of non-impaired drivers and the use of federal contracts to get around state cannabis laws.
Our researchers have obtained the information primarily through Public Records Requests to state agencies and officials along with exhaustive daily monitoring of all the various state bills, local ordinances and news that will have an effect on patients and their providers.
One might think the passage of I-502 would have been a benefit for patients. In many ways it has. There is an increased awareness of the medical value because many people are no longer afraid to speak out. Some jurisdictions also dropped pending criminal charges. Other states and even countries are beginning to have debates and passing new laws.
Unfortunately, these policies have resulted in the reduction of rights and access for patients that use cannabis for medical purposes in many areas of the state. Allowing home grows and collective gardening under state law is a necessary foundation for ensuring safe access, reduced prices and driving out the black market from our neighborhoods.
Over 50 cities and counties have declared “emergencies” and adopted moratoriums or emergency interim zoning on medical cannabis gardens due to the perceived impacts of recreational cannabis under I-502.
420leaks has released documents that prove the state and federal government officials, along with corporate interests, have been complicit in an ongoing effort to end the medical cannabis laws and it’s emerging market in Washington State as we know it. This is done primarily through HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and other Federal police grant programs with cities, counties and states. These grant contracts for federal programs are not enforceable under Federal Law, however, they are the primary weapon used by local jurisdictions to undermine state cannabis laws.
This week, the Washington State Liquor Control Board was forced by public testimony, legal actions and internet exposure by 420leaks and the Cannabis Action Coalition to address these critical issues by doing a state required Environmental Impact Study. While this could delay licensing of producers, processors and retailers for months, if not years, it will force government to sit down with itself and come up with answers to these and other concerns before more good people are raided and end up with prison sentences for growing as is happening with medical cannabis. And that includes getting a direct answer from the federal government on what their responses will be once production and sales begin for the recreational market.
In the theme of this year’s Seattle Hempfest “No Federal Schedule” August 16-18th, 420leaks will work to help remove cannabis from both the Federal Controlled Substances Act, along with it’s removal in the State Controlled Substances Act.
Doing so will allow the federal and state conflicts to be resolved and allow for a more prosperous local, national and world economy. Protecting Industrial, Medical, Horticultural, Scientific, and responsible Social uses of cannabis for everyone, regardless of economic or racial background is vital to our children’s future. It also ensures protection for those suffering from serious health conditions.
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420leaks John Novak at Seattle Hempfest 2013:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16th – MCWILLIAMS STAGE @ 4:45pm
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17th – MAIN STAGE @ 11:40am
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17th – HEMPOSIUM PANEL: @ 3:00 – 3:40pm (Activism How-To: You Can Make a Difference, with Robert Platshorn, Melissa Hysom, Sam Chapman, Michael Krawitz, John Novak)
SEATTLE HEMPFEST:
http://www.hempfest.org/
Learn how you can help 420leaks.org by visiting our website and joining our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/
Files backed up at
http://www.scribd.com/
Cannabis Action Coalition on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
Goodman Follies: Roger Goodman and the “Impaired Driving Working Group”
Thanks to unusually stiff laws requiring interlocks for all DUI offenders seeking to drive, nearly 20,000 residents here use the alcohol-sensing devices. That puts Washington among the top-five states for interlock use.
And new legislation aimed at boosting enforcement of interlock orders would give the industry an estimated 4,500 more customers per year.
The proposal, like previous ones, came out of a public Impaired Driving Working Group founded by Goodman, the Kirkland lawmaker, in 2007.
“The companies are salivating,” said state Rep. Roger Goodman, a Kirkland Democrat and architect of the bill. “They’re in these meetings and they have to kind of bite their tongues at how excited they are.”
“We’ve had about 25,000 (devices installed) over the course of the last couple of years. This might double those numbers,” said Goodman.
Luce, then a 20-year State Patrol veteran specializing in breath tests, has participated in the group since the beginning. So has Stanton.
That made the state industry profitable “overnight,” said Stanton, emphasizing he lost money here for a decade beforehand.
Stanton has also frequently donated to campaigns. Last year, he contributed nearly $7,000 to Goodman’s, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.
This new DUI bill requires drivers who are arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana to install these alcohol interlock devices, even before going to trial. Representative Goodman admits that these devices are worthless for detecting THC and that it doesn’t make any sense, but that didn’t stop him from helping out his benefactors in the alcohol interlock industry increase their yearly profits.
If Goodman makes the unfortunate decision to run for another legislature term, you’re likely to see alcohol interlock devices for a wide variety of non-alcohol related driving infractions. Window tint too dark? Solution: alcohol interlock device.
It’s definitely time to investigate Goodman and this mysterious “Impaired Driving Working Group”, started by Goodman in 2007. This group appears to have no official membership list, no official status, holds no public hearings, and yet these industry executives members appear to be working within the framework of this mystery group to establish public policies that directly determine their own personal profits.
“There really should be a study into who owns the ignition-interlock devices and who participates in legislation,” said state Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, in a public hearing last Wednesday. “I think there’s something going on there.”
Sources:Anti-DUI interlock companies in state helped set own rules – Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021070824_interlockcompaniesxml.html
Public records request document uncovered by Cannabis Action Coalition’s Arthur West…
From: InterlocWA@aol.com
Subject: Impaired Driving Bill Draft – BIG Problem!!! RCW 46.04.215 and 43.43.395
Everyone,
The changes to RCW 43.43.395 (Bill Sec. 6) and RCW 46.04.215 (Bill Sec. 9) whereby Ignition Interlock becomes Certified alcohol monitoring device MUST be reversed!
“Ignition interlock” has specific meanings in Federal law, and has encompassed thirty years of research in dozens of studies and has led to specific recommendations by the highway safety community. Also “ignition interlock” is used elsewhere in the RCW (e.g., Ignition Interlock License) .
Changing “ignition interlock” to “certified alcohol monitoring device” will be a massive step backwards that simply can’t happen.
I apologize to everyone because I am certain the confusion began with my using these two sections as the basis for granting WSP the authority to develop standards for alcohol monitoring devices OTHER THAN ignition interlocks as we discussed at last week’s working group meeting. As you may recall, the group decided attempting to establish such standards in the absence of Federal standards was neither practical nor wise.
Unfortunately, the amended language I had proposed to become the basis for new RCW Sections for other devices, became changes to the existing authority and standards for ignition interlocks leading to more than seventy changes in the proposed bill.
I am sorry for the extra work this confusion has and will cause the bill drafter (Ms. Walker, I presume). On a positive note, thank you for including language on Page 38 as a first step to deal with compliance based removal issues.
On another positive note, the senior member of the ignition interlock provider community will be providing refreshments at the next meeting of the Impaired Driving Working Group!
Humbly,
Jerry Stanton
RE_ Impaired Driving Bill Draft _16!01!2013_1600533555 by John Novak
