Archive for April 2015

I-502, Secret Meetings, Lobbying and Federal Grants

Has legal watchdog John Worthington opened a can of worms on Washington State and the entire I-502 rules making process and legislative bill lobbying?  It looks like most of the groups involved are recipients of federal grant money, and federal law appears to prohibit them from lobbying with that money.  Read the full letter he sent out that contains public records documents to back up his claims…

https://www.scribd.com/doc/261662411/Federal-Grants-for-Lobbying
Also at https://app.box.com/s/86u9qcyihoqj2tnowo8qvr52cyy4rnpc

 

4/13/2015

Executive Office for United States Attorneys
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 2242
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Senate Appropriations Committee
Room S128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510

House Appropriations Committee
H-305, The Capitol
Washington DC 20515

Watchdog.org
1229 King Street, 3rd floor
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

 

Hello,

In 2012 Washington State passed Initiative 1-502. After the Initiative had passed it was discovered through public access laws in December of2014 that the Washington State Liquor Control board travelled around the State of Washington and held 17 secret meetings with law enforcement and treatment professionals.

Aside from the fact that these acts violated the Washington State Open Public Meetings Act, it is now clear that many of these law enforcement and treatment organizations were receiving federal grants which by law may have prohibited them from lobbying and distributing information.

However, that is what happened here in Washington State on a grand scale, and the U.S. Attorneys for Washington were both aware of these events where many other federal agencies also attended these secret public meetings.

I believe that this situation may be the worst violation of 18 U.S. Code § 1913 -Lobbying with appropriated moneys, in United States history. Numerous grant receiving entities may have violated 18 U.S. Code § 1913, in a desperate attempt to save their respective jobs which were obviously on the line here in Washington State after the passage of l-502, the marijuana legalization initiative.

As many of you know we are a nation of laws that have to be applied evenly and fairly if the public confidence is to be kept intact. While it may be uncomfortable for some in Congress to hold these entities involved accountable to the law, it is in fact a law and it should be upheld regardless of your feelings on the issues of marijuana or drug abuse. These people signed federal grants under a declaration that federal grant monies would not be: used directly or indirectly to pay for any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone, letter, printed or written matter, or other device, intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of Congress, a jurisdiction, or an official of any government, to favor, adopt, or oppose, by vote or otherwise, any legislation, law, ratification, policy, or appropriation, whether before or after the introduction of any bill, measure, or resolution proposing such legislation, law, ratification, policy, or appropriation; of any bill, measure, or resolution proposing such legislation, law, ratification, policy, or appropriation;

 

Now, after meeting with the Washington State Liquor Control Board on 17 different occasions and perhaps more, the following federal grant recipients are subject to the provisions of 18 U.S. Code § 1913:

  • Northwest HIDTA
  • Spokane County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force
  • LEAD Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force
  • Substance Abuse Prevention of Clark County
  • Washington Association for Substance Abuse violence Prevention
  • Washington State Prevention Enhancement (SPE)

The following federal grant recipient sent employees employed by programs which were receiving federal funding:

  • Washington State Patrol-lAD Division (In charge or Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Forces)

The reality is the Washington State Liquor Control Board enabled many federal grant recipients to circumvent their statement of assurances which they signed agreeing not to use federal grant funding for lobbying purposes. I would not at all surprise me if the same thing happened in Colorado, Alaska, or DC.

Please hold these federal grant recipients accountable for their violations of federal laws.

PS.  It has been argued and won in Federal court that state employees under federal grants are subject to the Westfall Act, and subject to the Federal Tort Claims Act as a “loaned state employee” or “Borrowed servant.” They can’t have it both ways. The Loaned employee’s violated 18 U.S. Code § 1913: Please check for their reporting. http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/library/grantsgovsflll.pdf

 

Thank you,

John Worthington
Renton, WA

 

Federal Grants and Cannabis Lobbying by 420leaks

Medical Cannabis Excise Taxes in Other States 0 to 8.8%. At Least 30% Proposed in WA.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, other states have medical cannabis taxes that range from 0 to 8.8%. 13 of the 19 states with licensed, regulated cultivators and dispensaries have NO excise tax. Some charge sales tax while others do not. Proposed bills 5052/2136 would cause Washington State to have the highest taxed medical cannabis in the country (30% excise + 8% avg. sales), by forcing patients into the recreational system.

In most states, the fees collected from the commercial applications & licensing more than cover the costs of regulation. Excessive taxation of medical cannabis is unnecessary, an obstacle to participation in a regulated system, & most importantly- inhumane to the most vulnerable patients.

Please read the full article by GreenXena at

http://thepeopleformedicalcannabis.com/medical-cannabis-excise-taxes-in-other-states-0-to-8-8-30-proposed-in-wa/

Is Legal Marijuana Safe? Independent study says no.

April 6, 2015
For immediate release

Is Legal Marijuana Safe? Independent study says no.

Recreational users and medical patients to picket recreational outlet store in Seattle

Along with the legalization of recreational marijuana in Washington came reassurances that the products offered to the public for consumption would be lab tested for safety and consistency.

A recent study by a Washington state physician that is documented by Seattle Times reporter Evan Bush shows this is far from the case. The doctor says, “The public is being lied to about the state marijuana being properly tested for safety. It is not!”

Two weeks ago emergency trauma physician Gil Mobley, MD, purchased seven various marijuana products from two different stores in the Seattle area licensed by the state to sell recreational marijuana. The samples were delivered to five different Seattle area marijuana testing labs and one in Portland to undergo an extensive battery of tests.

“I was shocked at the results as every citizen from the state should be, especially those who have been misled into believing that they are consuming safe and quality tested cannabis products. Anything coming out of these stores should be considered unsafe until proven otherwise, and industry is years away from that goal.”

Specifically, the study showed an alarming fivefold variance in the amount of psychoactive THC between the state approved labs performing the testing on the same product. That is a 500% difference.

Additionally, four labs found four different retained solvents in concentrates that none of the other 5 labs found: methanol, isopropanol, acetone and alkane, all classified as poisons.

Mobley said that equally as disturbing is the fact of 248 pesticides are approved to use on cannabis plants in the state yet there is not one lab in Washington capable of testing for these poisons. He was astonished that this was “news” to the state’s marijuana examiner, Tim Gates, only two weeks ago. (The samples had to be transported illegally to a neighboring state for pesticide testing.)

Steve Sarich, long time patient advocate, agreed, criticizing the agency in charge of regulating the recreational drug.  “The Liquor Control Board is telling the legislature that patients ‘will be safer’ if they are forced into the recreational system because their products are being ‘tested’. In fact, not one of these products has ever been tested for dangerous pesticides.  The reality is that patients’ lives could very well be put in danger by using these any of these products.  It’s time for the LCB to start telling the truth to the press and to the legislature about their total lack of pesticide testing.”

Dr. Mobley adds, “Until the state institutes a quality assurance plan for these labs and begins proficiency testing for accuracy, my advice for the recreational consumers and medical cannabis patients alike is to stay away from the stores and don’t use any cannabis products unless you know exactly who grew or produced them.”

“That’s the epitome of hypocrisy; the legislature should be ashamed of themselves for not protecting the public! This is all about money and it is reprehensible for public health to take a back seat to state profits,” Mobley concluded.

The pot protest will take place on Tuesday morning April 7, 2015, at 11 AM in front of Uncle Ike’s recreational marijuana store at 2310 East Union Street in downtown Seattle. The event has been timed it to coincide with proposed legislation in Olympia sharply restricting the current provisions for medical marijuana patients.

For additional information please contact Dr. Gil Mobley, MD on cell 417-848-6100 or at drgilmobley@gmail.com