Category: Health

By Steven Wishnia / Alternet

Preserving the main legal barrier to medical marijuana, a federal appeals court on Jan. 22 rejected a lawsuit intended to force the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana out of Schedule I, the federal law that classifies marijuana as a dangerous drug with no valid medical use.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that the medical-marijuana advocates who filed the suit—Americans for Safe Access, a California-based patient-advocacy group; the Coalition to Reschedule Cannabis, Patients Out of Time, and four individual medical users, including Air Force veteran Michael Krawitz—had not proved that the DEA’s decision to keep marijuana in Schedule I was “arbitrary and capricious.” The court held that marijuana had failed to meet the five standards the DEA sets for drugs to qualify as having a valid medical use.

By Charlotte Silver / Al Jazeera – Alternet

In early January Monsanto announced staggering profits from 2012 to celebratory shareholders while American farmers filed into Washington, DC to challenge the Biotech giant’s right to sue farmers whose fields have become contaminated with Monsanto’s seeds. On January 10 oral arguments began before the U.S. Court of Appeals to decide whether to reverse the cases’ dismissal last February.

By Harvey Wasserman / Alternet

Two stricken California reactors may soon redefine a global movement aimed at eradicating nuclear power.

They sit in a seismic zone vulnerable to tsunamis. Faulty steam generators have forced them shut for nearly a year.

A powerful “No Nukes” movement wants them to stay that way. If they win, the shutdown of America’s 104 licensed reactors will seriously accelerate.

The story of San Onofre Units 2 & 3 is one of atomic idiocy.

San Diego Mayor Attends ASA Meeting

See Video of Filner’s Remarks (inside)

By Eugene Davidovich / San Diego ASA / January 9, 2013

Last night for the first time in our chapter and city’s history, a sitting mayor attended the monthly chapter meeting. Former Congressman and newly elected Mayor Bob Filner arrived at the La Jolla Brew House around 7:30pm and walked into a packed meeting room where over 100 of you greeted him with cheer and applause. In his initial remarks the Mayor laid out a specific strategy for how to achieve safe access through a three pronged approach. In order to make it possible for the strategy to work, the Mayor called on us stand with him, help organize, educate, and campaign for safe access.

The Mayor’s three pronged strategy included:

A few weeks ago I was lamenting the fact that there were only two gifts under the tree for me, in spite of having 12 grandchildren and parents that go along with those grandchildren.

I was pleased that one of my former Foreign Language Students – Bernd – from Germany – had sent me a book – the customs tag indicated it was a book – and a former Counselor at one of my schools had sent me a photograph he took. (I knew it was a photo because he was my photography teacher and we always exchange pictures.) I truly appreciated both gifts, and it made me feel that I was still thought of during the holidays.

Food labeled and sold as organic often isn’t

By John Lawrence / San Diego Free Press

In an article entitled “Canada’s Organic Nightmare” put out by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, authors Mischa Popoff and Patrick Moore contend that many foods labeled as USDA organic may not actually be up to that standard because there is a lack of field testing in Canada, and, furthermore, free trade agreements allow the importation of such foods into the US.

Issue of Wireless Sites on Masonic Lodge Before Planning Board on January 2nd

Unlike some other communities, Ocean Beach apparently doesn’t have any problems with wireless phone companies installing their cell sites on the Masonic Temple … as well as on local churches around the neighborhood.

The issue of the cell towers or antennae on the Mason’s building went before the Project Review Committee earlier this month on December 19th, and it was basically a non-issue, it seems, not controversial at all – as the Review Committee’s chair, Landry Watson, told the OB Rag. The sub-committee did recommended approval for the permit renewal.

Woman and Dogs Rescued

A house fire on the 2300 block of Seaside Street in northeast Ocean Beach has claimed the lives of at least a dozen pet birds.

Early Thursday, Dec. 27, around 3:30 a.m. a fire broke out in the living-room of the residence near Larkspur Street. When firefighters arrived, they found the 46 year old resident suffering from smoke inhalation; she was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

By Miriam Raftery / East County Mag / December 20, 2012

In a unanimous decision, the California Public Uitlities Commission (CPUC) denied SDG&E and Southern Califiornia Gas Company’s proposed plan which had sought to charge ratepayers for its uninsured liability costs for wildfires caused by the utility’s lines, both for future fires and the 2007 firestorms that ravaged San Diego County. (Go inside for link to the formal decision.)

Our new Mayor Bob Filner has pledged to focus more on the neighborhoods of San Diego and less on the power brokers who hide out in the corridors of City Hall. And new City Council President Todd Gloria also has promised to make infrastructure “sexy”.

So, in order to assist Mayor Filner and Councilman Gloria in helping to decide what infrastructure is needed in Ocean Beach, we thought we’d provide a list for Santa.

Here’s what Ocean Beach needs for Christmas (for starters):

1. New Library

Back in 2003 Ocean Beach was promised a new library – …

200 million gallons of wastewater is sent to the Point Loma treatment plant every day.

By Tom Fudge / KPBS / Dec. 10, 2012

Up to 200 million gallons of San Diego water comes to the Point Loma treatment plant every day, to be treated and pumped into the Ocean. But people are starting to imagine another way to handle our wastewater.

President Calls for National “Conversation” on Reconciling Conflicting State and Federal Laws, and Holder May Decide What to Do Within a Month.

In his first public comments on the issue after both the states of Washington and Colorado voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, President Barack Obama said that the feds should not prosecute that kind of use in those states. “You’ve seen the voters speak on this issue,” he said. The President was interviewed by ABC News and it was released today.