MedMaj.com- All Things Medical Marijuana

Colorado legislators speak out about federal anti-MMJ memo

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:07:29 -0400

Recently, local governments have been seeking further federal clarification on the issue of state-legalized medical marijuana. California did it, Washington did it and now Colorado has received its own clarification from U.S. Attorney John Walsh, in response to a request from state Attorney General John Suthers.

"It is well settled that a State cannot authorize violations of federal law," Walsh wrote in a memo dated April 26. "The United States District Court for the District of Colorado recently reaffirmed this fundamental principle of our federal constitutional system in United States v. Bartkowicz, when it held that Colorado state law on medical marijuana does not and cannot alter federal law's prohibition on the manufacture, distribution or possession of marijuana, or provide a defense to prosecution under federal law for such activities."

In a somewhat frantic letter relaying the memo, sent the same day to Gov. John Hickenlooper and members of the General Assembly, Suthers said he felt "compelled" to advise the state that the DOJ "does maintain its full authority to vigorously enforce federal law against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law." (Emphasis not added.)

So, in a larger context, what does this change? Not much, say Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, Rep. Mark Barker, R-Colorado Springs, and Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs.

"I think it’s our responsibility to make sure that we responsibly manage what is embedded in our constitution now," Massey says, adding: "I think that we will try our best to address federal concerns."

Massey is a co-sponsor of House Bill 1043, known colloquially as the MMJ "clean-up" bill, which contains two measures the U.S. Attorney's office took issue with: a scheme to set up an investment fund which MMJ center owners could use for banking — which has since been stripped from the bill, even prior to federal feedback — and a plant limit for infused products manufacturers.

"The banking piece is really significant in the sense that we want this business to come out of the dark, and be able to actually manage from both a regulatory tax collection standpoint and the fact that we get the element that we’re worried about having," Massey says. "By not giving these folks a source for banking, we actually kind of push them in that direction."

Waller says he thinks federal pushback has been pending the whole time, and that we're not through with it yet.

"I’ve said all along that what these dispensaries are engaging in is still criminal activity at the federal level, and at some point, independent of state law, they can still be prosecuted federally," he says. "They all seem to believe that since the administration, you know, made some sort of executive order that said, ‘Look, if you’ve got a law on the books at the state level, we’re not gonna prosecute federally,’ that that makes them immune from prosecution. That’s not true! I mean, if we have a change in the administration, whatever the change is, that administration might say, 'Well, geez, we’re gonna start prosecuting all these cases.'

"And it wouldn’t be prosecuting cases going forward; you know, most of these things have a statute of limitations that are three or four years long. So they can certainly reach back and prosecute anybody that was doing it under the consideration of what the previous administration had decided."

Barker says he doesn't think the memo will compel any change of course from the state's perspective.

"I think, at the moment, the attitude, at least here that I’ve seen, is not to eliminate or remove these businesses — because they’re being regulated, they’re being watched; the industry, for the most part, wants to be legitimate and professionalized," the state representative says. "So I see that as a positive. I haven’t heard anyone wanting to just wholesale repeal everything and put these folks out of business. I do worry for their sake, but they’re going into it with their eyes open, and so they understand there is a risk.

"But from the state’s perspective, what I want to do is provide them with a structure that promotes a professional persona for the businesses. Like, Walgreens sells pharmaceuticals, but they’re not viewed as a drug dealer, and I would like a similar reputation for the legitimate medical marijuana facilities."

By Colorado Springs Indy

Illinois House may vote on medical marijuana next week

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:59:22 -0400

SPRINGFIELD -- Legislation to establish a medical marijuana test program in Illinois could see a vote as soon as next week. State Rep. Lou Lang, the sponsor, said Tuesday he wants to be sure he has enough support before he calls the proposal for a vote, which he hopes will be next week. The legislation would allow people with debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana.

The measure wouldn't allow patients to possess more than 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana, and it prohibits them from driving for six hours after taking the drug. The program would expire after three years.

"It will be the best, most restrictive, mostly regulated law in the country," Lang said.

Lang said he hopes his legislation will have more traction this spring because 15 states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized medical marijuana. Also, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, agreed to support and vote for the proposed law.

"That ought to give me a little energy on the other side of the aisle, and I'm hoping we can piece together the 60 votes we need to pass it," Lang said.

However, some previous support may be lacking among new members of the House.

For example, state Rep. Adam Brown, R-Decatur, said he likely will oppose the legislation. Brown replaced former state Rep. Bob Flider, who was a "yes" vote on medical marijuana. "I definitely don't want marijuana to be easily accessible for folks that might abuse it and have issues with it," Brown said.

A spokeswoman for Cross said some of his constituents, including a disabled veteran, asked him to support the legislation only for some of the most painful illnesses.

"Many of the people who have talked to Rep. Cross about this, including some in the medical community, have said that medical marijuana is sometimes the only thing that works to ease the tremendous pain that very ill people are experiencing," Sara Wojcicki wrote in an email.

The latest legislation shortens the list of eligible diseases and does not allow people to grow their own marijuana.

A less-restrictive version of Lang's medical marijuana legislation failed by four votes in the House during the lame-duck session in January after being approved by the state Senate. "There will surely be people out on the House floor who are afraid of the word ‘marijuana,'" Lang said.

The Skokie Democrat said marijuana has been accepted as a treatment for pain and nausea associated with illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS. "These are not potheads, these are not people who want to get high, these are people who want to feel good," Lang said.

The legislation is House Bill 30.

By Pantagraph

Meridian Township medical clinic's zoning to go to the ballot box

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:55:07 -0400

MERIDIAN TWP.-- The next step for a controversial rezoning for a medical clinic will be the ballot box.

The Meridian Township Clerk's Office has validated the signatures on petitions calling for the reversal of an office rezoning at the ballot box for the property located at 4133 Okemos Road.

The property, owned by Dr. Shannon Wiggins and her husband, is intended by Wiggins to be a medical clinic.

Critics of the rezoning -- notably attorneys William Fahey and Stephen Schultz of the neighboring law firm Fahey, Schultz, Burzych and Rhodes -- believe Wiggins will instead use the clinic as a platform for medical marijuana certifications and as a dispensary.

Schultz submitted a notice of intent to file a petition on March 7, and was able to hand in around 2,800 signatures by the April 5 deadline.

Meridian Township Deputy Clerk Joan Horvath said the clerk's office did go through all of the petitions, eventually validating 2,478 signatures -- 91 more than needed.

The 2,387 signatures needed represented 15 percent of votes cast in the township in the November 2010 gubernatorial election.

"Our volunteers were simply amazing," Fahey said.

"In rain, snow and bitter cold -- they were out there in front of grocery stores, libraries, the post office, at school events and even going door-to-door to collect signatures. Our supporters are very passionate about keeping our community safe for our kids -- and the success of this effort demonstrates that."

It's unclear when the measure will go before Meridian Township voters, but board members are tentatively scheduled to discuss it at their next meeting on Thursday, May 5.

The board may choose to schedule a special election, but under state law the measure is not required to be put to voters until the next regular election. That might not be until a presidential primary in August 2012.

"We do not seek a special election, which would cost township residents roughly $35,000. Right now, it looks like the first opportunity for a regular election may be August 2012, unless there is a Michigan Republican presidential primary election earlier in 2012. We are respectfully asking the township board to schedule the vote for the soonest possible regular election."

Wiggins did not respond to a phone message requesting comment.

By Lansing State Journal

Medical marijuana bill on Montana legislature's agenda

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:15:38 -0400

MISSOULA- Governor Brian Schweitzer says he hopes the Legislature gets the medical marijuana reform bill to him with enough time for him to make changes and send it back for their approval.

Schweitzer says the Legislature is working on a reform bill, which would do away with the medical marijuana business for profit. The bill would allow patients to grow their own plants, which includes four plants and two seedlings. If the patient is incapacitated, a caregiver can grow the marijuana for them.

The Democrat says when the bill gets to his desk, he's going to make sure legitimate patients still have the option to use cannabis.

"Many people have suggested that this has become so restrictive that people that have actual medical needs for cannabis may be excluded from the process. So we want to look at it very closely and make sure that we're not locking the door on people that have actual medical needs for cannabis," Schweitzer explained.

The amended bill defines chronic pain and forces a patient to either have proof of pain or have two doctors certify a chronic pain patient. Both the Senate and the House have the medical marijuana bill on their agendas on Tuesday.

By KPAX

Pot dispensary, owner told to pay $1.9M to Dana Point

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:07:17 -0400

By BRITTANY LEVINE-

An Orange County Superior Court judge ordered The Point Alternative Care, a closed medical-marijuana dispensary, and its owner to hand over more than $1.9 million to the city of Dana Point.

That makes The Point the second dispensary ordered to pay the city in a two-year legal fight between Dana Point and several collectives in town, with the city claiming they were public nuisances.

Judge Jamoa Moberly ordered The Point Alternative Care to fork over $1,925,000 for violating the health and safety code and unfair-competition law, according to court records. In the April 15 ruling, Moberly ordered the dispensary's owner, Kathy Lynn Ray, to pay $40,100. Both are the maximum civil damages allowed per offense. In February, Moberly had declared Dana Point the winner in its nuisance lawsuit against the dispensary.

Lee Petros, the dispensary's attorney, said he was uncertain whether The Point would appeal the judgment.

Last month, Superior Court Judge William Monroe ordered Beach Cities Collective, another marijuana dispensary, and its owner, David Lambert, to pay Dana Point $2.44 million in damages for violations of heath and safety and business and professions codes. Beach Cities recently filed an appeal. On April 13, the dispensary filed a Superior Court lawsuit against the city, San Diego Gas & Electric, City Council members and individual staff members on allegations of conspiracy, defamation and other issues.

The dispensaries have argued that they provide medicine to sick people. However, the city says the dispensaries were selling marijuana for profit for nonmedical purposes. State law allows nonprofit collectives to distribute marijuana to patients with a doctor's recommendation. The illegal sale of a controlled substance is considered a nuisance, according to the civil code.

At one point, six dispensaries were operating in Dana Point. Currently there are none.

Police raided Dana Point Safe Harbor Collective last April and said they found $800,000 in small bills in Home Depot cans. Some dispensaries left town, and the city red-tagged the remaining three Beach Cities Collective, The Point Alternative Care and Holistic Health in January, citing municipal code violations such as unsafe entrances and building additions. Holistic Health and Beach Cities appealed the shutdown at a city hearing conducted by a retired Orange County judge but lost in February. The Point Alternative Care did not appeal the closure.

A judge has yet to rule on Dana Point's nuisance lawsuit against Holistic Health.

The city has spent about $400,000 fighting pot shops the past few years. A hearing is set for June to clarify total attorneys' fees and other costs connected to The Point Alternative Care case, according to court records.

By OC Register

Lawmakers Eye Changes To Medical Marijuana Law

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:06:42 -0400

Augusta - Lawmakers in Augusta are eyeing some changes to Maine's medical marijuana law. The bill's sponsor says the changes would help protect the privacy of patients and caregivers.

In 2009 voters approved the use of medical marijuana in Maine. Representative Deb Sanderson of Chelsea says after that vote lawmakers went too far in making changes to what voters had approved. The way it is now, a patient who is prescribed medical marijuana has to register with the department of health and human services, pay the state a $100 fee, and sign a release of medical information. "This is an egregious movement on the part of the state to get into a patients personal medical record," Sanderson said. "This was not the intent of the law passed by the people on November 3rd 2009."

A diverse group including lawmakers, doctors, and medical marijuana patients were in Augusta Monday urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would change all of that. Representative Sanderson's bill would make registering with the state optional.

A co-sponsor of the bill, Representative Mark Dion (D) Portland, says it would also take the decision about whether marijuana is appropriate in a given situation out of the hands of the state and let doctors decide. "I'm going to defer to physicians that they know what's in the best interest of their patients," Dion said on Monday. "They don't need an index from the legislature telling them what medicine for what illness. We don't do that in any other arena of medicine."

Jeffrey Benedict of Winslow was prescribed marijuana after being diagnosed with a painful auto-immune disease. He came to testify in support of this bill. "Because there shouldn't be a barrier between me and my medication," he said. "I don't want to worry about the federal government bringing charges against me. I just want to stop the pain."

Sanderson says she's not advocating for the legalization of marijuana. She says the law voters approved has been changed and she wants it changed back.

By WABI

SSDP petitions to legalize marijuana

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:19:22 -0400

UTAH- Hempfest took place Wednesday, and several students let their voices be heard about marijuana legalization.

Students lined up to sign the petition for Just Say Now, a campaign against marijuana prohibition. The campaign's purpose is to show the "higher-ups" that there are a lot of voices that support marijuana legalization and to educate people on the benefits of legalization. The message was spread in large part by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a student group dedicated to fighting the war on drugs.

"If you ever heard of the D.A.R.E program, they always promoted ‘Just Say No' back in the '80s. Well, we're promoting Just Say Now, which is to legalize marijuana now," said Samir Suthar, a junior in theater studies and member of SSDP.

Just Say Now is SSDP's way to put a foot down on marijuana prohibition, said Nicole Murphy, a senior in history and vender coordinator for Hempfest.

"This prohibition is ridiculous, she said. "We're students, and we can stand up, and we have the right to say what we believe in."

It would be nice to have marijuana available agriculturally, medicinally and recreationally, Suthar said. Many of the materials used in the older times were made of hemp-like the Declaration of Independence, he said. Abraham Lincoln lit his reading lamps with hemp oil, and Francis Scott Key wrote part of the "Star Spangled Banner" on a hemp envelope, he said.

Hemp is a seed of the plant Cannabis sativa. It has been cultivated worldwide for more than 10,000 years and provides raw materials for food and fiber, according to a Hemp History Week brochure. It was banned in 1957 for confusion with the drug variety of the plant-hemp plants contain zero percent tetrahdrocannabinol, the primary ingredient for marijuana.

Hemp is also used in auto parts and foods, said Stephanie Smith, a senior in political science and a member of SSDP.

California will vote on Proposition 19 on Nov. 2, which would give marijuana a similar legal status to alcohol or tobacco. If passed, the ruling would legalize the sale of marijuana to any individual, and the drug could be smoked as long as it wasn't in public, much like the open-container laws with alcohol.

"If California passes this, we would likely see Washington and Oregon follow quickly, and then Colorado and maybe Texas," Suthar said.

U students understand the majority of Utah is conservative, making such a feat difficult.

"Utah will definitely be the last of the Western states to legalize marijuana," Smith said.

Zachery Cox, a senior in anthropology and treasurer for SSDP, believes marijuana should be legalized.

"The prohibition of marijuana is doing more harm than it is doing good," Cox said.

The United States spends $20 billion each year to fight the war on drugs, and the people involved with drug cartels are making more than $70 billion a year, Cox said.

"I believe everyone should be able to smoke marijuana because it has almost no negative effects that are drastic," said Dylan Weight, a freshman in chemistry who signed the petition. "I want to support anything that helps legalize the drug."

It's important for people to understand both sides of the fight, Suthar said.

"It'll be very hard to legalize marijuana with a Mormon majority population, but we just need to keep on advertising its benefits," Weight said. "Weed should be legalized so I could smoke it every day."

By Utah Chronicle

Marijuana Soda? Medicinal Users Now Have Smoke-Free Option

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:16:51 -0400

Thirsty? Why not open an ice-cold bottle of pot-infused root beer?

A new line of pot-infused beverages masquerading behind soda flavors are now available to patients with a prescription for medical marijuana. Made by Colorado-based Dixie Elixirs, the carbonated drinks are marketed to medicinal-marijuana patients who wish to avoid "weed culture" stigmas.

The organic drinks come in eight different flavors (including root beer, pink lemonade or grape) and serve as alternatives to smoking cannabis, which is legal for medical use by prescription in 14 states and used as an alternative to pain killers. (Who knows? Maybe Ms. Norbury's marijuana tablets aren't so out of the question after all.)

No word yet on how much a case of drinkable marijuana will cost, but we have a feeling it may run a little higher than anything Pepsi is pushing.

By Time

California Testing Authority LLC to Use zNOSE for Medical Cannabis Testing and Certification

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:48:06 -0400

NEWBURY PARK, Calif., Sep 30, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Electronic Sensor Technology Inc. (ESNR 0.01, +0.00, +25.00%) (EST) a leading provider of ultra-fast vapor analyzers, and California Testing Authority LLC, (CTA) an innovative leader in certification of cannabis for medical use, announced today that CTA will be EST's exclusive customer in California for the testing and certification of medical cannabis.

Using EST's zNOSE, CTA will conduct on-site testing of medical marijuana to insure the product is free from excessive molds, spores, insecticides and other pathogens. In addition, CTA will test the concentration of the three primary cannabinoids found in marijuana and provide the clinic with labels containing information on the strength and character of the marijuana being dispensed.

Cannabis or medical marijuana has been shown to have several well-documented beneficial effects. Among these are: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as general analgesic effects (pain relief).

About Electronic Sensor Technology:

Founded in 1995, Electronic Sensor Technology has developed and patented a chemical vapor analysis process. EST's product provides near real-time analysis of gasses detecting volatile organic compounds in amounts as low as one part per trillion. EST's product has been shown to detect salmonella and e-coli contamination of food sources; chemical warfare agents such as Sarin and Agent Orange and Chemical pollutants in the environment.

About California Testing Authority

California Testing Authority LLC, (CTA) is a mobile certification and pre-screening service with a focus on the medical marijuana industry. The company offers mobile solutions for medical marijuana collectives to help meet and exceed local and state ordinance requirements. CTA provides mobile testing for potency levels of three primary cannabinoids found in marijuana: tetrohydrocannabiniol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabiniol (CBN). In addition, safety testing is provided to detect above-average levels of molds and pathogens commonly found in medical marijuana. Our clients receive the benefit of detailed medicine bottle labels with on-the-spot printed results so collective owners can feel confident that patients are informed and public safety issues are addressed. These certified labels are rapidly becoming the standard for purchasing medical marijuana and we believe will soon become mandatory by law.

SEC Filings and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including the Company's expectations regarding its ability to develop and access capital markets and its ability to achieve expected results in the chemical detection and analysis industry. The forward-looking statements are identified through use of the words "potential," "anticipate," "expect," "planned" and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements may be affected by the risks and uncertainties inherent in the chemical detection and analysis industry and in the Company's business. The Company cautions readers that certain important factors may have affected and could in the future affect the Company's beliefs and expectations and could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of the company.

By Market Watch

Marijuana dispensary campaign kicks off today

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:29:54 -0400

COLORADO- A group working to defeat a proposed ban of medical marijuana dispensaries in unincorporated El Paso County will launch the “No on 1A” campaign today.

The 1 p.m. kick off will be in the Carnegie Reading Room at Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave.

Citizens for Safer Communities said Wednesday the kickoff will feature several speakers, including three medical marijuana patients: Mary McNeely, a disabled Iraq war veteran, Audrey Hatfield, who suffers from partial epilepsy, and Robert Tyler, a disabled Vietnam veteran.

Steve Hammers, president of Hammers Construction, is also scheduled to appear at the event to "discuss why the passage of 1A would cause local people to lose their jobs and hurt the local economy," according to a news release. Hammers is involved in medical marijuana dispensaries in El Paso County.

"If passed, this ban could put thousands of local people out of work, cause untold numbers of bankruptcies, harm the local economy, decrease government revenue, and, most importantly, deny access to essential treatment for thousands of local people suffering from disease and sickness," the news release states.

Registered voters also can request mail-in ballots, which the Clerk and Recorder’s office will begin mailing Oct. 12. Or, mail-in ballots may be requested in person and picked up at the Centennial Hall office through Oct. 29.

Early voting will be available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Oct. 18 and through Oct. 29, with the exception of Oct. 24, at the Centennial Hall office, the Powers Boulevard Branch and the Chapel Hills Mall office, between J.C. Penney and Burlington Coat Factory on the north side of the mall.

By The Gazette

Three testify for medical marijuana

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:20:50 -0400

Three ailing Great Falls men testified in state District Court on Wednesday that a City Commission action in June prevented them from obtaining medical marijuana.

Two testified from wheelchairs, and the third man used a cane.

The three sued the city of Great Falls this summer, contending the city's action to ban medical marijuana businesses in the city limits amounted to an outright ban on medical marijuana use in the city limits.

A private attorney for the city, Curt Drake of Helena, said the city only intended to restrict marijuana businesses within the city limits and not inhibit private individuals. Drake, who was hired by the city's self-insurance organization, conceded that the testimony from the trio was "heart-wrenching."

Craig E. Jackson, 35, suffers from ankle degeneration, or clubfoot. He said he received his state medical marijuana card in late spring. Jackson said he has tried to grow his own medical marijuana without success, and has been unable to obtain another source for marijuana since the commission approved its ban on marijuana businesses in city limits. Jackson had used marijuana to reduce pain and help him sleep.

"I can't obtain my medication," Jackson said.

The second plaintiff, Algy Thain of Great Falls, said he suffers from full-blown AIDS and tremors. He obtained a medical marijuana card about a year ago.

"It increased my appetite" and reduced pain, Thain said.

"Does it always hurt?" his attorney, Carl Jensen, asked.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time," Thain replied.

He added his caregiver has not been able to provide him with marijuana since the ban, and his quality of life has "gone down considerably." Thain said he is not physically able to grow the plant for his own use.

The third plaintiff is David C. Sears, who has suffered from full-blown AIDS and hepatitis C since 1983, after a medical technician grabbed a contaminated item from a tray, he said.

Sears said he feels pain from "just raw nerve that's being exposed" from his lower back to his toes.

Marijuana "didn't get rid of the pain, but it made the pain more tolerable," Sears told District Judge Thomas McKittrick.

Sears told the court that his caregiver has been unable to provide him with marijuana since June.

"The pain is so excruciating, I would not wish this on anybody," Sears added.

Jensen asked for an injunction so the city "can't enforce its ordinance. This conflicts obviously with the (state) Medical Marijuana Act."

Jensen claimed the city's ban — on any activities that conflict with federal, state or local laws — amounts to "a strict prohibition" against medical marijuana.

He said a California Court of Appeals ruled the city of Anaheim could not move against medical marijuana there by claiming marijuana use is illegal under federal law.

The appeals court "said that clearly conflicts with state law," Jensen said.

Drake said California's marijuana law differs from Montana's.

"The city has looked at this very hard and in depth," Drake said. "They felt it needed to be regulated (within city limits)."

Drake added that the city of Great Falls, under its charter, "is given tremendous powers of self-government" to pass an ordinance "that is not inconsistent with state law." He said communities can be "stricter than state law," as Great Falls decided to be, but cannot be less strict.

Jensen said the Great Falls ban is both "outright" and "illegal."

Drake said it "was not the city's intent" to interfere with individuals' use of medical marijuana.

"This is a zoning ordinance," Drake said, noting that it is not a far distance for any city resident to reach the city-county line, where Jensen's clients might be able to obtain medical marijuana.

"What if there is an unintended consequence of the zoning?" McKittrick asked.

Drake said Jackson, Thain and Sears could have sought variances from the city. However, Jensen argued the ban is so broad that no variance would have been granted.

"I'll take this under advisement," McKittrick said, adding he would rule "as quickly as possible."

McKittrick is scheduled to hear another medical marijuana injunction request this afternoon from Leon Tirums, a town of Cascade medical marijuana provider who sued the Cascade Town Council. Tirums received permits from the town for his business, but the town invalidated one of those permits as it banned medical marijuana during the summer.

"They gave me 90 days to move my business," Tirums said Wednesday. "I haven't hit the 90 days yet."

He said the last several months have been confusing, "especially for patients."

The 2011 session of the Legislature will take up a series of bills to revise the state's medical marijuana law. In enacting a ban, several Great Falls city commissioners said they wanted legislators to improve the law at the upcoming session, which begins in January.

By Great Falls Tribune

Teamsters' Union Organizes Medical Marijuana Growers

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:26:42 -0400

Do you remember when you where little and you where asked what you wanted to be when you grew up, and you said, "I want to grow marijuana?" Neither do I. As a matter of fact, I wanted to be a dancing FBI agent, just ask my mother. But there are some individuals in Oakland, California who are trying to make this dream sound more legit.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (a.k.a. Teamsters) who are primarily known for their ties with truck drivers and field workers have expanded out to find new blood with a decline in organized labor. California, with it's loosest medical marijuana laws, inducted 40 new members to the Teamsters earlier this September. This will be the first group of unionized marijuana growers.

While it's still unclear as to whether the growers rights will be protected from the Federal Government, the new union members work for Marjyn Investments LLC., a business out of Oakland that cater to medical marijuana patients. The contract between The Teamsters and the growers is for two years and includes a pension, paid vacation, and health insurance. It will also provide them with wages starting at $18/hr and can get anywhere from $25-75/hr in 15 months.

Back in May, around 100 workers in Oakland's retail marijuana dispensaries joined the United Food and Commercial Workers. The Teamsters believe retail is not one of their traditional industries of involvement and that is why they have chosen not to approach the dispensaries. So far, no other unions have attempted to form contracts with the marijuana growers.

By The Unfiltered Lens

Marijuana tracking on the way in Colorado

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:01:05 -0400

DENVER Colorado wants to set up a first-in-the-nation tracking system of medical marijuana purchases to deter people from buying vast amounts of pot and selling it on the black market.

Patients and marijuana advocates fear they will be harassed by a Big Brother-type intrusion as computers and video cameras monitor every ounce of pot sold in the state. Officials are also considering fingerprinting marijuana patients and keeping tabs on pot with radio-frequency devices.

"This is a matter of my functioning daily living," said Diane Bilyeu, a 49-year-old woman who sometimes consumes up to 2 grams of pot in a day to treat her chronic pain since losing her right arm and leg in a 1997 car accident. "Some days I need more or less. I don't know what business it is of the government's."

Officials say the regulations will provide basic protections to ensure that the system isn't being abused by drug dealers and users.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2000, but the recent proliferation of marijuana dispensaries prompted state lawmakers this year to pass a series of new regulations. It is an issue playing out around the country with 14 states allowing medical marijuana and possibly more to come under November ballot measures.

No state has gone so far to track pot purchases from seed to sale like Colorado is proposing, and regulators say their tracking plans could be a model for other states. Montana lawmakers are expected to consider medical marijuana tracking in that state when they convene next year.

Specifics of Colorado's tracking plans haven't yet been drafted. Regulators say they'll have a plan by January to use video surveillance and a central computer system to flag multiple purchases.

Other ideas include using biometrics to track patients, requiring a fingerprint scan before each sale to make sure the customer matches the marijuana card. They are also considering mandating that medical pot include radio-frequency identification devices, somewhat like coded tags on library books, to keep track of who's getting what.

In addition, tracking could include requiring dispensaries to capture patient driver's licenses on camera to record their purchases.

"It's akin to the protections that are in place for pharmacies, or a wagering line at a horse or dog track," said Matt Cook, the senior director for medical marijuana enforcement for the Colorado Department of Revenue. "You need to maintain the public confidence in what is going on, and the only way to do that is through these systems."

Cook said the state has no clue how much medical marijuana now is ending up on the black market because it lacks central tracking. An unscrupulous buyer could shop at several dispensaries and stock up on large quantities of pot, with no way to notice that Patient X is buying marijuana from multiple businesses.

Cook described a scenario where a patient card is used to buy marijuana several times in one day from dispensaries located far apart. Under the tracking system, the state would be alerted of possible fraud and would notify all dispensaries not to sell to that patient until the state can verify that it is indeed the same person buying all the pot, which would be done through video surveillance soon to be required at pot shops.

But patients are vowing to fight tracking plans. They're especially alarmed that state regulators have yet to issue specifics on how the tracking would work.

"It seems like there could be an ulterior motive here," said Randy James Martinez of Commerce City, 42, who uses medical marijuana for diabetic neuropathy. "Why do they need to keep such close track? Opiate abuse is far more prevalent and far more destructive than any marijuana use or abuse."

A public hearing is planned on the tracking rules in January, but the tracking wouldn't require lawmaker approval because it would be considered an agency regulation.

A marijuana activist who sits on the rulemaking panel, Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, said patients and dispensaries fear an onerous intrusion and are still waiting to hear how tracking would work.

"Right now I'd say there's a lot of fear and a lot of confusion out there," Vicente said.

By Associated Press

No pot will be sold in Gypsum

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:51:16 -0400

GYPSUM CO, Hunter S. Thompson might have something to say about it if he were still alive, as Gypsum town councilors firmed up their stance as a non-whacky-tobaccy town Tuesday night.

That's right , medical marijuana businesses are now even less likely to open in Gypsum.

At their meeting, council members quickly passed the second reading of an ordinance that effectively bars medical marijuana businesses from operating there.

"This ordinance basically backs up what we've been doing, as we've turned away a half dozen inquiries already," said Gypsum's town manager, Jeff Shroll, at a previous council meeting.

It all comes down to a business license, which anyone hoping to sell medicinal pot in Gypsum will need. For more than a decade, the town has required all business license applicants to sign an affidavit. The affidavit asserts that the business is within the law, including federal law. The federal government still considers medical marijuana illegal. Thus, anyone hoping to open a medical marijuana business can't sign that affidavit case closed.

"We wanted to provide that clarification so that we're consistent with state provisions," Shroll said of the new ordinance.

Further, a second step was taken. If a medical marijuana business happened to challenge and defeat the ordinance, the business would then need a special use permit and be zoned in a heavy industrial area.

"Basically, if we lose four different court cases (a medical marijuana business) can open up in the wallboard plant," Shroll joked.

Medical marijuana card-holders won't be affected as much. They're not conducting business or growing marijuana to sell, so they may carry on as before.

Only four council members were present to vote Tuesday. Dick Mayne, Tim McMichael and Tom Edwards were absent.

"I'm so glad we're not those other towns," said council member Pam Schultz after the vote, referring to neighboring jurisdictions that are grappling for balance between state and federal law.

By Eagle Valley Enterprise

Medical marijuana advocates will meet in October

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:12:34 -0400

NEW JERSEY-The state Coalition for Medical Marijuana will host the first monthly meetings of its Patient Advocacy Group in locations around the state in October, including the Ocean City Free Public Library. Medical marijuana patients, their caregivers and physicians are invited to attend.

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed into law in January 2010, and full implementation is expected early in 2011. With this law, New Jersey joins 13 other states and the District of Columbia in recognizing the medical applications of marijuana.

Patients with qualifying conditions, whose physicians have formally recommended medical marijuana as part of their treatment, will be allowed to purchase up to two ounces of medical marijuana per month from state-licensed treatment centers.

The goal of the meetings is to share information among patients, caregivers and medical providers.

The coalition, which provides education about the benefits of legal access to medical marijuana, has been working for the legalization of medical marijuana since 2003.

PAG meetings times and locations:

October 20: Collingswood Public Library, Collingswood – 7 p.m.

October 20: City Hall Caucus Room, Jersey City – 7 p.m.

October 21: Wayne Public Library, Wayne – 7 p.m.

October 28: Ocean City Free Public Library, Ocean City – 6:45 p.m.

To read the full text of New Jersey's medical marijuana law, visit www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008. For more information about the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, visit www.cmmnj.org .

By Shore News Today

‘Make sure medical growops follow rules’

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:50:39 -0400

They’ll be talking about medical marijuana grows, booze pricing and even musty old clauses in land sales agreements that hurt a city’s growth plans. And it’s hoped other cities will see Maple Ridge’s point of view and adopt the resolutions and push the provincial government into action at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this week in Whistler.

Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin is confident the resolutions will at least see the light of day.

"I’m sure we’ll get support on the medical marijuana grow thing because it is a challenge in a number of municipalities."

Surrey proposed the resolution last year, but it didn’t get any support.

Since then, the TAGS Medical Cannabis dispensary opened in Maple Ridge on 224th Street, south of Lougheed Highway.

Maple Ridge then wrote a letter to Health Canada expressing the same concerns about medical marijuana growops as an earlier resolution proposed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The resolution at Whistler will ask for the same thing that the federal government figure out a way to ensure medicinal marijuana growops are following all the rules.

The resolution cites the risks of growing medicinal marijuana, which resemble the illegal operations such as grow rips, health hazards to kids living in homes where marijuana is grown intensively, and the greater risk of fires and chemical spills.

Daykin said Kelowna, Langley and Parksville are facing the same issue as Maple Ridge, with dispensaries opening.

The current situation turns municipalities into the "default regulator," he said.

"We don’t have the manpower to go around monitoring growops."

The issue cropped up last year when Surrey asked that Health Canada to require medicinal marijuana grow operations to follow all electrical, health, fire and safety regulations

. That prompted a response from Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, explaining that her department does not verify compliance by medicinal marijuana users. Those responsibilities are stated when the person gets the licence, she said.

"I think the feds have put in a system that has no checks and balances," Daykin said.

So far, though, he knows of only two medical growops in Maple Ridge not following their licence requirements.

Daykin added he had no problem with sick people using marijuana to ease their suffering. But give it a drug identification number and sell it from a pharmacy, he suggested.

Coun. Cheryl Ashlie is particularly concerned about alcohol pricing in bars and stores that seems targeted at kids. Often, low-alcohol drinks are more expensive and the strong stuff and it should be the other way around.

She and the rest of Maple Ridge council want the provincial government to enact policies suggested by the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C.

She doesn’t want the government to do another study which could delay things another decade.

Another resolution asks the province to change the Land Titles Act so that cities and towns can remove clauses that prohibit a particular use when a property is sold.

Often those covenants are put in place to prevent a retail competitor from later using the same property. However, the clauses can last for years and hurt municipal goals for development.

"That will be interesting to see how many other communities have that problem," said Daykin.

He’s also confident Maple Ridge’s resolution to ban the over-the-counter retail sale of pesticides gets passed.

"It’s one of those issues that have to be dealt with province-wide."

The district has banned the use of cosmetic pesticides in suburbs, but not their sale, because it doesn’t have the power to do so. Anyone who wants to use the chemicals must first get a permit from the district.

But the resolution says pesticides are "widely available with few restrictions "at a time when most communities have cosmetic pesticide bans in place.”

The district also wants the government to spend more money to reduce ambulance response times. Currently, the B.C. Ambulance Service is only getting to half the calls in major areas under nine minutes, when its target is to make that time 90 per cent of the time.

The costs of policing are also on the agenda, as wages and technology costs climb.

Formation of a regional police force could be discussed, but Daykin likes the current system.

"I’m still not convinced that in the long-run that it is more cost effective." He said recent events in the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment area, a rape and murder, would have occupied the local detachment completely if there were no regional integrated specialized teams.

The range of resolutions is as varied as the cities within B.C. Maple Ridge also wants incentives to encourage accessible housing, while Pitt Meadows wants more secure mail boxes.

Vernon has come up with two ideas to make cycling a bit safer. It wants both senior governments to look at building trails right beside railway tracks, taking advantage of the right of way that’s already there so there are more paths for people to either walk or cycle.

It also wants the width of shoulders on highways increased to two metres, with a rumble strip separating the highway, to give more room for cyclists.

The convention whose theme is Forging Gold Medal Standards, wraps up Friday.

By BC Local News

Iowa medical-marijuana issue at stalemate

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:19:52 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Pharmacy Board has rejected a request that it write the rules allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes.

The Des Moines Register reports the board on Tuesday rejected the request from a marijuana activist and attempted to punt it back to the Legislature.

Board member Margaret Whitworth says the group is appointed, not elected, and shouldn't be writing the law.

In February, the pharmacy board recommended that the Legislature reclassify marijuana to allow its use for legitimate medical purposes.

Legislative leaders initially said they would consider the issue, but then said state law gives the pharmacy board authority to set up a program.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Des Moines Democrat, says lawmakers are unlikely to take up the issue next year.

By KTTC

Medical marijuana supporters rally for Measure 13

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:17:37 -0400

Bruce Price attended Tuesday’s medical marijuana rally for his father.

Price said his dad was diagnosed with melanoma in 1985, and the medical treatment for the cancer made him "so sick".

A military man, Price’s father initially rejected his son’s suggestion to try medical marijuana for relief. "His mindset was totally against it," Price said. "But at the end he was open to it." Price believes the medical marijuana was the only thing that gave his dad relief at the end of his life, and he wants to see the drug legalized for medical purposes so others can be helped as well.

"This just has to change," he said.

About 100 people gathered at Memorial Park Tuesday evening for the Rally for Compassion, put on by the South Dakota Coalition for Compassion. The Coalition has spearheaded the campaign for Initiated Measure 13, which calls for the legalization of medical marijuana in South Dakota. Fourteen other states have medical marijuana laws.

South Dakota voters will have a chance to vote on Measure 13 in November, and Coalition for Compassion campaign director Emmett Reistroffer urged rally attendees to spread the truth about the initiative.

"There are some opponents out there lying (about the measure)," he said. Reistroffer encouraged them to set the record straight.

Reistroffer said it is important that voters understand that Initiative Measure 13 would allow marijuana use only for medical reasons. The group is not pushing for full legalization, he said.

Supporters of the measure call it one of the strictest in the country; a law that will require patients to have established relationships with doctors and to be closely monitored by the Department of Health. There can be no dispensaries under Measure 13 and patients cannot drive while using the medication, said retired Denver police officer Tony Ryan, a proponent of the measure.

Ryan said opponents have suggested that it will be impossible to enforce the South Dakota law. But Ryan doesn’t buy it. Medical marijuana patients will be required to carry cards from the Department of Health proving that they have a prescription for the marijuana, he said.

"Having been there for 36 years (as a police officer), I don’t see the problem. It’s just asking for another form of ID," he said.

Patrick Lynch, former chairman for the North-Central States chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, also spoke at the rally. As the official sponsor of Measure 13, Lynch said he speaks from experience of the benefits of medical marijuana.

The 47-year-old Sioux Falls man was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago. The medication prescribed to control the muscle spasms common in MS patients left him unable to function, he said. With encouragement from another MS patient, he tried medical marijuana and got instant relief from spasms without the foggy feeling, he said. "This was a medicine I could deal with," he said.

Lynch encouraged the crowd to get out and spread accurate information to voters.

“"ou are the foot soldiers," he said. "We need to help the patients."

By Rapid City Journal

California's Marijuana Initiative: A Problem for Obama?

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:17:07 -0400

If California voters decide to legalize marijuana throughout the state, President Obama will have a decision on his hands.

Politically, it will be a tough one.

Polling now suggests that, if the vote were taken today, the Proposition 19 legalization ballot initiative would pass--Field Research shows 49 - 42 percent support, while Public Policy Polling shows Prop. 19 passing 47 - 38 percent--and pressure is already mounting on the White House to sue California if it does, just as Attorney General Eric Holder's Justice Department is now suing Arizona over its controversial SB 1070 immigration law.

Earlier this month, nine former administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration sent a letter calling on Obama and Holder to sue if Prop. 19 passes, blocking the statewide legalization of possession and personal growth and the allowance of individual counties to license commercial sale and production of marijuana.

A lawsuit may not be so simple--the federal government may have a better case against Prop. 19's commercial provisions than its sections on personal use--but regardless, if Prop. 19 passes, Obama and Holder will have to decide what to do.

The pressure will likely be intense. Legalized marijuana is practically inconceivable to large swaths of the country, and one can see the broader coalition of social conservatives and concerned moderates reeling in shock on November 3, aghast at California's decadence and lawlessness, and turning to President Obama to put a stop to it.

Make no mistake: the legalization of marijuana in the country's largest state by population, with governmentally sanctioned commercial grow-houses and open storefronts (which will probably arise, according to one longtime marijuana advocate, in Oakland, West Hollywood, and maybe one other county) would be a major change in this country. Commercial distribution of medical marijuana already happens in a few places around the country, and it's allegedly pretty loose in California and Colorado. But outright legalization is a different thing entirely.

If Obama doesn't take action, he'll be seen as the president who let this happen. It could very well lead many people to vote against him in 2012.

At this point, it seems the Obama administration will sue California, but that's just an educated guess: the Justice Department has declined to comment. Obama's drug czar, former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, has weighed in firmly against legalization on the national scale, and he submitted an op-ed to the L.A. Times co-authored with several former drug czars (some of whom have taken a very hard line against medical marijuana) warning that Prop. 19 would increase social costs with more drug use.

But while standing on the sidelines would probably damage Obama with many voters, a lawsuit could bring its own political costs.

In California, Prop. 19 is backed by some of the voting blocs that handed Obama his victory in 2008, including Democrats, who support legalization by a 60 - 28 percent margin, according to Field; , independents, who support it by a 62 - 33 percent margin; 18 - 29 year-olds, who support it 59 - 33 percent; and 40 - 49 year-olds, who support it 53 - 38 percent support.

The only significant opposition to Prop. 19, according to Field, comes from older voters. 50 - 64 year-olds oppose it 47 - 43 percent, while voters 65 and older oppose it 53 - 36 percent.

Voters are, of course, different in different places, and Field's numbers only represent what they've found to be true of likely California voters. There isn't any recent data (to my knowledge) on how these voter groups feel about California's legalization plan nationally.

One can, however, envision a coalition of younger and marginalized voters being disappointed in Obama for his decision. Call them the Shepard Fairey coalition. In 2008, Obama was cool among many; if he attacks Prop. 19, a lot of that mojo will disappear. Being seen as a buzzkill never helped any politician among young and disaffected voters, much less Obama, who rode their support to victory.

Add in the fact that elements within the progressive establishment are coming to publicly support legalization--most notably Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher, who launched a half-million-dollar organizing effort around marijuana this year--and you have a liberal coalition that could be of consequence. Ron Paul libertarians, meanwhile, prefer to treat drug laws as a states' rights issue, and would likely oppose federal efforts to block Prop. 19 from taking effect.

None of this may matter. At this point, it's generally expected that authority figures would oppose any kind of drug legalization, and even marijuana advocates would tell you that politicians are behind the curve of marijuana-legalization support. That's the paradigm. Legalization supporters may forgive Obama for making the predictable move, and none of this is to say that the federal reaction to Prop. 19 will become the prime voting issue for any voting bloc.

But if Prop. 19 passes, it will be a major issue in this country. Many will be surprised. How the president handles it will have political implications not just for California, but for his own political fortunes in 2012.

By The Atlantic

Tom Tancredo Says He Will Legalize Marijuana If Elected Governor

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:09:48 -0400

In debate with his mainstream party rivals Saturday in Colorado Springs, American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo said if he were elected governor he would legalize marijuana. "If you can show me where we can get people off drugs by continuing down this same path, then show me," he said. He called on Colorado to "legalize it, regulate it, tax it," because the war on drugs has cost the country and the state billions we don’t have to spend anymore in enforcement and court costs and incarceration and the problem of use and addiction continue. Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper and Republican Dan Maes disagreed with Tancredo. A new Cato Institute study on drug policy in Portugal may bolster the Tancredo line on drugs.

Portugal was plagued by drug problems and decided five years ago to decriminalize all drugs so that now possession of small amounts of any drug there is not a criminal offense. The result: Portugal’s drug problems have improved in every measured way.

From London’s Daily Telegraph

If you are found possessing [drugs], you can be put before a panel of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser, who will decide appropriate treatment. You are free to refuse that treatment, and a jail sentence is not an option. Drug trafficking is still illegal and punishable by jail.

I’ll just go through the figures: Drug use among 13- to 15-year-olds fell from 14.1 per cent in 2001 to 10.6 per cent in 2006. Among 16- to 18-year-olds it has dropped from 27.6 per cent to 21.6 per cent. This, incidentally, has come after years of steadily increasing drug use among the young; between 1995 and 2001, use in the 16-to-18 bracket leapt up from 14.1 per cent to its 2001 high. This drop has come against a background of increasing drug use across the rest of the EU.

Further, HIV infections among drug users fell, drug-related deaths fell, there was a decrease in trafficking, and a huge amount of money was saved by offering treatment instead of prison sentences.

I know that correlation does not equal causation, but until 2001, Portugal had some of the worst drug problems in Europe. The turnaround since decriminalization has been dramatic, and expert opinion attributes it to the change in policy; a study by the World Health Organization and another published in the British Medical Journal found similar things.

In Colorado, pot possession under an ounce is a petty offense punishable by a $100 fine. Voters have repeatedly passed laws to ease law enforcement against pot possession in Denver. City voters passed an initiative legalizing possession in 2005 but law enforcement ignored the initiative and followed state law instead. Two years later, Denver passed an initiative to make pot possession the lowest law enforcement priority. Arrests however continued to climb.

By Colorado Independent

Eric Sterling makes the moral case for marijuana-law reform at VCU

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:59:20 -0400

When Virginia NORML and the VCU chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) assembled a panel of experts to talk about marijuana laws at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond last weekend, one of the speakers was Eric Sterling, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, which is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Another was Lennice Werth of Virginians Against Drug Violence.)

Sterling started working on drug-law issues in the 1980s, when he was the legal counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives. In that job, his responsibilities included oversight of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and writing the nation’s drug laws.

‘Political cynicism’

During his tenure on Capitol Hill, he told the Charlottesville Libertarian Examiner in an interview on Saturday, "I saw the political cynicism that Members of Congress had in trying to simply advance their personal careers or their parties’ ambitions, and it was through seeing that that I became involved in this work."

Over the past quarter-century, Sterling has observed changes in the ways policymakers approach drug issues and their attitudes toward drug laws.

"They haven’t maintained the same opinion," he said. "There has been a tremendous change in policymakers -- meaning elected officials -- at all levels."

Sterling said he has testified before state legislatures in half a dozen states and that he knows Members of Congress from his work in Washington. The views of both state and federal legislators, he said, "have changed enormously since the days of ‘Just Say No’ and Nancy and Ronald Reagan."

He gave a close-to-home example.
"Recently, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, who represents me, referred a medical marijuana patient to me," for legal advice, something that would have been unlikely, if not impossible, 20 or 25 years ago.

Pot laws ‘immoral’
Sterling argued that laws against marijuana use are immoral. He cited "an outstanding professor of the philosophy of law named Douglas Husak at Rutgers University," who wrote a book called Legalize This.

In that book, Sterling explained, Husak "explores in depth the philosophical justification for law," laying out a framework for what is morally permissible and impermissible for legislators.

"The legislature’s power to punish is only moral when the conduct that is being punished is wrongful," in the sense that it harms another person or violates someone else’s rights, he said. "It is immoral for the legislature to punish conduct that’s not wrongful. It’s outside the moral authority of the legislature to punish" such conduct.

Sterling noted that people have certain duties, such as paying taxes, "and we would argue that it’s wrongful not to meet that duty." But, he added, "you don’t have a duty to be sober. You don’t have a duty to avoid certain conduct, such as using marijuana, [that] does not hurt anybody."

Society encourages risk
"Taking risks is not harmful even if those risks might hurt you" personally, he said, "because we, in fact, believe in risk as a society."

Sterling ticked off a list of types of risk that society encourages: corporate risk, business risk (investment), intellectual risk [or] scientific risk is called research; athletic risk, like going to Olympics’

"Doing things like trying to ski the fastest, to run a whitewater rapids, to be the best [or] the fastest," he said, "involves tremendous risk."

These risks often result in physical injury and they "are not all about productivity" which is often used to justify risk.

"They’re about pleasure, competition, exhilaration, and the risks from using marijuana are so insignificant by comparison," Sterling noted. "Yet the pleasure, the rewards are so great, it’s clearly within the range of things that our society would allow people to do if we were starting from square one, rather than with the historical baggage that this carries since marijuana prohibition began in the 1930s."

Sterling is optimistic about the reform of marijuana laws at both the state and the federal level. In his presentation at VCU, he pointed to the likely approval of Proposition 19 by California voters on November 2 as a bellwether, not just in the United States, but internationally. Proposition 19 will decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use and make it legal for individuals to grow their own pot without fear of arrest and imprisonment.

By The Examiner

Helena medical marijuana shop robbed

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:53:34 -0400

HELENA, Mont. (AP) Lewis and Clark County officials say about $10,000 worth of marijuana was stolen from a Helena-area medical marijuana business.

Sheriff Leo Dutton says the burglary occurred late Thursday night and surveillance video has led to the identification of one possible suspect.

The Perfect Cure co-owner Josh Saska says the burglars made off with about 2.5 pounds of bagged marijuana and several plants. He says his business has about 45 patients.

Saska tells the Independent Record he suspects the burglars used a stun gun on their guard dog. They've now hired a security guard.

By NECN

Moratorium on medical-marijuana businesses extended

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 07:49:28 -0400

After hours of public testimony on Monday night, the City Council voted to extend a moratorium on medical-marijuana businesses and back away from a proposed zone change that would have banned or restricted medical-marijuana businesses in the city.

Council members were given several options on regulating medical-marijuana businesses, including restricting them to a small part of the city or banning them outright. But the council voted, 9-1, to withdraw the proposed zone change, which means it could come back in a few months.

The council essentially bought itself about four months, which council members hope will be enough time for the state Legislature to take significant action on medical marijuana, negating the need for the council to act.

Some on the council doubt that the Legislature will make any progress on the issue, but other council members are hopeful.

"I think the Legislature will do something, and this gives us an opportunity to get through until that time," Council-woman Jani McCall said.

The majority of speakers on Monday night urged the council to ban the businesses throughout the city, while a few spoke against regulating the fledgling industry.

"We voted for this initiative. Two out of three people voted for it. I don’t know why it’s even an issue anymore," said medical-marijuana caregiver Friedrick Schweitzer, nephew of Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

"We want this in our town. We want this in our state."

The council was considering a new zoning ordinance that would restrict the businesses to a strip of land along Interstate 90 at the southwest end of the city, as well as a small patch of land near MetraPark. The ordinance would also require nonconforming businesses to move into compliance within a few years. That ordinance came from an ad hoc committee created by the council.

But, when the council sent the ordinance to the Zoning Commission for a public hearing, the Zoning Commission sent back a recommendation that the council scrap the ordinance and ban the businesses entirely.

The Zoning Commission’s move didn’t sit well with some on the council, who said that the commission overstepped its mission to make a recommendation on the proposed ordinance. "The Zoning Commission has thrown us a real curve here, and I don’t support what they’ve done," Councilman Ed Ulledalen said.

Ulledalen has also questioned the intentions of the state Legislature, which could make changes to the law that al-lows the use of medical marijuana. "This isn’t something that’s just up to the Legislature to decide," said Rep. Cary Smith, a Republican who represents parts of the West End. In other business, the council set mill levy rates for the next year and voted on two lawsuit settlements.

The council approved one settlement with six female city employees, but it shot down a proposed settlement with Alternatives Inc., which runs a prerelease center on the South Side. Alternatives Inc. sued the city over a tax payment issue. The council rejected the settlement on a 5-5 vote. It’s unclear what will happen with the lawsuit.

By SV Herald

Calif measure shows state's conflicted link to pot

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:14:47 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO -- California has a long history of defying conventional wisdom on the issue of marijuana, including its embrace of the drug in the 1960s and its landmark medical pot law 14 years ago. So it may not be all that surprising that a November ballot measure to legalize the drug has created some odd alliances and scenarios.

Pot growers have opposed it. Some police have favored it. Polls show the public is deeply divided. Only politicians have lined up as expected: Nearly all major party candidates oppose the measure. And hanging over the whole debate is the fact that marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

As the Nov. 2 election nears, Proposition 19 has become about much more than the pros and cons of the drug itself. The campaigns have framed the vote as a referendum on everything from jobs and taxes to crime and the environment.

The measure gained ground in a Field Poll released Sunday, pulling ahead 49 percent to 42 percent among likely voters. The poll also found that Californians have become steadily more permissive toward the drug since pollsters began quizzing state residents about their attitudes 40 years ago.

Proponents say the measure is a way for the struggling state and its cities to raise badly needed funds. A legal pot industry, they say, would create jobs while undercutting violent criminals who profit off the illegal trade in the drug.

"I think it's a golden opportunity for California voters to strike a real blow against the (Mexican) drug cartels and drug gangs," said Joseph McNamara, who served as San Jose's police chief for about 15 years. "That would be a greater blow than we ever struck during my 35 years in law enforcement."

Supporters, including a group of former and current law enforcement officials, have called attention to the failure of the so-called "War on Drugs" to put a dent in pot production in California, and they say police need to pursue more dangerous crimes.

To pull ahead, opponents will have to convince voters that legalized marijuana will create a greater public safety threat than keeping it illegal.

"If the price drops, more people are going to buy it. Low-income people are going to buy marijuana instead of buying food, which happens with substance abusers," said Pleasant Hill police Chief Pete Dunbar, who also speaks for the California Police Chiefs' Association, one of many law enforcement groups against the measure.

As a result, he said, legalizing marijuana would only encourage the cycle of theft and violence driven by people who need money to buy drugs. Opponents of Proposition 19 argue that the wording of the proposed law would compromise public safety by gutting restrictions on driving and going to work while high.

The state district attorneys' group has come out publicly against Proposition 19, as have many county governments, the editorial boards of the state's biggest newspapers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said the law would make California a "laughingstock."

Under the proposed law, adults 21 and older could possess up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use and grow gardens up to 25 square feet.

The proposal would allow cities and governments to decide for themselves whether to tax and allow pot sales. Opponents say a vague, disorganized patchwork of regulations would ensue and lead to chaos for police and courts.

There's also the prospect of legal chaos, given the fact that pot will remain illegal under federal law regardless of what happens. Every former Drug Enforcement Administration boss is asking President Barack Obama to sue California if the measure passes on the grounds that federal law trumps state law - the same argument the administration used in suing Arizona over its immigration law.

Proposition 19 is the brainchild of Richard Lee, an Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur who spent more than $1 million to get the measure on the ballot. Also the founder of a trade school for aspiring marijuana growers and retailers, Lee has pushed legal marijuana as a boon to the state's economy and an important source of tax revenue to help close the state's massive budget deficit. The Service Employees International Union, the state's biggest union, has endorsed the measure as an economic booster.

But analysts have said the economic consequences of a legalized pot trade are difficult to predict. The state Board of Equalization last year said a marijuana legalization measure proposed in the state legislature could have brought California up to $1.4 billion in tax revenue. On Friday, the agency said Proposition 19, which leaves marijuana taxing decisions to local governments, contained too many unknowns for its analysts to estimate how much the measure might generate.

In July, the nonpartisan RAND Drug Policy Research Center forecast that legalizing marijuana could send prices plunging by as much as 90 percent. Lower prices could mean less tax revenue even as pot consumption rose, the group said.

The potential price drop has brought unexpected opposition, or at least suspicion, from rural pot farmers who fear the loss of their traditional, though legally risky, way of life.

Marijuana has become so crucial to rural economies along the state's North Coast that even some local government officials are working on plans for coping with a pot downturn.

The state's medical marijuana economy is thriving as hundreds of retail dispensaries across California sell pot to hundreds of thousands of qualified patients. And some medical marijuana supporters have said Proposition 19 could undermine the credibility of the drug as a medical treatment.

"I'm just against the whole concept of the recreational use of marijuana," said Dennis Peron, the San Francisco activist who was the driving force behind the 1996 ballot measure that legalized medical marijuana.

By Forbes

Companies are ready if state OKs medical pot

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:47:40 -0400

PHOENIX It isn’t legal yet. And it won’t be unless voters approve.

But more than a dozen companies are setting up shop in Arizona in hopes of selling pot.

The initiative, if passed, will permit just 120 dispensaries in the entire state. That’s far different from California, where that state’s medical marijuana law has no limit. The Arizona law does require that the dispensaries be set up as nonprofit corporations. But that isn’t deterring would-be dealers who hope to get one of those licenses.

Among the first in line is Allan Sobol. He’s been hired by Medical Marijuana Dispensaries of Arizona, one of 15 firms that has filed the necessary paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission, to get the business up and running and help clear hurdles.

In fact, the company is already open for business, though there’s no marijuana to sell.

The firm’s Web site is signing up not only prospective buyers but also doctors who might be interested in referring their patients.

"We call it pre-emptive marketing," he said.

Proposition 203, if approved, will allow those with a state-issued card to obtain up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks. But to get that card, a patient first needs a written recommendation from a doctor who, according to the measure, will have needed to do a full assessment of that person’s medical history.

Sobol said that should make Arizona’s operation different than California, where dispensaries actually advertise they can get a doctor’s certification on site.

So Sobol mailed information to about 10,000 Arizona doctors, giving them information about the initiative and about the company.

He said “several” already have responded.

How many potential patients are out there is unclear.

Legislative budget staffers predicted 39,600 Arizonans are likely to have the medical marijuana cards by 2013, with 26,400 people licensed by the state as caregivers — people who can buy the drug for someone else.

The pro-203 campaign is far better financed than any opposition.

Campaign finance reports show $640,523 in donations, with the lion’s share of that coming from the national Marijuana Policy Project. Foes operating as Keep Arizona Drug Free had collected just $6,685 as of the latest report.

Vocal opposition to the initiative is coming largely from law enforcement and prosecutors.

By SV Herald

Voters leaning toward legalizing marijuana

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 10:12:17 -0400

California voters are leaning toward making the Golden State the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

In a new Field Poll of likely voters for the Nov. 2 election, the Proposition 19 marijuana initiative leads by a 49 percent to 42 percent margin.

The measure holds heavy majorities among voters who are younger than 40 and those who live in the populous San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The measure, largely favored by Democrats, trails decidedly among Republicans and is losing by a nearly 2-1 margin in the Central Valley. The Sept. 14-21 Field Poll of 599 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

However, the new poll shows an increase in support for Proposition 19 since a Field Poll in July had the measure losing, 48 percent to 44 percent.

Matthew Hostler, 30, a Sacramento project manager for an online video games company, is solidly in the Yes on 19 camp.

Hostler thinks it was mistake for the United States to make marijuana illegal in the first place. Now, he says, "What better way than to have California make the change."

But other voters are less sure about the initiative, which would expand legal marijuana use in California beyond the medical use approved under Proposition 215 in 1996.

Leslie Claridge-Town, 33, of Sacramento has concerns about vagueness in the initiative language. She also has doubts about its potential to produce significant revenue from taxes on marijuana sales.

"I'm actually a bit torn," said Claridge-Town, a stay-at-home mother who is studying for a degree in marriage and family therapy. "I think it should be legalized. But I'm starting to question that this is the right way to go about it."

According to the Field Poll, voters also support a measure to allow the state Legislature to pass budgets on a simple majority vote.

The budgeting measure, Proposition 25, was leading by a 46 percent to 30 percent margin. But its lead has dropped measurably from a 65 percent to 20 percent margin in July.

Another measure, Proposition 23, which would suspend the state's greenhouse gas reduction law until California's unemployment rate drops below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters, is losing by a 45 percent to 34 percent margin.

The closely watched Proposition 19 would permit all Californians 21 and older to legally possess an ounce or less of marijuana and grow their own pot in a 25-square-foot growing space per residence or parcel.

The initiative also would allow local governments to approve higher possession limits and to tax and regulate retail pot sales, cultivation and distribution.

The measure ultimately may highlight just how much California's attitude toward marijuana has evolved.

A Field Poll in July found that 47 percent of registered voters had tried marijuana at least once and that 50 percent favor some form of legalization.

Nearly four-fifths of California voters approve of medical marijuana use being legal – even though 57 percent said in the July poll that the boom in medical pot shops made it easier to obtain marijuana without a serious medical condition.

"It's generational," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the California Field Poll. He said people don't think the existing law enforcement approach to marijuana is helping that much. "And almost half of voters have smoked marijuana," he said. "So it's not something mysterious or clearly counterculture."

But DiCamillo said marijuana in the Golden State stokes the "classic blue California vs. red California political divide."

He said voter turnout by party and region likely will determine the outcome.

But voters such as Jonathan Hensley, a 38-year-old Sacramento accountant and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, break from party majorities on marijuana.

Though most fellow Democrats back Proposition 19, Hensley said, "I'm not in favor of legalizing substances that are mind-altering."

He said he is concerned that more people may drive under the influence of marijuana if Proposition 19 passes. And he said California already is struggling to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.

"I don't see this as a revenue source at this time," he said. "I see it as a cost to society."

Republican Rosalie Martin, a retired nurse in Clovis, is "on the fence" over how she'll vote.

"On one hand, I'm personally disgusted by marijuana," she said. "On the other, I think so much time is spent by the police on even small amounts that people have in their possession. They're not dealers. They're users."

Martin, 63, said she is unsure "exactly how far legalization will take us." But she added: "Just let people grow what they want in their backyard and be done with it."

"Almost half of voters have smoked marijuana. So it's not something mysterious or clearly counterculture."

By Sac Bee

Beer makers oppose California initiative to legalize marijuana

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:47:31 -0400

The California Beer and Beverage Distributors (CBBD) donated $10,000 in an effort to oppose a proposition legalizing marijuana. Prop 19 will be on the California ballot this November.

Public Safety First, largely funded by law enforcement, received CBBD’s donation earlier this month, although it was just recently made public.

Other organizations that have donated funds to oppose Prop 19 include the California Narcotics Officers’ Association which has donated $20,500. Also the California Police Chiefs Association has contributed $30,000, reports the Huffington Post.

In addition the Placer County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the California Peace Officers Association, the California District Attorney Association, and the Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County have all contributed to Public Safety.

Rhonda Stevenson, a spokesman for the CBBD, tells the Huffington Post that the group does not oppose legalizing marijuana in principle, but objects to the specific proposition.

Proposition 19, if approved by voters, will:

1.) legalize various marijuana-related activities and allow local governments to regulate these activities,

2.) permit local governments (but not the state government) to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and

3.) authorize various criminal and civil penalties.

Medical marijuana is already legal in California, due to the enactment of Proposition 215 in 1996. California's voters rejected a previous ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in 1972, when 1972's Proposition 19 was rejected by a margin of 66-33%.

By The Examiner

White House drug policy adviser questions Montana's medical marijuana law

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:10:01 -0400

The Obama administration adamantly opposes legalizing marijuana and has a dubious view of medical marijuana as well, a top White House drug policy adviser told a Helena conference.

Kevin Sabet, special adviser for policy in the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said marijuana is a dangerous drug that causes documented health and social problems, and should not be subject to voter-approval for its use.

"Marijuana cannot be the one exception in the history of the world that doesn't go through a scientific process to be approved as medicine," he told the Montana Supreme Court administrator's annual drug court conference in Helena. "It doesn't make any sense.

"How can we imagine that a dangerous, illegal drug like marijuana should be voted on by the people? That's not how we do medicine in this country."

Montana voters in 2004 approved a medical marijuana program for the state of Montana, allowing people with debilitating diseases to get a doctor's approval to possess and smoke or otherwise ingest marijuana.

The program had only a few thousand users until a year ago, when the U.S. Justice Department issued a memo to federal prosecutors, telling them that pursuing medical marijuana patients or their caregivers is not a priority in states that have approved medical marijuana.

Since then, Montana's number of medical marijuana cardholders has increased by nearly 20,000. Various traveling "clinics" have crisscrossed the state, sometimes issuing hundreds of cards in a single day.

Sabet said the Justice Department memo has been "widely misinterpreted" by the media and proponents of legalizing marijuana, and that it does not give marijuana growers or suppliers a blank check to produce pot in states with medical marijuana programs.

"If you actually read the memo, it's very sensible," he said. "It didn't take more than a week for us to put out our own clarifying statement: That people cannot hide behind medical marijuana as a guise for legalization."

The memo, penned by Deputy Attorney General David Ogden last October, says federal prosecutors shouldn't focus on medical marijuana patients or caregivers who are "in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law."

However, it also says this recommendation does not legalize marijuana in these states, provide any legal defense to violation of federal drug laws, or protect those using medical-marijuana laws "as a pretext for the production or distribution of marijuana for purposes not authorized by state law."

***

Sabet said he believes medical marijuana programs are part of a strategy to legalize marijuana, and that the Obama administration is staunchly opposed to legalization.

Research shows that marijuana use causes health problems, can be addictive, and kills and injures people on roadways, among other things, he said. Legalizing marijuana will increase its usage, increase arrests for drug-related behavior and won't eliminate a black market for the drug, Sabet said. "

Our two legal drugs, tobacco and alcohol, serve as frightening examples of legalization," he said. "Look at the alcohol industry. It does not make money off the 10 people who drink one drink a week. It makes money off of the one person who drinks 50 drinks a week. Addiction is incentivized in this business."

Sabet also said legalization proponents have created a "false dichotomy" by suggesting the only alternatives are legalization or a harsh, punitive approach that emphasizes incarceration.

Those aren't the only options, and the Obama administration favors an approach that pairs treatment with law enforcement, to reduce illegal drug usage and addiction without sending people to prison, he said.

By Missoulian

Toke Up Profits With These Marijuana-Related Stocks

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:59:13 -0400

Milton Friedman, a widely-followed economist, makes no excuses in his support of the legalization of marijuana. In fact, he joined over 500 economists in signing An Open Letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures on the benefits of legalizing marijuana.

While some states have already legalized the use of medical marijuana, these economists are arguing that legalization would have a number of other benefits. First, it would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of $6 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like alcohol and tobacco.

Second, marijuana-related crime would fall, and drug-related arrests would plummet.

Perhaps the biggest point of support for pro-legalization economists is the potential organic growth (no pun intended) that could result. A legalized marijuana trade would translate into new jobs and increased consumer spending - something our nation desperately needs.

Indeed, a number of companies that are related to marijuana already exist. Here are a few examples that could skyrocket if the road to legalization advances:

Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) offers services to marijuana grow collectives to ensure rules compliance. The company helps other organizations manage legal and tax obligations, and is a great stock to look at if investors expect more marijuana legislation to follow.

Converted Organics Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN) operates processing facilities that use food waste and other raw materials to manufacture all-natural fertilizer and soil amendment products combining nutritional and disease suppression characteristics. Converted Organics products maximize the grow potential of marijuana plants, while minimizing disease. The stock would surely benefit if marijuana fertilizers become more popular and widely-used.

Finally, Psychemedics Corp. (NASDAQ: PMD) provides testing services for the detection of abused substances through the analysis of hair samples. Because some employers will always want to test their employees for smoking pot, companies like Psychemedics provide the products to do so. The stock has slid below $0.50 since trading at $1.20 in May, and presents a unique buying opportunity. The stock has ample upside potential, and should be added to watch lists.

By Benzinga

Cannabis Expo Returns to Daly City

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:47:07 -0400

A convention that made headlines and drew thousands of people to the Cow Palace in Daly City a few months ago is set to light up the Bay Area again this weekend.

The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo had such great success in April that it's making a return trip, complete with an area for card-carrying medical pot patients to, well, medicate.

The event is a chance for the public to learn from vendors and speakers and see 100,000-square feet of displays showing off products to grow and ingest marijuana. Bands and musical acts will entertain. One of the goals of this weekend's expo is to showcase the job industry the cannabis field has opened. Legal experts will also on hand to help explain the rules of the "canna-business" and guide people interested in getting into the industry.

Marijuana won't be sold at the event but there will be a "Prop 215 tent" designated for legally-certified medical cannabis patients to consume their own.

An estimated 15,000 people attended the event in April -- about half of them were medical marijuana patients. This weekend's expo could draw an even bigger crowd.

By NBC Bay Area

Cannabis Found to be Less Harmful than Pharmaceutical Drug

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:54:30 -0400

Experts at the Health Centre of the McGill University have reached the conclusion that marijuana can be useful in reducing chronic neurological pain. The conclusion was reached by the McGill University after a study was conducted by researchers at the Health Centre. The research also found that marijuana had lesser side-effects, when compared to pharmaceutical drugs.

The study was published in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The study found that the main ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which provided it with psychotropic and analgesic properties, was responsible for relieving chronic pain, helping in the improvement of mood in people suffering from extreme mental pain.

The researchers also informed that smoking up cannabis, helps in an individual to sleep better and reduce chronic neurological pain.

The lead author of the study, Mark Ware, who is also the Director of Clinical Research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at MUHC stated that the trial was the first time when patients were allowed to smoke up marijuana at their homes on a daily basis and provide their feedback on the effects caused by marijuana.

Dr. Eugene Dodoyi, a psychiatrist with PeaceFM News supported the discovery by stating that the drug can help in relieving pain and also help people suffering from Glaucoma. Though, he warned that the use of marijuana should be limited as it is highly addictive.

By Top News UK

Concord files injunction against pot dispensary

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:50:44 -0400

CONCORD, Calif.—Concord officials are trying to shut down the city's only medical marijuana dispensary.

The city filed an injunction in Contra Costa County Superior Court on Thursday against Herbal Essence. City officials say the business is operating in violation of a city ban on medical marijuana dispensaries and misrepresented itself on its application for a business license.

The city wants the court to fine Herbal Essence $1,000 per day for each day it has been in violation of the city code.

An employee who answered the phone at the dispensary on Thursday declined to comment to the Contra Costa Times.

California law allows collectives to grow medicinal marijuana though there are limits on what they can charge.

But some cities have banned dispensaries. Concord's ban survived a 2005 court challenge.

By Mercury News

Marijuana farmers’ market, first ever in Tacoma

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:40:47 -0400

TACOMA, WASH. - Last weekend was the debut of the first-ever cannabis farmer’s market in Tacoma.

After listening to his customers, Jeremy Miller, the director of the Sacred Plant Medicine Co-op, came up with the idea of the first-ever cannabis farmers’ market.

"We have patients come in all the time with extra medicine and they don't know what to do with it, so this in an outlet for that extra medicine because the state only allows them to carry 24 ounces," said Miller.

Six vendors were at the Conquering Lion in Tacoma on Sunday. They handed out everything from marijuana to laced cookies and tinctures.

Miller told KING 5 News that all of the marijuana had been donated and only those with a doctor’s authorization were allowed in.

"Most patients take donations or, what we do here we actually have member dues, which is used to keep the lights on and pay the rent of the building. It's not for profit, Miller said.

But Mark Fulghum, the spokesman for the Tacoma Police, said he believes this is just another way to skirt the law.

"We were not aware of this taking place, so that's what they used and that's how they are trying to get around it," said Fulghum. "The law dictates who can use medical marijuana how much you can have and how you can access it."

Miller says he thinks he may be pushing it but he also thinks they are well within the limits of the law.

"I know that there is always a risk, but if anything happens, we're ready for the challenge," said Miller. Police say they will be in attendance at the next cannabis farmers’ market to be held on October 24 at the Conquering Lion in Tacoma.

By The Examiner

California Pot Growers Unionize

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:19:29 -0400

Earlier in the month, 40 laborers of Marjyn Investments LLC joined The Teamsters Local 70 Union in Oakland, CA, making history as the first unionized marijuana growers.

It’s a Sticky Business. The Teamsters have contracts with the members to protect the workers’ rights—however when the work is federally illegal, red flags get raised.

Until recently the legalities of growing medical marijuana in California have been hazy at best. In July the Oakland City Council approved the construction of four marijuana production facilities. Out of the hundreds of applications filed the permits have yet to be issued, though with the recent unionization Marjyn is said to be a contender.

Under the two-year Teamster contract, the Marjyn workers will receive a pension, paid vacation, and a wage raise from $18 to $25.75 after three months.

However, if the Federal government decides to intervene, the whole deal could go up in smoke.

By DT

Medical marijuana protest outside courthouse

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:52:12 -0400

About 20 people gathered in front of the Simcoe St. Courthouse Thursday morning to protest the arrest of a medical marijuana user whose license has expired.

Leslie Petherick has been a licensed medical marijuana user since 2009.

Many of the protesters are also waiting for their licenses to be renewed by Health Canada and said police shouldn't treat them like criminals.

Petherick appeared in court Thursday and is scheduled to return on Oct. 13.

He is charged with production of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and setting a trap likely to cause bodily harm.

Read the full story in Friday's Examine

By The Peter Borough Examiner

Florida still has harshest penalties in the country for marijuana use

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:10:14 -0400

Although President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have both stated that the federal government will no longer expend resources interfering with state medical marijuana laws, Florida legislators have yet to catch on to what modern scientific research, the public, and at least 14 other states already know — sick and dying patients do not belong behind bars for using medicine that has been recommended by a doctor.

Despite the fact that a medical necessity defense has been established by Florida case law, patients remain at risk of being arrested and jailed because legislators have yet to enact a medical marijuana law. To review a 1991 case that outlines Florida's medical necessity defense, click here.

Not only have Florida courts endorsed the use of medical marijuana, so has the public. In 1997, 63% of registered Florida voters said they favor approving an amendment to the Florida Constitution legalizing "medicinal" marijuana, according to a poll by The Miami Herald.

Although Florida courts, public opinion, and 14 other states reflect a trend that recognizes the legitimate use of medical marijuana, Florida patients remain exposed to the state's harsh possession laws. Every single medical marijuana patient in Florida continues to live in fear because Florida's penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana are among the nation's toughest. You can read more about Florida's draconian marijuana laws and their impacts here.

By The Examiner

Firms jockeying to get medical-pot licenses

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:33:18 -0400

It isn't even legal yet. And it won't be unless voters approve it.

But more than a dozen companies are setting up shop in Arizona hoping to get into the business of selling marijuana

has become a land rush of sorts because the initiative, if passed, will permit just 120 dispensaries in the entire state. That's far different from California, where that state's medical-marijuana law has no limit.

The Arizona law does require that the dispensaries be set up as non-profit corporations. But that isn't deterring would-be marijuana sellers who hope to snare one of those 120 licenses.

Among the first in line is Allan Sobol.

He has been hired by Medical Marijuana Dispensaries of Arizona, one of 15 firms that has filed the necessary paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission, to get the business up and running and help clear any legal hurdles.

The company is already open for business, although there isn't any marijuana to sell.

The firm's website is signing up prospective buyers and doctors who might be interested in referring their patients.

"We call it pre-emptive marketing," he said. "The company that gets the jump start on this and gets the mailing list of the potential patients is going to be the Number 1 dispensary in Arizona for the future. We decided to go after it."

That's where the website and preregistration drive fit in.

"Once the law passes, we'll provide you with information on how to get your (medical marijuana) card," Sobol said.

But in soliciting doctors, Sobol is working both sides of the equation.

Proposition 203, if approved, will allow those with a state-issued card to obtain up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.

But to get that card, a patient needs a written recommendation from a doctor who, according to the measure, will have to do a full assessment of that person's medical history.

Sobol said that should make Arizona's operation different from California, where dispensaries actually advertise they can get a doctor's certification on site. But he said some people will still need to find a doctor sympathetic to their health needs.

So, Sobol mailed information to about 10,000 Arizona doctors, giving them information about the initiative and about the company and asking if they would recommend their patients.

He said several already have responded. Although he won't share their names, Sobol said the plan is to make the list available if and when Prop. 203 becomes law.

"Out of all the ones we've sent out, we've only had one doctor who said, 'Please take me off the list,' " Sobol said.

"I think the medical profession is somewhat favorable to this. They want to be able to offer alternatives to patients."

How many potential patients are out there is unclear.

Legislative budget staffers predicted that 39,600 Arizonans are likely to have the medical-marijuana cards by 2013, with an additional 26,400 people licensed by the state as caregivers, or those who can buy the drug for someone else.

Opposition to the initiative is coming largely from law enforcement and prosecutors, including Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall.

Both said they see this a first step to legalizing the drug for everyone.

But the proposal also is being panned by the state's top health official.

Will Humble, interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said there probably are some people who would benefit by being able to inhale the now illegal substance. These include those who have nausea stemming from chemotherapy and individuals who need an appetite stimulant to keep from wasting away.

But, he said, the initiative is based on the flawed premise that marijuana can alleviate pain.

The result, he said, is likely to be abuse of the law, both by individuals who want legal access to marijuana and physicians who may, for whatever reason, be less than attentive to what will really help their patients.

Andrew Myers, manager of the Prop. 203 campaign, says there is evidence that marijuana can alleviate pain.

What Humble fails to say is that the alternative for many people would be much more addictive and dangerous drugs, like OxyContin and other opiates, Myers added.

By AZ Central

Smoking Pot Does Not Cause Lung Cancer

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:30:15 -0400

A San Francisco Chronicle reporter named Kevin Fagan called on Monday, July 12, to get some quotes. He explained his angle: NIDA and the prohibitionists cite studies showing that marijuana is harmful, while "the pot people" cite studies showing that it's helpful.

"And you're going to provide a fair and balanced overview," I said. Fagan said yes, that was his goal -and wasn't it a shame that Fox news had appropriated that slogan. Fagan said he had already talked to someone at NIDA and was due to talk to them again at length the next day. He'd heard I could tell him about the "pro-pot studies."

So I told him about Donald Tashkin's finding that smoking marijuana does not cause lung cancer. I called it "the greatest story never told" and promised to send O'Shaughnessy's piece about Tashkin, a distinguished UCLA pulmonologist who is hardly "pro-pot." (The piece first appeared in CounterPunch, BTW.) And I told him about Steven Sidney's review of 65,000 Kaiser patients' records showing that marijuana use does not cause lung cancer or increase mortality -another suppressed blockbuster. I told him about the data that Tom O'Connell and other California doctors had compiled about cannabis-using patients, and about the International Cannabinoid Research Society...

Given that the medical marijuana movement was a local story of national importance, I opined, the Chronicle's coverage over the years had been meager and superficial. Fagan said they were on it now -he was one of four reporters assigned to cover Prop 19.

I emailed him my report on Tashkin's findings along with some advice about how to pursue the story:

"When you're talking to the NIDA rep tomorrow, why not ask about the decision not to feature Tashkin's findings in NIDA Notes back in 2005? Who made that decision? Which editor(s)? Did they run it by director Nora Volkow? Tashkin's findings are big news indeed on the science side. But who suppressed those findings is an equally big story (on the political side)."

Fagan's piece ran on the front page Sunday July 12 under the headline, "Healthy or Harmful? Pot debate rages on." More than twice as many column inches were devoted to the NIDA line than to studies showing beneficial effect. Neither Donald Tashkin nor Steven Sidney was mentioned. I was quoted saying that (Tashkin's) photomicrographs of bronchial tissue damaged by cannabis smoke could scare the daylights out of you -but not quoted saying that (to Tashkin's surprise) the damaged cells don't metastasize, they die off; or that (Tashkin had concluded) the protective effects of cannabis more than make up for any collateral cellular damage.

The San Francisco Chronicle should not have to assign a reporter in July, 2010, to do a quick study on the state of the research on marijuana as medicine. The Chronicle should have been the paper of record all these years. And journalists should be fair, of course. But there's nothing admirable about giving equal weight to the truth and to the lies in the name of "balance."

New O'Shaughnessy's

The medical literature is increasingly replete with peer-reviewed studies establishing the benefits of cannabis-based products in treating various diseases. "Between 1975 and the present, at least 110 controlled clinical studies have been published, assessing well over 6,100 patients suffering from a wide range of illnesses," according to an article by Arno Hazekamp and Franjo Grotenhermen," in the new O'Shaughnessy's. "The mechanisms of action are becoming increasingly clear since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system and its physiological functions."

The issue also includes a piece by Martin Lee on the discovery of the endocannabinoid system; "A Novel Approach to the Systematic Treatment of Autism" by Lester Grinspoon, MD; "The Changing Nature of My Practice" by Christine Paoletti, MD; "On Issuing Cannabis Recommendations" by Stacey Kerr, MD; "The Inadvertent Inventor of 'Spice'" (an interview with John W. Huffman); "Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Acne?" (interview with Tamas Biro); "A Gardener Walks into a Bookstore" by Jorge Cervantes; "A Call from Nebraska" by David West; "Prospects for Legalization in California" by Dale Gieringer; "Medicating with Edibles and Potables" by Joanna LaForce; "More a Medicine Than a Dope" by Louis Armstrong, "On Pot Pulp" by Michael Aldrich; and a piece by Michael Krawitz on efforts to get the VA to commit to a policy that allows cannabis use by veterans. To get the 64-page print edition -all content, no jive- send $6 to p.o box 490, Alameda, CA 94501.

VA Does the Right Thing

O'Shaughnessy's went to press just late enough to cite the July 6 letter to Krawitz from Robert. A. Petzel, MD, undersecretary for health in the Veterans Health Administration, stating: "If a Veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the Veteran from receiving opioids for pain management in a VA facility," Petzel stated.

Krawitz and Martin Chilcutt of Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access deserve full credit for this meaningful reform. The New York Times broke the story July 24. "Those pain contracts in place in the Veterans Health Administration will need to be rewritten," says Krawitz. "Those overzealous VA doctors will have to change their approach. A vet in Montana just told me he's going to show the letter from Petzel to his doctor and say, 'How can you deny me when this is the VA policy?'"

Krawitz is a disabled Air Force vet, a pro-cannabis organizer, and a civil libertarian. His story in O'Shaughnessy's recounts his effort to get the VA to respect state law on cannabis use, which began in self-defense:

"As I was checking out of the clinic after a routine appointment at the Salem, Virginia VA hospital in 2004, I was handed a 'pain contract' by my doctor's assistant and told to sign. I insisted on taking the documents with me so I could show them to my lawyer, as I would with any other contract. My lawyer advised that the document didn't qualify as a contract because I wouldn't get anything and only stood to lose by signing.

The so-called contract made a host of demands, such as requiring that I submit to illegal drug tests and never run out of medicine on a weekend. Many common problems that patients experience, such as the dose becoming insufficient to control the pain, are defined as violations that could result in "being reported to other authorities" and being denied necessary pain treatment. I flatly refused to sign. The doctor, much to my surprise, discontinued my pain medicine and said my prescription would be renewed when I signed the forms.''

Fred Gardner can be reached at fred@plebesite.com

By Counter Punch

Final vote clears way for large-scale indoor medical marijuana growing in Oakland

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:18:33 -0400

It's official: Oakland is set to become the first city to allow large-scale pot growing for medical use — and the standard-setter for the lucrative and largely uncharted territory of industrial-scale medical marijuana businesses.

Support this morning among the City Council, which met to finalize the proposal and several other measures, was not unanimous. Councilmembers Nancy Nadel and Jane Brunner abstained despite weeks of drawn-out discussion about the plan.

But support among the eight-member council was unanimous for laying the groundwork for labor, environmental and product safety standards. It's better to iron out the details now than have to send something back and "start from square one," Councilmember Pat Kernighan said during the last meeting before the council's summer recess. Some of the standards, including fire safety, were included in the original proposals for large-scale medical marijuana growing.

Under the new plans, bidders would also have to meet guidelines for reducing electrical use, greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide use in order to obtain one of four permits that will be available.

The permits are not limited to Oakland bidders, which could open the floodgates for outside groups and investors from across the nation. Councilmember Desley Brooks said she wants to keep the door open to local business owners and minorities. Few minorities are dispensary owners, she said.

Brooks also called for employee certification and continued education for staff of medical marijuana growers.

The discussion was limited to what the council would like to see included in the plans until members return in September. Meanwhile their staffs will continue to hone the details based on today's discussion.

"We want to make sure the process is absolute clear," Councilmember Jean Quan said.

By Mercury News

Marijuana Dispensaries Need Big Investment

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:55:30 -0400

As the weeks go by, the logistics of how the state's first medical marijuana dispensaries will work is becoming clear; however, there are still many unknowns, including the cost to the dispensary operators and nearby communities.

Becky DeKeuster, with Northeast Patients Group, said she has a vision for what she would like her medical dispensaries to be.

DeKeuster said, "In each district, we've identified at least two or three properties that we think could work. Each city is in a different spot in its zoning process right now."

DeKeuster's non-profit will operate four of the eight medical marijuana dispensaries allowed by the state, which were approved by voters in November of last year.

In the town of Hermon, outside of Bangor, the town as enacted a temporary medical marijuana moratorium. That is where Dekeuster said she hopes to turn a warehouse into a marijuana cultivation facility. She said it would be big enough to provide for all of Northeast Patients Group's dispensaries.

Tim Smale has been chosen to run a dispensary in Franklin County. Smale said he is still trying to find an exact location, possibly in East Wilton -- but Smale said setting up a dispensary isn't cheap.

"(It) depends a lot on the facility, but my estimates are that it would cost anywhere between $350,000 and $500,0000 initial investment," he said.

To outfit these facilities with security systems similar to banks and pharmacies, it would cost between $25,000 and $35,000.

Smale said, "I think the thing you really have to look at with security is how can I make my facility very secure, and also feel secure to the people that are coming in there, to feel like they're just buying Aspirin at a pharmacy." Smale said he also wants to be a good neighbor and contribute to the local economy.

Smale said, "We want to pay people a livable wage. We want to give them benefits. We want to give them all the things that they need to live on, but primarily it's going to take a lot of investment to get one of these facilities up and running."

Unlike a public for-profit business where profits are dispersed to stock holders, these non-profit dispensaries are required by law to pump all profits back into the business.

Smale said he has a plan in place to do that once his dispensary begins to turn a profit.

Smale said, "I planned in my business plan to have about $700,000 within about three or four years that we are giving away in patient-donations, in medicine to patients that can't afford it. A third of our patients in one of our market areas are in the poverty level, so we need to have a large patient-donation base."

Dispensary operators said they hope education will have a worthwhile payoff for the community.

DeKeuster said, "It's important that patients have choices, whether that's ingestible medicines or teaching somebody about vaporizing versus smoking a joint. These are important educational pieces to have in there. I think we'll be having a very different conversation in a year and five years down the line. We are a non-profit, and we are here for Maine patients."

Smale said he is contemplating submitting a new application for a dispensary in York County.

During the first round of the application process, only six of the eight dispensary licenses were granted. York County and Downeast Maine still need dispensary operators.

The state reopened the application process for those areas with a new deadline of August 20.

Those who have already been awarded licenses by the state said they plan to have their dispensaries up and running by late this year or early next year.

By WMTW

Two Fifths of Californians Have Tried Marijuana and More Want it Legalized

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:58:37 -0400

Those who do and don't smoke marijuana agree on legalizing the sale of cannabis. 52% of voters support Proposition 19 that would legalize, regulate and tax the purchase and sale of marijuana in the state of California. 36% of voters oppose the proposition. 38% of Californians say they’ve smoked marijuana still, 44% of those who claim they’ve never tried marijuana support its legalization. Prop 19 supporters aren't all smokers, suggesting that many Californian's believe the legalization of marijuana is about more than smoking pot and could be the solution to some of California's bigger problems.

Democrats are more likely to throw their support behind the prop than Republicans. 62% of Democrats, 37% of Republicans and 55% of Independents support Prop 19.

African-Americans are the strongest supporters of Prop 19; 68:32, followed by Whites who support it 53:37. The black community’s strong support for Prop 19 may be closely related to the disproportionate number of African Americans in prison on marijuana charges. Despite representing 7% of CA’s population, African Americans represent 50% of prisoners in California on marijuana charges.

There is little discrepancy between generations. 65+ is the only age group that opposes the legalization of marijuana; 39:47. I must say it’s a little ironic that the Baby Boomers, the generation partly known for their epic marijuana use is against the legalization of the drug that colored their youth.

While I am a little skeptical that everyone responded truthfully when asked if they smoked, those who were willing seem to have been truthful about their smoking behavior. 66% of those who said they’ve smoked marijuana said it was always recreational, 11% said it was for medical proposes and 23% said it was for both.

Legalizing marijuana has favor in the public eye and finding an effective way to control and tax the drug may be good news for the California budget in more than one way. With increased income from taxes the budget will get a boost. The state will save millions, from prisons to resources spent on stopping marijuana trafficking. This poll reaffirms that isn't about wanting access to marijuana its a much deeper political issue that Californians understand-- marijuana is tied to immigration, prisons, the economy and much more.

By Public Policy Polling

Commissioners nix new medical marijuana operations

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:42:23 -0400

The Weld County Commissioners slammed the door on any new medical marijuana growing or dispensing in unincorporated areas of the county Monday morning.

The commissioners, with a 5-0 vote, approved on final reading an ordinance to the Weld County Code pertaining to zoning that prohibits the cultivation, manufacture, distribution or sale of medical marijuana or medical marijuana-infused products. The exception is those primary caregivers or patients who were licensed by the state prior to June 1 of this year.

The commissioners said the while the state legislature approved medical marijuana during the last session, it remains a federal violation.

"Until the state gets in line with the federal government or the federal government gets in line with the state, there's not much we can do,"Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer said in voting to pass the ordinance. But all the commissioners also recognized that the state legislature will address the issue next year and the ordinance could be revised at that point. All of them also recognized that there are current illegal growing operations throughout the county which has drawn the attention of county, state and federal law enforcement agencies when they are notified and have caused "serious problems," said Commissioner Dave Long. "My biggest concern is that (marijuana production) is still against federal law," Chairman Doug Rademacher said

By Greeley Tribune

San Jose officials consider taxing marijuana

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:56:38 -0400

San Jose city officials are recommending a ballot measure that would create a tax on pot, drawing opposition from medical marijuana proponents.

The ten percent medical marijuana tax, if approved, would give San Jose the highest medical cannabis tax in the state. Proponents say this would put an undue burden on patients.

Other ballot measure proposals would limit pay hikes that outside arbitrators can give police and firefighters when contract talks stall; would increase the city's sales tax by a quarter of a cent; and would reduce retirement benefits for new city workers.

The ballot measure proposals will be considered by the city council next month. August 3 is the deadline to get measures on the fall ballot.

By ABC 7

Difficult coexistence between medical marijuana patients, police

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:21:36 -0400

"Mike" - not his real name - keeps his secret in the basement, a moisture-controlled greenhouse, with more than 70 marijuana plants. It's why police came here Thursday on a tip.

"They served the search warrant under the suspicion there was marijuana being grown here," he said.

They were right, but they quickly backed off. Tacked on the doors and the walls, they found legal paperwork for all four patients living or using this medicinal marijuana co-op.

You see, like his identity, Mike's marijuana is a secret he wishes he didn't have to keep, and it highlights a touchy co-existence between law enforcement and medical marijuana growers. "You're always scared of doing something wrong and you can't find out very easily if what you're doing if wrong without waving a red flag," he said.

"We're just looking for clarity," said Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan.

Strachan says the confusion goes both ways, especially with more and more legal grow ops becoming targets for thieves.

"It's too ambiguous and when bad people are trying to steal that that's creating tremendous safety risks for the people growing it, for the public, and for officers," he said. State medical marijuana laws are still pretty vague about how, and how much, pot can be distributed.

About all police have to go on is a four-page 2008 memo by King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

Strachan says it helps shape their policy, but he'd like to have clearer laws too.

"Define that in a very public way so that the public knows what is acceptable and what is not," said Strachan. To that end, Mike says the police who raided his basement ended up being very helpful.

"They were very respectful, gave me lots of information, told me what I was doing good, what I could be doing better," he said. He just wishes it didn't take a misinformed drug bust to get that information.

Mike says officers even gave him help for filing an insurance claim on the door they broke in.

Chief Strachan says one way lawmakers can help is define actual volumes for what's legal and also define legal ways for people to dispense medicinal marijuana.

By King 5

Windsor Pot Dispensary Owner Not Challenging Fines

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:13:10 -0400

A medical marijuana dispensary owner in Windsor who defied a town moratorium on new dispensaries by keeping his business running for 76 days says he won't appeal $2,400 in fines.

MediGrow owner Lazarus Pino said Friday he is trying to get out of Windsor now.

Shortly after Pino opened his MediGrow dispensary in December, the Windsor Town Board enacted a moratorium Dec. 16 restricting new dispensaries. It said a dispensary had to have been open for at least five days to remain open during the moratorium.

Pino said Medigrow opened in time, but the town disagreed. Pino decided to keep running it anyway. A judge convicted him of violating the moratorium. He was fined in a decision in Windsor Municipal Court on July 13.

By CBS 4 Denver

Medical marijuana to be OK in some VA clinics

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:45:38 -0400

The government says patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it's legal.

The directive from the Department of Veterans Affairs is coming out in the week ahead. It's intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medications if they use illegal drugs.

Veterans groups long have complained that such language could bar patients from VA benefits if they were caught using medical marijuana.

The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law.

By Washington Post

Foes: Pot dispensaries 'nothing more than a scam

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:51:03 -0400

In November, you will be asked to decide if the state of Oregon should have dispensaries to sell pot.

After our story with supporters of the measure, KVAL News wanted to hear from people who have concerns about pot dispensaries, and it took some work.

KVAL News called local law enforcement leaders from all over Lane County, hoping to get their opinion. We called the Lane County District Attorney, Lane County Sheriff and the Chiefs of Police in Eugene and Springfield and not able to find one person who would comment.

From elsewhere in the state, we found officials with strong feelings who were happy to talk.

Pete Schulberg with Oregon Partnership, an agency that deals with drug and alcohol awareness and drug prevention programs, told us they feel Oregon's medical marijuana program is a joke.

"It's nothing more than a scam really," Schulberg said. In his view, the initiative headed for the November ballot has very little to do with health care or medical treatment or dealing with pain.

"It's all about people wanting to get high," he said. "So all these so-called dispensaries would only, we think, exacerbate the abuses."

He says the dispensaries will provide a way for growers and dealers to make money.

Talking about communities in California, a state with dispensaries, Schulberg says they are having real problems.

"The problem has become so sever and prevalent that 90 cities and counties in California have passed bans on these dispensaries," he says. He says the Oregon Partnership feels those dispensaries are "little more than dope dealers and storefronts."

We also talked with Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin. When asked what he has been hearing, reading and seeing about the impact of dispensaries on communities, Bergin said, "The impact is immense. When you really look at what these dispensaries are doing first of all. They're dispensing marijuana, which is still an illegal drug in the United States under federal

statutes." Bergin says supporters of the ballot measure have an ulterior motive. "I think their ultimate goal is to basically try to get this drug legalized and we've got enough issues out their currently."

In 2004, Oregonians rejected a similar measure that would have allowed marijuana dispensaries.

By KVAL

Local sellers of medical marijuana see value in trademarking pot strains and problems

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:38:56 -0400

Marin County's doyen of medical marijuana, Lynette Shaw, said she was pleased when she read recently on the Web that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had created a new trademark category for medical marijuana.

But the patent office backpedaled last week and eliminated the category, which was established April 1, after an inquiry by the Wall Street Journal.

Shaw, founding director of the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Fairfax, said the patent office got it right the first time, "because a lot of our medical growers have worked very hard to develop strains that are absolutely reliable for the specific type of illness they were developing the strain for."

For example, she said, some strains are more effective for treating depression while others are better for suppressing nausea.

"We're very proud of this," Shaw said, "and eventually I'd like to be able to offer this type of guaranteed reaction to patients."

Shaw said her attempts to secure trademarks from the patent office in the late 1990s were summarily rejected. The patent office backtracked on the medical marijuana category because selling pot for any purpose remains a federal crime, even though it is allowed in some states such as California and Colorado.

The patent office is, however, continuing to accept pot-trademark applications. A perusal of the names applied for is like a trip down memory lane to the land of Cheech and Chong, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and High Times magazine.

The list of more than 270 applications includes golden oldie marijuana strains such as Maui Waui, Acapulco Gold and Panama Red and newer but well known strains such as Chronic, Albino Rhino and Purple Haze.

Vivian Kaufman, who operates the Marin Wellness Center, a medical marijuana dispensary in Mill Valley, said she was unaware that the patent office was accepting trademark requests. Kaufman said, however, that such names do influence the purchases of her regular customers.

"Those who have been users know what they need for their ailment," Kaufman said, "so they come in specifically asking for a strain."

She said the strains she sells, such as Purple Kush and Trainwreck, are named by growers and often lack any medical connotation.

Steve DeAngelo, executive director of the Harborside Health Center medical marijuana dispensary in Oakland, said he has already trademarked the name of his center, outside the marijuana category, and is continuing to seek a second trademark of the name in the medical marijuana category for added protection. He is also seeking a trademark on his center's logo for use on clothing and other products.

DeAngelo doubts that anyone will ever succeed in trademarking a marijuana strain.

"I don't think it is technically feasible to trademark a strain of cannabis because as of now there is no objective, scientific method of verifying that any particular patch of cannabis is a particular strain," DeAngelo said.

DeAngelo said Harborside Health Center conducts laboratory tests on the pot it sells and has found big differences between batches of the same strain. For example, when Harborside tested two batches of Grand Daddy Purple, it discovered that one batch had a 6 percent THC content while the other had 22 percent.

DeAngelo said a well-trained marijuana purchasing agent should be able to identify most of the commonly known strains of cannabis by examining it with a microscope, touching it and smelling it. But purchasing agents never smoke the pot they're buying to verify its strain, he said.

"After the first test, your judgment would be so warped any subsequent tests would be useless," DeAngelo said.

The requests for trademarks filed with the patent office also stake out a variety of pot-related goods and services with such names as: the ganjacologist, ganja gourmet, godsmokespot.org, e-toke, planet of the baked, hemp head the "higher" energy drink and weedipedia.

Several of the trademark requests contain the number "420," a code for pot that according to Steven Hager, editor of High Times, had its origin in Marin County.

Hager told the Associated Press in 2009 that the term originated with a group of friends at San Rafael High School in 1971. The students received a tip about an abandoned marijuana patch and began meeting at 4:20 p.m. to search for it. Long after they abandoned the search they continued to meet at 4:20 p.m. near the campus statue of famed chemist Louis Pasteur to smoke pot.

By Marinij.com

Marijuana Advocates Want Michele Leonhart Out At DEA Following California Pot Shop Raid

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:29:32 -0400

Despite an Obama administration directive meant to put a halt to federal raids of pot shops in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, recent dispensary busts, including one in Southern California, have prompted a group of cannabis advocates to call on Obama to withdraw Michele Leonhart as his nominee to be the DEA's top cop.

The former special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles office is accused of being enthusiastic about enforcement against pot shops as early as 1998. But it was the DEA's recent actions, with Leonhart as acting administrator, that has pot promoters burning.

According to StoptheDrugWar.org, the Drug Policy Alliance, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, the Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, California NORML, and Students for Sensible Drug Policy have called on the Obama administration to backpedal on Leonhart's nomination.

Recent DEA raids have happened in San Diego, Mendocino County, Colorado and Michigan.

On July 7 feds raided the Covelo, Calif. home of Joy Greenfield. She "even had county-issued 'zip-ties' on her plants designating their legality under state and local law," according to a statement from Americans for Safe Access.

Two days later the DEA hit a few dispensaries in the San Diego area: Twelve people were arrested, and money, cultivation equipment, and financial and patient records were seized.

"Patients are fed up with platitudes and half promises from the Obama Administration," said Eugene Davidovich of the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access.

The raids inspired "coordinated and lively protests" against the DEA earlier in the week, according to Americans for Safe Access.

The call on the Obama administration to drop Leonhart includes an online petition that readers can fill out and send to Washington.

The petition reads, in part:

I am disappointed that you have nominated Michele Leonhart to become the DEA's permanent administrator. As acting administrator, she has shown again and again that political posturing is her number one priority and has even acted in defiance of your administration's policy on medical marijuana.

By LA Weekly

Anger follows Rutgers’ decision not to grow marijuana

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:15:34 -0400

BY TOM HESTER SR.

Much to the anger of Gov. Chris Christie, Rutgers University Friday declined his request that it be the sole grower of New Jersey's medical marijuana crop.

In a letter to the governor, Rutgers officials maintained the drugs illegal status with the U.S. government would jeopardize as much as $552 million in federal grants, contracts, and loans the school relies on annually.

"It now appears that we have one less option available to us,'' Michael Drewniak, Christie's press secretary, said in reaction to Rutgers' decision. "But as we've said all along, we've been considering other options beyond the Rutgers plan, and we will continue working diligently to implement a high-quality and secure program for growing and distributing medical-use marijuana.''

Attempting to ensure that medical marijuana be made available under strict guidelines, Christie had the implementation of the program delayed until Oct. 1.

In a statement, Rutgers confirmed it has the ability to help the Christie administration implement the state‘s new Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act.

"Rutgers has been exploring various ways in which we could play a role in New Jersey medicinal marijuana program, including discussions with inside and outside legal counsel and a review of how other public universities" including Colorado State University have been involved in medical marijuana in their representative states.

"Unfortunately, the results of our review have shown that there is no way for Rutgers to be involved in this initiative without violating the federal Controlled Substances Act, which we will not do.

"Rutgers has numerous interactions with the federal government and the university routinely is required to make certifications that it is in compliance with federal law, In federal fiscal year 2009 alone, the university received more than $290 million in federal grants and contracts for research and an additional $262 million in grants, loans and work study funding for Rutgers students. We cannot put those programs in jeopardy.‘'

Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the original sponsor of the medicinal marijuana legislation, is also angry about Rutgers' decision. He noted the university has 9 research farms, and pharmaceutical and business schools that could have played a role in providing the drug.

"I am disappointed that Rutgers University has stopped short, especially when the school could have been on the cutting edge of the issue," Gusciora said. "Perhaps if they used Seton Hall lawyers they would have reached a more favorable result."

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst tried to become a medical marijuana grower, but was ultimately denied by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Gusciora pointed to what he sees as two important differences between the Amherst scenario and the one occurring with Rutgers.

"UMass requested a growers bid from the DEA in a state that has not legalized medical marijuana to this day,'' the Assemblyman said. "In addition, the waiver was requested in 2002 under the Bush Administration. (Current) U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has already stated the feds will not interfere with dispensaries that operate in states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal uses.

"Its apples and oranges we're talking about,'' Gusciora said. "Legislation was passed allowing an Oct. 1 extension to begin implementation of the medical marijuana law.''

Gusciora noted that the extension created ample time to consider Christie's proposal, which included Rutgers as the state's grower and teaching hospitals as potential dispensaries. He said the farms, a food innovation center, and the pharmaceutical and business schools could have garnered patent rights for any new strains of the plant that were developed.

"In the end, this is a slap in the face of the governor who has been advocating for the state's university in finding innovative ways for the institution to advance academically," Gusciora concluded. "I would have preferred Rutgers announcing they will work with our state's federal delegation and governor to find a way to solve any legal hurdles instead of just walking away from this opportunity."

By New Jersey News Room

Marijuana Use Seldom Associated With Emergency Room Visits, Study Says

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:05:05 -0400

Lifetime use of marijuana is rarely associated with emergency room visits, according to an analysis of epidemiologic survey data published online by the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Investigators at the University of Michigan reviewed the overall prevalence of drug-related emergency department (ED) visits among lifetime users of illicit substances. Researchers analyzed data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which is a nationally representative survey of 43,093 residents age 18 or older. The study is the first to use nationally representative data to examine patterns and correlates of drug-related ED visits.

Among those surveyed, subjects that reported using cannabis were the least likely to report an ED visit (1.71 percent). Respondents who reported lifetime use of heroin, tranquilizers, and inhalants were most likely (18.5 percent, 6.3 percent, and 6.2 percent respectively) to report experiencing one or more ED visits related to their drug use.

Investigators concluded, "[M]arijuana was by far the most commonly used (illicit) drug, but individuals who used marijuana had a low prevalence of drug-related ED visits."

A 2009 Swiss study published in journal BMC Public Health previously reported that the use of cannabis was inversely associated with injuries requiring hospitalization.

A prior case-control study conducted by the University of Missouri also reported an inverse relationship between marijuana use and injury risk, finding, "Self-reported marijuana use in the previous seven days was associated ... with a substantially decreased risk of injury."

Said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano: "These findings belie the myth that adult marijuana use is a primary cause of hospitalizations or ED visits. The reality is that few if any therapeutic or psychoactive substances possess a safety profile comparable to cannabis."

By eNews Park Forest

City sets regulations for cannabis-laced goodies

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:39:38 -0400

Chasing your morning latte with a pot brownie might be getting a bit safer.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health this month is rolling out new restrictions on the production and sale of edible goods containing marijuana.

The city’s new regulations cover distribution, packaging and sales: Cannabis products may not be prepared alongside non-cannabis food items. Dispensaries are not allowed to sell cannabis goods that require refrigeration or hot-holding - unless they apply for a special exemption. Distributors must individually wrap cannabis edibles with dated labels warning that they contains cannabis, that they are medication, and to keep them away from children. The packaging itself also cannot imitate candy or make the product attractive to children. Dispensaries can only sell edibles that a staff member has prepared. Patients and caregivers who sell their edibles at multiple dispensaries must be state-certified food handlers. Preparers of cannabis edibles must wear gloves and cannot prepare products while infected with communicable diseases. David Goldman, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access, sees the restrictions as a step forward for medical cannabis. "I agree with the health department’s determination that they shouldn’t be in transparent packaging," Goldman said, adding that the city should require cannabis products to have labels showing the amount of THC, the psychoactive chemical marijuana.

Such regulation of pot snacks might have kept one San Francisco resident from disrupting a flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. According to the New York Daily News, Kinman Chan screamed and ran to the plane’s bathroom and had to be subdued by flight staff.

Chan later showed authorities his medical cannabis card and said he consumed a couple of cookies. The plane was diverted back to Philadelphia. The paper said Chan was fined $250,000 for disrupting the flight.

Goldman said that many medical cannabis patients, particularly those with chronic conditions, prefer edibles to smoking. "They get longer-acting relief," he said. "A lot of people I know who have chronic pain and trouble sleeping at night will take an edible before bed." The Department of Public Health published the regulations in early July.

By SF Public Press

Study: Pot legalization impacts hard to measure

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:19:54 -0400

Legalizing marijuana in California could give local governments a revenue boost, but estimating how much is tricky because of the many unknown factors that exist, a new study found.

The report by the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office concludes that conflicts between state and federal drug laws, how cities and counties will choose to tax and regulate pot and the potential for more drug abusers will affect how much cash would come from legalizing the crop.

"We do try to stress that there are a lot of uncertainties," said Paul Golaszewski, who prepared the study. "At the same time, we're trying to be helpful to voters. If this did occur, here's what you might expect."

The report analyzing Proposition 19 was published Tuesday as part of the voter guide issued by the California secretary of state's office.

Proposition 19 supporters say legalization would be a boon for state and local coffers, but critics have argued it would increase pot usage and crime. They also dispute any positive economic effects.

The report says the ballot initiative could result in savings of several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments by reducing the number of marijuana offenders in state prisons and county jails. It also says legalization could reduce the amount of money agencies spend prosecuting marijuana-related offenses.

However, the study concludes that any monetary savings would likely be offset by spending on other prosecutions or offenders. For example, freed-up jail beds could end up going to offenders who would have been released early because of overcrowding.

Marijuana use also could rise with legalization, the study says, potentially resulting in more people seeking publicly financed drug abuse treatment.

Proposition 19 would allow those 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana - enough to roll dozens of marijuana cigarettes. Residents also could grow their own crop of the plant in gardens measuring up to 25 square feet.

The proposal would ban users from ingesting marijuana in public or smoking it while minors are present. It also would make it illegal to possess the drug on school grounds or drive while under its influence.

Local governments would decide whether to permit and tax marijuana sales.

The study says since it is unknown how many local governments would choose to license establishments to sell pot, it is difficult to know how much of a windfall to expect. Researchers also concluded the price of marijuana would likely decrease if the plant is made legal.

The report said, however, that if a commercial marijuana industry is developed in the state, hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue could eventually be collected.

California was the first state to legalize medicinal marijuana use, with voters passing it in 1996. Since then, 14 states have followed California's lead, even though marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Last year, federal authorities said they would no longer prosecute medical marijuana users who were complying with California law. But President Barack Obama's drug czar has said the White House strongly opposes any efforts to legalize pot.

The legislative analyst's study says federal enforcement would impede activities permitted by the ballot initiative, making it even harder to determine the initiative's effect on revenues and expenditures.

A recent Field Poll found 48 percent of likely voters oppose Proposition 19 while 44 percent support it.

By Sierra Sun

Rutgers turns down Gov. Christie's offer to grow N.J. crop of medical marijuana

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:50:26 -0400

Rutgers University has declined a request from Gov. Chris Christie’s administration to be the lone grower of New Jersey’s medical marijuana crop because the drug’s illegal status would jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding, the dean of the biological school said today.

Robert Goodman, dean of the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, said almost every aspect of the school’s business - from providing financial aid, to obtaining research grants, to seeking immigration visas for visiting professors and other guests - is tied up in federal funding.

Possession, sale and use of marijuana remains a federal offense, regardless of New Jersey’s and 13 other state’s laws permitting medical marijuana to be sold. "Higher education is infinitely tied to the federal government, operating under the presumption we are not violating federal law,’’ said Goodman, also the executive director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. "We were sincerely interested in the opportunity, but we had external counsel and our folks look into it and yesterday it became totally clear we could not do this.’’

The Christie administration was counting on Rutgers to be the sole grower and a number of teaching hospitals to be the only sellers as a counter proposal to the law that passed before he became governor that would allow up to six nonprofits to provide and distribute the drug.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), a sponsor of the law, said he expects hospitals would confront the same legal dilemma.

"Now, the state should turn its attention to implementing my original plan, which was well thought out and responsible, allowing the private sector to be involved,’’ Scutari said.

By NJ.com

Voters asked to expand Oregon's medical marijuana law

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:11:31 -0400

Oregon voters will decide in November if the state should have dispensaries to sell medical marijuana.

Supporters of the idea gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.

Alice Ivany, who lives near Newport, was one of the chief petitioners for the initiative. She said marijuana has totally improved the quality of her life. "It works for pain like no other medication out there," she said.

It will be up to voters to decide if Oregon's medical marijuana act should be expanded. Ivany said the original law in Oregon didn't go far enough.

"As wonderful as the original act is, it still was fatally flawed in that it did not allow safe, legal access for patients to obtain medical cannabis," she said.

She believes a regulated medical marijuana supply, sold in dispensaries, will be much safer for Oregonians. "Not only are you exposed to dangerous people but you don't know exactly what you're getting," she said. "The medicine could be tainted with other drugs."

Oregonians right now are required to grow their own marijuana or have to find someone to do it for them. They are also limited to 6 mature plants and 24 ounces of marijuana. If voters approve the ballot measure in November, patients could buy their pot at a dispensary or continue to grow their own - as long as they have a license. The new law would allow dispensaries to have 24 plants and 96 ounces of marijuana, and the state would regulate sales. The dispensaries could not be located within 1,000 feet of a school or in a residential area. If voters say no, the state's medical marijuana law will stay as it is. This is not the first time the issue has been up for a vote in Oregon. Voters rejected a measure to set up dispensaries back in 2004.

By KVAL

Oak Creek Town Board OKs growing operation, denies dispensary

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:10:07 -0400

Two medical marijuana growers from Summit County won the blessing from the Oak Creek Town Board to open a growing operation and commercial kitchen but were denied a dispensary.

Skyler Hartman and Joe McIntyre III requested a land-use change of minor impact that would allow them to open a retail operation, kitchen and growing operation at 240 Arthur St. in a building that used to hold a granite business.

During several hours of discussion Thursday night, Oak Creek Town Board members heard from several audience members in a packed meeting room and eventually scrapped the portion of the application for a retail space, as the town’s Planning Commission also did Wednesday night.

Under the new state law, grow operations must be affiliated with a medical marijuana center a dispensary. The two men said they work with several dispensaries in the state but are not in the kind of relationship that would allow them to operate the grow operation independently. However, Hartman said it could be as early as today that they have the arrangement worked out.

The two said they plan to move from Summit County to Oak Creek to oversee the operation.

McIntyre and Hartman originally planned to use the space to grow medical marijuana for three dispensaries, including an on-site dispensary. Board members expressed concern that the site would violate the town’s dispensary law because it would be within 1,000 feet of the Oak Creek Ice Rink.

Audience members repeatedly brought up the prospect of taxing the business, increasing permit amounts or encouraging the proposed business to make donations to the community.

"This can be a huge profit for the town if it’s run properly," resident Renee Johnson said, adding that other cities across the country are making money on medical marijuana businesses. Make sure you have it all laid out so we can come out ahead and not behind like we tend to.

Town Board members told the public they couldn’t tax the business except through normal retail taxes from the dispensary. With the growing operation as a wholesale business, the town receives income only from licenses and employment taxes. Hartman said he plans to have 15 full-time employees.

Delay discouraged

Faced with the possibility of the Town Board tabling the discussion to consider the retail space more closely, Hartman and McIntyre said they had to have the paperwork in to the state soon and that they preferred a decision on the kitchen and growing operation, even if they could not open the dispensary. McIntyre said they have to have 500 pages of paperwork to the state by the end of the month and could not wait for a delay.

Board members Wendy Gus tafson, Lawrence Jaconetta and Bernie Gagne voted in favor of allowing the business, and Johrene Meyers-Story and Chuck Wisecup voted against. Member Dawn Smith was not present.

Mary’s expansion Another expansion of a medical marijuana business was put on hold after Town Board members expressed concerns about the business’s location.

Jacob Wise, owner of the Mary’s dispensary, originally submitted two applications for grow sites. The first was at the same site as the first applicant, 240 Arthur St., and another was for the former Black Mountain Tavern, at the Circle R Building at Nancy Crawford Boulevard and Sharp Street.

Wise first withdrew his application for Arthur Street because the location went to McIntyre and Hartman.

Town Board members expressed concern about the location at the Circle R Building because it houses apartments.

Wise asked the board to table the discussion so he could find another site and return to the board. He said that in order to meet state regulations, he had to have an application active. The board tabled the discussion until September.

By Steamboat Pilot

Registered Medical Marijuana Location Raided on Suspicion of Illegal Activity

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:00:05 -0400

On Wednesday July 21st, investigators from the Washington County Westside Interagency Narcotics Team served a search warrant on SW 173rd Avenue in the community of Aloha. Investigators had information that marijuana was being grown and sold at the residence.

Assisted by the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team (TNT), WIN investigators arrested three people and charged them with Manufacture, Distribution, and Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana). Four pit bulls in the house were taken by Washington County Animal Control to the Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter in Hillsboro. During the execution of the search warrant one of the pit bulls had to be subdued with a Taser until a dog control pole could be used to remove him from the house. None of the dogs needed medical attention. The three people arrested were 49-year-old Melanie Ann Orr, her daughter, 20-year-old Amanda Dawn Orr, and 45-year-old Michael Eugene King. All three live at the house.

Investigators determined that Mr. King is a registered caregiver with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). Melanie Orr is a patient and grower registered with the OMMP. Each caregiver has a specific patient they grow for and Mr. King does not grow for Ms. Orr.

Investigators seized 119 marijuana plants from the home and nearly four pounds of harvested marijuana. They also seized two guns, a Mac 11 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and a 12 gauge shotgun.

By The Portlander

City: No Medical Marijuana Businesses Mayors Says Drug Dispensaries Is Public Safety Concern

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:29:32 -0400

Westland's City Council unanimously approved a proposal Monday to adopt an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana businesses. The ordinance would ban dispensaries from operating within the city.

Michigan approved medical marijuana in 2008, allowing patients who have been issued an identification card to cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces of the drug. Patients are also allowed to purchase marijuana from licensed professionals who grow the plant.

"The city has made a choice of prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries based that their existence within the city would be detrimental from a public safety standpoint as well as the negative effect on surrounding neighborhoods" Westland's Mayor William Wild said. "Similar ordinances have been recently enacted in surrounding communities such as Livonia and Canton Township in response to these same concerns."

The adoption of the ordinance will be taken up again at the City Council's meeting on Aug. 2.

By Click on Detroit/a>

New Mexico Faces Medical Marijuana Shortage

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:00:10 -0400

Strict licensing and regulation of New Mexico's medical-marijuana distribution has led to chronic shortages in supply of the drug, the Associated Press reported July 16.

Only 11 growers have been approved in the three years since the state enacted its medical-marijuana law. These must service around 2,000 registered patients, with each grower limited to a maximum of 95 plants and seedlings.

One grower in Santa Fe reported a patient list of 650 -- five times his production capacity.

The program is being expanded slowly and purposefully, according to State Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil, and New Mexico has been held up as a model for strict medical-marijuana implementation. Letting growers expand too quickly would feed the illegal market, Vigil said.

Part of New Mexico's problem is that the distribution program started slowly: no producers were approved until 2009, and all 11 growers have been approved in the last 16 months.

By Join Together

Judge: Gilroy Pot Club Open Illegally

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:50:29 -0400

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. That's the approach Gilroy city officials took with the city's only medical marijuana clinic -- and it worked.

A judge on Wednesday ruled the Medileaf clinic in the South Bay city is operating illegally and should be shut down. The judge's ruling says the club does not meet the city's zoning rules. For now, the collective is still open. It will take a few more legal steps before it will be permanently shuttered. The collective's director will likely challenge the judge'sruling.

Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro told the Central Coast News that the city wants to, "talk to Medileaf and see if we could do this in an amicable way, instead of sending law enforcement in to do the shutting down."

Pinheiro stressed that the closure has nothing to do with what happens inside Medileaf. They just never got the right license to operate the clinic, he says.

"Whether it's marijuana -- Medileaf, whether it's a lollypop shop, whatever it is, there are rules and regulations within our city that are set up by the city council," Pinheiro said, "and people need to adhere to those."

City officials have been after the Medileaf dispensary ever since it opened in November. At that time, the club's business license was questioned because the clinic's owners did not obtain a license before opening the establishment.

The cofounder of the dispensary told the Gilroy Dispatch that their attorney advised them they didn't need a business license because it's a nonprofit. But police say that's not the way the law works. Nonprofits still have to obtain a business license, they just won't have to pay fees for it, Gilroy police Sgt. Kurt Ashley said.

By NBC Bay Area

Tigard nonprofit offers free pot

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:45:27 -0400

Medical marijuana patients in short supply of their medicinal Mary Jane can now turn to a Tigard company to get the medicine they need.

Human Collective, a nonprofit medical marijuana clinic on Pacific Highway in Tigard, is offering free medical marijuana to cardholders, as a way to keep people from turning to the black market.

"There are a lot of patients who have a lag time between the time that they register with the state and the time that their grower can produce their medicine," said Sarah Bennett, founder and director of Human Collective. They have needs that are immediate. You can go and get your Advil or your aspirin or your other prescription drugs in a timely manner because you’re in pain and you’re suffering, and that’s what we try to offer here.

For new cardholders it can be anywhere from three to six months before they are able to grow their own medicine or find a grower able to grow for them, Bennett said.

"Or say you’re between grows or there’s a crop failure. All those various reasons are why we created the free program," Bennett said.

A membership-based organization, Human Collective offers members access to classes, massages and other services, as well an organized system for the legal transfer of marijuana between cardholders.

In Oregon, marijuana dispensaries are illegal, meaning that Human Collective can’t charge anything for their weed. But growers can be reimbursed for the costs of production electricity, supplies, etc., which memberships help pay for.

But Human Collective’s free program allows patients in need to receive small amounts of the drug without paying for the cost of production. "There are a lot of growers who have excess medicine," Bennett said. "They don’t necessarily need the reimbursements."

Not having access to their medicine puts a strain on suffering cardholders who need access immediately and often turn to the black market in order to relieve their suffering, Bennett said.

The same works with growers, who by law are only allowed to have a certain amount of marijuana per patient. Any excess has to be disposed of, often going to the street dealers, Bennett said.

Human Collective works to alleviate that.

"Calling it free marijuana is not really the best way to describe what that program is," said Drew, a volunteer with the collective who asked not to have his last name printed. "If you’re ill and you don’t have anything, you can come and receive medicine. But all of our meds are free. That’s why we came up with different programs so everybody has an option regardless of their financial situation, and regardless of the need whether they need a small amount of cannabis or a large amount." Drew said that response to Human Collective, and its free program, has been overwhelming. "We see about 100 people day," Drew said. "People have just been ecstatic. Some people cry. If you spend a day in here you really be surprised. These are people who are in pain all day long. It’s a reward to work here, honestly. To see people come in and be able to stop taking large amounts of pills, to finally be able to sleep? It’s incredible, it really is. It’s amazing to be able to help people do that so easily, just by growing a plant." The free program runs through August. Human Collective is located at 11509 S.W. Pacific Highway.

By Tualantini Times

California city plans mass production of medical marijuana

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:50:34 -0400

California city Oakland has approved draft legislation moving it a step closer to legalizing the large-scale production of medical marijuana, a city council clerk said on Wednesday.

"The proposition passed the first reading at the city council by five yes, two nos and one abstention," said Crystal Bing, legislator recorder for the city clerk's office. "Now it has to go for a second reading which will happen on July 27th," she told AFP.

If adopted, the measure would take effect on January 1, 2011 and would make Oakland -- across the bay from San Francisco -- the first US city to authorize large-scale production of marijuana, which is legal for medical use only in the town.

Those arguing in favor of the measure cited the tax benefits it could bring to Oakland, which is struggling with public deficits along with the rest of California.

They said other cities and regions were already moving forward with plans to allow factories to mass produce medical marijuana, which is used by sufferers to ease the symptoms of a range of ailments.

"It's really important for Oakland to be a vital part of that growth and development for licensed facilities," council member Rebecca Kaplan was quoted as saying by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The move is opposed however by some small-scale marijuana growers, who fear factory production of the drug will push them out of the market.

The vote comes as Californians are set to vote in November on whether to completely legalize marijuana, which has been available to users with a doctor's prescription in the state for the last 14 years.

The legislation being put to the vote in November would allow any person in the state over 21 to possess an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana and cultivate the drug for personal use in a plot no larger than two square meters.

If California voters approve the law, the state would become the first to legalize the drug, which remains illegal at the federal level.

By AFP

Oakland Looks To License Medical Marijuana Farms

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:10:16 -0400

The Oakland City Council could make history tonight. Council members are set to vote on a measure that would create licensed factories to grow medical marijuana.

If the plan is approved, the city would license four production plants that would grow, package and process cannabis for medical use in every form -- from the buds to the body lotions.

This marijuana move is being touted for a few things. First: public safety. Recently, the city laid off 80 police officers to save money and there has been a spike in fires and break ins tied to small grow operations. But the bottom line? There is money to be made in marketing medi-pot.

Winning applicants under the new plan would pay over $200,000 in permit fees and be ready to pay up to 8 percent of their gross sales to taxes.

Supporters say the plan would create jobs when the city needs it most. Opponents say there would be job loss to consider. They believe this would drive the small "mom and pop" growers out of business when they were on the forefront of the fight to provide safe access and legalize medical marijuana. They see it as the "corporatization" of pot.

Then there is the elephant in the room: The Feds. The Obama Administration's policy is to leave medical marijuana operations alone if they are in "clear and unambiguous compliance with state law."

Still, Oakland is moving ahead undaunted and on the forefront of a growing industry.

Oakland was the first city to regulate and tax dispensaries with a voter-approved initiave in 2008. The city's four retail marijuana stores raked in $28 million in sales last year.

By NBC Bay Area

Brand-Name Bud? Gold Rush To Patent Marijuana Strains Gets Snuffed By U.S. Patent Office

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:20:50 -0400

A gold rush to obtain federal patents on strains of marijuana such as Acapulco Gold, Maui Wowie and even straight-up "Chronic" was snuffed out last week by the federal patent office, according to a report in Monday's Wall Street Journal.

The move came following inquiries by the Journal regarding the new federal patent category: "Processed plant matter for medicinal purposes, namely medical marijuana." Unfortunately or not, marijuana is still federally outlawed, and the patent office pulled the category.

So, what were the patent-office workers smoking when they created the category April 1. Did they realize that was April Fool's Day?

Patent office spokesman Peter Pappas told the Journal the category "raises examination issues ... It was a mistake and we have removed it."

We're not sure what's worse: That someone was going to be able to patent a decades-old nom-de-pot such as Acapulco Gold, thereby elbowing out others who would use the title, or the apparent lack of oversight by well-paid federal authorities.

Either way, we envision a day when the continuing privatization of intellectual property and even certain crops will spread to include brand-name bud.

Vancouver Sun

By LA Weekly

Vancouver suburb considers ban on medical marijuana plants.

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:13:22 -0400

The Vancouver suburb of Pitt Meadows is considering a change to zoning bylaws that would ban medical marijuana production in the municipality.

Individuals who hold the proper permit from Heath Canada can grow marijuana for medical consumption. Patients can obtain a permit from Health Canada allowing them to possess marijuana to alleviate symptoms associated with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, severe arthritis and spinal cord injuries and disease.

A separate permit, also issued by Health Canada, is required to grow the drug. A grower's permit can be held by the patient or a person selected by the patient to provide the drug.

The Pitt Meadows bylaw amendment would ban all marijuana production, including production by individuals holding federal permits allowing them to grow and harvest the plant for medicinal purposes. The proposed amendment makes no mention of possible penalties.

Pitt Meadows officials contend they are trying to do what they can to protect their residents from fire danger and drug trafficking.

Calling the permitted marijuana production sites, ``fires waiting to happen, '' Mayor Don McLean said many ``so-called legal grow ops are not operating within the spirit of the law.''

McLean pointed to a bust at a permitted production facility in Maple Ridge. The facility had exceeded the number of plants allowed by their permit by more than 1,500 plants.

Medical marijuana advocates are calling the proposed zoning amendment by Pitt Meadows banning legal marijuana production in the municipality immoral and reprehensible.

``Sounds like an excuse to me,'' Kirk Tousaw, executive director of the Beyond Prohibition Foundation, said about the mayor's concerns.

If permit holders who exceed the number of plants they are allowed are subject to law enforcement, ``it has nothing to do with health or safety,'' he said.

Fire concerns could be easily dealt with if municipalities would work with permit-holders instead of subjecting them to further stigmatization, Tousaw said.

The Pitt Meadows Fire Department has not had to respond to a fire at a permitted marijuana production facility so far, according to Fire Chief Don Jolley.

McLean also wants the city and the local RCMP to be told the location of licensed marijuana production facilities within the municipality.

Health Canada only provides information on growers to police engaged in an investigation so police may determine if a suspected growing operation is a permitted production facility.

Providing permit-holder information to law enforcement as a matter-of-course would be a bad idea, said Tousaw, adding that the ``circus and sideshow'' caused by the RCMP showing up at a permitted production facility would draw the attention of criminals, putting law-biding permit-holders at risk.

``The ill have privacy rights, they don't lose their privacy rights because they got ill,'' he added.

The amendment will be considered by Pitt Meadows council on Tuesday.

Vancouver Sun

By Canada.com

Will California Legalize Marijuana?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:39:28 -0400

California is currently considering a couple of bills that could effectively legalize marijuana use. One plan would place a heavy excise tax on the drug which could help plug the state's gaping budget deficit. Another would "de-penalize" cannibis use, so that getting caught with the drug would likely only result in a ticket.

Big Think spoke with Columbia University psychology professor Carl Hart who said he wasn't particularly impressed with the California proposals, noting that similar movements had failed in the past. While he liked the idea of raising tax revenue from pot, he said that decriminalizing just marijuana would risk not addressing similar issues with other drugs.

"I don't like the idea of separating marijuana from other drugs," said Hart. "There's a movement in the country to say marijuana isn't like cocaine, isn't like meth, isn't like heroin." He said that these distinctions don't take enough into account, and that the trouble with addiction to any of these drugs is less about their pharmacologic effects, and more about the social conditions under which they are consumed.

Hart suggested the U.S. should follow the lead of Portugal, which has effectively decriminalized all drugs, allowing users to face non-criminal administrative proceedings when they are caught rather than criminal charges. "It provides less of a taxing on our criminal justice resources, and allows young people to make mistakes without having a criminal record that follows them for the rest of their lives," said Hart.

Another Big Think interviewee, former High Times magazine editor John Buffalo Mailer, told us today that he would be surprised to see the legalization efforts go through:

"Given the environmental and economic benefits of hemp, not to mention the medicinal and economic value of marijuana, it seems insane to me that we still have the draconian laws in place we do for marijuana possession anywhere in this country," Mailer told Big Think today. "That is until you take into account the several large industries who benefit from marijuana's illegal status, namely the oil, cotton, tobacco, alcohol, and prison industries. If we were to legalize the plant, they would all take a hit. Combined, that is a tremendous amount of lobbying power. So, I would be surprised if we see legalization any time soon."

By Big Think

City Spends more than 100K to close Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:23:29 -0400

Mounting city legal costs incurred to shut down the city's first and only medical marijuana dispensary exceeded the $100,000 mark in May. The figure has given some City Council members who initially favored the court fight pause, particularly in light of an upcoming state ballot measure that could legalize marijuana.

"You've got to have strategy," Council-man Bob Dillon said. "You can't be spending money on litigation if the voters turn you on your ear."

The council's hesitation could become more pronounced if Superior Court Judge Kevin McKenney denies the city's pending request for a "summary judgment" against the dispensary. That ruling, expected any day, would indicate there are no legal facts in dispute and that a trial is unnecessary in order for the city to shut MediLeaf's doors. Judge McKenney heard arguments from both sides on July 1 and has 90 days to issue a ruling.

If no summary judgment is made, Dillon said it may be wise to wait for the state's voters to decide the marijuana issue in November. The marijuana legalization ballot initiative, "Tax, Regulate and Control Cannabis Act of 2010" would allow localities to tax and regulate marijuana for recreational purposes as well as for medical use.

City Administrator Tom Haglund said the city has spent $102,861 through May on the litigation against MediLeaf, now in its eighth month.

MediLeaf opened without a business license at 1321 First St. near Togo's on Nov. 9 after the City Council decided not to enact an ordinance to regulate such operations. The cannabis club sells more than 20 varieties of pot. It's directors claim more than 4,000 members.

MediLeaf directors Batzi Kuburovich and Neil Forrest have maintained that the dispensary uses a not-for-profit model and therefore does not require a business license. City officials say that is not the case, claiming that dispensary directors knowingly defied city zoning laws.

Andy Faber of the firm Berliner-Cohen, the attorney who is representing the city of Gilroy in the MediLeaf suit, declined to comment Monday on the potential impacts of the state proposition on the city's suit.

Even if the city succeeds in obtaining a summary judgment, that does not mean it will automatically obtain a court order to close the dispensary, said City Councilman Perry Woodward, who is an attorney.

The judge could issue a couple of different types of orders - one that would automatically shut down the dispensary even if it appeals the case and another that could allow it to stay open while appealing.

If MediLeaf appealed, Woodward speculated that the case could be in court for as long as two years.

Woodward, along with council members Craig Gartman and Peter Arellano, supported an ordinance that would have regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in Gilroy and has opposed the city's suit to close it down.

He said he would prefer to let other cities spend money on precedent-setting cases in opposition to dispensaries.

"I think that we don't want to be on the bleeding edge on the fight against them," he said.

Councilman Dion Bracco said he thinks the city definitely should continue with its lawsuit if a summary judgment is granted and MediLeaf appeals the case.

On the other hand, he speculated that the council would vote on whether to pursue a trial if McKenney decides in MediLeaf's favor.

If McKenney denies the city's request for a court order and voters approve a state ballot initiative that would allow medical marijuana use, it may be a moot point anyway, Dillon said.

Mayor Al Pinheiro said he would continue to support the lawsuit no matter what, as he believes the city cannot allow businesses to defy its laws.

A trial date already has been set for Oct. 12 if the judge denies the motion.

Faber said the city wants to get a trial date as soon as possible in case the judge does not issue a court order.

"It's the backup plan but it's the normal course of events," Faber said.

Even though Dillon this week questioned the idea of pursuing a trial right away if the motion for summary judgment fails, he still made it clear that he wants to see MediLeaf shut down.

"The city has to enforce its zoning laws or else it doesn't have any," he said.

By Why Prohibition

New marijuana school to open in Denver

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:26:24 -0400

DENVER - A new vocational school will teach students how to grow, sell and distribute medical marijuana.

Greenway University, a vocational school that previously offered classes in various temporary spaces in Colorado, California and New Jersey, will open a location in Denver near I-25 and West Alameda Ave. on August 1st.

Greenway is the first medical marijuana university to be approved by a state department of higher education and CEO Gus Escamilla said he hopes the school will help change the social stigma regarding medical marijuana.

Escamilla predicts 200 to 500 students will enroll in the school, which already boasts more than 1,000 students in Colorado.

Escamilla does not believe legislation, like the statewide moratorium requiring new dispensaries to wait a full year to open, will have any affect on enrollment and plans to continue expanding the school to other states.

Classes cost between $300 and $2,000 are range from one day to 18 weeks.

By KWGN

81% Support Medical Marijuana In Pennsylvania Survey

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:54:11 -0400

Some Pennsylvania legislators are pushing for a bill that would make their state the 15th to legalize medical marijuana if New York and Maryland don’t beat them to it, says the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While U.S. marijuana use has shown a consistent decline since the mid-1990s, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse, that trend has stalled, with prevalence rates the same in 2009 as five years ago. Many affluent forty-somethings are lighting up after work, giving new meaning to Happy Hour.

One self-described urban professional and mom and wife of a successful lawyer, she likes to sit in her sleek, granite-and-maple kitchen on Friday nights and de-stress with a joint. "I do it once a week", she said. "It’s a nice release from the week’s tensions, and I can feel my body calming down and it’s less calories than wine." A recent Franklin & Marshall poll found that 81 percent of Pennsylvanians supported making medical marijuana legal up from 76 percent in 2006. Democratic and Republican candidates for governor oppose it, and a measure has not come up for a vote in either Senate or House. Medical marijuana’s passage in Pennsylvania is only a matter of time, contends bill sponsor Rep. Mark Cohen, a Philadelphia Democrat.

By The Crime Report

Physician arrested in undercover medical marijuana sting

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:40:37 -0400

We have learned a doctor has been arrested on suspicion of felony charges tied to illegal marijuana distribution following a five-month-long investigation by Aurora Police.

Dr. Manuel Aquino-Villaman was arrested at his practice, Canna Health, on Thursday. The 69-year-old physician is expected to face charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and attempting to influence a public servant, both felonies.

Aurora Police say officers became suspicious when they encountered a disproportionate number of medical marijuana patients with paperwork authorized by Aquino-Villaman.

A five-month investigation into the doctor's practices included a sting where two undercover police officers obtained signed doctor's certificates allowing them to buy marijuana.

Police say Aquino-Villaman spent a few minutes with each undercover officer, did not physically examine either and did not request medical documentation before issuing medical marijuana physician's certificates. The cost for each consultation was $120.

Canna Health's website says the clinic, in the 3000 block of South Parker Road, offers a "stress-free environment" where patients receive "convenient, reliable medical advice and evaluations at an affordable cost."

A clinic employee called the arrest "harassment" on Friday but said Canna Health would decline to discuss the incident due to lack of information.

Aquino-Villaman was held at the Aurora Detention Center before being released on $6,000 bond.

Aquino-Villaman has not been subject to any public punitive actions against his medical license since it was issued in 2007, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' website. Aquino-Villaman received his medical training at the University of Barcelona in Spain, said a department spokesman.

Aquino-Villaman is also registered to practice medicine in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health's website does not indicate any disciplinary action or open formal complaints against Aquino-Villaman.

By 9 News

Loophole Used To Sell Medical Marijuana Cards

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:27:10 -0400

Denver police officers will tell you the issue of medical marijuana has permeated much of what they do. Crimes like home invasions, robberies and shootings are all tied to medical marijuana. Now the Internet and the use of Craigslist has come into play. No matter what police do a loophole at the state level is making it easy to access medical marijuana. This is a real frustration for law enforcement. In an undercover police operation a CBS4 News crew was invited to be at, Denver police officers talked about preparing to arrest 18-year-old Faith Shirley. "As far as the take down goes, so everybody is clear. She's bought and paid for, we have an arrest warrant for her," one of the officers said. Officers were also looking for Stefan Zittel, 20, Shirley's boyfriend. Police said the purpose of the operation was to get the people who placed a Craigslist ad that offered medical marijuana doctor referrals for $50. The ad says "they are signed by a doctor so no need for a doctor's visit." Police say that is illegal. Denver police busted Shirley outside at her Glendale apartment complex. Officers raided her apartment and detained the people inside, but Stefan Zittel was not there. He was later arrested in Steamboat Springs. Faith Shirley was in the Denver County Jail when CBS4 interviewed her and she said "A lot of my friends have been getting tickets for possession of marijuana, and they just need a license, and it's too expensive." She says she saved them money.

The Colorado Department of Health has physician certification forms on its website. Police busted Shirley and Zittel for selling forms already filled out.

"I just sold them. I didn't create them. I didn't do anything. I was just trying to help people out," Shirley said.

Shirley says she and her boyfriend got the forms from a friend. The couple sold undercover officers doctor referral forms four separate times. Shirley says they have had other customers.

"It was a group of me and a few other people. They sold probably around 200," she said.

But do such forms work?

CBS4 never found Dr. Rita Sanchelle, the doctor named on the form sold by Shirley. She has an address that does not exist on the 73000 block of Leetsdale.

"The first few I got were real because like the patient and everything went through. They got their license. As for the rest, I never got contacted by anybody else, so I don't think anything was wrong with them," Shirley said.

Physician certifications are sent to the Colorado Department of Health.

"When we look at the physician's name and physician's license number, we match that against the licenser over at DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies) to make sure the license is in fact valid and in good standing," Ronald Hyman, State Registrar of Vital Statistics, told CBS4 News.

When CBS4 ran Dr. Rita Sanchelle's name and license number through DORA, the state's Department of Regulatory Agencies, it showed she did not exist.

But here's the hook. Under state law, if the Department of Health does not respond to an application within 35 days, the patient's application will be "deemed to have been approved" until further notice.

"We're pretty much drowning in paper," Hyman said.

The Colorado Department of Health has a backlog of roughly 70,000 applications. Hyman estimates applications sent today won't be opened for 3 to 4 months.

So, real or not, medical marijuana applicants initially get the go-ahead.

As for Shirley she says it's "ridiculous."

"They're trying to ... I mean felonies ruin your life, and they're trying to get me for barely anything. I was trying to help people out," she told CBS4.

Police see it another way.

The State Health Department takes confidentiality seriously. That's why it hasn't turned a single application over to police. A new law may eventually change that, but laws change with public pressure. Police officers will tell you the public has no idea what's going on when it comes to medical marijuana.

The latest numbers available from the State Health Department are from November. At that point, just over 30,000 people had valid medical marijuana cards. The state had denied 27 applications. That's less than 1 percent.

By CBS 4

California voters split on marijuana legalization, poll shows

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 14:35:32 -0400

California voters, by a narrow margin, are opposed to a measure on the November ballot to legalize marijuana, according to a new Field Poll released Friday. The survey found that 44% of voters said they supported the measure, compared with 48% who said they were against it. The poll of 1,005 likely voters was conducted June 22 to July 5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The numbers don't bode well for proponents of the measure. Typically, ballot measures need to show support at least in the mid-to high-50s at this stage of the campaign to have hopes of passing in November.

The measure did best among white non-Hispanic voters and younger voters. All other ethnic groups broken out in the survey -- Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans -- are strongly opposed to the measure.

You can look at the full poll results here.

By LA Times

Cannabis Inc. opening 9,500 sq. ft. facility in Denver

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 13:35:05 -0400

More proof that Denver is becoming the go-to destination for all things cannabis

Only a few weeks after an American-born hemp entrepreneur announced he was moving his headquarters from Amsterdam to the Denver area comes word that a major biotech company specializing in research on marijuana is planning on setting up its headquarters in Denver in a 9,500 square foot facility.

Cannabis Science Inc., a pioneer in the field of developing pharmaceutical cannabis product, announced that it has entered into a long-term lease on the facility that will serve as its corporate headquarters and a research facility for developing, producing and testing medical cannabis.

Cannabis Science President and CEO Dr. Robert Melamede, PhD, said that combining their operations under one secure, state-licensed facility will greatly increase our ability to provide patients with affordable cannabis based medicines.

Melamede added that not only will the company continue to product organic herbal cannabis, but they will also produce cannabis extracts, infusions and edible products.

Quality control and the ability to develop standardized products are the essential keys to moving forward with both medical marijuana under state laws, said Melamede, as well as being the basis of any pharmaceutical formulations we will submit for FDA clinical trials."

Cannabis Science Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ as CBIS and rose sharply today as the markets opened.

Cannabis Science Inc. CFO Richard Cowan said, The revenue potential from this facility is obviously very significant, and we will make public our estimates on the projected revenue in the near future, but, as with our previously announced acquisitions in Colorado and Montana, our main focus will remain on R&D.

As Dr. Melamede has pointed out, continued Cowan, previously new biotech companies have never known whether proposed products were safe and effective until they were submitted for FDA clinical trials. Now Cannabis Science, working in states with medical marijuana laws, is changing the paradigm. We will know that the products we submit for clinical trials will be what the patients want and need. This new facility is a key part of our corporate strategy."

In related news, advocated for medical marijuana filed a petition today to ask the state to include post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify for the treatment.

The petition, filed by Army veteran Kevin Grimsinger, contended that medical marijuana is effective in treating those with PTSD, in particular military veterans who are dealing with depressing and anxiety associated with combat.

Grimsinger, who lost both legs after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan and now uses a wheelchair, told the Denver Post that marijuana eases the pain of his condition, both physically and emotionally. Grimsinger now works as a veteran outreach coordinator for a medical marijuana dispensary.

Brian Vicente, the executive director of medical marijuana advocacy group Sensible Colorado, said, "People who have served our country or other people who were injured and have PTSD should be able to have access to medicine that helps them.

Like advocates of medical marijuana for Parkinson’s, asthma, anxiety and bipolar disorder before them, backers of medical marijuana for PSTD face scrutiny on a scientific level. The four previous conditions were all denied approval for medical marijuana because they reportedly lacked scientific proof that the drug helped alleviate the pain of the conditions.

Backers of the PTSD petition say they have proof from multiple studies that medical marijuana helps PTSD sufferers.

By Examiner

Study: Marijuana Prices to Crater If Legalized

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 12:37:14 -0400

Pot Could Go from Nearly $400 an Ounce to Around $40 In California If Legalization Measure Is Successful

A ballot measure to legalize marijuana in California would so upend supply and demand that pot prices could plummet by as much as 90 percent and possibly undercut the tax windfall that supporters have touted to sell the initative, a study published Wednesday found.

The study by the nonpartisan RAND Drug Policy Research Center forecasts some interesting scenarios if California in November becomes the second state, after Alaska, to legalize pot for recreational use by adults and the first to tax commercial cannabis sales.

Pot prices could drop from $375 an ounce under the state's current medical marijuana law to as little as $38 per ounce before taxes as legal pot suddenly becomes available to the public, RAND researchers concluded.

"Right now, when individuals purchase drugs, they are paying for the drug dealer taking risks of being arrested," said Beau Kilmer, the center's co-director and the report's lead author. The exact amount of revenue legalized pot would bring California is still up in the air. The ballot initiative authorizes counties to license and tax commercial pot sales to adults, leaving it up to local jurisdictions to decide what kind of tax rates to apply to marijuana.

Special Report: Marijuana Nation

The researchers said legalization could bring substantially more revenue if California sees an influx of "marijuana tourism" similar to Amsterdam, where pot is legally sold at coffee shops, and if out-of-state dealers purchase California cannabis to sell back home.

"You would certainly guess that if it's cheaper to produce it in California legally than to import it from Mexico, it would reduce imports from Mexico," Jonathan Caulkins, a Carnegie Mellon University who also worked on the study, said. "Presumably, it would decrease them a lot."

Yet intervention from the federal government, which classifies marijuana as an illegal drug, or regulations limiting marijuana sales to California residents, as is the case now with medical marijuana, easily could defeat dreams of tourists flocking to the coast on pot vacations, Caulkins noted.

RAND analyzed existing research on marijuana prices, cigarette taxes and current pot consumption and applied modeling techniques to determine possible outcomes if pot were to be legalized.

The California Board of Equalization studied the financial impacts of pot while evaluating a bill introduced in the Legislature last year that would have taxed and regulated marijuana like alcohol. Sales taxes and a $50 per ounce excise tax on commercial pot sales would generate $1.4 billion for the state, according to that study.

But that estimate could prove overly optimistic, depending on how pot users and sellers respond to the idea of paying hefty taxes on a weed that can be grown at home, the RAND anaylsis said.

Consumer prices for pot would rise to about $91 an ounce if local governments adopt that same $50 an ounce tax scheme following passage of the ballot measure - still substantially lower than what Californians pay now but high enough to create incentives for growers to sell the drug under the table to avoid paying the government duty.

"When the purchase price goes way down, that cuts down on sales tax revenue, which was $400 million of the $1.4 billion (estimate)," Caulkins said. "What could adversely affect the excise tax is the gray market" that could be created by tax evaders.

Another difficulty the researchers said they faced in trying to tally the economic benefits of marijuana legalization is not knowing how many local governments, if any, would decide to license and tax marijuana sales and if they do, at what rate.

The RAND team was more certain that legalizing adult use of marijuana would cause pot consumption to go up in California, although they said they could not say by how much. Under one model they used, it would grow by about half and under another it would double, reaching rates last seen in the late 1970s.

"We have to realize that marijuana legalization in California would not be a marginal change, it would be a large change," Kilmer said.

The researchers did not try to draw any conclusions about whether legalizing marijuana was good public policy and instead hoped their findings would make voters question "any estimates of revenues and consumption that claim precision," Kilmer said.

RAND, a nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., paid for the research to educate voters ahead of the election, he said.

Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, who co-directs the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, acknowledged that as a California voter, she was uncomfortable with "the lack of specificity" in both the ballot measure and the bill that would have put pot in the same regulatory category as alcohol.

"Neither was sufficient for us to get an idea of what the effect of this was, and as a voter that was disturbing to me," she said.

Dale Gieringer, president of the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said legalization advocates have long expected marijuana prices to go down and pot use to go up if criminal penalties were removed.

"Overall, this report casts more smoke than light on the issue , but that is in the nature of any academic study where so many basic facts remain in dispute," Gieringer said. "The most important lesson to be taken away is that the benefits of legalization depend strongly on how it is implemented.

Some veteran growers in far northern California oppose legalization, fearing it would increase competition and cut profits, while others are embracing it as a way to legitimize their line of work.

"I think it will get a big vote up here," said Dan Hamburg, a former Mendocino County congressman and medical marijuana advocate who has endorsed Proposition 19. "Even though you would think all the growers will be against it, I don't think the smarter ones look at it that way. They realize the marijuana-growing counties have a lot to benefit from being legal ... because people up here have been doing it for 40 years."

By CBS News

Five Gunmen Storm Marijuana Dispensary

Tue, 6 Jul 2010 15:29:30 -0400

SAN DIEGO - Five gunmen stormed a medical marijuana dispensary in Normal Heights Tuesday and made off with a large amount of cash and marijuana.

It happened shortly after 11 a.m. at The Gift of Green dispensary in the 3200 block of Adams Avenue.

San Diego police are looking for five suspects. All are believed to have been carrying guns when the dispensary was robbed.

A shotgun was also taken from the dispensary during the robbery.

By San Diego 6

Clearing away the pot stores, one raid at a time

Tue, 6 Jul 2010 14:46:56 -0400

As dusk settled on busy Colorado Boulevard, a squad of minivans and SUVs pulled to the curb outside a drab stucco rental that houses one of Eagle Rock's medical marijuana dispensaries.

Plainclothes narcotics officers fanned out. One disarmed a startled security guard, another covered the door through the sights of a rifle and a third phoned the shop to announce the raid. A second guard, three employees and a dozen grim-faced customers filed out, hands in the air.

By the end of the operation, the officers had arrested the Colorado Collective's owner and an employee and hauled away 40 pounds of marijuana and $17,000 in cash in large evidence bags.

The raid was the fourth by a new Los Angeles Police Department team that is spearheading an aggressive push to shut down dispensaries that are illegal under a city ordinance that took effect four weeks ago.

"This is a high priority for the City Council and a high priority for the city attorney, so it's a high priority for us," said Capt. Kevin McCarthy, head of the Gang and Narcotics Division.

The ordinance allowed dispensaries that registered with the city in 2007, when it adopted a moratorium on new pot shops, to remain open. The rest, which opened in defiance of that ban, had to close by June 7. City officials say there were more than 400 illegal dispensaries, but they think most have since closed.

Asha Greenberg, an assistant city attorney who is overseeing the enforcement efforts, said she believes that as few as 20 to 30 illegal stores may still be defying the ordinance. "It's also somewhat of a moving target," she said, "because we hear of places open up and then close, we hear about places that have cut down on their hours and some places that have now turned into delivery services, so it runs the gamut of these places trying to get around the ordinance."

In Eagle Rock, which emerged as the epicenter of the neighborhood activism against the pot-shop explosion, most of the unauthorized outlets that once ringed the area appear to have closed.

On Colorado Boulevard, the shades were drawn at ABC Caregivers and only the outline of the letters CNC remained on the glass door at CN Collective on West Broadway. The building on York Boulevard that had been Northeast Collective was being refurbished by a hypnotist who plans to open a clinic.

By LA Times

Medical Marijuana Food Items Go Unregulated In Los Angeles

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 17:12:29 -0400

In Los Angeles County, why can one store sell prepared food without a county health inspection and another can't? Because if that first store is a medical marijuana dispensary, and that food happens to contain marijuana, then it's medicine, which isn't subject to county health rules governing restaurants and other spots that sell prepared food.

Who's making those brownies, lollipops and cookies? And are they cooked up in a clean environment? Who knows. The California Department of Public Health tells the Weekly it also stays away from places that produce marijuana edibles because they would be considered "drug manufacturing facilities" -- and thus would be outside its jurisdiction.

This is a loophole big enough to drive a lunch truck through. We joked to county Department of Environmental Health specialist Nick Brakband and if we sold sandwiches with aspirin inside we could avoid the health inspectors who normally keep a close eye on sandwich shops.

He said, yeah, something like that.

So pot shops that sell food don't have to have those letter grades in their windows? Nope. So long as the edibles they sell contain dope.

"It's considered to be a drug or medicine because it has the marijuana in it," Brakband said. "If they did have legitimate food items they would fall under our normal inspections."

We can see the lights going off in the heads of hole-in-the-wall doughnut-shop owners across the Southland right about now.

By LA Times

Thieves target Fresno Co. pot shops

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 14:27:28 -0400

Medical marijuana dispensaries have been recent targets of an attempted robbery and a burglary, the Fresno County Sheriff's Department said.

Monday, a gunman pulled a handgun and tried to rob a dispensary in the 1000 block of West Shaw Avenue, spokesman Chris Curtice said. The owner foiled the bandit by refusing to open a security door.

On June 22, a burglar broke into another dispensary in the 16000 block of North Friant Road in Friant and made off with almost $20,000 in property, including drugs and cash. Anyone with information about the crimes can call the sheriff's office at (559) 488-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP.

By Fresno Bee

San Diego County Adopts Long-Delayed Medical Marijuana Rules

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:14:51 -0400

A reluctant San Diego County Board of Supervisors gave final approval Wednesday to a package of regulations aimed at reining in medical marijuana outlets in unincorporated areas.

Pot activists said the rules were too strict, while government officials wanted an all-out ban on medical marijuana.

The ordinance codifying the rules was passed 4-1 on its second reading, with Supervisor Ron Roberts dissenting.

"I'm more convinced than ever that what we're doing is the wrong thing," he said.

The zoning component regulates dispensaries to industrial areas and requires that they area at least least 1,000 feet from homes, schools, churches and playgrounds.

All dispensaries also have to be approved by the Sheriff's Department.

"It's become clear this ordinance creates a de-facto ban on dispensaries," said Kate Valentine, a member of the San Diego chapter of Americans for Safe Access, because the 1,000-foot setback requirement leaves the only available properties "out in the middle of nowhere."

County staffers highlighted 10 available sites, including near Gillespie Field and the Ramona Airport, off Highway 78 close to Julian, Alpine overlooking Interstate 8, Spring Valley off state Route 94, Campo and Borrego Springs.

Last week, they said there would be 16 locations under the regulations.

Jeff Murphy, the deputy director of planning and land use for the county, said the sites do not need to be "turnkey ready" to satisfy the law, only reasonably accessible with available utilities.

Audience members shouted out that some of the named sites were too close to homes or schools.

The regulations come 14 years after California voters passed Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act. The supervisors have been criticized in the past for dragging their feet on establishing regulations.

Some speakers at the supervisors' meeting called for an outright ban on medical marijuana facilities, something they say has been adopted by several counties and 200 cities.

"You can regulate (dispensaries) all you want but you won't stop the crime associated with them," Barbara Gordon said. She described the dispensaries as fronts for selling the drug.

On a board known for frequent unanimous votes, none of the supervisors rushed to make a motion to pass the regulations, prompting board Chairwoman Pam Slater-Price to say they were "in a stalemate."

Supervisor Bill Horn gave in after about 30 seconds and made the motion to approve the ordinances.

The county clerk's office credited the second to Supervisor Dianne Jacob, but her voice could not be heard in the audience.

By San Diego 6

LAPD investigating third shooting at a medical marijuana dispensary

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:58:18 -0400

Los Angeles police detectives are investigating a robbery at a Northridge marijuana dispensary over the weekend that left an employee in critical condition after he was shot in the face.

The shooting took place shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday at the dispensary in the 8900 block of Reseda Boulevard, police said. The victim was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center and was listed in critical condition.

The suspects, who were not immediately identified, made off with approximately $11,000 in cash, police said.

The shooting was the third at a medical marijuana dispensaries over a three-day period last week. Two people were fatally shot Thursday and a third man was wounded in pot shop robberies in Echo Park and Hollywood.

It was at least the second time this year that the Northridge dispensary was targeted. Two suspects are awaiting trial in connection with a shooting that left a 33-year-old clinic employee wounded during an attempt to rob the man of his wallet.

Officials did not release the name of the man who was wounded Saturday.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said they did not believe there was any connection between the San Fernando Valley case and the two attempted robberies in Los Angeles, which occurred hours apart.

"We have no evidence to believe that the three [robberies] are connected," said Kevin McClure, the captain in charge of the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division. "But do I think it's a disturbing pattern based on what it is, absolultely."

The robbery at the medical marijuana clinic on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park left one worker wounded and another dead. The dead man was identified as Matthew Benjamin Butcher, 27, of Los Angeles, the son of labor leader Julie Butcher. Officials said the store was ransacked.

The second incident occurred at 9:15 p.m. a few miles away on El Centro Avenue in Hollywood when an unknown number of suspects stormed into the shop. The dead man was later identified as Ila Ali Packman, 39, of Hollywood.

The killings coincided with a city crackdown on pot businesses that has resulted in the closure of dozens of the outlets.

The City Attorney's office recently notified about 400 marijuana dispensaries that they must shut down if they do not meet location restrictions outlined in a new ordinance that took effect this month. The dispensaries were given six months to comply with the law, but many have already closed.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said last week that authorities shouldn't rule out a link between the robberies and slayings at the pot clinics and drug cartels.

"There's a matter for us having to be on full alert as to what the reasons were for such brutal murders," he said. "It's one thing to go in and put a gun in the face of a person who is running a commercial establishment and ask him for the money. It's a totally different thing by assassinating the person that you're robbing. That, to me, is very cartel-ish in its style."

By LA Times

Montel Williams lobbies for medical marijuana

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:25:26 -0400

TV host turned healthy-living pitchman Montel Williams visited the Capitol to talk up the medical marijuana bill currently moving through the Legislature. Accompanied by Manhattan Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a prime sponsor of the measure, Williams discussed his own experience since he began grappling with multiple sclerosis a decade ago.

His use of medical marijuana changed my life it allowed me to have my life back, said Williams, who shows few visible signs of the degenerative condition except for a slight wobble in his stride. He said that many days his use enables him to get out of bed, go to work and pay my taxes.

Williams said that New York would be the 15th state to pass some form of leglaization. It’s a little late, but at least we’ll get it done, he said, adding that he’s promoted the effort in nine states.

New York got it right, Williams said of the bill, which would make pharmacies the distributors of the new form of medication. He said the legislation which quaintly refers to the substance as marihuana would restrict the number of conditions that would be eligible for treatment. The bill language specifies a severe debilitating or life-threatening condition, or a condition associated with or a complication of such a condition or its treatment (including but not limited to inability to tolerate food, nausea, vomiting, dysphoria or pain).

In other words, a narrower spectrum of conditions than the one used by California, where treatable ailments include anorexia, migraine and the dreaded Phish Albums Not Sounding As Good As They Used To. (OK, I made that last one up.)

Gottfried called his bill the narrowest and most restrictive medical marijuana law in the country. He said it would be extraordinarily cruel for the state to go another year without passing the measure, which has been approved by the Assembly multiple times and is currently before the Senate’s Rules Committee.

This is not about a bunch of potheads that’s not going to happen here, said Williams, who noted that although he lives in New York he is a registered participant in California’s program because his corporation is chartered there. So how does his medication get here across all those state lines? Williams was cagey: Somehow, it’s like the Tooth Fairy it arrives in New York.

The legislation is backed by the state Pharmacists Society, whose Executive Director Craig Burridge penned today’s op-ed in the TU. Appearing at the Capitol with Williams, Burridge noted that his wife was suffering from lung cancer a condition that could be ameliorated by medical marijuana.

The patient comes first, Burridge said.

By Times Union

Two Medical Marijuana Businesses in Billings Firebombed

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:15:59 -0400

Two medical marijuana businesses in Billings have been hit with firebombs and vandalized with "NOT IN OUR TOWN" spray-painted on their storefronts.

Billings Police Sgt. Kevin Iffland says the first incident happened to Big Sky Patient Care located at 111 Sout 24th Street early on Sunday morning, and the second happened early Monday morning at Montana Therapeutics, which is located at 2109 Grand Avenue.

On Monday, the Billings fire department responded to a structure fire call around 4:30 a.m. at Montana Therapeutics. The fire was quickly put out and evidence at the scene shows it was intentionally set.

Police determined that glass on the front door was broken by a rock and an accelerant was thrown inside the business to start the fire. Damages are estimated at around $2,000. Damages at the Big Sky Patient Care facility have not been released.

The fire scene has been turned over to the Billings Police Department for an investigation.

The Billings City Council is scheduled to vote Monday night on whether to place a moratorium on medical marijuana businesses. The city has issued more than 80 business licenses for the stores.

By KRTV

Medical Marijuana User Sues Over Walmart Firing

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:37:04 -0400

DETROIT (AP) - A man who uses medical marijuana to treat symptoms of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer has filed a lawsuit claiming he was wrongfully fired from a Walmart store in Battle Creek after testing positive for the drug.

The lawsuit Tuesday in state court says Joseph Casias of Battle Creek was fired last year despite being legally registered to use the drug under Michigan's medical marijuana law. Casias says he didn't use marijuana at work.

Michigan voters approved medical marijuana use in 2008. Federal law still prohibits the sale and cultivation of the drug.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says in a statement that it is an "unfortunate situation" but employers must follow the federal standard. It says it's an issue of customer and employee safety.

By My Fox Detroit

Silencing a Political Prisoner: Marijuana Activist Marc Emery Spends Three Weeks in Solitary

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:29:41 -0400

Imprisoned cannabis activist Marc Emery has been released from solitary confinement after spending three weeks in a small cell, 24-hours-a-day, with little human contact.

He has lost over 15 pounds since being moved from his regular cell on June 3 after unknowingly breaking a prison rule by recording a telephone message to his supporters.

Emery's supporters view the punishment as an excuse to silence a successful political activist who has been a thorn in the side of government officials and drug policy makers for years.

On Thursday, June 3, officials at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Washington gave Emery an official citation for allowing his wife, BC Green Party Director-at-Large Jodie Emery, to record a message from him over the phone, claiming it broke the prison's rule forbidding third-party calls. Emery was locked in a Segregated Housing Unit (SHU) and denied access to books, television, the telephone, or contact with his wife and family.

On June 24, an internal "disciplinary hearing" was held for Emery. The Disciplinary Hearing Officer said he realized that Emery didn't know he was breaking a rule (as it wasn't explicitly stated in the rule book), but told him he can't do third-party political lobbying over the phone. Emery has been denied phone access until July 25, but is allowed access to electronic mail and to have visits.

"I'm just so relieved not to be in the torturous SHU unit," Emery wrote in his latest blog post at Cannabis Culture. "That's plain mind-bending, being in isolation."

Emery's attorney Rick Troberman says he though the prison's reaction was "completely overblown" and "unusual". "There was nothing in the conversation that was derogatory about the Federal Detention Center or his current situation or anything else," he told CC. "Why they're choosing to make such a big deal of it is, frankly, a mystery to me."

Troberman said prison officials seemed upset that several Emery supporters had staged a small protest "inside the lobby" of the Federal Detention Center and probably wanted to send a message to the activist.

Emery is currently awaiting sentencing after being extradited to the US by the Conservative government of Canada. Emery was raided and arrested by the US DEA and Vancouver police in 2005 for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet and using the money to fund activism.

Many see Emery's move to solitary and other punishment as way to shut him up, intimidate his supporters, and silence criticism of the government and its policies.

On the day of Emery’s arrest, the US Drug Enforcement Administration admitted their investigation was politically motivated, and that the activist’s arrest and extradition was designed to target the marijuana legalization community that Emery spearheaded for over a decade.

DEA Administrator Karen Tandy's statement released on July 29, 2005:

Today's DEA arrest of Marc Scott Emery, publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine, and the founder of a marijuana legalization group -- is a significant blow not only to the marijuana trafficking trade in the U.S. and Canada, but also to the marijuana legalization movement.

His marijuana trade and propagandist marijuana magazine have generated nearly $5 million a year in profits that bolstered his trafficking efforts, but those have gone up in smoke today.

Emery and his organization had been designated as one of the Attorney General's most wanted international drug trafficking organizational targets -- one of only 46 in the world and the only one from Canada.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of Emery's illicit profits are known to have been channeled to marijuana legalization groups active in the United States and Canda. Drug legalization lobbyists now have one less pot of money to rely on.

Since Emery was extradited, Canadian cannabis activists have staged over twenty Conservative Party Office Occupations, some resulting in arrests and police brutality. Protestors have shown up at the offices of several high-profile Conservative lawmakers including Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson appears to be rattled by the protests, sending RCMP officers to homes of cannabis activists and hiring personal body guards.

Rather than face several charges with mandatory minimums attached, Emery agreed to a 5-year plea deal on one charge. This deal contributed to his two co-accused receiving probation in Canada instead of jail in the US. After sentencing, Emery will apply for transfer to Canada for the remainder of his sentence. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews will decide if Emery will be allowed to come home.

By Cannabis Culture

State NAACP backs marijuana legalization initiative

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:50 -0400

Saying that prohibition takes a heavy toll on minorities, leaders of the NAACP's California chapter announced Monday that they are backing passage of a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot.

The war on drugs is a failure and disproportionately targets young men and women of color, particularly African-American males, said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP's state conference.

The group cited statistics from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showing that in 2009, 62% of the state's marijuana arrests were of nonwhite suspects and that 42% were under 20.

The pattern was consistent in the state's 25 largest counties, with arrests of African Americans at double, triple and quadruple the rate of whites even though studies show that blacks use marijuana at lower rates than whites, NAACP officials said.

"We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities and approximately 56% of the public in saying that it is time to decriminalize the use of marijuana," Huffman said in a prepared statement.

November's measure, if approved, would allow people 21 and older to legally possess an ounce of cannabis. Marijuana sales would be taxed, potentially raising billions of dollars for government services. Opponents say legalization would increase crime and drug dependency.

By LA Times

Medical marijuana attorney: If you want to get into the MMJ biz, better act fast

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:10:00 -0400

HB 1284, the bill to regulate the medical marijuana industry, may have been signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter earlier this month, but plenty of questions about its implementation remain.

Among them: If you haven't applied for a license by July 1, will you have to wait until July 2011 to do so? No one seems sure, but medical marijuana attorney Danyel Joffe recommends that interested parties assume the answer is "yes."

One key passage in the bill reads:

On July 1, 2010, a person who is operating an established, locally approved business for the purpose of cultivation, manufacture, or sale of medical marijuana or medical marijuana-infused products or a person who has applied to a local government to operate a locally approved business for the purpose of cultivation, manufacture, or sale of medical marijuana or medical marijuana-infused products which is subsequently granted may continue to operate that business in accordance with any applicable state or local laws. Joffe, currently representing Jason Wimler, who's using a religious defense to fight a marijuana possession charge in Pueblo County, believes many municipalities will view this language as excluding anyone from opening a dispensary or the like between July 2010 and July 2011 unless they've at least started the paperwork process.

For instance, she notes, "Denver is imposing a moratorium as of July 1, 2010. So they won't authorize any new medical marijuana business between July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, because that's their interpretation of the state law -- that there's a statewide moratorium. They believe they can't legally issue any licenses under state law during that period."

This view isn't universally held, Joffe concedes.

"There are a number of attorneys saying, 'There is no statewide moratorium,'" she says. "But whether or not they believe there's a statewide moratorium or not is sort of irrelevant. It's what government agencies think, and what the courts think that counts. And I've heard anecdotally that several other local governments are also issuing moratoriums from July 1 until June 30 of next year, because they also interpret state law this way."

As such, Joffe continues, "I'm telling my clients to act as if there is a moratorium in place. So before July 1, they need to apply to their local government, whether they're in a city or a town or a county" -- if, that is, the municipality doesn't already have a moratorium in place. If they do, the window of opportunity has already slammed shut, at least for now.

Some confusion is understandable, Joffe believes. According to her, "There's a lot of tea-leaf reading, even for the Department of Revenue," which is assembling regulations that will be used to enforce the provisions in HB 1284. "The fact is, Colorado is trying an experiment -- something no one else in the country has ever done. Even California hasn't gone as far as Colorado has. Everybody is inventing this as we go along, and there's no real model to follow."

With that in mind, Joffe says, "Don't sit on your rights." Apply by Wednesday, or possibly lose your chance until this time next year.

By Westword

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Delaying Medical Marijuana Program

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:35:00 -0400

Lawmakers are voting Monday on a plan to delay the start of New Jersey's legal medical marijuana program by three months.

Gov. Chris Christie asked for a delay.

The Legislature passed a law earlier this year to allow patients with certain conditions to buy pot from alternative treatment centers. It was to go in effect July 1 -- but the first legal sales would not have come until at least October.

The delay allows health officials to write regulations.

It also may give politicians some time to consider a different model for the program. Christie has suggested having the marijuana grown at Rutgers University and distributed by hospitals.

Medical marijuana advocates oppose the delay and major changes to the system.

By 101 Wins

Washington State Democratic Party Endorses Marijuana Legalization

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:23:07 -0400

At yesterday’s Washington State Democratic Convention, party delegates overwhelmingly voted to endorse I-1068, a potential ballot measure to legalize cannabis in the state. From Publicola.net:

Bucking the recommendation of their executive board, delegates to the Washington State Democratic Convention endorsed I-1068 (the marijuana legalization initiative) with 62 percent “yes” vote (314 to 185). The executive board had given no recommendation on the initiative because the committee was even more split than the delegates,” according to State Vice Chair Sharon Smith.

The endorsement of the State Democratic Party may be too late to ensure marijuana legalization is on the ballot this November. A petition with signatures from at least 241,153 registered voters must be submitted by July 2nd, just five days from now in order to put I-1068 on the ballot.

The truly grassroots organization Sensible Washington has run a very strong signature gathering campaign to promote I-1068. However due to limited funding they may fall short of the requisite number of signatures. The task of running a true grassroots petition campaign in Washington State as opposed to a professional signature gathering operation, has been strongly hampered by the state’s ridiculous restriction preventing petitions from being printed on a standard 8.5 x 11 inch office paper (PDF).

That the marijuana legalization initiative was endorsed by the State Democratic Party is a good sign that it may get on the ballot in 2012 with a broad campaign working to gather signatures. It’s more likely to happen if the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act 0f 2010 passes in California this November, setting a precedent for Washington State.

More importantly this may be another very positive sign that marijuana’s legal status is finally moving away from being some weird moralistic taboo to becoming just another political/policy question to be debated on its merits. Does it make sense to maintain a law so universally violated that it has been broken by both our current and at least one former President of the United States?

By Fire Dog Lake

Officers Crack Down On Pot Plots On Public Lands

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:54:56 -0400

Los Angeles area law officers are cracking down on illicit marijuana plots on public lands.

Authorities say a team of officers from several agencies on Friday eradicated more than 19,000 marijuana plants in the Lancaster area and confiscated growing equipment and pesticides.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says in a release Saturday that since last month, narcotics detectives have destroyed about 85,000 marijuana plants from public lands with an estimated street value of $170 million.

The department urged people visiting the more remote public areas to be cautious because criminal marijuana farmers sometimes use guards to protect their crops or even booby-traps.

The department says some of the locations where the pot plots were found include Angeles National Forest and several canyon areas in Newhall and Lancaster.

By CBS 2

State Receives Applications for Maine Pot Dispensaries

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:23:37 -0400

State officials say they've received 29 applications from non-profits to operate medical marijuana dispensaries in Maine. The Medical Use of Marijuana Act approved by voters in November allows eight pot dispensaries to be set up around the state.

The Department of Health and Human Services Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services says a four-member panel will review and score each application, based on criteria hammered out by a special task force.

The applicants will be evaluated on their long-term plans for operating as a non-profit, the convenience of the location, prior business experience and other issues.

DHHS will select operators for eight dispensaries, one in each of the state's eight public health districts (shown on the map above). The winning applicants are scheduled to be announced July 9.

By MPBN

'No reason for anyone to die over marijuana,' mother of slain pot dispensary worker says

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:09:36 -0400

A medical marijuana dispensary employee killed Thursday during a robbery at the Echo Park store is the son of a well-known L.A. labor leader, Julie Butcher.

Matt Butcher's mother described the killing as "totally senseless," saying her son was simply trying to cobble together part-time jobs in a tough economy.

"He was one of the most peaceful people," said Julie Butcher, who works as a regional director of the Service Employees International Union Local 721. "He would have given them anything they wanted. There's no reason for anyone to die over marijuana."

Butcher, 27, was one of two pot dispensary workers killed Thursday.

The first robbery occurred at 4:15 p.m. on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park. In that incident, an unknown number of suspects stormed into the Higher Patch Holistic Care store at 1302 Sunset Blvd. Butcher was killed and another employee was left wounded.

The second robbery happened a few miles away at 9:15 p.m. at the Hollywood Holistic store on the 1600 block of North El Centro Avenue. One employee was slain in that incident.

The killings come as Los Angeles authorities are in the process of cracking down on pot businesses, resulting in the closure of dozens of the outlets.

By LA Times

LA police probe 2 marijuana dispensary killings

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:25:34 -0400

Los Angeles police say they don't know whether fatal shootings at two medical marijuana dispensaries are connected.

Cmdr. David Doan said Friday four robbers shot to death an employee and wounded another around 4:15 p.m. Thursday at Higher Path Holistic Care Collective on Sunset Boulevard west of Dodger Stadium.

A coroner's official says 27-year-old Matthew Butcher of Los Angeles was killed. The other worker is hospitalized in critical condition.

Police say the owner of another dispensary, Hollywood Holistic, found an employee's body at around 9 p.m. Thursday.

The man was in his 30s but his name hasn't been released.

No arrests have been made. Doan says the motive for the second killing is unclear but says pot dispensaries handle large amounts of money, which could make them robbery targets.

By Google News

"Higher" Education in Jersey Could Mean Medical Marijuana Classes

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:08:16 -0400

Come next year, Rutgers University could be known as "Pot U."

A New Jersey lawmaker who was instrumental in helping pass a medical marijuana law back in January is now suggesting that the state's premier university become a national center for research and curriculum into the plant and its benefits.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) is already cooperating with Republican Governor Chris Christie's administration to delay implementation of the law by 90 days. But even as the Assembly Budget Committee voted 7-0-2 to release the delayed implementation to the full Assembly for a full vote, Gusciora suggested his fellow legislators turn Rutgers into "a national academic leader in marijuana research and curriculum."

In a news release, Gusciora said, "One such benefit could be patent rights from the development of new strains and treatments for medicinal marijuana." He added, "Students could also learn everything from pain management strategies to running a dispensary."

However, Gusciora did not put any such language into the amended legislation to delay implementation that is working its way through the legislature. And advocates for medical marijuana are skeptical.

"We don't really think that's realistic," said Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana NJ. "The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has been trying for the past nine years to get DEA approval" for such research, he noted -- and has so far UMass has failed.

Gusciora also floated another trial balloon to allow Rutgers as well as hospitals across the state to become dispensaries for medical marijuana once the Christie Administration writes the rules and regulations that will put the law into effect.

Another advocate, Chris Goldstein, also of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana NJ, said "Rutgers University could be an important part of New Jersey's medical marijuana program without being written into the law."

Goldstein also noted the challenges UMass has been having with the DEA.

If the amended law is approved by both the Assembly and State Senate in the coming days, October 1st would be the new deadline for the Department of Health and Senior Services to draw up the rules that will govern medical marijuana use in New Jersey.

Advocates think that would mean the first sales at the Alternative Treatment Centers would start by early January.

By NBC New York

Marijuana Dispensaries will be 'killed-off' says City Councilor

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:38:38 -0400

Coming on the heels of this week's "CannaBiz" where City Councilor Sean Paige shares his feelings regarding the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce's stance on MMJ is this sentiment from Paige's blog for Local Liberty Online.

But those fretting over the prevalence of medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado Springs need only be patient. Many of these businesses won't be around a year from now. They'll have been killed-off by regulation or competition.

Paige says that "prohibitionists" have become involved and "are on a moral crusade to prevent the corruption of Colorado Springs youth, by pushing medical marijuana back into the shadows."

Besides the obvious influence of market forces to even out the glut of medical marijuana centers Colorado Springs enjoys, Paige says an even bigger influence will take care of the rest.

The second cause of death death by regulation is more objectionable, in my opinion, because it is government-induced and largely unnecessary. Some reasonable local controls make sense, given the newness and sensitive nature of this industry. But most regulation is excessive and blindly destructive; it's imposed for the ego-gratification of politicians and the job security of regulators. It pretends to "fix" what isn't broken, to protect the public from a phantom menace.

While I disagree with some of the generalizations Paige makes about regulation in general, I do agree that two forces capitalism, and political detractors will force many out of business.

By CS Indy

West Hollywood passes medical marijuana urgency ordinance

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:41:34 -0400

West Hollywood, California (June 24, 2010) - West Hollywood passed an urgency ordinance criminalizing the opening of a medical marijuana collective or dispensary within city limits and without a business license this week.

The catalyzing event, Los Angeles’ crack down on illegally operating medical marijuana dispensaries and one club’s determination to move its operations into the city without permits of any sort, highlighted behind the scenes moves meant to bring city pot club law into alignment with evolving state law.

According to Jeffrey Aubel, city code compliance manager, C.A.R.E Collective in Van Nuys, forced to shut its doors due to LA’s clampdown on illegal dispensaries, attempted to open a shop on the 7700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard (at Stanley) in WeHo.

Code compliance found illegal construction on the site and issued a work stop order, but according to Mr. Aubel, they said they would open as a dispensary anyway, even their lawyers said they would open as a pot club.

Upon investigation, the city discovered it had no enforcement mechanism available to prevent the club from opening, as a violation for dispensing medical marijuana without a business license under current law is governed by the City's administrative remedies program.

The urgency ordinance, moved to the Consent Calendar and passed unanimously, makes the violation a misdemeanor. It goes into effect immediately.

The city has one alleged rogue medical marijuana dispensary operating inside its boundaries that falls outside this remedy, although the city has undertaken civil action to close it.

The Sunset Super Shop at 8921 Sunset Boulevard allegedly continues to operate illegally, as the previous owners/operators of the dispensary that started at that address closed announced their closure to the city a year ago.

According to a law suit filed in Superior Court on May 20, the landlords of the building allegedly opened a dispensary in the location after the original business shout down.

Now operating as Compassionate Healing Center of West Hollywood LLC and The Sunset Shoppe and owned by Nansee Lanning, the Lanning Family Trust, George Lanning and Justin Lanning, the lawsuit seeks to abate a public nuisance through injunctive relief and fines of $2,500 per code violation.

A call for comment to Justin Lanning, the managing partner, was not returned before publication.

The former operator of the West Hollywood Center for Compassionate Healing (WHCCH), Andrew Kramer, would not comment on the lawsuit because of litigation, but confirmed closing his dispensary there in April of 2009.

On another front, the city recently requested WeHo pot clubs to come into complete compliance with state and county law.

The city’s code compliance department sent a letter to the four of the legally operating West Hollywood dispensaries in early June asking them to make various changes to their business models.

The requested changes came from a need to comply with the two basic legal pillars on which medical marijuana is regulated, Prop 215 and AB 42o, said Mr. Aubel, and we’re all dealing with this together, trying to make the city’s and the dispensaries’ position a defensible one.

After the regular monthly meeting of the West Hollywood Medical Marijuana Task Force, founder of one of the original medical marijuana dispensaries in West Hollywood, The Los Angeles Patients & Caregivers Group (LAPCG), Don Duncan, told WeHo News that the requests being made by the city reflect, “the evolution of state law on the subject, and that’s changing all the time, he said, noting several recently decided cases that make some of the city’s requested changes moot.

Although the four letters’ contents differed depending on the precise business model, Mr. Aubel said, “the shared component was asking them to replace the over the counter sale of medicine with some other form of reimbursement.

Mr. Duncan told WeHo News that He also noted that it remained unclear whether some clubs functioned under the letter of the law, which calls for California non-profit status, certain documentation and more meaningful participation by members of the collectives.

Both men, after the meeting, expressed hope that the issues at hand could be resolved.

It was a very productive meeting, said Mr. Duncan, who characterized the city as eager to work out, whatever inconsistencies exist between dispensary operations and state and county law.

Mr. Aubel took pains to characterize the re-evaluation as cooperative, saying, the Attorney General and DA says you can’t have over the counter sales. [In order to] comply with that, [the City of West Hollywood hasn’t] said what they have to do yet.

Lauding the four WeHo dispensaries’ past actions and motives, he said the city entrusted them to write the legislation.

They’re going to work on a way together to comply so [the City] can say, ‘here’s how we’re operating in cooperation and within the parameters of Prop 215 and AB 420,’ if called upon to do so, he told WeHo News.

"We’ve got four very good operators in the city, and I’m confidant they can accomplish what they need to.

Active as Southern California chapter head of Americans for Safe Access, (ASA), Mr. Duncan also expressed optimism that the WeHo dispensaries could educate city officials on recent legal rulings that support members’ cash and carry participation in medical marijuana collectives, as well as help to clarify and hone business practices and models.

There’s not a lot of clarity out there, he said, although he cited both a Butte County case and in People V Newcomb [before the Appellate Court] in which courts determined that members can participate simply financially in their collective.

Calling that participation ‘incremental reimbursement for the product of the collective’s efforts, he speculated that once the proposal is made, the city attorney will have one position, the County DA, we know, already has a strong position, the dispensaries will have another position and we’ll meet somewhere in the middle.

By WeHo News

N.J. medical marijuana likely to be delayed until fall

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:30:09 -0400

New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) introduced legislation to extend the implementation of New Jersey's new medical marijuana law until Oct. 1. It was released Thursday by an Assembly panel.

The bill (A-3054) comes in response to Gov. Chris Christie's request for a delay to get the first medical marijuana dispensaries operating.

"No one, least of all me, wants to see delays," Gusciora said. "Patients have been waiting for this relief and my original hope was to have it out to them by the end of this summer."

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, was signed into law in January and gave the Department of Health and Senior Services to set up patient registries and an additional three months to finalize marijuana distribution.

Gusciora agreed to the October 1st date as more of a realistic starting date.

"I think the Legislature should also take this opportunity to consider the governor's proposal to include hospitals as dispensaries as well as Rutgers University as the place where the marijuana can be grown," continued Gusciora. "While we should continue to move forward in implementing the legislation, adding hospitals and Rutgers into the mix could very well make a good law better."

Thirteen other states have legalized medical marijuana, and New Jersey's law is the most restrictive and responsible.

According to Gusciora, other states have had problems reining their programs in to control the huge growth of such dispensaries and clinics.

"While I would have preferred fast tracking the law, at the end of the day, we want to ensure patients who can benefit from medicinal marijuana can readily access it," Gusciora said.

Gusciora also noted that Rutgers University could become a national academic leader in marijuana research and curriculum.

One such benefit could be patent rights from the development of new strains and treatments for medicinal marijuana. Students could also learn everything from pain management strategies to running a dispensary.

"I want to see our patients get what they need for relief," Gusciora said. "I also want to see New Jersey become a model for federal legislation in terms of medical marijuana. The only way we can do that is by making sure we are implementing it the right way ourselves."

The bill was released 7-0-2 by the Assembly Budget Committee and is expected to be voted on Monday by the full Assembly.

By New Jersey News Room

Will New York Become the 15th Medical Marijuana State?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:40:25 -0400

Medical marijuana activists and advocates are making a push this week to convince New York Gov. David Paterson and the legislature to include medical cannabis in the state’s budget. The state Senate passed a measure in March that calls for the inclusion of medical marijuana in the state budget. However, New York’s legislative session ends this week so the window for New York to become the 15th state to allow the use of medical marijuana is closing.

While some New York legislators oppose the bill, one of its most active supporters, Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), had this to say: “When our fellow humans are burdened by the dire effects of life-threatening illnesses, we must not allow insubstantial ideological arguments to increase their suffering. The proposed medical marijuana legislation contains the critical safeguards needed to guard against diversion or abuse and establish access for patients in need. It is our moral and ethical duty to alleviate misery in our fellow human beings. Any other substance shown to have such beneficial effect would already be in the arsenal of medical practitioners. I wholeheartedly urge passage of this legislation.”

If you live in New York, you can follow this link to contact Governor Paterson and urge him to support medical marijuana.

By High Times

Laguna Hills orders marijuana dispensaries to close

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:37:15 -0400

LAGUNA HILLS Five residents, patients and business owners asked the City Council Tuesday not to go forward with closing marijuana dispensaries in Laguna Hills, and a dozen more showed up to the meeting to oppose the city's action.

The city sent out letters telling five pot dispensaries to close by Monday, citing violations in city zoning code – just days after a court order supported the neighboring city of Lake Forest's action to close dispensaries.

"It's like dominoes now," said Jim Salzer, owner of BCC of California dispensary. "They're using the zoning ordinance as just a method to go city by city." Vern Jones, the city's director of community development, sent a letter to dispensaries, such as Club Meds Collective and BCC of California on Peralta Drive, on June 18 telling them they must close their doors in 10 days. The city said because operating a medical marijuana dispensary is prohibited by federal law, using land within city limits to operate a dispensary is illegal because the city must comply with federal, state and local law, according to the letter.

According to municipal code, each day a dispensary operates following the order to close could cost owners $1,000 in fines and up to six months in jail, Jones said in the letter. Lake Forest has shut down 19 pot dispensaries, citing violations of city zoning laws, after the city sued 35 dispensary owners and retail landlords in September for renting space to collectives. A Superior Court judge granted the city's contempt of court request against two dispensaries – Lake Forest Wellness Center and Collective and Health Collective Inc. – that still remain open despite a judge's order to close.

Jones said the action taken in Lake Forest helped prompt Laguna Hills city officials to close dispensaries.

"It provided us with enough impetus where we could move forward now," Jones said.

Salzer told the council he serves patients in need and that his dispensary has followed all city permitting requirements. He said he was not surprised after seeing the actions taken in Lake Forest, but asked the council to give more than 10 days notice before ordering dispensaries to close.

"I think there is a big misconception about the movement, about our patients and about what we do," Salzer said.

So where will patients go to get medical marijuana?

Alan Swanson, of Fullerton, said he would most likely have to go to a dispensary in Santa Ana. "I'm going to have a heck of a time," Swanson said of finding a new dispensary.

Swanson said he takes four buses to get from his home to OC Wilbur's dispensary in Laguna Hills because of the dispensary's low prices. Swanson said he has brain cancer and uses marijuana in lieu of pain medications, in addition to anti-seizure medicines.

By OC Register

More than 170 medical marijuana dispensaries notify Los Angeles of intent to stay open

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:30:40 -0400

Representatives of 174 medical marijuana dispensaries have filed notices with the Los Angeles city clerk, indicating that they intend to remain open. City officials now face the daunting task of determining whether those stores qualify to operate under the new ordinance.

The stores are among 187 that registered in 2007 to continue to operate when the City Council adopted a moratorium. (City officials have long said the number of registered dispensaries is 186 but recently concluded one was inadvertently left off the list.)

All other dispensaries in the city were required to stop selling marijuana June 7, when the ordinance became effective.

City officials estimate there are about 400 illegal dispensaries. Many, however, have sued the city to challenge the ordinance and some have remained open in defiance of the law.

Los Angeles officials are reviewing the documentation to ensure that the stores still have their original owners, have operated continuously and have moved no more than once. In their initial check, city officials determined that 79 met those requirements and planned to scrutinize the others. Control of seven dispensaries is in dispute, with competing groups claiming to operate them.

It’s unclear when the city clerk will complete its review. “We had a new hiccup,” said Holly L. Wolcott, the executive officer for the city clerk. City officials realized that they failed to collect information on the current management of the dispensaries, as required by the city’s ordinance, and now have to contact the dispensaries to collect that information.

By LA Times Blog

Governor Schweitzer's Visit to Cannabis Science Acquisition, Montana Pain Management, Draws Extensive Media Coverage;

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:00:51 -0400

Governor "Impressed by the Sophistication" of Operation Model for New State Regulations

Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB:CBIS), a pioneering U.S. biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products, is pleased to note that there has been extensive reporting on Governor Brian Schweitzer first visit to a medical marijuana clinic run by Montana Pain Management in Missoula last Friday. His visit came on the same day that Cannabis Science announced that it was acquiring MPM, http://www.montanapm.com/tour, which added another dimension to the story.

Joe Nickell, writing in The Missoulian, reported that Schweitzer "made clear both his continued support for a legally sanctioned medical marijuana industry and his belief that new legislation governing the industry is imminent and necessary."

Schweitzer is quoted as saying, "I think it's unrealistic to say to legitimate medical patients that have found benefit from medical marijuana that you can no longer access this. I think we need to tighten up the laws. The business has gotten out ahead of the regulatory environment, and we need to build some boundaries."

Accompanied by local television crews, the Governor spent 45 minutes meeting with Rick Rosio, president and CEO of Missoula's Montana Pain Management, and said that he was impressed by the sophistication of Rosio's operation.

An Associated Press story was also picked up by PharmaPro.com, which specializes in pharmaceutical industry news. (http://www.pharmpro.com/News/FeedsAP/2010/06/gov-visits-medical-marijuana-clinic-in-missoula/ )

PharmaPro noted, "Schweitzer and Rosio agreed that the number of independent, commercial growers should be limited, and that taxing medical marijuana is probably necessary to pay for increased regulation."

Dr. Robert Melamede, PhD., Cannabis Science President and CEO, stated,"We look forward to working with Governor Schweitzer and Rick Rosio to develop regulations that will protect the patients' access to medicine while maintaining scientific standards and professional management. We think that MPM will be the model for the new state regulations, and will be able to help far more patients get medical cannabis.

"As the song says, 'Times, they are a changing.' People in a free country have a fundamental right to choose an herbal medicine that helps relieve their pain. Governmental insistence on the use of lethal and addictive drugs is no longer acceptable scientifically or to the people who are now benefiting from the alternative."

Rosio added, "Having the distinct honor to spend time with Governor Schweitzer discussing the medical cannabis issue, I explained how we operate in compliance with state laws, and that Montana Pain Management's acquisition by Cannabis Science will facilitate a scientific approach to the development of this important new application for medical cannabis."

Richard Cowan, Cannabis Science CFO, said the company's aim in purchasing medical marijuana clinics is to expand its research base as it aims to ultimately develop FDA-approved pharmaceutical cannabis products.

"Our primary focus is on developing medicines for patients, and the more patients you have, the better your research base can be," Cowan said. "That's the biggest advantage to us in acquiring a facility like Montana Pain Management. Because of being focused on the science, we need to work with people who have high standards, which Rick Rosio and his staff certainly do."

Rosio said the deal will allow him to hire another six to eight full-time employees, open a call center and take on an additional 100 medical marijuana patients per month and move his clinic to a new, larger location -- all while lowering prices for his products and services.

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc. is at the forefront of medical marijuana research and development. The Company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products. In sum, we are dedicated to the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treat disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance.

Forward Looking Statements; This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.

By Benzinga

Dozens charged in "compassion centre" drug busts

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:43:12 -0400

MONTREAL - As their supporters marched outside the Montreal courthouse Wednesday, more than two dozen people connected with medical marijuana centres were formally charged inside with conspiracy, possession and trafficking.

A police raid earlier this month closed the doors of four so-called compassion centres, including the Culture 420 Compassion Club in Lachine, two medical-pot shops in Plateau-Mont Royal borough, and a fourth on Papineau Ave.

The accused are due back Sept. 3 and Sept. 22.

All had been selling pot openly to walk-in clients who said they needed the drug for medical reasons.

Use and cultivation of marijuana for certain medical conditions has been legal under Canadian law since 2001. But it remains illegal to sell it.

By Montreal Gazaette

Who's making money off medical marijuana? It's not who you'd think

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:40 -0400

In a small second-story office on Main Street in Ann Arbor, Mich., Liberty Clinic is doing brisk business, selling medical marijuana for $360 to $400 an ounce. In just 3 1/2 months, 750 patients have come through its doors.

In Lansing, Mich., Danny Trevino has expanded beyond his HydroWorld hydroponics store, adding two medical clinics, grow classes and a dispensary.

And in Ypsilanti, Mich., Darrell Stavros and his partners have set up a medical marijuana service center, renting space to a support group, doctors and a bong shop. "This is creating an enormous amount of businesses that never existed," he said.

Medical marijuana, one of Michigan's newest industries, is taking off. Dozens of hydroponics stores, medical clinics and grow schools are popping up. And at support groups, cafes and dispensaries, patients and growers are buying and selling the drug.

As with any industry, there are challenges, such as crop failures and theft. And limits on the size of growers' crops make it all but impossible for growers to get rich, though they can earn some decent money.

"A few people will make a few bucks. Most people won't make much," said Adam Brook, organizer of the annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash.

In Michigan's burgeoning medical marijuana industry, few rules exist, much of the business occurs in secrecy and the only way for growers to make big bucks is to break the law. "If you operate within the law, you're not going to make a lot of money," said Leili Russo, who grows marijuana for medical purposes and serves as the secretary of the Genesee County Compassion Club in Flint, Mich.

Growers, also called caregivers, say that at best, they can make $40,000 a year. And that's after spending $1,000 or more on equipment and other supplies, and putting in countless hours every day tending to plants.

Under Michigan's medical marijuana law, caregivers can supply only five patients. Each patient can have 12 plants. But growers who choose to ignore these rules can easily make $100,000, said Brook, an industry consultant, an annual rally to support reforming marijuana laws.

With these conditions, it's no surprise that medical marijuana is becoming a big business in Michigan's depressed economy. Nineteen months after residents voted to legalize medical marijuana, the industry has attracted more than 8,000 caregivers, people who grow and harvest marijuana plants so they can be turned into medicine for patients, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.

For caregivers who abide by the law, this kind of work is usually a second job. That's the case with Corey Hathaway, 33, of Eaton Rapids, Mich. Hathaway used to run his own commercial construction company, but that business dried up when the economy tanked. So he found a job working at HydroWorld, a hydroponic shop in Lansing. To supplement his income, he also is a caregiver with five patients.

"The people that are greedy don't succeed because they can't maintain the patient-caregiver relationship," he said. The law is vague about what caregivers can do if they produce more marijuana than their patients need. To make extra money, some sell their overages on the black market or to dispensaries, clinics or other caregivers.

Growing marijuana is just one part of the rapidly expanding industry. Experts say more lucrative opportunities can be found selling the hydroponic equipment that caregivers need and teaching them how to grow marijuana properly. Another moneymaker: operating clinics that help people get the paperwork they need to qualify as medical marijuana patients. These kinds of service businesses are springing up all around the state and are the most visible part of the industry. Already, price wars have sprung up among the dozens of hydroponic shops that have opened in southeast Michigan.

The intense competition hasn't stopped Kriss Pullen-Gideons from believing that her store, Gro Blue in downtown Ann Arbor, has a bright future. She used some of her retirement savings to open the small shop, and her son and daughter are co-owners.

By

General Stanley McChrystal says he and his aides smoked marijuana with a Rolling Stone reporter and it was that experience that led to an article in the magazine in which he spoke disparagingly about the President, Vice President and several high-ranking military and diplomatic figures.

“I was high,” McChrystal confessed to Lying Dog News.

McChrystal said the pot “loosened his tongue” and was the reason he and his aides spoke so candidly during the interview.

About McChrystal’s first one-on-one meeting with Obama, Rolling Stone reports: “‘It was a 10-minute photo op,’ says an adviser to McChrystal. ‘Obama clearly didn’t know anything about him, who he was. Here’s the guy who’s going to run his fucking war, but he didn’t seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed.’”

Elsewhere in the article McChrystal and his aides joke about Joe Biden and wonder if the vice president will make a gaffe during an upcoming speech. They mockingly refer to Biden as “bite me.”

“It was Rolling Stone magazine, man!” McChrystal told LDN. “Am I going to refuse to share a peace pipe with such a key demographic for future recruitment in the armed forces? No, of course I’m not. How was I to know the shit they smoke these days has got on it the kick of a she-ass in heat?!”

By Lying Dog News

NH House committee studying taxing marijuana

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:20:13 -0400

New Hampshire's House isn't giving up on the idea of legalizing small amounts of marijuana.

Members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee are holding a work session Tuesday on legislation that would allow adults to buy and use an ounce or less of the drug. The bill would regulate the purchase and use of marijuana and tax wholesalers $45 per ounce sold to retailers. The House voted to study the measure, which would have to be introduced as a new bill in the next session.

The House voted to decriminalize one-quarter ounce or less of the drug this session, but the Senate killed the bill. Gov. John Lynch had said he would veto it if it reached his desk.

By Business Week

Denver Sales Tax On Medical Marijuana Raised Over $1 Million In Five Months

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:03:35 -0400

Say what you will about medical marijuana but one question is not up for debate: whether or not it would make state’s money. In late 2009, the Colorado Attorney General gave cities permission to start taxing medical marijuana and the green (not that green) has been rolling in. How much money have they made? Well, according to NBC affiliate 9News, the city of Denver raised revenues of over $1 million in only five months. Whoa, dude.

“The numbers are from a period stretching from December to April. During those five months, the city collected $1,023,308.67 from the various medical marijuana businesses scattered around the city. In March, the city collected $226,492.56, the highest reported collection to date.”

While the article and report point out that this is still a small portion of the state’s revenue, it’s definitely a check that Colorado will be happy to deposit. And, in these cash-strapped times, don’t think that other states preparing to write medical marijuana legislation aren’t hungrily eyeing those figures. Whether or not this will lead to full on legalization in Colorado or any other state will remain to be seen but, it’s possible that those impassioned predictions your burnout college roommate made all those years ago might finally be coming true.

By Mediate

Compassion club blames competitiors for raids

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:51:55 -0400

The head of the Montreal Compassion Club, who faces marijuana-peddling charges, says he's the victim of confusing laws and lax competitors.

Marc-Boris St-Maurice met with members of the media in Montreal on Tuesday, one day before he is expected to appear at the Montreal courthouse to face drug possession and trafficking charges.

St-Maurice, the former leader of the Marijuana Party, was one of 35 people arrested when police raided five marijuana clubs in Montreal and Quebec City earlier this month.

Officers closed down the centres, which claimed sell marijuana to people who need it for medical purposes.

Canada offers only one strain of medical marijuana, and the only legal way to purchase it is through Health Canada.

The people who run the Montreal Compassion Club have made no secret that their service is not legal, but the non-profit centre has been tolerated by authorities for a decade, said St-Maurice.

Despite the fact that he said the federal government has "cut corners" with less than clear rules, St-Maurice said his organization has always been "rigourous and professional" in its distribution of the drug.

Lachine club less 'rigourous'

He blamed the recently opened dispensary for having muddled the legal landscape.

"We are not in any way associated nor connected … to the people of Culture 420 in Lachine and we find it troubling that people have the impression that we are connected," St-Maurice said.

The people who run the Culture 420 club act as though the distribution of medical marijuana is legal, creating confusion for users, said St-Maurice.

"It worries us to see that there are many messages and it is not clear who to listen to, or who to believe," he said.

Last month, the City of Montreal said it had asked its legal department to investigate compassion clubs after officials said they had received complaints about the Culture 420 club.

An investigation by the French-language service of the CBC found it was easy to obtain marijuana at the club.

An undercover reporter told workers at Culture 420 he was suffering from migraines.

Staff told him he would be able to obtain the drug after making a declaration that he needed it for medical reasons before a commissioner of oaths. They then directed him to a commissioner of oaths who worked in a nearby building.

The Montreal Compassion Club only sells marijuana to patients with a doctor's prescription, said St-Maurice.

Raids left medical users with few sources

St-Maurice expressed concern about the effects of the June 3 raids, which forced the clubs to shut down.

People who use marijuana to treat medical conditions now don't have access to the drug, he said.

The absence of the clubs is also motivating other people to move in to fill the void, he said.

Though they may be well-intentioned, St-Maurice said he worries an increased number of small marijuana distributors will only exacerbate the problem of unregulated distribution in Montreal.

St-Maurice declined to discuss his legal strategy for his upcoming case.

He faces three charges including drug trafficking, possession with the intent to traffic and conspiracy to traffic.

By CBC

PANEL OFFERS IDEAS TO CHANGE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:32:36 -0400

Lawmakers will be getting more than two dozen ideas for changing the state's medical marijuana law from a group that included advocates, law enforcement and others.

The ideas include tougher restrictions on medical marijuana on school property, increased oversight and more regulations such as a requirement that the drug be grown in Montana.

The ideas come from three meetings among those representing medical marijuana caregivers and patients, local government, law enforcement and schools.

Separately, backers of an initiative to repeal the medical marijuana law altogether say they may have collected enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Election officials won't know for sure until next month.

By ABC Montana

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says he smoked pot in his younger years, but no other illegal drugs

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:27:52 -0400

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo re-confirmed Monday that indeed he did try a little pot in his younger days.

The information is not new, but it surfaced in an unusal way at a morning news conference.

Cuomo was speaking on efforts to fight child pornography when he mentioned "hash values," a kind of numerical fingerprint carried by files and images.

Cuomo's office has built a database of these fingerprints, so much the better to target the images and stop them from being transmitted on the Web.

The mention of "hash values" sparked a question in the inquiring mind of NY1 reporter Josh Robin - had Cuomo ever smoked hash?

"What I've said - the question's come up before, Josh, and I said I did experiment with marijuana when I was a youth. In no way do I suggest that any young people should do any experimentation whatsoever."

Cuomo said marijuana is the only illegal drug he has tried.

By NY Daily News

A growing business: Marijuana in Michigan

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:53:39 -0400

Entrepreneurs in Michigan turning to the burgeoning medical marijuana business are finding a steady, modest income, observers said.

Nineteen months after Michigan voters legalized marijuana for medicinal use, a growing cottage industry of growing, selling, consulting, educating growers, and some work for lawyers has blossomed in the state, the Detroit Free Press reported Monday.

"A few people will make a few bucks. Most people won't make much," said Adam Brook, who organizes the Hash Bash, an annual event in Ann Arbor, Mich., that began in 1972 when the state was temporarily void of anti-marijuana laws.

Medicinal marijuana growers in Michigan are now called caregivers and are allowed to grow enough for five patients, each of which is allowed to lay claim to 12 plants.

That limits a growers income to roughly $40,000 a year although more can be made by those who break the rules.

Brook said growers can make $100,000 a year by selling to more than their allotted five customers.

"If you operate within the law, you're not going to make a lot of money," said Leili Russo, the secretary of the Genesse County Compassion Club, the state's largest membership group of medicinal marijuana users with 1,000 members.

By All Voices

Bill would delay NJ medical marijuana startup

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:22:56 -0400

A bill being introduced in the New Jersey Legislature would delay the start of the state's new medical marijuana law until Jan. 1.

Sen. Nicholas Scutari says he'll introduce legislation Monday calling for a three-month delay in the law giving chronically ill patients access to marijuana.

The bill would give the state Health Department more time to set up the system under which AIDS, cancer and MS patients could legally access the drug.

On Friday, Gov. Chris Christie proposed a centralized growing and distribution program with Rutgers University and state hospitals playing major roles.

None of the 13 other states with medical marijuana laws have a distribution system involving colleges or hospitals.

By APP

Hampden to Vote on Medical Marijuana Moratorium

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:53:10 -0400

Residents in Hampden will have the chance to speak out tonight, about a proposed moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries being built in town.

Hampden is proposing a 180-day waiting period before allowing itself to be available as a possible site for passing out medical marijuana as well as growing it.

State leaders have divided Maine into eight territories, allowing for a medical marijuana dispensary in each one of them.

They are currently taking bids.

Hampden town leaders say there are just too many questions right now to put themselves into the mix.

"What became obvious to us is that in terms of ordinances and land use regulation, that is not something that we had considered when the land use ordinances were developed," says Hampden Town Manager Susan Lessard. "And in reviewing these ordinances, there's very little protection for any district from the location of one."

Hampden residents will be allowed to speak out about the proposed moratorium tonight at 7 p.m.

The public hearing takes place at the Hampden Municipal Building Council Chambers on Western Avenue.

Afterwards, the council will vote on whether or not to approve the six-month moratorium.

By WABI TV

Marijuana lollipops for sale on Lakers parade route

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:39:21 -0400

In addition to the sales of Lakers paraphernalia and water, some surprising entrepreneurs took to the parade route to sell their wares.

Among them was a mobile truck, Weed World Candies.com, selling marijuana lollipops in hues of orange and blue. (The truck itself is green with a photo mural of young women in bikinis sorting marijuana leaves.)

The assortment included brands of marijuana such as OG Kush and Grand Daddy Perp. The truck’s owner, Bilal Muhammad, said he was recently forced to shut down his store in West Hollywood and had taken his business on the road.

Customers approaching his truck were asked if they had a prescription card allowing them to purchase marijuana and then were handed a free lollipop.

It’s been working out very well,” he said of business before driving away as police became visible in the distance.

So far, Muhammad was able to work without interruption from police.

By

The Sacramento City Council is weighing a November ballot measure that would levy a special tax on marijuana and increase annual fees paid by businesses.

The council will debate at its Tuesday meeting whether the city attorney should draft a ballot measure to phase in an increase of the business occupancy tax and create a new business tax category for pot.

The pot fee would apply not only to medical marijuana dispensaries, but also to any business that would be permitted if a statewide ballot measure legalizing marijuana, which is also on the November ballot, is approved.

If adopted, the new business taxes would generate $8.8 million a year for the city's battered general fund, which pays for police officers, firefighters and parks. The City Council will vote Tuesday on a budget package aimed to fill a $43 million deficit for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the third straight year of massive budget gaps.

Oakland is the only other city in the state to tax its medical pot shops, levying 1.8 percent taxes on the businesses. In Sacramento, officials are proposing a 3 percent tax starting in July 2011, eventually increasing it to 5 percent by 2013.

San Jose, which is considering an ordinance to cap the number of local dispensaries at 10, also is considering a November ballot initiative on a 3 percent tax. Officials in Berkeley are contemplating a 2.5 percent tax.

Sacramento's pot tax would eventually pump $850,000 into the city budget. The proposal got mixed, and anxious, reviews from operators of local medical marijuana dispensaries.

"I'm so against it. It's outrageous," said Aundre Speciale, founder and director of the Capitol Wellness Center, which operates two dispensaries in midtown. "On one hand, they expect us to be nonprofit or not-for-profit, and on the other hand they're expecting 3 percent of the profit. When you operate as a nonprofit, there is nothing left."

Speciale says Capitol Wellness employs 28 people, including counselors for AIDS/HIV patients and social workers. She said the gross receipts tax may force it to cut back on community programs, including support groups for veterans, a community garden and a new neighborhood community center that offers tutoring and meal service in Oak Park. Don Johnson, who with his wife, Ke, runs the United Non-Profit Collective near the Capital City Freeway, says he supports the notion of a tax. But he said the city is acting prematurely in considering the November ballot measure when it has yet to pass an ordinance formally allowing and regulating local medical marijuana establishments.

"I'm all for a special tax. But it's sort of putting the cart before the horse," Johnson said. "They're still yet to issue regulations for us and now they're talking about taxing us. It just seems sort of backwards to me."

The City Council this month extended a moratorium on new medical pot dispensaries while officials finalize the details of permanent regulations for the facilities. The delay bought more time for negotiations on how to govern – or restrict – 39 pot shops registered in the capital.

The city is proposing capping the number of dispensaries at 12 and setting strict rules for their operations. The plan under consideration would require dispensaries to maintain security and would ban the hiring of workers with felony convictions.

Taxing marijuana in Sacramento is one part of the business tax proposal.

The city's business occupancy tax, which acts as the city's business license fee, has not been raised since 1991. Of the 10 largest cities in California, Sacramento ranks last in per capita collection of its business occupancy tax, said interim Assistant City Manager Patti Bisharat. Under the current fee scale, businesses are charged 40 cents per $1,000 in gross receipts each year. City officials want to raise the rate to 50 cents per $1,000 in receipts starting next July. The rate would eventually hit 70 cents per $1,000 in 2013.

As a way to attract green technology companies, the proposal calls for waiving the business tax for clean tech firms for three years.

The tax is capped at $5,000 per business, and city officials want to increase that cap to $50,000. Under the current cap and fee structure, "small and medium businesses are paying a disproportionate amount of the tax," Bisharat said.

According to a city staff report, a business generating $100,000 would see its taxes go up by $27 a year, while a company making $10 million would pay an additional $3,000.

QUICK FACTS • Oakland is the only other city in the state to tax its medical pot shops, at a rate of 1.8 percent. • San Jose and Berkeley are considering taxes on the businesses.

By Sac Bee

New Jersey May Postpone Implementing Medical Marijuana

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:05:55 -0400

Plans for New Jersey to join 13 other states across America offering medical marijuana could be put off for a few months.

The law signed as Jon Corzine was walking out of the Governor’s Office in January prompted his replacement, Chris Christie, to seek a 6 month delay in the first step; establishing distribution rules.

The bill’s original sponsor, Union County State Senator Nick Scutari, is willing to give Christie three:

“At first, I was concerned that it was just a delay based on either a law they didn’t want to implement or politics. I don’t believe that’s the case any longer.”

Scutari figures the change, which he’ll formally propose Monday, will not put undue stress on the thousands who have sought medical marijuana as a way to ease their physical pain. It will put off the rule changes until the fall with the first prescriptions being filled early next year.

By KYW 1060

Sarah Palin wants cops to leave weed smokers alone

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:02:18 -0400

Whodathunkit: The Thrilla from Wasilla, Mrs. USA, the grizzliest mama of them all is A-OK with folks getting stoned in the privacy of their own homes. “If somebody’s gonna smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else any harm,” former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said recently on FOX News, the fuzz should just leave them be.

The folks at the Marijuana Policy Project, America’s largest weed legalization lobby, are happy to hear it. But they’d like to see Palin cash that check with some action.

“If Sarah Palin recognizes that marijuana is a ‘minimal problem’ and that law enforcement has greater priorities,” the MPP’s Mike Meno wrote in a statement to the press, “she should get off the fence and join the growing ranks of libertarian-minded Republicans, including Rep. Ron Paul and former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, who have called for an end to the outdated and failed policies of marijuana prohibition.”

Meno even takes a swipe at Palin’s caveat — that legalizing weed would harm the kiddies: “Palin says she opposes making marijuana legal because of the message it would send to young people, but our current policies ensure that young people have better access to marijuana than nearly anyone else. Unlike the licensed merchants who sell tobacco and alcohol, drug dealers do not check IDs.”

They sure don’t!

While The Daily Caller has yet to hear back from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, it did reach out to its smoking readers for reactions to Palin’s statement.

“I’m a stoner who finds sarah palin linguistically and ideologically indecipherable, EVEN WHEN I’M NOT STONED,” wrote an artist in Atlanta. “I think hers is a pretty typical independent-but-not-republican sentiment, which is the type of rep she’s trying to foster, right? So it actually makes a lot of sense to me. Plus, maybe alaska is a total bummer and you need ganja to power through winter.”

A deejay in Washington had slightly less kind things to say. “I do disagree with most of her other positions on issues, and she usually comes across as ridiculous in her public and media appearance. So this one position on weed doesn’t make me any more keen to see her become our next President or hold any position of political authority. It does strike me as simple common sense, though.”

Palin said during her appearance that law enforcement resources are wasted on the war against fun. “Perhaps there are other things that our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems that we have in society that are appropriate for law enforcement to do and not concentrate on such a, relatively speaking, minimal problem that we have in the country.”

By Daily Caller

Moratorium on Pot Dispensaries in Portland Appears Headed for Defeat

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:39:02 -0400

Five of the nine members of Portland's City Council have said they're not likely to support the proposed six-month moratorium.

Portland City Councilor John Anton, who says he originally asked the city's attorney to advise the council on where medical marijuana dispensaries might be located, has joined a number of councilors in saying he will likely not vote for a proposed six-month moratorium.

Instead, Anton says he will likely support a zoning amendment that would limit dispensaries to the city's two business districts. "I think that's a good start. We should refer that to the planning board to really fine-tune it but I think having it in the downtown business districts is appropriate."

Of the nine members of the Portland City Council, five have said they are unlikely to support a proposed six-month moratorium that is due to come up for a public hearing Monday night.

By MPBN

Marijuana cases spark protest outside courthouse

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:11:46 -0400

The pungent smell of marijuana smoke permeated the entrance of Peterborough's Superior Court of Justice Thursday as a group of activists took aim at Canada's marijuana possession laws.

Members of the group toked up in protest on the courthouse's front steps, arguing marijuana possession laws were invalid for a six-year period beginning in 2003.

The group was supporting two local men -Mark McDonald and Benny Almud -who have been charged with marijuana possession for the purpose of trafficking. "They have been charged with something, which...is no longer alive anymore," activist John Turmel said on the front steps of the courthouse.

Both McDonald and Almud say they were using marijuana at the time of their arrests for medicinal reasons and since their arrests have both received medical approval to possess it legally.

McDonald said he was arrested in December 2008 with 36 grams of bud, 1,410 grams of bud and stock mixture, 43 drying plants and 40 pounds of marijuana shake.

All the marijuana was for medicinal use, he said. A spinal condition causes him severe pain, which he can offset by using about 15 grams of marijuana per day, he said.

"In comparison to the prescription drug they give me, which is stronger than morphine, the marijuana is a lot easier on my body," McDonald said.

Police seized some 142 marijuana plants when officers raided Almud's Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield township home in July.

Suffering from multiple ailments including cancer, heart problems and chronic pain, Almud said marijuana is the only drug that can help him cope.

"I wasn't trafficking," Almud said. "I was just trying to get enough marijuana for six months or a year (for medicinal purposes)."

His granddaughter Sabrina Almud, who was jointly charged on the offences, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and had nothing to do with the drugs, Almud added.

Turmel, who accompanied the accused as part of the organization Canadian Cannabis Legal Defence Resource, argues the men were charged during a period of time between 2003 and 2009 when Canada's marijuana laws were constitutionally invalid.

Longtime medicinal-marijuana advocate Terry Parker also joined McDonald and Almud in Peterborough court Thursday.

"I'm here for moral support," he said.

In a landmark case in 2000, Parker won the right to smoke pot for medicinal purposes.

That legal victory gave medicinal-marijuana users the right to posses less than 30 grams of pot but the presiding judge delayed the ruling's effect for one year in hope the federal government would introduce a medicinal marijuana law.

But the government did not. Instead, the cabinet issued regulations for access to medicinal marijuana one day before the year-long grace period ended in 2001.

In early 2003, the Supreme Court of Ontario ruled those medical access regulations were unconstitutional because they were failing to provide a legal supply of the drug.

As a result of the ruling, marijuana possession charges were stayed for about 4,000 people. The government changed the medicinal marijuana regulation again in 2003, which Turmel and his group argue made the laws invalid once more until new changes in 2009.

The accused and their supporters were not granted an opportunity to present their case to the court Thursday and their cases were adjourned to July 19.

By Chatham Daily News

Oregon court: Handgun permit OK with medical pot

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:35:06 -0400

MEDFORD, Ore. — The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that a medical marijuana patient can have a concealed handgun permit.

The court on Wednesday said Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters had no grounds to deny the permit sought by Cynthia Willis in 2008.

Winters had argued the federal Gun Control Act of 1968 was the legal basis of his decision.

The Court of Appeals rejected the sheriff's arguments and found that Willis complied with state law in her application.

Portland attorney Leland Berger, who represents Willis and three others who were denied permits, called the ruling a victory for marijuana cardholders around the state.

By Google News

Marijuana ordinance up to voters in fall

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:22:32 -0400

A Detroit City Council committee passed today on amending a city ordinance to allow adults in the city to legally possess a small amount of marijuana. Instead voters will get to decide in November.

Brought to you by the Coalition for a Safer Detroit – the same group that successfully got medical marijuana placed on the ballot in 2004 which passed – the ordinance amendment would allow anyone 21-years-old or older to legally possess less than an ounce of marijuana on private property, amending Chapter 38 of the city code regulating controlled substances.

Tim Beck, a registered medical marijuana user who filed the petitions, says the amended ordinance would “free up the police department to pursue crimes with actual victims.”

Dennis Mazurek, assistant corporation counsel with the city Law Department, told the council’s Internal Operations Committee that the ordinance amendment violates state law, specifically, the Michigan Public Health Code, and cannot be enacted. The state only allows registered medical marijuana use.

According to the City Clerk’s Office, the Coalition submitted 5,750 signatures in May; 3,895 were required and 4,598 were validated.

The City Charter allows voters to enact a city ordinance, or “initiative,” like this by petition. Council is required to act within 30 days or pass on the initiative, which the council’s Internal Operations Committee did today by not voting on the initiative.

The initiative will now automatically be reviewed by the Detroit Elections Commission, which must approve the petitions to be placed on the November ballot.

Beck is confident voters will pass the ordinance, as they passed the medical marijuana ordinance in 2004.

“It’s going to win,” he said. “I have no doubt about that.”

By Freep.com

Saline prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:53:54 -0400

The Saline City Council has taken action to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of the city.

Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell and City Manager Todd Campbell said city officials decided they wanted to follow federal law regarding marijuana, which prohibits its sale and possession.

City Council members unanimously approved an amendment to Saline's zoning ordinance that prohibits the sale or possession of marijuana or "anything that is a violation of federal, state or local laws," Campbell said.

The city's action was prompted by voters' approval of medicinal marijuana in 2008. Since then, communities have struggled with figuring out how to regulate its use. Saline officials decided on an approach aimed at eliminating ambiguities.

"It's pretty complicated," Driskell said. "Sure it's legal by the state, but at the same time, it's not legal by the federal government."

Campbell said city officials considered three approaches: "Do nothing, regulate (the marijuana) or prohibit,” he said. “They decided to prohibit it.” He said he only knew of one preliminary inquiry the city had received about setting up a medical marijuana establishment.

Other local communities are also wrestling with how to handle medical marijuana. A medical marijuana clinic is operating in Ann Arbor, but an official says the city will soon examine the legality of any dispensaries and the broader issue of zoning for medical marijuana dispensing and use within city limits.

Ypsilanti Township has given first reading approval to its own zoning ordinance. Some communities, like Birmingham, have adopted Saline's approach and banned medical marijuana. The legal status of medical marijuana businesses remains unclear in the state. A Lansing-area smoking club was recently raided by police.

By Anna Arbor News

Marysville medical marijuana group denied license

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:02:25 -0400

MARYSVILLE, Wash. -- A medical marijuana group has been denied a business license in Marysville.

The Daily Herald of Everett reports a city hearing examiner Tuesday ruled against Elevated Medical Treatment, which was appealing an earlier denial.

Examiner Ron McConnell said the group was applying for a license as an organization and the state medical marijuana law requires an individual provider. Elevated Medical Treatment argued it has a one-to-one relationship with patients.

Marysville City Attorney Tom Graafstra said medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal in Washington.

By Seattle Pi

Exclusive: Politics of pot endangering state medical marijuana laws

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:55:09 -0400

The Saline City Council has taken action to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of the city.

Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell and City Manager Todd Campbell said city officials decided they wanted to follow federal law regarding marijuana, which prohibits its sale and possession.

"It's pretty complicated," Driskell said. "Sure it's legal by the state, but at the same time, it's not legal by the federal government."

By Anna Arbor News

Authorities announce arrests of medical marijuana operators

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:50:55 -0400

Jun. 15--Drug investigators have arrested a Thousand Oaks couple on suspicion of operating an illegal marijuana delivery business and are seeking child endangerment charges because food cooked with marijuana was found in a refrigerator at the couple's home, authorities said today.

Investigators said Fabian Citraro, 32, and wife Amanda Citraro, 30, are owners of Mary Jane's Bud in the 3500 block of Old Conejo Road in Thousand Oaks. Their arrests last week capped a monthlong investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

According to its website, Mary Jane's is a medical marijuana collective and delivery group serving all of Ventura County.

Investigators obtained search warrants for four locations associated with the marijuana operation, authorities said. Two locations were in a business complex in the 3400 block of Old Conejo Road, where marijuana plants were being cultivated, authorities said.

Another location was in the 3500 block of Old Conejo Road, where a central dispatch center took marijuana orders either by telephone or over the Internet. The dispatcher at the center would fill the requested orders, and multiple drivers would deliver the marijuana to customers' doorsteps, officials said.

Investigators also served a search warrant at the couple's residence on Teardrop Court in Thousand Oaks. Investigators said they found marijuana "converted to food products" in the refrigerator there. Small children, according to investigators, had easy access to this marijuana, so investigators are pursuing child endangerment charges.

The couple are scheduled to appear July 6 in Ventura County Superior Court.

By Ventura County Star

An unlikely evangelist for legal marijuana

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:54 -0400

At first glance, Richard Lee looks nothing like a man who regularly smokes dope and spent his youth working with rock 'n' rap gods from Aerosmith to LL Cool J. Or who gunned his Harley up and down Texas highways as a young man, and has a will as stubborn as iron.

He looks like, well, a quiet business yuppie. In a wheelchair. With tidy slacks and button-down shirt, short-cropped hair and a shy smile.

Even cops trained to assess people are surprised - especially once they learn that this quiet guy is the champion for one of the most revolutionary social-change movements of our time, the legitimizing of marijuana.

Lee's latest effort is the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act on the Nov. 2 ballot, which would make California the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Its passage would notch the 47-year-old Oakland man a spot in the annals of pot.

Such notice wouldn't be all that new for him. From hemp activism in Texas to building a cannabis university empire in Oakland, Lee has been a pioneer in the marijuana movement for 20 years - something that neither he nor his conservative Republican parents could have foreseen.

It all began with a catastrophic accident in 1990 that broke his back.

From rock to activism Lee was 27 and working as a lighting technician for Aerosmith when he slipped on a catwalk in New Jersey while setting up for a concert. The resulting spinal injury left him paralyzed from the waist down - and suddenly the young man who flew ultralight planes and loved motorcycles and playing basketball was grounded. At least as far as his legs were concerned.

Medicinal pot - which was illegal then - was the only thing, he said, that dampened back spasms as he sat in his wheelchair. When he was carjacked in Houston a year into his disabled life and waited nearly an hour for uninterested cops to show up, he found his cause.

He figured police were probably off wasting their time making marijuana busts instead of chasing the people who had stolen his car.

"I felt like, here was this wonderful medicine of cannabis that had helped me so much, and why were the cops going after people using and selling it instead of the psychos and sociopaths who are out there robbing people?" Lee said. "I thought I should do something about it."

He soon opened a hemp clothing store in Houston and became a nationally known spokesman for the weed - for both clothing and smoking use - at trade shows and community gatherings.

Other than rock 'n' roll lighting, the only hint of a career he'd had before then had been studying advertising and public relations at the University of Houston, where he dropped out in 1984.

He'd spent his youth in Texas in a house with four brothers mostly having a good time, "not really thinking about the future." Traveling the nation setting up the light racks for top acts of all kinds - he also worked with Dwight Yoakum - had seemed like enough of an avocation.

No more. Pot is now his life's work. He is so serious about its positive qualities that he rarely even calls it pot, weed or dope anymore. It's cannabis or marijuana, terms that connote the legitimacy with which he regards the plant.

Libertarian leanings

"My parents are Republicans, and actually, I'm kind of a conservative," said Lee, who is unmarried and childless. "You might call me a bit of a Libertarian. I think government is very wasteful, and for a lot of things, the free market can do better. So I guess you could say in some ways this was an unusual path for me.

"But it fits."

"When Richard told me that marijuana helped him, I did not want to hear that," Lee's 80-year-old mother, Ann Lee, said by telephone from her home in Houston. "We had always thought marijuana was the weed of the devil, and I did not want to hear anything about Richard having anything to do with it."

But after seeing that smoking helped their son's pain and eased the depression that followed his accident, Ann and her husband, Bob, 85, became reluctantly accepting. Ann was a schoolteacher and Bob ran a library for accountants and attorneys. This drug thing, they said, was not in their personal frame of reference.

"When you have a young son sitting in his wheelchair telling you that marijuana, of all things, has helped him so much with his pain, you can't dismiss it," Ann Lee said. "We realized it wasn't just because he wanted to get high. We had to gulp hard, pray hard, believe in our son and then do a heck of a lot of reading and research."

Mom to campaign Twenty years later, the couple still get ribbed by their Republican friends for supporting their son's enterprise, but they say they hear more words of support, even in church. This summer and fall, Ann Lee intends to fly to California to help campaign for Richard's measure.

"The older I get, and the more I look back and think how I grew up in Louisiana with Jim Crow, and didn't really understand it as a white person," she said, "the more I realize that we should be talking against an unjust drug war against marijuana just the way we did against Jim Crow."

As for the career path her son has chosen - "I would never have thought he'd choose this, but then Richard has always marched to his own drumbeat and had real integrity," Lee said. "I knew he wouldn't do anything ordinary as a career.

"I just didn't know it would be this. He's worked hard and I'm proud of him."

Richard Lee already had a reputation as a leader in the national movement to legalize hemp when he showed up in Oakland in 1998 to work in the medicinal cannabis business created by California's passage, two years before, of Proposition 215.

Starting out an employee for the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative, he soon opened a couple of his own dispensaries, including the SR-71 - named, from his love of aviation, after the Blackbird reconnaissance airplane. The plane's manufacturer, Lockheed, was not amused, so he eventually gave it the name it has today, Coffeeshop Blue Sky. Oaksterdam University, which teaches how to run a business or personal grow operation in the decriminalized medicinal marijuana trade, followed in 2007 in Oakland as the nation's first marijuana college.

The district where the school sits, just north of the downtown core, got its name after Prop. 215 inspired a flurry of pot dispensaries there and local fans melded the names of Oakland with weed-tolerant Amsterdam. Lee appropriated the moniker for his campus and is now so associated with the district that High Times magazine last year dubbed him "the mayor of Oaksterdam."

Today, with a T-shirt and paraphernalia shop, grow operation and other businesses, Lee's empire pulls in $5 million a year. (Lee says his take from that is about $50,000 annually.) The $1.5 million in annual fees and local and state taxes that Oaksterdam University and Lee's other outfits collectively pay has made him a power player in area politics.

50-50 odds It surprised nobody when he became the first person in many years to generate a ballot initiative to legalize pot. Polls place the measure's chances at about even for November.

If the measure passes, marijuana will still be illegal under federal law. Don't expect Lee to shy away from a fight with Washington.

"The most notable characteristic of Richard is his persistence," said Steve D'Angelo, whose Harborside Health Center cannabis dispensary in Oakland is the biggest in the United States. "I've known him since 1994, when we were both foremost advocates for hemp, and he is focused like a laser on whatever his goal is.

"If he wasn't working for medicinal cannabis, he'd be an advocate for some other form of social justice."

Lee may be the unthreatening face for his cause, said El Cerrito police Capt. Mike Regan, but he's not convincing the majority of those in law enforcement.

Some officers and judges have come out in favor of the November initiative, but more - including the California Police Chiefs Association - are opposing it.

Making it worse? "Richard looks like John Q. Citizen, and he's actually a really nice guy," said Regan, who speaks all over the state against marijuana use. "But I believe medical marijuana in California has grown wildly out of control, and I think the initiative would make it much worse.

"This is not a harmless drug."

He said Lee took him on a tour of Oaksterdam once, and he found the business impressive. But strictly medicinal use is one thing, Regan said - and rampant use, which he believes is what the measure would encourage, is another.

"I don't agree with him, but he listens to your viewpoint and gives you his viewpoint," the captain said. "Years ago, the only people I saw promoting this kind of business were dope dealers, and they looked like Cheech and Chong. Then you meet someone like Richard Lee, and you realize that today they are businessmen.

"But let's not kid ourselves," he said. "You're talking about some serious dollars being earned there. And when a cop who's been in this business a long time takes a look at the marijuana business that's grown up all over this state, it looks like a criminal enterprise from long ago. You've got lots of cash, tons of unaccounted marijuana hanging around, and a product that is illegal."

'Education challenge' Lee has heard the criticism before, and he's sure he will hear it more when the campaign starts heating up over the summer. He has even taken heat from some growers in Mendocino and Humboldt counties who say his advocacy of indoor growing undercuts the purity of their outdoor, supposedly more organic, operations.

Lee shrugs at the flak. An "education challenge," he calls it.

"Support goes up for what we are doing the more people learn about it, and realize marijuana is not terrible, and that it is safer than alcohol and healthier than prison," Lee said.

"I'm sure I'll have a few more gray hairs by November," he said, cracking his shy smile. "But I do think we'll get our point across enough to win."

By SF Gate

Group trying to repeal medical marijuana law

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:08:56 -0400

A group trying to repeal Montana's medical marijuana law started gathering signatures over the weekend.

The Billings-based group Safe Community Safe Kids has until 5 p.m. Friday to gather 24,337 signatures on a petition to get Initiative 165 on the November ballot. The signatures must include at least 5 percent of registered voters from each of the state's 34 House districts.

The initiative would ask voters if they would uphold or repeal the medical marijuana law supported by 62 percent of voters in 2004.

By KULR 8

Pot wheels: Mobile marijuana dispensary rolls out in Southern California city

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:33:31 -0400

A rolling marijuana dispensary has found a new parking spot after officials in the Southern California community of Norco chased it out of town.

Stewart Hauptman had provided medical pot from his motor home for about seven months until he was cited by police for violating a city ban on marijuana dispensaries. Hauptman's Lakeview Collective-on-Wheels had been selling $10 pot cookies and other items outside a clinic.

But Hauptman says he couldn't afford to fight the city zoning laws.

Hauptman says he hasn't had any problems since he moved his dispensary out of Norco to an unincorporated area of Riverside County this month.

A 1996 voter initiative legalized marijuana for medical use in California, but court battles are being fought about whether cities can ban distribution.

By Mercury News

City Council to talk pot Monday

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:50:04 -0400

Grand Junction City Council will talk pot at its Monday workshop meeting.

According to City Council Member Tom Kenyon, the council will discuss and get debriefed from city staff on its options on how to deal with medical marijuana dispensaries.

The workshop starts at 11:30am in an administrative conference room but will then move to the City Hall Auditorium as the public is invited to come and listen.

Kenyon tells 11News he's having a hard time figuring out if dispensaries are needed and if people that need medical marijuana can get their needs met somewhere other than a commercial dispensaries.

New medical marijuana regulations signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter are set to take affect this July. The new rules give counties and cities the option to post an ordinance to ban dispensaries outright or it allows them to put the ban to a vote.

County Commissioner Janet Rowland told 11News earlier in the month that the commissioners are talking about putting an initiative to ban dispensaries on the November ballot.

By NBC 11

ABC News 'Nightline' Marijuana Legalization Debate

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:37:57 -0400

By You Tube

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Permits Generate Controversy as Deadline Nears

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:38:37 -0400

Two weeks from today is the deadline for applications for Maine's eight medical marijuana dispensary permits. The permits will be awarded on a point-system by a four-person panel from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some potential operators are hoping to get more than one permit. Many have out-of-state connections. At least one is hoping to replicate its California experience in Maine. And that has some activists worried that Maine patients and growers will be cut out of the process.

Call it a gold rush or a green rush or a purely altruistic interest in seeing authorized patients get access to medical cannabis. Whatever it is, Portland attorney Ken Altshuler says Maine is looking pretty good to the would-be operators of the state's first marijuana dispensaries.

Altshuler figures it was his appointment to the state's medical marijuana task force that put him on their radar. "I gotta tell you, I probably have gotten a hundred emails and phone calls all over the place about wanting information on how to start a dispensary," he says. "Probably ten people were from Maine but I've gotten emails from New Mexico, California, lots of places."

Not only are out-of-state residents writing and calling to try to get a piece of the action, but at least one well-established dispensary from California is trying to set up shop.

"When I found out they were voting on it, and I've been running a dispensary out in California for some time now. I felt a sense of entitlement, I guess, to come back here and help these guys not make the same mistakes that California made," says Tim Schick.

Schick, who says he grew up in Maine, is a director at the Berkeley Patients Group, which recently helped sponsor a medical marijuana conference in Portland. Schick says BPG provides medical cannabis to about 13,000 members in the Berkeley area, as many as 1,000 patients in a single day.

No one yet knows how many Maine patients will enroll in Maine dispensaries. But Schick is hoping BPG's ten years worth of experience will give his associates an edge in the state scoring process.

"We've sent our top level management person, Becky DeKeuster -- she's actually out here and she's now a Maine state resident, so she will be running the dispensary and hopefully in a similar capacity to what we do in Berkeley. We can only hope we get one of the permits," Schick says.

Maine's new law requires principal officers and board members to be Maine residents, so Schick says BPG won't have a direct hand in the day-to-day operations. Becky DeKeuster says she took up residency in Maine this spring after traveling back and forth from California to advise the state's medical marijuana task force on how it should implement the new dispensary law.

"We kept coming back. We were able to provide, I hope, good advice," DeKeuster says. "And in the meantime, I pretty much fell in love with the state, honestly. And it became apparant that if we really wanted to help Maine's law develop, that I needed to be out here, so I went ahead and moved out."

DeKeuster says she intends to call her non-profit the Northeast Patients Group. The group has already reached out to one member of the state's medical marijuana task force. Patient advocate Faith Benedetti says she's in discussions to join the group's board.

DeKeuster declined to say where she wants to locate a dispensary. But in May the Kennebec Journal reported that she showed up at an Augusta City Council meeting and told the city manager that she hopes to open one in the area. In addition, DeKeuster's business card lists her address as 45 Memorial Circle in Augusta, the same address as Dan Walker's.

Walker is an attorney with Preti-Flaherty who helped write the medical marijuana referendum. He also served on the state's medical marijuana task force. And he says he's now been hired to help guide the Berkeley Patients' Group through the dispensary application process.

"Berkeley Patients Group is one of the leaders in this field -- like the cream that's floated to the top," Walker says. "They've set up safety councils. They gave, last year, gave hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the community. They have a model. And they want to share that with the states that are doing it. They want to make sure it's done right."

And, Walker says, not only does the group want one permit, but like others in the application pipeline, BPG is seeking multiple permits for dispensaries around Maine. Each dispensary application carries a $15,000 price tag, and that doesn't include the capital outlay necessary to provide a secure facility to accommodate both a growing operation and a therapeutic space for patients.

"Berkely Patients Group, to me, is an outside entity. They're not here for the patients. They think they can make money in our state," says Charlie Wynott of Westbrook, who is an AIDS patient, a caregiver and a long-time activist who has been part of the Maine Medical Marijuana Resource Center since 1994.

Wynott says his group is an AIDS service organization whose primary goal has been to provide low-cost or no-cost medical marijuana to authorized Maine patients since Maine first passed a medical marijuana law a decade ago. "Now, our frustration is that we cannot afford, as a non-profit, to pay the state $15,000 for one of these eight dispensaries. The funds that it would take to run one of the eight dispensaries means that you have to be huge."

Because the eight dispensaries are required to be run as non-profits and can't pay dividends to shareholders, attorney Dan Walker says it's misguided to think that operators will make alot of money from them. But observers note that several applicants are expected to seek multiple permits to run dispensaries, and could take a big piece of the pie.

"It seems like it's a state-run monopoly when we limit the number of potential dispensaries to eight, and potentially allow just one company to own them all," says John Stewart of Washington, a disabled veteran and caregiver who recently testified at a public hearing on proposed rules governing the use of medical marijuana. "Nobody likes a monopoly. It wouldn't be allowed in any other industry and it certainly shouldn't be allowed in this industry."

Under the new rules, dispensaries can pay their boards of directors, consultants and staff, but they cannot pay local growers or caregivers to provide them with medical cannabis. That has to be grown on site. The rules also require authorized patients to choose between getting their drug at a dispensary or through a registered caregiver.

Caregivers are allowed to provide medical cannabis for up to five patients, but it will cost them -- $300 dollars for each. And Charlie Wynott says he can't afford that. "I, as an individual, am on social security. I make $640 a month. Do you think I can give the state $300 of that in order for me to help a patient with medication? That's one patient, mind you."

Wynott worries that the whole intent of the medical marijuana law -- to get Maine patients affordable access to their preferred drug -- will be upended by a few powerful outside interests. State Sen. Stan Gerzofsky, chair of the Legislature's Criminal Justice Committee and a member of the state medical marijuana task force, says he's also wary -- and watching.

"Whenever anyone is going to dominate a market and they come from elsewhere and they want to come here for a specific reason where that product is illegal in most every other state, that would be a very serious concern of mine. I haven't found many things that an out-of-stater can do better than a Mainer. I'm sure we can grow good marijuana."

Some predict Maine patients may be more comfortable dealing with personal caregivers and bypass the dispensaries altogether. Others say the required patient and caregiver registry are too much of an invasion of privacy and they'll just continue to operate under the table.

By MPBN

As pot club legal battle approaches, MediLeaf expands

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:31:36 -0400

More than seven months after MediLeaf opened its doors without city permission amidst a splash of controversy, the Gilroy-based medical marijuana dispensary hardly receives notice from passersby.

Yet directors of MediLeaf, which has added two dispensaries in San Jose, claim it has received more than 4,000 members since it opened Nov. 9. Meanwhile, its legal challenges continue, as the City of Gilroy will seek a motion against MediLeaf on July 1 that would shut down the dispensary, and MediLeaf is in the midst of a lawsuit against its erstwhile landlords - former Morgan Hill Mayor John Sorci and his wife, Toni.

According to a city lawsuit, the dispensary opened without a business license at 1321 First St. on Nov. 9 after the City Council rejected an ordinance to regulate such operations, effectively barring them.

"Just because somebody complains about it doesn't mean can open up without proper permits," Mayor Al Pinheiro said.

MediLeaf directors have maintained that the dispensary is a nonprofit model and therefore does not require a business license. City officials have said that is not the case, claiming that dispensary directors knowingly defied city zoning laws. As an example, local churches, the Salvation Army and Goodwill have all gone through a licensing process, even though they don't have to pay licensing fees.

Judge Kevin Murphy denied the city a preliminary injunction to shut down MediLeaf on Dec. 15, allowing it to continue operating while litigation is pending.

On July 1, the city hopes to obtain a "summary judgment," which would indicate that no legal facts are in dispute, said Andy Faber, the attorney who is representing the city against MediLeaf. If that were the case, the city would be able to shut down the dispensary, Faber said.

Attorneys for MediLeaf maintain that the dispensary has been acting legally and has caused the city no harm.

"There have not been marijuana addicts sleeping in the streets," said James Roberts, a San Jose-based attorney representing the dispensary.

He did not know of a single complaint made to police about the dispensary since it began operating, he said.

Batzi Kuburovich, one of MediLeaf's co-directors, said the dispensary actually has improved the west Gilroy shopping center where it resides by cleaning up the corner of the lot where it stands.

MediLeaf is still undergoing inspections, but it has obtained a building permit after lowering sinks, placing handrails in the bathrooms and conducting other miscellaneous tasks, co-director Neil Forrest said.

It also has scaled down its size to cut costs, taking up only part of the building it occupies at 1321 First St., with plans to sublet the remaining space, Forrest said.

Konni Thomas, owner of First Street Coffee, which sits in the same shopping center as MediLeaf, said she still is not thrilled about having a pot club behind her business, but initial fears about negative impacts have been unfounded.

"It's like it's nonexistent or something," she said. "It's just quiet. It doesn't seem any different."

Meanwhile, MediLeaf has kept busy with two additional dispensaries in San Jose - one at 1340 Meridian Ave. in Willow Glen and one at 2129 S. 10th St. in central San Jose.

San Jose has decided not to crack down on dispensaries unless they are creating a nuisance, said Michael Hannon, a San Jose code enforcement official. However, that may change as the city is about to consider a dispensary ordinance, he said.

San Jose does require dispensaries to pay a business tax, but MediLeaf has done so, according to city finance officials.

MediLeaf has been working with the City of San Jose on drafting the wording of the city's dispensary ordinance, Kuburovich said.

Meanwhile, he described the situation in Gilroy as "an uphill battle."

"It's hard enough to open a not-for-profit without any obstacles or barriers," he said.

MediLeaf also has filed a small-claims suit against its former landlord, John and Toni Sorci, after they allegedly failed to pay back $5,000 in rent for a building that they had leased to another business.

MediLeaf signed an agreement with John Sorci on June 1, 2009, to begin leasing 7581 Monterey St. on Sept. 1, 2009. However, the city granted a business license to Dollar Store and More for the same location in August, Kuburovich said.

MediLeaf never occupied the building, and MediLeaf representatives only had one meeting there, he said.

The Sorcis' son, Sal Sorci, contended Thursday that his family only allowed Dollar Store and More to use that building after MediLeaf backed out of their agreement, opting to use their current building at First Street instead. At the time, MediLeaf representatives said they could not use the building because they had failed to receive approval from the city government, he said.

"It was a big set-up," Sal Sorci said.

Kuburovich disputed those claims, saying that Sal Sorci can be "misleading."

Judge Gregory Saldivar on Thursday postponed making a decision on the case at the South County Courthouse after receiving a letter from Sal Sorci that indicated John Sorci was being hospitalized after receiving knee surgery. The hearing was continued to July 15.

Meanwhile, both the city and MediLeaf are gearing up for the July 1 hearing in San Jose.

"We are battling the summary judgment, and we believe the city is wasting its money," Kuburovich said.

By Morgan Hill Times

Colo. pot shop debate heads to cities

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:44:43 -0400

Colorado's state-wide medical marijuana debate is going local, with several cities planning to ban marijuana dispensaries less than a week after a state law took effect giving them that authority.

Some city officials want to ban dispensaries outright while others want voters to decide. And in Colorado Springs, a conservative bastion with more than 100 dispensaries at last count, citizens angry at neighborhood pot shops are launching a petition drive to have the city shutter all pot dispensaries.

"They should be banned," said Steve Wind, a military retiree who started the petition effort. A city panel delayed approval of the petition effort Friday, calling for technical changes for legal reasons, but Wind and other pot opponents say they'll be gathering signatures within weeks to put the question to voters in Colorado's second-largest city this fall.

In Aurora, Colorado's third-largest city, town officials are already moving toward approving a similar ballot question. So far Aurora has banned dispensaries through a moratorium; the vote could make the ban on pot shops permanent.

And in Vail, a mountain resort that also has a moratorium, the town council is likely to vote on an outright ban, bypassing a public vote, by the end of the summer.

"There is ample opportunity within 10 minutes of Vail to get medical marijuana. We don't need dispensaries here," Vail Mayor Dick Cleveland said.

The city scramble to force pot shops to close, or prevent them in the first place, sets up a likely legal battle between cities and medical marijuana activists.

Earlier this year, the Denver suburb of Centennial tried and failed to ban a marijuana dispensary, claiming cities have the right to ban business that violate federal drug law, even if Colorado law allows them.

The marijuana dispensary in the Centennial case, Cannamart, prevailed in county court. But the pot shop hasn't returned to Centennial, opening two locations in other suburbs instead, so the question of whether towns can ban marijuana businesses remained unsettled until Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday signed into law a measure giving cities permission to ban dispensaries if they wish.

Dispensary owners vow more lawsuits to challenge that law.

"We've been up and running for a year, no problem," said Anthony Carmendy, owner of Pikes Peak Alternative Health & Wellness, a Colorado Springs dispensary with about 480 patients.

"Now because you can't control all the dispensaries, you want to ban all of us? That's not right," Carmendy said.

The head of Sensible Colorado, a marijuana advocacy group, predicted "a series of legal battles" over municipal pot bans in coming months.

But first, he said, marijuana advocates are hoping to prevent bans from passing. They're mounting campaigns to remind voters that Colorado legalized medical marijuana by a wide margin in 2000, and so patients should have a place to buy medical marijuana. They're also talking up economic benefits of selling and taxing pot—in Colorado Springs, for example, the local chamber of commerce has avoided taking a position on the prohibition attempt.

Colorado Springs pot growers hope to give more citizens doubt about whether dispensary bans are a good idea. Tanya Garduno, president of the Colorado Springs Medical Cannabis Council, said pot shop opponents are mistaken to think most residents don't like neighborhood marijuana shops.

"I don't think they have as much public support as they think they do," Garduno said.

She added that fears about the proliferation of pot shops in the last year will diminish because other provisions in the state bill—such as a new requirement that dispensaries grow at least 70 percent of the pot they sell—will prompt a noticeable reduction in the number of dispensaries already doing business.

But local officials and the Colorado Springs petitioners insist that even if most voters here approve of medical marijuana for the sick, people are alarmed by the number of dispensaries and want most of them shut down.

"It's too often recreational use, not the way it was intended," said Aurora City Councilman Robert Broom. He predicted easy passage of the ballot ban.

"I think it's pretty much a done deal," Broom said.

By Denver Post

Medical Marijuana Inc President Issues Letter to Shareholders

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:17:01 -0400

Medical Marijuana Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) has issued a President's letter to shareholders regarding The Hemp Network and general progress.

Dear Shareholders,

We are fortunate to have this great opportunity in front of us. We have the ingredients necessary to build a great company with serious value for our shareholders. The medical marijuana, hemp and related products industries are in their infancy and growing at fantastic rates. Although cannabis has been utilized for thousands of years, it is because of changing laws that make it possible for MJNA to be the first public company to step into this business now.

PRODUCTS: Our business model is focused on Medical Marijuana, Hemp and Wholesome products. In the Medical Marijuana field, we are focused on supplying the tools necessary for participants in the supply chain to be in compliance. We have recently upgraded to utility status our patent pending Tax card for dispensaries designed to bring these cannabis outlets and home delivery systems within tax compliance. Recently LA city council determined they wanted to go to a cashless dispensary system. As this desire spreads across America, we plan to participate in implementing these systems.

Bruce Perlowin, our Chairman and CEO, has developed an unparalleled, in-depth knowledge of our industry, ranging from seed development to the efficacy of medicinal products utilized by patients. With that knowledge, we have been able to upgrade our utility patent pending for a complete Tracking system that combines a chain of efficiency and compliance as the laws evolve. Bruce is also working with leading growers to develop certain strains of medical marijuana that are designed to meet a person's medical needs. As medical marijuana laws continue to evolve, our national agent sales force will be equipped to reveal for qualified physicians, the diverse and unique cannabis medicines we have developed so they can prescribe the very best solutions for their patients' needs.

Hemp is one of the most amazing plants on earth, capable of producing fibers for clothing and paper, oil for food, milk, cheese, alternative energy, pharmaceuticals, etc.

The 1st step to wellness is to have a healthy body. In that regard, we are developing a line of health products that will naturally enhance the benefits of medical marijuana to the patient. We have a complete team of doctors, immunologists and scientists developing and formulating what we believe will be the finest supplements to health. Our capsules are being designed to be made of healthy ingredients, and not made from animal products.

We have recently opened a new division "The Hemp Network" which is a network marketing company designed to efficiently distribute our products on a global basis. Based on years of experience owning and administering past network marketing companies, our Chairman/CEO and myself together bring a wealth of background. The official launch date for "The Hemp Network" is August 29, but already nearly 500 people have signed on as agents. As we develop this network into thousands of agents, we are well prepared for massive distribution of our high quality hemp and health related products. We encourage our shareholders to sign up with http://www.TheHempNetwork.com. We are excited about these products and hope you will be too when you see them displayed on our web site or have the pleasure of enjoying them yourselves in early September.

Sincerely, Don Steinberg, President

By Sys-Con

El Paso County Extends Medical Marijuana Land Use Requirements Marijuana Land Use Restrictions Extended to December

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:59:18 -0400

The El Paso County Commissioners on Thursday voted to extended until Dec 17 the existing land use regulations on medical marijuana. The extension of the current regulations is to give the county time to review new state legislation regarding medical marijuana and how it may affect the future of the medical marijuana industry. The El Paso County District Attorney will review how the state regulations could impact the county.

Colorado Springs City Councilmen Tom Gallagher and Sean Paige were at the commissioner meeting and spoke in favor of the county’s action. Councilman Paige told Commissioners, “I applaud the county because you were proactive in passing regulations while the city got behind the eight ball. Paige continued, “We hope we can move forward in lock step on this issue.”

Representatives of the medical marijuana industry also spoke in favor of the County’s regulations and offered their support.

By KRDO

Eliminate Canada's 'one-size-fits-all' criminalization of marijuana, study argues

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:38:06 -0400

A new Canada-wide study led by Simon Fraser University's Health Sciences department argues for the elimination of Canada's "one-size-fits-all" criminalization of marijuana use in favour of a public health drive to educate the minority of early- and high-frequency users who face the greatest health risks.

The study, directed by SFU professor Benedikt Fischer and published in the International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, divided Canadian cannabis users into four distinct categories based on their frequency of use, age of first use and reason for use -- social or medical.

The study surveyed usage patterns in 1,303 users and determined that the majority of marijuana users use the drug infrequently and presumably experience no major health risks as a result.

Class 1 users, who began using later in life and use infrequently, have the least risk of negative impacts on their health while Class 4 users, those who began using early and use daily or near-daily, risk doing the most harm to their physical and mental health.

By Vancouver Sun

Brief History: Medical Marijuana

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:23:17 -0400

Some call it a green rush. In the past five years, the number of medical-marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles has exploded from four to nearly 600. To get a handle on what one city official called a "chaotic situation," more than 400 were shuttered June 7, following a January vote to limit their numbers in response to complaints that many were catering to recreational users.

When it comes to using the drug for medical purposes, though, no one did it like the ancients. Around 2000 B.C., the Egyptians used cannabis to treat sore eyes. A millennium later, doctors in India could be found mixing the weed with milk to use as an anesthetic. In 200 B.C., the Greeks used marijuana to remedy earaches. Pot even enjoyed its freedom in America's early days. Farmers in colonial Jamestown were urged to grow hemp, and 19th century medical journals praised the plant's medical effectiveness.

Such endorsements slowed and eventually became nonexistent after 1937, when the Marihuana Tax Act effectively banned the drug in the U.S. In 1996, California approved marijuana for medical use in treating cancer, AIDS, chronic pain and other illnesses. Today 60% of Americans support legalizing it for medical use, according to an April 2010 AP-CNBC poll. As a result, states are increasingly having to grapple with whether to take this course and, if they do, how to go about prescribing and dispensing the goods. In January, New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize the drug for medicinal purposes. The law, expected to go into effect July 1, is among the most restrictive in the nation, forbidding patients to grow the drug or use it in public and limiting them to 2 oz. a month. And with a handful of other states debating legalization (a measure will be on the ballot this November in Arizona), one thing is certain: Mary Jane has not had her last dance.

By Time

Medical marijuana ban takes effect in Cascade

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:11:13 -0400

Medical marijuana businesses within Cascade city limits must cease operations immediately, after the Cascade Town Council voted to pass a moratorium that has been hotly debated in recent weeks.

The council heard from the public before passing a six-month moratorium. Council members said they would like to see the federal government take action on the issue before they impose their own city regulations. Members also plan to use the six months to look into zoning issues regarding these businesses.

Public reaction to the decision was mixed.

Shirli Moreau, a medical marijuana patient, said, "Now we have nowhere to go. If we do have to go somewhere we have to go back on the street. Who wants to do that?"

Fatima Rodriguez said, "I am actually for medical marijuana but I believe it has to be done the correct way. I believe more policy should be in place, especially for the physicians."

The moratorium means that the town's only medical marijuana business will be required to shut down until further notice.

After discussing some other city items, the council went into a closed session with the business owner to discuss the revocation of his business registration.

The town council had the city attorney present during the meeting and the closed session to discuss implications of the moratorium.

By KXLH

City Attorney Puts Moratorium On 'Pot Shops'

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 17:27:39 -0400

While medical marijuana is legal in the state of Michigan, some communities across the area are struggling to keep an eye on dispensaries doling out the drug.
Now one community is working to put a stop to them completely, at least temporarily.

One of two prime spaces up for grabs in downtown Lapeer is just down the road from the Family Coney.

Many Lapeer residents TV5 spoke with said they were not opposed to a medical marijuana dispensary moving into town.

Two men recently inquired about setting up a pot shop within the city limits.

That move prompted the city attorney to propose a moratorium on such facilities Monday.

The moratorium would prevent any issuing of permits to sell or dispense medical marijuana for six months.

By WNEM

Medical Marijuana Should Be Legal

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 15:04:20 -0400

I never thought I would say this, but it is high time for the state of Kansas to consider legalizing marijuana.

Since graduating from the D.A.R.E. program in elementary school, my train of thought has always been this: drugs are bad, marijuana is a drug, marijuana ought to be illegal. End of story.

My right-of-center political ideology, which developed as I matured, closed my mind further. I saw marijuana users as hippie, peace-loving liberals. Reggae fans. Potheads. I hear news stories about people getting arrested for possessing bricks upon bricks of weed and think justice was served.

That was me a few months ago. That was before I really got a chance to investigate the legalization of marijuana. I was ignorant on the issue, and I don't like being uneducated on hot-button news items. So I decided to do some research.

Now I understand the economic potential of legalization and how decriminalization can positively affect the justice system. I also finally understand the medicinal benefits of the drug. According to a March 31 article in the Kansas City Star, "KS lawmakers head home for break, leave budget crisis unresolved," Kansas faces a deficit of $467 million in next year's budget. And that's after slashing funding to the tune of more than $1 billion for a variety of programs.

Here's a thought: rather than cutting funding for schools or increasing taxes for families already struggling to get by, why not legalize and regulate marijuana? Marijuana is a legitimate cash crop, and there's no shortage of cropland in Kansas.

Through smart regulation, such as taxation and licensure fees, the state could make some serious bank. The nearly $467 million budget shortfall could be erased in the time it takes to roll half a dozen joints. Not to mention the possible boom in the snack-food industry as cases of the munchies would increase. Legalization also means decriminalization. If Kansas legalizes pot, taxpayers would spend less on using prisons to house individuals charged with marijuana-related crimes. Law enforcement officials could focus less on catching those with an ounce of marijuana and more on tracking down the rapists and killers. Let's save our prisons' bed space for more violent criminals.

Perhaps the most compelling argument for legalization is medical use. Legislation that would legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes sits in committee in the Kansas House. Several states, including Colorado, already have law on the books allowing medical marijuana.

Democratic Rep. Gail Finney introduced the Medical Marijuana Defense Act (House Bill 2610) in February. Finney, who suffers from a debilitating disease called lupus, said she has met several individuals who use marijuana to ease symptoms related to their illnesses. She said one man suffering from pancreatic cancer used marijuana to help with severe pain and nausea, until police caught him. Now the man has to deal with legal fees and formalities, on top of, well, dying. Is this humane?

According to Finney, the bill's passage in Kansas is unlikely, especially considering the recent law banning K2, a synthetic drug with marijuana-like qualities. Finney said she hopes for an open discussion on the matter.

This shouldn't be a left vs. right, red vs. blue debate. Leave politics at the door and let's use some common sense for our economy, for our justice system, for our sick and dying. If discussion can lead to education and better understanding of the issue, then Finney has reason to be hopeful.

A little education is all it took for this close-minded conservative to consider it.

By K-State Collegian

Marijuana question will be key in general election

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 14:44:39 -0400

One thing is clear after a San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office sting picked up a man affiliated with the Blue Heaven medical marijuana dispensary for trafficking in guns and harder drugs: Selling pot on the middle ground between what is legal and illegal is not working.

Virtually everyone has an opinion when it comes to legalizing marijuana.

On one side are those who believe the drug is purely recreational and, therefore, of no value to society. They think legalizing the drug will cause more people to try it. They worry there would be more intoxicated drivers on the streets, more people spending their money on pot rather than living expenses. They worry about cognitive deficits that may result from chronic pot smoking. On the other side are those who liken current marijuana laws to Prohibition. They consider pot a relatively harmless substance and say adults ought to be able to smoke it with reasonable restrictions. They note that untold public resources are spent enforcing marijuana laws and that making the drug illegal only assures business for outlaws. They also note the state could use the tax revenue.

In November, voters will again go to the polls and California will enter a new era with respect to the drug. A ballot initiative seeks to make less than an ounce legal for anyone 21 and over. It would allow cities and counties to regulate retail sales of the drug to adults.

Clearly, California’s current system is broken. Those wishing to purchase from licensed dispensaries must get a doctor’s permission and that has become another online joke. Los Angeles recently forced hundreds of dispensaries to close because the city had become overrun with pot houses masquerading as herbaceous pharmacies. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the Half Moon Bay City Council simply zoned the places out of business, a disingenuous use of legal power.

It’s time to end the winking avoidance of legal status and decide, once and for all, whether to let adults smoke marijuana. We’ll get our chance in the general election.

Clay Lambert

By Half Moon Bay Review

Philadelphia: Details of the new marijuana procedure

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 12:04:52 -0400

The DA’s office reports that six marijuana consumers took the new diversion program for minor pot possession yesterday, the first time it was available.

Here are the main points of the new procedure:

- No criminal prosecution in court

- No bail money required for release: Previously all minor marijuana offenders had a bail amount set. If they could not come up with bail money they were held until arraignment. Today, those who enter into the diversion program are released after processing.

- No drug conviction on record: By entering the new diversion program an individual pleads to a lesser offence. This means: Students will not lose loans; teachers and others will not face losing employment; public record searches will not reveal a marijuana related conviction

- Offense is automatically expunged: Entering the new diversion program also means the arrest is expunged from the individual’s permanent record, without having to hire an attorney. The change in marijuana possession procedures was announced by District Attorney Seth Williams in April and vocally backed by Pennsylvania State Supreme Court. Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania that cannot issue the summary violations on the street to the offender. Thus, officers will still be required to take marijuana consumers briefly into custody to process them into the new diversion program.

Still, the possibility of taking over 4,700 small pot possession cases out of the criminal court system should have a tangible impact on court efficiency. The new diversion program, if employed in a majority of these type of cases, could save the Public Safety budget hundreds of thousands of tax dollars this year alone.

The cost savings would be closer to $3million every year if Philadelphia Police were given the same power as their peers around the state to issue the marijuana possession summary violations on the street.

By Examiner

Councilman Reverse Medical Marijuana Vote

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 17:31:28 -0400

A plan to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Barbara appears to have fallen apart.

City officials were ready to enact a plan that would allow five marijuana dispensaries in the city.

However, they need five city council members to vote for it. And, council member Frank Hotchkiss has decided not to support any dispensaries in the city.

Now, there aren't enough votes for an ordinance to go forward.

Hotchkiss says he changed his mind over a concern about police resources being stretched thin when it comes to regulating operating dispensaries.

The issue could be up for voters to decide on in November.

By KEYT

Cannabis Science Anticipates Marijuana Legalization as Latest Polls Show Legalization Leading 49% in Favor With 41% Opposed; Los Angeles City Efforts to Close Medical Dispensaries Will Help Drive to End Prohibition

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 15:51:01 -0400

Cannabis Science, Inc. (CBIS 0.14, -0.01, -3.45%) , a pioneering U.S. biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products, is pleased to report that recent polls in California show 49% in favor of the legalization of marijuana with 41% opposed. This percentage is likely to increase due to the recent move by the city of Los Angeles closing roughly 400 medical marijuana dispensaries yesterday. With these closures, and an outraged group of patients, Cannabis Science is looking forward to seeing this large community of medical marijuana users demanding their personal rights to use medical marijuana in the upcoming vote for full legalization this November.

Richard Cowan, Cannabis Science CFO, and like Dr. Robert Melamede, PhD., Cannabis Science President and CEO a long-time advocate of the legalization of marijuana, noted, "We certainly think that the move to close so many medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles is likely to increase the majorities in favor of the legalization initiative in the fall. We believe that only full legalization will protect the patients and the public. Marijuana prohibition is a public health disaster and Cannabis Science is happy to be in a position to advance the science of medical cannabis and continue to be an ongoing resource for all our patients in need."

Dr. Melamede continues, "Although Cannabis Science regrets the misfortune imposed on the patients of the 400 medical marijuana dispensaries that are facing closure, the Company sees this as all the more reason to continue on its path as a leader in research and development of medical cannabis products. Cannabis Science is anticipating the legalization of marijuana progressing over the next few years, but it is still moving forward with its plans to develop standardized pharmaceutical cannabis products for FDA approval."

Dr. Melamede concludes with, "The opportunity for Cannabis Science as a leading force in the medical marijuana industry continues to grow significantly. In addition to all the new business ventures that have presented themselves, Cannabis Science has continued to move forward with our primary focus and goals, preliminary patent disclosures as well as the acquisition of a private Biopharmaceutical Company for the development of new patentable products. Things are progressing very quickly for us as the company moves forward with its multiple joint ventures and acquisitions. We are sure to be in for an exciting time for everyone involved. We look forward to making these announcements soon."

Cannabis Science Inc. Cannabis Science is at the forefront of pharmaceutical medical marijuana research and development. The Company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products. In sum, we are dedicated to the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treat disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance.

Forward Looking Statements; This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements.

By Market Watch

Pot shop owner: L.A. law a good example

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 14:24:57 -0400

Hundreds of medical marijuana stores in Los Angeles are closing as a new ordinance aimed at helping the city keep track of the businesses takes effect. Some "pot shops" that registered before a 2007 moratorium are being allowed to stay open.

By Washington Post

Marijuana leniency starts today

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 14:20:14 -0400

Starting today, anyone apprehended in Philadelphia with about an ounce of marijuana or less could see the charges downgraded to a summary offense.

Take a class, pay a $200 fine and any record would be expunged - that's what is likely to happen now in several thousand cases a year, said Deputy District Attorney Ed McCann.

Just don't expect hands-off treatment by police, if you're caught with a small amount of marijuana, defined as 30 grams or less.

"You're still arrested, you're still brought in, you're still fingerprinted, you're still given a prelim," said Tasha Jamerson, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office.

Only at the preliminary arraignment are procedures changing, as many cases will be "diverted" from misdemeanor charges, said McCann.

That won't be automatic either.

Some reasons for withholding leniency for pot possession include attempting to sell, being caught during a serious crime, and having a criminal record, McCann said.

To qualify for diverting, "we're talking about this offense being a standalone offense, or this being the most serious charge," he said.

"It should be a tremendous savings to the court system," greatly reducing police testimony, public defenders and documentation, he said.

The change in policy was announced in April by new District Attorney Seth Williams.

A vocal opponent has been his predecessor, Lynne M. Abraham, who has said, " 'Welcome to Philadelphia, Light Up a Joint' may just be our new slogan."

"Local gangs and marijuana growers everywhere are positively overjoyed," she has said.

McCann sees it differently. "It's a reasonable response to a large number of cases that don't have to be . . . clogging up the court system," he said.

By Philly.com

Why is L.A. Shuttering Marijuana Dispensaries?

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 14:16:54 -0400

The era of medical marijuana on every corner in Los Angeles is over. A city ordinance is shutting down 439 medical marijuana dispensaries across the Los Angeles area, according to the L.A. Times. The restrictions come after a boom in the number of locations over the past two and a half years.

Dispensaries had until Monday to comply with the city ordinance to shut their doors. Those who didn’t faced substantial penalties: $2,500 for each day they remained open and a jail sentence of up to six months. The goal is to eventually reduce the number of dispensaries in the city to under 100, first targeting those designated as a “nuisance” — dispensaries in close proximity to schools or other community meeting places. After the wave of closures, 135 should remain.

The shutdowns come after a law passed in January by the Los Angeles City Council, which reduced the number of dispensaries that could legally operate to between 70 and 187, according to Reuters. City officials are currently assessing how many of the 439 targeted for closure complied with the order.

By Time

Without cash, Wash. legal pot initiative in danger

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 19:11:28 -0400

In effort to legalize marijuana for adults in Washington is in danger of not making the ballot this year, after support from the state's progressive establishment failed to materialize.

Initiative 1068 would remove all state penalties for marijuana possession, use, sale and transfer. It's one of the most sweeping of marijuana reform efforts playing out around the country this year.

Campaign chairman Douglas Hiatt told The Associated Press Monday that more than 100,000 people have signed the initiative. The group needs 241,000 by July 2.

The campaign can't afford to hire paid signature gatherers, and it has recently been counting on financial support from the Service Employees International Union - a big player in liberal politics. But Monday, the labor union said no such support would be forthcoming.

By Seattle Pi

Colorado Gives Marijuana Dispensaries Legal Status. Governor Signs Regulations for State’s Medical Marijuana Industry

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 15:08:40 -0400

Today, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter (D) signed legislation that will regulate the state's medical marijuana dispensaries through a system of local and state licenses, but still allow individual localities to ban dispensaries. Currently there are an estimated 1,100 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout Colorado - the most in any state other than California, which does not have statewide dispensary regulations. Colorado officials estimate that about half of current dispensaries will be able to comply with new regulations.

"By approving a statewide system of dispensaries through which patients can safely acquire marijuana, Colorado is taking a significant amount of revenue away from the dangerous, illicit, and unsanctioned market created by prohibition," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Instead, patients will now be able to obtain marijuana from a sensible and orderly system of law-abiding and regulated providers. The scope of this newly regulated industry makes it the largest ever in the United States."

Under the regulations, dispensary owners will be subject to licensing fees and criminal background checks. Dispensaries will be required to grow 70 percent of the marijuana they sell and, like liquor stores, could not operate within 1,000 feet of a school.

A state-regulated medical marijuana program is up and running in New Mexico and similar programs will soon be operational in Rhode Island, Maine, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. - but the number of sanctioned dispensaries to be allowed in each of those states is fewer than 10. Colorado's law will authorize hundreds, and potentially more if future demand increases.

A Rasmussen telephone poll released May 15 showed that there is also plurality support among Colorado voters for further expanding the state's marijuana laws. Forty-nine percent of likely voters said they support taxing and reguling marijuana like alcohol, with an additional 13 percent still undecided.

By Common Dreams

Day of reckoning arrives for medical marijuana dispensaries

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 13:39:22 -0400

The day both welcomed and dreaded by the medical marijuana community came today, when the Los Angeles law regulating dispensaries took effect. A steady parade of applicants filed into City Hall and paid their $324 registration, then were placed on the priority list of clinics that will be notified in a month if they are eligible to continue operation.

It was unclear, however, what the future holds for the more than 440 clinics that opened after the City Council imposed a moratorium in November 2007. Many are preparing to close, while others hold out hope that a June 18 court hearing will overturn the city law and allow them to remain in operation.

"I didn't want to take a chance on waiting," said Allison Weber of Daddy's Collective in Sherman Oaks, which registered on the last day when the city's moratorium went into effect. There has been some question about whether it is one of those that will be included in the list of legitimiate operators.

By Contra Costa Times

San Jose: Can marijuana collectives be good neighbors

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 13:08:33 -0400

Their businesses stand no more than a hundred feet apart, at opposite ends of a small commercial strip. Neatly dressed, with her blond hair just so, Sue Campbell has run the Alphabet Soup Preschool for 29 years. At Purple People Medical, a medical marijuana dispensary two doors down from the school, Andrew Runner welcomes patients wearing baggy jeans and spectacular tats. Recently, as Runner, 28, emerged from the back room of the cannabis co-op, his eyes were slightly bleary and bloodshot. As Campbell talked about the arrival of her new neighbor a month ago, her eyes brimmed with tears. Each is affable, except when talking about the other. Together, they form a microcosm of an uneasy, often unruly merger of medicinal marijuana collectives with neighborhoods that don't want them. "I think it's going to put me out of business, definitely," Campbell said, dabbing her eyes occasionally as 3-year-olds wove around her on tricycles. She was named the city's Teacher of the Year in 2006, but now she isn't sure she will be able to remain open. She said she had already lost a couple of prospective pupils whose parents were scared off by the cannabis club. "On one hand, they honor me," she said of the city. "And on the other, the city is failing me. This can't be next to a preschool." Campbell and Runner are both expected to attend a meeting at City Hall on Monday for so-called stakeholders in this push-me, pull-you municipal merengue.

By Home Testing Blog

Marijuana delivery services evade bans on dispensaries

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 07:33:53 -0400

A flourishing and unregulated industry of pot delivery services is circumventing bans on storefront dispensaries and bringing medical marijuana directly to people's homes, offices and more unconventional locations across the state, records and interviews show.

The unfettered delivery of marijuana through hundreds of these services highlights how quickly California's pot industry is moving from the shadows and into uncharted legal territory. These new couriers include enterprising farmers, business entrepreneurs and even a former Los Angeles pot dealer methodically switching her former clients to legal patients. In newspapers and on the Internet, hundreds of "mobile dispensaries" advertise a wide range of strains and other products, such as brownies and cookies laced with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. One service delivers organic vegetables along with medical marijuana, as part of a "farm-direct" service.

Some operate in multiple counties, including jurisdictions where storefront dispensaries are banned, or make local deliveries to drop-off points, such as Starbucks parking lots and gas stations. At least three ship to clients around the state using private prescription-drug couriers.

Although delivery of medical marijuana is not a new phenomenon, advocates say the growth of these services could be a game-changer in the state's pot war, which pits law enforcement, elected officials and community groups in some localities against dispensary owners and patients.

And these businesses could increase in popularity if voters approve an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize pot possession. "They're delivering the product better, cheaper, more discretely and probably at a higher profit rate than dispensaries," said Allen St. Pierre, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which advocates legalization. "These delivery services are starting to grab more and more market share."

Questions over legality

A question remains on whether these services are legal. Some local and federal officials say delivery services violate the 1996 Compassionate Use Act that legalized medical marijuana in California for qualified patients, as well as other laws. The services are viewed as a way to circumvent local regulations clearly banning dispensaries."They're transporting drugs," said Tommy LaNeir, director of the National Marijuana Initiative, which is funded through the White House's drug policy office. "It's a trans-shipment operation that's trying to bypass the ordinances that have been set up by cities and counties. It's as simple as that."

The exact number of delivery services operating in California is unclear, since the state does not keep a registry of medical marijuana distributors or outlets. In April, 758 services advertised direct delivery of marijuana to patients on Weedmaps.com, a commercial listing service.

Those numbers have nearly tripled in the past 18 months and grown by 39 percent since February, as more counties and cities began regulating storefront dispensaries or banning them outright, according to Justin Hartfield, owner of Weedmaps.com.

More than half the couriers who advertised in April said they were located in the Los Angeles region. Other services clustered around metropolitan regions, such as San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento - with most regions experiencing steady growth. The number of couriers advertising within L.A. has jumped from 110 to 161 since February. San Diego saw an increase from 68 to 101 over the same period.

GreenLife Compassionate Caregiver delivers all over Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, offering a fax number and an e-mail address to which new customers can send their doctors' recommendations and IDs.

"Across the East Bay we've got a little bit over 100 Prop. 215 patients we deal with, nothing astronomical," said GreenLife proprietor Charles H., who preferred not to give his last name, referring to the voter iniative that legalized medical marijuana. "Your average dispensary has anywhere from 1,000 patients to 10,000 and over. It's a small market right now, but we deal with people that are really sick and they continue to do business with us because we pay special attention to them.

"We treat a very interesting group of people out here -- a lot of our clients, or patients rather, are lawyers, CEOs, doctors," he added. "We try to filter out anybody who's not ill, who doesn't need it for medical purposes."

Many dispensaries and delivery services offer extensive menus with dozens of strains and edible products, but "they basically are there to feed the recreational user," he said. GreenLife offers only an indica strain to help patients sleep and a sativa strain to control pain.

The Berkeley-based Waterleaf Collective has a more robust online presence, including a Twitter feed -- with messages such as "1st caller to ask for blue goo gets 5 dollars off!" -- while promising delivery within two hours of a call. Its website -- through which customers can use the online payment method PayPal -- sports photos and price quotes for high-grade, mid-grade and "value bud" strains. Calls to Waterleaf seeking comment weren't returned. Circumventing dispensary bans

A total of 129 cities and nine counties in California have all banned medical marijuana dispensaries. An additional 96 cities and 13 counties have moratoriums, according to Americans for Safe Access. Yet, in many of these "dry" communities, pot delivery services appear to be flourishing. The number of couriers advertising in Riverside County, for instance, has increased from 76 to 105 since February.

For the state, the trend has caught officials flat-footed and unable to pinpoint any legal guidelines that directly address the delivery of medical marijuana by courier or mail. It's clear that sending drugs through the postal service and cultivating pot for sale violates U.S. law, but most marijuana growers know federal prosecutions are rare these days. "Delivery services are a relatively new creature, one that has not been directly addressed by the courts or in legislation," said Peter Krause, a California deputy attorney general who helped write the state's landmark guidelines on medical marijuana in 2008.

The state's 1996 initiative and a companion law approved by the Legislature in 2003 granted cities and counties most of the authority over implementing the Compassionate Use Act. But no city council or board of supervisors has explicitly outlawed or legalized delivery services, according to Americans for Safe Access. Senate Bill 420 -- signed into law by former Gov. Gray Davis during his final weeks in office -- appears to protect individual patients from prosecution for "possession, transportation, delivery, or cultivation of medical marijuana" under legal limits. The law also allows patients and their primary caregivers to "associate" with each other to "collectively or cooperatively" cultivate pot for medical purposes.

To some law enforcement officials, the law is unambiguous. John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office, said the county has banned storefront dispensaries and that delivery services are prohibited, although he could not site a specific law or regulation on the subject.

"It is the position of this office that based on current law, all mobile medical marijuana operations are illegal," Hall said. "That would include those that may be based in Riverside County as well as any which may be based elsewhere and come into the county to attempt to do business."

Others agreed. California law clearly does not allow the distribution of medical marijuana to hundreds of people by a service or any single person. "I don't see anything that suggests that when voters passed the Compassionate Use Act, they envisioned (marijuana) delivery services," said Joseph Esposito, head of narcotics for the Los Angeles district attorney's office.

Dispensaries under pressure Nowhere is the boom in pot delivery more evident than in Southern California. Until recently, Los Angeles was ground zero in the rapid growth of medical pot outlets, with dispensaries outnumbering Starbucks locations along some commercial strips.

That era may be ending. In January, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance that led city attorneys to order the closing of 439 dispensaries. An estimated 135 will be allowed to remain if they follow new regulations, but action could be imminent on the others.

In the face of the crackdown, some dispensaries have already shuttered their storefronts and rebranded themselves as delivery services. "They tell us, 'we still want to be listed on your website. We're just turning into a delivery service,' " said Hartfield of Weedmaps.com.

Dann Halem, a former freelance journalist, founded the Artists Collective delivery service 18 months ago after he started using marijuana to treat a glandular disorder. He quickly saw the benefits of distributing marijuana directly to customers rather than running an expensive storefront.

"You don't have to rent property," he said. "You don't have to deal with security cameras. You don't have to have a security guard. We have glass dealers calling us, thinking we're a storefront, asking us if we're interested in some bullet-proof glass. You could spend money left and right to start a store."

Together with a business partner, Halem logs hundreds of miles each week to fill phone and Internet orders for 500 or so clients. He said he doesn't charge extra for delivery, but sets a minimum amount of marijuana a patient must buy, depending on the distance. If the customer is within 10 miles, the minimum is one-eighth of an ounce; within 20 miles, one-quarter of an ounce; within 30 miles, three-eighths of an ounce.

Just days after Los Angeles ordered a crackdown on the city's teeming medical marijuana dispensaries, Halem drove to a downtown residential hotel to deliver half an ounce of high-grade pot. At the hotel, Halem met up with Leonard Lombardo, a 50-year-old Gulf War veteran undergoing treatment for throat cancer. The two men spoke casually and then Lombardo paid for the marijuana.

"These are people who don't have cars. They can barely walk," said Halem, who nevertheless acknowledges that most of his clients are not severely ill. "So it's absolutely critical for there to be delivery services in some way."

A range of operations In Northern California, there are fewer delivery services but some of the operations cover large areas, spanning multiple counties and cities. One new company, Mediharvest, promises to deliver marijuana to qualified patients anywhere in the state via commercial carriers. Mediharvest promotes its service to people who "don't want to be seen at the store," who want high-quality pot, who don't want to support illegal drug cartels, and who "want to change the attitude of medical marijuana use in America." Another new online dispensary, C420, says it will ship pot overnight to qualified medical marijuana users at "almost any legal address in California" and has signed up 1,000 qualified medical marijuana users across the state since its launch in April.

Elsewhere, some operations are modeling themselves on organic farms that deliver distinctive boxes of fruits and vegetables directly to customers' homes. Matthew Cohen, owner of Northstone Organics, pioneered what he calls "farm-direct medical marijuana." The Ukiah-based cooperative grows and delivers marijuana to a network of some 500 qualified patients in the nine Bay Area counties.

Northstone's business has grown briskly. Six months ago, Cohen was driving into the Bay Area twice a week and making the deliveries himself. Now he's hired new workers who make deliveries five times each week.

One former pot dealer who runs a delivery service in Los Angeles agreed to talk about her business under the condition that her name and specific area of operations within Los Angeles County not be revealed. To transform her former customers into legal patients, the woman holds unusual gatherings: Sunday brunches at her home where a doctor evaluates the invited guests at a discount rate.

She and her small, all-female staff are on call noon to 8 p.m. every day and deliver anywhere in Los Angeles County. She says she employs female drivers because they are less threatening to customers. On an average week, the service delivers one to two pounds of marijuana packaged into colored packets usually weighing an eighth of an ounce and costing between $50 and $70.

"I have doctors. I have lawyers. I have (school) principals," she said on a recent delivery run, which included a Starbucks parking lot and a film production studio. "I have teachers. I have nurses, doctors, who don't want to be seen going into a dispensary."

This story was reported in collaboration with KQED public radio, with assistance from the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. It was edited by Robert Salladay and copy edited by William Cooley. California Watch is a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting with offices in the Bay Area and Sacramento.

By Mercury News

NJ Medical Marijuana Program Failing as Predicted

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 18:43:04 -0400

The sponsor of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law is speaking out against the delay tactics of Governor Chris Christie. As the program sits right now, patients are not only out of luck when it comes to registering, they also have to break the law in order to medicate in the meantime. The law says that patients with certain conditions can use marijuana for medical purposes. However, since New Jersey doesn’t give the right to patients to ‘grow your own,’ the patients continue to suffer. They are only allowed to purchase medicine from dispensaries, yet no dispensaries exist due to the greed of the New Jersey Legislature. This is yet another byproduct of an implementation process gone awry.

“Certainly we can create this window where we allow them to obtain it on their own,” Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) said. “It could help alleviate a lot of suffering.” I’m gonna ‘one up’ you Mr. Gusciora; I’m going to suggest that the State of New Jersey take an approach that would cost NOTHING and would alleviate the suffering of countless New Jersey residents INSTANTLY – give the medical marijuana program participants the right to grow their own medicine. By granting the patient the right to grow their own medicine, by default, it allows the patient to legally possess the medicine they are already obtaining.

Giving the patient the right to grow their own marijuana has other implementation benefits as well. Something that I have said since the beginning of the New Jersey program is ‘how in the f are you going to grow that many plants, for that many patients, at such a small amount of locations?’ Think about it, 30,000 patients and as few as six grow sites? I have seen gardens for four patients, and they take up an entire 2,000 square foot house. Do the math on that, and the only facility that is worthy of housing a New Jersey medical marijuana garden is a football stadium. How is that cost effective? And for that matter, how long is that going to take to become a reality?

If you give the patient the right to grow their own medicine, that garden space will be spread out to thousands of gardens. The cost of producing and maintaining the gardens would be the patient’s responsibility, and would result in the medicine being grown faster. Think about the amount of electricity it would require to grow a football stadium full of plants? Is the local power company aware of NJ’s plan? Is that even possible? I have seen grow ops that have a few hundred plants, and the electrical setup that it requires would scare Nicola Tesla.

At the rate things are going, not only will the law fail to be implemented by the October deadline (told you so Marianne Bays), but I would have doubts about a 2011 deadline as well. If anyone doesn’t think so, just think about how many things are figured out versus how many things are still up in the air…then think about the amount of problems no one is even considering (such as electricity, byproduct waste, balanced funding, etc) and the fact that people are still haggling over the rules. Government moves like molasses, and this New Jersey blend of syrup is looking thicker by the minute….

By The Weed Blog

Oakland City Attorney John Russo on Marijuana, Oscar Grant, World Cup Soccer

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 10:47:28 -0400

On Wednesday, Oakland City Attorney John Russo sat down to talk about the need to legalize marijuana use, the Golden State Warriors, the Oakland A's, and World Cup Soccer. The result is this 14 minute video interview, the latest in a string of nine videos Russo has done with this blogger, and friend.

In this one, John Russo talks about his support for the legalization of recreational marijuana use in California. The vote to cause the legalization of marijuana use is on the November ballot in California. According to a recent poll, 37 percent of potential voters use marijuana.

John Russo is the first elected official to openly support the legalization of marijuana use in California.

Why does Russo support legalization? "Well, Russo said, first, number one I think marijuana prohibition has been a demonstrated failure at this point, no different than alcohol prohibition in the 1920s." Russo says it's also "cooler" for the young to use marijuana and that's it's time for us to get out of "this collective denial" of the situation.

Russo said the only people at parties who don't want to be around people who are using "weed" are elected officials like him, "who see someone in the back using marijuana and make up an excuse to go (leave the party)."

Russo's other "main reason" for legalization is that 60 percent of the revenue gained by drug gangs operating in America and across the boarder is from marijuana. He believes that legalization of the drug will cut off their revenue stream. "I don't understand why we would continue to give large bags of cash to those who would buy sophisticated weapons to use against our law enforcement," Russo said. The Oakland Lawyer believes legalization will lead to a drop in drug-related crimes.

By SF Gate

Meeting will address medical marijuana

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 18:21:18 -0400

Coldwater City Planner Piers Kirby said a proposed ordinance amendment to limit and control medical marijuana facilities for “primary caregivers” has drawn more interest than even the rewrite of the city zoning ordinance.

On Monday at 7 p.m., the Planning Commission will hold a hearing on the proposed law.

Public Safety Director Bret Pehrson, Attorney John Hutchinson and Planner Kirby worked to come up with appropriate ways to zone for this unusual land use.

By The Daily Reporter

Motion to stop closure of pot clinics denied

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 16:51:10 -0400

th the city of Los Angeles poised to start closing hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday, supporters had hoped a judge would issue a last-minute restraining order. However, the judge denied the motion.

It was a major setback for supporters of pot clinics in L.A.

The city says 186 dispensaries will be allowed to operate, but attorneys representing marijuana patients said the city's ordinance restricts the dispensary locations so much that there's almost no place that they can relocate and still be legal.

The dispensaries cannot be near schools or parks, and they can't be on a lot abutting residential properties.

"What I can imagine is within 30 days, you're going to see a vast majority of these locations shut down. Even the people that are able to register will have no place to go," said attorney Eric Shevin.

"We'll be back in this court, and we'll have real hardship, real suffering and real sick people who have been denied access to their medicine," he said.

The attorneys brought maps that showed that 95 percent of the city would be restricted, but the judge felt it was too early to predict what will happen. He felt that no one would see the effects of the ordinance until after it takes effect.

Attorneys for the patients said they were very disappointed with the decision.

"The idea is to stop the law from going into effect because we see that the harm has already happened to people, and it's going to continue as people lose access to their medicine," said attorney Matthew Kumin.

Meanwhile, the judge is concerned about privacy issues with medical marijuana patients. The ordinance could allow police to have access to a patient's medical records. The issue will be discussed in a hearing on July 7.

By KABC