Category: All Medical Marijuana News

Coordinated Raids Hit Northern California Hash-Oil Producers

Law enforcement agencies raided multiple hash oil producers in Sonoma County on Wednesday, according to media and eyewitness reports.

From the local Santa Rosa Press Democrat:

At least nine people were detained on a curb outside at a rural Irwin Lane property in west Santa Rosa while police from several jurisdictions searched a warehouse and several large greenhouses.

Santa Rosa Police Lt. Mike Lazzarini said it was just one of several sites where investigators suspect large scale production of concentrated cannabis was taking place.

Fire personnel were also on hand because of the potentially hazardous materials involved in hash production, such as butane gas.

Santa Rosa detectives led the raids, the paper reports, with the help of agents from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Raids were reported at Care By Design and AbsoluteXtracts, both based in Santa Rosa. The location of a third raid has not yet been confirmed.

As word of the enforcement actions spread, a network of activists and patient advocates sprang into action:

RAID ALERT!
Raid underway on Care By Design/AbsoluteXtracts in Sonoma county (right now) need help from communty… http://t.co/et3ljMUMaH

— San Diego ASA (@ASASanDiego) June 15, 2016

Raid underway in Sonoma County. Care By Design and @absolute extracts. Impromptu meeting today at 4pm to discuss… http://t.co/3HZrixb4Bj

— Heidi Grossman (@HeidiStylist) June 15, 2016

The Sonoma County Cultivators Alliance will hold an impromptu meeting today to discuss the raids. It begins at 4 p.m. at 2255 Challenger Way, Suite 106, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.

A spokesman for the Santa Rosa Police Department said he could not confirm details of the raids because the department had not yet issued a press release. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

5 Father's Day Gift Ideas for Your Pro-Cannabis Pop

Father’s Day is just around the corner, which inspired us to highlight a few cannabis products that your dad would love. Whether he’s a marijuana newbie or ganja old-timer, these items are a great addition to your father’s stoner toolkit.

Myster Stashtray

For starters, help keep your dad’s stash and accessories stored away safely with the clean and classy Stashtray from the folks at Myster. This all-in-one tray comes with the aforementioned rolling tray, a grinder, strain container, ashtray, and bowl stand. Better yet, all of the parts are magnetically attached to the tray, which should be a great help in keeping your dad from losing those accessories. For even more discretion, the First Edition Bundle comes with a sly book box for storage in plain sight!

Cost: $150 ($195 for the First Edition Bundle w/ Book Box)

Firefly 2

Whether you’re introducing your dad to cannabis for the first time or he’s well-adjusted to it, the newly designed Firefly 2 dry herb vaporizer is a great way to enter the world of vaping. Sleeker than the original Firefly, the Firefly 2 saves on space without wasting on vapor quality and performance. Touch-activated sensors turn this thing on and very quickly heat it up to your desired temperature, with the solid green LED light signaling that it’s time to vape. This vaporizer even comes with an app that allows you to customize the touch sensor as well as set your temperature, making the Firefly 2 an easy yet sophisticated vaping option that your dad would enjoy.

Cost: $329.95

Remedy Pain Stick

As your dad gets up there in years, he’ll have to deal with various sorts of aches and pains while going through daily life. You can help bring him relief and relaxation with The Remedy Pain Stick from Cannabis Basics. While it’s the same shape and function as the glue sticks we all grew up with, The Remedy Pain Stick comes as a topical oil blend of CBD, THC, and THCA for all-purpose pain and tension relief. A liberal application of this stick to muscles, joints, temples, and other sore areas will have your dad feeling a nice and soothing relieving sensation. The Remedy Pain Stick is also small enough to carry anywhere he goes, and is currently only available in Washington, although the changing national climate towards marijuana will help this product become more available in other states as time goes on.

Cost: varies by shop

Pitch-N-Puff One Hitter

I know it may be cliché, but a lot of dads (mine included) love golf. Why not help them relax and enjoy their game even more with the Pitch-N-Puff One Hitter from Puffingtons? Simply put, this is a one-hitter shaped like a golf tee, perfect for getting lifted with the utmost discretion at the golf course or anywhere else. It fits great in your pocket, golf bag, or anywhere else you or your dad can pack this little guy.

Cost: $11.99

Herb Cookbook

If your dad enjoys cooking and throwing down in the kitchen, then “Herb: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Cannabis” by The Stoner’s Cookbook is a great resource to help your old man expand his culinary repertoire. This book covers it all, from THC extraction methods and medical benefits to hundreds of delicious cannabis-infused recipes curated by chefs Melissa Parks and Laurie Wolf. Edibles are a great way to consume cannabis without smoking, and this is a great gift for any dad or “budding” chef to enter into the world of edibles.

Cost: $16.99 in paperback on Amazon

High Times Hangover And The ‘Easy Money’

It seems like every year I get into the same place: right after the celebration I pen an opinion piece about the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup. Lots to talk about this year! Let’s get into the details and the “easy money.” First, no rain! Second, No Break from the Sun! Boy, be careful what

OLCC Approves Cannabis Tracking System 3rd Party Software Providers

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Metrc (TM)have approved four software solution providers whose products are compatible for integration with the Oregon Recreational Marijuana Program Cannabis Tracking System (CTS). These products will allow OLCC recreational marijuana licensees to electronically transmit inventory and sales data into the CTS, a time-saving step that eliminates the need for

Anti-Cannabis Group Uses Orlando Massacre as Prohibitionist Talking Point

It’s an exchange of Twitter barbs that might be dubbed a “dustup” if 49 people weren’t dead.

In the wake of Sunday’s tragic shooting rampage at a popular gay night club in Orlando, an anti-cannabis group saw an opportunity to score political points. Responding to an Oregon congressman’s tweet expressing his condolences, the group, SAM Oregon, lashed out at the congressman for supporting legal cannabis.

@repblumenauer you can’t support 1 threat to public health/public safety and then condemn another. You have failed this state.

— SAM Oregon (@SAM_Oregon) June 12, 2016

Nothing like the shameless exploitation of a hateful act to win over hearts and minds.

Cannabis advocate Russ Belville caught the exchange and followed it blow-by-blow.

For his part, Rep. Earl Blumenauer shot back at SAM Oregon that the public health threat posed by guns far outweighs any danger posed by cannabis:

@SAM_Oregon Over 32k dead from gun violence each year in US. ZERO dead from marijuana. Your comparison is delusional & shameful.

— Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) June 12, 2016

SAM Oregon is the state arm of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national group that, according to its mission statement, “neither legalizes, nor demonizes, marijuana.” (No clear word on how the group feels about making heartless comparisons to mass shootings.) Portlander Randy Philbrick leads the local affiliate, while prohibitionist Kevin Sabet — dubbed by Rolling Stone as legalization’s “biggest enemy” — co-founded the national group.

For a group so apparently concerned with public welfare, SAM Oregon’s boldness was read widely as insensitive and out-of-touch. The tiff quickly drew in other voices from the cannabis community, including Marijuana Majority Chairman Tom Angell as well as lawyer and former Law Enforcement Against Prohibition organizer Shaleen Title.

Make sure you see this embarrassing & shameful prohibitionist tweet before @learnaboutsam eventually forces a delete http://t.co/vgXOBdpJnP

— Tom Angell (@tomangell) June 13, 2016

Um hey @learnaboutsam you might want to rein in your affiliate who’s trolling a US congressman on Orlando. #tonedeaf http://t.co/qCdmnSAwOm

— (((Shaleen Title))) (@shaleentitle) June 13, 2016

Others replied less diplomatically.

@SAM_Oregon @repblumenauer this is some reprehensible shit right here

— Tony Dilansico (@Slopster53) June 13, 2016

How does SAM Oregon feel about the whole thing? Once again, we go to Twitter:

Blowing our statement out of proportion doesn’t mean you’re right. MJ is a threat to public health/public safety whether you like it or not

— SAM Oregon (@SAM_Oregon) June 13, 2016

So there.

US CO: Column: Canna Activists to Obama: Deschedule Now

Colorado Springs Independent, 15 Jun 2016 – Advocates call for descheduling. Last week, CannaBiz covered local activists’ demonstration outside the Air Force Academy before President Barack Obama’s widely watched commencement address. As cars from all over the country poured in, the loosely affiliated Cannabis Patient Rights Coalition spoke out – asking the mayor to stop tightening local regulations and the president to stop classifying cannabis as an illegal narcotic.

Medical Marijuana Transition

What you need to know about the upcoming Medical Marijuana Transition. Effective July 1, 2016 collective gardens will no longer be allowed to operate in Washington including most medical marijuana dispensaries. Also on that date only businesses licensed by the Liquor and Cannabis Board will be able to sell marijuana, unlicensed entities must cease operations. […]

How Does Cannabis Affect Your Memory?

Dude, where’s my car? Cheech & Chong. Jeff Spicoli. Harold & Kumar. Popular culture is littered with references to lovable – yet, usually forgetful – “stoners.” Cannabis and poor memory seem to go hand in hand, right? But, what does the science really say about cannabis and its effect on the ability to remember?

To better understand how cannabis affects memory, it’s important to first recognize that memory is not a construct that can be easily measured. Why? There are many different types of memory, each of which we test in different ways. Secondly, there are acute, or short-term, effects on memory (e.g., while under the influence), and possible long-term effects. And, finally, dosing, frequency, and strains play a big role in how cannabis affects memory.

What are the Short-Term Effects of Cannabis on Memory?

THC, the primary constituent in cannabis that gives users a euphoric effect, appears to impair memory in two significant ways:

Interestingly, studies show that frequent cannabis users may develop a tolerance to these effects. In other words, they become less sensitive to these effects and have less difficulty encoding memories or recalling events after use.

The good news is that in most consumers, memory impairments appear to be temporary. One study found that THC significantly impaired recall two hours after consumption, but no residual effects persisted after 24 to 48 hours. Also, cannabis doesn’t appear to affect one’s ability to recall existing memories. For example, even if you’re really stoned, you’re unlikely to forget your birth date, where you live, or what school you graduated from.

What are the Long-Term Effects of Cannabis on Memory?

Higher doses of cannabis taken frequently can have an adverse effect on long-term memory. In one study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers concluded that people who consume a lot of cannabis over a long period of time (five or more years) developed poorer verbal memory recall than people who consumed less or not at all.

But how much was their memory impacted?

Reto Auer, a professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and the study’s main author, said they looked at nearly 3,400 Americans over a 25-year period. Testing verbal recall, they found that users who smoked every day could, on average, recall 8.5 out of every 15 words. In contrast, those who smoked much less or didn’t consume at all could recall 9 out of every 15 words.

While the difference of half a word doesn’t seem like much, Auer suggested that the longer one consumed chronically, the worse their memory might get. But, of those who participated in the study, only 8 percent considered themselves frequent users.

Notably, they didn’t find that heavy users had other adversely impacted cognitive abilities, such as focus and processing speed.

Can Cannabis Protect Memory?

Some studies suggest that higher levels of CBD – a non-psychoactive cannabis constituent – may offset THC’s memory impairment. Better yet, CBD may have therapeutic potential to reverse or prevent certain cognitive impairments.

Early research shows that CBD could protect against brain damage caused by binge drinking or alcohol abuse. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that CBD reduced alcohol-induced cell death in the brain by up to 60 percent.

Other studies have shown that CBD could act as a neuroprotectant and help prevent the onset of diseases like Parkinson’s, dementia, or Alzheimer’s.

Cannabis May Help Fight Bad Memories

Generally, we don’t think of memory impairment as a good thing. However, when it comes to individuals with PTSD, it’s a different story. One of PTSD’s defining symptoms is the inability of sufferers to extinguish memories from the traumatic event (or events) that caused the PTSD such as abuse, sexual assault, or combat.

Veterans regularly complain that pharmaceutical treatments prescribed to them by doctors – such as the highly addictive anti-anxiety medications Xanax and Valium – don’t work well and sometimes worsen symptoms.

Many veterans turn to cannabis claiming it’s the only thing that works; preclinical research shows that THC and CBD can “disrupt the reconsolidation of negative memories.” Translation: as Dr. Mike Hart from Marijuana for Trauma explains, “Cannabis helps people forget painful and intrusive memories.”

Further Research is Needed

We’re just beginning to understand how cannabis use affects the brain and memory, but encouragingly, it seems the adverse effects are exaggerated. Yes, cannabis can make you forgetful while using (or shortly thereafter). And, yes, it can have a modest impact on verbal recall in chronic, long-term users. But, in most people, after a short period of abstinence, memory function returns to normal.

Moreover, we are discovering potential therapeutic benefits. Of course, the old cop-out rings true: further research is needed, especially when it comes to studying cannabis to treat disorders like PTSD, or to prevent conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia that affect millions of people. However, we can hope that as public opinion shifts, the federal government will follow suit and ease restrictions that enable scientists to take research out of the lab and conduct more clinical studies on human subjects.

California’s Proposed Cannabis Fee Just Got Smaller, but is It Still Too Much for Medicine?

Amid vocal pushback, California lawmakers this week scaled back a proposed fee on medical cannabis purchases and added a way for low-income patients to dodge the added cost. But patient advocates, noting that other medical treatments aren’t subject to special taxes, argue that even the modified plan will make for an undue burden on patients in the state.

Senate Bill 987, introduced by Sen. Mike McGuire, would have tacked a 15-percent “user fee” — effectively a tax — onto all cannabis purchases. But on Monday lawmakers amended the bill to bring the rate down to 10 percent and include an exemption for patients who obtain a state medical cannabis ID card and can prove their income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The changes would no doubt ease the financial impact on patients, but many are still concerned the costs are too steep. Even obtaining an ID card — generally not necessary for patients to purchase, grow, and consume cannabis — can cost hundreds of dollars (prices vary by county).

The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee is set to consider the bill Monday afternoon. Advocates are calling on patients and other members of the public to write to the committee to oppose the fee. Signed letters sent by end of day Tuesday, according to Americans for Safe Access, will be included in next week’s committee analysis and report.

Committee staff request that letters be sent by fax — yes that’s right, facsimile machine — to 916-319-2198.

Did ABC Just Air a Cannabis Homegrow Ad During the NBA Finals?

As the clock ticked into the fourth quarter of last night’s NBA Finals showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, ABC cut to a commercial break — and aired what might be remembered as a landmark ad for the cannabis industry.

Black Magic potting soil’s 30-second “Growers” spot features twentysomething hipsters growing plants in urban storerooms, closets, and “under the cover of darkness” with specialized lighting. “They seek perfection on a level that would drive lesser souls to madness,” intones the voiceover artist in a deep, truck-driving rumble. The bit ends with a shot of a badass dude in a grow room and the catchphrase, “Black Magic: Yield to no one.”

“Yield.” See what they did there?

The plants featured in the spot were not cannabis. It looked like the tatted growers were raising leafy greens, tomatoes, and sage. But the atmospherics were unmistakable. Those folks were growing indoors with lights, looking for production from their soil — which, by the way, is available at The Home Depot only in the strategic markets of Washington (legal), Colorado (legal), and Michigan (medically legal).

It wasn’t the first wink-nudge cannabis-related ad on network TV — we’d give that distinction to Jack in the Box’s “Stoner Dude” ad from 2009 — but it may be the first network spot aimed at cannabis growers.

Kimberly Chisholm, marketing leader with Hawthorne Gardening, the Port Washington, NY-based company that produces Black Magic soil products, said the ad aired once in West Coast and Rocky Mountain markets during the game last night. It wasn’t a cheap buy. “We just launched the brand a couple months ago, and we were looking for a way to reach a young, male, early-adopter demographic,” she told Leafly.

“We know people who grow hydroponically are interested in yield and love being able to customize” their grow setups, Chisholm added. Black Magic is one of the first companies to offer coco coir mix, a favorite substrate for cannabis growers, through The Home Depot. “They’re the largest gardening seller in the U.S., and they were looking to try something new. It’s a great fit for us, especially in markets like Seattle and Boulder, where hydroponic growing is fostering a whole new community.”

Last night’s game drew monster ratings in Northern California, where fans tuned in to see if their beloved Warriors could clinch their second straight NBA title. They didn’t — but Black Magic saw some massive brand exposure and, perhaps, a little uptick in potting soil sales. How’s that for yield?

Can Cannabis Users Donate Blood?

The cannabis community is typically a generous bunch that loves to share (for proof, witness the altruistic glory of the communal bong). However, there’s more than one way to demonstrate goodwill towards your fellow man. Every year, on June 14th, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. This year’s theme is “Blood connects us all.” The campaign aims to focus on thanking blood donors and highlighting the dimension of “sharing” and “connection” between blood donors and patients.

Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. The annual event serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure the quality, safety, and availability of blood and blood products for patients in need. Here at Leafly, we’d like to encourage anyone who has the opportunity to get out there and do their part by donating blood if they can.

If you’re a regular cannabis user, you may have wondered whether marijuana consumers can donate blood. In short, the answer is yes. To get a definitive answer, not only did we parse through various informational blood donor sites, we also reached out to local blood banks and the American Red Cross via email to get confirmation. We contacted three local Washington state blood donation companies to get their perspective: Bloodworks Northwest, Cascade Regional Blood Services, and Biomat USA. All responded very quickly.

Here’s the email we sent out:

I am writing an informational article for Leafly.com and wanted to get some information regarding cannabis and blood donation as June 14th is World Blood Donor Day. Do you test for THC? If so, does the presence of THC make someone ineligible to give blood? What advice can you give a cannabis user who would like to make a donation?

These are the responses we received from Bloodworks Northwest, Cascade Regional Blood Services, and Biomat USA:

Cannabis use does not affect a person’s ability to be a blood donor unless they are assessed to be under the influence as determined during the donor screening process. We cannot accept blood from anyone who is intoxicated with alcohol, cannabis, or prescription drugs because of the possibility of an unreliable history and the inability to give consent for the draw. The FDA does not require testing for THC either at registration or during testing for blood borne pathogens which all donated/collected blood receives. – Bloodworks Northwest

Blood Banks do not test for THC. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any advice to give a cannabis user who would like to make a donation. Sorry I could not help you more. – Cascade Regional Blood Service

Your blood will be tested for your blood type and infectious disease markers (including Hepatitis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV). These screening tests are to evaluate donor suitability and are not formal diagnostic tests. In addition, other tests may be performed based on your medical history or special testing required to qualify your plasma donation. Donors are also screened for syphilis, hematocrit, and protein levels. – Biomat USA

All of these replies are pretty straightforward in confirming that there is no required testing for THC, but we felt we needed to cast our net a little wider. The American Red Cross is the largest single supplier of blood and blood products in the United States, collecting and processing approximately 40 percent of the blood supply and distributing it to about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Reinforcing what we’ve already learned, they provide guidance in their informative Common Questions about Donating Blood pamphlet:

While the Red Cross does not encourage the use of controlled substances, marijuana or alcohol use does not necessarily disqualify you from giving blood as long as you are feeling well. If you have EVER injected any illegal drugs, you can never give blood. – American Red Cross

Never let it be said that we at Leafly don’t go that extra mile for our users. Not totally satisfied with this, we reached out directly to the American Red Cross with the same question we’d previously asked. This is the answer we received:

The American Red Cross does not test for THC. Under the current medical eligibility policy set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for blood donation, individuals who are currently under the influence of licit or illicit drugs or alcohol are not accepted for donation. Legal or illegal use of marijuana is not otherwise a cause for blood donation deferral. It is important that individuals do not present to donate under licit or illicit drugs or alcohol. Presenting donors must be generally healthy and feeling well at the time of donation. Potential donors should get a good night’s sleep, eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids at least two hours prior to donating. – American Red Cross

You can take “feeling well” as a euphemism for “not being high.” If you are not “under the influence” of marijuana at the time of donation, it means that the psychoactive THC compounds in your blood have already been broken down. Your body metabolizes THC into two different chemicals; 11-OH-THC and 11-nor-9-Carboxy-THC. This process happens relatively quickly. Enzymes in the liver continue metabolizing these chemicals and transforms the psychoactive 11-OH-THC into 11-nor-9-Carboxy-THC which is non-psychoactive. This takes several hours ,and by the time that there is no THC or 11-OH-THC in your system, you are no longer high. So, when a blood bank states that your donation will not be accepted if the staff believe you have recently consumed cannabis, they are simply making sure that your body has broken down any psychoactive chemicals that your blood may contain.

In a nutshell, as long as you don’t turn up baked, cannabis users are perfectly eligible to donate. You needn’t worry about any shark-eyed FDA enforcers jumping out from behind a curtain ready to nab you for allegorically spoiling the water-hole. That being said, you should be prepared for a mild, perfunctory screening process on the day of donation. You will have to answer some questions about your health history and places you have traveled to recently. You will also receive a mini-physical; the blood bank will take your blood pressure, temperature, and a small sample of your blood to test your iron level. The best advice that we at Leafly can give prospective donors is to turn up on the day well rested, having eaten a hearty meal, drank plenty of water, and to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and marijuana prior to donating.

Interestingly, we learned from our correspondence that the summer months can be particularly challenging for blood donations as vacation plans and seasonal activities often cause donors to be less available to give. According to the American Red Cross, this seasonal challenge can be overcome if at least two more people above what’s expected come out to give blood at each drive this summer. Leafly lovers, this is the time to make the effort. Your blood donation alone could save up to three lives. So, lay off the communal bong for one evening, encourage those other bong-hitting heroes to come along with you, and hit up your local blood bank.

Colorado Cannabis Breaks Sales Record — Again

The Colorado cannabis industry raked in record revenue last month, bringing in $117.4 million in total receipts. It’s the third time in the history of the state’s legal cannabis program that total sales topped $100 million.

A majority of the windfall — $76.7 million —came from adult-use cannabis sales, according to state figures. The previous peak in the recreational market came in December 2015, when retail shops brought in $62.2 million.

As The Cannabist notes, the record industry numbers also mean a big windfall for the state:

The more than $5.5 million collected in excise tax is a monthly record from when recreational sales began in January 2014, and brings the yearly total to $16.7 million.
Through four months, Colorado has amassed almost $57 million in taxes and fees for medical and recreational cannabis.

But April is no ordinary month in the cannabis community, and 4/20 played an outsized role in the record sales. The week preceding April 20 brought in $34 million in retail sales, while day-of sales hit $7.3 million, far eclipsing the $6.1 million single-day record set in September 2015.

Whether a sign of more consumers moving away from the black market or simply a reflection of more adults indulging — data suggest both are happening — it’s clear that Colorado’s cannabis industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

19 Canadian Marijuana Stocks

Things could be looking up for the cannabis space, and for Canadian marijuana stocks in particular.

At this year’s United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS 2016), Canadian health minister Jane Philpott announced that the Liberal government intends to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana in spring of 2017. The move gets Canada one step closer to legalizing cannabis for recreational use, a subject that is no doubt top of mind for investors in Canadian marijuana stocks.

A number of states and provinces in Canada and the US are in various phases of legalization for both medical and recreational marijuana use, making the market confusing for new investors. What’s more, the pot bubble of 2014 serves as a good reminder for investors to do careful due diligence on any potential cannabis investment. Still, there are good opportunities out there for interested investors willing to do their research.

With that in mind, here’s a look at a few publicly traded Canadian marijuana stocks. The list includes cannabis and hemp focused stocks listed on Canadian exchanges.

table.inline-text-ad {
border-left: none;
border-right: none;
}

.inline-text-ad h1 {
font-size: 18px !important;
font-weight: bold !important;
}

.inline-text-ad p {
font-size: 1.0rem;
}

Get Our Expert Guide to Cannabis Investing FREE!

Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

Canopy Growth (TSXV:CGC)

One of the larger Canadian marijuana stocks, Canopy holds producers Tweed and Bedrocan under its umbrella. Tweed’s production facility is located in the old Hershey factory in Smith Falls, Ontario.

Near the end of May, Bedrocan stated that it would begin offering same-day delivery services in Toronto. Canopy Growth also announced it would be expanding into Australia as well through a partnership with AusCann Group Holdings.

At the start of June, Canopy announced it had received conditional approval to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Mettrum (TSXV:MT)

One of the first medical cannabis producers in Canada to be licensed under MMPR, Mettrum Health is a vertically integrated provider of cannabis products. It operates three facilities in Ontario with an annual production capacity of 12,000 kilograms. Mettrum offers a range of products in both whole-bud and extract forms.

On May 9, the company received an amendment to its license allowing it to both produce and sell medical cannabis and extracts.

OrganiGram (TSXV:OGI)

As its name suggests, OrganiGram specializes in producing organically grown medical marijuana. The company is licensed under MMPR, and has a production facility located in Moncton, New Brunswick. On June 2, Organigram closed a $10 million bought deal financing and announced the appointment of Peter Amirault to the company’s board of directors.

Aphria (TSXV:APH)

Also licensed under MMPR, Aphria is located in Learnington Ontario, at “Canada’s southernmost point.” The company announced on June 2 that it expects to more than double its growing capacity—the company’s board recently approved a $10 million project increasing its greenhouse square footage from 43,000 to 100,000 square feet.

Aurora Cannabis (CSE:ACB)

Aurora’s production facilities are located in Mountain View County, Alberta, near the Rocky Mountains. The company aims to “produce the cleanest, safest medical cannabis available on the market,” and all of its strains are currently offered at $8 per gram.

On June 8, Aurora acquired CanvasRx, the largest medical cannabis patient outreach service in Canada. It also announced a best efforts private placement for gross proceeds of approximately $15 million. 

Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP,OTCMKTS:NSPDF)

Naturally Splendid has a slightly different focus—rather than being involved in the medical marijuana space, the company offers investors exposure to the hemp-based healthy foods and omega markets. It is the only publicly traded company in the world offering investors exposure in this area.

After securing a nearly $1 million purchase order for hemp food products for Korea Beauty & Health Care back in February, Naturally Splendid reported in May that purchase orders from the country had risen to C$3 million in value. The company is planning to move to larger production facilities (12,000 square feet vs. 6,700 square feet) in response to increased sales opportunities. The move is expected to be complete by July 1 2016.

Naturally Splendid also has a sister company listed on the OTC, Laguna Blends (OTCMKTS:LAGBF), which is focused on the nutritional health benefits of hemp.

Beleave (CSE:BE)

Beleave is still in the review stage for its license to produce cannabis under Canada’s Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). However, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March with Ryerson University relating to drug standardization research in March, and also entered a letter of intent (LOI) in April with gDial for the research, development, and licensing of a proprietary drug dosing, detection, and usage-tracking technology.

Beleave has also been endorsed by the City of Hamilton Planning and Economic Development Department.

Golden Leaf Holdings (CSE:GLH)

Listed in Canada but located in Oregon, Golden Leaf Holdings is focused on producing high quality cannabis oils. On May 26, the company announced a new Golden Private Stash product line, a premium solvent-free cannabis oil produced in small batches.

Vodis Pharmacueticals (CSE:VP)

Vodis has medical and recreational marijuana business operations in both Canada and the United States. The company reported successful production cycles for recreational marijuana at its Washington Facilities on April 4, and appointed Sean Côté as the company’s new CEO on May 11.

table.inline-text-ad {
border-left: none;
border-right: none;
}

.inline-text-ad h1 {
font-size: 18px !important;
font-weight: bold !important;
}

.inline-text-ad p {
font-size: 1.0rem;
}

Get Our Expert Guide to Cannabis Investing FREE!

Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

THC Biomed (CSE:THC)

Located in Kelowna BC, THC BioMed has been granted permission to conduct research and development for scientific purposes with medicinal marijuana. The company provides scientific and biotechnical services to current and potential licensed producers under MMPR.

On May 26, Health Canada granted TCH BioMed a license to produce fresh marijuana, cannabis oil and cannabis resin.

PharmaCan (TSXV:MJN)

PharmaCan is a merchant bank focused on investing in the Canadian marijuana industry. It also supports the companies in which it invests through management consultation.

Examples of comapnies in which PharmaCan currently holds an interest include In The Zone (100 percent), Whistler Medical Marijuana Company (21.5 percent) and the Peace Naturals Project (27.3 percent).

Calyx Bio-Ventures (TSXV:CYX)

Calyx is an agri-tech company which owns a portfolio of proprietary intellectual property with applications in crop enhancement, as well as a software platform tailored to the advanced indoor agriculture sector.

The company reported in September 2015 that its software subsidiary, Cannigistics Agri-Solutions, had signed two software licensing agreements in just over a week. There has been no news from the company so far in 2016.

Abattis Bioceuticals (CSE:ATT)

Abattis Bioceuticals is a vertically integrated biotechnology company focused on natural health products including cannabis. The company develops natural health products and conducts research and development for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, bioceutical and cosmetic markets.

On May 11, Abattis announced it had selected Ingredient Identity as its regulatory management partner. “Abattis’ and its subsidiary companies presented us with one of the most fun and unique opportunities to date in the history of our firm,” said Brandon Griffin, CEO of Ingredient Identity, in a statement. “We created an incredibly comprehensive solution to work closely with the Abattis team now and seamlessly as it grows.”

Emerald Health Botanicals (TSXV:EMH)

Emerald Health Botanicals, previously Emerald Health therapeutics, is a licensed medical marijuana producer under MMPR. Also, as a federal research grant recipient, the company conducts research and development into the characterization of cannabis strains and cultivation technologies. It also collaborates with academic and medical research to help gain further understanding of the effect of cannabis on humans.

Emerald Health announced in November 2015 that it had received a supplemental license from Health Canada to begin producing cannabis oils and capsules. More recently, the company completed a shares for debt transaction at the start of May.

Tinley Beverage (CSE:TNY)

Tinley Beverage is the producer of Hemplify, a drinkable vitality supplement containing hemp extract made from the stalk of industrial hemp. The vegan, sugar free drink is a source of electrolytes, vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acids.

The company reported receiving its first orders for Hemplify products on March 10. The company’s first commercial bottling run for Hemplify is scheduled for mid June.

Cannabix (CSE:BLO)

On the technology side of things, Cannabix technologies is developing a breathalyzer that detects THC for use by law enforcement. The company’s marijuana breathalyzer is currently under development in partnership with University of Florida chemists. The company’s researchers have confirmed the ability to specifically detect THC at standard temperature and pressure, and have isolated THC and THC-related by-products in controlled simulated breath samples.

On May 11, Cannabix added Dr. Marilyn Huestis to its advisory board, one of the world’s foremost experts on the effects of marijuana use on driving impairment.

Puf Ventures (CSE:PUF)

Puf Ventures has a diversified portfolio of assets in the Canadian marijuana sector. It owns a passive, non-controlling interest in AAA Heidelberg, which is focused on using all-natural nutrients to grow healthy, pest free plants. AAA Heidelberg has had an MMPR application pending with Health Canada since 2013.

Other ventures the company has invested in include 1313 Cigs, VapeTronix, and Weed Beacon.

True Leaf (CSE:MJ)

Canada-based True Leaf is focused on the production of hemp-based functional dog chews. This year, the company has made waves with its product in the US, passing a 6,000 store milestone in April. On May 17, the company announced that it would soon offer True Hemp pet treats for sale in Europe as well.

Maple Leaf Green World (TSXV:MGW)

Maple Leaf Green World is involved in a number of different projects around the globe. In Canada, the company is seeking MMPR licensed producer status, while in California, the company is joint-ventured with a non-profit collective to set up a growing facility. The company is also involved in an eco-agriculture venture in China, focused on growing value-added tree seedlings.

The most recent news from the company came on April 20th, when it announced $485,000 in subscriptions for private placements.

Any Canadian marijuana stocks we missed? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!

table.inline-text-ad {
border-left: none;
border-right: none;
}

.inline-text-ad h1 {
font-size: 18px !important;
font-weight: bold !important;
}

.inline-text-ad p {
font-size: 1.0rem;
}

Get Our Expert Guide to Cannabis Investing FREE!

Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Puf Ventures, True Leaf and Maple Leaf Green World.

The post 19 Canadian Marijuana Stocks appeared first on Investing News Network.

Adolescent alcohol, marijuana use leads to poor academic performance, health problems

Adolescents who use both marijuana and alcohol during middle school and high school are more likely to have poor academic performance and mental health during high school, according to a new study that followed a group of students over a seven-year period. However, the study found marijuana use was predictive of poorer functioning across more […]

Recipe: The Cannabist’s "Next Level" Triple Chocolate Pot Brownies

Nearly 100 Organizations Oppose Ayotte Fentanyl Mandatory Minimum Expansion

Today, close to 100 groups from the civil rights, criminal justice, public health, and faith communities – including the ACLU, Drug Policy Alliance, United Methodist Church, Human Rights Watch, NAACP, and Treatment Communities of America – sent a letter to Senate leadership urging opposition to amendments offered by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to a defense authorization bill. The letter states that the amendments would “widen the net of persons who could receive a mandatory minimum sentence for possessing or distributing the substance fentanyl.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic, rapid-acting opiate analgesic, commonly added to heroin to increase its potency. The amendments would reduce the amount of fentanyl that would trigger mandatory minimum sentences. For example, under current law, 10 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of an analogue of fentanyl currently triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum. The Ayotte amendments would mean that only 0.5 grams would trigger the 5-year mandatory penalty.

“In a year where we are pushing hard to move criminal justice reform legislation, it is crazy that Republican leadership would allow a vote on such a toxic amendment,” said Michael Collins, Deputy Director of Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “Top Republican Senators like John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley have committed themselves to passing a bill to reduce sentences for drug offenses. They should oppose this amendment, which would be a huge step in the wrong direction.”

Last night, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke for over 40 minutes on the Senator floor in opposition to the amendment, urging Congress to enact real criminal justice reform, and stating that “The opioid epidemic is not a problem we can jail our way out of.” Statements by Kelly Ayotte’s spokesperson indicated that the intent of the amendment is to “ensure that the penalty for trafficking in fentanyl reflects the deadliness of that substance” because fentanyl is estimated to be 50 times more powerful than heroin. But by reducing by 20 fold the quantities that trigger tough sentences to as little as 0.5 grams, the only result will be that low-level drug sellers and even drug users will be swept up by these harsh measures. The head of the DEA testified before the Senate this week that fentanyl was often added high up the supply chain – in China and Mexico. Consequently, the Ayotte amendment targeting low-level traffickers and users would have little to no impact on the drug trade.

“It would be shameful if the only reform that gets done in the Republican-led Senate is an increase in mandatory minimums for drug offenses, rather than a reduction,” Collins continued. “We need to end – not expand – mass incarceration.”

The full letter is here: http://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/Letter_to_McConnell_and_Reid-Ayotte_Fentanyl_Amendment_June_8.pdf

Author:
Date Published: June 8, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

CDC: Changes In State Marijuana Laws Associated With Declining Teen Use

The passage of statewide laws regulating the consumption of cannabis by adults and/or qualified patients is not associated with increased rates of teen marijuana use, according to a statistical analysis of results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

CDC data reports that the percentage of high-schoolers ever reporting having used cannabis fell from an estimated 43 percent in 1995 to just under 39 percent in 2015. The percentage of teens currently using cannabis (defined as having used marijuana at least once in the past 30 days) also declined during this same period, from 25 percent in 1995 to just under 22 percent in 2015.

During this time period, two-dozen states enacted statutes permitting qualified patients to consume cannabis, and four states enacted laws permitting the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana to adults.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey results are consistent with those of numerous other studies — such as those here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here — finding that changes in cannabis’ legal status are not associated with increased use among adolescents.

The Value of Community in the Legalization Movement

The 2016 NORML Aspen Legal Seminar

I just returned a few days ago from a lovely long weekend in beautiful Aspen, CO, a charming old silver-mining town in the Rocky Mountains with breath-taking views, that serves as a popular playground for skiers in the winter and biking and hiking enthusiasts in the other seasons. And it is the location of an annual NORML legal seminar held each year in early June.

The Seminar Itself

First, for those attorneys who attend this event, it is a truly unique opportunity to hear from some of the most brilliant and creative criminal defense and marijuana business attorneys in the country.

This year the attendees heard San Antonio’s Gerry Goldstein present his annual review of the many 4th Amendment decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, and the federal appellate courts, each year. Few lawyers in America are more familiar with the legal intricacies of search and seizure law, or can present the information in such an entertaining manner. And NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, who lectured on the science legalization advocates need to know to counter the frequent claim that “we just don’t know enough about marijuana,” citing more than 23,000 marijuana studies available on Pub Med.

Former ACLU lawyer Adam Wolfe from San Francisco discussed the several legal challenges to the CO legalization law; while Mary Chartier and Natalie Alane from Lansing, MI, lectured on the impact of marijuana use on child welfare and custody cases.

This year we heard from a range of impressive new speakers as well, including Carl Hart, Ph.D, from Columbia University, talking about ways that marijuana legalization can significantly reduce racism in the criminal justice system; and Emily Gant, from Seattle, whose lecture “Marijuana Business 101,” analyzed the basic business issues with which any attorney needs to be familiar, if they intend to represent some of the newly legal marijuana businesses arising either in the medical use states or the full legalization states.

And certainly one of the more inspiring lectures was given by former US Attorney for the state of Kansas (he had retired just three weeks earlier), Barry Grissom, entitled “Why Marijuana Legalization Makes Sense from the Perspective of a US Attorney”, in which he compared the record of the Obama administration with that of three prior administrations. Grissom stressed the several significant steps taken by President Barack Obama and his Department of Justice to reduce the length of non-violent drug sentences and the number of non-violent drug offenders serving time in federal prisons; and the administration’s willingness to stand-back and permit the several states to fully implement their various marijuana laws, free from federal government interference. It reminded us that not all prosecutors are mean-spirited, and some of them are seeking justice, just like most defense attorneys.

And we heard from Law Professor Sam Kamin, who holds the Vicente Sederberg Professor of Marijuana Law and Policy position at Denver Law School, discussing ways to overcome the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws; Lisa Padilla from New York discussing estate planning techniques for cannabis business owners; Mary Conn from Houston, TX discussing the damage to society of criminalizing mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness; Danica Noble of Seattle discussing the unfair business practices and consumer protection issues emerging in the newly legal marijuana markets; and Portland, OR attorney Courtney Moran discussing the law and history of industrial hemp.

Those who might enjoy listening to these lectures, you can find those audio files online, thanks to Cannabis Radio personality “Radical” Russ Belville.

The Social Events – More Than Just Fun

The weather this year was perfect, with brilliant blue skies and temperatures in the low and mid-severties, and the opening reception on the roof of the Gant conference center; the benefit dinner at the fabulous log-cabin mansion of Christine and Gerry Goldstein, catered by Cache Cache Chef Chris Lanter; and the Saturday afternoon picnic with live music at Owl Farm, the legendary home of the late Hunter S. Thompson, were all fabulous events giving the seminar attendees and their guests special memories to last a lifetime (one attorney, as he was leaving, said to me, “I just wish I had discovered this seminar 10-years earlier!”).

In short, these various NORML events held throughout the year provide a valuable opportunity for those of us who are responsible marijuana smokers to make new friends and meet new colleagues who share our support for legalization, and to renew friendships we have made in earlier years. It is largely from this network of like-minded individuals that we draw the inspiration and emotional strength required to continue the struggle to end prohibition.

The Community of Marijuana Smokers

While it was certainly not the intention of those who initially put prohibition in place in the early 20th century, in fact prohibition forced those of us who did not accept the government’s exaggerated anti-marijuana propaganda, and who chose to find a way to obtain and smoke marijuana despite the threat of harsh criminal penalties, to build an underground community comprised of others who share our values and were also willing to assume the legal risks associated with “scoring” and using marijuana. Those same oppressive forces who dedicated their lives to arresting and jailing marijuana smokers were unwittingly establishing an underground culture that would nurture us during the most difficult years, and help us find a black-market supply of marijuana all during the decades of prohibition.

And that was no small task. Without the many daring smugglers and growers and “dealers” willing to risk long prison sentences to provide us consumers with marijuana, we would have had no marijuana to smoke; and with no marijuana to smoke, there would be no marijuana legalization movement.

We need to recognize the crucial role these brave pot pioneers have played in getting us to where we are today, and to find the political courage to demand those individuals who remain in jail be freed, and those with criminal records have their records expunged. Otherwise we find ourselves finally winning this long, terrible war against marijuana smokers, but leaving our POWs behind. That is neither a moral or ethical option.

Inspired and Re-Energized

As I left Aspen this year, and headed home to Washington, DC, I was reminded of the tremendous value these communal experiences play in our personal and professional lives. We draw critical strength and energy and inspiration, and our commitment to change is reinforced, when we spend quality time with others who share our political views and our belief in the importance of ending prohibition.

I would encourage any of you who share our values and political goals to join us at the next opportunity, to take a public stand for freedom. The 2016 NORML Key West Legal seminar on December 7, 8 and 9 would be a good place to start.

________________________________________________________________

This column firs ran in Marijuana.com.

Photo courtesy of EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

Denver NORML Pushes to Legalize Marijuana Clubs and Events

Marijuana is legal to purchase, possess and to consume in the state of Colorado, but where? Well, if you happen to be in the city of Denver (or most anywhere else in Colorado) the answer is very simple, you can only legally consume cannabis in a private residence. But what if your landlord won’t allow it, or if you are one of the thousands of tourists that visits our great city on a daily basis. Then where do all of those people go? This question is one Denver NORML hopes to help answer this November.

The local chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws spent several months working with various stakeholders to develop a regulatory framework to create a space where responsible adults can consume their legally purchased marijuana products. Denver NORML is currently collecting signatures for the Responsible Use Denver initiative. The initiative will provide a license for the establishment and operation of private, 21-and-over members-only facilities where adults and bring their own cannabis and peacefully consume it in a relaxed, legal public setting.

The initiative language was written to provide the city with what it is lacking, a set of rules and standards to open a business and maintain a license for a place for adults to responsibly consume marijuana. There are several businesses right now in the city of Denver operating in a grey area. Currently these businesses have no laws to follow or to protect them. This grey area needs definition. Those same businesses could now open marijuana clubs with their namesake or these businesses could now apply for special event permits where marijuana will be permitted.

Once passed, the Responsible Use Denver initiative will not only provide private marijuana clubs it will also allow for any individual or entity to apply for 24 event permits per year. The private invitation only events would be 21 and up, allow no onsite distribution and allow guests to bring their own marijuana products to consume. What does a marijuana event look like? These events could be catered and be as creative as any party planner could dream up. They could be intimate occasions or it could allow for an entrepreneur to create a large event venue for occasions such as the Cannabis Cup to return to Denver.

The Responsible Use Denver initiative is the answer to an ongoing issue that is not going away. As other states continue to legalize marijuana across the country, we are going to continue to see this as a post prohibition concern in more and more jurisdictions. If we had 200 places to purchase alcohol but no place to drink it, where would people drink? Most likely on sidewalks, loitering in front of businesses, in parks, in their cars and anywhere else they could. This is what marijuana consumers are dealing with. It is time for change and it is time for a solution.

Ohio Becomes 25th Medical Marijuana State

On Wednesday,

While this is an important step, more work lies ahead. Several agencies will administer the program, including the Department of Commerce, the State Board of Pharmacy, and the State Medical Board of Ohio. These agencies are expected to start developing rules in the coming months as Ohio begins the process of creating a workable system. Please join us in our efforts to ensure the system is fair and delivers on the promises lawmakers made to create a compassionate program.

We are very grateful to everyone who worked so hard to bring protections to seriously ill patients. Were it not for the donors, volunteers, and signature gatherers who gave so much to the Ohioans for Medical Marijuana amendment, this day would not have come.  As the process moves forward, we will use that amendment as a road map as we work to implement and improve this law.

The post Ohio Becomes 25th Medical Marijuana State appeared first on MPP Blog.

NORML’s Legislative Round Up June 10th, 2016

More Governors signed marijuana related legislation into law this week, and once again members of the US Senate have said ‘yes’ to marijuana law reform. Keep reading to get the latest news and to learn what you can do to take action.

Federal:

Members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations committee took action this week, approving 18 to 11, an amendment to further protect doctors and patients who use medical cannabis in accordance with state laws.

The amendment reads, “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this title shall be used in a manner that would interfere with the ability of a provider to recommend medicinal marijuana in accordance with State law, or of a patient to participate in a medicinal marijuana program consistent with such State law.”

This vote marks the third time in recent weeks that members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations committee have approved marijuana related amendments. Members also recently voted to expand military veterans’ access to medical cannabis and to bar the Department of Justice from spending money to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws.

State:

California: Legislation NORML opposes is moving forward in the state legislature and we need you to #TakeAction to prevent it from becoming law. Members of the state Assembly voted 60 to 12 on June 2nd in favor of Assembly Bill 2243, legislation seeking to impose a new $9.75/ounce tax on the cultivation of medical-only marijuana. Similarly, members of the state Senate voted 27 to 10 on June 1st in favor of Senate Bill 987, legislation seeking to impose a special 15 percent statewide tax upon medical marijuana sales. This tax would be in addition to the imposition of existing state and local taxes.

Assembly Bill 2243 will now be considered by members of the Senate and Senate Bill 987 will now be considered by members of the Assembly.

While NORML generally does not oppose the imposition of fair and reasonable sales taxes on the commercial sales of cannabis for recreational purposes, we do not support such excessive taxation on medical sales. #TakeAction

Colorado: On Monday, June 6th, Governor John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1373 into law. This legislation permits qualified patients access to medical cannabis formulations while on school grounds. Under the measure, a primary caregiver may administer non-inhalable formulations of medical cannabis to a qualifying patient while that patient is on the grounds of a pre-school, primary, or secondary school in which the student is enrolled. Medical marijuana patients may not be denied eligibility to attend school because of their cannabis use. The measure took effect upon the Governor’s signature.

New York: Advocates are making a final push to pass legislation to significantly expand the state’s current medical marijuana program before the legislative ends on June 16th. New York legalized medical marijuana in 2014, however the law is one of the most restrictive in the country. Currently, 11 separate bills are pending before the legislature to improve and expand the state’s nascent program. #TakeAction

Ohio: Governor John Kasich signed legislation into law this week establishing regulations for the licensed production and dispensing of medical cannabis formulations to qualified patients. House Bill 523 authorizes the use of various forms of cannabis preparations for the physician-authorized treatment of a number of qualifying conditions. For a full list, click here. Ohio is the 26th state to enact statutory language permitting the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana.

Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan has signed legislation, House Bill 104, expanding the pool of medical professionals who can provide written recommendations for marijuana to qualifying patients. Passage of this legislation allows nurse midwives and nurse practitioners, among other medical professionals, who are in good standing with the state to provide written certifications to qualifying patients. The legislation takes effect June 1st, 2017.

Michigan: House-backed legislation to expand Michigan’s existing medical marijuana law is expected to be voted on imminently by members of the Senate Judiciary committee. House Bill 4209 would license and regulate above-ground, safe access facilities for state-qualified patients seeking medical marijuana. House Bill 4210 would provide qualified patients legal protections for their use of non-smoked cannabis derived topicals and edibles, as well as cannabis-based extract products. Lawmakers also passed a third bill, HB 4827, which seeks to establish regulations tracking the production and sale of medical marijuana products. Tell the Senate that it is high time to act upon these common sense measures! #TakeAction

Vermont: Governor Peter Shumlin has signed legislation into law expanding the state’s medical cannabis program.

Senate Bill 14 includes various patient-friendly provisions: It permits patients with glaucoma and ‘chronic pain’ and/or those in hospice care to be eligible for cannabis therapy; it eliminates the requirement that patients must have previously tried other conventional treatments “without success” prior to being eligible for medical cannabis; it amends existing doctor/patient relationship requirements in a manner that expedites certain patients eligibility to receive cannabis treatment; and it authorizes naturopaths to make medicinal cannabis recommendations.

The changes impacting patients’ eligibility took effect upon signing. Other changes in the law take effect on July 1, 2016. Full text of the new law is online here.

Canada: Rising Popularity Of Medical Cannabis Among Veterans Associated With Declining Opioid Use

Rising rates of medical cannabis use among Canadian military veterans is associated with a parallel decline in the use of prescription opiates and benzodiazepenes, according to federal data recently provided to The Globe and Mail.

According to records provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, the number of veterans prescribed benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Ativan, and Valium) fell nearly 30 percent between 2012 and 2016, while veterans’ use of prescription opiates declined almost 17 percent. During this same period, veterans seeking federal reimbursements for prescription cannabis rose from fewer than 100 total patients to more than 1,700.

Canadian officials legalized the use of cannabis via prescription in 2001.

While the data set is too small to establish cause and effect, the trend is consistent with data indicating that many patients substitute medical cannabis for other prescription drugs, especially opiates.

Prior assessments from the United States report that incidences of opioid-related addiction, abuse, and mortality are significantly lower in jurisdictions that permit medicinal cannabis access as compared to those states that do not.

Ohio: Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Vaporization Measure

Ohio Governor John Kasich has signed legislation into law establishing regulations for the licensed production and dispensing of medical cannabis formulations to qualified patients.

House Bill 523 authorizes the use of various forms of cannabis preparations for the physician-authorized treatment of the following qualifying conditions: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); Alzheimer’s disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease); cancer; chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Crohn’s disease; epilepsy or other seizure disorders; fibromyalgia; glaucoma; hepatitis C; inflammatory bowel disease; multiple sclerosis; pain that is either of the following nature: (i) Chronic and severe; or (ii) Intractable; Parkinson’s disease; positive status for HIV; post-traumatic stress disorder; sickle cell anemia; spinal cord disease or injury; Tourette’s syndrome; traumatic brain injury; and ulcerative colitis.

The new law, which takes effect in 90 days, requires state regulators to license the production, distribution, and testing of cannabis products, but it forbids home cultivation of the plant.

Cannabis-specific products may be dispensed as oils, tinctures, edibles, patches, or as herbal material. Smoking herbal cannabis is not permitted under the measure; however, the measure does not clarify how this prohibition would be enforced.

The vaporizing of medical cannabis products by patients is permitted by the legislation. Similar smoking restrictions exist in four other states: Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania.

THC content in herbal cannabis will be limited to 35 percent under the measure, while extracts will be capped at 75 percent THC.

Although the program is not anticipated to be fully operational until early 2018, provisions in the law provide limited legal protections for qualifying patients who acquire cannabis from alternative sources prior to this date.

A summary of the bill is available from the Ohio Patient Network here.

Ohio is the 26th state to enact statutory language permitting the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana. Last month, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation amending the state’s dormant medical marijuana law to permit the licensed production and distribution of cannabis-infused preparations to qualified patients. However, patients are not anticipated to have access to cannabis products under that law until late 2017 or 2018.

Proponents in Ohio who sought to place a separate, broader medical marijuana measure on the 2016 ballot had recently announced that they were suspending their campaign, stating, “[A]ll in all, [HB 523] is a moderately good piece of legislation passed by lawmakers who were pushed hard by the patient community. We plan on continuing forward as an advocacy effort to ensure that the state of Ohio lives up to the promises contained in HB 523, but also working to better the program utilizing our amendment as a road map for those improvements.”

NYPD Commissioner Bratton's Flawed Stance on Marijuana Enforcement

In the last week, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton has been in the news twice because of his flawed stance on marijuana enforcement.

The attention stems from Bratton’s crediting of marijuana with rising violence in communities – an opinion that is both wrong and proven to be detrimental for people of color.

Bratton posed the question as to why certain states or jurisdictions were becoming more lax with their marijuana laws when he believes marijuana to be one of the drivers of violence in New York City.

The case for ending prohibition to most of us (57% of Americans according to a 2015 Gallop poll) is clear, it has been wasteful, inefficient, and it has been disproportionately enforced on people of color by police departments across the country – none more so than Bratton’s own NYPD.

Contrary to Bratton’s opinion, prohibition has only been successful in creating violence – not curbing it.

As of now, four states and the District of Colombia have legalized marijuana for recreational use – a number likely to change after this November. In most of those states, the illicit market share (and the violence associated) of the now booming marijuana industry has been drastically reduced due to reasonable access for adults to the country’s most widely used federally illicit substance.

However, overall crime rates in a state like Colorado, who legalized marijuana in 2012 and began allowing access to recreational marijuana in 2014, have simply fluctuated, going down the first year and rising the second.

To those of us who, unlike Commissioner Bratton, understand causation and correlation; it is evident from what we have seen in the states that have legalized marijuana, that marijuana, itself, cannot be the cause of that violence.

It is prohibition that is the problem.

Perhaps an example that would more readily illustrate the definitions of causation and correlation is the effect of a marijuana arrest for simple possession of marijuana in New York City on the life of a young person of color. Limited access to education, removal from public housing, limited access to loans and lines of credit, and of course restricted opportunities for employment are just a few of the direct results that a marijuana conviction can have on someone’s life.

Despite knowing these collateral consequences and how hard they are to overcome, marijuana arrests continue in New York City. Despite even, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton’s own orders of 2014 to ticket instead of making arrests, marijuana arrests continue.

Despite knowing that black and Latino New Yorker’s made up 86% of these arrests over the last 20 years, marijuana arrests continue. Despite those same black and Latino New Yorkers making up 88% of the arrests made last year, marijuana arrests continue.

And despite knowing that marijuana use has remained consistent across communities (both black and white) over the last 30 years, these arrests continue.

Violence is an issue that everyone wants to solve, yet scapegoating marijuana for community violence is not the way to solve it. The outdated ideology that Commissioner Bratton displays is the same approach we’ve been taking for the last 40 years, and the fact that he can continue to hold that position even after being told why the war on drugs and the war on marijuana was started and who its targets were is even more outrageous.

Chris Alexander is the New York policy coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Photo via Policy Exchange

View more blog posts.

Author: Chris Alexander
Date Published: June 8, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

TODAY: Elected Officials, Community Members and Civil Rights Groups Demand Racial Equity in New York's Response to the Heroin and Opioid Crisis

ALBANY, New York — Today, elected officials, community members, civil rights and legal advocates, and drug policy reformers joined together to call for the inclusion of communities of color in Albany’s response to heroin and opioids. In the midst of the opioid crisis, lawmakers and the media have increasingly highlighted strategies that treat drug use as a public health issue. But despite the rhetoric, the overwhelming emphasis of New York drug policy remains on criminalization, which is disproportionately focused on people of color.

“Heroin abuse and its devastating effects is not a new phenomenon – we have seen how it has decimated poor communities and communities of color for decades,” said Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jeffrion Aubry. “For years we have been calling for meaningful reform to address the issue – Rockefeller drug law reform was the first step. But now we must continue to march forward and pass additional policy reforms that focuses less on criminalization and more on a public health solution – a solution for ALL.”

New York, like much of the rest of the country, has begun to move away from criminal justice approaches to drugs amid a perception that more people who use drugs are now from white, suburban, and middle class communities. Despite this trend there has been little effort at the state level to repair the harms of the failed drug policies of the last 45 years that have devastated communities of color. New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws were a significant driver of mass incarceration, gross racial disparities, and disruption of New York families and communities.

While advocates and elected officials are encouraged by the renewed focus on issues around drugs and treatment, they warned that current proposals lack a comprehensive public health approach to drugs.

“We have learned through trial and error – and much unnecessary pain and suffering – that a public health model is the only smart and compassionate approach to addressing substance abuse and addiction,” said Robert Perry, Legislative Director with the NYCLU. “And yet legislation pending in Albany adopts several misguided compulsory treatment provisions. Let’s not make the same mistakes we made with the War on Drugs – drug policy must be based on upon evidence-based medical science.”

“I’m angry! ‎I’m angry because harm reduction saved my life, yet the Senate Republicans have refused even the most basic reforms to expand syringe access,” said Terrell Jones, leader of VOCAL-NY, referring to the Senate’s last minute refusal to support legislation to reform the Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP). “And I’m angry that as a black man, when I was homeless and drug addicted, I was offered 4-9 years for my first offense and denied drug treatment while white boys awaiting sentencing with me were offered programs in place of prison.”

“There are visible racial disparities in drug charges. Unfortunately, individuals of color are more likely to be stopped, arrested and prosecuted for violating drug laws,” said Assemblywoman Diana Richardson. “It is essential that we continue to advocate for fair criminal justice reform.”

Elected officials and advocates called on the legislature to not only focus on increasing access to services but also work together to deal with the years of “lock them up” policies that have devastated communities throughout New York State.

“I applaud the Drug Policy Alliance and VOCAL-NY for standing up for marginalized communities that have for decades now been plagued and devastated by drug addiction and overdose. Understanding that drug abuse in any community is a public health crisis is key, and ensuring equitable access to resources to fight this blight is vital and long overdue,” said Senator Kevin Parker. “When communities of color were initially overtaken by drugs and its negative externalities, the answer that was presented was a War on Drugs. Today, I hope we learn from our predecessors failed policies and enact legislation that provides evenhanded relief to all communities impacted. I remain eager to work with my colleagues in the Legislature to right this wrong.”

“As New York battles an increase in heroin and prescription opioid addiction, we must ensure that equal support and treatment is provided to everyone who needs it, regardless of race or economic status. For far too long, we have seen people of color, particularly young black men, serving unnecessarily long prison sentences, perpetuated by draconian drug laws,” said Senator James Sanders Jr. “We have an opportunity to affect change by introducing positive reforms across the state including improvements to public health policy and the criminal justice system. I look forward to joining with my colleagues in government to make these changes possible.

“The evidence becomes clearer every day that the old war on drugs is not working, is hurting communities and is destroying families,” said Juan Cartagena, President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “”We can’t incarcerate addiction out of people. It’s inhumane and ineffective. It is time for a sane policy, one that helps people and doesn’t ostracize them from society.”

Elected officials presented several legislative proposals that they believe will not only increase services to communities throughout New York but would also begin to reduce the harms associated with criminalization and the failing drug war.

“Instead of demonizing and punishing the communities of color affected by this epidemic, we need to treat addiction with drug treatment. Research has shown drug treatment is proven to be more effective at reducing crime and recidivism. Moreover, we need to provide pathway for former addicts to be reintegrated into society, said Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson. “Formerly jailed individuals are routinely denied access to jobs, housing, educational loans, welfare benefits, political participation, and other key social goods solely on the basis of their drug convictions. It is an alarmist attitude of a few who refuse to accept the notion that many of these former addicts have served their time and proven themselves worthy of a second chance.”

“Communities of color have been devastated by bad drug policies and hyper-criminalization for the last 40 years. It is an approach that has never worked and has caused significantly more harm than good to our communities and to our families. If we are going to be centering public health in our drug policy, then we need to do so now and we need to do it for all communities,” said Assemblymember Crystal People-Stokes. “We need to increase access to treatment but also alleviate the burden bad policies have had on people of color across the state, including the thousands of New Yorkers who are inhibited daily from accessing employment, housing and an education all due to a conviction on their record for simple possession of marijuana.”

“A public health crisis requires an inclusive public health response,” said Senator Daniel Squadron. “I’m proud to carry the Fairness & Equity Act that would introduce racial and ethnic impact statements. I thank DPA, VOCAL, the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Caucus, and my colleagues.”

“It is important for public health to protect possession of clean needles and possession of naloxone so that people don’t have to fear that they’re going to come under police scrutiny because they have naloxone in their pocket,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “Heroin and opiate addiction have devastating effects and we must treat these as critical public health issues, addressed with harm reduction strategies, instead of criminalizing individuals and communities.”

“Decriminalizing syringe possession will give the most vulnerable New Yorkers access to the harm reduction services they need in order to avoid contracting HIV or Hepatitis C, said Senator Gustavo Rivera. “We can no longer stand by while ineffective and failed drug polices continue to unnecessarily put the health of New Yorkers at risk.”

Together advocates and elected called on the New York State legislature and Governor Cuomo to center repairing the harms associated with the drug war, in addition to ensuring an equitable distribution of public health resources to help all people in need.

“For too long communities of color have been plagued by the consequences of a broken legal system that has unfairly targeted certain neighborhoods, and created a drug policy that has done little to decrease drug use, said Assembly member Robert Rodriguez. “New York needs a compassionate approach to opioid policy reform that works with individuals and communities to both heal and prevent the damage of widespread drug use, and continue to promote progressive police practices.”

“Not only must we learn from the mistakes of the past, we must take action to reverse the harms caused by racially motivated drug policy that for years prioritized incarceration and punitive measures over treatment and recovery,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. “It is crucial that we create policies to ensure that all people in every community that have been affected by addiction have access to comprehensive treatment and recovery supports and that we implement policies that confer justice and equality upon communities who for years have been deprived of it.”

“People in communities of color in New York are watching as new resources come to white communities to solve the heroin and opioid problem. Meanwhile, we continue to respond to drug use by increasing law enforcement presence and incarcerating huge numbers of Black and Brown New Yorkers, destroying whole communities and families,” said Kassandra Frederique, New York State Director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “Without a doubt, the tragedy of anyone’s struggle with drug abuse should be met with a compassionate and humane response. What we are asking for today are two things: first that the resources and compassion being extended to white communities is extended to communities of color and second that lawmakers acknowledge and redress the harms done to communities of color by the 45 year failed war on drugs.”

Legislative policy proposals include:

Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements to determine legislation’s effects on communities of color before it is enacted

Statewide clemency package to seal and vacate all marijuana-related convictions

Reform criminal drug possession statutes to decriminalize or de-felonize certain offenses

Bolster and expand Rockefeller drug law reforms

Reduce recidivism and save money by establishing Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs

Create a Statewide Nonfatal Overdose Response System

Increase funding for harm reduction services and continue their integration with the broader healthcare system

Repeal the criminal law on syringe possession and increase access syringes through pharmacies

Rewrite New York’s syringe exchange law to increase the number of providers and reduce barriers to access

Institute supervised injection facilities (SIFs) wherever needed in the state

Increase access to the medication-assisted treatment, especially by expanding buprenorphine access in low income communities of color

Allow access to methadone and buprenorphine in Department of Corrections and Community Supervision facilities

Establish a New York State Drugs Advisory Council that includes the participation of community experts and the legislature and executive to ensure common objectives and policy coordination between agencies and elected officials

Author:
Date Published: June 8, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance | VOCAL-NY

Another Study Shows Marijuana Health Harms Exaggerated

A study released this week from the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry suggests that the harms associated with long-term marijuana use are much less than previously claimed.

Time reports:

Even after years of heavy use, marijuana doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on the physical health of the body.

So finds a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, which analyzed data from a group of 1,037 New Zealanders followed from their birth until age 38. The researchers, led by Madeline Meier of Arizona State University, looked at whether cannabis use from age 18 to 38 was linked to several aspects of physical health, which were measured at several points throughout the years of the study through lab tests and self-reports.

The only bad effects pot seemed to have were on the teeth. At age 38, people who used cannabis had worse periodontal health than their peers, and nothing else appeared to be affected. By contrast, tobacco use was connected to all the expected declines: worse lung function, more inflammation and compromised metabolic health. Of course, the results come with a caveat; it’s possible that negative health effects of cannabis could show themselves after the age of 38.

Even more surprisingly, the researchers found that cannabis use over time was linked to a lower BMI, smaller waist circumference and better HDL cholesterol, suggesting that cannabis may be involved in metabolism. But it’s unlikely that this would have a major effect, the study authors note, since pot wasn’t linked to reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.

“There are definitely health risks associated with heavy marijuana use, but there just aren’t as many as we previously thought,” says Dr. Kevin Hill, a marijuana addiction expert and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, whose new commentary on the study is published Tuesday in JAMA.

Compared to the increasingly disproven claims made by prohibitionists about the severe negative health outcomes of marijuana consumption, bad teeth isn’t all that bad. It is certainly not a sufficient reason to continue arresting adults for a substance that is objectively safer than alcohol.

The post Another Study Shows Marijuana Health Harms Exaggerated appeared first on MPP Blog.

Elected Officials, Community Members and Civil Rights Groups Demand Racial Equity in New York's Response to the Heroin and Opioid Crisis

ALBANY, New York — This Wednesday, elected officials, community members, civil rights and legal advocates, and drug policy reformers will join together to call for the inclusion of communities of color in Albany’s response to heroin and opioids. In the midst of the opioid crisis, lawmakers and the media have increasingly highlighted strategies that treat drug use as a public health issue. But despite the rhetoric, the overwhelming emphasis of New York drug policy remains on criminalization, which is disproportionately focused on people of color.

New York, like the rest of the country, has begun to reject criminal justice approaches to drugs amid a perception that more people who use drugs are now from white, suburban, and middle class communities. Amid this trend there has been little effort at the state level to repair the harms of the failed drug policies of the last 45 years that have devastated communities of color. New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws were a model for other states around the country, and a significant driver of mass incarceration, gross racial disparities, and disruption of New York families and communities.

Speakers will call on the New York State legislature and Governor Cuomo to create policies that will repair the harms associated with the drug war, in addition to ensuring an equitable distribution of public health resources to help all people in need.

WHAT: Press Conference “Prescription for Everybody’s Pain: Heroin and Communities of Color – A Time for Atonement and Action.”
WHEN: Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 1pm
WHERE: Million Dollar Staircase, New York State Capitol
State St. and Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12224
WHO:

Terrell Jones, Community Leader at VOCAL New York, and Outreach and Advocacy Program Manager at NY Harm Reduction Educators

Dr. Alice Green, Executive Director, Center for Law and Justice, Albany, NY

New York State Assembly Member Charles Barron

New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake

New York State Assembly Member Crystal Peoples-Stokes (tentative)

New York State Assembly Member Diana Richardson

New York State Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez

New York State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal

New York State Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson

New York State Senator Kevin Parker

New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera

New York State Senator James Sanders

Kassandra Frederique, New York State Director, Drug Policy Alliance

Legislative policy proposals include:

Racial and Ethnic Impact Statements to determine legislation’s effects on communities of color before it is enacted

Statewide clemency package to seal and vacate all marijuana-related convictions

Reform criminal drug possession statutes to decriminalize or de-felonize certain offenses

Bolster and expand Rockefeller drug law reforms

Reduce recidivism and save money by establishing Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs

Create a Statewide Nonfatal Overdose Response System

Increase funding for harm reduction services and continue their integration with the broader healthcare system

Repeal the criminal law on syringe possession and increase access syringes through pharmacies

Rewrite New York’s syringe exchange law to increase the number of providers and reduce barriers to access

Institute supervised injection facilities (SIFs) wherever needed in the state

Increase access to the medication-assisted treatment, especially by expanding buprenorphine access in low income communities of color

Allow access to methadone and buprenorphine in Department of Corrections and Community Supervision facilities

Establish a New York State Drugs Advisory Council that includes the participation of community experts and the legislature and executive to ensure common objectives and policy coordination between agencies and elected officials

Author:
Date Published: June 7, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance | VOCAL-NY

Prince, Gone 2 Soon, Spotlights the Complexities of Opioid Use

Today would have been Prince’s 58th birthday, and so as we celebrate his life and musical contributions, I wonder how this tragedy could have been prevented, how we, as advocates for compassionate and health-based drug policies, can do better to educate people, end stigma around opioid use, prescription and otherwise, and prevent overdoses.

Like most, when I first heard the reports of Prince’s death, I was in shock and disbelief. The purple iconoclast, performer, guitar god, activist, fashion provocateur and musical genius was the driving soundtrack of my youth, and a part of the fabric and landscape of all things culturally powerful, sexually explicit and unapologetically funky.

What happened?

Amid longstanding speculation that Prince died of an overdose, last week, toxicology results confirmed that Prince tragically died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl. He is now one of nearly 19,000 Americans who die from opioid-based medication each year.

As more details emerge surrounding his final days and the help his people sought, his established use of opioid medication to treat chronic pain stemming from decades of demanding performances, Prince’s death, one highest profile cases to date, serves as reminder that we need to do better to educate people on drug use, legal and otherwise, misuse and how to prevent and decrease the probabilities of having an overdose.

Here are some starting points:

• Don’t combine opioids with other sedatives.
• Enact 911 Good Samaritan immunity laws at all jurisdictional levels to protect overdose witnesses from arrest and prosecution for minor drug law violations.
• Expand access to naloxone among people who use opioids, as well as their friends, family members, caretakers and doctors.
• Promote fact based drug education for young people about potentially dangerous drug combinations and how to prevent and respond to an overdose.
• Support public education initiatives to foster awareness of any overdose policy reforms and improve cooperation with ambulance and police services.

And finally, best said here, by my colleague Kevin Franciotti, “The harms associated with drug use, including fatal overdoses from opioids, need to acknowledge the role of stigma surrounding people who use them. Prince was known as an advocate for clean living, and if fear of being stigmatized as a drug addict was a contributing factor to his untimely death, just like it is for many others, serious consideration needs to include an end to the stigma around drug use.”

And here’s what we don’t do: Prince’s death should not lead to bad drug policies. What we should learn from this tragic event is that overdose is preventable and addiction is treatable. Let our compassion for one another and research grounded in science drive our drug policies. Otherwise punitive prohibition and stigma will continue to destroy lives.

In love and tribute, here’s one of my favorite Prince moments.

Melissa Franqui is the communications coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Photo via Scott Penner

View more blog posts.

Author: Melissa Franqui
Date Published: June 7, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Survey: Pediatric Oncology Providers Favor Cannabis For Pediatric Treatment

More than nine in ten pediatric oncology providers with opinions favor patients’ access to cannabis therapy, according to survey data provided this week at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Investigators from various US cancer treatment centers surveyed 654 pediatric oncology providers, including physicians and nurses, at three National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington. Over 300 providers (46 percent) completed the survey.

Of those, 92 percent said that they were “willing to help pediatric cancer patients access medical marijuana,” and just over one-third (34 percent) acknowledged that cannabis therapy “is appropriate in the early stages of cancer treatment.”

Thirty percent of respondents reported receiving requests from patients or their families to access medical marijuana therapy at least once per month.

Overall, pediatric oncology providers hold “predominantly favorable attitudes toward medical marijuana use in pediatric cancer patients,” authors concluded.

Previous surveys of physicians and health care providers report similar attitudes. Survey results published in 2013 in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that 76 percent of respondents supported the use of cannabis therapy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. A 2014 poll of over 1,500 physicians commissioned by Web MD similarly reported that 82 percent of oncologists believed that marijuana treatment provides legitimate therapeutic benefits.

An abstract of the survey data, “Pediatric oncology providers and use of medical marijuana in children with cancer,” appears online here.

Vermont Governor Signs Bill Expanding Medical Marijuana Access

The Vermont medical marijuana program took an important step forward today when Gov. Peter Shumlin signed S. 14, a bill that will make it possible for more patients to qualify for the medical marijuana program.

Gov. Peter Shumlin. VTD/Josh Larkin

“At a time when opiate addiction is ravaging our state and drug companies continue to urge our doctors to pass out painkillers like candy, we need to find a more practical solution to pain management,” Shumlin said in a statement.

Specifically, the bill reduces the threshold for a pain diagnosis from “severe pain” to “chronic pain.” It also adds glaucoma as a qualifying condition, and it reduces the required provider-patient relationship from six months to three months. A summary of these changes and others made by S. 14 is available here.

The post Vermont Governor Signs Bill Expanding Medical Marijuana Access appeared first on MPP Blog.

Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Make Marijuana Legal

The majority of US voters believe that the adult use of cannabis ought to be legalized, while more than nine in ten Americans endorse allowing its use for therapeutic purposes, according to the results of nationwide polling data provided by Quinnipiac University.

Fifty-four percent of respondents say that the “use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States.” Support for legalization is strongest among those age 18 to 39 (69 percent), Democrat voters (65 percent), Independents (61 percent), and males (60 percent). Support is weakest among Republicans (36 percent), those over 65 years of age (37 percent), and female voters (47 percent).

By contrast, super-majorities in all demographic categories — including 94 percent of Democrats, 93 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Republicans — support permitting physicians to authorize medical marijuana use to qualified patients.

In response to a separate polling question, 87 percent of respondents agreed with a recently enacted Congressional amendment authorizing V.A. physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to military veterans in states that permit it.

The poll’s results are similar to those of numerous recent national surveys, including those by CBS News, the Associated Press, and Gallup showing majority support for marijuana law reform.

After Prince's Tragic Overdose, Here's What You Need to Know About Fentanyl

The toxicology results from music legend Prince’s tragic death last month are now public, and the media are focusing on what for many is a new word – fentanyl. It appears likely that Prince ingested it and tragically died some time later.

So what is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a potent painkiller originally synthesized in the 1960’s as part of a class of novel opioids. At first, fentanyl was used only in surgery, but when new forms of administering it were developed decades later, including skin-patches and under the tongue sprays, it quickly became one of the most common treatments for chronic pain and palliative care.

What is important to know when talking about fentanyl?

Recent media coverage claims fentanyl is ’50 times stronger than’ heroin and ‘100 times stronger than’ morphine and is an ‘instant killer.’ It is true that fentanyl is more potent than heroin and morphine, but this simply means that it is active at lower doses. Words are important here – while chemists and pharmacologists can weigh a drugs’ potency by the amount it takes to produce effects, this can be a distraction to what the real issues are with fentanyl and why people are dying from it.

Why do people take fentanyl?

Meeting the need for relief in chronic pain patients is a legitimate medical practice, and when patients on painkillers long-term develop tolerance to their medication, stronger and more effective drugs are often needed. This need is sometimes challenged when attention is brought to problems associated with the illicit use of prescription medication, but when access to painkillers is restricted, patients often resort to the illicit market.

Why are people dying from fentanyl and what can we do about it?

People who use fentanyl often don’t know they’re taking it. In general, fentanyl used to cut heroin is not being diverted from medical facilities but comes from clandestine labs often in other countries, synthesizing large quantities of cheap, pure fentanyl. Fentanyl has become an attractive cutting agent, since its increased sedative potency can be perceived as strengthening a batch of heroin. Therefore risk of fentanyl overdose is particularly greater for opiate-naïve users, and even in those with a tolerance for heroin.

While synthetic opioids are invaluable to medicine, our failed drug prohibition policy is actually creating the scenario where cutting heroin with fentanyl makes sense to sellers because there is a demand for a cheap and strong high.

What’s a better approach to fentanyl?

A law enforcement crackdown on fentanyl and restricting doctors’ prescribing ability to treat legitimate pain patients has been tried already, and it only makes things worse. Proposed solutions that can prevent deaths and create a safer environment for opioid users, like expanding access to the overdose antidote naloxone and creating supervised injection facilities, are necessary.

Stigma prevents people from seeking help.

The harms associated with drug use, including fatal overdoses from opioids, need to acknowledge the role of stigma surrounding people who use them. Prince was known as an advocate for clean living, and if fear of being stigmatized as a drug addict was a contributing factor to his untimely death, just like it is for many others, serious consideration needs to include an end to the stigma around drug use.

Kevin Franciotti is a Program Associate at the Drug Policy Alliance.

To find out more about the issues surrounding novel psychoactive substance, like fentanyl, on June 9th-10th in New York City, attend a summit on New Strategies for New Psychoactive Substances: A Public Health Approach. The free event is open to the public and will explore alternative legal strategies for drug policy. Registration is required: http://newstrategies4nps.eventbrite.com

Photo via Scott Penner

View more blog posts.

Author: Kevin Franciotti
Date Published: June 2, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

West Virginia Legislators Propose Bill to End Marijuana Prohibition

The Fortunately, now that a special session has been called, five delegates have decided this is an opportunity to raise the issue of marijuana legalization. Del. Mike Pushkin (D-Charleston) and a bipartisan group of four co-sponsors have introduced HB 114, which would make marijuana legal on a limited basis in West Virginia.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail published an editorial praising these legislators’ efforts, calling legalization an “excellent idea.” The Gazette-Mail noted that the bill “has no chance” of passing in the special session, but it still presents an important opportunity to raise the issue with elected officials.

If you are a West Virginia resident, please take a moment to contact your delegates and senators today and urge them to consider the benefits of ending marijuana prohibition.

The post West Virginia Legislators Propose Bill to End Marijuana Prohibition appeared first on MPP Blog.

Kansas City NORML Moves One Step Closer to Decriminalizing Marijuana

Great news for marijuana consumers in Kansas City, Missouri! After months of back and forth meetings with city officials, NORML KC, the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of marijuana laws, has received approval to move forward with a municipal initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession offenses. If passed, the measure will amend local laws regarding the possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana for adults age 21 and up from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine to a civil offense punishable by a $50 fine — no arrest or criminal record. Read the full text of the initiative by clicking, here!

With a deadline of August 25, 2016 to collect the 1,703 signatures needed to qualify the initiative for a vote, the organization’s executive director, Jamie Kacz, is hoping to gather more than 2,300 to offset the possibility of some signatures being deemed invalid. Mrs. Kacz and her volunteers started the process of collecting signatures during last week’s First Friday Art Festival at the Crossroads Art District and will continue to work hard over the next twelve weeks.

“Current laws are unreasonably harsh and now is the perfect opportunity to make a change. It’s time for Kansas City to take this sensible step forward,” Kacz said. “This will be a grassroots effort and passionate volunteers will be an essential part of our efforts”.

If you live in Kansas City, be on the lookout for volunteers with NORML KC as they’re out and about with petitions looking to reform your city’s marijuana laws! Make sure you follow NORML KC on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with future events and announcements!

Rick Steves: A Wonderfully Effective Advocate for Legalization

Travel writer and public television travel host (and NORML board member) Rick Steves is truly a breath of fresh air.

As countless American travelers know, Rick Steves is a popular, prolific, and clean-cut travel expert who hosts the popular public television series “Rick Steves Europe” as well the National Public Radio show “Travel with Rick Steves,” and he has written many guidebooks for Americans traveling in Europe. His company, Rick Steves’ Europe, also hosts hundreds of trips to Europe each year. He helps readers, viewers, and tour participants discover not only great cities but cozy villages off the usual tourist-trampled paths. He helps American travelers connect intimately with Europeans—often for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.

Steves says his company’s mission “is to inspire, inform, and equip Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. We value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live. We strive to keep our own travel style, our world outlook, and our business practices consistent with these values.”

Steves, who is an active member of his Lutheran church, has a wonderfully wholesome and charming style and has developed a unique comfort level with average Americans. They like and trust him. And it comes as a surprise to many to learn that Steves has another side to him: he is also a marijuana smoker and a public advocate for legalizing the responsible use of marijuana. Because of his ability to personally connect with his audience, Steves is an especially effective NORML advocate whose public support carries great credibility.

More and more public figures are beginning to speak out, but Steves was ahead of most all of them and has insisted on making his personal views on the subject public, regardless of the audience. Steves made his first appearance as a featured speaker at a NORML conference in 2003, and has been a featured speaker at many of our conferences since. He also frequently joins us to address the annual Seattle Hempfest. He was first elected to the NORML board of directors in 2013 and he continues to serve in that capacity.

Steves has shown a willingness to articulate in public what many marijuana smokers believe but are uncomfortable saying out loud: that in the right situation, smoking cannabis can be a positive and life-enhancing experience. Not only is it not harmful behavior, when used responsibly, but it can actually improve the quality of one’s life. The mind is clearer, and one’s creative juices are enhanced by the experience of getting high. Beyond that, it can be a wonderful way to simply relax.

Steves has an effective way to explain his interest in marijuana smoking. “I’m a travel writer. For me ‘high’ is a place. Sometimes I just want to go there. And if my government says no, there better be a good reason. And there isn’t.” He finishes his talk by wishing his audience “Happy travels…even if you’re just staying home.”

Steves was an official sponsor and significant financial supporter, and toured his home state of Washington actively campaigning in support of the ballot initiative (I-502) that voters approved in 2012, and he actively supported and personally toured Oregon in support of the successful Oregon initiative (Measure 91) in 2014.

And he has announced he is making similar commitments to the legalization initiatives that will appear on the November ballot in both Maine and Massachusetts this fall. He will spend three days in both states this fall, barnstorming to build support for the measures, and he will make a significant financial contribution to the campaigns in both states.

“Just this past week Steves announced he was putting up $50,000 as a matching grant to the Maine Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, to match the contributions from other supporters.

I’ve worked hard to help legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult recreational use in Washington State (where I live) and in Oregon. This November, Maine voters will have the opportunity to approve a ballot initiative that will end prohibition and replace it with a sensible marijuana policy in their state too.

As a NORML Board Member, I am proud to announce that NORML is endorsing this initiative. And to demonstrate my commitment, I am going to match every donation up to $50,000, dollar-for-dollar. This October, I’ll be visiting Maine to speak about the initiative and help build support for legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana in the state.

Through my travels in Europe, I’ve learned that pragmatic harm reduction makes much more sense than legislating morality. And I believe in civil liberties. Responsible adults should be able to use marijuana, just as they can use alcohol. Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska have demonstrated that it is possible to build a system of marijuana control and regulation that works.”

This isn’t about being “soft” or “hard” on drugs. This is about being smart – and controlling and regulating marijuana the right way.

Please consider making a donation today. Together, we can make history in Maine.

Best,

Rick Steves

Guidebook Author and Travel TV Host

NORML Board Member”

In a press release issued by the Maine campaign, they thanked NORML for endorsing the initiative and expressed their appreciation of Rick Steves’ generosity. “NORML has spent decades educating the public about marijuana and advocating for sensible marijuana policy reform,” said campaign manager David Boyer. “We are proud to have their support, and we are very grateful for Mr. Steves’ exceptionally generous offer. A lot of celebrities express support for ending marijuana prohibition, but few put their money where their mouth is.”

And that is the point of this column. Lots of celebrities talk the talk, but few actually walk the walk. It is a delight to be working with Rick Steves, a celebrity who does both exceptionally well. Rick Steves may well be the single most effective legalization advocate in America, and he is especially helpful bridging the gap between those of us who smoke and those who don’t.

Thanks, Rick, for all you do to advance the cause of personal freedom for all of us, smokers and non-smokers alike.

____________________________________________________

This column was first published on Marijuana.com.

Cytokine Production of Colonic Tissue From IBD Patients

Chronic intestinal inflammation characterizes inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which consist mainly of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The exact etiology is unknown for both diseases and therapeutic attempts aimed at down-regulating intestinal inflammation use both mediator-specific and nonspecific immune suppression. These attempts cause considerable side effects. Also, IBD patients are different in their genetic background […]

Why Are the Feds Out to Get 19-Year-Old Devontre Thomas?

Cannabis is state-legal for adults 21 and older in Oregon. There hasn’t been a federal marijuana possession case tried in the state since 2011. So why is the U.S. Attorney laying federal charges against a 19 year old from Salem who just graduated from high school?

That’s the mystery at the center of the case surrounding Devontre Thomas, a recent graduate of the Chemawa Indian School who’s planning to attend community college in the fall.

Thomas, a soft-spoken student, grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation in central Oregon, a place where unemployment hovers around 60 percent. After community college, he hopes to transfer to a four-year college and major in science and the environment.

Before that happens, though, he’ll have to deal with a federal drug indictment.

Devontre Thomas faces a federal criminal charge for cannabis possession. Photo via KGW

The U.S. Department of Justice is charging the teenager with one count of marijuana possession, which is a misdemeanor but still carries potentially heavy penalties, including up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 fine for a first offense. (In state court, the same offense — minor in possession — would be treated with a court date, a small fine, and possible enrollment in a drug diversion program.)

Why are the feds going after Thomas? Nobody’s quite sure. The alleged crime is said to have occurred more than a year ago. Thomas has a clean record, no previous scrapes with the law. According to a court document filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Martin, “On or about March 24, 2015, in the District of Oregon, defendant Devontre James Thomas knowing and intentionally possessed marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.”

Although the alleged crime occurred in March 2015, charges against Thomas weren’t filed until April 7, 2016 — more than a full year later.

Thomas’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Ruben Iniguez, is used to handling high-profile federal cases. He’s the court-appointed defender for Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whose protests against public-lands policy led to last year’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff. Iniguez is puzzled about the motive behind the high-level charges for an extremely low-level case.

Devontre Thomas, his lawyer says, did not have any cannabis in his possession but admitted to paying another teenager $20 to purchase some. Iniguez says investigators used the words “fragments,” “debris,” and “remnants” to describe what they found on one of Thomas’ friends.

Thomas “did not physically possess anything; it was another student who was in possession,” Iniguez told Leafly. “They are clearly making an example of him.”

It’s unclear whether Thomas’ friend was also charged in the incident. Federal prosecutors have declined to say why they’ve brought charges against the teenager. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Portland declined to comment on the matter.

This case is different than most of its kind, according to Iniguez, as Thomas was caught at his boarding school on the Chemawa Indian Reservation. “You commit a crime that would be considered a state crime and you might get probation,” Iniguez said. “But you get caught on the reservation, now it is federal.

“You have to go to federal court and you could face mandatory minimum sentences for the same thing.”

“They are not using the fact that it occurred on the Chemawa Indian Reservation as a basis for jurisdiction, but I think that is how it gets referred to them because it is a federal school.”

Iniguez said a plea bargain could be coming from the U.S. Attorney’s office soon.

“We are going to have to decide, are we going to fight this, do we want to challenge the statements?” Inguez said. “I think they are trying to scare him straight, making sure he gets back on the right path, as it were. If he does so, it will probably go away.”

Meanwhile, the reservation on which Thomas grew up is considering a plan to build a 36,000-square-foot cannabis greenhouse. Last December, 86 percent of the voting members of the Warm Springs Tribe agreed to pursue a tribal project to grow and process cannabis on the reservation, for eventual sale in nearby cities like Bend and Portland. The project could create more than 85 new jobs. Under tribal law, however, possession and sale of cannabis outside of the project would remain illegal.

Leafly Product Review: The G-Pen Elite Vaporizer (Ground Herb)

Welcome to Leafly’s Product Reviews, where we take a closer look at a cannabis gadget, accessory, or consumable, and give it a test spin. Today we’re trying out the G-Pen Elite Vaporizer by Grenco Science.

The G-Pen Elite Vaporizer at a Glance

Product: Portable vaporizer (ground material)

Manufacturer: Grenco Science

Price: $169.95

Features: Full LED display, temperature control, battery life indicator, all-ceramic heating chamber

Includes: 1 G-Pen Elite Vaporizer (for ground material), 1 G card, 1 G-Pen tool, 1 USB charging cable, 1 G cleaning brush

Initial Impressions

The G-Pen Elite Vaporizer for ground material by Grenco Science is a small yet powerful portable vaporizer that provides for a solid and effective vaping experience. Going off first impressions, I was a bit surprised at how small this thing is. The smooth and inlaid buttons on the front and side panel prevented any uncomfortable bulging in my pockets while I was carrying it around town. This is in part to the sleek and ergonomic design of the pen, with a rubber groove wrapping around the body for a natural handle when using it. The discreet construction and easy handling of the G-Pen Elite will make it very easy for you to vape anywhere.

Packing the pen was fairly easy as well, though I do say “fairly” because I had some difficulty in removing the mouthpiece to reach the load chamber each time I wanted to pack it. This difficulty was most likely due to the almost too-smooth construction of the pen itself. I had a hard time keeping a solid grip on the smooth plastic of the upper body of the pen while trying to pull the rubber mouthpiece off, but after some persistence I was able to get the mouthpiece off to access the deep chamber that Grenco Science proclaims to hold up to.75 grams of ground material.

I liked the fact that the chamber was deep for the pen’s overall size, but I also felt that the pen’s small stature made for a pretty narrow opening to load your herb, so be sure to keep the included pen tool handy with you as it is necessary if you want to fully pack the chamber for an optimal experience.

After my initial trouble with loading the pen, I was ready to start vaping. Turning on the pen was a breeze — just five quick clicks on the front panel button and I was greeted with the illuminated “G” symbol. Setting the temperature was just as simple as well, as the clear and easy-to-read digital display shows the current temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit, depending on how you roll.

My favorite thing about this pen was how fast it took to heat up to my desired temperature. All I had to do was use the two side buttons below the digital display to set my desired temp (I personally like rocking at around 365 degrees F), hold the front panel button for a second, then release the button and see the numbers on display zoom up to the temperature I had set. The lithium battery in this pen is no joke, as I was at my set temperature and ready to inhale within only 90 seconds. This fast-heating action was by far the most impressive part about using this pen.

And what about the actual vaping experience, you might ask? Well, I honestly have to say that it was a bit underwhelming, although this may be due to the nature of ground herb portable vaporizers in general. One downside to this pen’s small size is that pretty much the whole top half of the pen (mouthpiece included) can get very hot, so you really want to be careful where you put your lips on the mouthpiece. Also, make sure your fingers are resting in the ergonomic rubber grooves of the pen.

While I was able to get a nice taste and feel the effects of the Peppermint Cookies I was vaping, I wasn’t really able to produce a lot of vapor with each exhale. I was definitely using it correctly considering how sufficiently stoned I got, but the low vapor production was a bit disappointing to me. I also used up half the battery life of the pen in just one bowl, but that was also with continuous pulling instead of occasional rips over a long period of time.

Our Verdict

At $170, the G-Pen Elite provides a good and quality portable vaping experience without having to shell out the big bucks for the other portable vapes on the market, making it a great option for people looking for something between dirt-cheap and high-end. While I wasn’t blown away by the vaping experience, I still felt all the great effects of my herb, which is really the most important factor here. I was really impressed with the slick, small, yet powerful construction of this pen, making it a reliable option at a reasonable price.

Have you tried the G-Pen Elite? If so, leave a review on our Products page!

Washington State Leaker Says Canna-Data Breach ‘Not What I Was Going For’

In the wake of the recent data breach at the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), which released sensitive personal and financial information about cannabis license applicants to the watchdog website 420Leaks, many in the cannabis industry are asking: Who is 420Leaks founder John Novak, how did he end up with that data, and what’s he going to do with it?

Leafly reached Novak at his home in Lake Forest Park, Wash. He was happy to talk about it.

To answer the main question: He’s not out to steal anyone’s identity. He was, in fact, surprised the information landed in his lap.

“I had no idea this was going to include the entire application process,” he said. “That’s not what I was going for. I just wanted email exchanges because I’d heard people were getting screwed in the process. I just wanted to see if there were any irregularities, and then Whoa what is this? Holy crap.”

Novak is what government officials call a “super-requester,” a government watchdog who files massive and frequent public records requests. The recent flap over the WSLCB’s erroneous release of applicant info came out of a sprawling request Novak made for all information on collective gardens. In early May, the WSLCB sent Novak a collection of records that included a “redact” folder, which contained sensitive tax and financial information about some license applicants. WSLCB official Melissa Norton later to wrote Novak that “It is our belief that in error the ‘redact’ folder was included” in the release.

On June 8, the WSLCB sent out a letter to a number of license applicants informing them of “a data security incident” and that “your personal information may have been potentially exposed to others.” For those in the industry whose personal data was leaked, it was an unsettling letter to receive.

A copy of one such letter was obtained by KOMO 4 News:

Novak sees himself as more a public servant than a gadfly.

“The goal [of 420Leaks] is running an open government, with accountability,” he told Leafly. “We’re trying to get a spotlight on the fact that medical patients are getting knocked out in this whole process,” he added, referring to Washington state’s efforts to bring the medical marijuana system under the umbrella of the legal recreational cannabis industry. The rift between the state’s medical marijuana community and its recreational cannabis system is a wide one, and 420Leaks is emblematic of the MMJ community’s distrust of the state regulators in charge of that system.

Novak and his main collaborator on the site, John Worthington, began simply as medical marijuana patients growing their own cannabis. However, both were the subject of multiagency raids — Worthington in 2007 and Novak in 2010 — which sparked their ire. The experience, Novak said, transformed him from a medical marijuana activist to a transparency hawk.

“The reason I’m still big on this is that I was raided back in 2010 by a big task force team in Okanogan County under the false assumption that I was a big criminal kingpin,” said Novak. It also soured him on the state’s fledgling legal cannabis industry, ushered in under Initiative 502. he said, as he felt the persecution of patients and adult-use legalization went hand in hand.

“I realized very quickly that this thing is corrupt, and there’s no freaking way in hell I’m going to get involved with it because of everything I saw and the corruption around my raid,” he said. “It’s taxes and it’s controlling the resource. It’s capitalism. It’s everything that’s wrong with America right now. It’s happening in the cannabis world now, and it’s ruthless.”

Novak doesn’t see himself as an outsider. And he’s not exactly an anticapitalist crusader. When it comes down to it, he said, he’s just a guy who wants to grow his own, which isn’t allowed under I-502.

“I’m not anti-business,” he said. “I’m not even really anti-502. 502 was never supposed to do this. Maybe [it was supposed to stop] the [medical marijuana] storefronts, but not the home grows.”

While his research team for the site includes more super-requesters, such Arthur West, notorious for achieving multiple six-figure settlements with Washington state’s government agencies over public records requests and open meetings violation complaints, Novak said he doesn’t see himself as a career transparency activist.

“I just want to grow my plants and share with my friends and family,” he said. “I’m pretty much out of this whole thing as soon as they allow all adults to grow some plants themselves. I’m done. I want to go back to selling petunias and fruit trees.”

Greenhouse Cannabis Cultivation: What are the Benefits?

Greenhouses are becoming the most popular way to cultivate cannabis. They harness the power of the sun, provide a warm climate, and protect gardens from harsh environmental conditions. Past the basics, a greenhouse allows for year-round cultivation, climate control, and controlled exposure to sunlight. What’s more, they’re cheaper than growing indoors and produce a more consistent product than outdoors.

How Does a Greenhouse Work?

How does a greenhouse stay warm even when the outside air temperature is low? This happens through a process known as the “greenhouse effect.” Solar radiation (energy from the sun) passes through the transparent walls of the greenhouse and heats up the soil and plants. In turn, the soil and plants release this energy as infrared radiation which cannot escape the greenhouse. The heat is trapped and warms the air. On a hot day, you experience the science behind a greenhouse when getting into a parked car that has been left in the sun.

The greenhouse effect opens up the doors to year-round cultivation. However, cannabis is a demanding plant that needs both adequate lighting and controlled exposure to lighting in order to harness its continual offerings.

Recreating the Cannabis Life Cycle

In the fall, winter, and spring, the sun stays lower on the horizon. Because of this, plants receive less energy and have a harder time growing. Cannabis requires sunlight for more than 12 hours a day to stay in vegetative growth. Once the plant receives 12 hours or fewer of sunlight a day, it will start to flower and produce trichome-rich buds. Outdoors, plants generally go in the ground around June, grow in a vegetative state in the long days of summer, and then begin to flower in the early fall when the days become shorter.

Advanced greenhouses allow for the control of the light cycles needed to cultivate cannabis. These greenhouses go far beyond just keeping the plants in a warm climate. Other manipulation tools include supplemental lighting, climate control equipment (dehumidifiers, heaters, air conditioning), and the ability to block out all incoming light.

Advantages of Growing Greenhouse Cannabis

Growing cannabis in greenhouses can be advantageous over regular outdoor growing. These four key reasons outline why many growers are turning to greenhouse cultivation.

Lighting Control

Supplemental lighting allows for the gardener to extend the hours of daylight. It also allows the gardener to improve the quality of light on overcast days. Extending daylight hours gives the gardener the ability to keep the plants in a vegetative state and control their natural course. Improving the quality of light with supplemental lighting also helps keep plants healthy and growing vigorously even when the weather is less than ideal.

Weather and Climate Control

Having a controlled climate is essential to produce a top quality product. Protection from the outdoor elements help keep the product safe. For example, heavy rains often result in damaged plants and rot if too much moisture is trapped inside the bud. Plants in a greenhouse are protected from rain and have windows that can be “burped,” or have dehumidifiers to control humidity. In addition, greenhouses may have heaters, air conditioning, and fans, all of which may be used to create a consistent ideal climate to grow while still harnessing the power of the sun.

Manipulating Life Cycles

A common practice among greenhouse farmers is to run cycles of plants known as “light deps,” or light deprivation, during the summer season. It allows the grower to harness the summer light while, at the same time, limit the light exposure the plant receives to trick the plant into flowering prematurely. This greenhouse technique mimics indoor lighting cycles and allows the greenhouse grower to harvest a crop in early August, replant, and then harvest a second crop in the fall.

To continue producing crops during the fall, winter, and early spring, the gardener leans more heavily on supplemental lighting and heaters. On winter solstice in Seattle, for example, we receive less than eight and a half hours of daylight. In addition, that light is very low in the sky and poor for gardening. In a greenhouse, that light would still help heat the greenhouse, but the gardener would need to use supplemental lighting to maintain a quality product and to extend the hours of light in the day.

Energy Conservation

The ability to balance light exposure, use supplemental lighting, and keep the climate stable allows for year round cultivation just like indoor growing. The difference is that the grower only uses supplemental light mechanics when Mother Nature is not providing an ideal environment. This results in substantial energy savings while the quality of the product stays consistent.

Many crops that require specific environments are already produced in greenhouses, including tomatoes, leafy greens, and peppers, so it’s only natural that cannabis finds itself at home in greenhouses as well. As cannabis legalization spreads, farmers are finding it safe and financially beneficial to move from warehouses to greenhouses as the industry develops.

June 22: Minority Cannabis Business Association Networking Rally In Oakland, CA

This last weekend there was a networking rally for the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) in Portland, Oregon. I know many people that attended, and I heard nothing but good things. Another MCBA event is happening this month, this next time in Oakland. Below is more information, via the event’s Facebook page: Join MCBA and

Recipe: How to Make Cannabis-Infused Peanut Butter Cookies (with Optional Bacon Bits)

There’s nothing quite like the joy that is a perfect peanut butter cookie. Cannabis consumers appreciate the beauty of rich, nutty, sugary goodness as much as anyone – and perhaps far more so when the cookie is infused.

These cookies are everything an exceptional peanut butter cookie should be: soft, sweet, salty, decadent – and medicated. You’ll hardly notice the flavor of the THC, but you’ll feel its effects soon enough. Enjoy!

The Perfect Cannabis-Infused Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

½ C cannabutter

1 C crunchy peanut butter

2 T shortening

1 egg

2 t vanilla

1 C flour

½ C sugar

½ C brown sugar

½ t baking soda

½ t baking powder

½ t sea salt

Additional sea salt and white sugar to finish

Optional: ½ C bacon bits (and in case you want to kick up the potency, we’ll just leave this infused bacon recipe here)

Directions:

Melissa Etheridge Consumes Marijuana During A Performance For The First Time

At the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Clio, Michigan, rock superstar Melissa Etheridge did something she has never done before- and it was all caught on camera! “This is my first time ever, smoking while performing,” Etheridge stated, then did just that. Etheridge, a well-known medical marijuana advocate, produced an individual joint case sometimes

Heroes Among Us: 7 Cannabis Strains That Make You Feel Like Superman

It’s important to celebrate our heroes. Real or imaginary, these men and women help us define our ideal selves. Sometimes these heroes are imbued with superhuman abilities, like the power of flight or telepathy, but much of the time, the attributes that make a superhero are inherently human. Heroes are characters that stand up for the weak and defenseless. They go beyond the call to raise up their fellow man. Heroes are not indestructible, but simply willing to give more of themselves without the need of thanks or admiration.

Yes, heroes are among us and within us, and on this day devoted to Superman, the Übermensch, I’ve curated a shortlist of strains that will imbue you with superhuman sensations that will hopefully enable you to do something heroic…or at least conquer the villainous forces of laziness and depression. Up, up, and away!

Allen Wrench

“This strain is pow!!! Gets you a super uplifting high with a great taste and smooth smoke not very harsh at all even when the bowl is almost ass and still tastes good and the smell is unbelievable super earthy citrus and could smell it from across my house, great strain won’t regret.” – sillbillybro

Maui

“Beautiful strain came on subtle and took over my whole body for a wonderful ride. I have permanent nerve damage due to an IED this stuff makes me feel like superman.” – Dungy51

Kryptonite

“Yup. So that’s what Superman feels like when he is flying. I got a top shelf, frosty, extra strength dose of this stuff. I hit in a vape… Pure, tasty and then BOOM! This stuff is no joke. . .tread lightly.” – Rhobert

Superman OG

“Faster than a speeding bowl-hit, more powerful than locomotive, it’s Superman OG! This wax is dank. Be sure to get it while it lasts at Delta-9 Association in San Jose.” – tgigrass

Incredible Hulk

“Very tasty, high energy strain. Perfect morning smoke to get your day started and the creative juices flowing, but smoke any more than a bowl and it hits you like a train with an incredibly strong cerebral high. Oh, and have some snacks ready because this shit is guaranteed to give you some extreme munchies.” – absentia882

Chemdawg

“8/10: I like this one a lot. She’s very much like an OG Kush but more leaning on the lighter side in terms of effects. She’s not gonna get ya stoned out ya brains, but what she does offer you is a nice full body high and the ability to eat 1,467,279 cheeseburgers and fries. So smile, relax, and just know everything’s gonna be just fine J” – beelzebub

Cinderella 99

“‘I am, I am, I am Superman, and I can do anything’… are not just lyrics from the R.E.M. song, but that’s how you will feel after smoking Cinderella 99. I felt like Superman flying over Market Street in San Francisco. It was an uplifting feeling. When I came back down to earth, I got wobbly legs and a pretty bad case of paranoia, all the people on the sidewalk with their shopping bags, the street performers were making me feel dizzy. That lasted maybe five minutes, then I felt like that first time you got baked, I mean really high. Time slows down, and you feel like everyone in the world knows you’re high. Fun times. I highly recommend for absolutely eliminating anxiety, stress, and aches and pains, just don’t overdo it. Go easy with this one.” – blackhawks15

While these strains might not make you leap over a building in a single bound, shoot lasers out of your eyes, or tear a phone book in half, they should pack a physical stimulation that encourages a sense of wellbeing that traverses the sativa/hybrid/indica continuum. Each strain is suited for a series of semi-heroic deeds that may include making a cape out of bed sheets or other household objects, jumping on a trampoline while wearing said cape, and donning a fist-forward flying motion while walking/running anywhere. Go forth, do good, and live on!

“I’m not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I’m living on.” – David Bowie

Emotional Brain Processes in Recreational Cannabis Users

This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants. Sponsor: Collaborators: German Research Foundation University Hospital, Bonn Information provided by (Responsible Party): Benjamin Becker, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02801214 First received: June 11, 2016 Last updated: June 11, 2016 Last verified: June 2016 This fMRI study investigates neural correlates of […]

Neural Indices Associated With Relapse in Cannabis Dependence

Verified June 2016 by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Sponsor: Collaborators: German Research Foundation University Hospital, Bonn Information provided by (Responsible Party): Benjamin Becker, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02801422 First received: June 11, 2016 Last updated: June 11, 2016 Last verified: June 2016 The aim of […]

Do Different Consumption Methods Impact Your Sexual Performance?

I’ve covered many ways cannabis can help enhance your sexual experience, but what happens when you experiment with different consumption methods before diving under the sheets with your partner? Do specific consumption methods impact pleasure? I decided to find out and have compiled a summary of how different sexual encounters felt when paired with various cannabis consumption methods.

Before we dive into my unofficial findings, overall, regardless of the method, I prefer sativas and hybrids for pleasure, so you might want to try those out if you’re thinking of combining cannabis with sex. Most indicas I’ve tried are too sleepy for the high energy sex that I prefer, but they’re not bad for a quickie before bedtime.

Of course, having said that, everyone experiences cannabis differently. The strain that causes you to feel creative, euphoric, and productive might make the person next to you feel anxious, uncomfortable, and paranoid. As with all cannabis consumption, your mileage may vary. Experiment on your own, try out different methods (or combinations of methods), and keep a journal or spreadsheet that allows you to track what worked best for your body. Make sure to include variables, like “I was stressed after a long week at work,” or “I’d just finished having hot phone sex with my partner” — that way, you can refer back to your notes to see how a particular combination made you feel under certain situations.

Flower (Smoked)

Smoking flower is definitely my most common method of imbibing cannabis. There’s something meditative about selecting your strain, grinding up the bud, packing the bowl, lighting the hemp wick, and taking that first long, slow hit of green. Smoking is great for anytime sex–you don’t need a lot for setup and, depending on your tolerance, the effects can wear off between 20 minutes and 2 hours.

The pleasurable effects of flower vary by strain, as one might expect, but overall smoking flower tends to give a nice combination of spacey head high with increased tactile sensations. For example, Big Sur Holy Bud, Blue Dream, Jillybean, and Juicy Jack are among my favorites for sexy time consumption because they inspire creativity, vivid fantasy experiences, and a marked increase of body awareness and decrease of mental distractions.

Pros:

• Quick and predictable onset of effects
• Most customizable in terms of amount of consumption
• Tends to evoke feelings of being present and grounded in one’s body

Cons:

• Tends toward dry mouth, arguably more than the other methods
• Not always conducive to smoking inside if there are neighbors, hotel policies, or just those darn smoke detectors

Flower (Vaped)

I only have one vaporizer, the Hot Box, which doesn’t allow temperature controls. As such, all I’ve really noticed in terms of the differences between smoked and vaped flower effects is improved flavor and a slight tendency toward a head high with fewer body effects. However, after reading Bailey Rahn’s piece on customizing your high with temperature, I hypothesize that testing out vaping at different temperatures and evaluating the sexual effects would be a useful way to figure out what temperature settings and strain combinations work best to produce the effects you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Some vapes take up to 10 minutes to warm up, so you’d better set a timer or you might forget to go back and vape after you’ve initiated foreplay

Cons:

• Desktop vapes with whips can be a bit unwieldy for bedroom use, so consider using a handheld vape or a vape like the Herbalizer that comes with a squeeze valve balloon that you can take hits from throughout your sexual encounter

Dabs

I experienced my first dab-fueled sexual experience while away with a lover last month. It was exhilarating. The onset was immediate and profound, and so much more efficient than smoking flower. Every tactile sensation was magnified and it felt like we were melting into each other. My head was completely present and firing on all cylinders, while my body floated in a pleasure cloud that brought erogenous zones online that I didn’t know I had. There was a moment where we were staring into each other’s’ eyes and both of our bodies started spasming in unison as we rode the waves of pleasure together. So hot. Huge thank you to WVapes for letting me try their new product, WDabs, a CO2 concentrate that comes in at 85% THC.

Pros:

• Clear head
• Intense body sensations
• Promotes feelings of intimate connection when done with a partner

Cons:

• Easy to over-consume, especially for beginners, and find oneself in a paranoid and decidedly unsexy head space
• The blow torch setup can be intimidating for new users

Edibles

Unfortunately, edibles are definitely my least favorite consumption method for sex. They’re so hit and miss, where one product’s 10mg serving might send me orbiting into next week and another product’s 25mg serving barely registers. However, if you find an edible that works for you and gives you the effects you’re looking for, they’re highly conducive to marathon sex. There’s no need to re-up when you use an edible that lasts 6-8 hours.

Pros:

• Improved staying power

Cons:

• High variability
• Difficult to consistently dose
• Large time commitment

Topical/Internal (Foria)

Oh, Foria. Between the original Pleasure spray and their new product, Explore, there are many benefits to exploring sex-specific topicals. You’ve heard about Foria Pleasure in Leafly’s lube comparison and my piece on cannabis and erections. Prior to June 1st, Foria was primarily intended for vulvas. Now there’s a new product offering, Explore, an anal suppository designed to enhance pleasure and promote muscle relaxation.

With 60mg THC and 10mg CBD per capsule, Explore allows users of any gender to heighten their anal experiences without numbing or desensitizing. For people with prostates, this product is a must, as there is a high concentration of nerve endings back there and the prostate gland is a magical pleasure center that can lead to orgasms you have to experience to believe. Additionally, the G-spot and internal clitoris can be stimulated anally, which makes this a great product for all bodies. The effects feel like a warm blanket of pleasure wrapping around your entire pelvic region.

Pros:

• Cannabinoids absorb readily into the rectum at 50-75% bioavailablity, more than oral or inhalation
• Increased pleasure with limited psychoactive effects–tends toward a body high versus a head high

Cons:

Explore is potentially incompatible with latex condoms*, especially if used in conjunction with Pleasure (use nitrile or polyurethane condoms instead)

Do you have a preferred consumption method for pairing with sex? Share your experiences by leaving a comment! Also, do you have a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question? Send it to tips@nullleafly.com and I may address your request in a future article! (Don’t worry, we’ll keep your queries anonymous.)

*Foria Explore is formulated with jojoba extract instead of coconut oil, which some lube companies claim is safe to use with latex because jojoba is a “wax ester” and not an oil in the chemical sense. However, my sex educator brain says until I see a few peer-reviewed studies with significant sample sizes, I’m erring on the side of caution and treating it like any other oil, meaning I avoid using it with latex.

Guide To Surviving The Michigan High Times Medical Cannabis Cup

Coming out to the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup on Saturday or Sunday, June 11 and 12? Here’s a guide on what to do- and what to avoid. 1. BE A PATIENT- AND BE PATIENT If you are not already registered with the State of Michigan, there will be a physician on-site to do certifications.

The Shake: Jesse Ventura Blasts Ohio, Australian Sex Party Candidate Sows Cannabis Seeds

Jesse Ventura pens strong “Marijuana Manifesto.” The former professional wrestler and Minnesota governor wrote an extensive op-ed in favor of cannabis use and legalization for CNBC.com, complete with his smiling mug in quite the tie-dye T-shirt. Ventura argues that “every person on the planet should be allowed the freedom to use his or her judgment when it comes to what’s best for his or her life and well-being, as long as it doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s rights.” If you want to give yourself a heart attack by gorging on Big Macs, “then that’s your prerogative.” Ventura praises Colorado’s recreational system and criticizes Ohio’s new MMJ law as “by far the most pathetic I’ve seen thus far.” The op-ed is aimed at drumming up interest in his upcoming book, Jesse Ventura’s Marijuana Manifesto, due out this September.

Justin Trudeau’s argument is quiet but compelling. Rather than focusing on the revenue to be gained or “creating a boutique industry,” the Canadian prime minister boiled down the argument for legalization to two major components: regulating a currently unregulated market and ensuring that cannabis stays out of the hands of kids. Agreed. Now let’s make it happen sooner, rather than later, eh?

MI Legalize lost the petition, but the fight’s not over yet. Thomas Lavigne, an attorney and member of the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee, will represent MI Legalize in the group’s forthcoming legal challenge to the state, which rejected its ballot petition earlier this week. The battle may be fought in the Michigan Court of Claims, but it could cut a path all the way up to federal court.

Meet Australia’s new Sex & Marijuana party candidate. Michael Balderstone is the Marijuana Party’s lead Senate candidate on the Australian Sex Party ticket. Sounds more like spring break shenanigans than a federal Senate election, but Balderstone is hoping to literally sow “seeds of hope” by planting thousands of cannabis seeds along the Australian coast. Way to one-up Johnny Appleseed, Aussies.

What will it take for a cannabis breathalyzer to come to life? A group of professors and researchers have spent years devising the best possible way to measure a driver’s impairment accurately through a technique known as differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), which generates two electric fields in which THC flows toward a sensor. They’ve been testing it with Washington State University students, with some odd protocols needed to get around federal rules against actually administering cannabis. No market-ready product yet, but they’re getting close.

And last but not least: When life gives you lemons, send ‘em cat photos. One woman, tired of endless exchanges over her lack of internet for weeks, began bombarding her telecommunications company with hilarious pictures of her cat. I know what I’m doing the next time a feud with Comcast comes up…

Image via Flickr user moleofproduction

Colorado Will Ban Cannabis Gummy Bears Next Month

Marijuana gummy bears won’t be legal in Colorado starting next month.

Neither will marijuana products in the shape of any other animal. Or fruits. Or people.

A bill signed into law Friday by Gov. John Hickenlooper makes it a crime to sell pot-infused candies in certain shapes.

Sponsors say that gummy bears, gummy worms and chewy candies shaped like fruits are too attractive to children.

Colorado already requires edible marijuana to come with a stamp that says the item includes THC, marijuana’s intoxicating ingredient. That requirement takes effect later this year.

The gummy bear ban takes effect July 1.

The Leafly Guide to Pairing Tea and Cannabis

Tea and cannabis are alike in a lot of ways. Both are botanicals with medicinal properties; both are fragrant and agreeable to the senses; both have been used by cultures around the world for centuries; both can bring us pleasure, satisfaction, and comfort. As it turns out, both can also be even better when paired together. But how to go about pairing your tea with the perfect cannabis strain? Don’t be intimidated by pairing – it’s easier than you think.

Pairing Cannabis and Tea by Flavor

In order to pair your tea with cannabis, the first thing you’ll want to pinpoint are the aromas and flavors of each. Bring the dry tea leaves or tea bag close to your nose and mouth, and inhale deeply. Is it floral? Woodsy? Spicy? Citrusy? It can be hard to pull individual characteristics out of the complete bouquet, so use a flavor wheel to help you put your finger on the aromas you’re picking up. Keep in mind that tea can sometimes taste totally different when brewed than it smells when dry, so brew a cup, sniff, and take a few sips to get a more complete picture of aroma and flavor. Then, take a deep whiff (and perhaps a hit) of your cannabis and pick out its unique characteristics. (Need a cheat sheet? Use our strain explorer to search by flavor.)

Every type of tea (apart from herbal, which is not technically tea) comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The distinctions in tea type stem from the processing methods used on the tea leaves, which lead to varying levels of oxidation and thus to unique features. Individual teas can vary to a great extent, but these main categories often display common aromas and flavors:

White: These tea leaves are the youngest in the spectrum; they’re plucked directly off the tea plant prior to complete ripeness, and dried without allowing any time for oxidation. Their flavors are subtle, floral, honeyed, and delicate.

Green: These leaves are ripened fully, but steamed or fired immediately after being picked, and dried without any oxidation taking place. These teas retain mellow flavors often described as sweet, herbaceous, grassy, refreshing, or even nutty.

Oolong: These tea leaves are frequently tossed or bruised prior to drying, which begets partial oxidation in the leaves, leading to earthy, woodsy flavors that fall somewhere in between light, refreshing green teas and the bold, tannic black teas.

Black: This common type of tea is made from tea leaves that have been rolled, releasing enzymes that react with oxygen and ensure thorough oxidation prior to being fired. Black teas frequently display dark stonefruit, smoke, or malt flavors and tannic characteristics. They play well with other flavors too – you’ve probably had ginger peach black tea, or earl grey with bergamot orange peel.

Pu-erh: Sought after by tea aficionados, pu-erh is made from a subspecies of Camellia sinensis, and comes (by law) from the Yunnan Province of China, where it is aged and fermented prior to consumption. These unique teas can be dark, rich, earthy, fruity, or chocolatey.

Herbal: This category encompasses tisanes not made from actual tea leaves, including chamomile, rooibos, mint, yerba maté, and more. Flavors vary depending on the herbs, flowers, spices, and other botanicals that constitute the blend.

You can use pairings to either accentuate or complement the natural flavors of your favorite tea or strain. For instance, if you detect subtle hints of lavender in your white tea, a strain with a similar flavor profile like Lavender can magnify those elements; meanwhile, if your tea is quite lavender-esque on its own, a contrasting cannabis strain (think something citrusy, like Headband) can balance out those overly floral features.

Pairing Tea and Cannabis by Effect

When you pair beer with different cannabis strains, it’s important to take the effects of each into account; otherwise, a pairing of a heavy, high-alcohol beer with a sedative indica can put you straight to sleep, no matter how good they taste together. Similarly, consider the effects of the tea you’re pairing compared to the effects of the strain you’re considering. The main factor at play here is caffeine content; if you’re enjoying a highly caffeinated black tea, you can mollify the buzzy side effects with a relaxing indica, whereas if you’re sipping a caffeine-free white tea but aren’t quite ready to hit the sack, a sativa-dominant hybrid can prolong the relaxation.

Different herbal teas can also have their own range of effects; some serve to calm the mind, others help relax the body, and so on. Many of these teas’ effects can be attributed to the same terpenes that modify the effects of certain cannabis strains. Chamomile, for instance, has bisabolol to thank not just for its aroma, but also for some of its relaxing effects, just like Harle-Tsu (a strain frequently high in the same terpene) does. If you tend to experience mild paranoia when consuming a particular strain, for example, pairing it with a soothing herbal tea may be the perfect way to combat those effects and make for an enjoyable experience.

It’s important to remember that tea and cannabis pairing is far from an exact science; every individual experiences the effects of both tea and cannabis a bit differently. As with any pairing, what matters is whether you’re happy with the results. If you are, it’s a good pairing!

Cannabis and Tea Pairings to Try

Black tea and Jillybean: Earl grey tea is one of the most iconic flavor marriages out there; bold, tannic black tea leaves meet zesty, fragrant bergamot orange peel. Create your own version of earl grey with plain black tea leaves and a complex, orangey strain like Jillybean; this combination promises to be a crowd-pleaser any time you entertain friends.

Green tea and Blueberry Kush: The juicy, fruity indica that is Blueberry Kush plays beautifully with the light, grassy flavor profile of your favorite green tea. It’s the perfect pairing for a cozy evening at home.

Rooibos and Sour Diesel: Rooibos, also known as red tea, derives from the African red bush, packs tons of antioxidant properties, and brings a full-bodied flavor without all the tannins of black tea. Pair it with an uplifting, boldly flavored strain, like the pungent, earthy, sativa-dominant Sour Diesel, to get your motivation and creative juices flowing.

National Cannabis Industry Association Debuts New Interactive Policy Map

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), in partnership with association members CannaRegs and New Frontier, announce the launch of a new State-by-State Marijuana Policies Map, providing a valuable, regularly updated overview of every state’s approach to cannabis and cannabis markets. This free resource, now available on NCIA‘s website, will enable NCIA members and people interested

PGT # 303 – The Sky is not Falling

Listen LIVE 8-10 pm EST tonight and every Thursday at  www.planetgreentrees.com or call in 347-326-9626

Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion

Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles-also providing the news, and show producer Jamie Lowell from the Third Coast Dispensary in Ypsilanti

Tonight- As expected the State Board Of Canvassers formally rejected the petitions of MILegalize setting the stage for anticipated legal challenges. Also- High Times returns to Clio again this year to put on another medical cannabis cup and expo. 

Joining us- MILegalize board member and partner in the Detroit law firm Cannabis Counsel- Tom Lavigne

In studio tonight- High Times Magazine Editor In Chief- Dan Skye

And the incomparable Josey Scoggin

Regular guests and friends of the show: Jim Powers- Michigan Parents for Compassion co- founder and board member of MILegalize. Also- attorney Jeff Frazier, attorney David Rudoi of Rudoi Law, Eric Gunnels Thetford Twp Trustee and T-pain

PGT # 303 – The Sky is not Falling

Listen LIVE 8-10 pm EST tonight and every Thursday at  www.planetgreentrees.com or call in 347-326-9626   Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles-also providing the news, and show producer Jamie Lowell from the Third Coast Dispensary in Ypsilanti   Tonight- […]

S 02, Ep 09: She gives advice on weed issues; He makes vapes in California

Published: Jun 9, 2016, 12:39 pm • Updated: Jun 9, 2016, 12:39 pm By Vincent Chandler, The Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Ask The Cannabist columnist Susan Squibb and Bloom Farms founder Mike Ray. Podcast: Play in new window | Download LOTS TO TALK ABOUT •  Advice for parents about teen pot use. •  The social […]

Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder Among Adults With Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Primary Outcome Measures: Marijuana abstinence [ Time Frame: last two weeks of the 12 week study on maintained dose (weeks 10 and 11 for completers) or last two weeks of participants’ particpation duirng the 12 week study ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] defined as abstinence from marijuana during the last two weeks of the trial as recorded by theTimeline Followback method and […]

Conflict Between Maternal Autonomy and Child Health in Substance-use

Primary Outcome Measures: Maternal substance use during pregnancy (including legal and illicit substances) is a fairly common global phenomenon, including in the UK. This can have significant effects on pregnancy, infant outcome and enduring consequences into adolescence. Babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome may spend months in neonatal care units, requiring complex, 24hour care. Here, […]

CDC Says Teen Cannabis Use Dropping as More States Legalize

Teenage cannabis use continues to drop nationwide, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as more states move to legalize and regulate through medical and adult-use programs.

The report, released today, is based on statistics compiled as part of the federal agency’s 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Study. The survey is conducted every other year using a representative sample of U.S. high school students.

From U.S. News & World Report:

Despite increasingly liberal state laws and public attitudes, students’ reported lifetime pot use fell more than 2 percentage points to 38.6 percent in 2015. Past-month use slipped more slightly to 21.7 percent, though neither change is itself statistically significant.

The results support data from a number of studies published recently, all of which reported a collective drop in teen cannabis use, even as they viewed that use as less risky to their health.

The full study can be found below.

2015 YRBS Results by stevennelson10

NCIA Cannabis Business Summit Rolls Into Oakland

The most influential marijuana business event in the industry returns, featuring CA Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Numi Tea CEO Ahmed Rahim, industry leaders, federal lawmakers, and three days of in-depth education and networking in the nation’s largest legal marijuana market.

The National Cannabis Industry Association, the only national trade association representing the businesses of the legal marijuana industry, will hold its third annual national conference, the Cannabis Business Summit and Expo, in Oakland, CA, June 20-22, 2016, at the Marriott City Center.

Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom

California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will deliver the policy keynote address on Tuesday, June 21. Newsom, who is running for Governor of California in 2018, is a key supporter for marijuana reform and legalization and a high-profile advocate for the benefits of embracing a legitimate cannabis industry.

Numi Organic Tea CEO and co-founder Ahmed Rahim will deliver the business keynote on June 21, sharing insights into his company’s embrace of the “triple bottom line” approach, best practices in moving toward organics and fair trade, and the importance and benefits of connecting with the local community.

This year the Cannabis Business Summit moves to California from Denver, bringing business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy influencers to the largest legal marijuana market in the U.S. This move comes at a crucial time in history, with California’s Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) ballot initiative expected to be certified for November voting and the campaign fully underway.

The Cannabis Business Summit is also drawing global attention, with attendees representing Canada, China, Japan, Australia, Colombia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden.

The Cannabis Business Summit is not only positioned for business owners and operators across multiple verticals in the cannabis industry, but acts as a valuable introduction to a new frontier for outside industries looking to expand into a new space. The Summit offers a meeting ground for investors and entrepreneurs to connect with legitimate buyers and sellers already established in the market, as well as with the brightest minds behind promising start-ups.

Several topic-oriented tracks will give attendees the opportunity to focus on their areas of expertise. Tracks offered include: The Fine Print: Money, Law, and Your Business; Cultivation and Processing; Running Your Cannabusiness; Policy and Reform; Medical Applications of Cannabis; and Leading Edge: Emerging Topics in the Cannabis Industry. Featured educational sessions will highlight some of the industry’s most influential pioneers and innovators.

More Conference Highlights:

• Educational facility tours and hands-on workshops
• Sold out Expo Floor
• Multiple networking opportunities with worldwide industry leaders
• Arcview’s Investor Forum (June 18-20)

More information about the Cannabis Business Summit, including a full list of speakers and a detailed agenda, can be found at CannabisBusinessSummit.com

The post NCIA Cannabis Business Summit Rolls Into Oakland appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

Alaska Cannabis Regulators Poised to Award First Licenses

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska regulators were poised Thursday to award the first licenses for legal marijuana businesses in the state, another milestone for the fledgling industry.

Priority is being given to growing and testing operations to ensure that retail stores, once authorized, will have legal product to sell. The Marijuana Control Board could issue its first retail licenses in about three months, which Cynthia Franklin, director of the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, has said coincides with a crop life.

Thirty applications are up for consideration during Thursday’s Marijuana Control Board meeting. Two of those are for testing facilities. The rest are for grow operations.

Testing facilities will play an important role in the industry, with cultivators and processors needing to have their product tested for such things as potency and potential toxins.

It’s not yet clear how many testing facilities the industry will need because it’s not clear how much product will be tested, board chairman Bruce Schulte said in an interview Wednesday. Alaska needs at least one functioning lab, he said.

“Whether the right number is two or four or one, that remains to be seen,” he said.

Both of the businesses up for consideration of testing licenses Thursday are in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. But for businesses in communities not connected to the road system — accessible by air and/or water — getting samples to a lab in Anchorage could be tricky. While cannabis has been legalized in Alaska, it is still prohibited under federal law.

Schulte said that’s a problem but he said the board hasn’t been involved in how businesses should go about getting their product tested. The board just wants to know that it has been tested and meets quality standards, he said.

Jeremy Woodrow, a spokesman for the state ferry system, said the system is in a tough spot because it’s regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard but it’s trying to be as lenient as possible within the confines of the state law. The system has allowed marijuana that meets personal use limits of one ounce or less but use on board is banned and any larger amounts could be reported to the Coast Guard, he said.

The system isn’t telling anyone not to bring cannabis on board but anyone who does so needs to know the risk, he said.

The Definitive Cannabis Travel Guide to Denver

Welcome to Leafly’s travel series, our definitive 24-hour cannabis-infused guides to the best cities in the world.

Denver, Colorado is the city that put marijuana on the map, but its cultural and culinary scenes were booming even before it was legal. While most of the city’s center is home to big business, the recently revitalized Denver Union Station has made headlines around the world, bringing tourism to an all-time high for a place that was once just a pit stop en route to a ski town. Denver is more happening than ever and even earned the number one spot on Conde Nast Traveler’s Best Places to Live list for 2016. And after a longtime illegal love affair, cannabis and Colorado are official. Today, cannabis travel in Denver is booming, which makes the Mile High City the ultimate destination to visit…well, high.

Denver Vitals

Cannabis legality: Recreational (21+, ID required)

Nicknames: The Mile High City, Queen City of the West, Broncos Country

Population: 649,495

What people think of: Peyton Manning, music, mountains, microbrews, marijuana.

Dispensaries on Leafly: 121

For the record: It is unlawful to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor.

Day One

At 4:20 p.m., you’re: Arriving at L’Eagle, an all-organic dispensary with the best bud in Denver.

It’s located in an industrial park just outside of the city, so head there directly from the airport in a Lyft or take a slight detour for one last stop on your road trip. With its grow facility on site, L’Eagle produces 100 percent organic cannabis (AKA no pesticides ever) with super knowledgeable budtenders (ask for Courtney) to help guide you through the long list of strains and highly curated edible offerings. Go for what L’Eagle is known for: Death Star (indica) and Strawberry Cough (sativa) to pack into a new piece from the solid glass and vaporizer selection, or pick up a 10-pack of pre-rolled “shorties” ($60) from the rotating “Joint Menu.”

At 5:00 p.m., you‘re: Checking in at The Crawford Hotel.

The luxury boutique property opened in July 2014 in conjunction with the train station’s restoration, blending historic Denver into a hip hideaway in what is now the city’s epicenter.

Still a stigma: We considered recommending The Art Hotel, but were declined info and images from the property’s PR firm (not based in Colorado, of course): “As it turns out, the property’s guest rooms are non-smoking, so we don’t think the hotel will be the best fit for your readership.” Like tobacco, we’re well aware that pot smoking is not permitted in any hotel rooms in the state of Colorado and will take this opportunity to reiterate the rules now. Although Colorado blazed the legalization trail, there is still technically nowhere to consume cannabis in public.

Plan B: Want to stay somewhere that’s smoker-friendly? Some Airbnb hosts don’t mind, which is where Bud and Breakfast comes in — it’s a similar platform offering out-of-towners a resource for marijuana-friendly vacation rentals throughout Colorado and beyond.

At 6:00 p.m., you’re: Getting some modern inspiration at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.

Photo credit: Todd Carpenter

The David Adjaye-designed building is an incubator for progressive artists, featuring an eclectic and rotating collection of photography, new media and mega works. After strolling through the stark space, sip a glass of wine at the MCA Café on the rooftop with beautiful views of downtown. The gift shop is also a must for quirky matter and art books.

At 7:30 p.m., you‘re: Walking along the Cherry Creek River toward Confluence Park where it merges with the Platte River to catch a perfect Colorado sunset.

Photo credit: Craig Turpin

The trail system continues to Commons Park where you’ll see “Stoner Hill.” Continue through the park up two pedestrian bridges and you’ve hit the heart of LoHi, Denver’s original hipster hood.

Word to the wise: Stay on the paths, smoke stealthily at your own risk, and keep an eye out for the cops that are frequently present.

At 8:15 p.m., you’re: Doing dinner at Old Major.

The award-winning chef (and cannabis enthusiast) Justin Brunson does “seafood, swine, and wine” serious justice at his wildly popular restaurant known for its in-house butchery and pork-focused menu. Go whole hog with the signature “Nose to Tail” — a perfectly presented plate featuring a porchetta of belly, sausage, and tenderloin, crispy ears, asparagus, maitakes, and lemon-thyme jus.

Meat haters: There’s one in every group, so hit Avanti Food & Beverage just a few blocks away as a backup. The modern day food hall features seven culinary concepts with a full bar and a roof deck.

At 9:30 p.m., you’re: On Recess…in a beer garden!

Since Denver is pretty much the craft brewery capital of the country and you only have 24 hours in town, hit the mother lode of lagers at a single location. Once a book bindery, the spacious spot features a rotating menu of big-name and small-batch beers to taste, which we recommend doing outside. More like your friend’s backyard than a bar, the patio is dotted with fire pits, picnic tables, and lawn games.

Word to the wise: You may have heard that alcohol’s effects are more potent at higher altitudes. This is technically a myth ­– however, you are more likely to become dehydrated at higher altitudes, which can exacerbate a hangover, so it’s best to sip slowly. Can you get higher at higher altitudes? It’s similarly unlikely, but it never hurts to step outside with your new pipe and give it a try…

At 11:00 p.m., you’re: Hopping in a Lyft to catch a live show at El Chapultepec, Denver’s oldest jazz and blues club.

Photo credit: David Hill

The dim, vintage, and intimate downtown landmark has welcomed the sultriest of sounds to the stage since 1933. And if you’re feeling a second wave of hunger before you call it a night, order up a burrito smothered in green chile — a Denver diet staple.

At 12:30 a.m., you’re: Back on foot and heading home to retire in one of the 112 custom Crawford guest rooms.

No two rooms in the historic hotel are alike, but all of them take inspiration from train travel in its heyday and feature original wooden beams, exposed brick, clawfoot tubs, and high ceilings. The dog-friendly property’s other awesome amenities? In-room iPads, a fleet of Teslas, Panda bicycles, and C.O. Bigelow bathroom products.

Day Two

At 9:00 a.m., you’re: Checking out a bike outside Union Station at 16th & Wynkoop.

In 2010, Denver B-cycle became the first large-scale municipal bike-sharing system in the country. With over 80 stations and 700 red bikes (basket included!) available throughout the city, you can check one out where you begin and return it where you end.

At 9:15 a.m., you’re: Pedaling back up to LoHi for coffee.

Photo credit: Blackeye Coffee

Coffee shop culture is big in Denver and Blackeye Coffee takes it to the next level by brewing single cups at a time with local beans from Boxcar Coffee Roasters.

Word to the wise: However tempting their pastry and breakfast menu looks, hold off until the next stop.

At 10:30 a.m., you’re: Brunching at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox.

Owner and chef Justin Cucci (of Root Down and Linger fame) transformed this former-brothel-turned-peep-show-turned-adult-video-library into an eatery and music venue, and its circa-1894 building remains on the National Register of Historic Places. Paying homage to its past, Ophelia’s celebrates sexuality with boudoir-style furniture and décor — most of which Cucci personally sourced from eBay, Craigslist, estate sales, and nearby dumpsters. Oh, and the food on the organic and worldly menu is impressive too – it pairs best on Saturdays and Sundays with an inventive cocktail or three from bar director Mike Henderson, enjoyed while rocking out to a no-cover live brunch show.

At 11:45 a.m., you’re: Still on a bike and cruising RiNo.

Photo credit: The Plus Gallery

It’s inevitable that the industrial part of any town will eventually turn its vacant warehouses and rail yards into great gallery spaces, hip hangouts, and modern lofts. Jack Kerouac’s old neighborhood has evolved in such a way over the past decade, and is now home to a crazy concentration of cool. Check out the many murals of street art between stops at a few of my favorites: Topo Designs, Megafauna, Plus Gallery, RedLine, Kit and Ace, Mid-Mod Mall, and The Source.

At 1:30 p.m., you’re: Hitting up Botanico, a boutique brick-walled recreational cannabis store in RiNo with a small-business vibe, great pricing (check out the sale selection), experienced staff, and invariably friendly service.

Let your budtender walk you through the menu in a private bud room, where you’ll feel comfortable asking any burning questions one-on-one, and don’t forget to ask about the edibles menu; we suggest picking up at least a few sweet treats to go.

Don’t be a Dowd: Colorado edibles are more potent than most other states’, with many clocking in at 100 milligrams apiece. While this frequently means more bang for your buck, remember that a recommended dose is 10 milligrams, and be sure to portion your brownies and chocolate bars accordingly.

At 2:30 p.m., you’re: Returning your B-Cycle and back at Union Station to check out (request a late one!).

Photo credit: The Terminal Bar

Since you haven’t even had time yet, hang out in the Great Hall for prime people-watching and more beer sampling at The Terminal Bar, known for its extensive draft selection. To circumvent the need for airport food, you can also mosey over and hit the market inside Mercantile Dining & Provision for gourmet munchies to go.

If you’re feeling so inclined: Break off a piece of the edible in your bag and pick out a Terminal Bar beer to savor it with a cold one (pairing advice here).

At 3:30 p.m., you’re: Stocking up on travel reading materials at Tattered Cover, the historic 20,000 square-foot bookstore of all bookstores, which is located just across the street.

Photo credit: bookchen

The impressive newsstand features publications from all over the world, and owner Joyce Meskis is one of the nation’s staunchest advocates for intellectual liberty and freedom of expression.

At 4:20 p.m., you’re: Heading straight out back to the platform to board the “Train to the Plane.”

A $9 one-way ticket takes you from downtown to Denver International Airport along the just-finished University of Colorado A Line.

Women in Cannabis: Paola Pineda is Bogota’s Top Cannabis Doc

BOGOTA — The cannabis industry may be disproportionately male, but pioneering women across the globe are thinking outside the box to return cannabis to the mainstream of medicine and society. In Colombia, Dr. Paola Pineda Villegas, a surgeon with a master’s degree in the study of HIV and a specialist in medical and sanitary law, is just such a leader.

Pineda, 37, has been the most cited expert on medical cannabis in Colombia in recent years, as interest in the plant’s medicinal use has grown. She’s been hailed by the press as “the cannabis doctor” and has treated more than a thousand patients.

Pineda is scientific director of a cannabis research collective called Grupo Curativa (the Healing Group), based in Bogota, Medellín, and Popayán. She’s been collecting patient data on the efficacy of cannabinoid therapy in observational trials to share with peers and guide future treatments.

For 13 years, Pineda worked with patients suffering from HIV and a range of other conditions, but she began prescribing cannabis just five years ago, after studying the topic intensely. An advantage of cannabinoid therapy, she said, is the wide range of cultivars, cannabinoid, and terpene profiles available, all of which can be applied to treat particular pathologies. “Every patient is a different world in terms of the interaction of phytocannabinoids and terpenes with each patient’s endocannabinoid system,” Pineda told Leafly.

One of the most interesting discoveries made by Pineda’s team is the efficacy of some local sativa landrace strains to treat certain conditions. Formulations made from such local sativa landraces as Colombian Gold offer the addition of at least minor amounts of cannabidiol, or CBD, a cannabinoid believed to relieve spasticity and diminish the intensity of seizures.

Like most doctors in countries with repressive drug laws, Pineda was educated to think cannabis use was a problem rather than a possible solution to complex illnesses such as refractory epilepsy, severe pain, or sleep disorders. She was taught that pharmaceutical drugs were the only option to address those ailments, she said, and instructors downplayed the severe side effects and risks of opiates and benzodiazepines.

Her turn towards cannabis came, as it does with many doctors, when a patient’s opiate therapy ceased to bring benefits. She was searching for something that would both work and be safe to administer without fear of addiction or life-threatening side effects.

She doesn’t challenge the use of traditional pharmaceuticals and conventional medical practice, and indeed noted their value. “Cannabis meds are just another very valuable tool from the wide range of possibilities that doctors have,” she said. “Cannabis must not fight with traditional pharmaceuticals, they simply are other aids for physicians seeking to improve the welfare of patients.”

Pineda aims not only to advance cannabinoid therapy, but also to keep costs low. It’s an effort to ensure patient access amid the economic plight facing many here. After suffering through decades of narco-wars that are only now drawing to a close, economic prospects in the South American country remain uncertain at best. Gross domestic product per capita in Colombia is $7,093 annually, according to the World Bank. That’s just 13 percent of GDP per head in the United States ($54,629).

Pineda has created an interdisciplinary group of professionals who produce preparations for clinical use from donated homegrown plants. That cultivation is protected by an existing law that allows people to have up to 20 plants for personal use. But as soon as a recently approved medical cannabis law takes effect, personal cultivation with the intention to sell — even to patients in need — will be penalized. So Pineda’s suppliers will need to seek licenses from the state.

Pineda’s efforts to broaden access to medical cannabis led her to create the Grupo Curativa collective, an alliance of individuals and organizations dedicated to the social and scientific development of medical and industrial uses of cannabis in Colombia. The group aims to set standards for proper manufacturing practices of cannabis products and to share experiences and clinical data. Partners in the effort include local producers and researchers such as Cannalivio and Anandamida Gardens.

Trauma in childhood linked to drug use in adolescence

Latest research from a national sample of almost 10,000 US adolescents found psychological trauma, especially abuse and domestic violence before age 11, can increase the likelihood of experimentation with drugs in adolescence, independent of a history of mental illness. This is the first study to document these associations in an American national sample of adolescents.

Nevada Officials Endorse Legalization, While Review-Journal Does About-Face

Thirteen state officials are urging Nevada residents to vote yes on Question 2, the statewide initiative “to regulate marijuana like alcohol.” The group of supporters includes ten current members of the Nevada Legislature along with a former state lawmaker and a member of the North Las Vegas City Council.

Legalization campaign spokesman Joe Brezny announced the endorsements this afternoon. “With so many current and former elected officials coming out in support of Question 2, we are confident the people of Nevada will take the opportunity to regulate marijuana like alcohol this November,” he said.

“The truth is that marijuana should never have been illegal in the first place. As a substance, marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol,” he added.

State Senate Minority Leader Aaron Ford (D-Las Vegas), one of today’s endorsers, said Question 2 gives Nevada an opportunity to break free of years of failed public policy.

“I believe that a legal, regulated recreational marijuana market will help eliminate a significant portion of the criminal drug trade while providing significant new tax revenue to our state,” Ford said. “I will be voting yes on Question 2 and I urge other Nevadans to do so as well.”

Meanwhile, however, the Las Vegas Review-Journal went the other way, reversing its longtime support for legal marijuana. The flip-flop was sudden but not wholly unexpected; the paper was recently purchased by billionaire and outspoken cannabis prohibitionist Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson, operator of Las Vegas’s Sands Hotel and Casino and one of the richest people in the world, acquired the paper last December. A staunch opponent of both adult use and medical marijuana, Adelson sent the editorial writers on a visit to a drug treatment facility, which was followed by an editorial — titled “Pot legalization a bad bet for Nevada” — in Wednesday’s paper.

“Legalizing weed would jeopardize the health of countless Nevadans, expose more people to drug abuse and addiction, put excessive stress on the state’s health-care facilities and do little to relieve the state’s bloated prison population,” the editorial stated.

Until today, the newspaper’s editorial page consistently opined in favor of cannabis law reform (see “Legalizing recreational pot is good policy”). Adelson also is reportedly preparing to launch a super PAC in support of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, but he has yet to announce how much he’s willing to fund anti-marijuana efforts.

BREAKING: Ohio Gov. John Kasich Signs Medical Cannabis Bill Into Law

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 523 into law today, putting to rest speculation on whether medical marijuana will be coming to the Buckeye State.

The bill marks a historic new chapter for the state, which has never had any form of legal medical cannabis, although the bill has been criticized by advocates as not going far enough for patients. The new law stipulates that qualified patients may possess only certain forms of medical cannabis, such as pills, oils, edibles, and tinctures — it doesn’t allow access to raw flower for smoking.

Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a local cannabis group backed by the Marijuana Policy Project, announced several days after the bill sailed through the House on a 71–26 vote, that they would be abandoning their initial plan to gather the more than 300,000 signatures needed for a November push, despite objections to the bill’s finer details. The group admitted that the legislation was, however, “a step forward.”

The bill has been sitting on the desk of Gov. Kasich since it cleared the House at the end of May and supporters wondered whether he would put his official seal of approval on the bill.

Indeed, Kasich signed the bill into law with no pomp or circumstance, opting out of a public ceremony, preferring instead to sign the bill along with dozens of others destined to become law.

The bill will go into effect within 90 days, making it legal to possess medical cannabis for qualified patients by September 6th, although the Ohio State Pharmacy board, the State Medical Board and the Department of Commerce will still be tasked with overseeing and regulating the system of dispensaries in the state. Dispensaries are not expected to be operational for about two years.

The bill will allow the use of medicinal cannabis by patients who suffer from the following qualifying conditions:

• HIV/AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Cancer
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pain that is either:
  • Chronic and severe
  • Intractable
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spinal cord disease or injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

The bill will officially make Ohio the 25^th U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana. That’s right: Half of all states in the U.S. now have medical cannabis laws on the books.

Reactions to the signing of the bill show the mixed opinions from voters and politicians alike. The bill incited many debates on the topic among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, but inevitably, they approved the bill in lieu of a more comprehensive proposal planned for the November ballot. Rep. Robert Sprague (R-Findlay), who voted against the measure, worried that the law could lead to another opioid crisis. Meanwhile, families like Heather and Adam Benton, who moved to Colorado to treat their daughter’s severe myoclonic epilepsy, just may be on their way home.

State of the Leaf: Setback in Michigan, Progress in Vermont, and a Three-Way Race in Montana

Summer is heating up, and it’s do-or-die time for legislation! The governors of Colorado, Michigan, and Vermont all signed last-minute bills into law, new surveys out of Minnesota and Israel found that medical marijuana patients are largely happy with their treatment, and Montana’s dueling campaigns are running up against a whole lot of friction to get in under the signature-gathering deadline.

U.S. News Updates

Colorado

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law this week that requires Colorado school districts to adopt a policy allowing medical marijuana. The law only applies to students who qualify for medical marijuana, and only allows for non-smokable forms of cannabis. School districts may opt out of the policy if they can prove they’ve lost federal funding because of the policy, or if they place an easy-to-find explanation on their website as to why they are opting out. The new law states that any lost federal funding will be reimbursed to the district by the state.

Michigan

Michigan’s adult-use legalization campaign suffered a major setback when Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill into law that requires all petitions vying for a spot on the ballot to submit signatures obtained within a 180-day period. Senate Bill 776 put a hard-set line on the 180-day collection period, with no exceptions. The law appears to have been set in motion when MI Legalize asked the Board of State Canvassers to update the signature submission format from paper to digital in order to ease the process. Earlier this week, the State Bureau of Elections announced that MI Legalize would be about 106,000 signatures short due to the new law. The group is threatening legal action to challenge the state agency’s decision to reject nearly 137,000 signatures that were gathered outside the 180-day period.

Minnesota

A new survey from the Minnesota Department of Health found that 90 percent of the medical marijuana patients in Minnesota’s program say the drug has been beneficial, while only 10 percent reported that they saw “little to no change” upon using cannabis as treatment. Of the responses, 24 percent reported seeing “mild to moderate benefits” and a full 66 percent of the respondents said they experienced “significant” improvement with the addition of cannabis as treatment. Among those who experienced the most relief were patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and cancer. Side effects were generally minor.

Montana

It’s a race to the finish line for Montana’s three campaigns for and against cannabis, with just days left to gather the 24,175 signatures needed to earn a spot on the ballot. The June 17 deadline is coming up fast, and all three campaigns have been pouring time, energy, and cold hard cash toward the efforts.

Initiative 176 would repeal Montana’s medical marijuana program on the grounds it’s federally illegal. The campaign is run by Steve Zabawa, a Billings businessman and founder of Safe Montana, who has dumped $70,896 into the campaign.

Initiative 182 would remove the recent restrictions imposed on dispensaries that limit them to three patients apiece. The Montana Cannabis Industry Association has gathered $94,500 in support of the measure.

Initiative 178 is a legalization long shot from the folks behind Cycling for Sensible Drug Policy. It has gathered only $6,700 in donations and is falling short on the number of signatures needed.

Vermont

Vermont’s chance for legalization went up in smoke, but that doesn’t mean cannabis progress is completely stalled. This week Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a bill to expand the state’s medical marijuana law. The bill, S.14, expands qualifying conditions to include chronic pain and glaucoma; it also allows MMJ use for those in hospice care. Medical marijuana was previously allowed only for severe pain. Now those with chronic, less-severe pain will be able to obtain a medical recommendation. Shumlin addressed that concern in his signing speech, noting America’s opioid epidemic, which is a particular problem in Vermont. By signing the bill, he said he hoped that medical marijuana can help treat pain and lower opioid addiction and overdose rates.

West Virginia

West Virginia Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Charleston) made waves in the West Virginia Legislature by introducing House Bill 114, which would decriminalize the possession, growth, and use of limited amounts of marijuana for personal use by adults. The bill currently has four co-sponsors, but House Speaker Tim Armistead (R-Elkview) has refused to consider even minor, limited reforms to the state’s draconian drug policies.

International News Updates

Israel

Israel’s first study conducted with the permission of the Health Ministry observed new patients over the course of two years and covered a gamut of characteristics, including diseases, socioeconomic status, dosages, previous treatments, side effects. The result? The study found that 99.6 percent of those who applied for medical marijuana did so after conventional medicines were ineffective, with 56 percent trying to avoid unwanted side effects. More than 90 percent of the patients surveyed reported significant improvement in pain and nausea with the use of medical cannabis. The study’s results were presented at the sixth International Jerusalem Conference on Health Policy.

L.A. Dispensary Owner Shoots Two Suspected Robbers

Two suspected robbers are in critical condition this morning after a Los Angeles area dispensary owner opened fire on them as they entered the storefront. At least one of the would-be robbers were armed with an assault rifle, a sheriff’s spokesperson told reporters, and both were wearing bulletproof vests.

According to CBS Los Angeles, the incident occurred at the HP Med Collective, which is located in a Walnut Park storefront with no signage. The owner identified himself to reporters only as Ike, declining to provide a last name.

The shooting took place around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Thomas Giandomenico, according to KTLA. The owner said he saw the suspected robbers on surveillance video as they were entering the store.

“They were there to kill us,” he told KTLA.

According to Giandomenico, the owner opened fire on the two suspected robbers, striking them multiple times. It’s unclear whether the suspects fired any shots during the incident, the lieutenant said.

The owner was questioned and released following the shooting, and no other related injuries were reported.

Giandomenico said authorities are currently treating the shooting as a matter of self-defense, but it could develop into a homicide case. The investigation is ongoing.

The Shake: Who Was Behind the Toronto Raids? And the Dutch Can’t Handle German Cannabis Demand

Who was behind the raids in Toronto? Not us, say LPs. After Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders announced details of last week’s dispensary raids, there were rumors that licensed marijuana producers were behind the mass arrests. Some licensed producers had invested millions of dollars to become legitimate MMJ players, the theory went, and were unhappy that politicians had done nothing to stop the proliferation of unlicensed dispensaries in Vancouver and Toronto. But Bruce Linton, CEO of licensed producer Canopy Growth, said the notion that LPs were behind the raids is more conspiracy theory than reality. Neil Closner, CEO of Markham-based MedReleaf, said “we were not directly involved in making that happen.”

Germany is seeing a rise in medical marijuana. A month or so back, a court ruling declared that Germany first medical marijuana patient has the right to grow his own medicine at home. Now there are 650 patients in Germany, and MMJ patients can acquire their medicine directly from a German pharmacy. The only problem: The Dutch government, which supplies Germany with its cannabis, can’t keep up with the demand.

Controversial San Jose ballot measure fails. Voters in San Jose yesterday rejected a ballot measure that would’ve allowed virtually unlimited medical dispensaries in the city. Nearly 65 percent opposed Measure C, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, meaning that only the 16 licensed dispensaries may legally operate within the city. Early support for the measure dwindled in the lead-up to the election as licensed dispensary owners and others in the industry, as well as former Mayor Chuck Reed, came out in opposition. Read Leafly’s original coverage of the yearslong battle here.

Cannabis seller serving 55 years finally set free. Weldon Angelos, 36, walked out of federal prison last week after President Obama commuted his sentence. Former federal judge Paul Cassell, who was forced by federal law to impose the 55-year sentence, called the penalty “cruel, unjust, and irrational,” and wrote to the president asking him to commute Angelos’ sentence. Despite Obama’s recent flurry of activity to commute sentences, he’s still granted a lower percentage of clemency petitions than any president in the past century.

New Colorado law requires schools to adopt MMJ policies. Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law on Monday that would require school districts to adopt policies that allow medical marijuana. This law only applies to students who have a license to use non-smokeable cannabis.

Long-term marijuana use changes brain’s reward circuit

Researchers have demonstrated that long-term marijuana users had more activity in the brain’s reward processes when presented with cannabis cues than with natural reward cues.

Michigan's Legalization Ballot Measure Is in Jeopardy

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A group trying to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Michigan might not be able to put the measure before voters on the November ballot after the state elections bureau released an unfavorable report and Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday signed into law a bill that might rule out thousands of signatures the group submitted last week.

On Tuesday, the state Bureau of Elections recommended in a report that the Board of State Canvassers — which has the authority to approve the petition for voter consideration — reject the petition because the group, MI Legalize, didn’t submit enough valid signatures before the deadline. The report said MI Legalize couldn’t prove that more than 100,000 signatures it collected were actually signed by registered voters.

Also on Tuesday, Snyder signed a bill that stops groups like MI Legalize from counting signatures gathered outside of a 180-day timeframe toward the roughly 250,000 it needs to qualify for voter consideration on a statewide ballot. Without counting signatures gathered outside of that window, MI Legalize does not meet the state’s required signature threshold, and the issue can’t go before voters in November.

The bill Snyder signed into law was drafted after lawmakers learned the marijuana group was attempting to use a legal loophole allowing it to count signatures gathered outside of that 180-day window to meet the signature requirement.

But it’s still unclear if the law applies to MI Legalize. Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office said that the office is reviewing the legislation to see if it would apply to that group and render many of its signatures void.

MI Legalize says they’ve collected about 354,000 signatures — exceeding the minimum requirement. The group has said that it may pursue litigation.

The Board of State Canvassers meets Thursday to consider the issue.

Michigan already has a law allowing marijuana for medical use but this measure would legalize recreational marijuana.

Here’s Why The DEA May Finally Relax on Medical Cannabis

What was once a pipe dream could now be on its way to becoming a reality: the end of Prohibition 2.0.

Just as with the end of alcohol prohibition, what started state by state is now being discussed at the federal level. The DEA is even talking about looking into rescheduling cannabis as early as this summer.

With everything happening in the world of cannabis nowadays, it’s essential to look into the increasingly real possibility of a federally rescheduled cannabis plant.

Check The Schedule

First of all, rescheduling cannabis would have even more significant effects long-term than in the short term. If the DEA were to reschedule cannabis, businesses currently operating in quasi-legal systems already in place in half the U.S. would keep running as they are today, contrary to popular misconceptions.

Cannabis dispensaries and collectives remain open thanks to a series of memoranda issued by the U.S. Department of Justice known as the Cole and Ogden memos. They act as executive orders exempting cannabis from certain restrictions in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

The rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule II, for example—just one step down the ladder—would strengthen the administration’s current policy of not treating cannabis-related offenses as a top priority. And, with public support for cannabis reform at an all-time high, trying to make life more difficult for ganjapreneurs by requiring FDA approval (as Schedule II status normally requires) would be a possible disastrous situation.

Legal Crack, Deadly High

As far as enforcement on the streets is concerned, state laws would still be in effect, so we couldn’t all start lighting up just yet. What would happen instead is a giant crack in the foundation of the dam holding back cannabis law reform.

We have recently seen tiny cracks appear in the dam. But, a rescheduling of the non-toxic herb out of the “heroin category” would unleash like a torrent the main key to progress: research, including the all-important clinical trials.

New research will eventually begin to reveal the number of lives that could have been saved from opioid addiction, overdose, and disease had we acted sooner with compassion. When it does, the collective shame will forever cling like a thick, foul stench to the prohibitionists who swilled their favorite drug while millions needlessly suffered for lack of theirs.

Science-haters Gonna Hate

The main difference between substances in Schedule I and those not in Schedule I is the idea of “no currently accepted medical value” and the resulting bizarre ban on research. What may be the most ridiculous idea ever conceived, this ban on science makes the increase of knowledge on any given subject essentially impossible. It’s like giving up on learning—as if our familiarity with any substance’s medical usefulness could be forever 100 percent complete, carved in stone in the late 20th century, with no further study needed or even allowed. It would be hard to imagine a more unscientific—no, anti-scientific posture. That’s your tax dollars at work.

Moving cannabis out of Schedule I will instantly make research possible and profitable; studies will flood the scientific landscape. Those will answer more questions and prompt more ideas for safe use, in turn providing the basis for even more research. From there the entire cannabis freedom movement will snowball.

Cannabis being re- or de-scheduled will give law enforcement agencies even less reason to prioritize minor violations than they already have. This will save police, courts, and taxpaying citizens valuable resources—money, time, and human dignity. ALL taxpayers will be positively affected, not only those directly benefitting from cannabis for stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, inflammation, muscle spasms, diabetes, or countless other ailments plaguing humankind.

With arrests plummeting, we’ll begin to address the constantly avoided problem of mass incarceration. This will help keep families together, reducing the amount of trauma entire communities are forced to feel and carry with them. Then, some day down the road, folks will gather round their MagicalButter machines, making edibles and sharing ghost stories about the barbaric, hypocritical age of cannabis prohibition.

RELATED: For dozens of delicious cannabis recipes, quick how-to videos, and how to get your own countertop Botanical Extractor, visit MagicalButter.com.

All that will come later. States can move as quickly or as slowly as they want, but whatever progress each state makes will only be eased by removing cannabis from Schedule I. What’s important is the message. It’s the simple, crucial message that there is more to cannabis than we originally accepted or understood.

It’s the message that cannabis and those who benefit from it deserve a second chance.

Do you believe cannabis should be re-scheduled or de-scheduled? Tell our readers in comments below!

About the Author

Zachary D. Brown

Born in Arizona and raised in Maryland and Guinea, West Africa, Zach Brown claims the D.C. metro area as his home turf. He is currently back in Africa writing, teaching English as a second language, and making music in Bamako, Mali. Zach is an Eagle Scout who earned a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland. He was also president of the UMD chapters of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy).

The post Here’s Why The DEA May Finally Relax on Medical Cannabis appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

The Shake: Minnesotans Seeing MMJ’s Benefits, and Michigan Falls Short on Signatures

The majority of Minnesota MMJ patients are reporting benefits. Around 90 percent of medical cannabis patients in Minnesota reported “mild to significant” benefits experienced during the first three months of the state’s medical marijuana program. The numbers come from a Minnesota Department of Health survey of enrolled patients. Only about 20 percent of the patients reported side effects, which were generally minor and included feeling lightheaded, paranoid, or sleepy. The biggest concern for patients in Minnesota, though? Cost. About 73 percent of patients reported that cannabis prices in the state are too high.

Michigan: Marijuana legalization group short 106,000 signatures. According to the Michigan elections bureau, the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Committee is nearly 106,000 signatures short of qualifying its legalization measure for the statewide ballot in November. The legalization group says 137,000 of its signatures are still valid despite being older than 180 days. The whole thing’s a bit of a mess, and it looks like it may ultimately be decided in court.

Why are Ausssies backpedaling on medical marijuana? Fiona Patten, leader of the Australian Sex Party (yes, really) and a member of the Victorian upper house of Parliament, recently wrote to a Melbourne newspaper to say that it’s “painfully clear now that none of the major parties want to see recreational cannabis legal in Australia.” According to Patten, all the legislative promises are “a smokescreen to hide the fact they are basically old style Scotch and Coke drinkers and they don’t believe in hippy medicine … unless they think they can win votes with it.” Zing.

Shumlin signs bill expanding Vermont medical marijuana law. Gov. Peter Shumlin has signed into law a bill to expand qualifying conditions for the state’s medical cannabis program. Cannabis had already been allowed for severe pain, but not for pain that was less severe but still chronic. Added to the list were also glaucoma and patients in hospice care. Shumlin expressed hope cannabis could be used by some patients to replace opioids, which critics had complained were easier to access than medical marijuana.

Florida to hold first cannabis investment conference on Wednesday. Folks in the Sunshine State can attend an investment conference tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale. The event is hosted by a New York City financial and strategic advisory firm specializing in the cannabis industry. Among the topics to be discussed: real estate, security, biotechnology, cultivation, and retail.

New rules? No problem for this Colorado MMJ company. One Colorado edible business is ahead of the curve when it comes to new, statewide product labeling requirements. Americanna spent $100,000 and more than seven months to create its cannabis-infused gummies in compliance with new rules effective Oct. 1. “We are ahead of the curve,” said owner Dan Anglin. ”We did this last year and began searching to make the new molds soon as we knew what was needed.”

Is Guam next in line for cannabis decriminalization? A fourth and final public hearing for the revised medical marijuana rules and regulations is set for June 7 at the Santa Rita Senior Center. The prospective bill would decriminalize the non-medical use of marijuana, along with distribution, cultivation, and other forms of possession and use.

Hungry? Edible sampling begins in Oregon. Edibles, topicals, and extracts became legal last week in Oregon for adults 21 and older. A variety of new cannabis-infused products are now on the shelves with cannabis consumers trying to decide which to try first. Dispensary owners and state health officials are urging consumers to start off slow in their consumption in order to understand the effects marijuana has on them. (Choose carefully: You can only buy one 15-mg THC edible per day.)

Spider Mites, Fungus Gnats, and Root Aphids: How to Deal with 3 Common Cannabis Pests

One of the more challenging aspects of growing cannabis is preventing, detecting, and controlling infestations of harmful biological pests. Smart growers do everything they can to keep pests from gaining a foothold in their gardens because it’s easier than dealing with them once they’re on the plants. If you find yourself plagued with these three common cannabis pests, here are some guidelines for combating the nasty little buggers.

General Tips for Protecting Your Grow

First, let’s go over some basic guidelines for keeping your plants healthy and pest-free.

• Make sure your grow room is completely sealed. Use caulk or spray foam to fill any gaps or cracks, seal doors and windows with weather stripping, and place a filter over any air inlet.
• Don’t let your clothes cross-contaminate your plants. If you have been outdoors, change your clothing before entering the grow room to prevent potential “hitchhikers” from gaining access.
• Prevent your pets from accessing your grow area. Never allow pets to enter your garden as they can carry all manner of bugs and pathogens.
• Keep your equipment sterile. Always use new growing media that are either completely inert or have been pasteurized.
• Practice good sanitation. Keep your grow clean and tidy, wash and sterilize all tools and containers, wash your hands before handling plants, and remove all plant debris immediately.

Next, we’ll examine three of the most common cannabis pests and some of the more effective ways of eradicating them. Use a magnifying glass and compare pests with images found online to positively identify them before attempting to treat your plants.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are the most common pest associated with cannabis, and also one of the most potentially devastating. These are tiny (.4 mm) arachnids that generally live on the underside of leaves, where they puncture the leaf surface to suck out the plant’s juices. They are very hard to spot with the naked eye, but infested leaves show stippling on their top surface, little white dots that some people initially confuse as mold or mildew. Spider mites also spin little webs, so if you see anything that looks like miniature cobwebs on your plants, you can be sure you have a significant infestation.

How to Get Rid of Spider Mites

Spider mites thrive and reproduce quickly in warm, dry environments. To slow an infestation, lower temperatures and raise the humidity in your room. While there are many commercial miticides available, most of them are quite toxic and should never be used on cannabis.

Pyrethrum, however, is a naturally derived insecticide that is very effective at killing mites. Three applications at 5-10 day intervals should be enough to completely eliminate spider mites. Either spray a solution on your plants or use room foggers. Keep in mind, however, that pyrethrum is not recommended for flowering plants.

Things like insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, and neem oil are safe for use on flowering plants and are generally quite effective. Concentrated neem products like Azamax and Azatrol are very popular with cannabis growers and are safe for use throughout the grow cycle, but are expensive.

Biological controls such as predatory mites and ladybugs are also viable options but cannot be used in conjunction with insecticides for obvious reasons.

Fungus Gnats

Fungus gnats are grey or black long-legged flies that are usually 2-4 mm long and resemble tiny mosquitoes. Their larvae are white or transparent, 4-6 mm long, and live in the growing medium where they feed on roots, organic matter, and fungus. A severe infestation will lead to pale foliage and a general loss of vigor that leaves plants susceptible to disease, especially root-rot. And while adult gnats do not directly harm the plant, they are vectors for disease, and also easily become trapped in resinous flowers.

How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats

Keeping the humidity low and making sure not to overwater are key in preventing fungus gnat infestations. The most effective way to prevent or end an infestation is to place a physical barrier over your grow medium. A two-inch layer of sand, perlite, or other similar product (Gnat Nix works wonders) on top of your grow medium prevents adult gnats from laying their eggs in the medium, effectively ending their life cycle.

The naturally occurring soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, subspecies Israelensis, kills fungus gnat larvae and is available in many inexpensive forms like Summit Mosquito Bits, Gnatrol, and Microbe-Lift BMC. Insecticides like pyrethrum and neem oil can be effective when used as a soil drench, but must be applied several times and can have negative effects on plant roots.

Finally, yellow sticky traps can be used to catch adults, hopefully before they lay hundreds of eggs in your grow medium.

Root Aphids

Perhaps the most difficult cannabis pest to eliminate are grape phylloxera, or root aphids — tiny aphid-like insects that feed on plant roots. About 1 mm long and ranging in color from yellow to green to brownish-orange, root aphids are often confused with fungus gnats as some adults will grow wings once a population has reached critical mass. Plant roots turn yellow, swell, and then harden as the root aphids feed on them, leading to secondary fungal infections and dead spots. Eventually, plants will become stunted and yields will be greatly diminished.

How to Get Rid of Root Aphids

Once infestation occurs, it can be nearly impossible to eliminate root aphids from your plants. The number one treatment is BotaniGard, an insecticide composed of the living fungus Beauveria bassiana, which infects and kills the aphid and then releases spores to infect the next victim. It can be used in conjunction with pyrethrum, neem, and citrus oils, but care should be taken with these to avoid harming the plant. Apply as a soil drench every other day for a minimum of six treatments. Predatory nematodes can also be quite effective in controlling root aphids.

The Evolution of Online Smoke Shops: From Pipe Dreams to Cannabis Industry Leaders

This article is sponsored by EveryoneDoesIt.com – The World’s Online Smoke Shop.

While they may be more popular today than ever before, smoking and smoking technologies are anything but recent developments. In fact, smoking various substances can be linked to numerous ancient civilizations including the Mayans, the Aztecs and many indigenous American cultures. As smoking spread over the centuries, smoking accessories were created and popularized around the world. In Africa, artisans began making smoking pipes and bowls soon after Christopher Columbus brought the practice of smoking tobacco back from the New World. The Middle East considered smoking a social activity and invented the hookah. In South Asia, short pipes called chillums became popular. The 1800s saw the invention of rolling machines.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, when South Asian chillums and pipes gained popularity in the United States, that smoking accessories started to become a widely sought-after commodity. Soon after, the rise of hookah bars across the country popularized those devices, while the 1990s saw the first vaporizers. Today, vaporizers continue to gain in popularity and are quickly changing the way people consume tobacco, cannabis, and similar products. At the same time, the popularity of consuming concentrates has skyrocketed, with dab rigs and accessories gaining market share at breakneck speed. And right alongside the evolution of smoking technologies, the headshops that sell them have grown and evolved to join the digital age, providing consumers with historically unprecedented selection, pricing, and availability while contributing to the evolution of the very accessories they supply.

Operation Pipe Dreams and the First Online Headshops

EveryoneDoesIt.com was one of the first smoking accessory suppliers to begin selling its products online in 2000. Originally founded as a brick-and-mortar store above a jewelry shop in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, U.K., the team moved through multiple locations before deciding to take their collective years of experience and break into the digital realm. “The thing that really kickstarted the business was Operation Pipe Dreams,” says James (last name withheld on request), a senior advisor to EveryoneDoesIt with more than 20 years’ experience in the headshop industry. “Guys that are new to the industry don’t realize what it was like in America back then. There were undercover glass blowers; I knew guys that used to break down their kilns and move around the West Coast; you couldn’t ship glass; people used to drive it over state lines.”

Operation Pipe Dreams was a 2003 initiative spearheaded by the D.E.A., whose objective was to shut down retailers of so-called “illegal drug paraphernalia.” “Nobody in America could operate,” recalls James, “but ironically, the U.K. businesses blew up.” As the D.E.A. targeted American stores and websites, EveryoneDoesIt’s American business exploded to represent 50 percent of the website’s revenue.

Over the next 10 years, regulations surrounding sale of smoking accessories would slowly begin to relax, at which point many new players jumped into the online headshop industry after seeing the successes of early players like EveryoneDoesIt. “In 2012 and 2013…we did a scoping trip to the USA, [and] it just blew us away, the scale of the market,” James recalls. “Federally, we’ve got issues which everyone is aware of…[but] you guys now live in the promised land.”

The Benefits of Online Smoke Shops: Selection, Discretion, Service, Price

As the industry has evolved, the clean interface and streamlined user experience of online headshops in 2016 has also changed greatly from the earliest sites. Back in those days, it wasn’t uncommon for a retailer to snap pictures of products on their kitchen table to post online. Today, visitors to sites like EveryoneDoesIt can create member accounts, track their wish lists, get alerts when sold-out items are back in stock, and follow along as orders are packed and shipped to their destination. EveryoneDoesIt currently receives over 50 million monthly hits – and not just from young, stereotypical customers.

“When I look at demographic info we have a very wide range of people come to the site,” says James. “I think the marijuana industry is a very broad church…our customers are 18 to 80.” By offering discreet shipping, online headshops are able to cater to shoppers who might feel uncomfortable walking into a physical brick-and-mortar headshop. In turn, access to a wider market means that an online headshop can carry a much broader range of paraphernalia than a physical headshop could. Furthermore, eliminating the overhead of maintaining a physical store means that online buyers enjoy optimal pricing. EveryoneDoesIt has also been able to employ a 24-hour customer service team that not only replies to messages day and night within about three minutes, but also helps gather customer feedback to curate and optimize product selection.

Online Headshops and Legalization: Shaping the Future of Smoking Accessories

While many advances in smoking technology have been allowed or furthered by legalization itself, the widespread availability of smoking accessories via online headshops has also had implications for the spread and evolution of smoking accessories. For example, take dabbing, which was popularized in the United States thanks to the first states’ legalization, but initially was largely lost on Europe: by offering dabbing accessories to an international community, EveryoneDoesIt.com has helped dabbing culture spread beyond the United States. “The dabbing phenomenon…really took me by surprise,” says James. “It’s mainstream, it’s amazing, there’s all these dabbing tools and everyone knows what they’re for.” By comparison, “In the European market it’s like, ‘What’s all this?’” European consumers as a group have only just begun to understand and purchase dabbing accessories.

Online headshops still toe legal gray lines, but James argues that, “After moving from the black market to a gray market, the future [of smoking accessories] is moving toward complete legitimacy.” As such, online retailers including EveryoneDoesIt will look to begin leveraging sources of traditional online retail such as Amazon, eBay, and Instagram to market everything from grinders to vape pens. “We’ve realized that to be the best in the industry you’ve got to cover a lot of different bases. The e-commerce market demands a certain amount of respect,” says James. “These days our competition are all very driven individuals…[but] our strengths will always be the fact that we straddle international marketplaces, competitors don’t have the depth of product we have, and they don’t have the established relationships with suppliers of glass products that are always in demand in the States.” From the largest selection of Roor glass on the market to the best customer service in the industry, James believes that EveryoneDoesIt will continue to evolve and lead the industry forward in the years to come.

Jane West: Cannabis, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I’ve been thinking about liberty and the pursuit of happiness lately.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It’s our birthright as Americans, written into the Declaration of Independence. Over the past several decades, we have increasingly pursued happiness in prescription pill bottles. With more than 70 percent of adults taking at least one prescription drug, Americans are now the most medicated people on earth. Thirteen percent of all Americans, including one in four adult women, now take some form of antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug. Doctors wrote almost 250 million opioid prescriptions in 2012 — enough for every adult in America to have their own bottle of pills. Opioid sales have quadrupled since 1999, as have deaths from prescription opioids.

The prescription is clearly not working. Our heavy reliance on pills has created what the CDC describes as a drug overdose epidemic. Today, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. More than 40 percent of those deaths are caused by opioid overdose. On average, 78 people die from opioid overdoses in this country every day. At the same time, the suicide rate for middle-age white people is climbing at an alarming rate.

How did we become the world’s most medicated nation? The United States is one of very few developed nations that allows direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. Pharmaceutical companies can tout their products in magazines, on the radio, on TV, and on billboards. In 1963, Valium became the first drug to launch with an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign. It was also the first drug to reach $1 billion in sales. Consumer marketing is the backbone of a more than $1 trillion industry. In America, unlike most of the world, you’ll find cheery pharmaceutical ads in magazines, on TV and radio, and on billboards. The advertisements are far more effective than the medications. Marketing primes us to pop pills.

I was at my doctor’s office recently when I realized just how pervasive pharmaceutical advertising is. Waiting to be called, I took a seat and picked up a magazine. It was an old issue of Us Weekly. Only, it wasn’t quite Us Weekly. “Having trouble sleeping?” the cover line asked.

I thought to myself, “Well, yes, I do have trouble sleeping.” I turned the page and read on.

The helpful article I was looking for turned out to be an advertorial. What looked and felt like an Us cover feature was a glossy ad for a prescription sleeping pill called Belsomra. The four-page ad included three pages of warnings and side effects disclosures, required by law. The top three side effects — memory loss, anxiety, and abnormal thoughts and behavior — feel at home in a typical Us Weekly scandal. Prescription pills and their side effects are often central to celebrity breakdowns. And celebrity deaths. The recent news that Prince died from an accidental overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl is only the latest tragedy.

Pick up some recent issues of women’s magazines. You’ll find page after page of slick pharmaceutical advertising. On television, we’re treated to an endless parade of cartoonified body parts and psyches that go from glum to giddy with the help of Abilify, or Celexa, or any of the thousands of legal, mind-altering substances from your pharmacy. No matter the drug, the message is always the same: The pills will fix it.

It doesn’t play out that way in real life.

At a yoga and cannabis event a couple weeks ago, I spoke with a colleague who described a time when her personal pursuit of happiness included a daily regimen of Ativan and Klonopin. “At a certain point, I realized I was a zombie,” she told me. The world came at her dull and hazy. She felt cut off from the far reaches of her emotions.

When she asked her doctor to dial back, she was told it wouldn’t be easy. “It’s harder to get off Klonopin than to get off heroin,” she explained. “Ask Stevie Nicks.”

We enter with a problem — insufficient happiness — and are offered daily pharmaceutical dependence as a cure. I believe that cannabis is our best alternative, and I want other people to know what is possible. I’m meeting more and more women who are replacing pills with cannabis wellness regimens. For decades, authorities cast cannabis as a drug that makes you lose control. When I talk with women who are new to cannabis about the plant’s therapeutic benefits, I find that many are still unwilling to try it. Over and over, I hear the same fear: losing control.

Their fear is misguided, the result of decades of drug war propaganda. The truth is that cannabis is a wellness product. It elevates the human experience. It can lead to introspection and positive shifts in perspective. Cannabis allows us to look at problems from different angles and reconsider the way we think about our lives. It doesn’t make you lose control; it enables you to tap into your natural intuition, and it empowers users to manage their stress, pain, and anxiety with a non-addictive herbal remedy.

Here’s where liberty enters the picture. We tend to define liberty in terms of physical space, but liberty also applies to our cognitive space. We should have the right to responsibly alter our own consciousness as we see fit. That may involve coffee, alcohol, or cannabis. Our minds are sacred, private spaces. By protecting cognitive liberty, we are preserving the sanctity of consciousness.

In Mexico, there’s a concept known as the “right to free development of personality.” It’s the right to think as you please, and express your individuality as you choose. Last year, Mexico’s highest court ruled the use of cannabis legal under that right. It’s time for American guardians of liberty to embrace individualism and self-determination as constitutional rights.

Cannabis is a positive force in my life. It contributes to my physical wellness and my cognitive health. Two years ago, openly identifying as a cannabis consumer was radical enough to get me on Nightline and CNBC. “Pot-smoking moms!” they called us. Now we’re just moms who use cannabis as a part of our very busy, successful, and — yes — happy lives.

NFL And Cannabis Researchers To Explore Potential Use By Players

I am a huge fan of Baltimore Ravens player Eugene Monroe. That’s not because of what he does on the field, although he is an amazing athlete and I plan on rooting for him this upcoming season. The real reason why I’m such a big fan of Mr. Monroe’s is because of his advocacy and

Cerebellar Alterations in Individuals With a Cannabis Use Disorder

Experimental: Experimental Explicit Cannabis user performs visuo-motor rotation tasks informed of an explicit strategy to maximise performance Behavioral: Visuo-motor rotation Participant moves a cursor on a screen by sliding a pen over a digital tablet. Participants perform a center-out movement, aiming to a target that appears over one of a set of eight markers radially […]

BREAKING: Majority of American Voters Supports Cannabis Legalization, Survey Says

With election season heating up, a new poll has found that a majority of Americans support legalizing cannabis: 54 percent of registered voters favor legalization nationwide, according to a Quinnipiac University poll published Monday.

The attitudes split sharply along party lines: 65 percent of Democrats support legalization, while only 36 percent of Republicans do. Among independents — a coveted group, especially in the lead-up to a national election — 61 percent backed the idea. Men and women also differed in their responses; 60 percent of men said they support legalization, while women were almost equally divided. And while a majority of voters under 65 think cannabis should be legal, 57 percent of older voters oppose it.

Nearly every group, however, agreed on one thing: America’s veterans should have access to medical cannabis. At least 79 percent of every party, gender, age, or racial group agreed that Veterans Affairs doctors should be able to prescribe cannabis in pill form to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“That is the full-throated recommendation of Americans across the demographic spectrum, including voters in military households,” Tim Malloy, the poll’s assistant director, said in a statement.

“The response from voters should take political considerations out of the debate and allow doctors to do what’s best for veterans.”

Recent changes have allowed VA doctors to discuss cannabis treatment with veterans in states where medical use is legal, but more than half of states still bar possession or use for any purpose.

Attitudes on cannabis have changed rapidly in the U.S. during the past decade. In 2013, less than a year after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize adult use, a Gallup poll found that 58 percent of all Americans favored legalization — 10 points higher than a survey a year earlier and the first instance of majority support. (That number has since held steady; the Gallup’s most recent numbers still show 58 percent in favor of legalization.)

But while a majority of voters may favor legalization in concept, it’s harder to agree on the finer points. A number of voter initiatives have failed in recent years, and even efforts to legalize on the state level have split cannabis advocates into competing factions.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,561 voters nationwide on landline and mobile phones. It has a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points. Participants were asked whether they thought “marijuana should be made legal in the United States,” with no other qualifications. Further results are available online.

Cannabis Growing 101: Everything You Need to Get Started Indoors

Congratulations, you’re interested in growing your own cannabis plants for the first time! But before you flex that green thumb of yours, understand that growing cannabis indoors presents a unique set of challenges for the new hobbyist, and the sheer volume of information available on the subject can be overwhelming. Our guide to indoor growing will help simplify the process for you into clear, easy-to-digest sections designed to help the first-time grower get started.

Step 1: Designate a Grow Space

The first step in setting up your personal cannabis grow is creating a suitable space in which to do it. Whether it’s a closet, a tent or cabinet, a spare room, or an unfinished basement, you’ll need to tailor your equipment (and plants) to fit the space.

Start Small…

When tackling your first grow project, you’ll want to start small for multiple reasons:

• The smaller the grow, the less expensive it is to set up
• It’s much easier to monitor a few plants than a large number
• Your mistakes as a first-time grower will be less costly

Remember, most new growers will experience setbacks and lose plants to pests or disease. A failed grow of two plants will put a far smaller dent in your wallet than 15 plants.’

…But Think Big

When designing your space, you’ll need to take into account not only the amount of room your plants will need, but also your lights, ducting, fans, and other equipment, as well as leaving enough room for you to work. Cannabis plants can double, even triple in size in the early stage of flowering, so make sure you have adequate head space!

If your grow room is a cabinet, tent, or closet, you can simply open it up and remove the plants to work on them; otherwise, you’ll need to make sure you leave yourself some elbow room.

Cleanliness is Crucial

Make sure your space is easily sanitized; cleanliness is important when growing indoors, so easy-to-clean surfaces are a must. Carpeting, drapes, and raw wood are all difficult to clean, so avoid these materials if possible.

Keep It Light-Tight

Another crucial criterion for a grow room is that it be light-tight. Light leaks during dark periods will confuse your plants and can cause them to produce male flowers.

Other Variables

When deciding where to grow your cannabis, keep the following variables in mind:

• Convenience — You’ll need to monitor your plants carefully. Checking on them every day is important, and beginners will want to check in several times per day until they have everything dialed in. If your room is hard to access, this crucial step will be difficult.
• Temperature and Humidity Concerns — If your grow space is already very warm or very humid, you’ll have issues controlling your grow environment. Choosing a cool, dry area with ready access to fresh air from the outdoors is highly recommended.
• Stealth — You’ll most likely want to conceal your grow from nosy neighbors and potential thieves, so be sure to pick a place where noisy fans won’t garner any unwanted attention.

Step 2: Choose Your Lighting Equipment

The quality of light in your grow room will be the number one environmental factor in the quality and quantity of your cannabis yields, so it’s a good idea to choose the best lighting setup you can afford. Here’s a brief rundown of the most popular types of lights used for indoor growing.

HID

HID (high intensity discharge) lights are the industry standard, widely used for their combination of output, efficiency, and value. They cost a bit more than incandescent or fluorescent fixtures, but produce far more light per unit of electricity used. Conversely, they are not as efficient as LED lighting, but they cost as little as one-tenth as much for comparable units.

The two main types of HID lamp used for growing are:

• Metal halide (MH), which produce light that is blue-ish white and are generally used during vegetative growth
• High pressure sodium (HPS), which produce light that is more on the red-orange end of the spectrum and are used during the flowering stage

In addition to bulbs, HID lighting setups require a ballast and hood/reflector for each light. Some ballasts are designed for use with either MH or HPS lamps, while many newer designs will run both. If you can’t afford both MH and HPS bulbs, start with HPS as they deliver more light per watt. Magnetic ballasts are cheaper than digital ballasts, but run hotter, are less efficient, and harder on your bulbs. Digital ballasts are generally a better option, but are more expensive. Beware of cheap digital ballasts, as they are often not well shielded and can create electromagnetic interference that will affect radio and WiFi signals.

Unless you’re growing in a large, open space with a lot of ventilation, you’ll need air-cooled reflector hoods to mount your lamps in, as HID bulbs produce a lot of heat. This requires ducting and exhaust fans, which will increase your initial cost but make controlling the temperature in your grow room much easier.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent light fixtures, particularly those using high-output (HO) T5 bulbs, are quite popular with small scale hobby growers for the following reasons:

• They tend to be cheaper to set up, as reflector, ballast, and bulbs are included in a single package
• They don’t require a cooling system since they don’t generate near the amount of heat that HID setups do

The main drawback is that fluorescent lights are less efficient, generating about 20-30% less light per watt of electricity used. Space is another concern, as it would require approximately 19 four-foot long T5 HO bulbs to equal the output of a single 600 watt HPS bulb.

LED

Light emitting diode (LED) technology has been around for a while, but only recently has it been adapted to create super efficient light fixtures for indoor growing. The main drawback to LED grow lights is their cost: well designed fixtures can cost 10 times what a comparable HID setup would. The benefits are that LEDs last much longer, use far less electricity, create less heat, and the best designs generate a fuller spectrum of light, which can lead to bigger yields and better quality. Unfortunately, there are many shoddy LED lights being produced and marketed towards growers, so do some research and read product reviews before laying down your hard-earned cash.

Induction

Induction lamps, otherwise known as electrodeless fluorescent lamps, are another old technology that has been recently adapted to suit the needs of indoor growers. Invented by Nikola Tesla in the late 1800s, the induction lamp is essentially a more efficient, longer-lasting version of the fluorescent bulb. The main drawback of these fixtures is their price and availability.

Step 3: Give Your Plants Air

Plants need fresh air to thrive, and carbon dioxide (CO2) is essential to the process of photosynthesis. This means you will need a steady stream of air flowing through your grow room, easily achieved by means of an exhaust fan placed near the top of the room to remove the warmer air, and a filtered air inlet on the opposite side near the floor.

You’ll need to ensure that temperatures remain within a comfortable range for your plants, between 70*f and 85*f when lights are on and between 58*f and 70*f when they are off. Some varieties of cannabis (generally indica strains) prefer the lower side of the range, while others are more tolerant of higher temperatures.

The size of your exhaust fan will depend on the size of your grow space and amount of heat generated by your lighting system. HID systems put out a ton of heat, especially if they aren’t mounted in air-cooled hoods. People who live in warmer regions will often run their lights at night in an effort to keep temperatures in their grow down. It’s advisable to set up your lights, turn them on for a while, and then determine how much airflow you’ll need to maintain a comfortable temperature for your plants. This will allow you to choose an exhaust fan suitable for your needs. If the odor of cannabis plants in bloom will cause you problems, add a charcoal filter to your exhaust fan.

Alternately, you can create a sealed, artificial environment by using an air conditioner, dehumidifier, and supplemental CO2 system, but this is quite expensive and not recommended for the first-time grower.

Finally, it’s a good idea to have a constant light breeze in your grow room as this strengthens your plants’ stems and creates a less hospitable environment for mold and flying pests. A wall-mounted circulating fan works well for this purpose — just don’t point it directly at your plants, because that can cause windburn.

Step 4: Pick Your Controls and Monitoring

Once you have selected your lights and climate control equipment, you’ll want to automate their functions. While there are sophisticated (and expensive) units available that control lights, temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels, the beginner will generally need a simple 24 hour timer for the light and an adjustable thermostat switch for the exhaust fan.

The timing of the light/dark cycle is very important when growing cannabis; generally you will have your lights on for 16-20 hours per 24 hour period while the plants are in vegetative growth, then switch to 12 hours of light per 24 when you want them to bloom. You need your lights to turn on and off at the same times every day or you risk stressing your plants, so a timer is essential. You can use a timer for your exhaust fan as well, but spending a few extra dollars on a thermostat switch is a much better option.

With the most basic models, you simply set the thermostat on the device to the maximum desired temperature for your space and plug your exhaust fan into it. Once the temperature rises to the level you set, it will turn the fan on until temperatures fall a few degrees below the set threshold. This saves energy and maintains a steady temperature. Since you’re probably not spending most of your time in your grow space, a combination hygrometer/thermostat with high/low memory feature can be very handy in keeping tabs on conditions in your room. These small, inexpensive devices not only show you the current temperature and humidity level, but the highest and lowest readings for the period of time since you last checked.

It’s also a good idea to keep a pH meter or test kit on hand so you can check the pH level of your water, nutrient solution, or soil. Cannabis prefers a pH between 6 and 7 in soil, and between 5.5 and 6.5 in hydroponic media. Letting the pH get out of this range can lead to nutrient lockout, meaning your plants are unable to absorb the nutrients they need, so be sure to test your water and soil regularly and make sure the nutrient mix you are feeding your plants falls within the desired range.

Step 5: Decide on a Grow Medium

Growing indoors means you have many different methods to choose from, and whether it’s good old fashioned pots full of soil or a rockwool slab in a hydroponic tray, every medium has its benefits and drawbacks. Here we’ll examine the two most popular methods and the media they employ.

Soil

Soil is the most traditional medium for growing cannabis indoors, as well as the most forgiving, making it a good choice for first-time growers. Any high quality potting soil will work, as long as it doesn’t contain artificial extended release fertilizer (like Miracle Gro), which is unsuitable for growing good cannabis.

A very good choice for beginners is organic pre-fertilized soil (often referred to as “super-soil”) that can grow cannabis plants from start to finish without any added nutrients, if used correctly. This can be made yourself by combining worm castings, bat guano, and other components with a good soil and letting it sit for a few weeks, or it can be purchased pre-made from a few different suppliers. As with all organic growing, this method relies on a healthy population of mycorrhizae and soil bacteria to facilitate the conversion of organic matter into nutrients that are useable to the plant. Alternately, you can use a regular soil mix and then supplement your plants with liquid nutrients as the soil is depleted.

Soilless (aka Hydroponics)

Indoor growers are increasingly turning to soilless, hydroponic media for cultivating cannabis plants. This method requires feeding with concentrated solutions of mineral salt nutrients that are absorbed directly by the roots through the process of osmosis. The technique for quicker nutrient uptake leading to faster growth and bigger yields, but it also requires a higher order of precision as plants are quicker to react to over or underfeeding and are more susceptible to nutrient burn and lockout. Different materials used include rockwool, vermiculite, expanded clay pebbles, perlite, and coco coir, just to name a few. Commercial soilless mixes are widely available that combine two or more of these media to create an optimized growing mix. Soilless media can be used in automated hydroponic setups or in hand-watered individual containers.

Step 6: Determine Which Containers to Use

What type of container you use will depend on the medium, the system, and the size of your plants. A flood-and-drain, tray-style hydroponic system may use small net pots filled with clay pebbles or just a big slab of rockwool to grow many little plants, while a “super-soil” grow may use 10 gallon nursery pots to grow a few large plants. Inexpensive options include disposable perforated plastic bags or cloth bags, while some choose to spend more on “smart pots,” containers that are designed to enhance airflow to the plant’s root zone. Many people grow their first cannabis plants in five gallon buckets. Drainage is key, though, as cannabis plants are very sensitive to water-logged conditions, so if you repurpose other containers, be sure to drill holes in the bottoms and set them in trays.

Step 7: Feed Your Plants Nutrients

Growing high-quality cannabis flowers requires more fertilizer, or nutrients, than most common crops. Your plant needs the following primary nutrients (collectively known as macronutrients):

• Nitrogen (N)
• Phosphorus (P)
• Potassium (K)

These micronutrients are needed as well, albeit in much smaller quantities:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Copper

​

If you aren’t using a pre-fertilized organic soil mix, you will need to feed your plants at least once a week using an appropriate nutrient solution. These nutrients are sold in concentrated liquid or powder form meant to be mixed with water, and generally formulated for either vegetative or flower (“bloom”) growth. This is because cannabis has changing macronutrient requirements during its lifecycle, needing more nitrogen during vegetative growth, and more phosphorus and potassium during bud production.

Most macronutrients are sold in a two-part liquid to prevent certain elements from precipitating (combining into an inert solid that is unusable by the plant), meaning you’ll need to purchase two bottles (part A and part B) for veg, and two bottles for grow, as well as a bottle of micronutrients. Other than these basics, the only other nutrient product you may need to purchase is a Cal/Mag supplement, as some strains require more calcium and magnesium than others.

Once you’ve purchased the necessary nutrient products, simply mix them with water as directed by the label and water your plants with this solution. You should always start at half-strength because cannabis plants are easily burned. It’s almost always worse to overfeed your plants than to underfeed them, and over time you will learn to “read” your plants for signs of deficiencies or excesses.

Step 8: Give Your Plants Water

Most people won’t think twice about the water they use on their plants; if you can drink it, it must be fine, right? Well, it may not be an issue, depending on your location, but some water contains a high amount of dissolved minerals that can build up in the root zone and affect nutrient uptake, or it may contain fungus or other pathogens that aren’t harmful to people but can lead to root disease. And some places may have high levels of chlorine in the water supply, which can be harmful to beneficial soil microbes. For these reasons, many people choose to filter the water they use in their gardens.

The most important thing to remember during this phase is to not overwater. Cannabis plants are very susceptible to fungal root diseases when conditions are too wet, and overwatering is one of the most common mistakes made by the beginning grower. How often you water your plants will depend on the medium used, size of the plants, and ambient temperature. Some people will wait until the lower leaves of the plant start to droop slightly before watering.

As you gain experience and knowledge, you will alter your grow room and equipment to better fit your particular environment, growing techniques, and for the specific strains you choose, but hopefully this article will provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge to get started on the right foot. And remember, growing cannabis is a labor of love, so spend a lot of time with your plants and have fun!

The Shake: NFL Gets Canna-Curious, and Sick Kids in Penn. Get Fast-Tracked

NFL starts a cannabis conversation, finally. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe has broken through the NFL’s wall of silence regarding cannabis, apparently. The NFL’s senior VP for player health and safety reached out to the scientists who received Monroe’s recent $80,000 donation to fund medical marijuana research. “They are definitely showing genuine curiosity, and they are definitely not throwing up roadblocks,” said Marcel Bonn-Miller, the University of Pennsylvania scientist who’s on the forefront of medical cannabis research.

Pennsylvania: Sick kids could get medical cannabis as soon as July. Health Secretary Karen Murphy said state officials are accelerating access for sick children whose families were instrumental in the recent passage of Pennsylvania’s MMJ law. New regulations will allow caregivers to obtain cannabis in other states and bring it to Pennsylvania.

Ohio: Sorry, it’s gonna be a while. It may be 2018 before a medical marijuana patient can walk into a licensed dispensary and purchase legally in Ohio, say state officials. The state’s MMJ bill still sits on Gov. John Kasich’s desk (it becomes law even if he doesn’t sign it). It’s expected to take effect by early September. At that point MMJ patients could purchase in another state and legally bring the medicine to Ohio.

Mass. Supreme Court will hear challenges to legalization measure this week. The state’s highest court will hear two lawsuits over the proposed adult-use legalization ballot measure. One lawsuit takes issue with the THC content allowed under the proposal; another wants the title, “Marijuana Legalization,” amended.

Crunch week for Montana initiatives for and against cannabis. With just two more weeks to gather signatures, it’s going to be a busy fortnight for campaigners for I-176 (which would repeal the state’s medical marijuana program) and I-182 (which would allow dispensaries and stop targeting doctors who recommend medical cannabis). It doesn’t look good for adult-legalization measure I-178, which has seen its advocates shift to I-182 in recent weeks.

Allen Peake keeps fighting in Georgia. The state’s dogged medical marijuana champion scored a small victory over the weekend when the state Republican convention endorsed a resolution to support in-state access to cannabis oil. Keep on keepin’ on, Allen!

Dear Justin Trudeau: It’s really not that difficult. National Post columnist chides the Canadian PM for taking a go-slow approach to federal cannabis legalization. “It’s not the sort of thing that should perplex people in government,” writes John Robson. “You’d think nothing would be easier in a free society than not forbidding victimless acts involving consenting adults.”

When is Your Cannabis in Season? Factors That Influence Growing, Harvest, and Availability

Cannabis is an annual plant that flowers from late summer into fall. The natural growing season begins when farmers plant seeds every spring; these seedlings quickly develop branches and leaves over the next few months, becoming taller and bushier until longer nights after the summer solstice trigger the flowering phase. In autumn, when flowers are ripe, they are cut down, dried, and trimmed before entering the market.

Wherever cannabis cultivation occurs outdoors, consumers typically enjoy an overabundance of fresh flowers after the yearly harvest. Commercially grown outdoor cannabis is sold cheaply and speedily in late fall and winter. States with legal cannabis sales often experience drastic shifts in supply and demand as farmers flood the market with product while some consumers turn to homegrown or cheaper black market sources. Top-shelf sungrown cannabis becomes available more gradually in the winter and early spring. By midyear, stockpiles dwindle and prices rise as surplus turns to scarcity.

How Do Environmental Factors Affect Cannabis’s Growing Season?

In the northern hemisphere, seeds are planted as early as March or as late as May, and flowers are harvested from September through November. Seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, so planting takes place from September to November and harvest time is March to May. In the tropics, near the Equator, it is actually possible to harvest outdoor cannabis throughout the year.

A cannabis plant switches from the vegetative to the flowering stage when the days get shorter and the nights get longer. The precise timing varies depending on latitude. A strain that starts flowering in early July when cultivated in California or Colorado should not flower until August in Canada or Holland. In Hawaii, that same strain may be capable of flowering at almost any time.

Temperature, altitude, rainfall, and other environmental conditions also influence cannabis maturation and determine the ideal growing season in any given location. Mild weather encourages plants to finish sooner, whereas excessive heat or cold can delay flowering and ripening.

Do Different Strains Have Different Growing Seasons?

Strain genetics have a significant impact on growing season. Cannabis varieties adapt to their native habitat, and breeders create strains that are best suited to the local climate. Generally speaking, indicas stay shorter and flower faster than their sativa cousins, while equatorial sativas have the longest flowering time and may not survive long enough to ripen when grown too far north or south. A strain developed in a cool coastal area will likely finish early when grown in a warm inland region. While landraces and old-school strains tend to be more demanding, modern genetics have been designed to deliver higher yields in a shorter period of time.

DJ Short, creator of the iconic Blueberry, reports that the second to third week of October is his favorite time to harvest his signature indica strain in Oregon, where he lives. But he waits until late November or even December to harvest certain sativas. The cultivators at Shine On Farms endure increasingly wintery weather at their off-grid farm in the hills of northern California’s Anderson Valley, long after the growing season has ended for their friends and neighbors, as they wait for their beloved Super Silver Haze to finish flowering.

How Do Cultivation Techniques Influence Cannabis Growth?

Cultivation techniques, strategies, and preferences affect the growing season as well, and farmers make calculated decisions based on their experiences and objectives. Many believe it is better to plant when the moon is waxing and harvest when the moon is waning. Guerilla growers sometimes plant later in the season, a strategic decision resulting in smaller plants that are easier to conceal from law enforcement. Regulations such as plant count limits incentivize some legally permitted cultivators to plant early in order to grow larger plants.

When flowers ripen in the fall, farmers must choose the most opportune moment to harvest. Flowers that are harvested early induce a lighter, more cerebral high, and flowers that are harvested late have a more narcotic body effect. A later harvest also leads to increased risks from mold, mildew, pests, and damage from frost or storms.

Ed Rosenthal, the “guru of ganja,” considers cannabis perfectly ripe when the trichomes turn to a milky or amber color, but notes, “this is about a week later than some people prefer.” In his Big Book of Buds, Rosenthal complains that the cannabis for sale in Dutch coffeeshops is often immature, which results in a “racing and buzzy” high that he finds unsatisfying. “Obviously, ripening time is affected by your idea of ripeness,” he concludes.

Mendocino farmer and activist Casey O’Neill, who writes for The Ganjier, says, “There are about as many methodologies for harvesting cannabis as there are cannabis farmers.” Because crops frequently ripen all at once, and harvesting is an arduous and time-consuming process, O’Neill says, “It is better to start harvesting early and finish on time, rather than starting on time and finishing late.” O’Neill also appreciates the high bestowed by “fewer amber trichomes and more clear to milky ones,” which add “a kiss of ephemeral lightness,” avoiding the “sedative, opioid effect of the amber trichomes.” He explains that his indica-dominant strains would be “too heavy for the modern consumer” if they were allowed to ripen more fully.

The Impact of Harvesting, Drying, and Curing Decisions on Seasonal Cannabis Availability

Once plants have been harvested, they must be dried to reduce water content and remove chlorophyll. Plants should be hung in a climate-controlled room for 10 days to two weeks, although some claim that as few as five or six days can be sufficient and others insist that two weeks is the minimum. According to Franco, of Green House Seed Co., “The difference between drying 10 days and 14 days is not very evident to the novice, but creates a world of difference to the connoisseur.” Flowers that are dried too rapidly will have a harsh or bitter flavor, and flowers that are too moist will not burn.

Connoisseur-quality cannabis should be cured after drying, but commercial growers rarely take the time to do so. “In a perfect world, there would be about six to eight weeks between cutting the flowers, hanging to dry, trimming, and then stabilization,” says Kevin Jodrey, the cultivation director at Wonderland Nursery in Humboldt County. “The reality is that the grower prays for a quick drop as soon as it is dried and trimmed, which could be as short as 10 days from chop to sale.”

Drying and curing inevitably shape flavor and effect, for better or worse. Preserving and developing the cannabinoid and terpene profile is a delicate process. Temperature and humidity should be controlled and adjusted according to flowers’ density and terpene content. Flowers that are dried and cured correctly offer a smoother, more nuanced smoking experience. “The high of cured weed is always deeper and more introspective, often becoming a meditation and inner-vision tool,” says Franco. “The flower becomes much more complex and refined, gaining in depth as well as in variation of bouquet.”

Boutique farms are more inclined to dedicate extra time to produce a premium product. Nikki Lastreto of Swami Select says, “We like our flowers best around April. Some strains take longer to ripen — full Kush strains aren’t quite ready until July.”

When to Look for the Best Cannabis in Season

Meticulous handling, hand-trimming, and proper storage differentiate craft cannabis. Small family farms may lack the resources to trim an entire crop all at once, and instead trim continually for several months. Swami Select has found that flowers can maintain optimal freshness for a year or longer when stored in black ultraviolet glass jars in a cool dry space. Therefore, although cannabis harvest naturally occurs at the same time each year, different quality buds may arrive at your local dispensary at different times over the course of the year.

Of course, modern cannabis growers are not constrained by the seasons. By cultivating in greenhouses and periodically blocking out light to simulate longer nights, farmers are able to use the sun’s energy to power three or more harvests per year. These greenhouse-grown flowers — commonly known as “light dep” — are of particularly excellent quality when allowed to ripen under the peak summer sun in late June and July.

Meanwhile, innovation and electricity have made it possible to maintain a constant supply of cannabis throughout the year: a hydroponic indoor grow with staggered light cycles, for instance, can generate at least one harvest every month, ensuring a perpetual supply of fresh indoor-grown flowers year-round. As such, you’ll never arrive at your local dispensary to find it empty due to cannabis being out of season. That said, consider the fact that while you can find fresh produce at the grocery store all year-round, when locally grown fruits and vegetables are in season they are unequivocally superior. If you are fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, the same principle applies to seasonal sungrown cannabis.

Cannabis: Out of the Grow Closet and Onto the Front Porch

The cannabis movement has come a long way in a short time from the days of “…but I didn’t inhale!” Sadly, we still have much further to go before the stigma surrounding cannabis use no longer holds back progress.

All Progress Starts In The Mirror

They say if you really want to change the world, you first have to change yourself. Time and time again throughout time, we see movements rise and fall. And, at the center of it all, we see individuals standing up and banding together for a single cause. Individual people are the building blocks of change.

Once people start to change, they either gain followers or don’t. Either their ideals align with those of others, or they don’t. If all goes well, with enough people advocating for the same ideal, the various arms of communities, the media, and eventually the government begin to follow. And, things are definitely going in the right direction for cannabis.

Lately, the media has begun the long and painful process of reversing the inane stigma associated with cannabis. Bill Clinton was reluctant to admit his experience with it in 1992; later presidents have been more candid about their own. These days, the usual supporters of the movement—rapper Snoop Dogg, country star Willie Nelson, and comic actor Tommy Chong, to name a few—are far from alone. Joining them are what seems like a majority of celebrities, plus more and more doctors and businesses like Walgreens taking vocal positions on the side of change.

Just Say No To Thugs

Of course, there are plenty of forces out there hoping to convince you otherwise: Staying comfortable is the real goal. Change is either futile or plotted at parties to which you will never be invited. Television loves to dish up—though less fervently in recent years—scornful news stories of ordinary people who happen to be cannabis consumers.

Prohibitionist thugs shame them for cannabis consumers choices, perpetuating a stale, bigoted, and outdated “reefer madness” mentality that does everything it can to punish people for consuming this particular plant. It doesn’t even matter if it’s an epileptic child suffering hundreds of daily seizures, a sick mom, or the most decorated Olympian of all time.

How To Be The Bearer of Great News

So, what does it look like to stand up as an individual? It’s simple. You don’t need to be a doctor or celebrity, or set up press conferences around your thoughts on cannabis as medicine. The first step is simply to be honest with those around you about your position on and relationship to the cause of cannabis freedom.

Often people are simply unaware of just how many loved ones they have who sympathize with the cannabis freedom movement. Parents and children hide away and light up separately, all the while wishing for a way to connect.

It can obviously be terrifying to confront one’s closest family members and friends about controversial topics, but being honest about cannabis use may be even more important now than ever. You could even save a life if, thanks to you, someone gets off addictive opioid painkillers and switches to cannabis.

The U.S. is in a bizarre position now. People can nearly always find access to their effective, yet still illegal, medicine. Yet, they remain threatened by the consequences of breaking the law to get it, meaning their freedom—their whole life—hangs in the balance. The medicine is actually here now. It’s just got bars around it. Half the states get it. The other half WILL get it.

Come out, come out, wherever you are

MagicalButter MB2e

So, look in your mirror, and come out of your grow closet. Or, rather, jump! Tell your loved ones the truth about your relationship with this wonderful plant. But, don’t stop there. Be proud! Buy a shirt made of hemp, a super attractive one that will be sure to start conversations. Start asking for hemp milk in your coffee.

Better yet, treat yourself to a countertop MagicalButter machine to flaunt on Independence Day. Make some infused edibles for your guests, and make your barbecue really special. (Be sure everyone knows what they’re having!)

Be loud and proud. You’ll be amazed at the allies you never knew you had.

About the Author

Zachary D. Brown

Born in Arizona and raised in Maryland and Guinea, West Africa, Zach Brown claims the D.C. metro area as his home turf. He is currently back in Africa writing, teaching English as a second language, and making music in Bamako, Mali. Zach is an Eagle Scout who earned a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland. He was also president of the UMD chapters of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy).

RELATED: For dozens of scrumptious cannabis recipes, quick how-to videos, and how to get your own Botanical Extractor for converting cannabis to edible form, visit MagicalButter.com.

The post Cannabis: Out of the Grow Closet and Onto the Front Porch appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

Today: World’s Largest Medical Cannabis Dispensary To Battle Feds In Tax Court

Starting today June 6, through Friday June 10, leaders from Harborside Health Center will once again challenge the federal government, this time in Tax Court at the Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco, from 10am to 5pm. “We’re not asking for special treatment—we just want the same rules applied to us that

Marijuana Consumers Need To Hold Cannabis Companies Accountable

The marijuana industry is one of the most popular things on the planet right now. Cannabis has gone from being entirely underground to becoming more mainstream every day. The cannabis industry is new, it is exciting, and it seems like the industry has almost unlimited potential. If you go to any cannabis event and talk

US NM: Medical Cannabis A Growing Business

Albuquerque Journal, 06 Jun 2016 – ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Rachael Speegle, 34, left a full-time job as a critical care nurse last year to work at an Albuquerque medical marijuana dispensary and growing operation started by her husband. Speegle quickly discovered that people who came to the Verdes Foundation dispensary in Albuquerque had lots of questions that called for her nursing skills.

Be Honest, is your Psychedelic Use Purely “Sacred”?

With the growing acknowledgement of the use of psychedelics for medical, therapeutic or sacred uses, it may feel easier to “come out” about your personal use of these substances.

But if you’ve ever used these drugs outside of those contexts (yes and sorry, this includes at Burning Man), then you should probably pause a bit before going forward.

Are you ready to really, fully come out about your psychedelics use?

Because the truth is, most of us have probably had the majority of our experiences with psychedelics – and perhaps other drugs also – in what many people would categorize as “recreational” settings: at festivals, clubs, concerts or that party at your friend’s house that one time.

It may be that you walked into those places with every intention of using a psychedelic substance to heal you or teach you something about your life or the universe. It may be that you believe these drugs are inherently sacred, no matter how they’re used.

But many people, while they may be aware of the potential that psychedelics can have for healing or self-discovery, nonetheless stumble into their first uses out of curiosity or just for the simple experience of the unique visual and physical sensations they bring. For some people, this is really all they’re ever going to be interested in using these substances for.

Before you rush to judge, there’s also the flip side: while some people do come to psychedelics use with the goal to solve a particular problem or open doors in their psyche, sometimes they continue to use them because – well, it can be fun. And as anyone who has experience with psychedelics knows, sometimes it’s when you aren’t looking that you find something truly beautiful or valuable.

The point being: isn’t it just as valid and meaningful for psychedelics to be used for diversion, entertainment, relaxation, and adventure? Do psychedelics always have to be sacred?

If you’re going to come out about your psychedelics use, I beg you – I implore you: don’t leave that side of the experience by the wayside because it’s less popular or harder to defend.

People using psychedelics outside of specifically healing contexts – especially at festivals, concerts and clubs – have a whole different set of needs than those using them medically or therapeutically. And in many ways those needs are the same as those for any drug, be it legal or illegal: they need to be aware what exactly they’re taking and how much, they need to know what the effects may be and how to reduce any possible harms and maximize the benefits. They need to be conscious of how their choices may affect those around them. And they need to regularly self-assess to see if their use has tipped over from recreational into problematic.

Horizons 2015: STEFANIE JONES “Psychedelics, Partying, and Policy” from Horizons on Vimeo.

It’s an uphill battle to get these messages where they need to go – to the festivals, concerts and clubs where so many people are using psychedelics in this manner. A big part of the challenge is from where you’d expect, from the people producing and policing these events, who have an interest in upholding the law of the land (prohibition), no matter how much or little they may believe in it.

But another part of the challenge is harder to locate. The symptom of it can be seen in the balance of positive stories about psychedelics used medically versus negative stories about psychedelics used in recreational settings. It can be seen in the relatively small (but happily, growing!) number of people supporting programs like the one I run at the Drug Policy Alliance called Music Fan, or MAPS’ Zendo Project or organizations like DanceSafe – programs and organizations that regularly address this context of use and its needs.

We have internalized the deep stigma and shame associated with using some drugs for fun.

And that, to me, is the most important thing to consider when you’re thinking about coming out about your psychedelics (or other drug!) use. Don’t tell half the story. By all means, do hold up the incredible promise of psychedelics as healing agents, as therapies, as tools for an emotional re-boot. But do your best not to leave out the other side. If you’re going to come out, come out all the way.

Stefanie Jones is the director of audience development for the Drug Policy Alliance.

This piece originally appeared as a part of Psymposia’s “Coming Out of the Psychedelic Closet” series.

View more blog posts.

Author: Stefanie Jones
Date Published: June 2, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

New Mexico's Department of Health Administrative Delays are Preventing Thousands of Patients from Accessing Medical Cannabis

SANTA FE— New Mexico’s Department of Health administrative shortfalls are leaving medical cannabis patients without access to medicine and unprotected from criminal liability for purchase, possession, and cultivation across New Mexico.

According to law, the Department of Health (DOH) is required to process medical cannabis program patient enrollment applications (26-2B-7 C NMSA 1978) in 30 days, but for several months the department has not been able to comply. Current wait time for medical cannabis enrollment processing exceeds 60 days.

Once a patient’s medical cannabis program card expires they cannot purchase medical cannabis from licensed producers. It also means that they are criminally liable for possession and cultivation of their medicine. Although DOH is taking measures to enable them to process a larger volume of patients, they are not likely to catch up until sometime this Fall, at the earliest.

“We are very concerned about the patients who are put at risk for criminal penalties, prosecution, and may be forced into the illicit market to maintain their supply of medicine.” said Jessica Gelay, a policy coordinator with the Drug Policy Alliance. “While we appreciate that there is a plan in place to deal with the problem in time, we are believe that more could be done to address this serious situation, affecting thousands of patients every month, immediately.”

The Department of Health Medical Cannabis Advisory Board (MAB) discussed the situation at their recent meeting and suggested the Secretary “provide a “grace period”, or other remedy…, so that [patients] can continue to access medical cannabis and continue to be protected from criminal liability for the possession of medical cannabis under the provisions of the Lynn & Erin Compassionate Use Act.”

The Board’s recommendation was denied reasoning that it could potentially make matters worse for patients. The Secretary of Health’s decision states, “[A] ‘grace-period’ is not contemplated in statute, patients who used or accessed cannabis during that period could be exposed to arrest or prosecution.”

More than 24,000 New Mexicans are currently enrolled in the medical cannabis program, which was established in 2007.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is the nation’s leading organization of people who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. DPA fights for drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights.

Author:
Date Published: June 2, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

New Report Finds Racial Disparities Continue Under California's Marijuana Enforcement

Hakeem Brown is unique. In the state of California, where black owned cannabis businesses are rare, Hakeem Brown owned and managed a licensed medical cannabis dispensary in Vallejo from 2009-2012, when it was shut down as part of a multi dispensary raid. The raid was deemed unlawful and the city was required to return the money seized during the police action. Brown used this money to open up a new garden to grow for patients in Napa. This garden was raided and Brown was arrested for possession with intent to distribute despite possessing documentation confirming the medical nature of the garden. For four years the case has dragged on, with the judge limiting the ways in which those who were Brown’s patients can testify on his behalf.

Stories like Hakeem Brown’s are too common in a state that has allowed medical cannabis use for decades and is known for its lassie-faire attitude about cannabis. In fact, cannabis remains illegal in California, but you wouldn’t know it by witnessing its flourishing industry. The cannabis culture on display in incubators and expo halls is a far cry from what is happening on the streets of the Golden State, where in 2014, there were over 13,000 felony arrests for cannabis, with black and Latino people overrepresented among them.

Cannabis has been a non-incarcerable offense in California since the 1970s, and possession of less than an ounce has not been an arrestable offense since then. However, the subjectivity of “possession”, vs. “possession with intent to distribute” enables police to use “evidence” such as an empty baggie or a certain amount of cash to take a non-arrest able offense and flip it to a potential felony. Or, as in the case of Hakeem Brown, claim that cannabis grown for medical purposes is simply a front for illegal dealing. In the city of Oakland, black people comprise 25% of the population yet 78% of those arrested for possession with intent to distribute. On the other hand, white people comprise 35% of the population and only 8% of those arrested for possession with intent to distribute.

The racially disparate policing of cannabis crimes is not new information. Multiple reports have highlighted this pervasive practice. In 2011, then Governor Schwarzenegger passed a law moving simple possession of an ounce or less to an infraction this became more difficult to monitor. Now considered on par with a traffic ticket, guilty parties simply had to pay a fine, no court appearance, no criminal record. However, this change in penalty classification also came with downsides. Now data on marijuana possession offenses are no longer collected at the state level, which means it is now much more difficult to measure whether unequal enforcement persists after marijuana possession was reduced to an infraction. Additionally, as with traffic court, the fees added onto the fine can be hefty and can be more burdensome for some to pay than others.

In a collaboration between the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU of California, racial data on who is getting infractions were obtained from the cities of Los Angeles and Fresno and analyzed to determine whether there were racial disparities in marijuana possession enforcement. Data collected from Los Angeles and Fresno show that blacks were respectively cited for marijuana possession infractions 4 and 3.6 times more often than whites. The disparity is worse than the rates at which blacks were arrested for simple possession of marijuana prior to 2011, when possession was a misdemeanor offense. In 2010, black were 2.2 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession. Latinos were cited for marijuana possession infractions 1.4 time in Los Angeles and 1.7 times in Fresno more often than whites. It is likely that these disparities are actually greater. California has a long history of data collection challenges regarding Latinos, who are often classified by law enforcement officers as white and thus undercounted.

Most marijuana possession citations are issued to young people in both jurisdictions, particularly in Los Angeles. The mean age for those receiving marijuana infractions is 26.58 years old in Los Angeles and 28.82 years old in Fresno. In both cities, the majority of marijuana possession infractions were issued to individuals 29 years of age and younger.

Hakeem Brown was lucky. He was found not guilty at his trial in April. While he was fighting for his freedom, others were planning for the green rush. The infraction and arrest data in California show that there is a bigger issue at stake than industry. The harms of cannabis prohibition persist in California, and they do so most for young people of color.

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which will give California voters the opportunity to legalized regulated marijuana this November, allows those in jail for marijuana offenses that will no longer be punishable by arrest to petition for release, and for those on probation or parole to have their records expunged. It also allows those with drug felonies to not only work in the industry but to be business owners. It’s far past time to stop the bleeding of prohibition that has been centered in our most vulnerable communities, and legalize cannabis in California. Once we move cannabis into a regulated market, we can slowly dress the wound left by decades of disparate enforcement by making a place in the industry for those like Hakeem Brown who have been on the front lines and have the scars to show for it.

Amanda Reiman is the manager of marijuana law and policy for the Drug Policy Alliance.

View more blog posts.

Author: Amanda Reiman
Date Published: May 31, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Illinois Legislature Votes to Extend Medical Cannabis Program

On Tuesday, the Illinois Senate approved a key bill that would change the sunset date on the state’s medical cannabis program from January 1, 2018 to July 1, 2020. The House approved the bill on Monday. The final votes on SB 10 capped off a whirlwind effort by lawmakers in the closing days of the 2016 session.

Rep. Lou Lang

In addition to extending the program by two and a half years, SB 10 would allow patients with post-traumatic stress disorder or a terminal illness to qualify for medical cannabis. It would also allow doctors to simply state that a patient has a qualifying condition, rather than recommend cannabis. Finally, SB 10 would change the process for petitioning to add medical conditions and modify the composition of the advisory board.

Sen. Jim Durkin

The vote was over a year in the making, and while the measure passed both chambers by a wide margin, its success was far from certain. Special thanks go to Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, who both worked hard to gain critical support from lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner. Thanks also go to the many supporters and patients who reached out to lawmakers.

Once received, Gov. Rauner will have 60 days to sign the bill into law. SB 10 is available here.

The post Illinois Legislature Votes to Extend Medical Cannabis Program appeared first on MPP Blog.

Ohio Campaign Suspends Signature Gathering After Legislature Passes Workable Medical Bill

On May 25, 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 523, a limited but workable medical marijuana bill that would allow seriously ill patients to use and purchase cannabis. This bill is now heading to the desk of Gov. John Kasich, who could sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. If you are an Ohio resident, please urge him to sign this compassionate bill into law.

This legislation was a direct response to an initiative MPP funded and sought to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. The medical marijuana program established by the bill does not provide for smoking, nor does it allow home cultivation. However, the bill as passed was greatly improved upon from its original version. Unlike some legislatively-approved bills, it includes chronic and severe pain as a qualifying condition.

Due to the legislature passing a workable bill, MPP has suspended its signature collection campaign. We are optimistic that seriously ill patients in Ohio will soon have access to this important treatment option upon their doctors’ recommendations. In conjunction with Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, we plan to continue advocacy efforts to ensure that the State of Ohio lives up to the promises contained in HB 523, while also working to better the program using the ballot initiative proposal as a roadmap for these improvements.

From the OMM press release:

Late Friday evening, after considerable discussion, the decision was made to suspend our drive to place an issue on the November 2016 Ohio ballot.

We make this decision with a heavy heart as we will surely disappoint our many volunteers, supporters and patient-advocates who invested considerable time and effort in our movement.

It had become increasingly clear following the state legislature’s passage of a medical marijuana law on Wednesday that our ballot issue campaign had arrived at a critical juncture.

With several hundred thousand signatures collected thus far, one option for our movement would have been to continue to pour our resources into obtaining the additional signatures needed to put the issue before voters.

But the reality is that raising funds for medical marijuana policy changes is incredibly difficult, especially given the improvements made to the proposed program by the Ohio General Assembly and the fact that the Governor is expected to sign the bill.

As we said following Wednesday’s vote, the legislature’s action on medical marijuana was a step forward, and thanks to the intense advocacy efforts of patients and their families, activists and our team the bill was vastly improved before passage. Removed from the bill was much of the red tape and onerous regulations that would have severely limited patient access, and added was a very important provision granting an affirmative defense to qualifying patients beginning this fall. Also stripped from the bill were troubling provisions raising the threshold for pain.

To be sure, there are shortcomings to the legislature’s measure. There are a number of qualifying conditions which should have been included, and we firmly believe that patients should have the right to smoke and grow their own medical marijuana.

But, all in all, it is a moderately good piece of legislation passed by lawmakers who were pushed hard by the patient community.

We plan on continuing forward as an advocacy effort to ensure that the State of Ohio lives up to the promises contained in HB 523, but also working to better the program utilizing our amendment as a roadmap for those improvements.

But the reality is for us, this campaign to put our issue on the 2016 ballot ends today. To everyone who joined us on this effort, especially those patients and their families who will benefit from Ohio’s new medical marijuana program, we owe you a debt of gratitude.

The post Ohio Campaign Suspends Signature Gathering After Legislature Passes Workable Medical Bill appeared first on MPP Blog.

Free Conference on Public Health Strategies for New Psychoactive Substances, Like K2 and Bath Salts

The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) – often called “synthetic drugs,” “legal highs,” or “research chemicals” – pose a number of challenges for policymakers, media covering these issues, medical and social service providers, and people who use these substances.

Unfortunately, current media and policy responses to NPS – a broad category that includes everything from synthetic cannabinoids such as “K2”, to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, to traditional plants such as kratom – have been largely fueled by misinformation rather than facts. For example, in New York City, concerns about synthetic cannabinoids led to misleading media coverage and targeted policing in communities of color and among the homeless, missing a critical opportunity to lead with harm reduction and public health strategies instead of criminalization.

These substances often come on the market as legal alternatives to illicit drugs. In the U.S., they are routinely banned, leading chemists to come up with slightly new formulations to evade existing laws. This cat-and-mouse game has led to a proliferation of these substances, whose potential harms (and benefits) are largely unknown.

Join us for an important conversation about novel psychoactive substances on the evening of June 9th and all day on June 10th in New York City. At New Strategies for New Psychoactive Substances: A Public Health Approach, we will share what is currently known about these substances, discuss strategies for intervening when use becomes harmful, explore new forms of drug regulation, and examine how messaging and media about NPS can become more constructive. The gathering will lay the foundation for a series of recommendations for policymakers, medical and social service providers, researchers, and media

This event is free and open to the public. Seats are limited. Registration is required: http://newstrategies4nps.eventbrite.com

New Strategies for New Psychoactive Substances: A Public Health Approach

June 9th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
524 W 59th Street
New York, NY 10019

June 10th, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
The New School – The Bob and Sheila Hoerle Lecture Hall, UL105,
University Center
63 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

June 9, 7:00pm-9:00pm at John Jay: Why do people use NPS?

Before we can discuss what to do about NPS, it is important to understand the range of reasons why people use NPS, specifically, and psychoactive drugs in general. What motivates use? What benefits might be derived from their use? Are there different communities of people who use for different reasons? If so, how do they differ? How do existing drug policies influence the use of these substances? How does or should understanding the underlying reasons for use shape our responses?

June 10, 8:30am-5:30pm at The New School

9:30-11:30am: Getting beyond the myths: What do we actually know about NPS?

Although many NPS are not all that new, responses from both media and policymakers have often been based on little information or misinformation. What exactly are NPS (including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic opioids, cathinones, kratom, etc.)? What are their effects – both harmful and potentially beneficial? What do we know about who is using NPS? In which parts of the country are they being used? What do we know about trends in their use? What don’t we know and what needs more research?

11:30am-12:30pm: Lunch

12:30-2:30pm: Public health, harm reduction, and policy interventions

NPS provide an opportunity to rethink out failed approach to prohibitionist drug policies and to conceptualize innovative approaches to responding to drugs. What can we do in the short term to minimize and address the harms of NPS? What public health, clinical and harm reduction interventions might be needed? What policy changes might help? Can we envision new regulatory schemes that do not rely on criminalization? What can we learn from other countries about how to respond to NPS?

2:30-3:00pm: Break

3:00-4:30pm: Drug scares, media, and messaging

Drug scares or panics follow a recognizable pattern that includes exaggerated fears about a new substance, an absence of concrete information, and associating the new substance with a marginalized group. How do NPS fit or defy the “drug scare” model? What role do media and messaging play in shaping policy responses to NPS? What role should the media be playing and what tools do they need to do so?

4:30-5:00pm: Closing: Where do we go from here?

Next steps for researchers, policymakers, media, and providers.

HOSTS:

Drug Policy Alliance

The New School for Social Research Harm Reduction Psychotherapy Certificate Program

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

SPONSORS:

John and Laura Arnold

Center for Optimal Living

Families for Sensible Drug Policy

New York State Psychological Association’s Division on Addiction

PARTNERS:

BOOM!Health

Columbia University Institute for Research in African-American Studies

DanceSafe

HAMS: Harm Reduction for Alcohol

Harm Reduction Coalition

The Influence

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

New York Academy of Medicine

New York Harm Reduction Educators

Picture the Homeless

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

VOCAL-NY

Author:
Date Published: May 27, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Marijuana Infraction Enforcement Nearly 4 Times More Severe for Black Californians and 1.5 Times More Severe for Latino Californians than for Whites, Finds New DPA and ACLU Report

May 31, 2016 (Oakland, CA) – New data analyses conducted by the Drug Policy Alliance and ACLU of California find that racial disparities in marijuana policing have persisted, following the reduction of low-level marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to an infraction in 2011. Possession of under an ounce of marijuana is punishable in California by a base fine up to $100 (plus substantial fees).

Despite marijuana usage rates being similar across racial and ethnic lines, data provided by the Los Angeles and Fresno Police Departments show that black and Latino people in those cities were issued marijuana possession citations at higher rates than white people in the years immediately following the penalty change from misdemeanor to infraction. The data also reveal that marijuana possession enforcement falls mostly on young people. In both cities, the majority of infractions were issued to persons 29 years of age and younger.

In both cities black people are issued marijuana possession infractions at nearly 4 times the rate of white people and Latinos are cited at nearly 1.5 times the rate of white people. In Los Angeles, approximately 1 in 532 black people are cited for a marijuana possession infraction as compared to 1 in 1,351 Latinos and 1 in 1,923 white people. The numbers are even more stark in Fresno, where approximately 1 out of every 200 black people are issued marijuana infractions as compared to 1 in 457 Latinos and 1 in 800 white people.

“Racial disparities in marijuana enforcement are widespread and longstanding. Los Angeles and Fresno are very different places; yet they reveal similar disparities. It’s likely that young black and Latino Californians experience these disparities statewide,” said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Criminal Justice and Drug Policy director for the ACLU of California. “A $100 citation can easily become several times that, after all the fees are added. This presents a significant burden for young people and low-income families.”

“It is disappointing to see that even at the level of infractions, California law enforcement are incapable of applying the law equally across racial lines,” said Alice Huffman, president of the CA-Hawaii NAACP. “I am hopeful that full legalization as proposed in the Adult Use of Marijuana Act will drastically reduce the numbers of young people of color being funneled into the criminal justice system for minor drug offenses.”

In November 2016, Californians will have the chance to vote for the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). Voting for the AUMA will not only regulate the marijuana industry in the state but will also remove marijuana possession penalties both prospectively and retroactively for adults. For youth, these penalties will be replaced with drug treatment and education in an effort to reduce the harms associated with criminal justice involvement at an early age.

“While many may believe that marijuana is already legal in California, these data show that young adults of color continue to experience hugely disproportionate enforcement,” said Amanda Reiman, manager of Marijuana Law and Policy for the Drug Policy Alliance. “The only way to begin to unravel this legacy of disparate enforcement is to move marijuana into a fully regulated market at the statewide level.”

Drug Policy Alliance Fact Sheet:
Why is Marijuana Decriminalization Not Enough?

Drug Policy Action Fact Sheet:
AUMA Advances Social Justice and Criminal Justice Reform

Author:
Date Published: May 31, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Gerry Goldstein: A Champion for Social Justice

It was with great pleasure that NORML presented the first annual Michael J. Kennedy Social Justice Award this past week to criminal defense attorney Gerald H. Goldstein, a long-time NORML activist and senior partner with the firm of Goldstein, Goldstein and Hilley in San Antonio, TX.

The award, named after the late Michael J. Kennedy, the legendary civil rights and criminal defense attorney (and general counsel for High Times magazine from its inception in 1974 until his death in early 2016), was established, with the blessing of the Kennedy family, to honor those individuals who, like Michael Kennedy, dedicate their lives to advancing the cause of social justice in America. Eleanora Kennedy, Michael’s window, and their daughter Anna Safir, spoke at the ceremony, reminding us of Michael’s 40-year support for NORML and our mission to legalize marijuana, and suggesting he would be thrilled that his colleague Goldstein would be the first recipient of this annual award.

The inscription on the award reads as follows:

“To Gerald H. Goldstein, in recognition of your lifetime commitment to achieving social justice for all people, including especially those without the resources or social standing to achieve justice on their own. Your willingness to speak for the underdog, the disenfranchised and the unpopular, like Michael Kennedy himself, has defined your exemplary personal and professional life.”

And few lawyers in America better fit this description than my dear friend Gerry Goldstein.

Goldstein first became involved in the struggle to end marijuana prohibition back in 1972, when he volunteered to represent NORML in the state of Texas, which, at that time, was the state handing down the harshest marijuana sentences in the country. In fact, Texas at the time had more than seven hundred people serving sentences of ten years or longer for (mostly) non-violent marijuana offenses, with more than thirty people serving sentences of thirty years or longer, and thirteen people serving life sentences.

We realized it was important to publicize that cruel reality, and with Goldstein’s help, we managed to arrange a tour of the Texas prison system with major media, including the New York Times and the AP, to interview a sampling of these poor souls. As a result of the national publicity that resulted, the governor established a panel to review the sentences of those marijuana offenders, and most were subsequently released years earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

Goldstein also became the go-to-guy to represent Vietnam War draft resisters during that era, as well as other protesters willing to challenge unfair policies of the government.

And there have been many occasions over the years when Goldstein would fly across the country to represent a marijuana defendant facing a lengthy prison sentence because he understood the injustice of marijuana prohibition and could not look the other way. He is an extraordinarily talented and committed individual who has no fear of challenging those who would oppress the less fortunate among us. His personal and professional life has been a tapestry of helping others, and a model for those who seek to assure a more just society for all.

Over time, Goldstein joined the ranks of the elite criminal defense attorneys in the country, serving as president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and a founding member of the NORML Legal Committee (NLC), where he, along with noted San Francisco criminal defense attorney Michael Stepanian, were named “co-chairs for life.”

He has represented clients as diverse as Manual Noriega and the movie “Deep Throat” before the US Supreme Court; has represented many clients pro bono on behalf the Innocence Project, including the exoneration of Michael Morton, who served 25 years for a crime he did not commit — a case which led to the prosecutor and sitting Texas judge being sentenced to jail for Morton’s wrongful conviction. Goldstein has met with several US Attorney Generals to discuss issues confronting the criminal justice system; and has made himself available to fight some of the toughest battles with the government to protect the right of every citizen to a vigorous defense and the assistance of competent counsel when accused or suspected of a crime.

Goldstein received NORML’s Al Horn Memorial Award in 1999, and the Lester Grinspoon Award in 2011 for his lifetime of advocacy and support for ending marijuana prohibition; the Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award for the outstanding criminal defense attorney in the US from NACDL; the John Henry Faulk Civil Libertarian of the Year Award from the ACLU; and was named a “Legal Legend” by the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Hall of Fame, as well as scores of additional awards (literally too numerous to list) recognizing his commitment to social justice in America.

And throughout his storied career, Goldstein has never lost sight of the plight of “the underdog, the disenfranchised and the unpopular,” which is why he richly deserves this first annual Michael J. Kennedy Social Justice Award.

Thank you, Gerry, for a lifetime of fighting for the underdog.

_____________________________________________

This column was originally published on Marijuana.com.

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Unanimously Approves Legislation That Helps Individuals Fight Warrantless Asset Forfeiture Seizures

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary unanimously approved asset forfeiture reform legislation. Known as the DUE PROCESS Act (H.R. 5283) and sponsored by Crime Subcommittee Chairman Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI), Representative Peter Roskam (R-IL) and others, the bill makes important procedural reforms that will help give property owners fighting a federal civil asset forfeiture action greater leverage to contest a government seizure and increases the federal government’s burden of proof in civil forfeiture proceedings. The DUE PROCESS Act, however, currently does not address the “policing for profit” incentive issue.

“For decades police have used civil asset forfeiture to seize cash and other property from the public without any need to prove the person was involved in a crime,” said Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “A major overhaul of federal civil asset forfeiture laws has been long overdue, and it is good to see House leaders on both sides of the aisle taking a critical first step toward helping innocent people get their wrongfully seized property back from the government,” said Smith.

The ‘‘Deterring Undue Enforcement by Protecting Rights of Citizens from Excessive Searches and Seizures (DUE PROCESS) Act of 2016” provides new protections and strengthens due process rights for property owners who are faced with the daunting task of contesting a federal civil forfeiture. The DUE PROCESS Act specifies a property owner’s right to a prompt initial hearing before a judge to challenge a seizure or claim undue hardship. The legislation also provides a right to legal representation to indigent property owners at all civil forfeiture proceedings and protects a defendant’s right to hire counsel of their choice. The legislation also requires the government to comply with certain administrative timeframes and notification procedures that benefit property owners, as well as provide transparency of federal forfeiture proceedings. Crucially, the DUE PROCESS Act also increases the federal government’s burden of proof in civil forfeiture proceedings. Currently, federal law allows for preponderance of the evidence, which is the lowest standard of proof in a court of law. The DUE PROCESS Act would require clear and convincing evidence in civil asset forfeiture cases before the government can permanently take property. Advocates highlight, however, that the DUE PROCESS Act, as currently formulated, does not address the warrantless government seizures that will almost certainly continue unchecked until the profit incentives to pursue civil forfeitures are also addressed through legislation.

“We urge House and Senate leadership in Congress to pass comprehensive asset forfeiture reform this year,” Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Congress should take reform a step further and leverage the enormous bipartisan and politically diverse support for eliminating federal laws and programs that have incentivized police to profit from the seizure of cash and other property from innocent people,” said Smith.

Advocates have urged congressional leaders to eliminate the Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program. This federal program enables state and local law enforcement agencies to take property from people not convicted, charged, or even arrested of any criminal wrongdoing, and transfer the seized property to the Department of Justice in circumvention of the laws of the state in which the seizure occurred. As much as 80 percent of the proceeds from forfeited property are returned by this federal program to state and local law enforcement for their own operations, which creates a financial incentive for law enforcement to seize property. A growing number of states are reforming their forfeiture laws in the interest of protecting the rights of property owners and eliminating perverse incentives like those perpetuated by the Equitable Sharing Program. Advocates have also called on Congress to require the deposit of all federal forfeiture proceeds into the Department of Treasury’s general fund.

Federal civil asset forfeiture law allows the government to seize and keep cash, cars, real estate, and any other property from persons without any proof of criminal wrongdoing. Civil asset forfeiture begins when a federal, state or local law enforcement agency seizes property during a traffic stop or other encounter and takes legal action against the property seized from its owner by alleging that the seized property is connected in some way to illegal drugs or other criminal activity. Property owners do not need to be charged or convicted of a crime in order for law enforcement to seize property. In the 1970s and 1980s, Congress expanded to use of civil asset forfeiture by federal, state and local law enforcement in the name of fighting the war on drugs. Numerous law enforcement agencies took advantage of these expanded policies to profit from the confiscation of cash and other property from people during roadside stops and other interactions.

Yesterday’s committee action in the House builds upon momentum in Washington for major civil asset forfeiture reform. Last year, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in the Senate and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) in the House introduced the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act. The FAIR Act eliminates policing for profit and increases the federal government’s burden of proof in civil forfeiture proceedings. In January 2015, then-Attorney General Eric Holder issued an order establishing a new Department of Justice policy prohibiting federal agencies from accepting certain civil asset forfeiture assets seized by state and local law enforcement agencies. Groups that support reform come from across the political spectrum, ranging from the Center for American Progress and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to Americans for Tax Reform and FreedomWorks.

Author:
Date Published: May 26, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

NORML’s 2016 Conference and Lobby Day – A Debrief

NORML members, supporters, and chapter leaders gathered in our nation’s capital this week, for NORML’s 2016 Conference and Lobby Day. The events were filled with education, activism, socializing, and plenty of marijuana smoking. For those who weren’t able to attend, keep reading below to find out what you missed and how you can get involved in next year’s events.

On Monday we held our educational conference at George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs. On the top floor, surrounded with ceiling to floor windows, the meeting room provided attendees a view of some of the district’s most iconic sights while hearing from some of the reform movement’s brightest minds.

Highlights on Day 1 included a presentation by Deputy Director Paul Armentano entitled, “We Don’t Know Enough About Cannabis? Think Again,” where he acknowledged that there are now more scientific studies and papers available specific to cannabis than most other conventional therapeutics.

John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at The Brookings Institute discussed the successes we have seen from Colorado and the other pioneering states that have regulated marijuana for adult use.

Attendees also heard from Queens College professor Harry Levine and investigator Loren Siegel, who highlighted the continuing racial disparities in marijuana law enforcement — a disparity that continues to exist even in jurisdictions that have regulated cannabis-related activities. Their presentations were a stark reminder that even as we celebrate or successes, there is still plenty of work left to do.

A summary of many of the day’s presentations is online here.

Finally, in one of the more notable events of the day Eleanora Kennedy and Anna Kennedy Safir awarded longtime NORML Legal Committee member Gerald H. Goldstein with the first annual Michael John Kennedy Social Justice Award.

Events continued Monday night at the historic O St. Mansion where attendees gathered for drinks and hor devours. NORML hosted our 2016 award ceremony , highlighting various attendees for their extraordinary activism, and political and cultural leadership in the field of marijuana and marijuana policy reform. Award recipients included: (Insert picture)

-Outstanding Chapter Award to Norm Kent on behalf of Florida NORML
-Student Activist Award to Chris Thompson, Purdue NORML
-Lester Grinspoon Award to Harry Levine and Loren Siegel
-Hunter S. Thompson Award to Bruce Barcott, Leafly
-Pauline Sabin Award to Pam Novy, Virginia NORML
-Peter McWilliams Award to Ken Wolski, Coalition for Medical Marijuana – NJ
-Outstanding Cannabist Activist Award to Kevin Oliver, Washington NORML

On Tuesday attendees convened on Capitol Hill for a full day of lobbying. In the morning, attendees heard words of encouragement from five distinguished members of Congress: Reps. Sam Farr, Earl Blumenauer, Jared Polis, Suzan DelBene, and Dana Rohrabacher. Congressman Farr (D-CA), who is the co-sponsor of legislation protecting statewide medical marijuana programs from federal interference, will be retiring this year so it was a privilege for our lobby group to hear from him.

NORML awarded Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR) our 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for his continued leadership and focus on marijuana law reform throughout his career. Keith Stroup, NORML’s founder and legal counsel, spoke of the Congressman’s first days as a legislator in the Oregon State House of Representatives where he sponsored the state’s 1973 decriminalization law. Ever since then Congressman Blumenauer has continued to support our issue. Just last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment sponsored by the Congressman providing V.A. physicians the ability to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to U.S. veterans.

Congressman Polis (D-CO) and Congresswoman DelBene (D-WA) encouraged attendees to continue their advocacy work. Congressman Polis is chief sponsor of the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, legislation to to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference. Congresswoman DelBene is chief sponsor of the SMART Enforcement Act, legislation to make the US federal Controlled Substances Act inapplicable with respect to states that have legalized and regulated marijuana in a manner that addresses key federal priorities.

Wrapping up the morning reception, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) made news when he acknowledged successfully using a topical marijuana treatment for his shoulder arthritis. His admission marked quite possibly the first time ever a sitting member of Congress has admitted using marijuana while serving in office! Congressman Rohrabacher is one of our most valuable leaders at the federal level and NORML wishes to thank him for not only addressing our group but for sharing with us his candid and personal testimony. You can listen to the archived audio from NORML’s Capitol Hill reception here.

Throughout the three day event, attendees were able to network with fellow activists, learn from leaders in the reform movement, and relax with some of best locally grown marijuana in Washington D.C. NORML would like to thank those of you who attended and contributed to this successful event and we look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Louisiana Getting Closer to a Workable Medical Marijuana Program

The Louisiana Legislature continues to repeat its mistakes. For nearly 40 years, flawed legislative drafting has prevented the establishment of a workable medical marijuana program. Yesterday, the House took another step forward by passing S.B. 180, but it failed to fix a key omission.

Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law S.B. 271, legislation intended to fix a poison pill so Louisiana can establish a medical marijuana program (you can