Tag: PTSD

The Atlantic’s ‘Failed’ Legalization Story is a Lie. Here’s Why. 

If you’re a writer who’s been in the game long enough to enter the word “journalist” on a tax form, you have had this experience: After toiling long and hard on a piece, crafting subtle-yet-devastating arguments, marshaling evidence, paring quotes, and delivering a killer conclusion, you wake up on the morning of its publication to find the entire enterprise destroyed by a thoughtless headline. Or a silly headline. Or a stupid, nonsensical headline. Or a headline that is diametrically opposed to the very point you were trying to make.

That is what I imagine Tom James experienced on Monday morning.

James is the author of the Atlantic Monthly feature that dropped yesterday under the headline “The Failed Promise of Legal Pot.”

Nice headline. Provocative. Clickable. And false to the bone.

James’s 4,500-word piece gets at a couple of undeniable truths. In America’s three legal, regulated, commercial states, the black market for cannabis has winnowed considerably but hasn’t completely disappeared. And the racial disparities in arrests that existed during prohibition still exist after prohibition’s end. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington arrest far fewer people now than they did in 2011, but people of color still face higher rates of arrest than white people.

That’s it. That’s the “failed promise” of legal pot.

The successful promise of legal pot is this: In Washington, arrests for cannabis possession have dropped by 98 percent. In Colorado, they’ve fallen by 95 percent. Cannabis taxes in both states are generating tens of millions of dollars a year for education and public health. In Oregon, the legal cannabis industry has created 2,156 jobs and $46 million in wages.

Legalization has not increased underage access, as studies have shown again and again and again.

Many of those positive notes were taken from Tom James’s own piece in The Atlantic. In fact, James himself makes it clear that the very headline of his piece is false:

“It would be a mistake to call marijuana legalization a failure, even in the loosest sense of the word.”

Here’s the rest of that paragraph:

“After all, nationally, just fewer than one in eight marijuana arrests on average are for distribution; the other seven are for simple possession. That means that out of eight marijuana arrests that would have happened tomorrow in Colorado, seven of them won’t, because possession is legal. That means seven Coloradans who could have lost everything—from their jobs to their housing to their college financial aid—as a result of an arrest or conviction will instead simply go about another day of their ordinary lives. But the persistence of that eighth arrest—the roughly 12.5 percent of marijuana arrests that are for distribution—means that legalization isn’t a complete success, either. Those few distribution arrests cause the majority of marijuana-related incarcerations, and still disproportionately affect black men.”

So yes, there are still challenges to overcome regarding the racial disparities in the arrest rates for cannabis. But to acknowledge that and then blaze the header “Failed Promise” is not just an error. The Atlantic editors are spreading a falsehood that has real consequences for millions of Americans. Voters read headlines like that and decide to vote against legalization measures in states like California, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Nevada. Politicians glance at the Atlantic piece and decide to turn against regulated legalization in states like Vermont.

When they do, they allow good people to be destroyed by senseless arrests and outrageous prison sentences. Say their names. Bernard Noble, 49-year-old father of seven, wasting away in prison for 13 years for two joints in Louisiana. Lee Carroll Booker, 75, now serving life without parole for growing his own medical marijuana plants in Alabama. Raymond Schwab, the Gulf War veteran whose five children were taken by the state of Kansas because he wanted to move to Colorado to treat his PTSD with legal medical marijuana.

Here’s another name to say: Scott Stossel. He’s the editor of The Atlantic. I don’t know if he approved the headline, but I know he has the power to change it. He’s @SStosel on Twitter. Let him know how you feel.

Image Source: The Atlantic

US OR: Column: Using Weed To Aid Veterans

Portland Mercury, 05 May 2016 – Cannabis Helps with PTSD, and So Can You I’M A BIG SUPPORTER of allowing armed forces veterans access to cannabis-seeing as how I’m a huge wussy who wouldn’t have made it through three hours of basic training, much less full-on combat. I have enough trouble fighting off a cold.

The Shake: Gas Mask Bong Video Crashes All NFL Draft Boards

Laremy Tunsil gas mask bong video eats NFL draft, crashes internet. The former Ole Miss offensive tackle, projected to go as early as No. 3 in yesterday’s NFL draft, dropped to No. 13 after somebody hacked his Twitter account and posted a video of Tunsil smoking cannabis from a gas mask bong. The episode led to hours of uninterrupted finger-wagging from ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jon Gruden, and other morality cops, even as a nation of bored NFL fans googled “where to purchase gas mask bong.” Our sympathies go out to Mr. Tunsil, 21, whose late-night lark would have been completely legal in four of these United States (but not in Mississippi, of course). As it is, the leaked video probably cost him somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million in signing bonus money. NFL commish Roger Goodell was “unaware of video until after pick,” says ESPN, which we’d expect from a leader who continues to be so steadfastly ignorant about the use and changing attitudes of NFL players and fans on the subject of cannabis.

Calling out Obama on MMJ prosecutions. That’s what lawyer Marc Zilversmit did yesterday on Slate: “The president is spending money [on federal cannabis prosecutions] that Congress has explicitly told him he can’t spend.”

John Hudak hips federal lawmakers to the racist roots of prohibition. Hudak, our favorite Brookings Institution policy analyst, pens a piece for the Washington Post about “How racism and bias criminalized marijuana.” Great stuff.

Medical marijuana demand surges in Massachusetts. In March, 2,680 new patients registered with the state, bringing Massachusetts’ total to more than 22,500.

California lawmaker wants to let landlords ban medical cannabis use. The bill would permit property owners to prohibit all cannabis smoking on their premises, regardless of medical necessity.

A Harvard psychobiology prof says “marijuana is not medicine.” Bertha Madras, formerly a federal anti-drug propagandist, cites the American Medical Association in her Washington Post op-ed against rescheudling cannabis. The only problem? As advocate Tom Angell points out: the AMA actually supports rescheduling.

No happy hour for you, Alaskans! The state’s Marijuana Control Board agreed on draft regs that would allow cannabis clubs to serve food and non-alcoholic beverages but would ban happy hours. (Of course, in a cannabis club, every hour is happy.)

Whoops! Denver Public Schools forgot to apply for that state cannabis-tax school money. So the district put out a video telling voters it’s not as flush with money as they might think. (And please vote for our upcoming school bond!)

Texans want cannabis reform. And in San Antonio, they’ll be marching on May 7 to demand it. Fortunately, the Spurs aren’t playing that day.

Illinois considering expanded conditions for MMJ. This coming Monday’s meeting of the state’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Board will look over petitions for expanded coverage, including PTSD, Lyme disease, autism, and chronic low-level depression.

NJ Weedman’s joint raided in Trenton. The larger-than-life New Jersey character, who runs a “cannabis church” across from City Hall, faces ten charges of possession, distribution, and other things that are against the law in Chris Christie’s domain.

And finally, curious about gas mask bongs? Here’s a fellow explaining the finer points of the product:

DEA Finally Approves Study on Cannabis and PTSD

One of the first federally approved studies on the effects of cannabis on veterans with PTSD received final approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration earlier this week. The DEA’s approval means the research, which has been stalled for five years, can finally move forward. “We could start working with study candidates as early as June,” researcher Sue Sisley told Leafly on Thursday.

Sisley, a psychiatrist and former clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, has been fighting to carry out the study since 2011, when it was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since then, Sisley and colleagues have been struggling to overcome the federal roadblocks that prevent most cannabis research. In 2014, the University of Arizona terminated her contract after conservative state politicians raised objections over the use of cannabis in the study.

Sisley later teamed up with Ryan Vandrey of Johns Hopkins University, and Marcel Bonn-Miller of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Bonn-Miller is now overseeing the research; Sisley and Vandrey will carry out the clinical studies in Phoenix and Baltimore, respectively.

“Now our challenge will be to find identify 40 veterans in Phoenix and 40 in Baltimore who meet the study’s criteria,” Sisley said.

It’s not as easy as you might think. Participants will need to be veterans diagnosed with PTSD who have found their condition resistant to conventional treatments. They don’t need to be current medical marijuana patients, but those who are will have to abstain for a period of weeks prior to the study, in order to validate the results. “We’ll need to randomize the participants,” Sisley explained, which means half will receive cannabis and half will receive a placebo. “For those who are relying on medical marijuana to currently treat their PTSD, receiving a placebo could be challenging.”

Once enrolled in the study, subjects will receive either federally-approved medical marijuana or a cannabis placebo. They’ll appear weekly for a thorough evaluation, “which means they need to live somewhere near Phoenix or Baltimore,” said Sisley. “I’ve heard from a number of veterans who’ve told me they’re willing to move temporarily to be in the study, but they still may not qualify. The inclusion criteria are pretty strict.”

One further obstacle: The researchers aren’t able to speak directly to Veteran’s Administration doctors at the Phoenix VA. Sisley spoke to a group of doctors and staff at the Phoenix veterans hospital in 2013, “and I told them I’d be back when we received final approval for the study.” But in 2014, a scandal over the deaths of up to 40 patients who died while waiting for care at the Phoenix VA resulted in the ouster of VA leaders, from those at the Phoenix hospital up to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Phoenix VA hospital administrators are now skittish about anything with the scent of controversy, so they’ve withdrawn the offer to have Sisley give a follow-up presentation. “Which is a shame,” she said, “because those doctors may know of a number of good candidates for the study.”

Sisley said she and her colleagues hope to establish a toll-free number for interested veterans to inquire about entering the study. In the meantime, interested veterans should continue to check the MAPS website for updates on the study.

Batman in a Bow Tie: We Talk Cannabis Reform with Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) has been a champion for drug policy reform since he was first elected to Portland City Council in 1986, moving up to gain a seat in the House of Representatives in 1996. Don’t be fooled by the charming bicycle pin and unassuming smile — when it comes to fighting for justice, Blumenauer is Batman in a bowtie.

Not only was he a huge proponent for removing hemp from the definition of cannabis in Oregon, removing the barriers to create an industrial hemp revolution, but he has also written repeatedly to the president, most recently to ask for a new appointee to take the place of Chuck Rosenberg as head of the D.E.A. after Rosenberg made troubling remarks.

Leafly caught up with Blumenauer as he prepared to embark on a tour of states with cannabis reform on the ballot this November. He’ll be speaking in California in early May in support of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, and continuing on to Nevada, where he’ll speak in favor of that state’s legalization initiative, Question 2.

Leafly: What is your goal for supporting cannabis in the upcoming months?

Rep. Earl Blumenauer: My goal is to be in every state that’s in a battle to modernize its marijuana laws. I’m going to be looking at California, Nevada, Maine – which you may have noticed got back on the ballot, despite efforts to knock it off. This week I’m going to New York for the United Nations’ effort to modernize international drug laws.

My goal is to be a resource. I’ve been to any number of states, I’ve talked to editorial boards from the New York Times to the L.A. Times, and lots of publications large and small. I’ve even had a meeting on marijuana reform in Texas. I think those people were committing a felony just by meeting me in Texas. I say that only slightly in jest.

My goal is to speak out about the experience I’ve had. I was in the Oregon Legislature when we were the first state to decriminalize, in 1973. Just before that we had a proposal that would have legalized adult use in Oregon. We would have beaten Colorado and Washington by 30 years.

We had a debate at the Brookings Institution last night, which was kind of fun. They rolled out some of the trusty naysayers. It was a packed house. In the audience, believe it or not, was a person who was in the gallery of the Oregon House of Representatives when I was there speaking, arguing, arm-twisting back in 1973. He was there!

How has legalization changed Oregon?

We’re developing a model that we think can be used in any state. Legalization has already resulted in a significant amount of economic activity. We’re watching people who are extraordinarily excited about making this enterprise fully accessible and transparent. There are an amazing number of people in the industry that I’ve met who want Oregon to be the gold standard. They want to treat their employees fairly, they want to be good neighbors. It’s fun watching people on the ground floor trying to do it right.

We passed our measure over 18 months ago. No big rocks fell out of the sky, no cracks appeared in the earth. Most days, the sun continues to rise and set. People are accepting this as a reasonable way to treat a legitimate legal product.

Last week in Portland, I had three people — pillars of the community, baby boomers, extraordinarily successful and accomplished people — in three different conversations describe to me how they had used medical marijuana to deal with some physical challenges. Two had been in accidents, and one had a significant and painful operation. In normal conversation they nonchalantly mentioned that they went to facilities and got legal marijuana to deal with their ailments. And they told me how effective it was. Two or three years ago that wouldn’t have happened.

What do you find to be the most troubling aspect of the ongoing war on drugs?

Where do I start? What I find deeply troubling is the flawed premise of marijuana prohibition. It is absolutely unjustified, inequitable, and it falls most heavily on, as you know, young black men.

Some of the draconian punishments that have been handed out will be the shame of our government for decades to come.

I’m glad the president is using his power to grant clemency, taking care of some of the most egregious examples. But there are thousands more.

It’s so exciting, after all these years, to watch the pieces come together. But we still arrested or cited over 600,000 people last year. Fifty-eight percent of the public — maybe more depending on how you ask the question — don’t think marijuana should be illegal. Probably 75 percent of the public think that states ought to have their own marijuana policies. And yet, over 600,000 people were hassled by the law. They got a ticket. They got arrested. That disconnect is really jarring. It motivates me to do everything I can on a federal level to change things.

How likely do you think it is that Obama will deschedule cannabis on his way out of office?

President Obama is the first president to really tell the truth about marijuana. He said he smoked, he inhaled, it wasn’t as dangerous or addictive as other things that are legal. And that is a big deal to have the president of the United States be honest with the American public, unlike some of the officials in the drug bureaucracy.

Second, this administration could have struck down the state legal adult use — and they didn’t! They’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Theoretically it’s still illegal, and there’s lots of change going on. Public opinions are changing.

They issued the Cole Memo. And he started commuting some of these sentences, pardoning people. This is an important contribution. But I would not be surprised if, as part of his legacy, he did something else.

It might be something as dramatic as descheduling, as I hope it is, but I suspect we haven’t seen the last of what the administration does.

I am convinced that the next president of the United States, which I think will be Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, will continue to build on the Obama legacy. They’ll strengthen it. And I find that exciting. I’m convinced the war on drugs will all be over in five years, and probably sooner, if we do our part. It’s not guaranteed. There are forces out there opposing it. But I tell you, the next two or three years, they are going to be phenomenal.

Now is it true that you’ve never used cannabis?

Nope. Not yet.

Do you have any desire or interest in trying it?

Well, I will tell you unequivocally that if I or a member of my family had a condition — taking chemotherapy, chronic pain, some of the neurological disorders, PTSD — I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to use medical marijuana, if I had one of the conditions that cannabis is effective in remedying.

By itself, however, I have nothing against adults who choose to use it, but I have felt that as long as I am kind of the point person, that it is important that it not be confused with thinking that I’m doing this because I use it. I think it strengthens the case that I make to be able to honestly say I’ve never tried it, I don’t use it, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, and I’m working to make it legal.

But I truly think it is in the same genre as people who decide they’re going to have a craft cider, a fine Oregon Pinot. This is something a responsible adult ought to be able to decide for themselves, and we shouldn’t criminalize the behavior of people who do. I want to be as effective as I can in this, and I think this makes me more effective.

Tell me about your 4/20 fundraiser.

We’re going to be having some fun with it. At 4:20 a.m. and at 4:20 p.m. on 4/20, we are going to invite people to help be a part of the effort getting the resources so my staff and I can take this show from coast to coast to help with campaigns and make sure we’re successful getting it across the finish line. I’m trying to be that other voice to party delegates, to the media and trying to push the administration from top to bottom. I want to lay the foundation for 2019, when we’ve got a chance to have all of this come to a head because the United States ought to be exerting leadership for reform.

Part of the challenge here is to figure out how to be most helpful, because, well, you know, I do have a day job. I’m working on lots of issues that are important, and then I’ve got the commute across the country every week. There are people who need help with veterans’ benefits, and some of my crazy Republican friends in Congress have some things that we have to kind of push back on. There are some fascinating things in terms of health care reform, and food and agricultural policy reform, and nuclear weapons, so we’ve got other things. But this, this can be all-consuming.

On a personal note, I adore your bicycle pin.

The bicycle pin, I will tell you, is another one of these things — it makes people feel good. It’s simple common sense. We need to do more of that in politics. We can do it with cannabis reform, we can do it with bicycles. We don’t have to make it as hard as it is.

Image Source: Cecilia Snyder via Flickr Creative Commons

Pennsylvania MMJ: Meet the Devil in the Details

“We weren’t trying to pass a perfect bill,” Pennsylvania Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) told Leafly on Wednesday. “We wanted a bill that is, at the very least, workable.”

Folmer, the author of Senate Bill 3, saw years of effort come to fruition this week when his medical marijuana legalization bill finally passed both houses of the Legislature, setting off cheers in the House chamber. The bill now sits on Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk. Wolf campaigned hard on marijuana reform and has declared that he will sign the bill in Harrisburg on Sunday.

As the dust settles in the Capitol, here’s a quick and dirty peek under the hood of Pennsylvania’s nascent medical cannabis program.

Who can access medical marijuana?

The 17 qualifying conditions include HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, Crohn’s- Parkinson’s- and Huntington’s diseases, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease), intractable spinal spasticity, intractable seizure disorders (including epilepsy), inflammatory bowel disease, PTSD, chronic anemia, glaucoma, and chronic severe pain for patients who’ve exhausted more conventional therapies, such as opioids.

Physicians must certify that a patient has an eligible condition, and patients must obtain an ID card issued by the state Department of Health.

When can patients get their medicine?

“Once the bill is signed, there is an 18-month ramp‐up period,” prime sponsor Sen. Daylin Leach (D-King of Prussia) told Leafly. “But patients will not be prosecuted in the meantime. And that’s really good news.”

What forms of cannabis will be allowed?

Unfortunately, the bill doesn’t allow legal possession of smokeable flower. Ditto on edibles. The new law would allow only cannabis in oil, pill, or tincture form. Liquid forms of cannabis are permitted for those who prefer vaping. For the time being, home-cultivation is not allowed. Possession of medical cannabis purchased elsewhere remains forbidden, and there is no reciprocal arrangement for medical cannabis users from other states.

Cannabis advocates were pleased to see progress, but the celebration has been tempered by the law’s strict limitations. “Pennsylvania seems intent on pretending that no other state has a successful medical cannabis program,” said Patrick Nightingale, who leads NORML’s Pittsburgh chapter. “The result is a limited and highly regulated bill that will take considerable time to implement.”

Who can grow? Who can sell?

The Department of Health will accept applications for 25 permits issued to growers and processors. Fifty dispensary licenses will be issued. Each license permits (up to) three locations, which means potential for up to 150 dispensaries across the state. For some perspective, neighboring New Jersey has had its medical marijuana law in place for six years. The entire state currently has only five medical cannabis dispensaries.

Will there be dispensaries in Philadelphia?

Yes. Absolutely. “Probably a dozen or more of them,” Leach told Leafly. “For the obvious reason,” he added, alluding to Philadelphia’s large population.

What strange twists did lawmakers add to the rules?

At one point last summer, the Senate stripped HIV/AIDS from the list of qualifying conditions, a move later reversed amid howls of protest from all corners. “Medical marijuana without HIV/AIDS is like gay marriage but not for lesbians,” one activist said. It was a revealing illustration of how arbitrary, unscientific, and mean-spirited the debate had become. In retrospect, the move to bar AIDS patients represented the low-water mark of the debate. It only got better after that.

In a state filled with conservatives, it’s ironic the new law includes a 5 percent producer-to-dispenser sales tax on medicine. The same Republicans who go to extreme lengths to shield shale gas or coal from any taxes are comfortable smacking medical cannabis producers with a 5 percent tariff.

Concerns

Activists, patients, parents, and politicians all voiced a common concern: The current big‐government approach is especially off‐putting to physicians who may be disinclined to join the program.

“This is overregulation at its worst,” said Lolly Bentch Myers. Her 8‐year‐old daughter, Anna, suffers from mesial temporal sclerosis, which can cause hundreds of seizures in a single day. Bentch Myers leads a group of mothers called Campaign for Compassion, which for months has lobbied to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.

Bentch Myers and her colleagues have been a familiar sight around the Capitol this session. And they won’t be going away anytime soon. “We plan to continue our educational efforts in the medical community,” Bentch Myers told Leafly.

“We have no doubt that physicians, when given the opportunity to become educated on [medical cannabis], will feel more comfortable participating in the program,” added Christine Brann, who co‐founded Campaign for Compassion. Brann’s 5‐year‐old son, Garrett, suffers from Dravet syndrome, another debilitating seizure disorder.

“If the governor does sign the bill, then it’s important to see who’s appointed to the advisory board tasked with setting price caps” on medical cannabis, added NORML’s Patrick Nightingale. “I am very worried that no one on that board will have any relevant background to accomplish this. And pegging medicinal prices to the black market is unacceptable.”

Heroes and Villains

The final bill had its flaws, but it’s sort of amazing anything passed at all. Bentch Myers, Brann, and others spent months overcoming a powerful and entrenched opposition. House Speaker Mike Turzai and Rep. Matt Baker, both Republicans, played obstructionist roles throughout the legislative session. House leader Turzai and Baker, who chairs the powerful health committee, both used their positions to try to scuttle the bill. In one bizarre incident, in November, Turzai reportedly broke down in tears during a closed‐door caucus discussion while trying to convince his colleagues to keep medical marijuana out of Pennsylvania.

As for Baker, Bentch Myers told Leafly “I can think of no villain more loathsome.”

“His efforts should be enshrined in the “GOT IT WRONG” hall of ignominy,” added NORML’s Nightingale.

But the fight produced heroes as well, chiefly the Campaign for Compassion’s so‐called Mama Bears, a cadre of mothers whose children suffer various seizure disorders. United in their struggle to find relief for their sick children, the activist mothers swayed votes and cast the movement in a sympathetic light.

Good Portents for Pot Politics?

In an era of hyper‐partisanship, medical cannabis reform is something both parties are finding ways to support. Whether you’re for Hillary or Trump, Bernie or Cruz, you probably support medical marijuana. But that bipartisan spirit has yet to reach many of our leaders in Congress and statehouses. With the exception of a handful of Republicans like Mike Folmer, most support for drug reform in Pennsylvania still comes from the Democratic side of the aisle.

“Our (activist) community is a constant source of hope,” Christine Brann told Leafly. “We’re never going to ‘trust the process,’ but we trust each other. We lean on one another in times of sadness. We know this bill is far from perfect, but there is a great deal of determination in our community to continue these efforts for the coming years, ensuring that patients’ needs are at the forefront of this issue.”

The governor is expected to sign the bill into law on Sunday, making Pennsylvania the 24th state to legalize cannabis for medical use.

How Can Cannabis Help Transgendered People?

Gender is fluid. There are cisgender people, transgender people, gender nonconforming people, genderqueer people, agender people…the possibilities are endless. You can find a helpful primer on gender terminology on GLAAD’s website. All of these gender identities are normal and should be celebrated, not scorned or shamed.

As Scarleteen, a sexuality resource for teens, explains, “Gender – both how we identify with it and how others identify us through the lens of gender – can also play a part in the way we’ll have any sort of sex, how we present our sexuality to others, how we feel comfortable or uncomfortable in our sexual behaviour and attitudes, and how we might expect the dynamics of our sexual relationships with others to be.”

With that in mind, I sat down with acclaimed adult performer, director, and LGBT/human rights activist Buck Angel to talk about sex for trans men and how cannabis can be helpful.

Ashley Manta: How do you identify and what does that mean?

Buck Angel: I identify as a man. That might be obvious to some but the ones who do not know about my work I guess I should explain a little more. I am a transsexual man. Assigned female at birth and had a “gender reassignment surgery” to become male. One of the important parts to this story is that I am a man with a vagina. I chose not to get the penis surgery and now live my life as a man with a vagina.

Ashley: Has cannabis impacted your relationship with your body or had any effect on your mood when you experiencing intense emotions?

Buck: Well for me it has helped tremendously with my sleeping disorder. The cannabis has helped me to learn to relax. I started using cannabis later in my transition so I have already dealt with much of my anxiety around transitioning.

That said, I have many trans friends who do use cannabis to help with anxiety of being trans. It’s difficult for many trans people to just walk the world. Non-trans people have the privilege of not dealing with many things that trans people deal with just being trans, such as thinking that everyone knows you are transgender when maybe you just want to identify as male or female. Cannabis has helped to relax these fears and also just to give your brain some off time.

Ashley: What are some considerations specific to trans men when navigating sexual activities before, during, and after transitioning?

Buck: Many trans men have major body dysphoria [that] impacts us in just everyday life. Sexually I have not really been shut down but the cannabis has really heightened my orgasms and let me feel my body more.

What I am doing now is research on how cannabis can help the transgender community. What I know is that many transgender people have anxiety, sleeping disorders, PTSD, body dysphoria, depression, and many do not have the pleasure of enjoying sex because of this. I think cannabis can really help to let more transgender people feel more sexual in their new bodies.

Cannabis is great at letting you just be you. I would like more research to be done in this area. I think we tend to prescribe way too many anti-depressants, and I am not a big fan of these as the side effects are horrible and long-term use can lead to many unhealthy things.

Another project I am working on is the use of cannabis as a lube and how that can help with atrophy of the vaginal tissue because of the use of testosterone. I think that using natural products like cannabis creates a much healthier body.

Ashley: Have any particular cannabis products been especially helpful to you in regards to sex?

Buck: Like I said, I have been lucky in that I don’t have any body dysmorphia, but I do have trans friends and non-trans friends who specifically use cannabis to heighten sexual arousal and they swear by it. For me that’s good enough in that I want to promote the use of cannabis to the trans community in hopes of getting more people to start feeling comfortable around sex with their new bodies. This can be such a huge game changer for many who never felt sexually comfortable in their bodies.

The one product I have recently been introduced to is Foria. It was pretty amazing and very much enhanced my orgasm.

Ashley: Thank you so much for all the good you’re doing in the world and for taking the time to chat with me. How can people find and support your work?

Buck: Everyone can find me on my websites, social media, and just by “googling” me! I am working on some sexual health projects focused on the transgender community and hopefully will have more information soon. Thanks so much for letting me speak about trans sex and cannabis, as I think this conversation needs to be started.

Learn more about Buck and his projects at the following sites:

• Buck Angel’s website
• Buck’s Twitter
• Buck’s Facebook
• Buck’s Instagram

If you, or someone you know, is a trans or gender nonconforming person experiencing crisis or overwhelming thoughts, please reach out to the Trans Lifeline at (877) 565-8860.

Got a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question for Ashley Manta? Send it to tips@nullleafly.com and we may address your request in a future article!

Image Source: Eli Schmidt

The Shake: Obama Frees 61 Inmates and Whoopi Tackles Period Pain

Obama grants clemency to 61 drug offenders. All of the inmates are currently serving time for drug possession, intent to sell, or related crimes, according to the Associated Press. More than a third were serving life sentences. Under the president’s action, most will now be released on July 28. Obama may not have done much to reform the federal government’s stance on cannabis policy, but at least he’s helping right some of the drug war’s past wrongs. He’s now commuted the sentences of 248 inmates, and his aides say more are coming. There have been some rumblings that Obama could reschedule cannabis on his way out of office, but it doesn’t look likely. (Some think our last, best hope might actually be Dr. Sanjay Gupta.)

Whoopi Goldberg launches cannabis venture to combat menstrual cramps. Goldberg already gushed about her vape pen for treating her glaucoma-related headaches. Now she’s taking on period pain. She’s teaming up with entrepreneur Maya Elizabeth to found Maya & Whoopi, which will offer infused edibles, tinctures, topical rubs, and a “profoundly relaxing” THC bath soak. “You can put the rub on your lower stomach and lower back at work, and then when you get home you can get in the tub for a soak or make tea, and it allows you to continue to work throughout the day,” she tells Vanity Fair. The new products join others aimed at easing menstrual discomfort, like Foria Relief — which, for the record, is not a tampon.

Microsoft’s racist chatbot is a cannabis fan. Have you been following Tay, the Twitter account launched by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence team? It’s meant to learn from its surroundings, and unfortunately it has: Within a day of launch, Tay went from “humans are super cool” to “Hitler was right.” Thanks, internet. The bot also said feminists should “die and burn in hell.” Microsoft quickly unplugged it, but on Wednesday Tay reappeared briefly to announce: “kush! [ I’m smoking kush infront the police ].” (The tweet has since been removed.) Hilarious, sure, but the cannabis movement could probably pick a better spokesbot. (Here are some ideas.)

An Irish woman moved to Colorado to treat her son’s epilepsy. Now she’s saying it’s “illogical” not to have medical cannabis in Ireland. Yvonne Cahalane’s two-year-old son, Tristan, has Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. He had his first seizure at five months old, and before long he was having up to 20 in a day. Since starting a regimen of cannabis oil, however, he’s gone three months without a seizure. He hasn’t needed rescue medication or oxygen, and he’s been weaned off three drugs and is about to stop using a fourth. Tell your friends: Medical cannabis is no joke.

Is Aspen ditching edibles? City officials are meeting with representatives from surrounding Pitkin County to discuss how to regulate infused edibles in the city. Sheriff Joe DiSalvo attended two county discussions this week and has indicated he’s thinking of a push to ban edibles that could appeal to children. “Bubble gum, popcorn, candy, etc.,” he told Aspen Daily News. DiSalvo has been an outspoken advocate of cannabis legalization, but he says local governments need to do more to avoid problems that could hurt the plant’s image both in his community and nationwide. Leafly talked to DiSalvo on Monday and will publish an extended interview later this week.

QUICK HITS:

• Marijuana Policy Project executive director defends Trump campaign manager. Rob Kampia said on Facebook that a battery charge against Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is “ridiculous.” Lewandowski allegedly grabbed a reporter last week. He was charged Tuesday. Fellow cannabis advocate Tom Angell, who spotted Kampia’s post, feels differently.
• GQ answers a burning question from those still buying cannabis from dealers: “Should I Offer to Smoke Out My Weed Dealer?”
• Newsweek calls taste-pairing events “the latest legal weed trend.” Read the story, then start mixing and matching on your own with Leafly’s pairing guides to coffee, beer, and wine (even bubbly!).
• It’s going to be a big year for cannabis, and not just in the U.S. Mexico is eyeing big changes, too, Vice reports, including decriminalization and a medical cannabis program.
• There are lots of cannabis conferences these days. Oregon’s Willamette Week looks at how to tell which ones are worth your time.
• Fashion icon Tim Gunn is supporting Massachusetts hemp. The Project Runway co-host is headed to Boston to urge the state Legislature to pass an industrial hemp bill. (His advice, presumably: “Make it work.”)
• Massachusetts businesses aren’t so hot on cannabis, though. A poll of 180 employers found that 62 percent oppose the November ballot measure that would legalize adult use.
• A Michigan dispensary might be padlocked for a year. Why? Because state law allows officials to lock a property for up to a year over complaints of drug dealing. The county prosecutor maintains dispensaries aren’t permitted under Michigan’s medical cannabis program.
• Tennessee’s hemp industry is flagging. Many farmers have said they won’t grow the crop next year because it simply wasn’t profitable, in part because of delays getting seeds through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• A veteran in Iowa speaks up for medical cannabis. John Custis has seen enough veteran suicides, and he’s frustrated Iowa lawmakers aren’t doing more to open the door to cannabis to treat PTSD and curb opioid overdoses.
• As California cities weigh dispensary bans, a few are going the other way. San Jose is considering whether to establish a medical cannabis division to better regulate local businesses. The city may even allow deliveries, which have recently come under fire elsewhere in the state.
• And finally, this dog brought his family a pound of cannabis. Woof.

Image Source: CNN via Twitter

The Shake: Cannabaristas, Helping the Homeless, and CBD-Oil Massages

Hey, look, the media can discuss cannabis without making a Doritos joke! Bloomberg News has a video up about the recent explosion of cannabis concentrates, and Bloomberg Businessweek editor Bret Begun does an admirable job introducing rosin. He calls it the “extract du jour,” explaining that “smoking a joint would be like nursing a glass of house red” whereas “an extract is like a premium shot.” The segment is a welcome change from past East Coast coverage of concentrates, which often sounds more like a regurgitation of Reefer Madness — explosions! hallucinations! violent behavior! — than actual news coverage. It’s worth watching the Bloomberg piece until at least 1:42, at which point a British host breaks in out of nowhere to exclaim “Bret, this is a phenomenal story!” as though Begun just broke Watergate. (Thanks to Begun for mentioning Leafly, which he says “indexes all the available pot, basically, in the universe.” Oh Bret, you and your trendy eyeglasses flatter us so.)

Can cannabis help solve homelessness? In case you’re still blissfully unawares, homelessness is a massive problem in a lot of West Coast cities. Seattle, for example, declared a state of emergency last year after seeing a 22 percent annual increase in the number of people sleeping outside. Fixing the problem won’t be easy — or cheap. In Los Angeles, where officials have approved nearly $2 billion in housing and support services, budget analysts are now trying to figure out how to cover those costs. One proposal would tax medical marijuana at 15 percent, a rate that officials expect would net about $16.7 million a year. It won’t make patients happy (medicine is generally tax-free across the U.S., though not in New Jersey) but it’s a sign local governments are beginning to notice cannabis as a crucial source of revenue. Tax windfalls have already helped fund schools and drug education in Washington and Colorado, and even some dispensary owners say they think city officials have missed opportunities to capture revenue for public programs.

The world is watching. And not because they’re worried we’re going to mess something up. When it comes to cannabis policy, we’re actually leading by example here in the United States. Adult-use states like Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have shown foreign leaders that, despite fears, legalization hasn’t drawn hellfire from the skies. That’s important because next month a United Nations special session will convene to hammer out a new global drug policy. It could mark a major shift paradigm shift. The last special session was in 1998, and its theme was “A drug-free world — we can do it!” Whoops.

The United States is losing money and brain power to Israel. Companies and investors based in America are looking to Israel for ways to get into the booming medical cannabis market, Reuters reports. “In the United States it’s easier to study heroin than marijuana,” said Suzanne Sisley, a U.S. psychologist who has researched the effects on cannabis as a treatment for PTSD in military veterans. Just another example of how federal prohibition isn’t just hurting patients — it’s also hamstringing American industry.

Vermont lawmakers are worried about underage use and DUIs. As well they should be — those are valid concerns. But as legislators weigh the evidence, let’s hope they see the facts are on the side of legalization. Numerous studies have found that adult-use laws don’t lead to increases in underage use, and a recent review by Norwegian researchers suggests that for decades we’ve been overstating the dangers of consuming and driving (though you still shouldn’t do it). Vermont has been one of the most reasonable states yet when it comes to charting a course to legalization. Let’s hope officials there keep on making smart, scientifically informed decisions.

You know who’s not making scientifically informed decisions? Massachusetts lawmakers. That’s the assessment of pollster Steve Koczela at Boston public radio affiliate WBUR. A number of high-profile public officials have come out against an adult-use legalization initiative, something Koczela calls remarkable: “By every metric available, public opinion appears to favor legalization, and by wider margins with each passing year,” he writes. “You cannot accuse lawmakers of governing according to the polls and public opinion. If anything, the opposite is happening here.” In other words, a lot of lawmakers are still all turned around when it comes to cannabis. Get in touch and point them in the right direction.

QUICK HITS:

• Black and Latino people account for 90 percent of Philadelphia cannabis possession arrests. Which is insane. Just like in Oregon and New York, Philly has seen racial disparities persist even as the absolute number of arrests has dropped dramatically. We’re failing, people.
• Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson thinks Obama will legalize. “I’m going to predict that Obama, when he leaves office, is going to deschedule marijuana as a Class I narcotic,” he told the Washington Times. Don’t hold your breath.
• Want to start a cannabis business in Florida? You’re not alone. As you wait for November to see how Amendment 2 fares, attorney Hilary Bricken at Canna Law Blog has some homework for you.
• Here’s a perk of being repeatedly punched in the face: Bob Marley’s son might ask you to come smoke a joint with him. Just ask UFC beefcake Nate Diaz.
• Lawmakers want clearer banking guidelines. Elected officials at both state and federal levels are trying to figure out how to expand financial services for cannabusinesses. Existing rules are complicated and uncertain.
• “Cannabis patients find pain relief, improved mood,” survey says. Hot damn! Has anyone thought about using this stuff as medicine?
• Should we call budtenders “marijuana brokers”? What about “cannabaristas”? Either way, you should probably check out this guy’s hockey jersey.
• Oregon extract artists get sales extension. Earlier this month, regulators said they’d ban concentrates from unlicensed makers — even though licenses won’t be issued for a few months. Now they’re walking that back, temporarily allowing extracts from producers who’ve completed license applications and submitted the required $4,000 fee.
• This is the 14th Colorado cannabis recall in just five weeks. Regulators issued the latest pullback over concerns that FireHouse Organics products were grown with unapproved pesticides.
• Employment numbers look great, though. As of December, Colorado had issued 26,929 licenses to cannabis workers. That’s a 68-percent increase from a year earlier.
• Santa Ana not immune from supply and demand. The city has twice as many unlicensed dispensaries as legal ones, the Orange County Register reports.
• Lawmakers in Hawaii crash into DUI question. They want a study on cannabis and driving. If you sort this out before the rest of us, folks, let us know? Mahalo.
• And finally, a CBD-oil rubdown, anyone? Just sit there in your cubicle and let that thought sink in.

The Leafly Marketwatch: Which Illegal States are the Most Cannabis Curious?

In January we examined what percentage of people looking at legal dispensary pages (Colorado, Washington, and Oregon) on Leafly.com were from other states, providing some insight into the growing appeal of cannabis tourism. Today we’ll identify the states that are the most “cannabis curious,” meaning they either have very limited medical marijuana laws or are illegal states, yet they can’t help but sneak peeks at Leafly to look up strains and dispensaries or read the latest cannabis news.

In the below chart, we highlighted 26 states where cannabis is either outright illegal or only allows limited access to CBD products, and charted their visits to Leafly over a six-month period.

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July 2015 – January 2016 Visits to Leafly.com from Non-Legal States
(click on the image to see an enlarged version)

Everything’s Bigger in Texas, Even Cannabis Interest

Leading the charge for cannabis curiosity is Texas, which isn’t surprising — if you recall January’s Marketwatch chart, you know that nearly 33% of the traffic to Colorado dispensary pages comes from Texas. The state has recently made many efforts to soften its cannabis laws. Last year Texas introduced six different cannabis-related bills and passed a limited medical marijuana bill legalizing cannabis oil for epileptic patients. Unfortunately, many Texans are clamoring for expanded access to medical marijuana for illnesses such as PTSD. Texas’ CBD program is scheduled to debut in 2017, which could also be when the state decides to expand its medical marijuana program (although we encourage that to happen much sooner).

Florida has also made persistent efforts to legalize in the past two years. Like Texas, Florida legalized the limited use of CBD (the Charlotte’s Web strain for epilepsy and seizure treatment), and it also peeks at legal markets’ dispensary pages. In November 2014, Florida tried to legalize medical marijuana and even attracted nearly 58% of the votes in favor of passing the measure, but the state requires a 60% majority in order to pass so alas, Florida came up short. Fortunately, advocates remained undeterred, and organizers announced in early 2016 that they’ve gathered enough signatures to qualify another measure for this year’s November election.

Here’s a quick rundown of the other states rounding out the top six on the list:

Georgia: Last year it legalized high-CBD, low-THC cannabis oil for qualifying patients, but Representative Allen Peake doesn’t think that’s good enough. He spearheaded House Bill 722, which would expand the state’s qualifying conditions and set up a dispensary system similar to Minnesota’s. Unfortunately, the bill is currently stalled in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State has a history of approving bills that later get stalled in the House or fail to receive review hearings. Earlier this month the House once again voted to legalize medical marijuana, which would allow a number of conditions, put no cap on the amount of THC allowed, and approve up to 150 dispensaries. The bill now, you guessed it, goes to the House for approval.

Virginia: Last year Virginia legalized high-CBD, low-THC cannabis oil for epilepsy patients, but recent efforts focus on decriminalizing cannabis and reducing possession penalties to civil fines. That doesn’t sound like much progress, but recall that Virginia’s arrests for cannabis possession increased by 76% between 2003 and 2014, including a disproportionately high 106% increase in arrests of black people despite Virginia’s 20% black population.

Ohio: The Buckeye State’s failed November legalization campaign (in which ResponsibleOhio tried to legalize both medical marijuana and recreational cannabis) was criticized by voters for trying to essentially set up a monopoly. Not to be deterred, advocates bounced back with an initiative focused on medical marijuana only. Legalization groups are currently working to gather enough signatures to qualify the new initiative for the November ballot.

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Which Illegal States Have Recently Become More Cannabis-Curious?

Interestingly, a number of states have experienced profound growth in traffic to Leafly.com at the end of 2015 compared to the beginning of the year.

Increase in Visits to Leafly.com from Non-Legal States from the First Six Months of 2015 to the Last Sixth Months of 2015
(click on the image to see an enlarged version)

Four have all experienced noticable growth in traffic to Leafly.com in 2015:

South Dakota is one of the only states with no cannabis laws whatsoever, with voters rejecting medical marijuana initiatives in both 2006 and 2010. However, last fall New Approach South Dakota gathered over 16,000 voter signatures in support of a new medical marijuana legalization measure. Although Secretary of State initially rejected the initiatve due to a number of invalid signatures, earlier this month she agreed to re-sample them for validity.

South Carolina legalized CBD oil in 2014, and last fall a state Senate subcommittee passed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana. The bill is currently being considered by the medical affairs committee of the South Carolina Senate, although if this ornery 79-year old Charleston woman had her way, she’d legalize cannabis in her state now (presumably after chiding Marco Rubio some more).

Idaho’s increase in visits to Leafly.com isn’t surprising given that the state is flanked on all sites by neighbors that either allow medical marijuana or have legalized outright. Unfortunately, it joins South Dakota as one of the few fully illegal states, and it has a hostile cannabis climate thanks to its tough cannabis laws and a governor who’s cozy with pharmaceutical companies and Big Tobacco. New Approach Idaho had put out a medical marijuana petition but pulled it earlier this month after a misunderstanding involving the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Arkansas is another completely illegal state, though it’s not for lack of trying. It’s had seven different ballot initiatives rejected by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. She blames poor wording and construction on the failed initiatives, although there’s a silver lining for Arkansans: two medical marijuana initiatives are vying for the November ballot, one of which (the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act), secured enough signatures to qualify.

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What’s Going on with Kentucky and Oklahoma?

One state experienced the smallest amount of growth in traffic to Leafly.com in 2015, and two actually sent less traffic in the back half of the year than in the beginning. We’ll ignore Virginia for now since it’s still one of the top five trafficked states to our website, so a reduction in growth doesn’t really raise our eyebrows.

Kentucky is a curious landscape — not only is cannabis completely illegal, it’s also one of three entirely “dry” states in the country, requiring counties to specifically authorize alcohol sales (38 of its 120 counties are dry, while 49 are either “moist” or dry with special circumstances). Given that many residents are unable to legally procure cannabis or alcohol, it’s unsurprising to discover that Kentucky has a terrible heroin problem, and a drug that’s been prescribed to addicts in an effort to wean them off heroin has created another addiction dilemma. Kentucky’s interest in cannabis has been low-key, but we just want to point out that states with legal medical marijuana have seen a 25% decrease in prescription painkiller overdose deaths, so perhaps it’s time the Bluegrass State gets a little more canna-curious in 2016.

Oklahoma legalized CBD oil for qualified patients in 2015, and that seems to be all the state wants for now in terms of cannabis reform. In January, a medical marijuana legalization effort fronted by Green the Vote only managed to gather 70,000 signatures of the nearly 124,000 needed to get the issue on the ballot. A 2014 attempt also came far short of the signatures required. Oklahoma has also been in the news lately for teaming up with Nebraska to sue Colorado and have its legal cannabis market declared unconstitutional. Thankfully, earlier this week the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit, although lawyers pointed out that Nebraska and Oklahoma officials could bring their lawsuit to the federal district court.

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Business Takeaways

This data is interesting from a consumer standpoint, but how can it help your business? Simply put, it’s crucial for the cannabis industry to understand its market and the growing (or declining) interest occurring across the country, providing insight into which states could be the next to legalize medical or recreational cannabis and thus open up a new business opportunity. By keeping tabs on these cannabis-curious states, you could be getting a leg up on your competition by identifying which markets could open up next and being ready to expand your business into exciting new frontiers when the moment strikes.

How canna-curious is your state? Share your thoughts in the comments below and weigh in as to whether you think your state could be the next to join the growing cannabis movement. Also, if you’re a cannabis business looking to out-pace your competition, find out how Leafly can help you succeed!

The Shake: The New Yorker’s Licensing Fail, Feds Forget to Invite Experts to Their Cannabinoid Confab, and a Very Sad Alabama Mother

Here’s how not to issue cannabis licenses. The New Yorker ran a twee article yesterday, “How to Design a Marijuana License Lottery,” that lauded the mathematical theory behind Washington state’s 2014 cannabis license lottery. It’s a fun piece, but it entirely ignores the fact that the lottery was gamed by applicants and resulted in unprepared retailers, scant supply, and dozens of unused ghost licenses. Most states preparing their own licensing regimes now reject Washington’s model in favor of a scoring system that brings the most experienced and prepared actors into the system. Washington itself abandoned the lotto scheme in its latest round of licensing. So… more like how not to design a marijuana license lottery, really.

Feds host a medical cannabis summit, forget to invite medical cannabis experts. The National Institutes of Health opened a two-day conference on cannabinoid medicine this morning in Bethesda, Md. It’s a “historic” event in that this is the first time the NIH has hosted a cannabinoid medicine conference rather than a traditional cannabis harm conference. But NIH organizers somehow forgot to invite most of America’s leading cannabinoid experts and researchers, including UC San Francisco pioneer Donald Abrams, PTSD researcher Sue Sisley, and others doing groundbreaking work outside the NIH’s strict reefer madness mindset. Dr. Sunil Aggarwal, who recently spent a year as a clinical fellow at the NIH campus, told David Downs of the East Bay Express that “there is a strong bureaucratic taboo in discussing any of the reemerging science or art of cannabis medicine” on the Bethesda campus.

Massachusetts AG asks voters to “wait” on legalization. Continuing the Bay State’s full-court press against adult-use legalization, Attorney General Maura Healey asked voters to “see how it plays out in other states” before voting yes. “Not now, not at this time,” she said. “We’re in the midst of this opioid crisis.” Which is odd, because ending the opioid crisis is one of the talking points in favor of legalization. Healey’s ask begs an interesting question, though: How long should voters wait? Colorado and Washington have been legal and regulated for four years now. We’re wondering if she wants a decade to pass. Or two. Perhaps we should wait for more research, too. Because we just don’t know enough.

Alabama cops ruin mom’s anniversary. Police in Heflin, Ala. (that’s on the eastern edge of the Talladega National Forest, y’all), “stopped a vehicle for multiple violations” and claim to have discovered the smell of burning cannabis. According to reports, the officers spotted a box in the car, “sealed with a bow, which the driver claimed was an anniversary gift for his mother.” Inside the box were two pounds of cannabis in a vacuum-sealed bag. “The suspects are now in jail and off our Streets,” reported the Heflin Police Department’s Facebook page, which features a photo of Officer Turner holding said box and anniversary card. We’re not saying that transporting two pounds of cannabis across the fine state of Alabama is the smartest decision an individual can make. We are saying, however, that somewhere out there among the magnolia trees there may be a mother whose anniversary was made just a little bit sadder.

QUICK HITS: From the Department of Least Surprising Headlines comes this from the San Francisco Chronicle: “Gavin Newsom endorses legal marijuana initiative.” Good. The suspense was killing us. (We joke because we love, Gavin. Glad to have the support.) Albany, N.Y., credit union SEFCU goes public as the banking partner working with Vireo Health, one of the state’s new medical cannabis dispensaries.

Cannabis and Sleep: 10 Things to Know About Your Herbal Nightcap

Cannabis can be a splendid sleep aid, which is why many consumers keep a go-to favorite by their bedside. Even people with the most stubborn insomnia can find their escape to the dream world with a nice sedating indica. While most consumers are aware that cannabis can help you get a good night’s sleep, there’s a lot more to that relationship than you might think. For example, did you know older dried cannabis makes you sleepier than fresh bud? And did you know that marijuana inhibits dreams?

Get ready to learn a thing or two about the ways cannabis can help or hinder your nightly hibernation.

1. CBD and THC Affect Sleep Differently

By now you probably know that there are different types of strains: some get you high (high-THC, low-CBD), some don’t (high-CBD, low-THC), and others keep your buzz at a minimum (equal or near-equal parts THC and CBD). It’s worth first noting that most sleep studies – as well as the facts to follow –pertain to high-THC strains, as CBD strains are significantly harder (if not impossible) to find in some areas of the U.S.

So what effect do high-CBD strains have on sleep? A 2006 study tested the effects of CBD on animal models in both lights-on and lights-off environments and found that this non-psychoactive cannabis compound increased alertness with the lights on and had no discernable effects on lights-off sleep. The study’s authors concluded that CBD might actually hold therapeutic promise for those with somnolence, or excessive daytime sleepiness from a not-so-good night’s rest.

2. Indica Strains Tend to Be Better Sleep Aids

Popular opinion maintains that indica strains tend to induce heavier, sleepy effects while sativas are known to be uplifting, even energizing. Take a look at our top-rated sleepy strains and you’ll see a wall of indica purple patched with a little hybrid green. Although chemical and DNA testing have yet to show exactly why indicas typically make better sleep aids, some theorize that it has to do with the terpene content – that is, the aromatic compounds that contribute to each strain’s special effect fingerprint. In other words, indicas may contain more of the relaxing, sedating terpenes than its sativa relatives.

3. Aged Cannabis Makes You Sleepier

No, really. When THC degrades over time, it converts to a sedating chemical known as cannabinol, or CBN. This cannabis compound is five times more sedating than THC, though it’s fairly slow to form. Chief Research Officer Rev. Dr. Kymron deCesare of Steep Hill Labs elaborates on this process.

“As d9-THC degrades through both isomerization and/or oxidatively, only a small portion of it turns into CBN. As a result, CBN is a bit difficult to collect in large quantities for usage. My experience is that if I take cannabis that is about 20% THCA, and I wrap in in plastic and let it sit in the garage for 3 years (in summer heat and dry), it results in a 3-5% production of CBN. Yes, I use ‘old weed’ to make sedative medicinals.”

4. Natural Remedies Help Maximize Cannabis’ Sleepy Effects

Cannabis is a great way to ready yourself for sleep, but pairing it with other natural sleep aids can make for an even more restful night. “Other terpenoids are extremely synergistic with CBN, some in the cannabis plant, some I add from other herbals,” Rev. Dr. deCesare told us. “Hops, chamomile, and lavender contain important terpenes also found in cannabis, but found in much higher concentration. These inclusions in the medical remedy will make for a greatly enhance sedation efficacy.”

So next time you bust out your favorite sleepy strain, think about pairing it with a cup of chamomile tea or a lavender bubble bath. Melatonin, 5-HTP, and valerian root supplements may also help improve your sleep quality.

5. Cannabis Can Help you Fall Asleep Faster

Given its ability to quell stress and relax physically, it should come as no surprise that cannabis can help you fall asleep faster. This can be especially true for those treating pain, insomnia, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, or other conditions that interfere with the ability to fall asleep as cannabis relieves many bothersome symptoms.

6. Nighttime Cannabis Use May Cause a “Hangover”

Ever notice that your head might feel a little groggy in the morning after your nightcap? Cannabis can cause mild “hangovers” – no, you won’t be hunched over a toilet while daggers stab at your head, but you might feel a little foggy, dehydrated, lethargic, dry-eyed, or congested. This phenomenon may have never happened to you (high-five). Others have experienced bad hangovers from smoking low-grade or pesticide-riddled cannabis. The best way to avoid a bad morning is to buy clean/tested cannabis, drink lots of water, eat healthy foods, and refrain from overindulging. Nurse a hangover much like you would an alcohol hangover – water, exercise, vitamins, etc.

7. Cannabis Inhibits REM Sleep and Dreaming

One thing you may find yourself missing while regularly consuming cannabis is dreams. Dreams occur during the final stage of your sleep cycle called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Cannabis use before bedtime is shown to reduce the time spent in REM, which means you won’t have as many dreams or as vivid dreams. However, if you halt long-term cannabis use, you’re likely to experience “REM rebound” in which you tend to have more dreams that are more lucid in nature.

8. Cannabis May Promote Better Breathing

Sleep apnea is a sleep condition characterized by frequent obstructions of breath, with lapses that can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. As you can imagine, sleep apnea causes the individual to wake up many times over the course of the night, and leads to a myriad of unpleasant ripple effects like daytime sleepiness, fatigue, headaches, mood disturbances, inattention, increased susceptibility to accident, and other health problems.

Preclinical studies show that cannabis may improve this condition. A 2013 study measured the efficacy of an exogenous cannabinoid known as dronabinol (a THC “mimic”) and noted improvements in 15 out of 17 study participants following 21 days of treatment. Another 2002 study observed THC’s ability to restore respiratory stability by modulating serotonin signaling. We’ll need more confidence from clinical studies to be certain of cannabis’ efficacy, but researchers appear to be off to a good start.

9. Discontinuing Long-Term Use May Worsen Sleep

If you’ve ever quit or taken a tolerance break after long-term cannabis use, you’re probably familiar with this phenomenon. You might find yourself tossing and turning, waking up frequently, or feeling groggy the next day. A 2008 sleep study found that discontinuing long-term use led to shorter sleep time, less slow wave sleep, worse sleep efficiency, longer sleep onset, shorter REM cycles, and more sleep disruption in abstaining subjects than the drug-free control group. However, researchers acknowledge these findings are limited by a small sample size and the inability to determine causation. In other words, it’s possible the study subjects had used cannabis to treat pre-existing insomnia and ceasing use caused a resurgence of sleepless symptoms.

10. Using Cannabis at a Young Age May Cause Sleep Problems

Using cannabis – particularly before the age of 15 – may cause sleeping problems throughout adulthood, according to a 2014 study that took survey information from 1,811 participants with a history of use. The key word there is “may” ­– the study was unable to determine whether cannabis caused worsened sleep or if insomniacs are more likely to use cannabis for its sedative effects. More studies are needed to confirm a causal relationship.

9 Influential Women Who are Shaping the Cannabis Industry

In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the most influential women of weed. There are some amazing ladies in the cannabis industry who are working tirelessly to end prohibition, create top-tier products, advocate for change, spearhead groundbreaking research, and shape the sector for the better. Here are nine fierce females paving the way to greatness.

Alison Holcomb

Alison Holcomb knows a thing or two about cannabis – after all, she was instrumental in bringing legalization to Washington. Holcomb served as the Drug Policy Director, Criminal Justice Director for Washington state, and she drafted the original legislation for Initiative 502. She currently serves as the Director of the Campaign for Smart Justice for the ACLU, where she makes the entire cannabis community proud.

Ah Warner

Ah Warner is the owner, operator and founder of Cannabis Basics, a topicals manufacturing company based out of Washington state. Her business is entirely led by a female staff and made history last year when Cannabis Basics was awarded one of the first trademark logos ever issued to a company that not only works with cannabis-infused products, but has the word “cannabis” in the name. We hope to soon see her products dot the shelves beyond dispensaries.

Jane West

This list would not be complete without the founder of Women Grow, the largest professional network in the cannabis industry – an anomaly in the usually male-dominated sphere. West showed her strength, resilience and grace under fire when she vaporized cannabis on CNBC – and was promptly fired from her job. Rather than wallow in an understandably frustrating situation, she changed her name (from Amy Dannemiller to the eponymous Jane West), dusted herself off and embraced the industry that brought her infamy (and she started a column on Leafly!).

Ophelia Chong

Ophelia Chong saw the need for a change in the perception of the cannabis industry and took it upon herself to make it happen. She launched StockPotImages.com, the first stock photo agency to specialize in cannabis-related photos, and anyone who has perused the photos available can recognize that it is an invaluable resource. Chong’s photos are compelling and, most importantly, she’s helping break down the stereotypes that hold this industry back.

Betty Aldworth

Betty Aldworth served as the Advocacy Director for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Colorado in 2012 and it was her efforts and advising that helped bring legal retail marijuana to the Centennial State. She didn’t stop there – she joined the National Cannabis Industry Association as Deputy Director, where she developed crucial educational programs. Aldworth is now the Executive Director for Students for Sensible Drug Policy, where she contains to shape the national conversation on drug policy.

Sue Sisley

Suzanne Sisley is a psychiatrist and former clinical professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, but she’s known for her extensive research on the potential medicinal uses for cannabis. In 2014, she received an $8 million grant funded from marijuana taxes in Colorado to perform investigative research on cannabis as a treatment for PTSD. The study was approved by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will be ongoing for the next three years, and could provide much-needed insight into the effects of cannabis on PTSD.

Toni Savage Fox

Toni Savage Fox is one busy woman. She founded 3D Cannabis Center with the desire to ensure safe, reliable access points to quality cannabis. 3D Cannabis Center made history when it became the first retail shop to make a legal sale of recreational cannabis during Colorado’s recreational opening. Fox was also a founding member of the National Cannabis Industry Association, a founding member of the Women’s Marijuana Movement, and continues to crusade for the legalization of cannabis.

Jodie Emery

Jodie Emery has officially moved beyond the reign of Vancouver – recently she went before a Liberal Senate forum panel to call for a moratorium on arrests related to cannabis until the full, promised legalization goes into effect, and her efforts are spurring the Canadian government into action. Trudeau is getting the ball rolling to legalize cannabis in Canada; in the meantime, Jodie is organizing the upcoming 4/20 event in Vancouver, B.C., which will be held at Sunset Beach this year, with the reigning Prince and Princess of Pot leading the charge.

Amanda Reiman

Amanda Reiman is the Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy for the Drug Policy Alliance, and her work has influenced major policy changes across the nation. She began her journey into cannabis working as the Director of Research and Patient Services for the Berkeley Patient Group, one of the first dispensaries to open, which has now become a model for safe access points for cannabis. Reiman has conducted numerous studies on cannabis, including the use of cannabis as a treatment for addiction.

Which other women in the cannabis industry do you admire?

Image Sources: ACLU WA via Flickr Creative Commons, Sara Dilley, Jane West, Ophelia Chong, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, medicalcannabis.com, 3D Cannabis Centers, Jodie Emery, Women Grow.

Cannabis Compares Favorably To Conventional PTSD Treatments

I was sent the following information. All veteransand others that suffer from PTSD should be able to use medical cannabis if they choose to do so: Care By Design, a California-based medical marijuana company, recently completed a survey of three hundred patients with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The survey asked what medications patients had used

The Shake: D.A.R.E. Cries Foul, Denver Moves on Cannabis Clubs, and Wyoming Fails to Ban Edibles

D.A.R.E. shakes fist at whippersnappers on the lawn. Somebody at D.A.R.E woke up from their nap to read the meme that’s been tearing up the internet all week. Leafly’s own “Does D.A.R.E. Still Think Cannabis is a Gateway Drug? Nobody Knows,” pretty much summed up the story: A Reddit user thought D.A.R.E. stopped listing cannabis as a gateway drug on its website, and some news outlets ran with it. But it ain’t so! says D.A.R.E. in a caps-lock-titled post, “INCORRECT POSTING ON PRO-DRUG WEBSITES RE: D.A.R.E.’S POSITION ON MARIJUANA.” The group complained it wasn’t even contacted about the story, “a basic element of the journalistic process.” Which is not true. Leafly staff writer Lisa Rough interviewed Ron Brogan, a D.A.R.E. America regional director, and quoted him in our story last week. (Did D.A.R.E. remove cannabis from its list of gateway drugs? “To be quite honest, I really don’t have an answer,” Brogan told us, adding that the group is “unalterably” against cannabis.) The outraged response reiterates D.A.R.E.’s position that “marijuana is both an illegal and harmful drug to the youth of this nation.” Which misses the point. The story was about listing marijuana as a gateway drug, not about its risk to youth. And for the record: Leafly is pro-legalization, pro-regulation, pro-reform, pro-science, and pro-responsible consumption. We’re not pro-drug.

Uncle Ron is gouging you on that business loan. Kudos to Becky Olson and the folks at Marijuana Business Daily for this chart that plots the average interest rate cannabis entrepreneurs paid to friends and family for small business loans. Seventy-eight percent of the executives surveyed paid 15 percent or less, while 4 percent paid 30 percent interest or more. Thirty percent! C’mon, Dad. That’s loan shark territory. The survey sheds light on the industry’s continuing banking woes. Although some small banks and credit unions have opened deposit accounts for cannabis-related businesses, loans continue to be almost nonexistent. Most entrepreneurs must rely on in-state investors, family and friends, and their own savings to finance company growth. Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest…

Oregon tries to make it easier to get a decent loan. The Oregon legislature passed a bill on cannabis banking that now goes to Gov. Kate Brown, who is expected to sign it. The soon-to-become law removes all state criminal penalties for banks and credit unions that work with legal and state-licensed cannabis companies. Plenty of hurdles still exist at the federal level, but Oregon’s work represents the most progress made on this issue in a long time.

Ohio released details on its MMJ initiative, and they’re expansive (but expensive). Severe pain, muscle spasms, PTSD, and more than ten other medical conditions would qualify patients to purchase legal medical cannabis under the proposed initiative released by the Marijuana Policy Project earlier this morning. Under the plan, 15 licenses would be available for large-scale growers (up to 25,000 square feet), but the buy-in would be substantial. Proposed license application fee: $500,000. An uncapped number of licenses would be available to smaller growers (up to 5,000 square feet), with an application fee of $5,000. MPP director Rob Kampia said the tiered licensing system is designed to ensure that licensees will have the resources to get the program up and running. More on this later today from Leafly News.

Effort to ban edibles dies in Wyoming. Those following the action in Cheyenne, where edibles have been all the talk, may be surprised to hear that the Wyoming Legislature’s attempt to outlaw cannabis-infused food products died quietly last night. Monday was final day for bills to be heard on the House floor, and at the 8 p.m. adjournment the edibles bill had not been read. That leaves the legal status of pot brownies in limbo, as a district judge last year ruled that state law bans marijuana leaf, not infused edibles. We’d still not recommend flaunting any infused gummy bears within the cannabis-unfriendly confines of the Cowboy State. Keep driving until you hit Colorado, brother.

“Social use” initiative filed in Denver. After waiting for the state Legislature to tackle the issue of social cannabis use and private clubs — and seeing nothing happen — the Denver chapter of NORML filed a citywide initiative to legalize private bring-your-own cannabis clubs. The proposal would also allow special event organizers to obtain city permits allowing on-site cannabis consumption. The proposal must undergo review by the city attorney before organizers can start gathering the 5,000 signatures needed to put it on the November ballot.

QUICK HITS: Puerto Rico’s lame-duck governor supports cannabis legalization in the commonwealth, but shows little inclination to work for it. New report estimates Michigan could reap $44 million to $63 million in taxes from regulated medical cannabis sales. MMJ is currently legal but unregulated in the state. A federal court in Colorado finds that an insurance company must pay a claim for lost cannabis inventory. Cannabis can save your sex life, says the latest issue of Men’s Journal. Grows in Pueblo, Colorado, are boosting real estate values and the city’s construction industry. And finally, for readers needing a little inspiration on a Tuesday, here’s some Grindcore Grandma to get you through the day.

At the First Cannabis Convention in Texas, the Police Were Quiet and the Women Kicked Ass

Optimism ran high at the first-ever cannabis convention in the Lone Star state last weekend. On the floor of the Fort Worth Convention Center, purple-suit-clad hemp-butter salesmen roller skated through the crowd, retreating and venturing out from their home base, a (magic?) school bus. Families rocked sleeping infants while browsing glassware. Couples, just there to “check it out,” strolled hand-in-hand past advocacy booths—for Texas NORML, Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, and the Marijuana Policy Project —offering fact sheets and selling Texas-themed tees. Job seekers in shined shoes talked shop with startup reps, one of whom assured me that only 30 percent of jobs created around cannabis are “touching the flowers”.

This may be familiar terrain for cannabis industry veterans in Colorado, Washington, and California. But we don’t see this kind of thing every day in Texas.

This is a state infamous for its hard line against all things cannabis. As recently as 2011, Texas was ranked as one of the five worst states in which to get busted. Two years ago a teenager from Round Rock faced a potential life sentence for being caught with about a pound and a half of pot brownies. In Texas, mandatory minimum sentences are still in effect for cannabis-related offenses. Those sentences carry no chance of parole and offer judges no leeway to lessen the penalty.

There have been small signs of change. Last year Texas adopted the Compassionate Use Act, which allows patients with intractable epilepsy to use low-THC cannabis. While it’s a step in the right direction, existing laws still bar nearly all Texans from accessing the bulk of the money-, health-, and happiness-making possibilities of the plant.

So one of the big questions of the weekend was how local police officers would receive this quasi-outlaw industry.

I tried to talk to a cop – who said he works often at the Fort Worth Convention Center — about the awkwardness of policing against something today that would likely be legal tomorrow. But said he couldn’t comment on that—or anything else, for that matter. But, stationed not far from a hemp-brownie stand, he didn’t seem to be having a bad time. By the time we spoke, the morning’s rocky start seemed like just a bad dream. An hour earlier Glenn Reynolds, CEO of Honey B Healthy Living products, had been detained because of confusion about his company’s non-THC-oil containing products.

“It’s an education issue,” Reynolds told me. “The [police] were super nice. We had a normal conversation.” Reynolds said he’d improved his situation by having a photo on his phone of a hemp hair product available in the drug store down the street—whose ingredients matched the ones in his products.

I asked the seven-strong “Power Women of Cannabis” panel for tips on talking pot with the police. With a preacher’s conviction and fire, the “Martha Stewart of weed,” Cheryl Shuman, responded: “There’s one sentence to remember: ‘I do not. Consent. To a search!”

“We try not to have a problem with law enforcement,” added Heather Manus, a registered nurse who spearheaded efforts to get PTSD recognized as a debilitating condition under Arizona’s medical marijuana act.

Jeanette Ward, founder of Minority Cannabis Business Association, directed me to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition’s Larry Talley, a Dallas-based disabled and retired veteran, and advocate on the police force.

Legal problems still loom, Ward added, even where marijuana is lawful. In 23 states, she said, prior offenders are not allowed to enter the industry. Those regulations exclude people of color disproportionately, since minorities are arrested far more often for marijuana use even though people of all ethnicities have similar consumption rates. In Chicago, for instance, recently released figures showed that arrests of Black people for marijuana possession outpaced white arrests 15 to 1.

It was this issue that had drawn Bettina and Laurie to the show. They were Fort Worth locals who were the first convention-goers I met. They were happy to talk, though only on a first-name basis.

“People of color are disproportionately excluded from the conversation on cannabis because of criminal backgrounds,” Bettina told me. “We are here to make sure that doesn’t happen” in Texas.

On the brighter side, the booths and panels I saw suggest the cannabis industry’s growth in Texas may greatly benefit women, who in the U.S. still earn less than men in every industry where comparative data exists. “Being a woman in this industry is like being a female plant: that’s where the value lies,” Heather Manus said. “We can be who we are, and be successful by being that.”

Nonprofits that help folks learn about cannabis health benefits, business opportunities, and social justice issues are sprouting before the industry itself in Texas. And women helm the majority of those organizations.

Furthermore, in an industry where word of mouth is everything, women—who are the backbone of many communities in Texas—are ideally positioned to thrive, and are vital conduits of accurate information.

Drayah Sallis, founder of the Dallas chapter of Women Grow, talked about the way people come to women for information through a variety of networks. “You can talk about the plant all day,” she said. “It’s not against the law to say ‘marijuana.’ I am a Christian… and I have had more Christians say to me, ‘I’ve been wanting to ask you about the green stuff.'”

Moving cannabis toward legalization won’t be an easy fight in Texas. This is a heavily Republican state, and this can be a tough issue among red voters. Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) may have “Republican” in its name, but the group was still denied a booth at the upcoming state Republican convention. Gov. Greg Abbott recently vetoed a cannabis-related mental health bill while advocating for looser open carry gun laws. But the cannabis conversation is clearly not going away.

“This is going to change the world!” Cheryl Shuman shouted to 250 cannabis-curious Texans in Fort Worth. “It already is. Texas, especially!”

Ibogaine Treatment Expanded in Brazil: Will the U.S. Take Note?

Last month, the government of the Brazilian state of São Paulo issued a statement that may signal the country’s path toward approving scientific research of psychoactive substances, including the medical use of the drug ibogaine. This announcement marks the first instance of a government agency in South America to recognize the need to further evaluate the potential for psychoactive drugs like ibogaine to treat addiction.

For decades, researchers in Brazil have been seeking increased approval to use ibogaine, a drug derived from the West African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, in their work evaluating treatments for a variety of substance use disorders. Ibogaine became recognized in the late 1980’s and early 90’s as an ‘addiction interrupter’ and attention was given toward its use as a detoxification treatment for opiate dependency, with lasting effects that minimize physiological craving and psychological obsession for drugs like heroin and opioid painkillers for several weeks following a single treatment.

The recent statement, issued by Leonardo Arquimimo de Carvalho, the President of the São Paulo State Council on Drug Policy (CONED-SP), would allow them to move forward with their work. It includes encouragement for clinical investigation of ibogaine and other synthetic and semisynthetic substances derived from T. iboga, calls for institutional funding for research, and permission for doctors and psychiatrists to use ibogaine to treat people with substance use disorders in São Paulo hospitals.

In 2009, Medsafe, New Zealand’s equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration, recommended classifying ibogaine as a prescription medicine, becoming the first and only other country in the world to officially recognize ibogaine’s efficacy for treatment of substance use disorders. While the United States Drug Enforcement Administration considers ibogaine a schedule I drug – having a high abuse potential and no evidence for medical use – most other countries have no specific laws controlling ibogaine. The governments of São Paulo and New Zealand have allowed restricted medical use of ibogaine, and there are many other countries where ibogaine is used to treat people with substance use and mental health disorders in legally operating clinics.

Conversation about ibogaine as an effective addiction treatment is beginning to open up in Central and South America. Next month, the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance (GITA) will host an international conference on ibogaine in Mexico, which will include a presentation by Bruno Rasmussen Chaves, a Brazilian doctor who has overseen more than 1,200 treatments in São Paulo hospitals under the currently existing guidelines.

While the U.S. has never authorized the use of ibogaine in humans, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world have been treated for misuse of drugs like methamphetamine, alcohol, cocaine, as well as for mental health disorders like PTSD and depression. But just last week, legislators in Vermont filed a bill in the general assembly that would fund a clinical trial with ibogaine in the Green Mountain state. Vermont isn’t alone as many other states throughout the U.S. are struggling for ways to address the increasing public health demand for treating heroin addiction, as overdose rates are rising in cities throughout the northeast.

As empirical evidence continues to strengthen regarding ibogaine’s efficacy for treating opiate dependency, it may only be the beginning of what this remarkable drug could bring if restrictions were lifted on clinical research. The prohibition of drugs like ibogaine unjustly limit opportunities to evaluate a promising treatment, reflecting a criminal justice policy that does far more harm than good when it comes to what ought to be a public health approach to treating complex conditions like addiction.

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

Photo via Flickr.

View more blog posts.

Author: Kevin Franciotti
Date Published: February 4, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

NORML Chapters Continue to Lead Reform Efforts on the Local, State and Federal Level

LATEST NORML NEWS

State and Local:

Everyday NORML Affiliates and Chapters from around the country invest countless hours into contacting representatives, hosting events, and talking to voters, all with the hope of passing meaningful marijuana reforms on the local, state and federal level! In an effort to highlight their hard work and accomplishments, we will feature their stories on NORML.org and promote the content through our social media channels. To get involved in your area, please send an email to KevinM@nullNORML.org to get started today!

California:

California NORML’s executive director questioned a recent report produced by an anti-tobacco organization that encouraged municipalities to ban the use of marijuana in public areas or in locations that must adhere to clean indoor air regulations.

“The report vastly inflates the health hazards of smoked marijuana, but concedes that it shouldn’t be criminalized. Rather, it calls for stigmatizing it as much as possible,”

As California gets closer to approving a legalization measure for this November’s ballot, some activists are raising concerns about the impact it will have on the state’s medical marijuana program.

“If you look at the ballot initiative that’s circulating right now, it doesn’t give a lot of incentives to the medical marijuana industry except that you can avoid some of the (proposed 15 percent excise and extra cultivation) taxes if you go to some trouble.”
http://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Will-doctors-suffer-if-marijuana-is-legalized-6793270.php

“We are calling for locals to repeal the bans in favor of meaningful land regulations that will enact the statewide licensing standards … in order to protect public safety, the environment and patients’ rights,”
http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/tns-california-local-marijuana-regulations.html

Colorado:

Last week, Denver NORML announced they will be leading a Responsible Use initiative that will allow the limited consumption of marijuana in the City of Denver. Details are still being worked out with NORML’s national office.

“We are willing to work with them on this issue — we just really want something to happen, we want action to take place,”

“Denver NORML announced that it would be filing its own initiative to put a limited social use of marijuana item on the ballot in 2016.”
http://www.westword.com/news/denver-norml-to-file-marijuana-social-use-initiative-for-2016-ballot-7537133

Illinois:

Medical marijuana patients in Illinois experienced another setback after lawmakers rejected a proposal that would have expanded access to the state’s medical marijuana program.

“My concern is first and foremost for patients to have access to this medicine and if shops are closing then patients will have to go farther distances to get access to this medicine.”
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/springfield-medical-marijuana-dispensary-to-open-in-february

“By having the Illinois Department of Public Health deny the eight conditions that the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board approved to be added to the list of debilitating conditions for the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, this administration has turned their back on veterans suffering from PTSD”
http://www.sj-r.com/article/20160201/OPINION/160209956

Iowa:

After a long court battle, Iowa State University NORML won a first amendment lawsuit against school administrators after an attempt to censor a marijuana leaf printed on a t-shirt.

“Members of ISU NORML weren’t keen on being censored. They felt the administration was discriminating against their group. So on July 1, 2014, they filed a lawsuit alleging that school administrators had violated their constitutional rights.”
http://www.civilized.life/cannabis-shirt-freedom-speech-1582756933.html

Missouri:

NORML KC is working hard to push an initiative that would decriminalize the possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana in Kansas City.  

“Once you start talking to people about cannabis reform, you’d be surprised how many people are for it,” Kacz said. “It doesn’t have to be Democrats or liberals, it’s Republicans, it’s religious people, it’s elderly people.”
http://kcur.org/post/kansas-city-marijuana-reformers-working-toward-decriminalization#stream/0

New Hampshire:

New Hampshire NORML urged lawmakers to support a bill that would add PTSD to the state’s list of ailments for medical marijuana.

“By stuffing opiates down people’s throats, it’s going to create a problem. You guys are going to have a heroin epidemic. You’re going to see it. And in the last two years, it is just out of control,”
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/22/new-hampshire-medical-marijuana.html

Virginia:

With some of the stringent marijuana laws in the country, Virginia NORML continues to work with state lawmaker on a wide range of marijuana reform bills.

“We will continue to work educating lawmakers who wish to learn more about cannabis science and widely accepted medical applications, the successful decriminalization legislation in 21 states and successful medical legislation in 24 states.”
http://www.dailyprogress.com/starexponent/house-gop-favors-criminal-penalties-for-marijuana-possession/article_fdb5d256-c706-11e5-89c2-1b85526f966e.html

Washington:

Washington NORML is encouraging lawmakers to support a bill that would permit the home cultivation of marijuana.

“NORML Washington is doing a great job leading this fight to grow your own marijuana. They have even made it possible for you to help the movement from your computer/tablet/phone. Here’s a letter they’ve put together for you to send to your representatives and urge their support for personal cultivation”
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2016/02/if-marijuana-is-legal-why-is-growing-your-own-a-felony/

Wyoming:

After going through a much needed reorganization, Wyoming NORML has assembled a strong team who are dedicated to passing the Peggy A. Kelley Wyoming Cannabis Act of 2016.

“We haven’t stopped on that from day one, but in the same process we just had to get things a little more organized and get a better structure in here.”
http://kgab.com/wyoming-norml-makes-final-push-to-get-medical-marijuana-question-on-2016-ballot/

“NORML Wyoming spokeswoman Carrie Satterwhite said the group has the fewest number of volunteer petition circulators in the conservative northeast part of the state, but that region will be targeted in the upcoming months”
http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/drake-medical-marijuana-will-improve-quality-of-life/article_a6184c86-c652-11e5-8361-4fcfb98c3a2f.html

“Even though Wyoming NORML didn’t get enough signatures this year, members say if they have enough signatures for the 2018 ballot, medicinal marijuana could help Wyoming in the long run.”

Federal:

NORML’s deputy director, Paul Armentano recently spoke to reporters about the need for a common sense approach to ending the prohibition of marijuana in America.

“This administration clearly recognizes that the present enforcement of marijuana prohibition and marijuana criminalization is out of step with both public opinion and common sense,”
https://www.mintpressnews.com/212416-2/212416/

NORML board member and passionate marijuana advocate will prove to be one of this year’s most effective weapon in the war against the prohibition marijuana.

“Steves has been on the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) for years and he has worked closely with Washington pot initiative author Alison Holcomb, who now heads the American Civil Liberties Union’s Campaign for Smart Justice”
http://crosscut.com/2016/02/rick-steves-ready-to-push-pot-nationally/

During a recent interview, NORML’s deputy director, Paul Armentano shared his thoughts on a recent study about the health risks associated with marijuana use.

“Ultimately, this study’s findings are consistent with the notion that while cannabis is not altogether harmless, its potential risks to health relative to other substances — including legal substances like alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications — are not so great to warrant its continued criminalization,”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-use-may-hurt-memory-in-middle-age/

Events:

2016 NORML Congressional Lobby Day

NORML Houston Marches at the State Capital

Illinois NORML Lobby Day Feb. 17, 2016

Veterans: Operation Trapped – Year Long Project

Texas NORML’s 3rd Annual Puff-N-Putt Spring Fling at Willie’s Golf Course

Texas NORML’s 9th Texas Marijuana March

Texas NORML Statewide Veteran Conference Call

The Shake: Trump Embraces MMJ, Utah Doesn’t

Trump wouldn’t dump medical cannabis. Appearing on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show on Wednesday night, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said he was an adamant supporter of medical marijuana. “I am in favor of it 100 percent,” he told O’Reilly. Trump hedged on regulated adult use, though, saying “in Colorado, you know, the book isn’t written on it yet.” When O’Reilly, a longtime cannabis prohibitionist, called medical marijuana “a ruse,” Trump pushed back. “I know people that have serious problems, and they did that, and they really, it really does help them,” he said. Sean Quinn, who watches The O’Reilly Factor so you don’t have to, has the full story at Cannabis Now.

Utah expects a flood of younger voters for medical cannabis. So many that a number of historically Republican state legislative districts could flip Democratic, says Salt Lake City’s Fox 13 Now. “Democrats on Utah’s Capitol Hill said they have already seen some of their Republican counterparts have a little heartburn over the idea of medical marijuana on the November ballot,” reports Fox 13’s Ben Winslow. Two medical marijuana bills are technically still alive in the Utah state legislature, but supporters don’t expect either to pass in the face of opposition from the Mormon church. MMJ advocates are instead eyeing a ballot initiative in November. Meanwhile, former University of Utah and Weber State football coach Ron McBride came out in favor of medical cannabis, calling it “a no-brainer.” Said the coach: “It’s needed for the people in our state, and to me it’s just stupidity if you don’t pass this bill.”

Ghostface Killah launches new video genre. Call it…vapah rap? The Wu-Tang member just released a new video promoting his new line of CBD vaporizers known as WuGoo. Keep an eye out at 3:00 for the Leafly shout-out.

Strange busts this week. Hard to believe that people are still getting cuffed for cannabis, but that’s life in non-legal states (and sometimes legal ones too). The past few days have seen a number of odd arrests. Police in Mayfield, Ky., arrested WPSD-TV meteorologist Tori Shaw after finding five marijuana plants in her home, and two in a trash can in her back yard. In Zionsville, Ind., Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jonathan Newsome was arrested after police there discovered cannabis in his apartment while investigating a noise complaint. In Boston, authorities filed charges against Massachusetts cannabis activist Bill Downing for selling CBD oil to undercover detectives in his store, which is called CBD Please. To Smoyer and Newsome, we say: Denver and Seattle are excellent television and pro-football markets. Worth a thought.

QUICK HITS: Arizona researcher Sue Sisley finally secures lab space for her long-delayed study of PTSD and medical cannabis. * “Wallet Returning Guy” goes viral with a note that explains he “kept the cash because I needed weed.” Classy. * The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is “sounding the alarm” against cannabis in an effort to squelch a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize adult use. Think it’ll be awkward when the chamber realizes it’s attacking a fast-growing market stifled mainly by government overregulation? Sound the irony alarm!

Image Source: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Creative Commons

10 Basic Facts about Marijuana

Marijuana, cannabis and hemp are all names that refer to this unique plant. The marijuana symbol is seen everywhere these days — on clothing, jewelry, keychains and stickers. It’s no surprise that cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. and worldwide. The growing popularity of marijuana is evident, but many people […]

Tunisia's Ban on Rapping About Cannabis Could Soon Change: The Leafly Legalization Roundup

On the docket this week: Legalization measures are taking one step forward in Connecticut, one step back in New Mexico. Louisiana is thinking positively, Ohio has the best-laid plans for medical marijuana, and Rhode Island is trying to expand qualifying conditions. Beyond the borders, Australia is hoping to become a new global cannabis leader, Tunisia seriously needs to relax their laws, and one brave British politician is standing up for legalization. Here’s the latest:

U.S. News

Connecticut

State Rep. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) introduced a bill to legalize possession and use of cannabis for adults 21 and older. Candelaria then joined a group of legislators, including Rep. Eszequiel Santiago (D-Bridgeport), in supporting another, more comprehensive proposal that includes specs on tamper-proof packaging, regulatory oversight, banning public use, and more. Under Candelaria’s proposal, medical marijuana dispensaries could grow cannabis for recreational use, with an allowance for more producer licenses in the event that demand exceeds supply. Unfortunately, Gov. Dannel Malloy says he isn’t comfortable with legalization, although he would support decriminalization.

Louisiana

A group of community members will hold a public forum to discuss opinions and concerns about the possible legalization of cannabis in the Bayou State. A representative from the group Legalize Louisiana are to speak Tuesday afternoon in an effort to educate the public about the benefits of legality, such as the revenue generated from legal cannabis sales. Currently, Louisiana has a strict medical marijuana law that allows patients who qualify under three qualifying conditions to access non-smokable forms of cannabis, such as oils and tinctures, which will be available through ten distribution centers tentatively scheduled to open June 2017.

New Mexico

New Mexico senators voted down a measure, 24–17, that would have legalized recreational marijuana. If it had been approved, the measure would have gone to voters in November. Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino (D-Albuquerque), who authored the proposal, has vowed to continue advocating for legalization in future legislative sessions.

In other news, doctors will be treating the youngest-ever epileptic child ever in a case study about the benefits of hemp oil in Colorado. The child, Amylea Nunez, is just a few months old, but when she was born in Albuquerque in December, it was immediately apparent that she needed specialized care. She suffered from 15 seizures a day and her heart stopped twice. Nunez has only just started her regimen, but her parents are hoping to wean her off other medications and replace them with hemp oil.

Ohio

Ohio’s new constitutional MMJ amendment is planned for the November ballot, but the language hasn’t yet been officially drafted. We’re starting to hear details, though. The amendment would establish a standard infrastructure of businesses to grow, process, test, distribute, and sell medical marijuana. Qualifying patients would obtain a registry card to buy and possess cannabis. Amendment authors are envisioning two types of cultivation licenses, one for smaller grow operations and another for large-scale, industrial production. An Ohio political action committee, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, chose Michael Revercomb, Lissa Satori, and John Pardee to lead the campaign. To qualify for the November ballot, they’ll need to collect 305,591 signatures between April 2 and July 6.

Rhode Island

The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee is considering legislation that would expand the qualifying MMJ medical conditions to include post-traumatic stress disorder. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Stephen Archambault (D-Smithfield), would also accelerate the issuance of a medical marijuana card if the patient is eligible for hospice care. A report from the Veterans Administration found that nearly 30 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan now suffer from PTSD. The condition is currently included as a qualifying condition in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and New Mexico.

International News

Australia

The Liberal Party has introduced a draft bill in the Australian parliament to amend the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, and the measure seems all but guaranteed to pass. The proposal includes regulations for licensing national companies to supply medical cannabis to patients with painful and chronic illnesses as part of state-run clinical trials. New South Wales and several other states have passed laws allowing clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabis as medicine, but current laws severely restrict cultivation. Researchers have found it all but impossible to find a reliable international source. Access to cannabis is currently limited to researchers and patients in clinical trials, but lawmakers will decide by the end of March whether to allow access for all qualifying patients.

Tunisia

Tunisian rapper Kafon is facing charges under a draconian law that criminalizes any public discourse of cannabis, including arguments, verbal statements, and even song lyrics. In this case, Kafon’s song “Chakchak” contained a violation that put him in prison for nine months before he was released due to pressure from international media. Kafon is hardly the first person to fall victim to the law. Tunisian prisons are overflowing with young, poor, low-level offenders jailed for possession of “zatla,” a low-quality cannabis usually smuggled in from Morocco and Algeria. In December, a proposal to revise the law was approved and sent to parliament. The reform measure would allow first-time offenders to pay a fine rather than serve a year in jail, and it would reduce the maximum penalty for repeat violations from five years down to one.

United Kingdom

Tim Farron became the first leader of a British political party, the Liberal Democrats, to openly endorse the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Farron plans to propose a motion in support of legalization for both medicinal and recreational use. Those subjects will be debated after the release and analysis of the findings from an expert panel appointed by the party to examine how a legal marijuana market would function in the U.K. The panel so far has found that legalization could save the criminal justice system between £200 million and £300 million annually and could generate between £400 milliion and £900 million in yearly tax revenue.

The Shake: Bernie, CannaCups, and D.C.'s Homegrow Boom

Cannabis finally a hot issue in New Hampshire. On the day of the primary, the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if Bernie Sanders’s pro-legalization stand will win him voters. “Marijuana is ripe for reform in New Hampshire, and pro-reform candidates might see that pay off with primary voters,” says the paper. Meanwhile, Chris Christie doubles down on the crazy, telling a questioner at a Manchester, N.H., town hall: “Get high now, because when I’m president, it’s over, buddy.” We think something else may be over after tonight, Gov, and it ain’t legal consumption.

Suddenly everyone’s a farmer in Washington, D.C. Reuters describes what happens when you allow people to use cannabis but not sell it. “Sales of pot-growing equipment have boomed,” writes Ian Simpson. Capital City Hydroponics reports that it “now sells as many starter kits in a day as it did in a typical week before legalization.” Washington, D.C. famously legalized cannabis in 2014, but Congress has blocked the city from enacting rules regulating cultivation and sales. Advocates estimate that 500 to 1,000 people are now growing in the District. “All walks of life come in here, young to old, all classes, all creeds and colors,” said Capital City clerk John Diango said. Despite that fact, Reuters chose to illustrate the piece with a photo of a sketchy-looking white dude sucking a joint in Canada in 2014. Go figure.

Minnesota’s MMJ program brings “wonders, worries.” The Minneapolis StarTribune takes stock of the state’s medical cannabis program six months on and finds successes and problems. The problems aren’t the usual reefer madness fears, though. The main problem seems to be the state’s ban on smokable leaf, which has left patients with only higher-cost oil, pill, or liquid options. “Of the people I’ve certified, somewhere between 20 to 30 percent have not obtained medical marijuana because of the cost,” one doctor says.

Shinnecock Nation to develop medical cannabis program. Newsday reports that the Shinnecock tribe in New York intends to contract with an outside developer to cultivate and sell medical marijuana on the tribe’s reservation near Southampton, on Long Island. Tribal Trustee Chairman Bryan Polite told the Southampton Press that the tribe’s project will be “coextensive” with the New York State Compassionate Care Act which, like Minnesota, does not permit smokable leaf.

Will we ever see CannaCups? Beantown business tech site BostInno tracks the progress of Massachusetts-based CannaKorp, which has raised $375,000 to bring a Keurig K-Cup–like cannabis vaporizing system to market. CannaKorp got a flurry of press last fall with the release of a cool, animated “single-use, pod-based cannabis vaporizer system.” We’d call this a pipe dream except for the fact that CannaKorp CEO Dave Manly was formerly a senior VP at Keurig Green Mountain. It’s an exciting idea. Can we have a demonstration, Dave?

QUICK HITS: Facebook restored the pages of two New Jersey medical cannabis dispensaries after the operators deleted price lists and photos of the plant. * Rhode Island considers adding PTSD to its list of qualifying MMJ conditions. * And finally, London’s Evening Standard reports that “an elderly hippy” will run for mayor of London on a legalization platform. Lee Harris, a 79 year-old grandfather and onetime friend of Allen Ginsberg and Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones, owns a head shop on Portobello Road and is backed by philanthropist and drug reformer Paul Birch. Not that anybody asked, but here’s our vote: We be for Lee.

Image Source (curves, graphic overlay): Gage Skidmore via Flickr Creative Commons

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Reciprocity, Baby: Leafly's Medical Cannabis Guide to Las Vegas

Nevada isn’t the only state to recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards, but it is the most permissive, and its enormous tourist trade has made it the most visible test case for MMJ reciprocity. The state’s first dispensaries opened last August, and they’ve seen a steady flow of fly-in traffic.

“Our patients are about 50 percent out-of-state,” Las Vegas ReLeaf co-owner Al Fasano told me recently. Fasano and I were talking in the upscale, club-like atmosphere of his dispensary on Paradise Road, in the shadow of the Stratosphere tower. It was a Thursday afternoon, and Fasano’s budtenders were bustling.

Dispensaries like ReLeaf are likely to get even busier. About 11,000 medical-card holders live in southern Nevada, but Las Vegas welcomes 40 million visitors a year. If only 1 percent of those tourists hold MMJ cards, that’s a potential market of 400,000 patients.

The state sparked fierce competition when it earmarked 12 dispensary licenses for the city of Las Vegas. Applicants were graded in a host of categories — security, financing, environmental plan, etc. — and the most robust business plans won the coveted licenses. For patients, that means the dispensaries are well financed, beautifully designed, and expertly managed.

Stepping into a Vegas dispensary, in fact, can be a jarring experience. Outside might be a gritty, sun-blasted streetscape or an obscure strip mall, but push through the door and you’ll enter a plush, upscale retreat. Las Vegas ReLeaf features modern lounge seating and a massive, flat-screen menu. Sahara Wellness, just up the street, has the cool feel of a destination medical resort. “We wanted the interior to be respectful, safe, clean, and comfortable,” Sahara Wellness co-owner Brenda Gunsallus told me. Behind us, a water feature burbled down the wall. “We wanted to offer a calming effect when people come in.”

Vegas is known for its cutthroat competition, but so far the dispensary business runs counter to that vibe. “This industry is still so small here,” Gunsallus said. “We’re in the same business, but we’re not really competitors. We had one guy run out of bags last week, and we all pitched in to help him out.”

What to Know If You Go

• Valid MMJ cards from all medical marijuana states are accepted. You’ll also need to present government-issued ID.
• Purchase limit: 2.5 ounces every 14 days. Your purchase will be entered into a state database with real-time tracking, so you’ll be denied if you try to exceed the limit. Calculating flower is easy, but it gets tricky when you start adding edibles and other products. One-on-one budtender consultations are essential.
• There are odd state rules regarding product touching in the dispensary, so take it slow, don’t grab, let your budtender guide you through the process. Just like table games at the casino.
• As in other states, public consumption is illegal.
• Product selection is a little limited, as producers and processors are still ramping up. A variety of flower strains, edibles, topicals, tinctures, transdermals, and concentrates are available.
• Prices are higher than Colorado, Washington, and Oregon patients are used to. The $18 gram is common here.
• Nevada has weird regulations. It’s illegal to water ski or surf while under the influence of medical marijuana. Not a joke. Also illegal to possess a firearm while under the influence. Also illegal to “embark on an amusement ride.” So if you’re medicating, maybe skip the SlotZilla Zip Line.
• Nevada has tough DUI laws. Its blood level per se limit is 2 nanograms per milliliter, which is far below the 5 ng/ml of Washington and Colorado. Nobody should be driving in Vegas anyway. Nothing good can come of it. Uber or cab it, always.

Some of our favorite dispensaries are located near the northern end of The Strip, not far from the Stratosphere. Las Vegas ReLeaf remains one of the most popular, with budtenders who know how to handle the lively, out-of-state trade. Sahara Wellness, which just opened this week, features a female-friendly, patient-centered vibe, more spa than club. Coming soon: Essence Vegas, the first dispensary actually on Las Vegas Boulevard (aka The Strip), which expects to open in early March.

Leafly Recommends

Las Vegas ReLeaf

2244 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV
702-209-2400
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday – Thursday
11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday

“Things were slow in the beginning, but as you can see, people are now flowing in,” Las Vegas ReLeaf co-owner Al Fasano told me during my visit last month. He ain’t kidding: On its first day, ReLeaf saw a grand total of eight patients. Those days are over — ReLeaf is now one of the most popular dispensaries in the city. “We had to adjust a little,” Fasano said. The shop originally opened at 8 a.m., but this city doesn’t stir till noon. “So now we’re open at 11 a.m. and it seems to work out.” ReLeaf stocks flower from Green Life Productions, one of Nevada’s most visible up-and-coming grow operation, and stocks a number of familiar brands: Dixie tinctures, JuJu Joints, and Mary’s Medicinals CBD patches.

Distance from Bellagio Fountain: 2 1/2 miles north
Vibe: Where the experienced California MMJ patient shops
Look for: High-quality flower and an expanding line of concentrates

Sahara Wellness

420 E. Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV
702-379-7817
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily

If you’re not deep into cannabis culture, don’t worry. Neither was Sahara Wellness co-owner Brenda Gunsallus. “When we found our location two years ago, we didn’t even give the address a second thought,” she said with a smile. “We didn’t know what 420 meant!” Gunsallus, a former tennis pro, came to cannabis through adult friends who found medical relief from seizures. After looking into the medical research, she found her calling. She and her business partners took over an old gold-exchange building on Sahara Avenue and gave it a radical makeover, with warm weathered-plank walls, water features, artwork, and a calming atmosphere. “We want to spent time with our patients, get to know them. I’m in this industry to help people,” she told me. “We’re going to focus on high-quality CBD, maybe not the highest THC,” she said. “A lot of our patients are managing glaucoma, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. We want this to be a warm, welcoming place for them.”

Distance from Bellagio Fountain: 2 3/4 miles north
Vibe: Female-friendly Sahara caters to patients who want a little more consult time at the counter.
Look for: Expanded line of high-CBD products, topicals, tinctures

Image Source: Las Vegas ReLeaf

Congress Members to VA: Let Veterans Smoke Marijuana

A group of 21 Senators and Representatives send letter urging VA to permit doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where it’s legal Under the current system, VA doctors are not allowed to give recommendations for patients to receive medical marijuana, even in states that have legalized it. January 27, […]

Medical Cannabis Headed Back to Florida Ballot

After narrowly failing to legalize medical cannabis in 2014, advocates in Florida are headed back to the ballot. Organizers announced Wednesday they’ve secured more than enough signatures to qualify a measure for the November election.

The matter will appear on the ballot as Amendment 2. If approved, it would allow cannabis use by patients with the following conditions:

Cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or other debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those enumerated, and for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.

Production and distribution and would be regulated by the state health department, which would also be responsible for issuing cards to patients and caretakers. The complete ballot language is available here.

“Every day, doctors prescribe dangerous, addictive, and potentially deadly narcotics to their patients but can’t even suggest the use of marijuana, which has never killed a person in thousands of years of human civilization,” campaign manager Ben Pollara said in a statement. “Very soon, Florida doctors will finally have that option.”

A similar effort won 57.6 percent of votes just two years ago, but as as a constitutional amendment it needed 60-percent approval to pass. This time around, however, proponents are convinced public opinion has shifted in their favor. On its website, the group claims that over 70 percent of voters support legalizing medical cannabis.

“We feel very good that 60 percent plus of Florida voters will finally approve a true medical marijuana law,” Pollara told the Associated Press.

The campaign has set up a contribution page to accept donations.

Chile Unveils the Largest Cannabis Farm in Latin America: The Leafly Roundup

With 2016 well underway, legislative sessions are in full swing around the nation. Cannabis bills are cooking in Vermont, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Texas’ CBD law is on track for a 2017 opening, but efforts are stalling in Indiana and Kansas. In the meantime, Israel is expanding medical marijuana patient access, and Chile just opened the largest cannabis farm in Latin America. Read more about these updates and more in this week’s cannabis legalization roundup.

U.S. Cannabis Updates

INDIANA

Senator Jean Leising, a longtime champion for medicinal cannabis advocacy, has said any bill to legalize cannabis or cannabis-derived products is unlikely to get a Senate committee hearing this legislative session. “There just isn’t the appetite in the Senate for approving any kind of medical marijuana, not with the current makeup of the (50-member) Senate,” Leising said. “You need 26 votes and they’re just not there.” Previously, Sen. Patricia Miller, chair of the Health and Provider Services Committee, said her committee would not hear any cannabis-related legislation this session. In addition, Rep. Thomas Washburn, chair of the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee, stated that his committee will not be considering House Bill 1158, which would exempt doctors and patients from criminal penalties for using high-CBD cannabis oil.

KANSAS

A voter-approved initiative for lessening marijuana penalties in the city of Wichita was thrown out by the Kansas Supreme Court last week based on a technicality. The high court concluded that petition organizers did not follow state law in filing the ordinance with the city. The ruling allowed the court to sidestep the larger issue of whether the initiative violated state law forbidding cannabis possession. The proposal would have made the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis punishable by a civil fine of $50 for first-time offenders 21 and over.

OHIO

Ohio is back in the cannabis game with a new medical marijuana task force. Created by the Ohio House of Representatives, the task force includes lawmakers, business owners, law enforcement officials, and two former members of last November’s ResponsibleOhio campaign, Jimmy Gould and Chris Stock. The creation of the task force doesn’t guarantee that new medical marijuana legislation will be introduced, although officials with the Legalize Ohio 2016 campaign say they’ll continue with efforts to legalize for medical and recreational purposes, and would support any new legislation for cannabis.

NEBRASKA

A group known as Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis has hired a leading lobbying firm, Radcliffe & Associates, to assist in a campaign to bring support and awareness to a medical marijuana bill for the state. Last year Sen. Tommy Garrett, R-Bellevue, introduced Legislative Bill 643, inspiring testimony from patients from across the state in an emotional public hearing. That hearing helped advance the bill out of committee, but opponents killed it with a threatened filibuster. Sen. Garrett introduced a new version of the bill as the new legislative session opened. The latest bill uses Minnesota’s medical marijuana infrastructure as a model for Nebraska’s program and would only allow the consumption of cannabis pills, oils, or tinctures.

PENNSYLVANIA

A bill to legalize medical marijuana sailed through the Pennsylvania Senate. Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, was approved with a 40–7 vote and now moves to the House. Folmer’s legislation would legalize the use of edibles and oil concentrates, but would prohibit the smoking of whole leaf cannabis. It would also create a system of licensed dispensaries for the distribution of the cannabis products and approve 16 qualifying medical conditions.

The conditions include:

• Cancer
• Seizures
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Fibromyalgia
• HIV/AIDS
• Glaucoma
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes
• Chronic pain

A similar medical marijuana bill passed the Senate last year but never made it to the House floor for a vote.

TEXAS

Texas officials are making progress on the Compassionate Use Program, a low-THC, high-CBD cannabis oil initiative signed into law in June by Gov. Greg Abbott. The Department of Public Safety approved preliminary administrative rules for the program in December, and the rules took effect Jan. 10.

Next up: developing a registry of patients and physicians. The Texas Department of Safety is seeking vendors through the Texas Department of Information Resources to assist with their efforts. The winner of the vendor contract will be announced in June, and work on the registry is scheduled to begin in July, although the department won’t begin accepting applications for dispensaries until the registry’s framework is complete.

UTAH

Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, introduced one of Utah’s first bills to allow for the medicinal use of “whole plant” cannabis. Madsen’s Senate Bill 73 would direct the Utah Department of Agriculture to oversee the regulatory process for cannabis cultivation and processing facilities. The Utah Department of Health would be charged with distributing medical marijuana patient cards to those with qualifying conditions. Another bill, introduced by Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, and Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, would legalize cannabidiol through a similar distribution structure.

VERMONT

Vermont looks like it’s heading for legalization with support of Gov. Peter Shumlin as well as a resounding endorsement from former Vermont Attorney General Kimberly Cheney. The Vermont Senate Judiciary committee held a public hearing to collect testimony from the public before making any moves on the topic.

There are currently two cannabis legalization bills up for debate in the legislature. S.95 was introduced last February, but no action was taken to advance the bill aside from recommending a hearing in the Judiciary committee. S.241 was introduced by Senator Jeanette White earlier this legislative session, on Jan. 5, and holds the most promise for legalization in 2016. The Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the measure on Jan. 29.

International Cannabis Updates

CHILE

A ceremony in the town of Colbún last week marked the opening of what is now officially the largest medicinal cannabis farm in Latin America. Located about 200 kilometers south of Santiago, the farm is capable of cultivating up to 6,900 plants. Under the supervision of Chile’s Agriculture and Livestock Service, organizers are hoping to cultivate as much as 1.5 million tons between March and May, said Ana Maria Gazmuri, Executive Director of the Daya Foundation, the organization leading the cultivation charge.

The farm carries 6,000 plants of varying species, which will be used to treat 4,000 patients — 200 in each of 20 participating municipalities. The Chilean National Congress approved a measure legalizing the cultivation and sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes in December 2015. “Even if people do not believe it,” Gazmuri said, “Chile is now the regional pioneer in medicinal cannabis cultivation.”

ISRAEL

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is leading a push to reform cannabis policy. Litzman told the Knesset Health Committee and the Knesset Committee on Controlled Substances about his plan to allow more doctors to recommend the drug to their patients. Currently only 36 doctors across the country can prescribe cannabis. “If the reform moves ahead without problems, I’ll allow practicing doctors to give cannabis prescriptions to their patients in keeping with Health Ministry regulations,” he said.

Litzman also cautioned that the move would not lead to broader recreational use. “I want to emphasize that we will implement strict oversight on this issue,” he said, “and we will make sure that only those who need cannabis will get access to it.” If Litzman’s plan goes into effect, pharmacies are also expected to begin carrying cannabis.

Don’t forget about last week’s roundup — catch up on it now!

Weekend Weirdness: “Sorry for Robbing You, Here's Some Cannabis”

Being held up at gunpoint is a traumatizing experience, which is presumably why a robber in South Carolina tried to soften the blow by offering his victim a little consolation prize. A delivery driver in Spartanburg, South Carolina was returning to her car after dropping off a pizza order when she was robbed. The perpetrator pointed a gun at her head and demanded she fork over the cash she had on her, and when she complied, he took the money and started to walk away.

Curiously, the man didn’t get very far before he turned around and re-approached the driver. It appeared as if in addition to struggling with a sense of right and wrong, the robber was also battling the munchies, as he asked the woman if she had any extra pizza orders in her car. She did, so she gave him some food. The man then wanted to know whether or not the delivery driver smoked, and when she confirmed that she did, he handed her a bag of cannabis before leaving for good.

Now, we all know that cannabis can help with symptoms such as anxiety and PTSD, which this poor woman could very well be experiencing after such a harrowing ordeal, but I’ve never heard of a criminal try to simultaneously offer up a solution to the problem he created. It’s a nice gesture on paper, but I’m guessing the driver would have preferred to not be robbed at gunpoint over some free cannabis.

Help A Disabled Veteran Who Had His Kids Taken Because Of Cannabis

I just read a heartbreaking article on theDaily Haze.A disabled veteran named Raymond Schwaband his wife Amelia had their children taken away while they were in the process of moving to Colorado so that Raymond could received legal cannabis treatment for PTSD and chronic pain. Per theDaily Haze: The Schwabs decided to relocate to Colorado,

US AZ: Columm: New Conditions

Tucson Weekly, 24 Dec 2015 – NEW CONDITIONS The State Is Failing to Meet the Requirement to Allow New Medical Conditions The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act has provided safe legal access to medical cannabis to sick Arizonans since the passage of Prop 203 in November 2010. The program is regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services. New conditions can be added to the program during open application periods twice a year, but the rules surrounding the process and the specific standards by which these conditions are approved or denied are largely left to the AZDHS administration. AZDHS has fought hard against all the petitions filed in the history of the program. Only PTSD, with the help of the Arizona Cannabis Nurses Association has been successfully added as a qualifying condition. AZCNA Attorney Ken Sobel appealed the AZDHS denial of PTSD and prevailed.In a huge victory for patient rights, this was special because is it is the first mental health condition to be approved for treatment under the AMMA.

Veterans Gather For Cannabis PTSD Treatment Awareness

MagicalButter and the Weed for Warriors Project kick off the 2nd Annual Cannaball Run for Vets for cannabis Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment to highlight the mounting evidence surrounding the issue of PTSD. The cross country education and awareness campaign will begin on October 17th in Los Angeles, California and stop along seven major U.S. cities

Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Bill Still Possible in Pennsylvania

Just a few weeks ago, medical cannabis legislation seemed hopelessly stalled in the Pennsylvania House. Thanks to the efforts of advocates, Rep. Nick Miccarelli, and overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, there is strong momentum for passage of effective medical marijuana legislation. While it’s a relief the House is finally moving, it’s important for legislators to hear their constituents want the bill to be patient-focused.

Rep. Nick Miccarelli

As events unfold and legislative strategies are explored, it is important that representatives understand the key components to creating the best possible legislation for seriously ill Pennsylvanians. The most effective legislation, whether it’s SB 3 or a House bill, will allow doctors and patients to decide together from the broadest range of possible strains and will ensure that no matter where a patient lives in the state he or she will have access to these treatments. It’s also vital that the bill include patients with all the serious symptoms that cannabis can alleviate — including severe pain and PTSD.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident, please call or email your representative and ask them to support strong, patient-focused medical cannabis legislation, whether it’s SB 3 or a House bill.

The post Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Bill Still Possible in Pennsylvania appeared first on MPP Blog.

It’s Time to Enact Appropriate Job Protections for Those Who Legally Use Pot

Many observers were shocked and saddened when Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic who is authorized to use medical marijuana under Colorado state law, was fired from his job with Dish Network in 2010 after a positive drug test. Dish failed to make an exception for Coats, who used marijuana while off duty to control his seizures, and the company insisted on his being fired, leaving Coats no choice but to challenge this issue in court.

Specifically, Coats claimed that his conduct should have been permitted under the state’s Lawful Off-Duty Activities Statute, which makes it an unfair and discriminatory labor practice to discharge an employee based on the employee’s “lawful,” away-from-work activities. But the trial court, followed by the Court of Appeals and now the Colorado Supreme Court, have all ruled that the statute only protects conduct that is legal under both state and federal law — and therefore offers no job protection to Coats.

“Therefore, employees who engage in an activity, such as medical marijuana use, that is permitted by state law but unlawful under federal law are not protected by the statute,” Justice Allison H. Eid wrote in the opinion.

This case highlights one of the most pressing issues that needs to be addressed in the states that have legalized medical cannabis use — and the states that have adopted full legalization for all adults, as well. Although employees are protected from arrest and prosecution under state law by these various laws, they remain vulnerable to employment discrimination in almost all states.

Simply put, if an employer wants to insist on what they frequently call a “drug-free workplace,” they are legally permitted to do that — regardless of the unfairness this policy may cause, because we must note that they do not apply those same standards to off-job alcohol consumption or the use of prescription drugs.

Most Americans would strongly support the right of an employer to fire anyone who comes to work in an impaired condition. But smoking marijuana leaves one mildly impaired only for about an hour and a half; certainly smoking marijuana in the evening, or on the weekend, would have no impact on the employee who comes to work the following day.

Effort renewed to add PTSD to Colorado medical marijuana list
(Craig F. Walker, Denver Post file)
What we really need is for employers in these legalized states to become responsible corporate citizens and to do the right thing: Stop penalizing employees, absent a showing of impairment on the job. But absent that voluntary shift in policy, the obligation is now on those of us who favor marijuana legalization to go back to the state legislatures in states that have legalized cannabis, either for medical use or for all adults, and enact appropriate job protections for those who use marijuana legally under state law.

Before being allowed to fire an employee who tests positive for THC, the employer must be required to demonstrate on-the-job impairment. Just as we do not permit someone to be fired for reason of their gender, religion or race, neither should we permit an employee to be fired simply because they elect to use marijuana legally under state law, without a showing of actual on-job impairment.

Otherwise we are requiring many medical-use patients to choose between relieving their pain and suffering and keeping their employment. And we are allowing employers to fire good, hard-working, loyal employees for off-the-job activities that are totally unrelated to their job performance.

And that is simply unfair, and it cannot be allowed to stand. So let’s get to work and fix this problem.

Keith Stroup is an attorney, author of “It’s NORML to Smoke Pot: The 40-year Fight for Marijuana Smokers’ Rights” and founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, where he serves as legal counsel.

http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/06/15/norml-coats-v-dish-marijuana-employment/36140/

Texas Governor Signs Limited Medical Marijuana Bill

Gov. Greg Abbot (PHOTO: Gage Skidmore)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law Monday that recognizes the medical benefits of marijuana. SB 339, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), is intended to allow patients with intractable seizure conditions to access marijuana extracts containing high levels of cannabidiol (CBD) and only trace levels of THC.

SB 339 requires doctors to “prescribe” low-THC marijuana extracts to patients, which exposes doctors to federal criminal sanctions. By contrast, doctors “recommend” medical marijuana or “certify” patients to use medical marijuana in the 23 states with comprehensive medical marijuana laws and the District of Columbia. Unlike “prescriptions,” recommendations and certifications are federally legal and protected under the First Amendment.

The bill also only allows for extracts with very little THC, and some seizure patients say a greater ratio of THC to CBD is necessary for it to be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of seizures. The bill also fails to allow access to any medical marijuana products for people suffering from other debilitating conditions, such as PTSD, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, for which medical marijuana has been found to have significant medical benefits.

Despite SB 339’s significant limitations, advocates supported Gov. Abbott signing it into law and promptly implementing the program. It has frequently taken as long as two to three years for patients to begin safely accessing medical cannabis preparations after state medical marijuana laws are enacted. First, rules need to be crafted for the operation of dispensaries, then there is an application process, and finally the providers must find locations, build out their facilities, and begin cultivation.

While this low-THC cannabis oil program is very restrictive, the passage of SB 339, Texas’ Compassionate Use Act, is an historic moment that reflects the great work done by advocates. Here is an overview of the program.

The 84th Texas Legislature introduced a record number of marijuana related bills. The results varied — details can be found here — but there can be no doubt that more humane marijuana laws are on the horizon.

The post Texas Governor Signs Limited Medical Marijuana Bill appeared first on MPP Blog.

In Historic Vote, Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Veterans Medical Marijuana Amendment

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bipartisan amendment today, 18 to 12, allowing Veterans Administration (VA) doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients in states where medical marijuana is legal. The vote is the first time the U.S. Senate has ever moved marijuana law reform legislation forward.

“Veterans in medical marijuana states should be treated the same as any other resident, and should be able to discuss marijuana with their doctor and use it if it’s medically necessary,” said Michael Collins, policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. “They have served this country valiantly, so the least we can do is allow them to have full and open discussions with their doctors.”

The Veterans Equal Access Amendment was sponsored by Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. It was added in committee to a must-pass military construction and veterans affairs spending bill. The bill is certain to pass on the Senate floor.

“Veterans see this victory as a major step forward in restoring our first amendment rights within the VA,” said TJ Thompson, a disabled Navy veteran. “This will allow for a safe, open dialogue between providers and patients, and allows veterans to be treated the same as any other patient.”

Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) specifically prohibits its medical providers from completing forms brought by their patients seeking recommendations or opinions regarding participation in a state medical marijuana program. The Daines / Merkley amendment authorizes VA physicians and other health care providers to provide recommendations and opinions regarding the use of medical marijuana to veterans who live in medical marijuana states.

In 2002, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in Conant v. Walters the right of physicians to recommend medical marijuana, regardless of its illegality under federal law, as well as the right of patients to receive accurate information. The Daines / Merkley amendment supports that first amendment right and restores a healthy doctor-patient relationship.

There are numerous federal healthcare programs besides the VA such as Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP – but only the VA prohibits physicians from discussing and recommending medical marijuana to their patients. A Medicare patient may freely discuss medical marijuana use with her doctor, while a returning veteran is denied the same right.

Studies have shown that medical marijuana can help treat post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, illnesses typically suffered by veterans. A 2014 study of people with PTSD showed a greater than 75% reduction in severity of symptoms when patients were using marijuana to treat their illness, compared to when they were not.

Last year the U.S. House voted five times in favor of letting states set their own marijuana policies. One of the amendments, prohibiting the Justice Department from spending any money in Fiscal Year 2015 undermining state medical marijuana laws, made it into the final spending bill signed into law by President Obama. Advocates of the veterans amendment believe it has a very good chance of making it into the final military construction spending bill that President Obama signs.

A legislative version of the Daines / Merkley amendment was included in groundbreaking Senate medical marijuana legislation introduced in March. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act is the first-ever bill in the U.S. Senate to legalize marijuana for medical use and the most comprehensive medical marijuana bill ever introduced in Congress. The bill was introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and generated enormous interest.

With the Appropriations Committee approving one element in the bill, supporters say it is time for the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the full bill.

“The politics around marijuana have shifted in recent years, yet Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley hasn’t held a hearing on the issue,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “We will move the CARERS Act piece by piece if we have to but now is the time for the Senate to hold a hearing on the bill as a whole.”

Author:
Date Published: May 21, 2015
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Memorial Day 2015 and Medical Marijuana

Along with family picnics and public concerts, as a country we wear poppies and decorate the graves of the fallen on the last Monday in May to honor our soldiers who have died while serving in the military. It is a holiday to remember their great sacrifices to protect our country, our citizens, and our way of life.

As we pause to celebrate Memorial Day this year, it also gives us an occasion to consider the sacrifices made by all those who have served, including the tens of thousands of veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other emotional problems resulting from their service to our country.

While additional placebo-controlled research is needed to reconfirm the benefits of medical marijuana in reducing PTSD symptoms, existing research, along with anecdotal accounts from large numbers of PTSD sufferers, is sufficient today to justify its recommendation by physicians. Many combat veterans suffering from PTSD rely on cannabis to control their anger, nightmares and sometimes-violent rage.

Currently, those physicians affiliated with the US Department of Veterans Affairs may not legally recommend the use of medical marijuana to those veterans who could benefit from it use, even in states that have legalized the medical use. But that finally appears to be changing.

Offered as an amendment to a veterans affairs and military construction bill, a provision to expand medical marijuana coverage to US veterans was approved this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee, assuring it will be included in the version of the bill that will be sent shortly to the full senate for consideration. A similar amendment to a House military appropriations bill recently failed by only three votes on the floor of the House (210-213), setting up the need for a reconciliation process between the House and Senate versions of the appropriations bill, and the likelihood of the amendment being included in the final version of the bill approved by Congress.

While this most recent progress in Congress to approve the medical use of marijuana as a treatment option for VA physicians treating veterans is promising, it is but one small step in a longer process that must continue forward before marijuana is recognized under federal law as a valuable therapeutic agent for many conditions and illnesses.

But on this Memorial Day 2015, let’s honor our military men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those surviving veterans who have served their country with distinction, by committing ourselves to assuring that all Americans, and especially our veterans, have access to whatever therapies treat their symptoms and conditions most effectively and help them heal, including the option of medical marijuana; and by removing the remaining governmental obstacles that undermine this noble goal and interfere with the physician-patient relationship.

U.S. Senate Committee Approves Measure That Would Allow Veterans Affairs Physicians to Recommend Medical Marijuana

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a measure 18-12 Thursday that would allow Veterans Affairs physicians to recommend medical marijuana to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, serious injuries, and other debilitating conditions.

Sen. Steve Daines

The amendment, offered by Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to the Senate version of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, would rescind a portion of a 2009 directive prohibiting VA doctors from recommending medical marijuana, even in states that have made it legal.

Sen. Jeff Merkley

The amendment must now be reconciled with the House version of the bill. The House narrowly defeated a similar amendment 210-213 on April 30. A similar measure was defeated 195-222 in 2014.

According to MPP’s Dan Riffle:

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers came together and passed broadly supported marijuana policy reform. This is exactly how most Americans want Congress to handle this issue. Hopefully we are reaching a point at which it is becoming the norm, rather than the exception. The pace at which support appears to be growing in the Senate is particularly encouraging.

Doctors should never be prohibited from helping their patients obtain the best possible medical treatment. Many veterans are finding that medical marijuana is the most effective treatment for PTSD and other service-related medical conditions. Finally, Congress is working to remove barriers to accessing it rather than building them.

The post U.S. Senate Committee Approves Measure That Would Allow Veterans Affairs Physicians to Recommend Medical Marijuana appeared first on MPP Blog.

Texas House Passes Flawed CBD Bill

Yesterday evening, the Texas State House of Representatives approved SB 339 with a vote of 96-34. The bill seeks to allow patients with intractable epilepsy to access cannabis oil containing high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD, and only trace levels of THC.

On a certain level, the legislature should be commended for acknowledging the medical value of marijuana, and it is an historic vote in that sense.

Unfortunately, SB 339, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler), is extremely unlikely to provide patients with relief because it requires doctors to engage in conduct that is prohibited by federal law. SB 339 previously passed the Senate (26-5) on May 7.

SB 339 requires doctors to “prescribe” marijuana to patients, which exposes doctors to federal criminal sanctions and the risk of losing their DEA registration to prescribe any controlled substances.

The bill also leaves behind Texas patients suffering from debilitating conditions like PTSD, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, for which medical marijuana has been found to have significant medical benefits.

But it isn’t all bad. Even if doctors are unwilling to “prescribe” marijuana, starting the implementation process will ensure a system of safe access is ready to go when the legislature meets in 2017 — at which point it can fix the flaw and expand access to patients with other serious conditions.

The post Texas House Passes Flawed CBD Bill appeared first on MPP Blog.

Pennsylvania Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill

PA Senate Chambers

For the second time in a year, the Pennsylvania Senate has overwhelmingly voted to allow seriously ill patients to use and safely access medical cannabis. Gov. Tom Wolf has said he’d sign medical marijuana legislation, so only one piece of the puzzle remains: the House of Representatives.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident, please call your state representative right now to ask him or her to support a compassionate, comprehensive medical marijuana bill.

It will take just a minute of your time to make a call, but it will make a huge impact. Legislators often mistakenly believe that supporting humane marijuana policies is politically risky. This couldn’t be further from the truth — voters overwhelmingly support medical marijuana protections.

SB 3 would allow registered patients to use medical cannabis and to safely access it from regulated dispensaries. To qualify, patients must have an approved medical condition, such as cancer, seizures, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, wasting syndrome, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, or chronic pain. The Senate approved adding vaporization to the bill, but only for cancer, seizures, and PTSD.

The bill is more limited than we would like in some areas, but it is a dramatic improvement over the status quo.

The post Pennsylvania Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill appeared first on MPP Blog.

Death by Firing Squad, but No Access to Medical Marijuana

In Utah, you have a better chance of being executed by a firing squad than you have of accessing medical marijuana.

Utah’s state legislature recently passed a law allowing for execution by firing squad in the event that the drugs used to carry out capital punishment were unavailable. In the same session, a medical marijuana bill that would have allowed seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana failed to even make it out of the Senate.

Luckily, most legislative sessions are still in process and there is considerable opportunity to bring this medicine to tens of thousands of severely ill patients who so desperately need it.

On the federal level, a bill from Senate Democrats Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Senator Rand Paul would work to “remove the threat of federal prosecution for patients who use it in states where it is legal.”

It is exciting to see such sensible, bipartisan legislation be introduced from elected officials on both sides of the political aisle, and more importantly, to see science and the health of our citizens trumping politics.

Across the country, only 23 states currently allow for access to medical marijuana, but a range of advocates, including veterans, patients, parents, and medical professional, are actively lobbying for access in their state. This year alone, more than 20 states have bills pending to address access to medical marijuana- including Texas.

Yes, Texas.

“Thousands of Texas veterans use medical cannabis to treat PTSD, chronic pain, and other service-related disabilities,” said retired U.S. Army Major David Bass. “Veterans should not have to flee the state or depend on the criminal market to access the medication that best fits their needs. Now is the time for Texas to approve safe and legal access to therapeutic cannabis.”

Rep. Marisa Márquez, (D-El Paso), the House sponsor of Texas’ first ever comprehensive medical marijuana legislation, HB 3785, recently stood alongside parents and patients at a press conference introducing the bill to say “as a state that leads the nation in innovative medical research, Texas needs to take a scientific and reasoned approach to the known benefits of medical marijuana.”

The bill, introduced in the State Senate by Sen.Jose Menéndez, would create a system in which individuals with qualifying medical conditions receive licenses allowing them to possess limited amounts of medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. It would also establish a tightly regulated system of licensed marijuana cultivators, processors, and dispensaries to qualified applicants.

“Every day that Texas moms care for children living with cancer, epilepsy, autism, and other debilitating conditions without access to medical marijuana, is a day of added suffering,” said AmyLou Fawell, co-founder of Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism (MAMMA)and member of Texans For Medical Freedom, a broad coalition of Texas veterans, patients, medical professionals, advocates and organizations, helping to lead advocacy efforts on comprehensive medical marijuana legislation.

Health, compassion and science all lead to the same conclusions- medical marijuana is an effective medicine that thousands of patients in 23 states can attest to.

Thousands of Texas veterans like David Bass and mothers like AmyLou should not be forced to endure needless suffering, or watch the suffering of their children, simply because of the state they choose to call home.

Jerónimo Saldaña is the legislative and organizing coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance.

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Author: Jeronimo Saldaña
Date Published: April 2, 2015
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

New York State Officials Ignore Patients, Providers and Industry Experts to Instead Pursue One of the Nation’s Most Unworkable Medical Marijuana Programs

New York – Last night the New York State Department of Health (DOH) released the final regulations for New York’s medical marijuana program. The announcement followed a period of public comment in which patients, families, experts, and industry professionals submitted more than a thousand letters and emails critiquing the proposed regulations for being too restrictive and unworkable. In response to this incredible level of input from the public and private industry, the Department of Health made absolutely no substantive changes to the regulations. Instead, they made only handful of technical fixes, such as correcting typos.

Twenty-two other states have passed medical marijuana laws, five jurisdictions have passed laws taxing and regulating marijuana for adult use, and the federal government has made clear that they will not interfere with properly administered state marijuana programs. Despite this, the Cuomo Administration, in its response to the public comments, repeatedly uses federal laws as an excuse for inaction.

Last June, the New York State legislature passed a medical marijuana law after years of advocacy by patients and families across the state. In the final days of the 2014 legislative session, the Cuomo Administration demanded a series of amendments to the bill, severely limiting its scope and creating one of the country’s narrowest medical marijuana programs. The law that was passed, while narrow, gave the Health Commissioner the authority to make the program more expansive. Unfortunately, the final regulations make clear that the Commissioner will not use his authority to expand the program and that the Cuomo Administration intends to make the program as restrictive as possible – even if that makes the program unworkable and leaves patients to suffer.

For example, although advocates had asked for a clear and transparent process for how conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), will be considered for the program, the final regulations make no mention of covering any additional illnesses, only saying that the Commissioner may issue guidance on this in the future.

“As a veteran, I am dismayed that the final regulations fail to include PTSD, which so many of my fellow soldiers suffer from on a daily basis,” said Bill Gilson President of the New York City chapter of Veterans for Peace. “PTSD is covered in a least nine other states with medical marijuana laws, and given the strong scientific evidence that cannabis can help those with PTSD, people suffering from it New York should also have access. I find it even more upsetting that there is still no transparency or explanation for how PTSD — or any other medical condition for that matter — will be added or excluded from the program in the future.”

For months, advocates have also been raising concerns that low income patients may not be able to access medicine because the cost will be prohibitive. DOH is requiring dispensaries to sell more expensive extracts and concentrates (versus whole plant); has prohibited modes of ingestion, thus, requiring the use of costly vaporizers; and has limited delivery options putting the burden of transportation on sick patients. Each of these factors increases the cost and could leave the poorest and most disabled patients to suffer most. In their public comments, advocates outlined several options by which DOH could provide access for low income patients. The final regulations completely ignore these suggestions. DOH says it may allow dispensaries to give away medicine to those in need, leaving the fate of low income patients to depend entirely on the good will industry.

“Having fought hard for the establishment of the medical marijuana program to serve thousands of sick and disabled New Yorkers – including myself – who are in desperate need of safe and legal access, I’m gravely concerned that the State is setting up a two-tier system where low-income and poor people of color are cut out,” said Robert Tolbert, an 18 year survivor of HIV and board member of VOCAL-NY. “We suggested a number of ways the state could meet the needs of low income New Yorkers, and they chose to ignore them all. This is disgraceful.”

Despite strenuous opposition form advocates and industry alike, the final regulations also prohibit the sale of whole plant matter and limit each producer to manufacturing five strains, even though there are dozens of therapeutic strains for treating a variety of different symptoms and conditions.

“I’m dismayed that DOH chose to restrict access to the whole plant,” said Donna Romano of Syracuse. “Many patients, like me, want the benefits of the natural, whole plant. Important compounds, like terpenoids, can be lost during the extraction process. And doctors and their patients need to be able to try different strains to figure out which ones are most therapeutic for a given condition. There is no sound rationale for limiting access to the whole plant and restricting the number of strains to five.”

Advocates are also concerned that there simply won’t be enough supply to meet demand, especially in rural regions of the state.

“With only five producers and twenty dispensaries for a state with 54,000 square miles and a population of almost 20 million, many patients are going to have a hard time getting the medicine they need,” said Jumanne McDaniel from Long Island, who is living with disability associated with spinal injury. “Many of the patients who will qualify for medical marijuana in New York are gravely ill or severely disabled. They should not have to drive hundreds of miles to get the medicine they need.”

As concerning as the particular provisions that will leave patients to suffer needlessly is the Administration’s disregard for the input of the public and experts in the field.

“Substantive concerns were provided by hundreds of people who are in need of accessing medical marijuana,” said Janet Weinberg, a cancer survivor and leader in Compassionate Care NY, a statewide coalition of patients, families and providers. “They expressed that need, and the Administration did not make any changes. The regulations do not provide consistency in utilizing a medical model. Rather it seems they selected the most restrictive provisions they could rather than working to create maximal access for patients in need.”

Ironically, all of the state’s efforts to prevent diversion will likely have the opposite of the intended effect. Because they will not have access to the medicine they need, patients will be forced to continue purchasing marijuana on the illicit market – subjecting themselves to criminal penalties – or to simply continue suffering. Advocates noted that by releasing the final regulations at the same time as the state budget was being completed, the restrictive, unworkable regulations would get buried in the budget new cycle.

“It’s baffling and downright unacceptable for Governor Cuomo to ignore both the science on medical marijuana and the evidence on medical marijuana programs,” said gabriel sayegh, managing director of policy and campaigns for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Since Cuomo is abandoning patients and families in need in pursuit of a war on drugs approach, we have no choice but to return to the legislature to fix New York’s medical marijuana program.”

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Author:
Date Published: April 1, 2015
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Press Release: BIPARTISAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION INTRODUCED TO HOUSE

Contact: Darby Beck                                                 For Immediate Release: darby.beck@nullleap.cc                                                 […]

Texas Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced

Rep. Marisa Márquez

Today, Texas State Rep. Marisa Márquez (D-El Paso filed HB 3785 — the comprehensive, whole-plant medical marijuana bill that patients and advocates have been campaigning for. This marks a historical moment in Texas, as it is the first bill of its kind to be considered by the Texas Legislature.

HB 3785 proposes a far more comprehensive approach to protecting patients than the two other medical marijuana-related bills introduced in the Texas House this session. The bill establishes a framework for dispensaries, growers, and manufacturers to provide seriously ill patients with the medicine they need.

The qualifying conditions are far broader than other bills, and would include: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer’s, PTSD, and conditions causing wasting, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe muscle spasms.

Registered patients (and their caregivers) would be free from fear of arrest and could legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana. They’d also be permitted to grow up to six plants in their home, three of which could be mature plants estimated to yield four ounces each per year.

If you are a Texas resident, please take a moment to contact your Texas legislators about this important bill. We’ve set up a webpage that allows you to email them both in one shot. Supporters are encouraged to personalize the form letter provided if you or a loved one could benefit from legal access to medical marijuana.

The post Texas Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced appeared first on MPP Blog.

Would Medical Marijuana be Helpful for Me?

Dear Doctors,

Over the past few months I have been reading reports about how so many people have been getting relief from medical marijuana, from little children with epilepsy to patients with cancer, there seem to be a significant number of people getting help that wasn’t otherwise possible, but how can I tell if medical marijuana will be helpful for me?

Sincerely,
Relief Seeker

Dear Seeker,

Thanks for your question. You are not alone in having this question. Over the past few weeks we have been inundated with hundreds of questions from people all across the country looking to see if they can get relief from medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana is by no means a panacea, but because of how the body’s endocannabinoid system is designed, there are a significant number of ailments for which cannabis can prove useful.

In order to get a better handle on the breadth of diseases for which the cannabis plant has therapeutic potential it is best to group diseases in four major categories: neurological, inflammatory, digestive, and psychological.

*Note some of these diseases have a pathophysiology that make them fit in multiple groups but for simplicity we will discuss them in one section here.

Neurological

The most widely recognized category of diseases for which cannabis has been shown to be therapeutically beneficial are the neurological disorders. In fact it is so widely recognized, that the U.S. government owns the only patent on the cannabis plant and it is for the use of cannabis in the treatment of neurological disorders. Research indicates that cannabis has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Glaucoma, and of course numerous epileptic disorders.

The overarching mechanism of action for cannabis in these diseases is based on the role that cannabinoids play in the brain as regulators of neurotransmitters, or the molecules which facilitate communication in the brain. Additionally, GW Pharmaceuticals have developed two medicines based on cannabis plant extracts, Sativex and Epidiolex, which have shown benefit in both MS and epileptic patients.

Inflammatory

In addition to neurological benefits, cannabis has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of disease processes which are characterized by disorders of the immune system. Some of these diseases include, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV/AIDS. For simplicity we will also include cancer in this category given that the mechanism of action for cannabinoids within cancer treatment is similar to those of other inflammatory processes, by again having cannabinoids modulate intercellular communication processes.

Digestive

It is a well-established fact that cannabis has been helpful in helping alleviate symptoms of nausea which are associated with a range of illnesses as well as helping to stimulate appetite, a phenomenon which can prove beneficial to both the infirmed and healthy individual. Beyond being helpful in symptom management, cannabis has also been shown to be helpful in other gastrointestinal disorders such as Chron’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The mechanism of action for this is currently not well understood but patients who use cannabis for these conditions report greater ability to sleep, reduced abdominal cramping, and improved ability to digest foods.

Psychological

The use of cannabis in the treatment of psychological conditions remains highly controversial and narrow in scope. As we have discussed in a previous blog post, many people still erroneously hold the belief that cannabis use causes schizophrenia. In spite of this falsehood, cannabis has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of bipolar disorder, PTSD, and Tourette’s syndrome. Ultimately, significantly more research is needed to understand the role which cannabis can play in psychotherapy, but preliminary results are promising.

Overall, it is vital that you consult your physician and have an open and honest dialogue regarding the use of cannabis in your medical care. Cannabis is not a first line therapy for any disease, and often times is used in conjunction with traditional medical therapies, given its ability to mitigate the side effects of many medications. What is clear is that we need more research and physician involvement in the arena of medical marijuana. One great resource for more information on the research behind medical cannabis can be found here. Additionally, our friends at Americans for Safe Access are promoting the dialogue by discussing these issue in our Nation’s Capital next month. Just recently, the United States Senate introduced legislation which will protect medical marijuana states and drastically expand the ability of scientist to conduct research on this venerable plant. With legislation like this, we can open up the opportunities for research and capitalize on the full therapeutic applications for the cannabis plant.

Sincerely,

The Doctors

Dr. Malik Burnett is a former surgeon and physician advocate. He also served as executive director of a medical marijuana nonprofit organization. Amanda Reiman, PhD, holds a doctorate in Social Welfare and teaches classes on drug policy at the University of California-Berkeley.

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General Disclaimer: Site Provides No Medical Advice

This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, the Drug Policy Alliance provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not medical advice and is not a substitute for medical or professional care. The Drug Policy Alliance is not liable or responsible for any advice or information you obtain through this site.

Author: Dr. Malik Burnett and Amanda Reiman, PhD, MSW
Date Published: March 12, 2015
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Press Release: Comprehensive, Bipartisan Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced to Congress

Contact: Darby Beck                                                                      For Immediate Release: darby.beck@nullleap.cc                                                                                     March 10, 2015 415.823.5496 COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL INTRODUCED TO CONGRESS Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Introduce Bipartisan CARERS Act Today, a comprehensive bipartisan medical marijuana legalization bill was introduced to Congress that would prevent federal law […]

Feds Support Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) Patients – kinda

If you haven’t already heard, the Federal Omnibus package passed. Officially named, “‘Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (xml version)” it funds the government. The good news for medical marijuana patients is that the  money used to fund the government will not be used against us. The texts related to medical marijuana and hemp are fairly clear: Sec. 538. […]

Will My Fellow Vet Lose His Veterans Administration Benefits if He Uses Medical Marijuana to Help His PTSD?

Dear Doctors,

I am a veteran who has recently returned from Iraq. A guy in my support group was talking about how he uses marijuana to help with his PTSD (depression in particular). Does that really help? Can I get in trouble with the VA and lose my benefits if I become a medical marijuana patient?

Signed,

Wondering Vet in Oregon

Dear Wondering,

Thank you for your question.

There are many veterans returning home, and many who have been home for years, who experience PTSD and have tried a number of treatments. When it comes to the science, the research on marijuana as a treatment for …read more

Planet Green Trees Episode 191-MM Jury Trials with Neil Rockind.

  March 20, 2014 Tonight 8-10:00 p.m. or call 347-326-9626   www.planetgreentrees.com Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion-   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles and Jamie Lowell from The 3rd Coast Compassion Center-   Tonight- A medical marijuana dispensary criminal case has been outright dismissed without the […]

Planet Green Trees Episode 189-Section 8 and PTSD

  March 6, 2014 Tonight 8-10:00 p.m. or call 347-326-9626 www.planetgreentrees.com Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion-   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles and Jamie Lowell from The 3rd Coast Compassion Center-   Tonight- The Michigan Medical Marijuana Review Panel met this morning in Lansing and […]

Planet Green Trees Radio Episode 148-Bengazi/IRS/AP Emails

Tonight 8-10 pm, May 16, 2013 13473269626 dial 1 to get on the air. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/planetgreentrees Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn Of Komorn Law Pllc and Chad from Birmingham Compassion Tonight- a legal discussion with attorneys John Targowski and Bruce Block exchanging ideas on current court cases and other issues. Also Defense Attorney David Rudoi will […]

Planet Green Trees Episode 125-ACLU and ASA

December 13, 2012 8-10 p.m. 13473269626 dial 1 to get on the air Tonight’s Topic: Medical Cannabis, Liberty and Freedom Special Guests Mark Cooke-Drug Policy Advocate for Washington ACLU Michael Krawitz Veteran, ASA plaintiff, PTSD treatment with cannabis proponent Also Local Leaders Tim Beck and Chuck Ream, will be joining the conversation to talk about […]