Supreme Court Considers City Of Wyoming's Medical Marijuana Ban

In Michigan medical marijuana is legal but it seems as though the Grand Rapids Suburb of Wyoming is having none of that.

The Michigan Supreme Court is hearing arguments today about a 2010 ordinance in the city of Wyoming that bans activities that conflict with federal law. The "activities" would include growing or possessing marijuana, even though medical marijuana is perfectly legal in Michigan.

Wyoming is appealing a decision that struck down the ordinance.

The Michigan branch of the American Civil Liberties Union is representing Wyoming resident John Ter Beek, who is registered to use medicinal marijuana. The ACLU says cities can’t ignore state law.

An association of Michigan prosecutors is supporting the city. A handful of other communities have similar laws.

This article was written by Cannabis Country

Will Washington state be the new pot tourism destination?

Local pot activist Jodie Emery says Washington state’s soon-to-be-realized legal marijuana industry could have a negative impact on tourism in B.C., as south-of-the-border pot enthusiasts will no longer have to drive north to get a taste of cannabis culture.

On Wednesday, Washington became the second U.S. state behind Colorado to pass rules governing the sale of recreational pot. The rules, voted in by Washington’s Liquor Control Board, will take effect next month with sales expected to begin by the middle of 2014.

Emery, the spouse of well-known pot advocate Marc Emery, said people have for decades flocked to B.C., in particular Vancouver, to “experience its marijuana culture,” something that, until now, hasn’t been available in the U.S. because of much stricter drug laws.

“Marijuana tourism is a real thing,” said Emery. “We know Amsterdam has a lot of people who go there just to experience the ability to use it in peace. And we’ve traditionally been the place in North America to go for that.

“Now if they can just go to Washington and safely access many varieties of cannabis legally, then they are going to do that.”

In fact, Emery said the flow of traffic could actually reverse, with B.C. puffers opting to spend more vacation time in Washington — instead of local destinations — where they will be able to purchase quality reefer and smoke it without fear of legal repercussions.

“Instead of going to the Okanagan for a weekend, they might decide to go down to Seattle instead,” she said. “If they can buy some pot with their booze in Seattle and then go out skiing later on, people are going to do that.”

The sheer novelty of being able to legally purchase weed will also see a steady stream of British Columbians heading south, she said........

You can read the full story here 

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The Dalai Lama Supports Medical Marijuana

I came across some information that I thought was awesome, and I just had to share it with my readers. Believe it or not the Dalai Lama is supportive of medical marijuana. The spiritual leader recently announced his support for cannabis before a crowd of medical marijuana enthusiasts in Mexico City. He stated that he wholeheartedly advocates for the use of legal, medical marijuana where it has been proven beneficial.

The Tibetan guru spoke earlier this week at a political event hosted by former president Vicente Fox, who is also a supporter of the legalization of marijuana and has been a vital exponent in the vast debate in regards to whether North America’s largest city should pass legislation to decriminalize and regulate marijuana for recreational use  in the Mexican capital.

Even though the Dalai Lama praised the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, he disappointingly announced that he believes smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes should be the "only exception," and that smoking weed to alter the senses of the mind should be considered an unacceptable practice. I wonder what he would say to those who use cannabis as part of their faith, like how Rasta's use it to connect with Jah and see stuff in a different light.....


Read the full story here


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Colorado Medical Marijuana Doctor Arrested For Prescribing Marijuana

CBS Local Denver reported the story of Dr. Joseph Montante this week.  He was convicted in a Colorado court of recommending medical marijuana to a patient without first establishing a bona fide doctor-patient relationship.  Dr. Montante was stripped of his medical license and sentenced to thirty days in jail and three years of probation.

In Colorado.  Where marijuana is legal for recreational purposes.  So, why exactly do we need to jail this man and ruin his career?

Law enforcement brought down this nefarious threat to society by sending in an undercover officer to get a recommendation from Montante.  Yes, less than half of all violent crimes and less than a fifth of all property crimes lead to an arrest in America, but we’ve got all the police time and resources we need to conduct undercover stings on pot docs in a legalized pot state.

Now, this rant doesn’t quite go the same way if I’m telling the story in Washington.  Sure, it’s both medical and legal there, too, but there is quite a difference.  Recreational consumers in Washington can possess an ounce of marijuana, but medical consumers can possess a pound and a half.  Recreational consumers in Washington don’t get the home cultivation right that medical consumers in the state get, which amounts to fifteen plants in any stage of growth.  The only similarity between Washington and Colorado in this regard is that medical consumers in both states can shop for cannabis at established retail outlets, while recreational consumers can’t yet.  Higher possession limits, home cultivation, and dispensaries provide great incentive for a recreational consumer to “go medical” in Washington.

In Colorado, however, there isn’t much difference between a recreational and a medical consumer.  A recreational consumer gets one ounce; a medical consumer gets two.  Both are allowed to grow three mature plants and three immature plants.  There are the well-established dispensaries - more than Starbucks! - where medical consumers get to shop and recreational consumers don’t.  It would seem, then, that the purpose of these undercover stings is to make sure recreational consumers stay out on the black market until the pot shops open in 2014.  Weed dealers throughout the Rocky Mountains say “thank you”.

(As an aside, isn’t that “more dispensaries than Starbucks” line getting old?  It’s not even relevant.  They’re comparing all the sales outlets for cannabis versus one sales outlet for coffee.  Shouldn’t we be comparing the number of places you can legally buy a bag of weed to the number of places you can legally buy a cup of joe?)

No, of course there is more to it than making sure a healthy person who can buy illegally, have an ounce and grow plants isn’t faking it so he can buy legally, have two ounces and grow the same number of plants.  I had forgotten the most important factor in this equation: the children........

You can read the full story here

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Top 10 States For Stoners

Regardless of marijuana’s legal status across the United States, the entire damn country is out there either getting high, looking to get high or highly offended by people who want to get high.

A recent report shows that nearly 11% of the American populous freely admits to being an honorary member of the great stoner revival, which indicates that more citizens are rolling smoke than in 2012 -- up from 10.2%.

The insurgence of the leaf is due to various factors, including progressive decriminalization efforts and increased legalization on both the recreational and medicinal level. The fact is: Americans are stoned.

Even though there is little doubt that the United States is becoming more of a stoner nation, we were curious to find out exactly what states are smoking the most weed.

We have to admit to being somewhat surprised to learn that pot-friendly states Colorado and Washington were not necessarily at the top of the list for the most smokers. In fact, Washington State didn’t even make the top 10.

Ironically, we discovered the highest state in the nation is also above all the others on the map: Alaska is the leading stoner state with nearly 16.30 percent of its residents reportedly chiefing-it-up on a consistent basis, followed by New England tokers Vermont at 15.97 percent.

Here is the complete list along with each state’s recreational marijuana possession statutes for first-time offenses:

1. Alaska (16.29%): Possession of less than one ounce is punishable up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $2,000

2. Vermont (15.97%): Possession of less than one ounce is a civil infraction and punishable of a fine up to $200.

3. Colorado (15.09%): Recreational marijuana is legal.

4. New Hampshire (14.88%): Possession of any amount is punishable up to a year in jail and a fine up to $2,000.

5. Massachusetts (14.55%): Possession of one ounce or less is a civil infraction with a fine of $100 for offenders over the age of 18.

6. Oregon (14.45%): Possession of less than one ounce is punishable with a fine of $650.

7. Rhode Island (14.32%): Possession of less than an ounce is a civil infraction with a fine of up to $150.

8. Washington D.C. (14.29%): Possession of any amount is punishable up to six months in prison and fines up to $1,000.

9. Maine (13.56%): Possession of less than two and a half ounces is a civil infraction with a fine up to $600.

10. California (12.88%): Possession of 28.5 grams or less is a civil infraction punishable with a fine up to $100.

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Feds Threaten To Stop Funding Massachusetts Community Health Centers If Doctors Prescribe Medical Marijuana

Community health centers in Massachusetts risk losing federal funding if doctors prescribe medical marijuana even though it has been legalized. Doctors were advised not to prescribe medical marijuana to any of their 638,000 patients otherwise health centers would loose federal funding. The reason is while state laws legalized the use of medical marijuana, it still remains illegal and unaccepted in the eyes of the federal government. 

According to reports health center physicians who believe marijuana might be beneficial for certain patients and authorize its use could be committing a “potential violation of federal law and could result in legal and financial exposure for community health centers,”

Veterans that could benefit from medicinal marijuana are facing similar problems. In a 2011 memo, the Department of Veterans Affairs reminded its physicians that it prohibits them from “completing forms seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a veteran’s participation in a state marijuana program.”

The memo, however, said department policy does not prohibit veterans who legally participate in a state marijuana program from also receiving other treatment at VA centers......

You can read the full article here

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Romania legalized Marijuana Derivatives For Medicinal Uses.

You may have read this story on other blogs but they didn't get the facts right. Romania did not legalize medical marijuana in bud form, it was the derivatives in marijuana that was legalized for medicinal uses. Although its not legal to use in bud form for medicinal uses, Romania has become the tenth country in the European Union to use the medicinal properties in marijuana to treat diseases such as epilepsy, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Manufacturers will also be able to apply to the National Agency for Medicines for approval to market drugs that contain cannabis by-products like resins and plant fragments.

.The Czech Republic, France and the Netherlands are some of the countries in the European Union that have legalized the use of medical marijuana products. Earlier this week, Switzerland relaxed its laws governing marijuana use by decriminalizing the drug. Although marijuana remains illegal, authorities will not prosecute residents caught with 10 grams or less of cannabis.

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Study Finds Cannabichromene, A Cannabis Compound, Helps Grow Brain Cells

A new study published in the journal Neurochemistry International, and published online by the National Institute of Health, has found that a compound in cannabis can help grow brain cells.

“We tested three compounds: cannabidiol, cannabigerol, and cannabichromene (CBC), and found that CBC has positive effect on the cell viability of mouse NSPCs [adult neural stem progenitor cells] during differentiation in vitro“, states the study’s researchers.


The study, which was conducted by the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry and funded by a GW Pharmaceuticals grant, is one of several studies which has found that cannabis can stimulate brain growth.

Researchers conclude that; “Taken together, our results suggest that CBC raises the viability of NSPCs while inhibiting their differentiation into astroglia, possibly through up-regulation of ATP and adenosine signalling.”

The study can be found by clicking here.

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You can read this article here

Medical Marijuana Doctor Was Arrested And Sent To Jail

CBS Local Denver reported the story of Dr. Joseph Montante this week.  He was convicted in a Colorado court of recommending medical marijuana to a patient without first establishing a bona fide doctor-patient relationship.  Dr. Montante was stripped of his medical license and sentenced to thirty days in jail and three years of probation.

In Colorado.  Where marijuana is legal for recreational purposes.  So, why exactly do we need to jail this man and ruin his career?

Law enforcement brought down this nefarious threat to society by sending in an undercover officer to get a recommendation from Montante.  Yes, less than half of all violent crimes and less than a fifth of all property crimes lead to an arrest in America, but we’ve got all the police time and resources we need to conduct undercover stings on pot docs in a legalized pot state.

Now, this rant doesn’t quite go the same way if I’m telling the story in Washington.  Sure, it’s both medical and legal there, too, but there is quite a difference.  Recreational consumers in Washington can possess an ounce of marijuana, but medical consumers can possess a pound and a half.  Recreational consumers in Washington don’t get the home cultivation right that medical consumers in the state get, which amounts to fifteen plants in any stage of growth.  The only similarity between Washington and Colorado in this regard is that medical consumers in both states can shop for cannabis at established retail outlets, while recreational consumers can’t yet.  Higher possession limits, home cultivation, and dispensaries provide great incentive for a recreational consumer to “go medical” in Washington.

In Colorado, however, there isn’t much difference between a recreational and a medical consumer.  A recreational consumer gets one ounce; a medical consumer gets two.  Both are allowed to grow three mature plants and three immature plants.  There are the well-established dispensaries - more than Starbucks! - where medical consumers get to shop and recreational consumers don’t.  It would seem, then, that the purpose of these undercover stings is to make sure recreational consumers stay out on the black market until the pot shops open in 2014.  Weed dealers throughout the Rocky Mountains say “thank you”........

You can read the full story at TheWeedBlog

This article is brought to you by theweedblog.com

TSA Not Looking To Bust Passengers For Marijuana

Since laws are rapidly changing regarding the legal use of marijuana, the Transportation Safety Administration is having a hard time deciding whether it allows Arline passengers to fly with pot.

So the question is should you keep calm and carry it on?

Since TSA is a federal agency it still has to enforce federal law. Even though medical marijuana has been legalized in 20 states, and two states allow the recreational use of cannabis, weed remains illegal on a federal level.

On TSA's website they make it clear that its agents are not actively searching for the drug."TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other drugs. In the event a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer," the TSA website states. "Whether or not marijuana is considered 'medical marijuana' under local law its not relevant to TSA screening because TSA is governed by federal law and federal law provides no basis to treat medical marijuana any differently than non-medical marijuana."........

 

You can read the full article here

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Proposed Denver Marijuana Ordinance Could Make Medicating At Home Illegal

A proposed Denver city ordinance geared towards recreational marijuana could affect medical marijuana patients who are medicating in the privacy of their own homes. The ordinance is being introduced at a committee meeting tomorrow. The ordinance could end up prohibiting smoking on private property if the odor from consumption could be detected from a neighboring property. I understand that people want to ban public use, but anything done with marijuana in the privacy of one’s home should be perfectly legal (especially consumption).

Creating such a ban would give so much power to marijuana opponents that it would be a disaster for patients and recreational users alike. At any time all a marijuana opponent would have to do is say that they could smell marijuana and call the cops. Enforcement would be a nightmare. How much smell would be too much? What if law enforcement showed up due to a complaint, and the smell was gone, would they still bust the marijuana user? How do you prove that a smell existed in the first place, and for that matter, that it was a smell so strong that it was offensive?

It seems like every scenario would be a judgement call which would create such a headache for everyone involved. I certainly know if I was consuming marijuana in the privacy of my own home, or cultivating in the privacy of my own home, and I was busted for a ‘smell’ I would fight it in court with everything I had. I would demand to know how they would prove I was in the wrong, and how it created a measurable harm to the person complaining......

You can read the full article here

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Marijuana Compound Induces Cell Death In Hard To Treat Brain Cancer

Madrid, Spain: The combined administration of THC and the pharmaceutical agent temozolomide (TMZ) demonstrates strong anti-cancer activity in brain tumors resistant to conventional anti-cancer treatments, according to preclinical data published online in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Investigators at Complutense University in Spain assessed the anti-tumor activity of the cannabinoids THC and CBD (cannabidiol) in glioma xenografts (tissue grafts).

Authors reported that the administration of THC in combination with TMZ (the benchmark agent for the management of glioblastoma) "enhanced autophagy" (programmed cell death) in malignant tissue. The combined administration of THC, CBD, and TMZ "remarkably reduce[d] the growth of glioma xenografts ... [and] produced a strong antitumoral action in both TMZ-sensitive and TMZ-resistant tumors."........

You can read the full story here

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CBS News Reporter Howard Arenstein Was Busted For Growing Marijuana At His DC Home

Award-winning CBS Radio News Correspondent and Radio Bureau Manager Howard Arenstein was arrested in D.C. Saturday, After police found marijuana growing in his yard. His wife, Orly Azoulay, was also arrested for possession of pot with intent to distribute.....

Read the full story at Cannabis Country

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