Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Feds To Grant Exclusive Cannabinoid License To Pharma Firm

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 16, 2011 Legislation, Medical, Products

The U.S. federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services seems about ready to award exclusive rights to apply marijuana as a medical therapeutic. You read that correctly: “exclusive rights.”

Now, I don’t think of myself as a conspiracy theorist. But when the federal government keeps taking actions that, even when considered separately but especially when viewed together, all seem to be part of a bigger plan to pave the way for the pharmaceutical industry to bulldoze the cottage medical marijuana industry, I start getting antsy.

“We find it hypocritical and incredible that on the one hand, the U.S. Department of Justice is persecuting cannabis patient associations, asserting that the federal government regards marijuana as having absolutely no medical value, despite overwhelming clinical evidence,” said Union of Medical Marijuana Patients director James Shaw. “On the other hand, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning to grant patent rights with possible worldwide application to develop medicine based on cannabis.”

“Though UMMP welcomes any potential new research that could come from KannaLife Sciences’ federal endorsement, it is highly disconcerting that the contemplated grant is an exclusive one,” the organization posted on its website.

Netherlands Delays Plan To Ban Tourists From Buying Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 16, 2011 Dispensaries, Global, Legislation

THC Finder

The Dutch make lots of money on cannabis tourism — so obviously, that’s a problem they have to fix. Wait a minute…

The conservative government of the Netherlands said on Thursday it is delaying plans to ban tourists from buying marijuana in Dutch “coffee shops” until at least May 2012 — but said it still intends to implement the ban.

Cannabis, contrary to popular belief, is still technically illegal in the Netherlands, but police “tolerate” the possession of small amounts, and pot is sold openly in the coffee shops, reports the Associated Press. Large-scale growers still face possible arrest.

The Dutch Cabinet wants to introduce a “weed pass” system allowing only legal residents of the Netherlands to buy marijuana in the shops.

Berkeley Collective Offers Potent Marijuana ‘Christmas Trees’

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 15, 2011 Dispensaries, Products

Berkeley Patients Care Collective

Presenting the first Christmas Trees that are supposed to catch on fire

The Patients Care Collective (PCC) in Berkeley, California, has been helping medical marijuana patients for more than 10 years now, having originally opened their doors back in 2001. They’re a festive group; during the holidays they help patients celebrate the season with yummy, cannabis “Christmas Trees” augmented with potent concentrates.

“Making our PCC Medicinal Christmas Trees has become a popular tradition for our patients and staff,” Marina Musielak of Berkeley PCC told Toke of the Town Thursday afternoon.

Ammiano Meets US Atty On Medical Pot; Comes Away Frustrated

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 15, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

A meeting between California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (left) and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag ended only in frustration

California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) on Tuesday finally got his meeting with federal prosecutor Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for Northern California. But Ammiano left the meeting frustrated and disappointed that Haag doesn’t seem to understand the chaos she’s creating.

“The meeting didn’t result in any changes,” a clearly disappointed Ammiano told Tim Redmond of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. “But it was good that it happened. We cleared the air about the harm that’s being done.”

Haag wasn’t at all clear during the meeting about exactly what she wanted — what, in other words, would end the crackdown, according to Ammiano aide Quintin Mecke.

Idaho Man Loses Appeal To Smoke Pot For Religious Reasons

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 15, 2011 Culture, Legislation, News

Idaho Statesman

Cary White, shown here backpacking in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, has argued in court — unsuccessfully so far — that he has a religious right to use cannabis.

When Cary William White got stopped by Boise, Idaho police in 2007 for a bad headlight, the cops noticed a pill bottle with a green leafy substance between the driver’s seat and the console. White admitted to smoking marijuana earlier that day from a pipe which was found under his seat.

White fought back, making motions to dismiss the misdemeanor marijuana possession and paraphernalia charges on the grounds that his “sacred” use of cannabis is protected by Idaho’s religious freedom law.

But the Idaho Court of Appeals, in a unanimous Wednesday ruling, agreed with two lower courts, finding that “White’s marijuana use is not substantially motivated by a religious belief.” How convenient that they were able to read his mind and assess his heart. (Oh yeah — they weren’t.)

Seattle’s Smoking This Sunday At MEDFEST

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 14, 2011 Culture, Products

Will Washington state medical marijuana patients lose the right to drive? Will they lose the right to grow their own medicine? Will state stores start selling pot instead of, or in addition to, hard liquor?

You can inform yourself on all those questions — and also have a blast — this Sunday, December 18, from 2 to 10 p.m. at the political pot party MEDFEST, which will be hosted at SODO Pop, 2424 1st Avenue South in Seattle, just north of Lander Street.

Medical Marijuana Crackdown Coming In Colorado

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 14, 2011 Dispensaries, News

CBS Denver

Med Stop, which was approved by the City of Denver, is 161 feet diagonally across the street from a school.

Colorado has been mercifully spared — so far — from the federal crackdown on medical marijuana. Some have speculated its highly regulated system of handling distribution through state-licensed dispensaries has protected the state. That theory may now need some adjustment. Federal authorities plan to crack down on the medicinal cannabis business in Colorado on a large scale for the first time.

The action — which also flies in the face of theories postulating that since Colorado’s medical marijuana law is a constitutional amendment, it has protected the state from the feds — will begin with warning letters which will go to dispensaries and grow facilities near schools, reports Rick Sallinger at CBS4.

So far, it’s not clear when the crackdown will begin in earnest.

Toke of the Town’s Cannabis Song of the Day: Get Lifted (Taylor)

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 14, 2011 Culture, Products

Taylor, who performs “Get Lifted,” is a 19-year-old hip hop artist out of New Jersey.
“I’m a huge supporter of marijuana, and I’m not just some kid who smokes it — I do plenty of reading and research on the good it could do for so many people,” Taylor told Toke of the Town Wednesday morning.
“I actually didn’t start getting very good at rapping until I started smoking weed,” Taylor told us. “I’ve always rapped and wrote lyrics, but I didn’t become really good until I started experimenting with the herb. I’ve always heard pot and musicians go together, now I see why.
“As far as what I think should happen to marijuana, it should be completely decriminalized,” Taylor said. “No reason why there’s laws on what we choose to do with a plant.”

Teen Marijuana Use Continues To Rise Despite High Arrest Rates

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 14, 2011 Legislation, News

Tobacco News

Government Study, Comparing Rates of Marijuana and Alcohol Use, Suggests That Regulation Is More Effective Means of Reducing Teen Use

Cannabis use continues to rise among youth despite the continued policy of arresting nearly a million people a every year for marijuana violations.

Marijuana use by 8th, 10th and 12th grade students increased again in 2011, with more American teenagers now using marijuana for the fourth year in a row, according to numbers released today by tyne National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the University of Michigan as part of the annual Monitoring the Future survey.

Mad Scientist Takes Top Spot At Oregon Cannabis Awards

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 13, 2011 Culture, Growing, Medical

Joe Winn

The 2011 Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards (OMCA) First Place trophy

By Charlie Bott

Toke of the Town

Oregon Correspondent

The marijuana strain Mad Scientist, grown by first-time entrant Ray Bowser, captured top honors at the 10th Annual Oregon Medical Cannabis Awards on Saturday, December 10, at the World Famous Cannabis Cafe in Portland.

The highest THC content flowers overall measured an impressive 23.9 percent. Better keep this stuff out of New Jersey (where the limit is 10 percent) and the Netherlands (limit 15 percent)!

Overall Winner: Mad Scientist — grown by first-time entrant Ray Bowser

2nd place: Medicine Woman — grown by David Verstoppen

3rd place : Blueberry — grown by last year’s winner, Jessi James

The ceremony also included the presentation of the Freedom Fighter of the Year awards to Lori Duckworth of Southern Oregon NORML, and presentation of the Dr. Ric Bayer Award to Paul Loney, legal counsel for Oregon NORML, for his years of service to the medical cannabis community.

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