Author Steve Elliott ~alapoet~

Obama OG Marijuana Hits San Diego Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 12, 2011 Dispensaries, News, Products

A new(ish) strain of medical marijuana named after President Barack Obama has hit San Diego dispensaries over the past few months.

The “Obama OG” strain seems to be different than the simple “Obama” pot that one shop was offering in February 2009, reports Dave Maass at San Diego CityBeat. The general consensus on that strain was that it was just a marketing ploy timed to take advantage of the inauguration.

There’s no birth certificate available, but Obama OG seems to actually be one of the latest of the OG Kush strains that have been popular in Southern California, with Skywalker OG being one of the most popular for the past year. The “OG” means it is a descendant of a particular strain of Kush, an indica. The debate still rages among cognoscenti whether “OG” stands for “Ocean Grown” or “Original Gangsta.”

“Call it what you like, Obama OG gives an outstanding and long-lasting therapeutic effect,” reader Paul Smalley of San Diego told Toke of the Town Thursday morning. “I highly recommend it.”

“There’s several schools of thought as to where ‘OG’ came from,’ ” San Diego medical marijuana activist Eugene Davidovich told CityBeat. “And there’s very little standardization or solid information you can find about where it comes from because of the fear a lot of people have of talking about it.”

Signature Drive Will Try To Stop Medical Marijuana Crackdown

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: THC Finder

Montana medical marijuana advocates are getting ready to start a signature-gathering effort to suspend a soon-to-be-enacted law restricting the industry — and they won’t need to collect as many names as they initially believed.

The Secretary of State’s office has determined that advocates need at least 31,238 signatures to block the Legislature’s medical marijuana overhaul bill from becoming law, reports Charles S. Johnson at the Billings Gazette. It could take up to 43,247 signatures, depending on which state House districts they use, but they won’t need to gather 73,010 signatures as some originally believed.

California Pot Dispensary Offers Chocolates With A ‘Bhang’

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 Dispensaries, Products

Graphic: PRWeb

Holistic Herbal Healers in San Jose, California are now offering more Bhang for the buck

Holistic Herbal Healers, a San Jose, California medical marijuana collective, is now carrying Bhang Chocolate, a gourmet edible that shop says is “carefully tested to ensure a consistent level of medical cannabis in every bar.”

Unlike many cannabis edibles that can vary in strength from batch to batch, all Bhang Chocolates have the same potency, according to HHH, making it easier for patients to regulate their medication.

Bhang Chocolates are available in single-dose, double-dose, and triple-dose four-piece bars. The single-dose bar contains 60 milligrams of THC, which is the chief psychoactive component of marijuana. The double-dose bar contains 120 mg, and the triple-dose bar has 180 mg.

“Medicating yourself with edible cannabis products can be frustrating — as THC levels can vary widely, even in different batches of the same branded product,” said a director at HHH. “The addition of Bhang Chocolates at Holistic Herbal Healers is very good for our patients.”

N.H. Senate Puts The Brakes On Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: ReLegalize Indiana

The New Hampshire Senate has postponed action on a bill that would have legalized the medicinal use and possession of marijuana for people with debilitating or terminal illnesses.

The Senate voted on Wednesday to delay action on the bill, which would have legalized less than two ounces of cannabis for medical purposes, reports the Associated Press.

Sen. Ray White (R-Bedford) said the Senate does not plan to vote on the bill this year, leaving seriously ill patients in the state with no alternative except either suffering or breaking the law.

Maine Committee Votes To Expand Medical Pot Access, Privacy

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: Maine Medical Marijuana

Maine lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a proposal to expand access to cannabis under the state’s medical marijuana program. A second bill that would have legalized and taxed pot was voted down 7-3 in committee, but observers say the issue promises to resurface in the future.

The first measure, LD 1296, would make registration with the state voluntary rather than mandatory for patients who wish to use marijuana with the support of their physician, reports Meg Haskell at Bangor Daily News. This measure is intended to protect the privacy of patients, according to Rep. Deborah Sanderson (R-Chelsea), who sponsored the bill.

According to Sanderson, some people will prefer to register in order to make sure they don’t run afoul of law enforcement agencies. But patients should not be forced to be listed in a state registry to seek lawful therapeutic medical treatment, she said.

Cops Hold Vigil In D.C.: Legalize Drugs To Stop Police Deaths

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 11, 2011 News

Photo: LEAP

The late Corporal Ed Toatley, left, with former narcotics officer Neill Franklin, now of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Peace Officers Memorial Day is this week, and some cops are saying we need to legalize drugs to stop police from dying in the failed “Drug War.”

Too many law enforcers are killed in the line of duty enforcing a senseless and unwinnable War On Drugs, according to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), which is calling for the legalization and regulation of all drugs.

They’re telling stories about their fallen friends and colleagues to back up their case.

“When one of my best friends was killed doing an undercover drug purchase, it opened my eyes to the fact that not only are these drug laws ineffective, but they lead to brave and dedicated law enforcers losing their lives,” said Neill Franklin, a 34-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department, now LEAP’s executive director.

ACLU To Feds: Don’t Prosecute Medical Marijuana Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 10, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Liberty Herbal Incense

The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to make clear that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not prioritize prosecution of people who comply with state medical marijuana laws, in keeping with previously stated DOJ policy.

In a letter sent late Monday, the ACLU expressed deep concern about recent letters from several U.S. Attorneys across the country, threatening federal prosecution of people who comply with state medical marijuana laws, even including state employees and state licensed providers of medical marijuana.

“Patients, providers and legislatures need clear guidance from DOJ so they can proceed in confidence that state law will be respected,” said Jay Rorty, director of the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project and one of the authors of the ACLU’s letter. “Patients who suffer from serious medical conditions need safe and reliable access to their medicine without the fear of federal prosecution.”

Lawmaker To AG: Why Isn’t Medical Pot A States’ Rights Issue?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 10, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: KOMO News

Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna thinks fighting health care reform is a states’ rights issue — but he seems completely unwilling to defend the state’s medical marijuana law against the feds

When 15 Democratic lawmakers in the Washington Legislature on Monday asked state Attorney General Rob McKenna for his opinion on several cannabis-related issues, his non-response only proved that the long-winded AG is capable of blathering on meaninglessly for six pages without ever actually saying anything.

McKenna’s office released an informal opinion which, Chris Grygiel of the Seattle P.I. reports, “largely declined to answer the questions the legislators previous posed to him. Those centered around how the federal government, which does not recognize state medical cannabis laws, might react to changes in Washington’s rules.”

Effective, Smokeless Medical Cannabis Extracts Available

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 10, 2011 Medical, Products

Photo: CBD Science

The new Alta California line of tinctures includes high CBD (Healing), balanced CBD/THC (Tranquility), and high THC (Euphoria).

A California-based company has introduced three cannabis based medicinal extracts (CBMEs), also known as tinctures, derived from organic plant material. They offer patients a choice of low, medium or high euphoric component THC, balanced with the healing cannabinoid CBD.

According to CBD Science LLC, based in San Francisco, “These are the first CBME products on the market with certified potency and purity, scientifically calibrated and documented.”

Steep Hill Lab certifies the propylene glycol (“double alcohol”) CBMEs as Safe Cannabis™, free of pesticides and mold. The lab also documents potency through THC and CBD levels.

The CMBE products, branded Alta California, are so far available to patients with valid recommendations at the following nonprofit dispensaries: Medithrive in San Francisco; Crème De Canna in Santa Cruz; and Magnolia Wellness in Orangevale, California.

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