Medical

Browsing: Medical

Marijuana Crackdown Top Story Of The Year In Montana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 26, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

The collapse of Montana’s once-booming medical marijuana industry after a conservative Republican-controlled Legislature all but shut the program down with tough restrictions — in addition to raids where federal agents hit dozens of providers — was Montana’s top news story of 2011, according to an annual member poll from The Associated Press.

It’s the second straight year medicinal cannabis has been chosen as the state’s top story, reports Matt Volz at the Great Falls Tribune. But a world of change has occurred in Montana’s medical marijuana scene since a year ago.

President Obama: An Unexpected Enemy Of Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 26, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

As an Illinois state senator, Presidential candidate, and President, Barack Obama has made numerous statements in support of marijuana policy reform, and vowed not to waste Justice Department resources by going after medical marijuana dispensaries.
Obama had called using federal agents to go after patients and providers who are abiding by state laws in states where medical marijuana is legal “is not an efficient use of our resources.”
So when Obama won the Presidential election in 2008, supporters had hoped that patients abiding by state laws could use marijuana for medical purposes without fear of government intrusion.

Cali AG Wants Legislature To Clarify Medical Marijuana Law

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 22, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

CowHen.net

California Attorney General Kamala Harris: “Without a substantive change to existing law, these irreconcilable interpretations of the law, and the resulting uncertainty for law enforcement and seriously ill patients, will persist”

California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Wednesday urged state lawmakers to get serious about clarifying the state’s 15-year-old medical marijuana law. According to Harris, gray areas have left law enforcement and patients in a state of perpetual uncertainty.

The attorney general, who was elected with widespread backing from the state’s medical marijuana industry (OK, it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, it was more a case of “Anybody But Cooley“), has been under pressure to defend the state’s medicinal cannabis law since October, when the state’s four U.S. Attorneys announced a statewide crackdown on dispensaries.

Dozens of the shops — which the federal prosecutors claimed were fronts for public drug dealing — have since closed, reports Lisa Leff at the Associated Press.

Grumbine, Byron Found GUILTY Of All Charges In Med Pot Trial

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 21, 2011 Medical, News

The Weedly News

Joe Grumbine, above, and Joe Byron were found guilty of all counts Wednesday by a jury in Long Beach, California

Long Beach Kangaroo Court Yields Insane Jury Verdict

After what was reportedly one of the worst, most farcical and biased trials in history, led by an octogenarian judge who openly and repeatedly expressed his bias against medical marijuana — at one point even ordering a screen to be erected between the jurors and courtroom visitors — Joe Grumbine and Joe Byron, who operated Long Beach dispensaries, were found guilty Wednesday of all 13 counts.

The two are scheduled to return to Long Beach Superior Court on January 11 for sentencing. Superior Court Judge Charles Sheldon allowed the men to remain out on bail over the holidays.

Grumbine and Byron were raided and arrested two years ago this month, reports Nick Schou at OC Weekly, resulting in a long legal nightmare which culminated in today’s convictions. The jury found both men guilty of selling marijuana, tax evasion, and electricity theft.

The charges, according to supporters of the two Joes, are nothing more than an attack by overzealous police and prosecutors in violation of California’s medical marijuana law, reports Tracy Manzer at the Long Beach Press Telegram.

Medical Marijuana Advocacy Group Launches iPhone App

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 21, 2011 Culture, Medical, Products

Safe Access YouTube Channel

Here’s the iPad version. The ASA Advocacy App is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Soon to come will be the Android version.

Medical marijuana patient advocates now have better access to tools for getting educated and taking action. Grassroots advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) on Wednesday launched a first-of-its-kind, free iPhone application that serves the medical marijuana community.

According to ASA, the app will make it easier for advocates to get educated and take political action. The ASA Advocate App gives users access to all the organization’s projects and programs.

Cannabinoid Patent Exclusivity Only Applies To One Condition

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Medical, News

Black Tie Magazine

Dean Petkanas, CEO, KannaLife: “Our exclusivity is narrowly focused”

Exclusive Interview: Dean Petkanas, CEO, KannaLife

(The Company Just Awarded An Exclusive Cannabinoid License By The Federal Government)

The exclusive rights to apply the cannabinoids found in marijuana as therapeutic agents awarded by the U.S. federal government to the firm KannaLife only apply to one specific medical condition, KannaLife’s CEO told Toke of the Town Monday night.

Dean Petkanas, chief executive officer at KannaLife Sciences, told us that the exclusivity applies only for the development and sale of cannabinoid based therapeutics as antioxidants and neuroprotectants for use in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

“It is narrowly defined exclusivity, in that field,” Petkanas told us. “Our exclusivity is narrowly focused.”

Asked if KannaLife planned to get exclusive rights to develop cannabinoids to treat other conditions, Petkanas answered, “At the present time, we have no desire to do that.”

Huge Show Will Bring Truth About Med Marijuana To FL Seniors

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on December 19, 2011 Medical, News

Lance Draizin

Robert Platshorn, left, speaks on The Silver Tour while longtime federal medical marijuana patient Irvin Rosenfeld looks on

We’ve pointed out before that one Florida man — legendary former pitchman and marijuana smuggler Robert Platshorn — may hold the key to cannabis legalization in the United States. The reason we say that is that skilled pitchman Platshorn has proven he can sway senior audiences to support medical marijuana, and most of us are aware, seniors vote in heavier numbers than any other age group.

Platshorn, through the Silver Tour, brings the truth about marijuana to senior citizens in Florida and nationwide, and one of the biggest events yet on that tour will take place on January 29 in Boyton Beach, Fla.

The show, “Learn the Real Facts About Medical Marijuana,” will be free and all ages are welcome. It will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, January 29, at the Temple Shaarei Shalom in Boynton Beach.

Feds To Grant Exclusive Cannabinoid License To Pharma Firm

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

Medical Marijuana Hut

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.

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.

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.

Previous 1 … 116 117 118 119 120 … 203 Next