Medical

New Zealand Party Guarantees Access To Marijuana If Elected

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 25, 2011 Global, Legislation, Medical

Graphic: ALCP

A political party in New Zealand has guaranteed patients access to medical marijuana if elected to office in November.

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) said it will disband Medsafe if elected to ensure that cannabis and other natural medicines are freely available to patients who need them, reports Scoop.

According to the group, Medsafe in 2007 began a “modern day witch hunt” against the natural health industry in New Zealand, prosecuting merchants and seizing stock from producers of natural remedies who say their products have therapeutic benefits.

Case Dismissed; Men Want Their Medical Marijuana Back

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 25, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: KOMO News

All charges against Guy Casey, above, were dismissed — but the cops still don’t want to give his medical marijuana back.

Two operators of a Tacoma, Washington medical marijuana dispensary beat drug charges earlier this year. Now they want their cannabis back.

Guy Casey and Michael Schaef said they are legally authorized to possess the marijuana seized during a raid and that the government no longer has any interest in the pot, reports Adam Lynn at the Bellingham Herald.

They’ve asked a Pierce County Superior Court judge to return to each of them 48 ounces of harvested marijuana and 30 plants — or their equivalents in cash.

Petulant Police Refuse To ‘Participate In’ Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 22, 2011 Medical, News

Graphic: Chico Police Officers’ Association

Members of the Chico Police Officers’ Association have revealed themselves to be some real grandstanding hot-doggers. These “public servants,” the lowest-paid of whom makes $70,000 a year straight out of your taxpayer pocket, are refusing to do their jobs.

Did you know police officers got to pick which laws they enforce? Did you know these big-bellied buffoons in blue, if they personally disapprove of a law, feel entitled to ignore the damn thing? Hell, maybe we should have all gone into law enforcement, if it’s that cushy a gig.

These drama queens, apparently trying to make some sort of point but mostly just ending up with “we’re a bunch of unprofessional ass-bags,” have sent a letter to Chico, California City Councilman Mark Sorensen stating that under federal law, they cannot be involved in any part of the city’s recent commercial growing and marijuana selling ordinance.

2011 CA Atty. Gen. Marijuana Guidelines Leaked; Read ‘Em Here

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 22, 2011 Growing, Legislation, Medical

Photo: Office of the Attorney General

California Attorney General Kamala Harris

A draft copy of the new 2011 California Attorney General’s guidelines on medical marijuana have been leaked. They are reproduced below in their entirety.

An official release of these guidelines is expected sometime between now and the end of August.

The section on collectives and dispensaries, among others, doesn’t seem to be good news for patients as far as affordable access is concerned; the section seems to limit individual patient options.

“While many advocates argue for ‘safe access’ I want not only ‘safe access’ but ‘affordable access’ and at times I get the impression that ‘affordable access’ is lost in the discussion among many,” commented Brett Stone, who manages the Medical Marijuana News group on Yahoo!, through which he released the draft guidelines.

“A special thanks to Shona Gochenaur of San Francisco’s Axis of Love for uncovering and forwarding this copy to me,” Stone said.

Farmer’s Market Brings Patients And Cannabis Together

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 21, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical

Patients in the Olympia, Washington area, south of Seattle, are lucky enough to have an excellent farmer’s market providing the best in cannabis, edibles, topicals and concentrates from a variety of caregiver tables.

Medical Marijuana Supporters Get 2,000 Signatures In One Week

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 20, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Helena Independent Record

Senator Dave Wanzenreid (D-Missoula) spoke Tuesday in the secretary of state’s office to announce the Initiative Referendum 124 petition campaign by Patients For Reform – Not Repeal.

It only took a week to get 2,000 Montanans to sign petitions to let voters in 2012 decide the fate of the restrictive medical marijuana law passed by their state Legislature this year, backers of the referendum said on Tuesday.

A group called Patients For Reform – Not Repeal has launched a statewide campaign trying to get enough voter signatures to place Senate Bill 423 on the ballot next year, reports Charles S. Johnson at the Billings Gazette.

If the group reaches an additional level of signatures by September 30, the law will be suspended until voters decide in November 2012 whether to keep or reject it.

The referendum is part of a three-pronged attack by medical marijuana supporters and patients. On another front, the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, along with other groups, has mounted a court challenge to the law’s constitutionality.

The Cannabis Vote: What Are The Choices?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 20, 2011 Culture, Dispensaries, Medical

Photo: Skreened

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Without a doubt, President Obama has let down the medical marijuana faction of his constituents. Not to go over old ground but the promises, and yes, I say promises, because when you’re campaigning on change, and the last guy lied, lied, lied — I need to believe what you’re saying is the truth.

When the President said he and his peeps would back off from the states that have voted for medical marijuana, I believed him.

And now all I think is Hillary Clinton was right. Obama is under qualified and can’t move mountains.

I voted for Obama for many reasons, medical marijuana only being one of them.

Governor: N.J. Going Ahead With Marijuana Dispensaries

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 19, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: Livestream

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie: “I have been struggling — as has my administration — to try and find a way to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish … which is to provide compassionate treatment to people who are suffering”

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced at a surprise press conference on Tuesday that he has decided to allow six Alternative Treatment Centers, as the state calls medical marijuana dispensaries, to move ahead.

The governor, who has been accused of deliberately stalling implementation of the medical marijuana law approved by the Legislature in January 2010, said he would take full responsibility for the move, reports Freedom Is Green.

“I have been struggling — as has my administration — to try and find a way to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish … which is to provide compassionate treatment to people who are suffering in a way that will not expose them, the operators of our dispensaries or employees of the State of New Jersey to criminal liability,” Christie said.

Medical Marijuana: Menace or Relief? [Infographic]

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 19, 2011 Culture, Medical

++ Click to Enlarge Image ++

Image Source: ADrugRecall.com

Embed this infographic on your site or within a blog post: (Copy Paste This Code)

<b>++ Click to Enlarge Image ++</b><br /><a href=”http://www.adrugrecall.com/infographics/medical-marijuana.php”><img src=”http://c212747.r47.cf1.rackcdn.com/MedicalMarijuanaSm.jpg” width=”500″ alt=”Infographic: Medical Marijuana – Menace to Society or Natural Source of Relief?” border=”0″ /></a><br />Image Source: <a href=”http://www.adrugrecall.com/”>ADrugRecall.com</a>

Is medical marijuana a menace to society or natural source of relief?

Israeli Nursing Home Prescribes Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 19, 2011 Global, Medical

Photo: NTD Television

Moshe Rott tokes up at Hadarim Geriatric Home in Israel

Even as the Obama Administration inexplicably denies the medical benefits of marijuana, at least one Israeli nursing home is prescribing the herb to its elderly patients, reportedly with great results.

Israel’s Ministry of Health in 2008 approved limited use of medical marijuana, and now that the nation’s elderly residents are eligible for cannabis prescriptions, they’re giving it high marks, reports Andrew Belonsky at death + taxes.

“What does it do? It makes me tranquil and less uptight,” said patient Moshe Rott, reports Eric W. Dolan at Raw Story. “I’m able to take it easy, and I feel restful. Before that my hands were in pain, like someone suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It stopped after three months. My hands don’t shake anymore, and it’s totally different.”

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