Medical

R.I. State Police Want Medical Marijuana Grower Information

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 10, 2011 Medical, News

The new colonel of the Rhode Island state police wants state health officials to provide law enforcement with information about medical marijuana caregivers if they are targets of criminal investigations.

Col. Steven G. O’Donnell told The Associated Press that being able to verify whether an individual is authorized to grow cannabis at home would prevent unnecessary police search warrants and raids.

O’Donnell claimed it would save money on investigations and protect participants in the state’s medical marijuana program.

WA Supreme Court: You Can Be Fired For Medical Cannabis

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 10, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Photo: LawyersandSettlements.com

If you live in Washington state, it doesn’t even matter if medical marijuana is legal. You can be fired for using it — even legally — even if only if your off hours.

Employers in Washington state are allowed to fire employees who fail a drug test, even if they have a valid medical marijuana authorization, the state Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

The court ruled that TeleTech Customer Care, a Colorado-based company that handles customer service for Sprint from its facility in Bremerton, Washington, was allowed to fire a woman for failing its required drug test, even though she is a legal medical marijuana patient, reports J.B. Wogan at the Seattle Times.

The plaintiff was pulled out of her training class after just a week and fired on the spot on October 18, 2006, because she failed a pre-employment drug screen. She had a valid medical marijuana authorization from her doctor, and sued under the name Jane Roe.

Coloradans Fight Back Against Marijuana Patient Surveillance

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 10, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Graphic: Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project

New statutes and rules governing medical marijuana go into effect in Colorado on July 1. But the Cannabis Therapy Institute is calling the HB 1284, passed in 2010 by the Legislature, “expensive and unnecessary government over-regulation,” and CTI is calling on patients to join “the legal fight to defeat these laws.”

Big Pharma Trying To Get In The Medical Marijuana Business

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 10, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Real News Reporter

Big Pharma’s done such a good job being “consumer-friendly” and altruistic with all those other medications — why not let them in on Colorado’s medical marijuana market as well? (Yes, that is sarcasm.)

A new Colorado law signed last week is causing lots of concern in the medical marijuana community — and given the track record of Big Pharma for throwing their weight around and buying politicians, there is plenty of cause for concern.

One clause of HB 1043, the “medical marijuana cleanup bill” signed by Governor John Hickenlooper last week, contains a potential loophole allowing out-of-state firms to get involved in the industry outside of dispensaries and grow operations, reports Michael Roberts at Denver Westword.

Medical Marijuana Battle Heats Up In Montana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 7, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Cannabis Fantastic

The Montana Legislature this spring all but repealed the state’s medical marijuana law — passed by an overwhelming 62 percent of voters in 2004 — but the court battle rages on, as does the battle for public opinion.

First, the Montana Cannabis Industry Association filed suit to block implementation of the new law. Now, the state has responded with court filings of its own, reports Scots Kersgaard at the Colorado Independent.

Montana’s attorney general claims the new, more restrictive law is not unconstitutional, and his office is prepared to fight for it in court in about two weeks. Meanwhile, that same office is tasked with certifying the language being used in a referendum drive to overturn that very law.

AG Says Feds Will ‘Work With’ States On Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 3, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: Reuters

Attorney General Eric Holder: “We are in the process of working [on]these issues”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thursday that the Justice Department will work with governors and other state officials to reach a “satisfactory resolution” to the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries in states with medicinal cannabis programs.

“We are in the process of working [on]these issues with the U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island and other U.S. Attorneys across the country,” Holder said, reports W. Zachary Malinowski at The Providence Journal. “My hope is that sometime in the not too distant future … it will be addressed.”

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Legalized In Vermont

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 2, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: Prohibition’s End

Vermont Governor Pete Shumlin on Thursday signed S. 17, a bill authorizing up to four dispensaries where registered patients can buy medicinal cannabis, augmenting the state’s already-existing medical marijuana law.

Vermont joins Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Arizona and Delaware on the list of states that explicitly allow cannabis dispensaries. Washington, D.C., is also in the process of implementing a program that will allow five marijuana dispensaries in the nation’s capital.

“This is a great day for a lot of patients throughout the state that, until now, have been unsure how to go about obtaining medicine their doctor has recommended,” said Dan Riffle, legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project.

Public Forum Will Support North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on June 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: The North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network

If you or someone you care about has cancer or another debilitating medical condition that modern medicine is not helping — or the medicine is causing more side effects than it is worth — and you’ve considered using medical cannabis, you know how important legal access can be.

North Carolina House Bill 577, the “North Carolina Cannabis Act” would help seriously ill patients by providing them with safe and legal access to medical marijuana, and a public forum has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 7, to help educate legislators and the public about the bill.

The day will kick off with a press conference at 9:30 a.m., in room LB 1328. The North Carolina Cannabis Act House Bill 577 of 2011’s Public Forum is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Legislative Auditorium between the House and Senate Chambers. A lunch break at 1 p.m. out on the Halifax Mall, between the legislative buildings, will be sponsored by the North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network (NCCPN).

American Express Classifies Medical Marijuana With Online Porn

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 31, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Shadow Tech

Did you know your credit card company gets input on your medical decisions?

American Express, the most conservative of the major credit card companies, recently banned its customers from using the cards to buy medical marijuana — which is legal in 16 states. Medical marijuana joins online pornography on a short list of AmEx-banned purchases, which shows you roughly where the company’s coming from, moral judgment-wise.

So why should a financial institution get input on your medical decisions? Why should they care if you pursue one method of treatment — a natural, non-toxic herb — over harsh pharmaceuticals? Why are they acting as if a medical need for many of their customers — that is to say, doctor-recommended cannabis — is some sort of shameful vice?

Why are they treating seriously ill medical marijuana patients the same as a horned-up Bigg Juggs fan?

Police Want List Of Michigan Medical Marijuana Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on May 31, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Medical Marijuana Blog

Cops want a list of medical marijuana patients in Michigan. Patients are crying foul.

Legislation that would require the names of all medical marijuana patients and caregivers in Michigan to be given to state police, who in turn would provide the list to local law enforcement, has police excited and patients mad.

Senate Bill 377, sponsored by Senator Darwin Booher (R-Evart), has been referred to the Judiciary Committee, reports Liz Shepard at the Port Huron Times Herald. Police claim the bill would help them stop wasting resources by investigating tips about people who turn out to be legal medical marijuana patients.

“If you know ahead of time, you can sort a complaint or tip,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon.

Port Huron Police Lt. Scott Pike agreed that Booher’s legislation would be a timesaver because it can be difficult to verify if someone is registered with the state as a medical marijuana patient. “It would probably clear up a lot of unknowns because the system is so new,” Pike said.

Browsing: Medical