Medical

Vermont’s Marijuana Dispensary Bill Survives Close Call

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 7, 2011 Dispensaries, Legislation, Medical

Vermont’s medical marijuana dispensary bill survived a close call in the Senate Rules Committee on Thursday.

The bill, S. 17, which would allow up to four medicinal cannabis dispensaries in Vermont, was expected to be debated on the Senate floor this week, reports Terri Hallenbeck at the Burlington Free Press. But first, it had to make it through the Senate Rules Committee, because it didn’t meet the deadline for bills coming out of Senate committees.

“The Senate is being a little stricter with that rule this year,” Hallenbeck reports.

“It looked this morning like the bill might be killed by the rules committee,” Hallenback writes. Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle/Crittenden), a member of the committee, is among those who don’t like the idea of legalizing marijuana dispensaries.

Mayor Approves Final Medical Marijuana Rules For D.C.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: The Georgetowner

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on Wednesday approved final regulations for medical marijuana in the District of Columbia.

More than 12 years after D.C. voters overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana ballot initiative, seriously ill residents of the District of Columbia will finally be able to begin using cannabis to treat certain medical conditions.

On Wednesday, Mayor Vincent Gray approved the final regulations on the licensing, distribution, and use of medical marijuana in the District. The full regulations will be published officially on April 15. The City Council has 30 days to review the regulations, but they will go into effect immediately on that date.

Michigan Judge Says Medical Marijuana Is Illegal

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 6, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Townhall.com

Judge Mark Somers claims that Michigan’s medical marijuana law is illegal, since federal law bans the weed.

A suburban Detroit area judge claims that Michigan’s medical marijuana law is illegal, and is trumped by federal drug laws which classify cannabis as a Schedule I substance.

Dearborn District Judge Mark Somers ruled in March in a case involving a man who was caught with pot before he received a medical marijuana card, reports The Associated Press. The patient, Robert Brandon, unsuccessfully tried to have his case dismissed.

CA Med Marijuana Employment Rights Approved By Committee

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Steve Rhodes/flickr

State Senator Mark Leno: “When Californians approved the compassionate use of cannabis, they never intended for it to apply only to unemployed people”

The State Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-2 on Tuesday, approving a bill that would protect California’s medical marijuana patients from discrimination at the workplace.

Senate Bill 129 was introduced by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) in January as an attempt to clarify the legislative intent of the state’s Medical Marijuana Program Act. While clearly establishing a medical marijuana patient’s right to work, SB 129 continues to prohibit on-the-job impairment.

The bill now moves to the Senate floor for an as-of-yet unscheduled vote.

Medical Marijuana Repeal Headed To Montana Governor’s Desk

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 5, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: KXLF

Jackson, caregiver and owner of Green Rx, said he was surprised the Legislature would vote to repeal a voter-passed initiative.

A bill to repeal Montana’s medical marijuana law — and thus thwart the will of an overwhelming 62 percent of voters who approved it in 2004 — has passed both the House and Senate and is now heading to the governor’s desk.

Members of Montana’s medical marijuana community are still asking themselves what happened, pinning their hopes on a veto from Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

It’s surprising that the Legislature would vote to repeal such a popular voter-passed initiative, according to Jim Gingery, executive director of the Montana Medical Growers Association, reports Dan Boyce of KXLF.

“Particularly, one that was supposed to be increasing jobs and helping the economy instead of taking jobs away and hurting patients,” Gingery said.

Worth Repeating: What Does ‘May Recommend’ Mean?

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 4, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Triple5Light

Welcome to Room 420, where your instructor is Mr. Ron Marczyk and your subjects are wellness, disease prevention, self actualization, and chillin’.

Worth Repeating

By Ron Marczyk, R.N.

Health Education Teacher (Retired)

National Cancer Institute “Unexplains” Possible Cancer Cure To Nation

So, let me get this straight: We, the cancer patients in the U.S., “misinterpreted” the NCI website information on cannabis? It’s our error? We screwed up? We got it totally wrong? It’s our fault due to our poor reading skills?

We misunderstood the term physicians “may recommend” cannabis to their patients. How stupid of us!

Medical Marijuana Growers Have Access To University Advice

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 4, 2011 Growing, Medical

Photo: Holland Sentinel

Licensed medical marijuana growers in Michigan can call upon Michigan State University Extension personnel for advice

Inquiries on how to cultivate marijuana have slightly increased in the past few years, according to Michigan State University Extension plant experts. MSU-E, mainly involved in more mainstream agricultural pursuits, is a resource for some medical cannabis suppliers looking for good information.

Having received about seven calls since medical marijuana became legal in Michigan, MSU-E senior educator Thomas Dudek said he tries to relay basic information on plant physiology to novice growers, reports Sara Qamar of Capital News Service.

Delaware Senate Approves Legalizing Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: THC Finder

The Delaware Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legalizing medical marijuana, despite reservations from some supporters who said the legislation has flaws.

The bill would allow adults with debilitating illnesses such as HIV or cancer to get authorization from their doctors to buy marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries, reports Chad Livengood at Delaware Online.

On an 18-3 vote, the Senate sent Senate Bill 17 to the House, where supporters believe there are enough votes to get the bill to Gov. Jack Markell’s desk for a signature. Of course, there were a few alarmists who claimed the bill puts Delaware on the path towards legalizing marijuana altogether, as if that’d be the end of the world.

Montana Senate OKs Medical Marijuana Repeal

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on April 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Montana Legislature

Sen. Rowlie Hutton (R-Helena): This moron believes that God wants him to take medical marijuana away from patients. “Sometimes the most compassionate answer you can give is no, you don’t need this,” Hutton, a pastor, said of medical marijuana.

The Montana Senate voted 29-21 on Thursday to repeal Montana’s medical marijuana law after an emotional debate marked by angry finger-pointing by senators from both sides.

After debating for more than an hour, the Senate finally gave preliminary approval to House Bill 161, by Speaker Mike Milburn (R-Cascade), to repeal the state’s medical marijuana law on July 1, reports Charles S. Johnson at the Helena Independent Record. The Senate will take a final vote on the bill Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, the Senate voted 36-14 to send SB 423, which would repeal and overhaul the medical marijuana law, to the House floor after it had stalled in the Senate on Wednesday. Because it missed a key deadline, SB 423 will now require a two-thirds majority in the House to s suspend the bil..

Montana’s medical marijuana law was approved by an overwhelming 62 percent of state voters in 2004.

Milburn said he was asking the House GOP to suspend the rules and take up SB 423 as a second option to the outright repeal bill, which he prefers.

During the debate on HB 161, Sen. Rowlie Hutton (R-Havre) claimed that, as a pastor, he has been asked to participate in “interventions” for people “addicted to marijuana.” He called for making medical marijuana illegal again.

Idaho House Starts Informational Hearings On Medical Marijuana

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

Photo: WN.com

Committee Chair Rep. Janice McGeachin: “It’s probably much less toxic than a lot of the pharmaceutical drugs that are produced that people take now”

The first hearing to review a bill that would permit the use of marijuana by seriously ill Idaho residents was held on Wednesday, marking the first time such legislation has ever been granted a public hearing in the Idaho House of Representatives.

The Health & Welfare Committee heard testimony in support of HB 19, which would allow seriously and chronically ill Idahoans to use marijuana to treat certain conditions with doctors’ recommendations.

This bill, introduced by Rep. Tom Trail (R-Moscow), contains very specific criteria to qualify for the program and for the production of medical marijuana. If passed, it would be the strictest and most tightly regulated medical marijuana law in the nation — which, unfortunately, also means it would be the least patient-friendly.

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