Medical

Woman Taped At Medical Marijuana Clinic; Sues Doctor

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 15, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: Andreas Fuhrmann/The Redding Record Searchlight

Dr. Cristal Speller, left, in the consultation with Tawnya McKee which resulted in a lawsuit

A Redding, California woman has sued a medical marijuana doctor, alleging the physician allowed a newspaper reporter to secretly interview and videotape her during a consultation in which she sought authorization to use cannabis.

The allegations are denied by both the newspaper, which wasn’t sued, and the doctor’s attorney, reports Ryan Sabalow at The Redding Record Searchlight.

Tawnya McKee alleges in a lawsuit filed late last month that on September 11, 2009, she went in Dr. Cristal Speller’s Natural Care for Wellness clinic in Redding.

Michigan Court: Medical Marijuana Law Isn’t Retroactive

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 15, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: SGVTribune.com

The Michigan Appeals Court ruled Wednesday the state’s medical marijuana law cannot be used retroactively to save people from cannabis charges.

The court reversed a decision by a Tuscola County judge who had dismissed charges against a man caught with nine marijuana plants and “drug paraphernalia,” reports the Grand Haven Tribune.

Keith Campbell said he was using marijuana for medicinal purposes, but the bust occurred in 2007, a year before Michigan’s medical marijuana law took effect.

Montana Medical Marijuana Advocate Arrested

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 14, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: Missoula Independent

Jason Christ of the Montana Caregivers Network was arrested Monday afternoon.

Montana medical marijuana advocate Jason Christ, the polarizing founder of Montana Caregivers Network, was arrested in Missoula late Monday afternoon and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors, reports Matthew Frank at the Missoula Independent.

“The incident that occurred was about marijuana, but his charges were not related to marijuana, if that makes sense,” said Sgt. Bob Bouchee of the Missoula Police Department.

Poll: Most New Yorkers Want To Legalize Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 14, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: Polls Boutique

A new poll has found that a solid majority of New Yorkers — more than 60 percent — are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical uses.

According to the Cornell University Survey Research Institute poll, there is a marked difference between Democrats and unaffiliated voters on one side and Republicans on the other. Among Democrats, 66 percent support medical legalization, as do 68 percent of independents, reports Cara Matthews at LoHud.com.

But a plurality of Republicans — 48 percent — are against medical marijuana legalization.

Blind Woman’s Medical Marijuana Suit Thrown Out

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 14, 2010 Dispensaries, Medical

Graphic: Cannabis N.I.

There is no constitutional right in California to obtain medical marijuana, according to an Orange County Superior Court judge. The judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit filed by a blind San Clemente medical marijuana patient who said she had a state constitutional right in California to cannabis to help her cope with cerebral palsy and other illnesses.

Judge Tam Nomoto Schumann showed an unbecoming heartless streak as she granted a motion to dismiss Malinda Traudt‘s lawsuit against the city of Dana Point, Calif. Her attorney, Jeffrey Schwartz, vowed to appeal, reports the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Traudt buys medical marijuana from Beach Cities Collective in Dana Point, and is trying to stop the city’s attempts to shut down the dispensary.

Medical Marijuana Appeal To Set Landmark Precedent This Week

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 13, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: WeedMaps.com

Premium Organic Treatments Patient Collective Association (POT PCA) is located at 3148 East La Palma Avenue, Suite J in Anaheim.

A moment of truth for medical marijuana dispensaries will come this week when California’s Fourth Appellate District Division Three will issue its opinion in the Qualified Patients vs. Anaheim case by July 19. The decision will come after a years-long appeal process closely watched by patients, advocates, politicians, lawyers, and the press.

California’s localized approach to interpreting the state’s medical marijuana law has some distinct drawbacks. Among those is the fact acting identically can either lead to profits or to jail, depending where a patient lives, points out David Downs in the East Bay Express.

Cities in conservative areas — like Anaheim in Orange County — have effectively re-criminalized dispensaries, setting up an appeals court showdown scheduled to end sometime within the next week.

Nebraska Pharmacy Board Urged To OK Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 13, 2010 Legislation, Medical

Photo: NORML Blog

More than a dozen people on Monday asked the Nebraska Board of Pharmacy to reclassify marijuana so it can be authorized as medicine.

Those testifying included a medical doctor, a lawyer, one of the original Yippies from the 1960s and an Iowa trucker wearing a “Reverend Reefer” t-shirt, reports Paul Hammel at the Omaha World-Herald.

They urged the board to help Nebraska join 14 other states the allow medicinal cannabis to relieve pain and ease the symptoms of diseases such as cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

All US Patients Now Eligible For Oregon Medical Marijuana Cards

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 13, 2010 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: MERCY Centers

Any eligible patient in the United States may now obtain a medical marijuana card in Oregon.

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) may no longer require Oregon residency as a part of the medical marijuana permit application process, reports Rachel Cheeseman at The Oregon Politico.

Applicants formerly needed to supply proof of residency as well as Oregon identification as part of their application. However, OMMP was informed by the Department of Justice that such a requirement was inconsistent with the language of the bill.

Tawana Nichols, OMMP manager, said while the program was created with the intent of specifically benefiting Oregonians, there was no requirement of Oregon residency written into the bill, so they could not lawfully require it.

S.F.’s ‘Mainstreaming’ Medical Marijuana Regs Draw Praise

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 12, 2010 Dispensaries, Medical

Photo: Terry Schmitt/UPI

“Sativa Steve” shows off one of dozens of varieties of pot in a medicinal cannabis shop in San Francisco.

San Francisco medical marijuana dispensaries have to play by the rules — and some marijuana advocates couldn’t be happier about it, reports Chris Moody at The Daily Caller.

The City by the Bay passed new rules last week regulating the sale and distribution of medical marijuana in baked goods and other edible items, which according to observers takes the city one step closer to making pot a mainstream product.

The new regs, announced by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, require that all baked goods including marijuana are individually wrapped with labels that list the exact amount of cannabis in the product.

Marijuana edibles cannot resemble any kind of candy that may attract children, and no one under legal age may be present during the baking of manufacturing process, according to the new regulations.

Dispensaries that offer both hot and cold products on the same premises, such as brownies and milk shakes, are required to have a special permit from the Public Health Department.

Montana Group Halts Traveling Medical Marijuana Clinics

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on July 12, 2010 Medical, News

Photo: KFBB

A Montana group is ending its traveling medical marijuana clinics, after facing criticism for their patient screening methods.

The Montana Caregivers Network has been hosting clinics for more than a year, reports KFBB.

The cost of clinic visits was $150, and for that fee, the network brought together patients who wanted to receive a medical marijuana recommendation with doctors who were willing to authorize them.

Even though Montana Caregivers Network said it will no longer be hosting the traveling clinics, the group isn’t stopping its work completely.

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