| Don’t expect any MMJ dispensaries here anytime soon. |
The NIMBYs of the Fairfield, Conn. Town Plan and Zoning Commission all seem to agree that medical marijuana is a legitimate and beneficial therapy for patients with certain debilitating conditions.
They just don’t want it anywhere near their town.
You know the pot tide is turning when Texas wants to legalize it. According to a study by the Marijuana Policy Project and Public Policy Polling released today, 58 percent of voters polled said they wanted to legalize pot and regulate it similarly to alcohol. Thirty-eight percent were opposed.
The Lone Star State also feels that medical marijuana should be legalized, with 58 percent supporting changes in laws to allow access to cannabis for sick and terminally ill patients. Only 31 percent say they would oppose medical cannabis laws.
Cannabis is an effective tool for combating multiple sclerosis. It is something medical marijuana patients have known for years now, but researchers at Tel Aviv University now have sound evidence that certain cannabinoids can help prevent swelling in the brain and spinal cord associated with the disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology this month, said that they were able to control the “out of hand” inflammation associated with MS by using both cannabidiol (CBD) and THC – chemical compounds found in cannabis.
Arkansans now have two medical marijuana law proposals to consider putting on the 2014 ballot. Arkansans for Compassionate Care officially began their journey to get their medical marijuana bill before voters after state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel approved the wording late yesterday.
The group now has to get the John Hancock of at least 62,507 registered Arkansas voters to get the measure on the 2014 ballot.
| Wyoming state capitol. |
Wyoming NORML director Christine Christian filed an application with the Wyoming secretary of state’s office Monday for a marijuana legalization proposal, taking the first step on a long road towards increased cannabis freedom in the Equality State.
Lawmakers now have 14 days to look over the proposal. They can approve it outright, suggest changes or deny it altogether.
An Iowa state senator plan to introduce medical marijuana and marijuana decriminalization bills when the Iowa legislature convenes on Wednesday, even though both have a snowball’s chance in Death Valley of passing.
Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City says both bills are needed, but nobody else seems to agree. That includes Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad who has been outspoken in his opposition to legalization in the past.
Marijuana has no negative effects on human health, according to researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.
The study, which randomly sampled patients who tested positive for marijuana to see if the marijuana-use had any impact on their health, came up with no negative correlations. Basically, there’s no difference between people who smoke cannabis daily and those who do not.
| Marijuana Policy Project’s Matt Simon. |
West Virginia lawmakers have begun considering the possibility of allowing for legal medical marijuana use and cultivation in their state. As we reported earlier this week, an interim joint health committee (no pun intended) has been called to evaluate whether legalizing medical cannabis is the right move for the state. Yesterday was the first of the hearings, with Marijuana Policy Project analyst and spokesman Matt Simon taking the stand and urging politicians in his home state to come to their senses.
“Those are some of the really tragic cases in my opinion, patients who have to move to another state just to try a plant that would work for them,” Simon told lawmakers.
There are about 1,500 marijuana plants being harvested right now, with a final resting place somewhere in the hands of sick New Jersey patients.
Starting October 15, the Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey near Atlantic City, will open its doors to patients – provided they have made a reservation.
| prairieplant.com |
| Prairie Plant Systems garden. |
One company so far has a monopoly on medical cannabis production in Canada after receiving the first two federal licenses to grow the herb this week.
Starting in April, medical marijuana patients in Canada are barred from growing their own medicine thanks to a law passed last year. All cannabis has to be produced from a licensed supplier.