'Conclusions' Based Upon Anecdotal Evidence From Just 3 Patients

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Medical marijuana should be avoided by teenagers, Mayo Clinic researchers say in an upcoming publication.

The commentary, which will be published in the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is based on anecdotal findings from just three high school-age patients at Mayo's pediatric chronic pain clinic, reports the Rochester Post-Bulletin. The three teens said they used marijuana regularly.

The researchers claimed there are few studies on the risks and benefits of marijuana use to treat chronic pain in adults, and even less data on using it to ease chronic pain in adolescents, reports Science Daily. They claimed that while medical marijuana may help some specific conditions, adverse effects can include fatigue, impaired concentration and slower reaction times.

"The consequences may be very, very severe, particularly for adolescents who may get rid of their pain -- or not -- at the expense of the rest of their life," said overly dramatic coauthor J. Michael Bostwick, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist who talks as if he's on the payroll of Big Pharma.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

A corrections officer and Iraq veteran in New Mexico has lost his job due to his use of medical marijuana to treat his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Augustine Stanley, 32, spent nearly a year in Iraq in 2004 as an Army Reserve convoy security specialist for the 644th Transportation Company, reports Joline Gutierrez Krueger at Albuquerque Journal. He has served 13 years as a corrections officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque.

The son of former Bernalillo County Sheriff's captain and Gallup Police Chief Sylvester Stanley, "Augie" was barely out of high school in 1999 when he began his career as an MDC corrections officer.

In 2006, after serving in Iraq, he returned to his MDC job and was promoted to sergeant, then a year later to lieutenant. Stanley said his record was unblemished.

His wife, Anetra, saw what experiences in Iraq had done to him.

"I've known him since high school, and he has never even raised his voice," Anetra said. "But after he came back, he was changed. He talked about hurting himself. Once, he smashed his fist into a truck window and broke it."

Only working at his job at MDC could he control the waves of what was later diagnosed as PTSD. That diagnosis came in January 2011, and it came with prescriptions for Xanax (anxiety), Ambien (insomnia) and citalopram (depression).

"They just knocked me out," Stanley said. "I couldn't function."

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, suggesting his own past drug use gives him the moral authority to speak out against marijuana, railed against pot on the June 14 episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher."

Kennedy, a former eight-term U.S. Representative from Rhode Island, leads Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), an organization which opposes cannabis legalization. He is an admitted former OxyContin addict, alcoholic, and cocaine abuser.

On Maher's show, Kennedy claimed studies show a link between marijuana and schizophrenia. He also suggested "heavy use" of pot by teenagers can lead to an IQ drop.

"Your reasoning is, 'You shouldn't do things because kids might,' " Maher pointed out. "Adults shouldn't have fires or drive cars. Kids might do all kinds of bad things."

"This is like global warming denying," Maher said. "This is the kind of stuff we heard years and years ago... It just seems so un-Kennedy-like to bge against what I said a couple of weeks ago was the new gay marriage. The next civil rights movement is to get equality under the law for people."

Kennedy has admitted he was treated for cocaine use during his teenager years. He also acknowledged he abused drugs and alcohol while he was a student at Providence College.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

A medical marijuana collective in Michigan is trying out a new business model in an attempt to operate legally. Patient-to-patient cash sales of medicinal cannabis by dispensaries in February were ruled illegal by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Brock Korreck, owner of Higher Expectations Medical Partnership (HEMP) Compassion Club in Battle Creek, said the collective is now charging caregivers a fee to enroll, and requires them to take educational classes on growing and maintaining cannabis plants, reports Jennifer Bomwan at the Battle Creek Enquirer. It also connects patients with caregivers, according to Korreck.

Marijuana is no longer stored on site, according to Korreck. The new business model is meant to provide safe access for caregiver-to-patient transfers and "options for patients to have new caregivers if their caregivers aren't living up to their expectations," he said.

Caregivers pay a one-time fee of $100 for any new patient with whom they are connected through the collective, and a $100 monthly fee to use the facility as a place of transfer. Patients do not pay any fees.

The shutdown of dispensaries following the Michigan Supreme Court decision has left many patients scrambling for safe access, according to Korreck. Even patients who have found a caregiver have found it more difficult to get their medicine, he said.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Alaska could be the next battleground in the effort to legalize marijuana.

A ballot initiative application on Friday was certified by Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, whose office oversees elections.

The proposal would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis, though not in public. It would also set up rules for legal cultivation and establish an excise tax on marijuana.

Supporters will have a year to collect valid signatures from 30,169 voters across the state in order to get the question on the 2014 ballot. The group plans to get it done by January and have it on next year's primary ballot, according to petition sponsor Tim Hinterberger, reports The Associated Press.

"It really seems like the whole mood has radically shifted," Hinterberger said.

The conversation is no longer about whether cannabis should be legalized, according to Hinterberger. "Everybody assumes it's going to happen, and now it's just figuring out the details," he said.

"Obviously getting approved by the lieutenant governor's office is a good step indicating that we're not going to run into roadblocks," Hinterberger said. "We're ready to roll."

After about a week -- the time required to prepare the petition booklets -- proponents can start gathering signatures, according to Gail Fenumiai, director of the Alaska Division of Elections.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Now that Riverside, California had its big victory in the California Supreme Court -- establishing the right to ban storefront medical marijuana dispensaries -- the city has now banned home medicinal cannabis delivery services, as well.

The new ban puts in place a barrier to safe access to medical marijuana for homebound and chronically ill patients. Some delivery services are defying the ban, reports KCAL9's Tom Wait.

"The studies have shown that the increase (in delivery services) has been found to coincide with successful enforcement actions" against storefront dispensaries, Riverside Deputy City Attorney Neil Okazaki told city council members on Tuesday, just before they approved an "emergency" ban on medicinal cannabis deliveries, reports Alicia Robinson at the Riverside Press Enterprise.

"Not everyone can afford prescription medication," said Kalonnie, a marijuana deliverer who asked that his last name not be used. "Not everyone enjoys prescription medication."

Kalonnie said his clients are patients who need the medication. He is concerned for patients who had counted on the delivery service.

"You can meet someone in a gas station parking lot," Kalonnie said. "That might be the riskiest thing you could ever do."

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Most Americans continue to support the legalization of medical marijuana, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. A majority think the federal government should stop prosecuting patients and providers in states which have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes.

According to the poll, 60 percent of Americans say they favor allowing doctors to authorize medical marijuana for their patients, while only 26 percent are opposed, reports Emily Swanson at The Huffington Post.

Democrats were most likely to support medical marijuana, followed by independents. Democrats favored medicinal cannabis by a 69 percent to 21 percent margin; independents favored it by a 61 percent to 24 percent margin.

But even among traditionally conservative Republicans, more respondents supported than opposed medical marijuana, at 46 percent to 38 percent.

Majorities of every age group in the poll supported the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Most respondents (57 percent vs. 25 percent) said the federal government should not arrest patients and dispensary operators in states that allow medical marijuana.

Majorities of Democrats (61 percent to 22 percent) and independents (60 percent to 20 percent) agreed, but Republicans were more evenly divided, with 43 percent saying the federal government should back off, and 37 percent saying it should continue arresting medical marijuana patients and providers.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

On June 14, 2000, the world lost one of its bravest activists for medical marijuana and personal freedom. Peter McWilliams, author of Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do and many other books, passed away after a battle with cancer and HIV when the government took away the cannabis he used to control his nausea. More than a decade after his death, it's important to remember just who and what this man was.

McWilliams [1949-2000] lived a rich life. He was many things: author, publisher, photographer, poet and activist, among others. But one of the most important things Peter was, was an inspiration. His courage and charisma were and continue to be a source of strength to many who are struggling with illness and with the injustice of our marijuana laws.

He had a remarkable career starting in the 1970s, writing more than 40 books, including works on depression, losing a loved one, computers, and poetry (yes, he was a real Renaissance Man). Several of McWilliams' books made The New York Times Top 10 nonfiction bestseller list.

Peter's 1993 libertarian manifesto Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do remains one of the greatest affirmations of the right of citizens to act and live in any peaceful, honest lifestyle, including their inalienable right to drugs and especially cannabis. It emphasizes personal freedom and the responsibility that goes along with it.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was criticized on Thursday by black and Hispanic Democrats who said he wasn't doing enough to stop the tidal wave of "stop and frisk" arrests of minority youth.

Cuomo recently proposed making the "public display" of 25 grams or less of marijuana a violation for which police officers issue a summons instead of an arrest. New York lawmakers decriminalized pot back in the 1970s, but New York City Police Department officers got around that by asking suspects to remove the marijuana from their pockets, then busting them for "public display" of pot, an arrestable offense.

The decrim bill was seen as an attempt to address the fallout over the NYPD's controversial tactics, which critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have pointed out leads to disproportionate rates of minorities being busted for pot.

Gov. Cuomo failed last year to reach a deal with Senate Republicans on the public display decrim bill; they opposed the measure, reports Mara Gay at The Wall Street Journal. He again pushed for a slightly different bill, this time decriminalizing public possession of less than 15 grams, in March but again lost.

The issue appears dead again for this year, according to lawmakers.

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

An Arizona man has launched an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in the state.

Dennis Bohlke, 59, a north Phoenix computer programmer, is leading the Safer Arizona initiative, reports Yvonne Wingett Sanchez at The Republic. Bohlke said the measure is modeled after Colorado's newly enacted constitutional amendment, which taxes and regulates cannabis.

"The intent of the initiative is to legalize marijuana in Arizona and to treat it as we treat alcohol," Bohlke said.

The measure would amend Arizona's Constitution to allow people 18 and over (not 21 and over, as in Washington and Colorado) "to consume and possess limited amounts" of marijuana. The state would license grow facilities, retail marijuana stores and other related businesses.

The initiative needs 259,213 valid voter signatures by July 3, 2014, to qualify for the November 2014 ballot.

There is no major financial backing to fund signature gathering, according to Bohlke; that has been the death knell for efforts in other states including, most recently, Oregon's Measure 80. He acknowledged it will be "challenging" to gather the necessary signatures to qualiy for the ballot without major funding.

Bolhlke said he had spoken with Republican, "Tea Party" and Democratic lawmakers about the measure, and while they won't openly support him, they seemed "very receptive" to his initiative.

Legislation backed by local law enforcement organizations will establish a state-regulated system of dispensaries to provide medical marijuana to licensed patients

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

Nevada's medical marijuana patients have been waiting 13 years for this. Gov. Brian Sandoval on Wednesday signed a bill into law that will establish a state-regulated system of dispensaries to provide medical marijuana to licensed patients. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office supported the measure.

“We applaud Gov. Sandoval and the Legislature for their leadership and commend those law enforcement organizations that expressed support for this much-needed legislation,” said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), who testified in support of the bill, SB 374. “It will make Nevada a safer and healthier place not only for medical marijuana patients, but for the entire community.

“This new law will provide patients with the safe and reliable access to medical marijuana that they deserve,” O'Keefe said. “Regulating medical marijuana sales will also generate revenue and take a bite out of the state's underground marijuana market.”

SB 374 was introduced by Senators Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas) and Mark Hutchison (R-Las Vegas), and it establishes rules and regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries, infused product manufacturers, cultivation facilities, and testing facilities.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) has delayed releasing draft rules for the implementation of recreational marijuana legalization in the state. Director Rick Garza blamed the delay on extensive last-minute public input on the rules.

The WSLCB on Monday issued dates for filing its recreational marijuana draft rules.

June 19 Board work session on proposed rules
July 3 Board files official draft rules (CR 102) with the state Code Reviser
August 7 Public hearing on draft rules
August 14 Board adopts rules
September 14 Effective date for rules
September 14 WSLCB begins accepting applications for all license types.

June 10 was the deadline for collecting public input on the board's first cut of draft rules that were released on May 16. "While the initial written comments on the rules were relatively light, the agency received extensive written comment over the weekend and throughout the day from public and private organizations," the WSLCB said in a Monday press release.

“In keeping with our goal of an open and transparent process for drafting the rules, we’re going to take an additional two weeks to consider the last-minute input we’ve received,” said WSLCB Director Rick Garza.

“The Board was prepared to issue the rules on June 19," Garza said. "However, it’s our responsibility to carefully review and consider the comments we received.”

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

The long-delayed opening of medical marijuana dispensaries is inching closer in the nation's capital. The D.C. Department of Health released its medical marijuana application form on Wednesday.

The registration fee for the medical marijuana program is $100 a year, reports CBS DC. Patients who lose their cards will have to pay $90 to get a replacement.

Reduced fees are available to certain low-income patients and caregivers.

District residents who have qualifying medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and glaucoma can now apply for a medical marijuana card with which they can buy cannabis at one of three dispensaries in D.C., reports The Washington Post.

Patients must first get a recommendation to use medical marijuana from a doctor. Some have already done that, while others are having a hard time finding doctors willing to take part in the program.

The program is accepting applications for participants younger than 18, if they have parental consent.

Once patients have recommendations and cards in hand, the dispensaries will be able to open for business.

D.C. Department of Health Medical Marijuana Application Form [PDF]

By Steve Elliott
Hemp News

The outlawing of natural substances such as cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms and other psychoactives amounts to scandalous censorship of science and hampers research into potentially important medicinal uses, leading scientists said on Wednesday.

"Drug laws" and international treaties have set back key research in areas such as consciousness by decades, the scientists argued in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, reports Reuters.

"The decision to outlaw these drugs was based on their perceived dangers, but in many cases the harms have been overstated," pointed out David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London who is a former British government drugs advisor.

Nutt said the laws amounted "to the worse case of scientific censorship since the Catholic Church banned the works of Copernicus and Galileo," in a statement accompanying the paper.

"The laws have never been updated despite scientific advances and growing evidence that many of these drugs are relatively safe," Nutt said. "And there appears to be no way for the international community to make such changes."