Weed Gold Rush Takes Shape
May 29th, 2009 by Russ
Get your pickax and sifting tin ready, there’s weed in them hills! Bolstered by a spate of state medical weed legalization measures and a national media debate on the prospects of full decriminalization, entrepeneurs are lining up to start the next Herb Dealing Mega Corp.
In the southland, the Los Angeles dispensary boom grows beyond any commentator’s ability to study it. Big Pharma has also thrown its hat into the ring, releasing several varieties of regulated and less ‘morally reproachable’ weed.
For the spectrum of hopeful ascendants, the challenges are the same. Finding a sanctioned method of mass-producing marijuana and keeping a clean balance sheet will be difficult for some weed entrepreneurs who have become accustomed to a more laissez-faire (i.e. black) market.
One Oregonian prospect is Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc. He predicts:
I think we’ll be the next Microsoft.
Which sounds well and good, until MMI releases Indica Vista to a horrified public.
Illinois Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
May 28th, 2009 by Rick
In a very slim margin, the Illinois Senate voted 30 – 28, to allow sick patients the right to seek treatment via medical marijuana. The bill is headed to the Illinois House, where earlier this year a medical marijuana measure was passed by a committee.
If the bill is signed into a law, Illinois will become the 14th state that has enacted a medical marijuana law.
Stoners Still Demonized by Hypocritical Minority
May 27th, 2009 by Russ
As the medical marijuana movement gains traction in the West, some formerly reclusive smokers are boldly revealing themselves to an intolerant minority. This week, Steve Elliot’s moving piece in the SFWeekly targeted some of the “anti-marijuana zealots” most popular tactics against medical herb patients.
One tool of the intolerant is the business community practice of mandatory drug testing. Workplace drug testing practice has spread exponentially since the early 1980s despite a complete lack of evidence proving any effectiveness at all. In fact, the most cited statistics used by the drug testing purveyors appeared in a 1972 anti-drug newsletter. There has never been a proven link between workplace drug testing and increased productivity.
In fact, most businesses spend upwards of $77,000 per test, despite the fact that the process is rife with false positives, false negatives, and makes no distinction between at home drug use and on the job drug use. Most often, drug testing simply encourages drug users to switch from more easily detectable drugs (weed, which can be detected for six weeks after use) to much more dangerous substances (cocaine and meth pass through the body in two days or less.)
It is simply by virtue of an effective drug testing industry marketing campaign that businesses have been duped into creating a climate of discrimination against weed smokers. Much like the rest of the anti-drug lobby, facts, evidence, and critical thinking don’t come into play.
It’s time for the business community to realize that medical marijuana users are not only backed by the state government, but completely righteous in their use. There is no moral or legal distinction between them and other workers who may take antidepressants, high cholesterol pills, or an evening brandy.
The only distinction is a physiological one; that is the weed smokers are less likely to be addicted to their medicine than virtually any prescription-toters in the company.
Candian Cabinet Tweaks Medical Marijuana Law
May 27th, 2009 by Rick
After a Canadian Federal Court ruled last year that allowing only one medical marijuana patient per licensed grower was a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada’s Cabinet increased the limit to two patients per producer. This slight increase has sparked heavy criticism from the MP’s and advocates for medical marijuana.
A Health Canada spokesman, Philippe Laroche, said in an e-mail:
As a result of (the Federal Court ruling), the government has moved quickly to address this regulatory void and has modified the (regulations) to allow one designated person to now produce marijuana for up to two authorized persons. [...] This modification is currently in force.
Eric Nash, a licensed Vancouver Island marijuana supplier under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations said:
From one to two patients, that’s just insane.
Despite several hundreds of requests from medical marijuana patients, Nash and his partner are limited to one patient each.
New Democrat MP Libby Davies said:
From the beginning, the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming into accepting the use of marijuana for medical reasons.
Davies also says that the government ruling is “abysmal” and that the courts should reverse the decision eventually. Health Canada is aware that thousands of medical marijuana patients receive their marijuana through “Compassion Centers” but that marijuana is not regulated for quality and safety and it’s source is usually the black market.
Minnesota Takes Tiny Step Toward Medical Marijuana
May 26th, 2009 by Erin
Minnesota is in the initial stages of pursuing a medical marijuana law. The Minnesota House vote on the medical marijuana bill came 70-64, approving a measure to allow terminally ill patients to use cannabis to help treat their ailments.
The YES voters were 63 democrats and 7 republicans. The NO voters were 24 democrats and 40 republicans.
The version passed by the House is different than the one passed by the Senate and may not get to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s desk in the remaining four session hours this year. Even so, since Pawlenty took office, the administration has been opposed to this legislation and he said he would veto any medical marijuana measure that doesn’t have the support of law enforcement.
LA Sees Weed Dispensary Boom
May 20th, 2009 by RussIt seems that Los Angeles will be the first US test-case city for legalization. This isn’t because of any recently passed referendum, or new decriminalization ordinance; it’s simply due to the city’s laissez-faire attitude towards the opening of weed-selling storefronts.
According to the LAist, Los Angeles remains the only city in California that imposes no taxes or start up fees onto prospective weed dispensaries. By contrast, San Fransisco applicants pay $8,400 to open a shop, and Oakland dispensaries are charged upwards of $30,000 in yearly fees.
Combined with a legal loophole that allows new dispensaries to open upon claiming any kind of “hardship” to get around wait lists and zoning regulations, there is literally a completely open market for Angelino medical herb. Hundreds upon hundreds of weed shops are opening up in Los Angeles, and by unofficial counts have out-expanded Starbucks.
One would think that conservative economists and Adam Smith disciples would be keenly interested in Los Angeles’s weed experiement. Given the economic forces of nature at hand, this de facto legalization of weed has created the only sector of any economy that can claim a full-fledged boom.
Michigan City Ponders Medical Marijuana Business
May 18th, 2009 by Rick
Yet another loophole within the current medical marijuana laws has been addressed, this time in Royal Oaks, Michigan. Mayor Jim Ellison says information is being gathered to draft an ordinance that will allow caregivers to grow medical marijuana for up to five patients.
Apparently zoning has become an issue, none of the dispensaries would be allowed in the central business district, the downtown heart of Royal Oaks, but the caregivers would be permitted to set up their business within the general district business area.
A meeting was held last Tuesday, where various viewpoints were shared. Christe Langdeau, one of the attendees that spoke in favor of the ordinance said:
I’ve had the misfortune to see friends die without medicine, and the only thing that can help them is medical marijuana. [...] Many patients are not able to get out of bed. How can they grow their own?
Only one of the speakers, Richard Kozlowski, was against the ideas of having caregivers be able to run a medical marijuana business:
If the city is going to allow caregivers to grow medical marijuana in the general business district, it should also allow it in the central business district.
Kozlowski was concerned with the fact that the dispensaries would be allowed to be set up near private homes and would become as popular as a drug store and gas station, one on every corner.
Obviously certain aspects of the medical marijuana laws need tweaking but it’s good to see someone taking control. Since it is a state law, the state should have thought about taking care of that when they created the bill that became a law. It’s just another prime example of federal, state and local government always passing the buck.
Mom Treats 9-Year-Old Son with Weed
May 15th, 2009 by Russ
An incredibly touching story from doublex retells the tale of a mother at wits end, trying to find the right remedy for her son’s autism. Ironically called ‘J’ in the piece, the 9-year old not only suffers from the cognitive disorder, but has also endured several spinal cord surgeries and lives in near-constant pain. The mother and anonymous author of the piece finally settled on a weed-based tea as the only effective treatment for her child.
The Marijuana Mom only settled on weed treatment after running the gamut of pediatrician-recommended drugs, including a host of anti-inflammatory medications. She then tried Marinol, weed’s synthetic cousin, to limited effect. It was only when ‘J’ managed to inhale some vaporized greenery, that his pain subsided and he was able to more fully interact with his world.
The Pot Parent’s story raises some important questions about how we determine which drugs are safe and which aren’t. Risperdal, an anti-psychotic used for children (as mentioned in the piece) has accounted for dozens of accidental deaths among children. As is well known, marijuana has never been linked to a overdose-related death of any kind.
Our nation’s health care experts seem unusually ill-equipped to provide a credible voice on this issue. After a decade of spotty and suspect performance from the FDA, many patients and their families are looking for alternatives to standard prescription drugs. Many folks would rather not deal with a nightmarishly bureaucratic and ineffectual health care system. At least one bold parent has taken matters into her own hands. She may not be the last.
