Weekly Legislative Roundup 6/15/18

A lot has happened in Congress this week. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) succeeded in inserting hemp legalization language into the wide-ranging Farm Bill – must-pass legislation that is approved by Congress every five years. The bill was then approved by the US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.

The US Senate Appropriations Committee, for the first time ever, included protections for state medical marijuana laws in base Justice Department funding legislation. On the other hand, the US House Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment to protect banks that work with marijuana businesses from being punished by federal authorities.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced The “RESPECT Resolution: Realizing Equitable & Sustainable Participation in Emerging Cannabis Trades” to elevate the importance of equity within the legal cannabis marketplace.

To all of our surprise, President Donald Trump expressed verbal support for recently introduced, bi-partisan legislation that seeks to codify legal protections for state-sanctioned marijuana-related activities. Similarly, members of the Congressional Black Caucus recently announced their support for marijuana law reforms to keep the federal government out of the business of prohibition and related law enforcement of marijuana.

At the state level, South Carolina voters approved a medical marijuana advisory question on the Democratic primary ballot by a margin of 81% – 19%. And The Maine Supreme Court ruled that employers don’t need to pay for medical cannabis under the state workers’ compensation system.

At a more local level, the St. Louis, Missouri circuit attorney will no longer pursue cases for marijuana in the amount of less than 100 grams. And Denver, Colorado is using marijuana tax revenue to fund after-school and summer programs.

Sorgente: Weekly Legislative Roundup 6/15/18

Annunci

Former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Endorses Medical Marijuana Initiative

 

Michael A. Wolff

Former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice and former Dean of the St. Louis University Law School, Michael A. Wolff, will speak in support of the New Approach Missouri Medical Marijuana Initiative at a marijuana law reform conference which will take place at the St. Charles Opera House, 311 N. Main Street, in St. Charles this Saturday, June 16. Judge Wolff is a professor emeritus of law at St. Louis University and a highly respected legal scholar.

Preceding his remarks at 4:00 p.m., there will be a full day of fascinating speakers. Mr. Paul Armentano, national Deputy Director of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) will speak at 3:00 p.m. Mr. Armentano is one of the nation’s most knowledgeable and articulate experts on the science of medical marijuana. He will speak about how the legalization of medical marijuana in 29 other states has dramatically reduced opioid overdose and provided relief from suffering to thousands of Americans.

At 2:00 p.m., the leader of the St. Louis NAACP, Mr. Adolphus Pruitt, will speak, followed by Mr. Tom Mundell at 2:20 p.m. Mr. Mundell is the former commander of the Missouri Association of Veterans’ Organizations (MAVO). He is a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran.

 

 

http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/15/former-missouri-supreme-court-cheif-justice-endorses-medical-marijuana-initiative/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NORMLBlog+%28NORML+Blog%29

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would allow states to regulate marijuana without federal interference.

U.S. Marijuana Party Kentucky

Warren and Gardner, who both represent states with legal recreational pot, introduced the legislation, known as Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, as a response to the Trump administration’s hard-line stance against the drug.

The bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act to include a framework that says it no longer applies to those following state, territory or tribal laws “relating to the manufacture, production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, or delivery of [marijuana].”

“It’s time to reform American’s outdated marijuana policies,” Warren tweeted with a video of her and Gardner speaking at a press conference announcing the measure.

It’s time to reform American’s outdated marijuana policies. Watch live as @SenCoryGarder and I discuss our new legislation that would let states, territories, & tribes decide for themselves how best to regulate marijuana – without federal interference. https://t.co/BVcvxomhld

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 7, 2018

Gardner said outlawing legalized…

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Letter To Nick Hurd MP, Home Office Minister, About Alfie Dingley’s and Billy Caldwell’s Urgent Need For Cannabis Medicine.

Peter Reynolds

From: Peter Reynolds

Sent: 12 June 2018 10:16

To: ‘nick.hurd.mp@parliament.uk’

Cc: ‘Charlotte Caldwell’

Subject: Give Billy back his medication.

Importance: High

Dear Mr Hurd,

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 makes specific provision within it that the Home Secretary may licence any action under it that would otherwise be unlawful.

There can be no credible excuse whatsoever for refusing to licence Billy Caldwell’s and Alfie Dingley’s cannabis medicines when they have been proven to work under the supervision of senior doctors and the medicines themselves are produced by reputable, government regulated companies.

UK drugs policy is now the most regressive, backwards and cruel of any first world nation. Specifically on the medical use of cannabis it is evidence-opposed and causing great harm, far more harm than is prevented by a policy that is based on nothing but ignorance and prejudice.

It is nothing but an excuse to argue that all…

View original post 209 altre parole

Oklahomans To Decide In Two Weeks On Providing Medical Marijuana…

Oklahoma voters will decide on Tuesday, June 26, on State Question 788 — a statewide voter-initiated measure that permits doctors to use their discretion to recommend medical cannabis to patients.

Under the proposed plan, licensed medical marijuana patients may cultivate up to six mature plants, and may possess personal use quantities of marijuana flower, edibles, or infused concentrates.

According to polling data released in May, Oklahoma voters support the passage of State Question 788 by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. Public support for the measure has largely held steady, even in the face of growing, organized opposition from members of law enforcement and certain business leaders. State lawmakers also attempted to preempt the initiative by passing legislation to significantly limit its scope and purpose, but that effort was eventually tabled in April.

Under state law, the possession of any amount of cannabis is classified as a criminal offense — punishable by up to a year in prison. Engaging in cannabis sales is punishable by up to life in prison. According to a study released earlier this week, Oklahoma’s incarceration rate is 1,079 per 100,000 people — the highest rate in the United States.

If Oklahoma voters pass SQ 788 in two weeks, it will become the 31st state to legalize the possession and use of cannabis by authorized patients.

 

 

Sorgente: Oklahomans To Decide In Two Weeks On Providing Medical Marijuana…

Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in… – PubMed – NCBI

BACKGROUND:

Medicinal cannabis registries typically report pain as the most common reason for use. It would be clinically useful to identify patterns of cannabis treatment in migraine and headache, as compared to arthritis and chronic pain, and to analyze preferred cannabis strains, biochemical profiles, and prescription medication substitutions with cannabis.

METHODS:

Via electronic survey in medicinal cannabis patients with headache, arthritis, and chronic pain, demographics and patterns of cannabis use including methods, frequency, quantity, preferred strains, cannabinoid and terpene profiles, and prescription substitutions were recorded. Cannabis use for migraine among headache patients was assessed via the ID Migraine™ questionnaire, a validated screen used to predict the probability of migraine.

RESULTS:

Of 2032 patients, 21 illnesses were treated with cannabis. Pain syndromes accounted for 42.4% (n = 861) overall; chronic pain 29.4% (n = 598;), arthritis 9.3% (n = 188), and headache 3.7% (n = 75;). Across all 21 illnesses, headache was a symptom treated with cannabis in 24.9% (n = 505). These patients were given the ID Migraine™ questionnaire, with 68% (n = 343) giving 3 “Yes” responses, 20% (n = 102) giving 2 “Yes” responses (97% and 93% probability of migraine, respectively). Therefore, 88% (n = 445) of headache patients were treating probable migraine with cannabis. Hybrid strains were most preferred across all pain subtypes, with “OG Shark” the most preferred strain in the ID Migraine™ and headache groups. Many pain patients substituted prescription medications with cannabis (41.2-59.5%), most commonly opiates/opioids (40.5-72.8%). Prescription substitution in headache patients included opiates/opioids (43.4%), anti-depressant/anti-anxiety (39%), NSAIDs (21%), triptans (8.1%), anti-convulsants (7.7%), muscle relaxers (7%), ergots (0.4%).

Sorgente: Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in… – PubMed – NCBI

Florida: Court Strikes Down Legislative Ban On Medical Cannabis Smoking

A Florida Circuit Court judge ruled today that a legislatively enacted ban on the smoking of medical cannabis in private by qualified patients is unconstitutional.

Lawmakers in 2017 passed Senate Bill 8A — which sought to amend provisions in Amendment 2, a voter initiated constitutional amendment permitting the use and distribution of marijuana for medical purposes. Specifically, SB 8A prohibited the possession of marijuana “in a form for smoking” and barred the use of herbal cannabis except in instances where it is contained “in a sealed tamper-proof receptacle for vaping.” Seventy-one percent of Florida voters approved Amendment 2 in November 2016.

Backers of Amendment 2, including the group Florida for Care and longtime medical activist Cathy Jordan, challenged the ‘no smoking’ ban — arguing that lawmakers improperly sought to overrule the will of the electorate. Circuit Court Judge Karen Gievers today ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

“Section 381.986, Florida Statutes (2017) unconstitutionally restricts rights that are protected in the Constitution, and so the statutory prohibition against the use of smokeable marijuana permitted by [a] qualifying patient is declared invalid and unenforceable,” the judge ruled. “Qualifying patients have the right to use the form of medical marijuana for [the] treatment of their debilitating medical condition as recommended by their certified physicians, including the use of smokable marijuana in private places.”

NORML has long argued against regulations that limit or restrict patients’ access to whole plant herbal cannabis. Many patients seeking rapid relief from symptoms do not benefit from cannabis-infused pills, tinctures, or edibles because they possess delayed onset compared to inhaled cannabis and are far more variable in their effects.

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano

“This ruling is a victory for Florida voters and, in particular, Florida’s patient community,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “These legislatively enacted restrictions arbitrarily sought to limit patients’ choices in a manner that violated the spirit of the law, and cynically sought to deny patients the ability to obtain rapid relief from whole-plant cannabis in a manner that has long proven to be relatively safe and effective.”

 

http://blog.norml.org/2018/05/25/florida-court-strikes-down-legislative-ban-on-medical-cannabis-smoking/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NORMLBlog+%28NORML+Blog%29

MEDICINAL CANNABIS COMPOUND CBD IS THE ADVIL OF THE CANNABIS PLANT

CBD, or cannabidiol, is quickly becoming one of the most well-known compounds found within the cannabis plant. Unlike it’s even more popular counterpart THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD does not give consumers the “high” that recreational cannabis gives. CBD instead is a non-psychoactive anti-inflammatory compound that is increasingly being used as a mainstream medicinal substance.

WHAT IS CBD?

CBD is one of the many present cannabinoid compounds found within the plant. It is found at lower levels than THC is in most recreationally grown cannabis, though recently, high CBD strains like Charlotte’s Web are seeing more popular demand. A strain like Charlotte’s Web, which was developed specifically for a child who was suffering from epilepsy, is perfect for those who believe in and enjoy the medicinal benefits of cannabis but do not want to experience any psychoactive effects. Though these strains are much harder to genetically engineer and grow, they are becoming much more popular as more information about the benefits of CBD becomes public knowledge.

USES OF CBD

The cannabis plant has been used for centuries as a medicine but only recently has research about CBD become mainstream. There are many scientifically studied benefits of CBD. Generally, CBD has an anti-inflammatory profile that makes it good for healing and recovery.

More specifically, studies have found CBD as an effective treatment for such afflictions as epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, and even anxiety. Dr. Robert Carson, an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, has stated, “In children, especially those with autism spectrum disorders, this may manifest as improved interactions with others.”

CONSUMER CAUTION IS WARRANTED

Though CBD has been proven to be effective in treating certain diseases, users of the compound must be weary of what they are using and where they are getting it. A report released Thursday, May 24th, 2018 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that products falsely labeled as CBD, sickened as many as 52 people from October through January. According to the CDC report, “more than half of the 52 possible cases either tested positive for a synthetic compound called 4-CCB or reporting using a product called Yolo CBD Oil, samples of which contained the synthetic instead of authentic CBD.”

The mislabeling, whether intentional or not, of cannabis products is directly linked to the government’s timidity regarding cannabis legalization. The inability to regulate a product deemed federally illegal allows for cannabis product manufacturers to avoid a strict testing process that would weed out any mislabeled or dangerous products.

CANNABIS COMPOUND CBD HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

CBD has only very recently gained mainstream acceptance. Due to decades of relative obscurity, there are far fewer CBD products and strains then there are high-THC products on the market. Hopefully through legalization and eventually stringent regulatory processes, more people will be exposed to the non-psychoactive health benefits of CBD.

 

 

 

https://medicalmarijuana411.com/cannabis-compound-cbd-2/

Cabinet Green-Lights Medical Weed – Opium and Kratom, Too

Sorgente: Cabinet Green-Lights Medical Weed – Opium and Kratom, Too