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May 2015 | New Nuggets

BAY AREACA congressmen demand a halt to prosecution cases against
medical cannabisThe two men behind an amendment
late last year that aimed to protect medical cannabis businesses from being
attacke

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BAY AREA

CA congressmen demand a halt to prosecution cases against
medical cannabis

The two men behind an amendment
late last year that aimed to protect medical cannabis businesses from being
attacked by federal authorities made another move against the feds, according
to The Huffington Post.
Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Sam Farr, both from California, announced
the reveal of a letter they sent to Attorney General Eric Holder: “We
respectfully insist that you bring your Department back into compliance with
federal law by ceasing marijuana prosecutions and forfeiture actions against
those acting in accordance with state medical marijuana laws,” they wrote. The
letter is said to follow a conversation that happened only a week earlier by
Department of Justice (DOJ) Patrick Rodenbush, who claimed that the amendment
only stops the DOJ from interfering with the state’s right to carry out medical
cannabis laws, and still allows the department to target private
individuals/entities who are violating the Controlled Substances Act.
Rohrabacher and Farr reminded the DOJ of its enforcement of the amendment, and
the importance of not wasting important money and resources on targeting
patients and businesses who are operating legally.

New medical cannabis bill would place harsh limits for
collectives and doctors

There are plenty of medical
cannabis bills being drafted for California, but one currently growing in
Sacramento aims to create high standards for medical cannabis collectives, as
well as doctors, according to CBS Local. The bill would require anyone who
grows, transports or sells cannabis to be licensed by the state. In effect,
this would ban doctors from being able to recommend cannabis to patients (if
they are financially invested in that business) and all collective employees
would be required to complete cannabis-related classes. It would also allow
cities and counties to continue to further ban or welcome collectives and
cultivation nearby. Some believe these possible standards to be too high, but
police like Citrus Heights Chief Christopher Boyd believe the bill could be
exactly what the state needs, “If this passes, it would make it much easier for
law enforcement to really differentiate and do our jobs between actual medical
marijuana users, those who are legitimately sick and entitle under the law to
use it and cultivate, and those that aren’t,” Chief Boyd stated.

COLORADO

CO
cannabis edibles must look different than regular food

Colorado lawmakers recently voted on the issue of cannabis
edibles, and have rejected a new bill that would loosen the restriction on
edibles according to UT
San Diego. Lawmakers voted 0-5 against that bill, which means that any
edibles, be it in cookie, candy or drink form, will have to have a distinctly
different look by 2016. The change in appearance will have to be apparent, both
by the look of the edible itself as well as the packaging. However, making a
cookie or brownie look different than its traditional form is a challenge, and
to many, impractical. “As an industry, there’s no real way to clearly mark
every item that’s out there,” stated Bob Eschino, President of Incredibles, a cannabis
chocolate company. People like Dr. Kathryn Wells of Children’s Hospital
Colorado thinks otherwise, “The ability to rapidly identify a suspected agent,
with or without the packaging, we believe is critical.” Unless a new regulation
takes place soon, edibles will be forced to be limited to a very specific
limitation of size, shape and color.

Medical cannabis use
on the horizon for people on probation

A proposal which would allow individuals who are on parole
or probation in Colorado to have access to medical cannabis if they’re patients
was recently submitted and heard, according to The Gazette. The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-0 to change the
current policy that prohibits cannabis use by patients on parole. Consideration
for such circumstances came forth shortly after Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled
to allow cannabis patients on parole to continue to use their medicine as
prescribed, last month. “If it’s in the constitution, you should have the right
to use it on probation,” stated Representative Joe Salazar, the sponsor of the
bill. At this time, the only limitation to this would be if the crime of those
individuals on probation was related to cannabis. On the evening of the
hearing, cannabis patient and current probationer Christyne Smiley fervently testified
that she should have access to her natural medicine, versus using prescription
drugs. Stay tuned.

LOS ANGELES

First
collective opens in West Coachella Valley

Not so long ago, Palm Springs welcomed three medical
cannabis collectives (with a fourth on the way) to its list of businesses. Now
Desert Hot Springs has welcomed a collective within its borders as well,
according to The
Desert Sun. Sun Grow, the area’s newest medical cannabis collective, is
the first approved collective to open up in Riverside County, aside from Palm
Springs. It also marks the beginning of cannabis businesses expected to open up
in the near future, about six more in all. Sun Grow estimates that it will make
$9,000 in tax revenue for the city within the first month, and an estimated
$90,000 in sales (after taking into account the city’s 10 percent medical
cannabis sales tax rate. Sun Grow’s recent opening doesn’t have any competition
yet, but there is already talks of a second collective aiming to open in the
area, which will help produce more tax revenue for the city.

Long
Beach medical cannabis task force attends first meeting

A community task force has been organized in Long Beach that
will attempt to help both medical cannabis collectives and cultivation sites
work with local residents and businesses, according to Signal Tribune. The Medical Cannabis
Task Force will feature 18 members, most of which were chosen by recommendation
of a council member or came from a wide variety of backgrounds, and they will
gather for a number of meetings in order to provide community input regarding
Long Beach’s latest draft ordinance on medical cannabis. Although the first
meeting was held on April 1, there were a number of issues to be discussed,
many of which posed questions that cannot be answered until June. The task
force also has to take into account the potential of cannabis being legalized
in the state’s future, and how that choice would affect legalization. The task
force is expected to represent the opinions of the local community, but most
issues will not be addressed until after June.

MICHIGAN

University
of Michigan physicians refuse to prescribe medical cannabis to six-year-old

Cannabis has been found to be an excellent treatment in
reducing seizures in both children and adults who suffer from debilitating
diseases. Ida, mother of six-year-old Bella, who suffers from 1p36 deletion
syndrome and suffers from chronic seizures, brought up the possibility of
cannabis to Bella’s doctors after giving her daughter a small dose of CBD. When
she inquired about it with the doctor’s office at the University of Michigan,
they informed her that she would be discharged. As with most schools, the
college referenced the illegality of cannabis and that it is not FDA-approved.
According to WDIV-TV, Ida is currently searching for another physician who can
offer medical cannabis prescriptions to her daughter. “I hope that more doctors
will step forward and take care of pediatric patients. I think everybody
deserves a chance to have a doctor no matter if they are on pharmaceutical
drugs or medical marijuana.” After the story was originally published, a
representative from the University offered to treat Bella with other
treatments, but still refused to prescribe cannabis.

Michigan
Cannabis Coalition prepares for recreational initiative

Following a very successful gathering at this year’s Ann
Arbor Hash Bash, Michigan has been buzzing about cannabis legalization and
advocacy towards the next ballot. Now, the Michigan Cannabis Coalition has
announced its initiative in the works (which is awaiting authorization by the
Board of State Canvassers), according to News
OK. The Coalition would require 252,000 signatures before moving onward
to the state legislature, but if lawmakers reject the bill or do not act on it,
it will be defaulted to the state ballot in 2016. The measure would allow for
licenses of indoor cannabis production and cannabis-infused products; permits
would be required for recreational storefront and families could grow up to two
plants for their personal use; tax revenue would be decided upon by
legislators.

OREGON

Oregon
Liquor Control Commission signs contract to manage cannabis businesses

With hopes to organize Oregon’s upcoming rush of
recreational cannabis business license applications, the Oregon Liquor Control
Commission (OLCC) has signed a contract that will allow it to manage and
organize the process, according to The
Oregonian. The OLCC partnered with NIC USA, Inc. and agreed to pay an $80,000
annual fee in order to run an online application that is specifically for those
who want to apply as a commercial grower, processor, wholesaler and retailer in
the state. The all-in-one website will also allow applicants to renew their
licenses, and pay for their various fees and taxes via credit card. The NIC
USA, Inc. has successfully implemented the E-GOV Program web portal for the
state, through the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. Applications
will begin being accepted in January 2016.

Two
bills could erase cannabis arrests or reduce sentences in July

Two bills are being considered by lawmakers that would erase
any arrests or sentences related to cannabis in Oregon, according to The Oregonian. The
bill, which would be effective as of July when recreational cannabis officially
becomes legal, would drop the charges for anyone who was cited for possession
of one ounce of cannabis or growing four plants at home. Unfortunately,
patients who were cited with a cannabis crime that would still be illegal after
July under the new laws from Measure 91 shouldn’t expect a reprieve. “We know
the costs add up, regardless of what they may be, we know this will save
resources, save time and allow people to move on with their lives, for
something that 57 percent of Oregonians say should be legal as of July 2,”
stated the New Approach Oregon Executive Director Anthony Johnson. “We don’t
know the numbers of people in jail currently, but one person is too many.”

SAN DIEGO

Last
cannabis collective approved for Midway district

The last of four potential spots for a collective to be
located in the Midway district has finally been approved, according to UT San Diego. The
San Diego Planning Commission voted 4-2 for the final approval. The approved
collective, Point Loma Patients Cooperative, marks the end of discussion for
collectives in that particular area, due to the requirement of 1,000 feet
between collectives, as well as the ordinance that limits each district to only
four collectives each. In mid-March, the Commission halted final approval due
to concerns about parking, lack of sidewalks and how patients would enter the
business. Although there were specific concerns regarding disabled patients, Point
Loma Patients Cooperative proposed design changes that aimed to satisfy those
concerns.

CA
congressmen demand a halt to prosecution cases against medical cannabis

The two men behind the recent amendment late last year that
aimed to protect medical cannabis businesses from being attacked by federal
authorities made another move against the feds, according to The Huffington Post.
Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Sam Farr, both from California, recently
announced the reveal of a letter they sent to Attorney General Eric Holder: “We
respectfully insist that you bring your Department back into compliance with
federal law by ceasing marijuana prosecutions and forfeiture actions against
those acting in accordance with state medical marijuana laws,” the letter
stated. The letter is said to follow a conversation that happened only a week
earlier by Department of Justice (DOJ) Patrick Rodenbush, who claimed that the
amendment only stops the DOJ from interfering with the state’s right to carry
out medical cannabis laws, and still allows the department to target private
individuals/entities who are violating the Controlled Substances Act.
Rohrabacher and Farr reminded the DOJ of its enforcement of the amendment, and
the importance of not wasting important money and resources on targeting
patients and businesses who are operating legally.

WASHINGTON

Olympia
extends moratorium for new access points, not old

The Olympia City Council just recently approved the first
reading for a six-month extension of moratoriums within its borders, according
to The Olympian.
The city’s first moratorium was approved back in 2013 and was extended in
October 2014, which was supposed to expire this month. The moratorium however
is only effective towards newly opened access points, which does not include
the 13 medical cannabis access points currently operating in Olympia due to the
state’s stance on medical cannabis businesses, referred to as a “gray area.”
The council is hoping to wait out the current deliberation regarding SB-5052,
which is currently moving towards the House and would put more regulations on
medical cannabis access points. Until then, the council sees a moratorium as
the only temporary solution until that time.

Cannabis Patient
Protection Act moves to governor’s desk

Last month, the State Senate approved of a bill, known as
SB-5052 or the Cannabis Patient Protection Act, according to The Seattle Times. The bill would
essentially add medical cannabis into the state’s regulated recreational
system. It would also end cannabis gardens by July 2016, create a database for
all patients and would also new standards for the medical side of things, among
numerous other changes. It would also rename the Liquor Control Board to the
Liquor and Cannabis Board, to ensure there is equal distribution of regulation
and enforcement. This change would also require a review of medical cannabis
access points, especially those that have not paid taxes or complied with city
building codes, SB-5052 would give priority to access points that have been in
operation prior to January 2013. The bill moves onward to Governor Jay Inslee’s
desk for review.

NATIONAL

Medical
cannabis bill moves forward in Missouri

Missouri has just been added to the list of states that are
currently considering and working on a new medical cannabis law, according to Belleville News. It
began last year, when lawmakers decided to approve the use of cannabis oil
extracts for patients. The new bill would allow anyone diagnosed with cancer,
HIV, PTSD and Parkinson’s disease to be eligible to use cannabis, and patients
would be allowed to possess up to 30 grams during a one month time period with
a doctor’s approval. The bill would also set licensing and security
requirements for cannabis businesses, and all locations would have to be
approved on both the local and state level. Some advocates have voiced their
opinions on the restrictiveness of the bill, but lawmakers such as House
Speaker John Diel, are aiming to make it a foolproof plan, “With that, we want
to be very, very careful and make sure that there’s nothing—that you don’t have
any unknown unknowns on how you set it up.”

INTERNATIONAL

New
Zealand’s Ministry of Health behind in up-to-date information on medical
cannabis

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs was held
last month, bringing together the world’s top drug policy diplomats for its
58th session, according to the New
Zealand Herald. New Zealand Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne
attended, after asking officials to look into medical cannabis, and he came up
with the conclusion that the evidence was “underwhelming.” Contrary to Dunne’s
statement, another Kiwi who attended, New Zealand Drug Foundation Director Ross
Bell, who stated that he believes Dunne’s information to be sorely outdated.
The NZ Drug Foundation has deemed cannabis reputable when helping conditions
such as multiple sclerosis or cancer, but even with many studies in support of cannabis,
current evidence is not yet enough. “We should be looking at delivering that
benefit through the proper medical products—it’s not a smokable cannabis,” Bell
stated in regards to what he considers to be plenty of research in favor of the
therapeutic value of the herb. Currently, a mouth spray called “Sativex” is the
only form of medical cannabis available in New Zealand (and costs an average of
$1,300 a month).

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