THE STATE
Dana Point dispensary offers a truce—the city ignores it
A Dana Point medical marijuana collective is heading towards a legal showdown with the Orange County city, the Orange County Register reports.
Beach Cities Collective had offered a truce to the city in its $20 million lawsuit filed after it was shut down in January, but the city did not respond by the group’s deadline. The city won a $2.4 million judgment, which the collective is appealing.
Riverside County city of Menifee approves ban
The city of Menifee is the latest Inland community to approve a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, The Press-Enterprise reports.
The ban was approved on a 3-1 vote with the majority citing health and safety concerns for the ordinance. Councilman Tom Fuhrman opposed criminalizing dispensaries, suggesting the city establish regulations instead.
A real-life Emerald City?
Supporters of creating a new Humboldt County city want to make the medical marijuana industry part of its tax revenue stream, the Eureka Times-Standard reports.
The Humboldt Emerald City Organizing Group must prepare a financial study showing the proposed city would be financially feasible to win support for their incorporation drive. Backers say the new city could benefit from the marijuana industry.
East Palo Alto nixes dispensaries
The San Francisco Bay Area city of East Palo Alto has approved a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries.
The city had been debating the issue for the past year, but on a 3-1 vote determined that it did not want to have dispensaries set up shop.
THE NATION
Colorado biotech company plans for anti-cancer products
A Colorado biotech company developing pharmaceutical cannabis products plans to introduce an anti-cancer cannabis formulation soon.
Cannabis Science, Inc. announced that it is negotiating with commercial groups and seeking approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration for its products.
A coalition sues Washington to reclassify cannabis
A coalition of groups is suing the federal government, seeking a response to a nine-year-old petition to reclassify medical marijuana.
The Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis wants the Drug Enforcement Administration to review marijuana’s status as a Schedule I substance with no medical use.
In Oregon, MMJ patients still have gun rights
The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that a law banning drug users from buying guns does not apply to medical marijuana patients.
A retired school bus driver had challenged the law after she was denied a concealed weapons permit. Cynthia Willis, who uses marijuana for arthritis pain, said she has carried a pistol for personal protection since a messy divorce.
Maine state committee endorses easier access
A Maine legislative committee has endorsed a proposal that would ease access to marijuana under the state’s medical marijuana law.
The proposal, which must still go to the full legislature for approval, would make registration with the state voluntary for patients. However, another committee rejected a proposal to legalize and tax marijuana.
Alaska avoids the attention of a federal crackdown
A federal crackdown on marijuana appears not to have spread to Alaska, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports.
The state has legalized medical marijuana since 1998, but has not put in place regulations for dispensaries, leaving no legal channel or system for purchasing pot, thus failing to attract the federal government’s attention.
Smartphone app can identify strains
There’s now an app for pot.
The Medical Cannabis Network has introduced an app called Strain Brain that allows patients to upload pictures of their cannabis and find out the strain and its medical use.
THE WORLD
Brazil police tear gas legalization rally
Police in Sao Paolo, Brazil used tear gas against about 1,000 protestors who defied a government ban to rally in support of legalizing marijuana.
Television showed riot troops charging against the protesters, six of whom were detained and later released.
