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Endocannabinoids Emerge Out
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A Report on the Seventh National Clinical
Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics (NCCCT) – by Ed
Glick for AAMC The NCCCT met in
Tucson, Arizona on April 26-28, 2012. As is customary with this ongoing series
of conferences, Patients Out of Time brought together a wide variety of
clinical, research and experiential presenters who described the expanding
universe of endocannabinoid therapeutics. However, this conference became a
benchmark in understanding these complex systems. Where previously,
underlying mechanisms of action were vaguely understood, today these
biochemical pathways have been described in detail. Where previously,
researchers (and patients) knew that cannabinoids dampen down excitatory
sensory impulses, today they know how this is accomplished. Additionally,
research continues to expand the understanding of anti tumor effects of
cannabinoids. <continued
on page 3 > |
California Supreme Court
Affirms Legality of Dispensaries; Denies Review of Ruling
on Participation, Transport,
Extracts
The California Supreme Court
has let stand a landmark Court of Appeal ruling on medical cannabis
collectives. The court declined to review a decision that says a collective’s
members need not participate in its operations, that collectives can
cultivate and transport cannabis on behalf of their members, and that
cannabis extracts and concentrates are legal. <continued on page 4 > ___________________________________________ AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA Dear
President Obama, When it comes to Drug Policy
Reform and your campaign promises of Hope and Change, we, the American
people, have been had. You are obviously a smart, articulate person. When you
ran you made it clear - or it seemed clear at the time - that you were
committed to drug policy reform. From where I sit that hasn't happened. <continued
on page 5 > |
Study: Medical Marijuana
Legalization Is Not Accompanied By Increases In Teen Cannabis Use
Bonn, Germany: The legalization of cannabis for therapeutic
purposes is not associated with increases in the use of marijuana or other
illicit substances among adolescents, according to a discussion paper commissioned by the Institute for the Study of
Labor (IZA) in Germany. <continued
on page 7 > _______________________________ Connecticut: Medicinal Marijuana Legalization
Measure Signed Into Law
Hartford, CT, USA: Democrat Gov. Dan Malloy signed legislation into law on Friday, June 1, allowing
for the state-sanctioned production, distribution, and use of cannabis for
therapeutic purposes. The new law - Public Act 12-55, An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana - will
take effect on October 1, 2012. <continued
on page 8 > |
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* The MERCY News * |
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_____________________ The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news,
announcements and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across
America and around the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1469 Capital
St. NE, Suite 100, Salem, Ore.,
97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube!
in Salem,
Oregon area thru Capital Community Television, Channel 23.
Call In – 503.588-6444 - on Friday at 7pm, or See us on Wednesdays
at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and Saturdays at
06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and
concerned citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for
those involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the Salem,
Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective
marijuana laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower
voters to implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching
people to fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1469 Capital
Street NE, Suite #150, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to
help folks get their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a
grower or getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along
other info and resources depending on the issue. visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1469 Capital Street NE, Suite
#150, Salem, 97301, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable deposit
required. Transportation and Delivery
Services available for those in need.
For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of Clinics
around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public
–or- Cardholders Only * visit: http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the
Medical Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
2 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
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<continued from ENDOCANNABINOIDS
EMERGE OUT OF THE SHADOWS AT NCCCT, page 1 > The ocular neuro protective effects of
endocannabinoids are also becoming understood and were described by Professor
Melanie Kelly of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia Canada. When nerve cells
(neurons) are degraded or inflamed, local endocannabinoid production is
increased in that location. Blocking CB1 or CB2 receptor activity increases
the susceptibility of that neuron to stroke and trauma. Cannabinoids display
neuro protective effects in experimental models of trauma. Again, the
activation of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 or CB2) through either endogenous
release of anandamide, or through the exogenous use of herbal cannabis,
stimulates a return toward homeostasis by decreasing neurological stress and
inflammation. Another researcher, Martin Lee described his
research into unlocking the mechanisms of cannabdiol (CBD) - the
non-psychoactive cannabinoid. Most readers understand that THC is the
cannabinoid in cannabis that is primarily responsible for the euphoria that
is prized by recreational users and that was intentionally bred into most
strains. What is much less known are the various important effects of the
non-psychoactive CBD. Apart from the obvious benefit to some - that it
stimulates endocannabinoid signaling without the person |
getting high - CBD also reduces breast and
glioblastoma cell proliferation, may protect neurons against cellular
degradation, promotes stem cell neurogenesis (growth), exerts anti psychotic
influences, suppresses cardiac arrhythmia, is anti biotic, and has
anti-oxidant properties. Interestingly, CBD has little affinity for the
cannabinoid receptors, rather it works by activating non cannabinoid
receptors and "enhances endocannabinoid tone by inhibiting FAAH ... a
key endocannabinoid metabolizing enzyme." FAAH breaks down
endocannabinoids, CBD slows the degradation and enhances cannabinoid
signaling. (Since it's therapeutic re-discovery in 2009, CBD-rich strains
like Cannatonic and Harlequin are being grown specifically for
patients who want pain control with less psycho activity.) In addition to numerous speakers, the Seventh
National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics was the site for a
meeting of the American Cannabis Nurses Association. Founded two years
ago, the ACNA is the professional organization for nurses and others who are
interested in the unique interaction of nurses and cannabis patients. Nurses
all over the country are caring for and in contact with cannabis patients and
have little understanding or awareness of its mechanism of action or of the
many complex legal issues presented by the Federal governments ongoing war on
cannabis patients. How should a nurse counsel a patient about safe use of
cannabis? Nursing as a specialty is concerned with the provision of direct
patient care, and the subspecialty of cannabis nursing lends itself to this
role. The conference was also attended by a number of
physicians, some of whom participated in the first credentialing seminar
hosted by the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine. This seminar
provided physicians with advanced practice certification. The conference and the venue were enhanced by
the sponsorship of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in
Tucson. Dr Andrew Weil, author of From Chocolate to Morphine spoke to
the gathering exhorting participants to take control of this issue, rather
than let it <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> be continually framed by drug
war proponents and conservative media. He described the huge education gap of
clinicians and the "deep-rooted irrationality" surrounding
cannabis. His talk ranged over the limitations of conventional pharmaceutical
treatments, contrasting the risk/benefit relationship of cannabis. The Seventh National Clinical Conference on
Cannabis Therapeutics was well attended by over 250 participants, and was
held at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, in the canyons north of Tucson. This
spectacular setting was matched by the culinary offerings created by the
Loews Chef, who offered many dishes created with hemp. The field of cannabinoid research has been
hampered for decades by overreliance on the single-molecule profit-based
health care industry of America. As Dr. Weil pointed out, this accounts for
much of the obstruction, insanity, and senselessness of the continuing
federal prohibition on cannabis. The very fact that millions of patients can
"dispense" with their muscle relaxants, opiates, sedatives and
tranquilizers by using a safe and powerful remedy must make pharmaceutical
industry accountants break into a cold sweat. Nevertheless, as this
conference showed, the re-integration of cannabis into the Pharmacopoeia
is now inevitable, and the legal prohibitions are destined to fall like dead
leaves on a tree. The Seventh National
Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics marked, for the first time,
the emergence of cannabinoid science from a poorly understood complex process
into an increasingly cohesive body of clinical and experiential wisdom which
represents the last new frontier of conventional medical advancement. This
is, of course, something millions of patients have known for centuries. Their
cumulative experience has precipitated this beginning revolution in medical
care. Patients are, after all, the leaders here. |
of
Cannabinoid Medicine at (www.aacmsite.org);
or Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
at (www.Integrativemedicine.arizona.edu). About the author: Ed Glick is a former RN and an
Oregon based medical cannabis activist and advocate who wrote this report for
American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC).
Contact them at 44500 Tide Ave · Arch
Cape, OR 97102 or by
visiting - http://www.letfreedomgrow.com
_____________________________________________________________ <continued from CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS LEGALITY OF DISPENSARIES, page
1 > Law enforcement and the state attorney general
had asked the California Supreme Court to overturn the appellate ruling in People
v. Colvin, arguing that an undefined percentage of patients are legally
required to participate in the operation of a medical cannabis collective in
order to obtain medication from it. The Court of Appeal had rejected that reasoning,
saying the attorney general’s interpretation of the law would "limit
drastically the size of medical marijuana establishments," and
"contravene the intent of [state law] by limiting patients' access to
medical marijuana." The ruling in People v. Colvin also noted
that "collectives and cooperatives may cultivate and transport marijuana
in aggregate amounts tied to its membership numbers" and affirmed that
possession of extracted or concentrated forms of medical cannabis is covered
by state law. "The California Supreme Court has
recognized, as the appeals court did, that those most in need of medical
cannabis are those least able to do the work of cultivating and distributing
it,” said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford. "Allowing collective members to
rely on each other, transport their medicine, and use more effective extracts
is a commonsense approach to safe access. A number of medical marijuana dispensary cases
were granted review by the California Supreme Court earlier this year,
including Pack v. City of Long Beach, Riverside v. Inland Empire Patient’s
Health and Wellness Center, <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> and City of Lake Forest v. Evergreen Holistic
Collective. The Pack case addresses issues of federal preemption,
which have already come before the high court, whereas the Riverside and Lake
Forest cases address the issue of whether localities have a right to
permanently ban dispensaries. "The Colvin decision provides better
protections for medical cannabis patients and providers, particularly those
who have faced prosecution," said Elford. "Specifically, it
supports our appeal of collective operator Jovan Jackson’s conviction in San
Diego, since his prosecution was based on the same argument about member
participation." Further information: _____________________________________________________________ <continued from AN OPEN
LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, page 1 > Before
I criticize your disappointing failure in this realm, let me say thank you
for all that you have accomplished: *
Pulling us back from the abyss of the great recession *
Health care reform *
Developing an exit strategy for Afghanistan *
Abolishing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" *
Championing women's reproductive rights *
Supporting fairness in U.S. tax policy *
Definitively dealing with Osama bin Laden There
are an impressive list of accomplishments. They took hard work, intelligence
and political courage. This makes it all the more baffling that you have done
little or nothing to address our dismally failed drug policy. This is in the
face of the majority of Americans supporting drug policy reform. You have
notable conservatives such as Dr. Ron Paul, George Will and Judge James Gray
calling for and recognizing the need for drug policy reform. Last June we had
a distinguished Global Commission calling for drastic change in drug policy.
A week later former President Carter seconded that conclusion. We have Mexico
and |
other
South American governments calling for and implementing reform. Spain and
Portugal have reformed their drug laws with positive results. Then
we have you at the recent Hemisphere Conference saying that we will not alter
our current, constitution bending, expensive, wrong headed reliance on the
criminal justice system to "treat" substance abuse. Now we have the
local outrage of blocking access to the ill and infirm of this safe (per
DEA), effective medication (liquid cannabis, Satiivex, is approved for sale
in at least ten countries) by raiding cannabis dispensaries in Santa Barbara. Syndicated
columnist Debra Saunders recently wrote, "Mr. Obama may talk up having a
dialogue on legalization and decriminalization, but his newly announced
strategy proclaims, 'Legalization of drugs will not be considered in this
approach.'" It is time to realize that we have been going down the wrong
track on this matter since 1914. The drug issue has been used as a tool to
expand federal power at the expense of states rights. What
is even more disappointing, Mr. President, is your hypocrisy and
flip-flopping on this issue. You yourself used marijuana and cocaine and
became President. Mr. Bush used cocaine and alcohol and became president. Mr.
Gore admits he smoked cannabis for several years and he became U.S. Senator
from Tennessee and Vice President of the U.S. Newt Gingrich smoked marijuana
and became Speaker of the House. Some citizens might say we'd have been
better off if you were all arrested and jailed like low income Black or
Hispanic substance abusers. I don't agree and my guess is you don't either. When
it comes to the medicinal aspects of cannabis you have turned your back on
the health benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids. You have not respected
state laws as you said you would. No, you sided with two conservative
Justices Anton Scalia and Anthony Kennedy, who have repeatedly trumpeted
their support of states rights, and the four moderate associate justices
(sometimes mistakenly <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> referred
to as liberals) who turned their back on their support of states rights in
the Gonzalez v. Raich case. The
late Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices O'Connor and Thomas supported
states rights and wrote two ringing dissents recognizing that the 9th and
10th amendments and the 1925 Lindner decision give the constitutional
authority to regulate the practice of medicine to the individual states. I
recently delivered a presentation at SBCC about how we got to our current
dysfunctional drug policy to a class on deviant behavior. It got me thinking;
is it deviate behavior to ignore the results of over 20,000 studies and 5,000
years of medical use? Is it deviant to treat a medical issue with a criminal
justice approach? Is it deviant for you to say you would follow the science
and then have your director of the DEA block the study of cannabis medicine
by an eminent botanical medicine expert, Dr. Lyle Craker, of University of
Massachusetts. George
Will wrote that our drug policy "...has consequences: More Americans are
imprisoned for drug offenses or drug-related probation and parole violations
than for property crimes. And although America spends five times more jailing
drug dealers than it did 30 years ago, the prices of cocaine and heroin are
80 to 90 percent lower than 30 years ago. A $200 transaction can cost society $100,000 for
a three-year sentence. And imprisoning large numbers of dealers produces an
army of people who, emerging from prison with blighted employment prospects,
can only deal drugs. Which is why, although a few years ago Washington D.C.
dealers earned an average of $30 an hour, today they earn less than the
federal minimum wage ($7.25)." Your
administration has followed the lead of your recent predecessors George H.W.
Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and blocked or discouraged research on
a substance that has been shown in animal studies to cure cancer and a
substance that is used by tens of thousands of our courageous war veterans to
treat PTSD. Your drug czar has ignored the distinguished American Academy of
Cannabinoid Medicine's request for a meeting to educate him on the
endocannabinoid |
system and the therapeutic
applications for cannabinoids. Your administration forced the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) to take down from their website the fact that doctors believe
that cannabis has anti-cancer properties. As a physician who has recommended
cannabis for treatment of PTSD, phantom limb pain, ankylosing spondylitis,
nausea and decreased appetite from cancer, seizures, migraines, cyclical
vomiting syndrome, analgesia, depression, and many other serious,
debilitating illnesses - and as a citizen who understands that clinical
application of science - I am disappointed. With 20 billion in the
federal budget for controlling drugs (that we admit), tens of billions spent
on incarceration, loss of productivity, tax revenue and harming children by
destroying families by arresting and jailing parents, by walking away from
potential billions in tax dollars; the majority of Americans, and the vast
majority of youth, believes you are wrong and that you lied to us. You are a
fantastic wordsmith and I suspect you could come up with a dazzling retort to
this letter. Based on your track record, why should we believe you? The governors of Washington,
Vermont and Rhode Island have all petitioned you to reschedule cannabis to
schedule II. This is consistent with the 1988 findings of the DEA, consistent
with the position of the AMA, consistent with a conservative reading of the
Controlled Substances Act, and plan just the right medical, political and
humanitarian action to take. Follow the science and have compassion for the
ill and infirm. We had medicinal cannabis available in pharmacies from
1854-1942. It is well past time to return to that policy. I only hope that by your deeds not your
rhetoric that, should you receive a second term, you fulfill your promise to
follow the science, to respect state laws and to give us changes that will
give we the American people hope for sanity on this issue. About the author:
Dr. David Bearman is one of
the most clinically knowledgable physicians in the U.S. in the field of
medicinal marijuana. He has spent 40
years working in substance and drug abuse treatment and prevention
programs. Dr. Bearman was a pioneer
in the free and community clinic movement.
His career includes public health, administrative medicine, provision
of primary care, pain management and cannabinology. and originally wrote this
for AAMC. For more on David Bearman
MD, visit - www.davidbearmanmd.com. For more on the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC),
Contact them at - 44500 Tide Ave · Arch
Cape, OR 97102 or by visiting
- http://www.letfreedomgrow.com
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New Hampshire: Governor's Veto Dooms Medical
Marijuana Measure
Concord, NH, USA: Members of the state Senate on Wednesday failed to override Governor John Lynch's veto of Senate
Bill 409, which sought to allow qualified patients to possess and cultivate
cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Senators voted 13 to 10 to override the
Governor's veto. However, 16 total 'yes' votes were necessary to achieve the
two-thirds Senate majority necessary to enact SB 409 into law. Although House members had overwhelmingly backed SB
409 during this year's legislative session, Senate support was more evenly
split, with Senators having voted 13 to 9 last week in favor of the bill. Two
Democratic Senators, Lou D'Allesandro and Sylvia Larsen, on Wednesday reversed their previous 'yes' votes, siding with Gov.
Lynch, who is also a Democrat. In 2009, Gov. Lynch vetoed
a far more restrictive medicinal cannabis measure. Senators that year also fell just short of the votes necessary
to override him. Governor Lynch
announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election in 2012. In a press release issued by the Marijuana Policy Project immediately following last
week's vote, Senator Jim Forsythe (R-Strafford), the bill's prime sponsor,
said that he would continue lobbying to gain the two additional Senate votes
necessary to override the Governor's anticipated veto. "Most senators
now agree we have a moral obligation to protect seriously ill patients from
being arrested in our state," he said.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML
Executive Director, or Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500.
_____________________________________________________________ <continued from STUDY: MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IS NOT
ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASES IN TEEN CANNABIS USE, page 1
> Economists from Montana State University, the
University of Oregon, and the University of Colorado, Denver examined the
relationship between state medical cannabis laws and marijuana
consumption among high school students.
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Authors
analyzed data from the national and state Youth Risky Behavior Surveys (YRBS)
for the years 1993 through 2009 - during which time 13 states enacted laws
allowing for the production and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The national YRBS is conducted biennially by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is a nationally
representative sample of U.S. high school students. Authors found no evidence that the enactment of
medical cannabis legalization adversely impacted adolescents' drug
consumption. They concluded: "Our results are not consistent with the
hypothesis that the legalization of medical marijuana caused an increase in
the use of marijuana and other substances among high school students. ... Our
results suggest that the legalization of medical marijuana was not
accompanied by increases in the use of marijuana or other substances such as
alcohol and cocaine among high school students. Interestingly, several of our
estimates suggest that marijuana use actually declined with the passage of
medical marijuana laws." A 2012 study by researchers at McGill University in
Montreal and published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology
previously reported similar findings, concluding:
"[P]assing MMLs (medical marijuana laws) decreased past-month use among
adolescents ... and had no discernible effect on the perceived riskiness of
monthly use. ... [These] estimates suggest that reported adolescent marijuana
use may actually decrease following the passing of medical marijuana
laws." Previous investigations by research teams at Brown
University in 2011 and Texas
A&M in 2007 made similar determinations, concluding,
"[C]onsistent with other studies of the liberalization of cannabis laws,
medical cannabis laws do not appear to increase use of the drug." The
findings of these studies contradict public statements made by Drug Czar Gil
Kerlikowske and other medical cannabis opponents, who in recent years have repeatedly alleged that the passage of medical <continued on next page> |
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<continued from STUDY: MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IS NOT
ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASES IN TEEN CANNABIS USE,,
previous page> cannabis laws is directly
responsible for higher levels of self-reported marijuana consumption among
U.S. teenagers. For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana
Use," is available online at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp6592.pdf.
_____________________________________________________________ Study: Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Not
Associated With Neighborhood Crime
Investigators at the University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA) examined whether the proliferation of medical marijuana
dispensaries is associated with elevated crimes rates. Researchers assessed
the spatial relationship between density of medical marijuana dispensaries
and two types of crime rates (violent crime and property crime) in 95 census
tracts in Sacramento, California, during the year 2009. Researchers reported: "There were no observed
cross-sectional associations between the density of medical marijuana
dispensaries and either violent or property crime rates in this study. These
results suggest that the density of medical marijuana dispensaries may not be
associated with crime rates or that other factors, such as measures
dispensaries take to reduce crime (i.e., doormen, video cameras), may
increase guardianship such that it deters possible motivated offenders." Authors acknowledged that their findings "run
contrary to public perceptions" and that they conflict with public
statements made by the |
California Police Chief's Association, which had
previously claimed, "Drug dealing, sales to minors, loitering, heavy
vehicle and foot traffic in retail areas, increased noise, and robberies of
customers just outside dispensaries are ... common ancillary by-products of
(medicinal cannabis) operations." The UCLA is not the first study to dispute the
allegation that brick-and-mortar dispensaries are adversely associated with
crime. A 2011 study of crime rates in Los Angeles published by the RAND
Corporation similarly concluded,
"[W]e found no evidence that medical marijuana dispensaries in general
cause crime to rise." However, shortly following its publication RAND removed
the study from its website after their findings were publicly criticized
by the Los Angeles city attorney's office. Other analyses of crime statistics in the cities of Denver,
Los
Angeles, and Colorado Springs have separately disputed the notion that
the locations of dispensaries are associated with elevated incidences of
criminal activity. For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Exploring the Ecological Association Between
Crime and Medical Marijuana Dispensaries," appears in the Journal of
Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from CONNECTICUT: MEDICINAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
MEASURE SIGNED INTO LAW, page 1 > <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> patients with a qualifying "debilitating
medical condition" must receive "written certification" from a
physician and register with the state's Department of Consumer Protection
(DCP). Qualifying patients and their primary caregivers
will be allowed to possess a combined one-month supply of cannabis, the
specific amount of which will be determined by a board consisting of eight
physicians certified by appropriate medical boards and enforced through DCP
regulations. Patients must obtain marijuana from certified
pharmacists at licensed dispensaries, who will obtain it from licensed
producers. The law allows for the licensing of at least three, but no more
than ten, producers statewide. Patients will not be permitted to cultivate their
own cannabis.
In May, Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed
into law similar legislation allowing for the state-licensed production
and limited distribution of medicinal cannabis. Vermont lawmakers in 2011 approved
a similar measure; however, to date the state has yet to license any
statewide dispensaries. Presently, a total of eight state-licensed medical marijuana |
dispensaries are operating in Maine. Similar
state-licensed dispensaries operate in Colorado and New Mexico. Additional
licensing legislation awaits implementation in Arizona, Delaware, New Jersey,
and Washington, DC. Federal Threats No Deterrent to Connecticut State Lawmakers
The
Connecticut legislature passed the measure earlier in the month despite
threats against state lawmakers from federal prosecutors. The US Attorneys in
many jurisdictions across the country – including Connecticut, California,
Rhode Island, and Washington – have warned state and local officials not to
pass or implement medical cannabis laws or face federal prosecution. "We
are encouraged elected officials are moving ahead with important public
health laws that benefit their communities," said Steph Sherer,
Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, which worked with local
advocates to help pass the Connecticut law. "Lawmakers in other states
should follow their lead in rejecting the intimidation tactics of the
Department of Justice." Conditions
for which Connecticut residents at least 18 years of age may qualify to
register with the state include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s, MS,
Crohn’s disease, spinal injury and PTSD. The Department of Consumer
Protection may add other conditions at its discretion. “We
hope to soon see the list of qualifying conditions expanded to include
chronic pain and others that we know are helped by medical cannabis,” said
Sherer. “Removing the prohibition on patients cultivating their own medicine
would also be a further step forward. Too many states that rely on
centralized distribution have seen delays.” For more information, please visit http://norml.org/legal/item/connecticut-medical-marijuana,
or contact Connecticut NORML at: http://norml.org/ct/item/connecticut-norml. Also, see: Text of HB 5389 or,
contact: Americans for Safe
Access (ASA) * 1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402 * Oakland, CA 94612 * 510-251-1856 * www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org |
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Calif. Assembly Passes
Dispensary Regulations; Stalled Bill Revived by Citizen Lobbying
By
a vote of 41-28, the California State Assembly on May 31 passed AB 2312, a
bill that would regulate the production and distribution of medical cannabis
statewide. The
Medical Marijuana Regulate, Control and Tax Act was thought dead in
committee, but it got to the Assembly floor thanks in part to a concerted
citizen lobbying effort lead by Californians to Regulate Medical Marijuana
(CRMM), a coalition that includes Americans for Safe Access. "The
Assembly has shown leadership in passing needed statewide regulations that
will help clarify how medical cannabis should be produced and
distributed," said Don Duncan, ASA’s California Director. "We urge
the State Senate to do the right thing and approve this commonsense
approach." Although
a majority of California’s medical cannabis patients rely on dispensaries,
the state has so far left regulation up to its localities. There are
currently more than 50 differing local ordinances regulating medical cannabis
dispensaries. This patchwork of local laws has created confusion for
officials, more work for law enforcement, and forced many people to travel
long distances or use the illicit market to obtain their medication. The
bill would create a nine-member appointed board responsible for developing, |
implementing,
and enforcing statewide regulations for dispensaries. Some lawmakers opposed
the bill because they said this board would be stacked in favor of patients,
since five of the nine members would represent patients, advocates or
doctors. Although
regulations would be set at the state level, AB 2312 preserves municipal
control over zoning decisions about where dispensaries could operate. The
measure would also establish a taxing mechanism that could generate
significant revenue for California. The
citizen lobbying effort that helped propel AB 2312 to passage was spearheaded
by CRMM, a recently formed statewide coalition of policy reform advocates, medical
cannabis businesses, and organized labor. The coalition worked closely with
Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D, SF) to introduce AB 2312 earlier this year,
then held a Unity Conference in Sacramento in May to coalesce support. The
CRMM conference, which was hosted by ASA, culminated in a Lobby Day that saw
more than 300 patients and policy advocates gather at the Capitol to meet
with each member of the state legislature and urge them to pass the bill. AB
2312 is now before the State Senate. It must pass out of committee by July 6
and come to a floor vote by August 31. Polling
by EMC Research shows that 77% of Californians support a regulatory approach
like AB 2312. For more info,
contact: Americans for Safe
Access (ASA) * 1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402 * Oakland, CA 94612 * 510-251-1856 * www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org _____________________________________________________________ CRMM
California Unity Conference a Success
The
California Unity Conference last month drew a diverse group of stakeholders
to Sacramento, and ultimately played an instrumental role in passing a
statewide dispensary bill in the Assembly.
Organized by the coalition Californians to Regulate Medical <continued on next page> |
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Volume 9, Issue 6 *
June * 2012 |
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<continued
from previous page> Marijuana
(CRMM) and hosted by ASA at an
AFL-CIO office in Sacramento, the event brought 200 advocates together from
across the state for two days of strategy and training sessions aimed at
advancing favorable state legislation and local regulations. Following that
was a Lobby Day on Monday, May 21 that saw 300 patient advocates descend on
the state Capitol to bring their message directly to state lawmakers.
“The
Lobby Day was our crowning achievement,” said ASA Executive Director Steph
Sherer. “We had constituents from 70 of the 80 Assembly Districts and 36 of
the 40 Senate districts – a statewide turnout that in the past has only been
matched by California’s heaviest-hitting interest groups.” CRMM is a statewide coalition
of policy reform advocates, medical cannabis businesses, and organized labor
that includes ASA, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, California
NORML, and others. Further information: |
Arizona Considers Dispensary
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Montana
High Court Hears
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Polls: Majority Of Voters Back Legalizing
Cannabis. Period.
Vancouver, Canada: Two-thirds of US adults believe that the drug war is
failing, and a majority of respondents say that marijuana ought to be
legalized, according a recent Angus Reid Public opinion poll of 1,017 Americans.
According to the poll, only 10 percent of respondents believe that the
so-called 'War on Drugs' has been successful, while 66 percent deem it a "failure." Pollsters also
found that 52 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana
(versus 44 percent opposed). Support
for marijuana legalization was highest among men (60 percent),
self-identified political Independents (57 percent), and Democrats (54
percent). Women (45 percent), respondents over the age of 55 (48 percent) and
self-identified Republicans (43 percent) were less supportive of
legalization. The poll's margin of
error is +/- 3.1% It is
the fourth consecutive survey conducted by Angus Reid to report majority
support among Americans for legalizing marijuana. A
separate statewide poll of likely Colorado voters published on Monday by
Rasmussen Reports found that 61 percent of likely state voters favor legalizing and
regulating marijuana like alcohol. Only 27 percent of respondents opposed the
idea. The poll result is a positive sign for proponents of Amendment 64 - a
statewide ballot initiative that seeks to eliminate civil and
criminal penalties for the limited possession and cultivation of cannabis by
those age 21 or older. The measure also seeks to establish regulations
governing the commercial production and distribution of marijuana by licensed
retailers. Colorado voters will decide on the measure in November. Amendment 64 is backed by
a broad coalition of drug law reform organizations, including
NORML, the American Civil
Liberties Union of Colorado, SAFER, Sensible Colorado, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Students for Sensible Drug Policy
(SSDP), the Drug
Policy Alliance, and the Marijuana
Policy Project. For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org
or visit: http://www.regulatemarijuana.org. |
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mercycenter@hotmail.com > (503)
363-4588 <
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