Tag: Medical Marijuana (page 3)

The DEA raided four medical marijuana dispensaries in Spokane, WA today. A map of those raided is here, courtesy of Radical Russ of NORML.

Here is the position of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, contained in an April 14 letter to the Washington legislature concerning on a proposed bill to establish a licensing scheme for marijuana growers and dispensaries: [More...]

Montana has allowed medical marijuana since 2004. Today, the Senate joined the House in passing a reform bill. It now heads to the Governor. You can read the bill, SB 423 (SB0423.ENR) here. Among the key provisions:

• The law repeals the existing Montana Medical Marijuana Act.
• Lawmakers specified a list of debilitating medical conditions which qualify for a medical marijuana card and defined a standard of care that doctors must comply with to issue a card. The bill now prohibits telemedicine.
• Lawmakers placed regulatory authority with the Department of Health.
• The committee limited the number of plants a card-holder can have to 4 mature plants, 12 seedlings and 1 oz of usable marijuana.
• The amended bill defines chronic pain and forces a patient to either have proof of pain or have 2 doctors certify a chronic pain patient.

[More...]

The U.S. Attorney's office in Colorado is the latest one to advise state prosecutiorial agencies that it will continue to prosecute and impose sanctions against those involved in medical marijuana, despite the Ogden Memo and despite state law to the contrary.

Here are the actual letters, from Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to the legislature, from Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh to Suthers, and similar ones from U.S. Attorneys in Northern California, Hawaii, Eastern Washington and Montana. [More...]

Arizona, which approved medical marijuana in November, began accepting applications from patients last week. The application process is done online. At the end of week 1, 579 of 718 applications were approved. Those rejected can re-apply. By the numbers:

About 78 percent of them were men, and the largest age group, at 37 percent, was people 51 and older. The next largest age group, at 22 percent, was people between 41 and 50 years old. Diseases reported included cancer, Hepatitis C, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and Crohn's disease,

The Colorado Board of Health is up to its old tricks, now trying to change the definition of caregiver in a way that will restrict patient choice and require patients to pay for unnecessary services. From Sensible Colorado:

Once again, the Colorado Health Department (CDPHE) has launched an attack on medical marijuana caregivers. Hiding behind the Attorney General’s questionable legal interpretation, the CDPHE has rejected the proposed definition of "caregiver" as put forward by the CDPHE Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. After studying the issue, the Advisory Board concluded that providing education about medical marijuana was sufficient to meet the definition of "caregiver".

[More...]

The Colorado Department of Revenue has issued new rules relating to Medical Marijuana Centers (MMCs) in Colorado. They go into effect July 1, 2011. You can read the 77 pages of rules here.

Via e-mail received from Cannabis Therapy Center, which is still studying the rules, the Department of Revenue made some effort to comply with patient privacy and confidentiality but they fall short in some areas, for example: [More...]

The U.S. Attorney in Montana issued this press release today about the 26 search warrants executed yesterday in Montana. (More here.) The targets: medical marijuana businesses, which the U.S. Attorney calls "criminal enterprises."

According to the list of items to be seized, it's not just records of the businesses they were after, but customer records too:

According to the warrant, signed Thursday by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, authorities were authorized to seize “items that are evidence of the commission of drug trafficking offenses” under federal law, including marijuana; packaging materials and related paraphernalia; cell phones, firearms; books and records.

“Books and records,” include items and “papers with names, addresses and telephone numbers, including but not limited to (those) of co-conspirators and/or persons to whom dangerous drugs have been delivered to or obtained from,” according to the warrant. Also sought: “documents and/or papers which may aid in the identification and location of customers, suppliers and/or co-conspirators.”

The U.S. Attorney insists "Individuals with illnesses who are in clear and unambiguous compliance with state law are not the focus of this investigation." Then why get a warrant for customer records? [More...]

The much-publicized case of Colorado marijuana grower Chris Bartkowicz wrapped up this morning when a federal judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

Bartkowicz came to the attention of the DEA after giving 9News an on camera interview and tour of his residence with the grow. He thought he was in compliance with state law. The DEA raided the house and seized 224 plants, which was more than six plants per the number of patients for whom he was a caregiver.

Bartkowicz had two prior felony convictions and the feds decided to play hardball by filing a notice to enhance his sentence due to the prior convictions. He was facing a mandatory minimum of 60 years and possibly life in prison. [More...]

Following up on medical marijuana raids conducted last fall, the Feds have indicted 11 people in Nevada. John Birmele, Jr., the owner of The Happiness Consultants, is charged with 15 counts including distribution of marijuana, using a firearm in
drug trafficking and concealing information from social security. The indictments are here and here.

Nevada state law is a little peculiar.

Under Nevada state law, a person with a medical marijuana license can legally possess up to one ounce of pot and grow seven plants. Technically, it's illegal to buy or sell it.

Many people who are authorized to possess pot in Nevada have argued that state law is a "catch 22". Unlike California, there aren't any legal dispensaries patients can go to. The Las Vegas businesses that were raided are only legally licensed to consult patients in getting medical marijuana cards.

Nevada needs to authorize and regulate dispensaries as do other states. While its law allows people to use medical marijuana, they must grow it themselves. Not everyone has a green thumb. And it's questionable whether it's legal for anyone to possess the seeds needed to grow a marijuana plant.

If you needed any more evidence that medical marijuana is an industry whose time is now, check out KushCon II, in Denver this weekend. Reportedly, it's the world's largest cannibis conference.

Over 340,000 square feet of the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, December 17-19 will be consumed by KushCon II, the largest star-studded Cannabis Lifestyle convention ever to take place on the planet.

The event sponsored by Kush Magazine and Dailybuds is open to the public of all ages and is family-friendly. There will be no cannabis allowed at the event. The weekend will be packed with entertainment, information, and fun for all that attend. There are over 450 vendors from all over the world as well as local businesses including medical marijuana centers, edible manufacturing companies, plus many vendors selling clothing, smoke-ware and other special cannabis lifestyle gifts that are sure to complete any “Kushmas shopping” wish list.

The panels pack some serious wallop. Both New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Colorado Rep. Jared Polis will speak. Here's today's schedule. And tomorrow's.

The conference is open to the public, and is "family friendly." There will be no marijuana at the event, so no medical marijuana card or doctor's recommendation is necessary. The event may break prior attendance records, drawing as many as 50,000 people. NORML is streaming the event live online here.

CNBC is airing Cannibis Gold Rush, concentrating on Colorado's medical marijuana industry.

CNBC's "Marijuana USA" goes inside a flourishing medical pot industry. In Colorado, the demon weed is rebranded as a natural herbal remedy with healing powers that even respectable citizens can enjoy. We meet two restaurant owners who are about to launch a new line of cannabis-infused edibles. And, we’ll go inside a clinic where marijuana is almost always the doctor's order.

In this bold new era of greater marijuana acceptance, the business still remains in violation of federal laws. But, the entrepreneurs have asked to be regulated, licensed and taxed – just like any other trade. After more than seventy years as an illegal drug, is it possible that marijuana’s moment has arrived?

The program then moves on to Appalachia where the war on drugs is continuing, especially in Kentucky. Finally, it goes to Portugal, and looks at Lisbon's relaxed drug laws and its subsequent drop in youth drug use.

Medical marijuana is earning a lot of revenue in sales tax. Here are the numbers for Colorado Springs. [More...]

One step forward, two steps back. Colorado's proposed regulations on medical marijuana are 90 pages long. You can read them here.

The rules would govern everything: how state officials regulate marijuana cultivation; how dispensary owners keep track of their sales; what makers of marijuana-infused pastries should put on their labels. Several of the rules would place Colorado in unprecedented territory — for instance, requiring marijuana growers to install security cameras through which state auditors could remotely monitor their crop. Others would take action on areas of long-standing concern, including inventory-control rules designed to prevent medical marijuana from leaking into the black market.

Check out the 5 pages of possible violations. [More...]