Rhode Island’s Marijuana Decriminalization Law Takes Effect Monday

By Thomas H. Clarke
cuffs for cannabis
 
PROVIDENCE – Possession of small amounts of marijuana will no longer carry criminal penalties in Rhode Island when a legislation signed into law last year decriminalizing minor marijuana possession offenses takes effect on Monday, April 1.
Presently, possessing cannabis in the Ocean State is classified as a criminal misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $500 maximum fine.
Starting Monday, the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by an individual 18 years or older is a non-arrestable civil offense, punishable by a maximum fine of $150 but no jail time, and no criminal record.
 
Full Article:
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2013/16718/rhode-islands-marijuana-decriminalization-law-takes-effect-monday/

10 Ounces = 60-Day Supply, And Other Rules For Medical Pot In Mass.

medical marijuana sign
(Photo: Laurie Avocado via Wikimedia Commons)
 
“Medical marijuana” became legal in Massachusetts on January 1, but the first draft of rules for its use are just out today.
Here are some highlights from the Department of Public Health. The full summary is here:

• Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs): DPH requires each non-profit MMTC organization to operate their own cultivation and dispensing facilities.
• Defining a 60-Day Supply: DPH recommends allowing up to 10 ounces for a personal 60-day supply.
• Debilitating Medical Condition: DPH does not further define which medical conditions qualify patients for medicinal use of marijuana, instead leaving that important decision to physicians and their patients.
 
Full Article:
http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2013/03/medical-marijuana-mass-rules

India, America & the business of marijuana

Wherever new markets open up, trust intrepid Indian entrepreneurs to wade in. Many American states have legalised the use of marijuana with a medical prescription and two now allow it for recreational use. This has led to hopes that, soon, cannabis will be legalised across the US. Some analysts expect the market to grow to as much as $1.7 billion, prompting two Indian entrepreneurs to team up and form a consultancy to advise budding ganjapreneurs. This is good news. Evidence from Europe, where beer and wine are relatively cheap, shows that people prefer these to stronger spirits. In India, costly beer and wine have driven consumers to guzzling spirits. Similarly, the legalisation and availability of weed could drive a lot of hard drugs off the streets. This, in turn, could vastly reduce crime. It could also create the conditions for a legitimate business to grow overnight.
 
Full Article:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/editorial/india-america-the-business-of-marijuana/articleshow/19284364.cms

Should this Veteran Be Evicted for Using Medical Marijuana?


The Crawford family
 
U.S. Army veteran Jeff Crawford and his family have been bounced around a lot over the past three years—living out of hotels and sometimes on the streets. When the Veterans Administration (VA) connected him six months ago with the L.A. chapter of Volunteers of America (a non-profit organization that helps the homeless find permanent housing, among other things), it seemed like things were finally looking up.
Even though Crawford and his wife struggled to raise the money to furnish their apartment with a working stove and a refrigerator, they were grateful for the shelter and the stability it provided for Crawford’s two sons.
Sadly, Volunteers of America is preparing to rescind the brief respite it provided the Crawford family, because Jeff Crawford is a medical marijuana user.
 
Full Article:
http://reason.com/blog/2013/03/27/should-this-veteran-get-evicted

Ky. Agriculture Commissioner To Push Hemp In DC


 
FRANKFORT(AP) – Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will lead a Kentucky delegation to Washington to ask for an exemption to allow farmers in his state to grow industrial hemp.
That announcement came a day after the Kentucky Legislature passed a bill that lays the groundwork for licensing hemp growers if the federal government ever lifts a ban on the crop.
 
Full Article:
http://www.lex18.com/news/ky-agriculture-commissioner-to-push-hemp-in-dc

Cannabinoids and Cancer

By Larry Gabriel
Photo: N/A, License: N/A
 
I got a good bit of reaction to my last piece on cannabis and cancer, so I want follow up on it before moving on to other subjects. Obviously, many folks out there are suffering and seeking relief, but I don’t want to peddle false hope; there is already too much of that going on. However, if you already have a death sentence hanging over your head then you pretty much have nothing to lose.
One of the major medicinal advantages of cannabis, the clinical name for marijuana, is the absence of significant and unintended side effects (no major harms) associated with its medicinal use ¾which is a lot more than can be said for many pharmaceutical drugs that come with a laundry list of side effects, which sometimes include death.
That said, the website of the National Cancer institute has recently added a page titled “Cannabis and Cannabinoids” [cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/patient/page2]. The information on that page cites preclinical studies that indicate the following “antitumor activity” of cannabinoids (the active substances in the marijuana plant):
• Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells.
• A study in mice showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation of the colon and may have potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and possibly in its treatment.
• A laboratory study of delta-9-THC in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells showed that it damaged or killed the cancer cells.
• A laboratory study of cannabidiol in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells.
 
Full Article:
http://metrotimes.com/news/higher-ground/cannabinoids-and-cancer-1.1463656

N.Y. Senator Wants To Legalize Marijuana – Introduced Bill Today

Reported by: Bobby Brooks
 
Elmira, N.Y. – New York could be the next state to legalize marijuana use.  Tuesday State Senator Diane Savino introduced a bill in the senate that would legalize medical marijuana for patients with serious medical conditions like cancer or aids.
It’s called the Compassionate Care Act.  Doctors will be authorized to prescribe marijuana to certified patients or designated caregivers to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana.
 
Full Article:
http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story/N-Y-Senator-Wants-To-Legalize-Marijuana/EXq3UCKg60mXbeQyGw-DKQ.cspx

Kentucky House, Senate Pass Hemp Bill

The Kentucky House and Senate have passed a hemp bill.
Late Tuesday, just minutes before the 2013 General Assembly session was scheduled to end, both chambers passed a bill that would allow the state to quickly license farmers to grow hemp if the federal government lifts its current ban on the crop.
The House vote was 88 to 4. The Senate then voted 35 to one. It now goes to Governor Steve Beshear.
 
Full Article:
http://www.wtvq.com/content/localnews/story/BREAKING-House-Senate-Pass-Hemp-Bill/jL2MkJbaMUO1mwuNVo3bgQ.cspx