By Ray Downs

 
The marijuana reform group Show-Me Cannabis recently purchased billboard space less than two miles away from the governor’s mansion. The billboard urges people to call Nixon directly and ask for the release of Mizanskey, who is 21 years into a life-without-parole sentence for marijuana-only charges.Governor Jay Nixon is the only person in the world who has the authority to release Jeff Mizanskey from prison. And activists want to make sure he’s reminded of that every time he leaves his house.
 
Full Article:
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2014/10/billboard_for_jeff_mizanskey_man_serving_life_for_pot_placed_near_governors_mansion.php

by Michael D’Alimonte

Photo cred – weedstergram
 
Not a day has gone by in the last few weeks without a mention of Ebola. Having made its way into North America, Ebola has become reached the top of the “to fear” list, making many worry that it will only be a matter of time before the disease dominates the continent. Effective vaccines and treatments for Ebola have yet to be discovered, though one may be hiding in plain sight: cannabis.
Cannabinoids in marijuana have gained more and more of a reputation as a way to control and aid one’s immune systems, specifically with diseases that target a body’s natural defense measures against viruses, like HIV. Dr. David B. Allen, medical director of Cannabis Sativa, Inc, and Brad Morehouse, founder of NewCure.org, both believe cannabis can combat Ebola in the same way.
 
Full Article:
http://www.mtlblog.com/2014/10/smoking-marijuana-can-protect-you-from-ebola/#

By Bob Egelko

 
After a series of warrantless raids on the homes of medical marijuana patients under a voter-approved ordinance in Lake County, a federal judge has called a halt, saying officers need court approval before entering private property and seizing pot plants.
The patients are likely to succeed in showing that the searches violated their constitutional rights and were not justified by any emergency, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson of San Francisco said Tuesday in an injunction that bars further raids without a warrant.
 
Full Article:
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Judge-halts-warrantless-raids-on-homes-of-medical-5825112.php

Jacob Sullum

Fox 7
 
The Austin American-Statesman reports that Jacob Lavoro, the Texas teenager who originally faced a sentence of 10 years to life after he was caught with a pound and a half of hash-infused cookies and brownies, will get seven years of probation under a plea deal with the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office. The dramatic penalty reduction became possible after prosecutors dropped a first-degree felony charge that treated Lavoro’s baked goods as if they consisted entirely of hash oil. Instead he pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony, possession of four to 400 grams of hash oil.
 
Full Article:
http://reason.com/blog/2014/10/15/punishment-for-hash-brownie-baker-drops

 
 
Cannabis Therapy Corp., developer of phytocannabinoid-based medicinal products for humans and animals, recently announced that it passed preharvest inspection by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and subsequently harvested its first-ever hemp crop. With less than 0.3 percent THC content, the hemp will be integrated legally into product development and commercial applications.
 
Full Article:
http://www.petproductnews.com/headlines/2014/10/15/canna-pet-will-produce-first-american-grown-hemp-products.aspx

by Networx.com

 
Hemp (yes, it’s made from the stems of cannabis sativa) is the rising star of the eco-friendly fabric world, due to its many virtues, including sustainability, durability, light weight, and absorbency. This latter quality makes it a good choice for warm winter clothes.
 
Full Article:
http://www.kten.com/story/26781304/green-winter-clothes-stay-warm-and-save-the-planet

Mila Luleva

 
It has become very clear by now that the construction industry is among the most polluting sectors of the economy, yet society cannot do without it. It is also just as clear that trees are the most effective measure against CO2 pollution. Now, British researchers have decided to take the best of both worlds and develop bio-materials out of hemp plants that can sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
 
Full Article:
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2014/10/07/bio-material-made-hemp-absorbs-pollutants-improves-insulation/#.VDrxaONdXHQ

BY MEGAN CAHN

 

We’ve all heard of the powers of pot when smoked or baked into a tasty treat, but cannabis can also have a great effect in a non-mind-altering way. Hemp oil, made from pressing the seeds of the plant, is fast becoming a player in the beauty world.

Full Article:

http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/hemp-beauty-products#slide-1
 

STEVE SCHERER, REUTERS

Marijuana plants are pictured in Los Angeles, Calif., in this July 11, 2014 file photo. (REUTERS/David McNew/Files)
 
ROVIGO, Italy – Italy legalized marijuana for medical use last year, but the high cost of buying legal pot in a pharmacy meant few people signed up. Now, the government has found a solution: get the army to grow it.
Starting next year, a high-security lab in a military compound in Florence will grow cannabis for Italy’s health care system in an experiment the government says could bring safe, legal and affordable marijuana to suffering patients.
 
Full Article:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2014/10/12/22002526.html