New Study Suggests Marijuana is Safer than Prescriptions

 

You may find the study by Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ) here:  JAMA

Pot U: Here's Where to Take a Class in Marijuana Management

From: ABC.GO.Com

Although the subject matter of the class may not be legal, one professor is teaching students how to aim high in the business of getting high.

Anne Arundel Community College business professor Shad Ewart is one of the first in the country to offer a course on business opportunities in the marijuana industry along with the University of Denver and Oaksterdam University in Oakland, Calif.

“I almost felt like we were doing a disservice to our students by not having a class like this,” Ewart said. “It just seemed to be a topic that was ripe.”

As it turns out, it’s a topic that’s ripe among men and women of all ages. Students in the class range from 18 to 64 years old. Whether they’re just starting college or have been in the workforce for decades, all agree it’s time to be blunt about the marijuana industry. 

“The energies inside this class allow all of us to connect ideas,” said 18-year-old Ky Hoffman. “Already it’s opened all of our minds to all of the possibilities in the future with marijuana in general. There are so many opportunities that are going to be there in the future.”

The class, titled “Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Emerging Markets: Marijuana Legalization,” which began at the beginning of the month, looks at job creation as an outgrowth of marijuana legalization, according to the college.

Wednesday, the class welcomed two guest speakers from Bay Area Remedies to discuss the business opportunities one can find beneath the smoke.

“The growing part and the dispensing part are going to be the most highly regulated parts of the industry and the other parts are far much easier," Ewart said. “I mean anyone can sell light bulbs, anyone can sell nutrients, anyone can sell soil.”

Last year, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, while four states- Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado- made marijuana legal for recreational use.

Although the personal use and possession of marijuana is currently illegal in Maryland, many students are looking to combine interests and work to create something bigger.

“Look at the mix of people,” said Katherine, who asked that her last name not be used. “You have the young, energetic, committed students, you have older people who are probably more into the investment side, and it’s the combination that really makes it work.”

Professor Ewart says there’s a strong interest among students for this particular industry and he would prefer to “coach people up now in anticipation of something that may or may not happen down the road.”

“This college has a mandate from our president to be innovative,” Ewart said. “Everybody says they’re innovative. I think we’re actually being innovative.”

Read here: ABCNews.GO.Com

Marijuana legalization proposal calls for 10 indoor growing facilities -- 3 in Northeast Ohio

From: Cleveland.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Ohio voters approve a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana, don't expect to be able to drive past fields of cannabis sparkling in the Ohio sun.

Instead, a group seeking to legalize marijuana through a November 2015 ballot initiative plans to grow cannabis under hundreds of acres in indoor facilities across the state.

Ballot initiative language released Monday by ResponsibleOhio confirmed earlier reports that growing cannabis would be limited to 10 specific sites owned and operated by investors bankrolling the campaign. The campaign will have to spend millions to persuade voters to legalize marijuana for personal use among adults over age 21 and medical use for "debilitating conditions."

ResponsibleOhio spokeswoman Lydia Bolander said the sites were chosen for geographic diversity and to meet criteria set in the proposed constitutional amendment. Four are in Southwest Ohio, three are in Northeast Ohio, one is in Northwest Ohio and two are in Central Ohio. The plan also would establish a marijuana research and development center in Cuyahoga County.

The proposed constitutional amendment includes parcel numbers for each site. Many are zoned agricultural, while others currently host warehouses and other industrial spaces, according to county auditor records. The sites will range in size from 13 acres in Southwest Ohio's Union Township to 76 acres in Lorain.

Each growing location would begin with 100,000 square feet of growing space, according to Responsible Ohio, expanding to 300,000 square feet in future years. A newly created marijuana regulatory agency could decide to allow more growing sites or eliminate sites depending on consumer demand.

More information about the three Northeast Ohio locations, according to county property tax records:

    76.83 acres in Lorain, at 2610 Colorado Ave. near Cromwell Park and the Black River
    27.18 acres on Main Street West in Alliance, next to Robertson Kitchen and Bath Gallery
    29 acres at 6333 Hudson Crossing Parkway in Hudson, south of I-80 and Ohio 8

Bolander said each site has been purchased or optioned so it will be permanently owned by an investor group. The investor groups, registered in Ohio as limited liability companies, have also donated $1.7 million to the campaign, which spent nearly $1.3 million before making public its amendment language, according to state campaign finance records.

The amendment requires all marijuana facilities, including the "growth and cultivation centers" to be at least 1,000 feet from a "house of worship," a public library, a public elementary or secondary school, a state-licensed child care center or a playground adjacent to those facilities.

The campaign released the names of several investors in January, and more are expected to come forward as the campaign progresses. Ohio similarly legalized gambling, approving a constitutional amendment specifying sites for four casinos to be owned by the companies backing the amendment.

Grow sites, marijuana manufacturers and retail stores could not be located in exclusively zoned residential areas, according to the proposed amendment language. But "local zoning, land use laws, agricultural regulations, subdivision regulations or similar provisions" could not prevent marijuana establishments from being built or operated.

Site owners would pay a $100,000 fee, 15 percent tax on gross revenue and the state's commercial activity tax.

The group estimates the industry would generate $679 million annually in tax revenues by the fourth year of production, with most of the money funding local public services.

Colorado, one of the four states that has legalized recreational pot, brought in more than $44 million in taxes and fees during its first year.

The amendment is still silent on whether Ohioans would be able to grow cannabis for personal or medical use, leaving in place state and federal laws prohibiting it. But it doesn't explicitly ban home growing, allowing state lawmakers to allow it.

The group has pushed back on criticism the amendment would award a constitutional monopoly on growing cannabis in Ohio, noting entrepreneurs could manufacture marijuana brownies and other products or sell marijuana at retail stores and medical dispensaries. Five research and quality control testing sites would be located near colleges and universities in Athens, Lorain, Mahoning, Scioto and Wood counties.

ResponsibleOhio must collect 1,000 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters to submit to the attorney general its proposed language.

If approved by the attorney general, the group then must collect more than 305,591 signatures -- meeting thresholds in half of Ohio's 88 counties -- to be approved for the November 2015 ballot.

Read here: Cleveland.com

Colorado pulls in $44 million in recreational marijuana taxes in 2014

From: TheCannabist.com

DENVER — Colorado finally knows how much tax revenue it collected from recreational marijuana in the first year of sales, and the haul was below estimates — about $44 million. 

 The release of December sales taxes gave Colorado its first full calendar year of the taxes from recreational pot sales, which began Jan. 1, 2014.

Colorado was the first government anywhere in the world to regulate marijuana production and sale, so other governments are watching closely. In Washington, where legal pot sales began in July, the state had hauled in about $16.4 million in marijuana excise taxes by the end of the year; through November, it brought in an additional $6.3 million in state and local sales and business taxes.

Colorado’s total haul from marijuana for 2014 was about $76 million. That includes fees on the industry, plus pre-existing sales taxes on medical marijuana products. The $44 million represents only new taxes on recreational pot — a 10 percent special sales tax and a 15 percent excise tax on wholesale marijuana transfers.

Those new taxes were initially forecast to bring in about $70 million.

“Everyone who thinks Colorado’s rollin’ in the dough because of marijuana? That’s not true,” said state Sen. Pat Steadman, a Denver Democrat and one of the Legislature’s main budget-writers.

By all accounts, the $70 million estimate was a guess. And Colorado has already adjusted downward spending of the taxes, on everything from substance-abuse treatment to additional training for police officers.
Still, Colorado will likely have to return to voters to ask to keep the pot tax money. That’s because of a 1992 amendment to the state constitution that restricts government spending. The amendment requires new voter-approved taxes, such as the pot taxes, to be refunded if overall state tax collections rise faster than permitted.

Lawmakers from both parties are expected to vote this spring on a proposed ballot measure asking Coloradans to let the state keep pot taxes.

Colorado’s tax results underscore a big conflict facing public officials considering marijuana legalization.
Taxes should be kept low if the goal is to eliminate pot’s black market. But the allure of a potential weed windfall is a powerful argument for voters, most of whom don’t use pot.

“Being able to claim some non-trivial tax revenue is important to the legalization movement,” said Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard University economist who follows national drug policy.

So far, Colorado’s trail-blazing marijuana experiment shows the tax revenue isn’t trivial.

But Colorado has also shown that pot-smokers don’t necessarily line up to leave the tax-free black market and pay hefty taxes. If medical pot is untaxed, or if pot can be grown at home and given away as in Colorado, the black market persists.

“If you make it voluntary, people won’t necessarily pay,” said Pat Oglesby, a former congressional tax staffer who now studies marijuana’s tax potential at the Chapel Hill, N.C., Center for New Revenue.

Read here: The Cannabist.com

Study: Long Term Cannabis Exposure "Not Associated With Significant Effects On Lung Function"

From: Norml.org

"[T]he pattern of marijuana's effects seems to be distinctly different when compared to that of tobacco use," study says

   Atlanta, GA: The inhalation of one marijuana cigarette per day over a 20-year period is not associated with data published online ahead of print in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
adverse changes in lung health, according to Investigators at Emory University in Atlanta assessed marijuana smoke exposure and lung health in a large representative sample of US adults age 18 to 59. Researchers reported that cannabis exposure was not associated with FEV1 (forced expiratory volume) decline or deleterious change in spirometric values of small airways disease.

    Authors further reported that marijuana smoke exposure may be associated with some protective lung effects among long-term smokers of tobacco. Investigators acknowledged, "[T]he pattern of marijuana's effects seems to be distinctly different when compared to that of tobacco use."
Researchers also acknowledged that habitual cannabis consumers were more likely to self-report increased symptoms of bronchitis, a finding that is consistent with previous literature. Separate studies indicate that subjects who vaporize cannabis report fewer adverse respiratory symptoms than do those who inhale combustive marijuana smoke.

    Authors concluded, "[I]n a large representative sample of US adults, ongoing use of marijuana is associated with increased respiratory symptoms of bronchitis without a significant functional abnormality in spirometry and cumulative marijuana use under 20 joint-years is not associated with significant effects on lung function.

    This study is the largest cross-sectional analysis to date examining the relationship between marijuana use and spirometric parameters of lung health.

    A separate study published in 2012 in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) similarly reported that cumulative marijuana smoke exposure over a period of up to 7 joint-years (the equivalent of up to one marijuana cigarette per day for seven years) was not associated with adverse effects on pulmonary function.

    A 2013 review also published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society acknowledged that marijuana smoke exposure was not positively associated with the development of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or bullous lung disease. It concluded: "[H]abitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function. Findings from a limited number of well-designed epidemiological studies do not suggest an increased risk of either lung or upper airway cancer from light or moderate use. ... Overall, the risks of pulmonary complications of regular use of marijuana appear to be relatively small and far lower than those of tobacco smoking."

Read here: NORML.org

 

Is Legal American Marijuana Hurting Mexican Drug Cartels?
From: EagleRising.com

 

One of the more popular conservative arguments for the legalization of marijuana (and other illicit substances) is that legalization immediately kills the black market for said products. For many this argument is not compelling because it does not deal with the moral questions which surround the legalization of such products but that doesn't mean that the argument isn't valid. Thanks to federalism, we are starting to see proof that the legalization argument may be right about destroying the black market for drugs. Today, marijuana is legal in many locales scattered across the country and Mexican drug cartels are having trouble matching prices and quality of the legal American product.

The growth of the U.S. marijuana industry has devastated drug cartels in Mexico, evidenced by fewer seizures of cannabis at the border and, according to Mexican security forces, a drop in total homicides and domestic marijuana production rates.

Mexican drug cartels are finding it difficult to compete in the cannabis market not only in terms of price, but also quality, given that the U.S. industry is starting to label products according to THC content, CNBC reports. According to The ArcView Group, a cannabis research firm, the marijuana industry in the U.S. grew 74 percent in just one year, up from $1.5 billion in 2013 to $2.7 billion in 2014.

Marijuana from Mexico, on the other hand, is often mass-produced in less than ideal conditions, with no guarantee as to the safety of the product.

Homicides in Mexico have dropped from 22,852 in 2011 to 15,649 as of 2014, which tracks relatively closely with the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, although the link between the two events is not conclusive.

Last year, agents from the U.S. Border Patrol seized just 1.9 million pounds of marijuana. While that may seem like a large amount, it actually constitutes a 24 percent reduction from the 2.5 million pounds seized in 2011. On the domestic side, Mexican authorities in 2013 seized just 1,070 tons, which marks the lowest amount since 2000.

“Two or three years ago, a kilogram [2.2 pounds] of marijuana was worth $60 to $90,” Nabor, a 24-year-old pot grower in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, told NPR. ”But now they’re paying us $30 to $40 a kilo. It’s a big difference. If the U.S. continues to legalize pot, they’ll run us into the ground.”

Another nail in the coffin for drug cartels is the gradual trend of leniency towards marijuana in Mexico. As of 2009, the country decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

But cartels have adapted and shifted to the U.S. side of the border, bringing in high-quality marijuana to Mexico, rather than producing the crop themselves before exporting for illicit sale to U.S. consumers.

“Traffickers who are operating in the U.S. are securing marijuana in the U.S. that is much higher quality and more expensive for the purpose of smuggling back into Mexico for sale and distribution,” DEA spokesman Lawrence Payne told U.S. News back in December.

Cartels have also diversified by moving into illegal mining and sex trafficking, as well as harder drugs like meth.

“In the long run, it looks like the US market for illegal Mexican marijuana will keep shrinking,” said Mexico drug expert Alejandro Hope. “The logic of the legal marijuana market is that it will force prices down. This would take out the big profits from the illegal market. A good way to make some money could be to short the prices of marijuana.”

Read here: EagleRising.com

Medical marijuana legalization reduces painkiller overdose deaths 

 

From: NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) A massive joint study (no pun intended) by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City was conducted to determine the impact on reducing prescription opioid deaths in states with medical marijuana.

Would you have guessed that there was up to a 33 percent reduction in opioid overdose deaths among the 13 states that allow medical marijuana? The study's results were published late August 2014, surprisingly, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Their analysis covered the period from 1999 to 2010, as the 13 states, beginning with California, initiated their medical marijuana policies.

By examining state death certificates, the researchers discovered that, after the first year of legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, the prescribed opioid painkiller overdose deaths declined by 20 percent. After two years of legalized medical marijuana in each state, opioid overdose deaths declined by 25 percent. After five years, the rate had declined 33 percent.


DEA: Another oppressive government agency
The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) wants to throw everyone in jail who smokes a benign joint for relaxation and heightened awareness or uses any cannabis oil to safely remedy and cure diseases and health afflictions that expensive pharmaceuticals have usually exacerbated more than relieved.

The DEA, under the US Justice Department's umbrella, the federal agency that also runs the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which sponsored illegal gun-running to Mexican drug cartels and gangs with their covert "Fast and Furious" operation, has decided to continue listing cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

Here is an excerpt from the official DEA site:
"Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence."

And just to give you an idea of how heavy-handed and fixed the DEA is on ensuring that they get heavily funded to feed the prison system by throwing non-violent pot smokers in jail with the motto "tough work, vital mission" on their site, here's a true incident with an ironic twist.

In 1974, the Justice Department's DEA selected the Virginia Medical College to receive NIH (National Institutes of Health) funding to do marijuana research on lab rats and prove how marijuana adversely affects the immune system and brain.

The researchers probably surprised themselves, as they witnessed cannabis-exposed rats recover from brain cancer instead. It was a surprise that didn't please the DEA, which ordered the funding stopped and had the medical college's research documents destroyed.

Since then there have been several international medical cannabis studies that have resulted in positive results as treatments for epilepsy, seizures, pain, non-appetite, nausea, anxiety, PTSD, inflammatory bowel disorders and cancer.

By contrast, medically approved pharmaceutical opioid pain relievers are classified as Schedule II, which includes legally prescribed opioids that cause more overdose deaths when medical marijuana is not available:

Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, less abuse potential than Schedule I drugs, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous. Some examples of Schedule II drugs are:
cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (OxyContin), fentanyl, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ritalin

Vicodin is in Schedule III. Note that the phrase "no currently accepted medical use" is not used for Schedule II, III, IV or V, only Schedule I.

Busting down doors and crashing into terrorized homes with "illegal" marijuana at 6:00 AM, maybe killing a family dog or two, is a "tough necessary mission." Prescribing dangerous Ritalin to children under five is legal

Learn more: naturalnews.com

Poll: Plurality Of Minnesotans Support Legalizing Cannabis

From: NORML.org

Minneapolis, MN: More Minnesotans support legalizing and regulating the social use of marijuana by adults than endorse maintaining its criminal prohibition, according to statewide survey data released by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by the Minnesota affiliate of NORML (MN NORML).
Forty-nine percent of respondents said that they support legalizing the retail production and sale of marijuana. Forty-four percent of respondents opposed the idea.
A supermajority (76 percent) of respondents expressed support for allowing qualified patients legal access to cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Last year, state lawmakers approved limited legislation permitting qualified patients to possess concentrated formulations of cannabis extracts, but not the plant itself.
Fifty-two percent of respondents said that the decision to legalize marijuana ought to be decided by voters. Only 35 percent said that politicians should decide marijuana policy.
"These polling numbers show that Minnesotans' views on cannabis are well ahead of those of their elected officials," said Randy Quast, founding board member of MN NORML. "More Minnesotans now support legalizing the plant than endorse maintaining the status quo, criminalization, and a super-majority of Minnesotans want patients to have far broader access to the plant for therapeutic purposes than is presently provided by state lawmakers."
The poll possesses a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points.

Read here: NORML.org

Kettle Falls Five Defendant Moves for Dismissal in Widely Watched Federal Medical Marijuana Case

From: eNewsPF.com

Larry Harvey argues that new Congressional measure should prevent the DOJ from prosecuting his family

A motion to dismiss has been filed in a widely watched federal medical marijuana case involving a family from rural northeastern Washington State. Larry Harvey, 71, of the Kettle Falls Five has moved for dismissal of his case or an order preventing further prosecution. The motion relies on the recently enacted Congressional measure that bans funding for medical marijuana enforcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"Prosecuting persons who may be operating in compliance with state medical marijuana laws prevents states from implementing their own laws," reads the brief written by Harvey's attorney Robert Fischer. Harvey's motion argues that state law is undermined by discouraging lawful patients from accessing medical marijuana because of the threat of federal prosecution. Harvey also argues that "federal prosecutions take away Washington's authority to determine for itself whether someone is in compliance with its laws or not."

Harvey's motion to dismiss comes just a month after President Obama signed the so-called "Cromnibus" spending bill, which included Section 538, an historic rider that prohibits DOJ funds from being spent to block implementation of state medical marijuana laws. Advocates argue that federal prosecutions like that of the Kettle Falls Five run contrary to the spirit and letter of the law now in effect.

The Kettle Falls Five is made up of mostly family members, including Harvey, his wife Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, 56, her son Rolland Gregg, 33, daughter-in-law Michelle Gregg, 36, and friend of the family Jason Zucker, 39. Larry and Rhonda are retired and have a home in rural Washington State near the town of Kettle Falls. All five are legal patients with serious medical conditions, including Larry who was recently diagnosed with State IV pancreatic cancer, which has metastasized to his liver.

In August 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided the property and seized 44 premature marijuana plants, charging the five with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, manufacture and distribution of marijuana, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal agents also confiscated the family's 2007 Saturn, $700 in cash, their legally owned firearms, and other personal property. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Larry Harvey has been working with medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which hosted his travel to Washington, DC on two occasions last year to lobby for passage of the Congressional measure restricting federal enforcement. ASA also held a DC lobby day in April focused on the measure's passage. "The law that was signed last month by President Obama was designed precisely for patients like Larry Harvey," said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. "If this law doesn't stop federal prosecutions like the Kettle Falls Five, nothing likely will."

A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for February 12th at 10am in U.S. District Court in Spokane, Washington, before Judge Thomas O. Rice. Trial is currently set for February 23rd.

Read here: eNewsPF.com

After long wait, Illinois to issue medical marijuana licenses

From Foxnews.com

Illinois will begin issuing licenses to grow and distribute medical marijuana 18 months after a law was signed legalizing it, Governor Bruce Rauner's general counsel said in a statement on Monday.

Former Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, who supported medical marijuana, left office in January without issuing licenses for growth and distribution, leaving it to Rauner, a Republican, who asked for a review of the selection process.

Quinn's administration had prepared lists of possible recipients based on scoring of applications. But Rauner's team's review concluded that some applicants had been disqualified without clear procedures, giving rise to legal liabilities.

As a result, Rauner issued on Monday a list of growers and dispensary operators who will receive permits and licenses in many areas of the state, with some gaps that will be filled in after review of applications that had been disqualified on Quinn's preliminary list of recipients.

"Any applicant that was recommended for disqualification will be fully informed of the basis for that decision (and) given an opportunity to respond," Rauner's General Counsel Jason Barclay said in the statement.

Marla Levi, 51, a multiple sclerosis patient of Buffalo Grove, Illinois who's been waiting for legal medical marijuana, said she hopes the right candidates get licenses. "I hope they put patients first, and not money," she said.

Several months could still go by before medical marijuana is sold in Illinois. Winners must put up a bond, pay license fees and register agents. Also, any marijuana sold in the state must be grown in the state, which takes at least 4-1/2 months.

Illinois is one of 23 states along with the District of Columbia that permit medical marijuana. Illinois' trial program expires in 2017.

Read here: FoxNews.com

 Pot Reformers Aren't Afraid of Loretta Lynch

From: USNews.com

 The attorney general nominee says she opposes legalization, but pot advocates don’t see her as a threat.

 Loretta Lynch looks past President Barack Obama during his announcement in November that he would nominate her to be attorney general. Lynch's comments during her confirmation hearing opposing marijuana legalization have activists on both sides of the issue wondering whether a policy change would come if she is confirmed.

The U.S. attorney general could decide tomorrow to begin a legal assault on state-regulated marijuana sales, and federal judges likely would rule in the Justice Department's favor.
But reform advocates aren’t afraid attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch would do that, even if she personally opposes pot legalization.
Lynch said she opposes legal sales of marijuana Wednesday during a Senate confirmation hearing in which she also said she disagrees with President Barack Obama about the harmfulness of the drug.

Obama told The New Yorker last year drinking alcohol is more dangerous than smoking pot, and he said “it’s important" for voter-approved legalization to proceed in Colorado and Washington state.
Lynch, a federal prosecutor based in New York, said, “I certainly don’t hold that view and don’t agree with that view of marijuana. I certainly think the president was speaking from his personal experience and personal opinion, neither of which I’m able to share.”
Continuing, she said, “I can tell you that not only do I not support the legalization of marijuana, it is not the position of the Department of Justice currently to support the legalization. Nor would it be the position should I become confirmed as attorney general.”

Though seemingly entrenched and broadly supported, state marijuana regulations are legally fragile, as possession of the drug for any reason – outside limited research – remains a federal crime.
Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder has allowed states to regulate and tax sales of pot for recreational use, saying in 2013 states could proceed so long as certain enforcement priorities weren't affected. But future attorneys general conceivably could bring legal sales to a screeching halt.
Lynch did not commit to changing existing department policies, but Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., appreciated the candid response and told her, “I hope that you will cease to be silent."

At the same hearing, Lynch carefully responded to questions from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., saying it “certainly would be my policy if confirmed as attorney general to continue enforcing the marijuana laws,” with a focus on violations of enforcement priorities already outlined by the department, such as marijuana being transported from states that allow recreational use to those that do not.
Anti-legalization activists were tickled to learn of a potentially powerful ally.
"We are breathing a sigh of relief," Kevin Sabet, president of the anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said in an email blast. "Ms. Lynch is a knowledgeable, experienced, justice-minded individual, and for her to come out so adamantly against legalization is extremely encouraging. It will give our efforts a shot in the arm."

Lynch’s disagreement with Obama on marijuana in some ways mirrors disagreement expressed by Drug Enforcement Administrator Michele Leonhart. Pro-legalization reformers who demanded the ouster of Leonhart for insubordination, however, aren’t particularly alarmed by Lynch’s comments.
“We can only hope she was telling some lawmakers what they need to hear in order to get through the confirmation process,” says Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project.
“It would be shocking if she is actually unaware that marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol,” Tvert says. “The CDC attributes tens of thousands of deaths each year to alcohol use alone, including hundreds from overdose, whereas no deaths are attributed solely to marijuana use and there’s never been a fatal overdose.”

Tom Angell, chairman of the group Marijuana Majority, is likewise far from panic.
"We don't need federal officials to personally support legalization,” he says. “We only need them to respect the will of voters who have implemented legalization in their own states.”
Angell says he heard in Lynch’s testimony a willingness to respect state marijuana laws. “As long as they don't spend resources trying to overturn those duly-enacted laws, I'm much less concerned about the personal views of Justice Department personnel,” he says.
There was similarly muted reaction from congressional leaders who favor marijuana reform.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., declined to take a whack at Lynch, merely responding to her comments in an emailed statement by saying "there are dangers in consuming marijuana, alcohol and soda pop," and that it's his opinion the cost of regulating people's choices "far outweighs the benefits."
Alaska and Oregon residents voted to legalize marijuana in November, as did residents of the District of Columbia, though Republicans in Congress likely will block the opening of stores there. The Department of Justice said in December that American Indian tribes also can legalize marijuana, and several are considering doing so.

Read Here: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/01/29/loretta-lynch-pot-legalization-marijuana-reform

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Says Marijuana 'Can Be Helpful' For Some Medical Conditions

From: HuffingtonPost.com

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation's new surgeon general, says that marijuana "can be helpful" for some medical conditions, and wants science to dictate policy on the federally banned substance.
"We have some preliminary data that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, that marijuana can be helpful," Murthy said during a Wednesday interview on "CBS This Morning" in response to a question about his stance on marijuana legalization.
While Murthy didn't take the opportunity to endorse legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, he did add that he believes U.S. marijuana policy should be driven by science and what it reveals about the efficacy of using the plant for medical purposes.
"I think we're going to get a lot more data about that," Murthy said. "I'm very interested to see where that takes us."
Murthy isn't the first surgeon general to question U.S. drug policy. In 1993, Joycelyn Elders, the surgeon general under President Bill Clinton, said she believed that legalizing drugs in the U.S. would "markedly reduce our crime rate." Then in 2010, Elders called for the legalization of marijuana.
Other high-profile doctors have also come out in support of medical marijuana. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent and Obama's first choice to be surgeon general when he first took office 2009, produced two documentaries for the cable channel exploring the benefits of medical marijuana. Just last year, Gupta told HuffPost that he thinks the federal government should legalize medical marijuana.
In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics called on the Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana as a less-harmful substance in order to facilitate research for its potential medical use.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, the U.S. has five "schedules" for drugs and chemicals that can be used to make drugs. Schedule I is reserved for drugs that the DEA considers to have the highest potential for abuse and no "currently accepted medical use." Marijuana has been classified as Schedule I for decades, along with other substances like heroin and LSD. While a lower schedule for marijuana would not make it legal, it could ease restrictions on researching the drug.
Despite the federal ban, 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes with at least two more states expected to consider medical marijuana laws by 2016.
"Dr. Murthy's comments add to a growing consensus in the medical community that marijuana can help people suffering from painful conditions," Tom Angell, chairman of drug policy reform group Marijuana Majority, told The Huffington Post. "It's crazy that federal law still considers marijuana a Schedule I drug, a category that's supposed to be reserved for substances with no medical value. In light of these comments from his top medical adviser, the president should direct the attorney general to immediately begin the process of rescheduling marijuana."

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement attributed to Murthy.

"Marijuana policy -- and all public health policies -- should be driven by science. I believe that marijuana should be subjected to the same, rigorous clinical trials and scientific scrutiny that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applies to all new medications. The Federal Government has and continues to fund research on possible health benefits of marijuana and its components. While clinical trials for certain components of marijuana appear promising for some medical conditions, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the standards for safe and effective medicine for any condition to date."

Read here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/04/vivek-murthy-marijuana_n_6614226.html

Marijuana use during pregnancy becomes an issue in Colorado 

From CBSNews.com

DENVER -- Marijuana use by pregnant or nursing women might seem like a no-brainer of a bad idea, but a proposal in Colorado to step up such warnings is raising concern because of limited or inconclusive research on the dangers.

Pot users in Colorado and Washington already receive warnings that the drug shouldn't be used by pregnant and nursing women. But a Colorado bill facing its first hearing Tuesday proposes going further by requiring pot shops to post signs saying that maternal marijuana use poses risks to unborn children.

"It's important to have notification that there is risk," said Republican Rep. Jack Tate, sponsor of the bill.

The proposal is controversial. Some pregnant women use marijuana to ease nausea, and a marijuana industry group fears the warnings don't acknowledge limited research on pot use by mothers-to-be.

Tyler Henson, president of the Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, called the proposal "another attempt to discredit and ignore the popular public opinion of marijuana's medicinal use."

A Colorado health report issued this week notes that marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, THC, is passed to children through the placenta and breast milk. But the doctors who compiled the survey of existing research also noted that the health consequences of that THC exposure aren't fully understood.

The report's authors found:
- "Mixed" evidence for pot's link to birth defects;
- "Insufficient" evidence that marijuana use during pregnancy makes offspring more likely to use pot themselves as adolescents;
- "Moderate" evidence that maternal use of marijuana during pregnancy is associated with attention problems, cognitive impairment or low IQ in offspring; and
- "Mixed" evidence that marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight.
Still, the doctors concluded, "There is no known safe amount of marijuana use during pregnancy."

The report, released Monday, reflected national conclusions on marijuana's health risks.
An American Academy of Pediatrics report in 2013 listed marijuana among the most common drugs involved in prenatal exposure that may pose important health risks, including possible behavior and attention problems in childhood.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says animal studies have suggested that smoking marijuana in pregnancy may harm brain development. But the institute also says more research is needed "to disentangle marijuana's specific effects from other environmental factors, including maternal nutrition, exposure to nurturing/neglect, and use of other substances by mothers."
Colorado, one of four states that have legalized recreational use of pot, requires marijuana to carry labels saying, among other things, "There may be additional health risks associated with the consumption of this product for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning on becoming pregnant."
In Washington state, marijuana purchasers are given warnings that include the statement, "Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breastfeeding."

 Read here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-use-during-pregnancy-at-issue-in-colorado/

 

 From the Merck Manual

The following is an excerpt from the Merck Manual, the US military's field guide to medicine:

...no physical dependence [as a result of cannabis usage]; no abstinence syndrome when the drug is discontinued. Cannabis can be used on an episodic but continuous basis without evidence of social or psychic dysfunction. In many users the term dependence with it's obvious connotations probably is misapplied.
Many of the claims regarding severe biological impact are still uncertain, but some others are not. Despite the acceptance of the 'new' dangers of marijuana, there is still little evidence of biologic damage even among relatively heavy users. This is true even in the areas intensively investigated, such aspulmonary, immunologic, and reproductive function.
Marijuana used in the USA has a higher THC content than in the past. Many critics have incorporated this fact into warnings, but the chief opposition to the drug rests on a moral and political, and not a toxicological, foundation.

(Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 15th edition, 1987,Robert Berkow, MD, Editor-In-Chief. Published by Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories Division of Merck and Co, Inc) 

The article above was found on UKCIA.org

 

Marijuana Decriminalization Shaping Up To Be A Major Issue In 2016 Presidential Race

Although several high powered politicians, including President Barack Obama, have admitted to using marijuana in their younger years, the issue of whether or not to decriminalize the drug at a federal level has put politicians’ past behaviors under the public microscope.

Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush’s admission that he smoked marijuana in high school has sparked a debate as to whether or not his stance against decriminalization of the drug is hypocritical.

Although Bush has since said his experimentation with marijuana was a mistake that he regrets, those who support more lenient punishments for non-violent drug offenders say Bush was protected by his upbringing and never had to suffer the consequences that he wants to enforce.

On Friday, Senator Ron Paul used a Boston Globe article detailing Bush’s history with the drug to chip away at his arguments against decriminalization.

Paul has been a supporter of the decriminalization of marijuana and is one of the few Presidential candidates who is behind legalizing the drug at a federal level.

Marijuana is shaping up to be a major issue in the 2016 presidential race as more and more states begin to revise their laws and allow medicinal and recreational usage.


The growing momentum behind legalizing pot is forcing the Federal Government to take a look at its own legislation, causing a divide among policymakers.

President Obama has said he believes marijuana should be considered a public health problem alongside tobacco or drunk driving, but Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch said she plans to maintain the drug’s illegal status if confirmed.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/marijuana-decriminalization-shaping-major-issue-180505441.html;_ylt=A86.J7wzYtBU6zoATtQnnIlQ

President Obama: Says He Expects More US States To Regulate Cannabis Commerce

Thursday, 29 January 2015 

 Washington, DC: President Barack Obama anticipates that additional states will soon approve measures legalizing and regulating marijuana use and commerce by adults.
"What you're seeing now is Colorado [and] Washington, through state referenda, they're experimenting with legal marijuana," the President stated. "The position of my administration has been that we still have federal laws that classify marijuana as an illegal substance, but we're not going to spend a lot of resources trying to turn back decisions that have been made at the state level on this issue. My suspicion is that you're [going to] see other states start looking at this."
President Obama made his remarks in a YouTube interview last Thursday.
In December, the President signed spending legislation barring the Justice Department from interfering in the implementation of state-approved medical marijuana distribution programs. The administration had previously issued memorandums to US Attorneys in all 50 states urging them not to interfere with state-sanctioned cannabis regulatory schemes and/or the legalization of marijuana on tribal lands, provided that such activities do not violate specific federal priorities such as marijuana sales to minors or the plant's diversion to states that have not legalized its use.
The President also acknowledged during the interview that he is asking the Justice Department to reassess federal policies involving the prosecution of nonviolent drug offenders. Addressing illicit drug offenses "exclusively as a criminal problem" has been "counterproductive," he said.
Twenty-three states have enacted legislation permitting for the use of marijuana therapeutically, while four states and Washington, DC have now approved legislation permitting the plant's use for anyone over the age of 21.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director, at (202) 483-5500.

Study: Long Term Cannabis Exposure "Not Associated With Significant Effects On Lung Function"

Thursday, 15 January 2015

"[T]he pattern of marijuana's effects seems to be distinctly different when compared to that of tobacco use," study says

 Atlanta, GA: The inhalation of one marijuana cigarette per day over a 20-year period is not associated with adverse changes in lung health, according to data published online ahead of print in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Investigators at Emory University in Atlanta assessed marijuana smoke exposure and lung health in a large representative sample of US adults age 18 to 59. Researchers reported that cannabis exposure was not associated with FEV1 (forced expiratory volume) decline or deleterious change in spirometric values of small airways disease.
Authors further reported that marijuana smoke exposure may be associated with some protective lung effects among long-term smokers of tobacco. Investigators acknowledged, "[T]he pattern of marijuana's effects seems to be distinctly different when compared to that of tobacco use."
Researchers also acknowledged that habitual cannabis consumers were more likely to self-report increased symptoms of bronchitis, a finding that is consistent with previous literature. Separate studies indicate that subjects who vaporize cannabis report fewer adverse respiratory symptoms than do those who inhale combustive marijuana smoke.
Authors concluded, "[I]n a large representative sample of US adults, ongoing use of marijuana is associated with increased respiratory symptoms of bronchitis without a significant functional abnormality in spirometry and cumulative marijuana use under 20 joint-years is not associated with significant effects on lung function.
This study is the largest cross-sectional analysis to date examining the relationship between marijuana use and spirometric parameters of lung health.
A separate study published in 2012 in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) similarly reported that cumulative marijuana smoke exposure over a period of up to 7 joint-years (the equivalent of up to one marijuana cigarette per day for seven years) was not associated with adverse effects on pulmonary function.
A 2013 review also published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society acknowledged that marijuana smoke exposure was not positively associated with the development of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or bullous lung disease. It concluded: "[H]abitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function. Findings from a limited number of well-designed epidemiological studies do not suggest an increased risk of either lung or upper airway cancer from light or moderate use. ... Overall, the risks of pulmonary complications of regular use of marijuana appear to be relatively small and far lower than those of tobacco smoking."
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the paper, "Effects of marijuana exposure on expiratory airflow: A study of adults who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Study," will appear in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Want some pot with your coffee buzz? Startup infuses coffee with marijuana

(NaturalNews) The latest java trend is coffee meets cannabis. The most recent buzz is a cannabis-infused beverage going mainstream. Mirth Provisions, a company based in Washington State, is launching a new and innovative line of cannabis-infused (extract), cold-brewed coffee under the "Legal" label, which underscores the fact that their cannabis-spiked coffee will be marketed exclusively in states where marijuana is legal.

Currently, only Colorado and Washington State have legalized recreational marijuana, although medical marijuana is legal in 22 states and decriminalized in approximately 20. How much will a bottle cost? Here's the rub. Estimates are that an 11.5-ounce bottle will cost somewhere between $9 and $11. Definitely not for those on a budget.

Mirth was created by Adam Stites, 34, a former e-commerce firm manager turned entrepreneur. The expected "Legal" roll-out (minus glitches) is July 2014.

Consumers can either choose "Legal" straight-up, cold-brew coffee with cannabis or opt for the works: coffee with cannabis, cream and sugar. Still, there may be one legal drawback: Drinking "Legal" and driving may be against the law.

Legal's details

In case you're wondering, each bottle contains about 20 milligrams of THC. As far as THC dosages go, 20 milligrams is considered on the low side. Typically, cannabis-infused "medibles" contain a tenth of a gram, or 100 milligrams, or more of THC per serving.

But Stites feels that the THC level is just right for his customer base. He quipped, "I'm 6ft 4in and 205 pounds, and 20mg is sufficient for me, especially when it's brewed with coffee."

According to Fox News, "Stites told My Northwest that each bottle will contain about 20 milligrams of THC, enough to create 'an alert, creative, high,' but not too much as to make it an unpleasant experience, 'especially for people that are just getting into marijuana.'"

Stites also told My Northwest that his cannabis coffee drink is "the wake and bake drink."

Coffee is just the beginning. Stites intends to extend his quirky offerings by eventually introducing sparkling, cannabis-infused sodas in assorted fruit flavors like trendy pomegranate and lemon ginger.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/045549_marijuana_coffee_medicinal_beverages.html##ixzz3QZB2F9do

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls For Rescheduling Cannabis

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Washington, DC: An updated policy statement issued this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls for federally rescheduling cannabis in order to better facilitate clinical trial research and to promote its pharmaceutical development.
The new position statement resolves: "The AAP strongly supports research and development of pharmaceutical cannabinoids and supports a review of policies promoting research on the medical use of these compounds. The AAP recommends changing marijuana from a Drug Enforcement Administration Schedule I (controlled substance) to a Schedule II drug to facilitate this (clinical) research."
By definition, Schedule I controlled substances are defined as possessing no "accepted medical use." Clinical protocols involving cannabis are strictly controlled and require authorization from various federal agencies, including DEA, FDA, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) - the latter of which is designated under federal law as the sole provider of cannabis and/or organic cannabinoids for research purposes.
"A Schedule I listing means there's no medical use or helpful indications, but we know that's not true because there has been limited evidence showing [marijuana] may be helpful for certain conditions in adults," said Dr. Seth Ammerman, who co-authored the amended policy statement.
The updated AAP resolution also acknowledges that certain types of cannabinoid-therapy may provide benefits to adolescents, particularly those with treatment-resistant forms of epilepsy and chronic seizures. It states, "The AAP recognizes that marijuana may currently be an option for cannabinoid administration for children with life-limiting or severely debilitating conditions and for whom current therapies are inadequate."
Last year the Epilepsy Foundation of America issued a similar resolution, citing preclinical data and observational reports of the potential therapeutic benefit of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) in pediatric patients and calling for "an end to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) restrictions that limit clinical trials and research into medical marijuana for epilepsy."
Separate language in the AAP's position statement also addresses the social use of the plant, affirming, "AAP strongly supports the decriminalization of marijuana use for both minors and young adults and encourages pediatricians to advocate for laws that prevent harsh criminal penalties for possession or use of marijuana." By contrast, the statement acknowledges the group's continued opposition to the legalization of marijuana, a policy change that it alleges poses "potential harm to children."
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the Academy's policy statement is available online at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/01/20/peds.2014-4146.full.pdf+html.

Michigan: Voters Prefer Regulating Marijuana To Increase Tax Revenue

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Flint, MI: The majority of Michigan voters prefer regulating and taxing marijuana commerce to pay for roads and schools as opposed to raising the state's sales tax one percent, according to polling data released last week by Survey USA.
Sixty-four percent of respondents endorsed regulating cannabis like alcohol in order to raise state tax revenue. By comparison, only 43 percent of respondents favored raising the state's sales tax to pay for necessary road and school construction.
"Voters are suspicious of more taxes imposed upon the general population," said Tim Beck, Chair of the Safer Michigan Coalition, which coordinated a series of municipal marijuana legalization measures this past November. "There are other, more creative ways to generate revenue to fund roads and schools. Regulation and taxation of marijuana is an alternative voters seem to prefer."
The Survey USA poll possesses a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.
For more information, please visit: http://safermichigancoalition.com/.

New Study Finds Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated With Brain Abnormalities

January 29, 2015 | by Justine Alford

 Photo credit: Luis Carlos Jimenez del rio 

Several recent studies have suggested that smoking marijuana is associated with physical changes in certain regions of the brain, both in terms of shape and volume, although they could not establish cause and effect. Now, new research which set out to replicate these investigations using a more robust experimental design has produced conflicting results. According to the study, daily marijuana use, in both adults and adolescents, is not associated with any significant differences in either the shape or volume of the regions investigated. The work has been published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
Given the current changing trends towards the acceptance and use of marijuana, it’s important to thoroughly investigate the possible risks associated with the drug so that decisions regarding legalization and classification can be based on scientific evidence. Numerous studies have therefore looked into the potential effects of marijuana use, and several have concluded that smoking marijuana is associated with changes in the brain. One investigation even concluded that frequent marijuana use was associated with cognitive decline and a decrease in IQ. However, results have not been consistent throughout different studies.
Some investigations, for example, found that marijuana use is linked to a decrease in the size of certain areas of the brain, whereas others concluded that marijuana is associated with an increase in volume of the same areas. While the studies were interesting, it’s important to note that, because of the way they were designed, it was not possible to establish cause and effect. Furthermore, the studies may not have adequately controlled for alcohol use, which is a particularly important issue given that it is well established that alcohol abuse can have a detrimental effect on brain structure as well as volume and mental ability.
In order to address this issue and hopefully provide some clarity, scientists designed a well-controlled study that set out to investigate the potential effects of daily marijuana use on both adults and adolescents. In particular, they wanted to compare the brains of users and non-users by examining the morphology of numerous different regions which were the focus of previous studies: the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus and cerebellum.
For the study, 29 adult daily marijuana users were enrolled, alongside 29 adult non-users. A group of 50 adolescent daily users were also recruited, once again alongside a sample of 50 adolescent non-users. Importantly, the researchers closely matched the groups on many possible confounding variables, such as depression, age, tobacco use and gender. Furthermore, they were matched on alcohol use to a much greater extent than previous studies.
After carrying out MRI scans on the participants and conducting statistical analyses, the researchers failed to find any differences in the volumes of any of the brain regions investigated. According to the researchers, this could suggest that previously observed differences might be due to inadequate control for alcohol use, given the fact that even modest alcohol abuse has been linked to changes in the brain.
Although this study was more robust in terms of matching groups, it is necessary to note that it still has some important limitations. For example, it still cannot establish causality, and did not take into account socioeconomic factors or the history of marijuana use, such as when they began using the drug.
[Via The Journal of Neuroscience]