Weed

House and Senate negotiators reached a deal on a medical marijuana bill Tuesday, positioning New Hampshire to join more than a dozen other states in legalizing the drug for seriously ill patients. Both chambers had previously passed the bill, but the Senate version eliminated a House-proposed option for patients to grow the drug at home as well as obtain it at a dispensary, and Gov. Maggie Hassan said she wouldn't sign the bill if the home-grow provision remained. In a negotiation session Tuesday, House lawmakers agreed to drop that provision and go along with other Senate changes in exchange for specifying that the commission implementing the new system be appointed as soon as the bill is passed. Opponents of the home cultivation option were concerned about the state's ability to regulate it. Supporters argued it was critical to ensure immediate access for terminally ill patients, given that it would take the state close to a year to write the regulations for dispensaries, and could take another year or more for them to begin operations. Rep. Elaine Andrews-Ahearn, D-Exeter, said it also would be a hardship for some patients to travel long distances to the four sanctioned dispensaries. "That's a long distance for people who are ill to have to travel," she said. Under the bill, patients diagnosed with cancer, Crohn's disease and other conditions could possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana. Dispensaries could have a maximum of 80 marijuana plants, 160 seedlings and 80 ounces of marijuana or 6 ounces per qualifying patient. They also would have a limit of three mature cannabis plants, 12 seedlings and 6 ounces for each patient who designates the dispensary as his or her treatment center. To qualify for medical marijuana, a person would have to have been a patient of the prescribing doctor for at least 90 days, have tried other remedies, and have exhibited certain symptoms. Only New Hampshire residents would qualify. During negotiations Tuesday, House lawmakers also agreed to not include post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition. "This is a first step, things can always be added later on," said Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton. The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Donna Schlachman, said she was disappointed that the compromise bill didn't include what she considers adequate protection for patients using marijuana before the dispensaries are set up. "We have really opened this bill up so law enforcement in any town that is really against any form of the legalization of therapeutic cannabis is in a position to arrest people simply because they've applied for their card and it hasn't come yet," said Schlachman, D-Exeter. Hassan said the compromise addresses her concerns and she will sign the bill if the full House and Senate approve the changes. "I have always maintained that allowing doctors to provide relief to patients through the use of appropriately regulated and dispensed medical marijuana is the compassionate and right policy for the state of New Hampshire," she said. Currently, 18 other states and the District of Columbia allow seriously ill people to use marijuana in their medical treatment. News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ? Source: sfgate.com Author: Holly Ramer Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate Website: NH lawmakers reconcile medical marijuana bills - SFGate

Flagstaff's first establishment selling marijuana for medical purposes opened on June 10, and the shop had lines out the door for most of the day. "I was pretty blown away how busy we were," said Kat Spillman, business manager at High Mountain Health, a not-for-profit operating out of a storefront on South Plaza Way next to a temp agency and a plasma donation business. Maybe it was unmet demand. There are 946 people in Flagstaff and a total of 1,550 people in this area who have cards to buy medical marijuana, from Page to Ash Fork, Williams, Sedona and a few more rural points to the east and north. But besides High Mountain Health, there will be only one other marijuana dispensary open by this summer in the area: the Greenhouse of Flagstaff, on North Switzer Canyon Drive. High Mountain Health sells smokeable marijuana and ointments for application on the skin. "It provides incredible pain relief without that effect of feeling high," dispensary manager Laura Rivero said of the ointment. The dispensary also has hot sauce, brownies, and other cannabis-containing foods, all provided by the only kitchen in the state licensed to produce them, in Tucson. MULTIPLE LOCKED DOORS The staff comes from a range of previous jobs, including a former employee at the Grassroots Wellness Center, a medical marijuana club on Switzer Canyon Drive that has closed. They're passionate about the idea of helping patients with chronic or painful illnesses -- people undergoing chemotherapy, for example. "Everybody knows somebody now who's benefiting from medical marijuana," Rivero said. Rows of labeled glass bottles holding different strains of marijuana are locked in a case for dispensing. The dispensary has multiple locked doors, fairly strong security requirements, and customers have to show a card to make it into a room where they can purchase marijuana. The offerings are organized like a wine list, with top-shelf items at one end, an array of mid-priced marijuana, and also "shake," or low-quality, low-priced marijuana. For security reasons, High Mountain Health directors are tight-lipped about where their supplies come from and about some of the other logistics. Allen House, a property owner in Flagstaff, is the nonprofit's owner and operations manager. The not-for-profit proposes to donate proceeds to the community; he isn't sure how much will come in yet. MEDICAL DIRECTOR ON STAFF Flagstaff's second dispensary is scheduled to open on Monday. Greenhouse owner Brandon Hermansky has been a chef and has lived in Flagstaff and the Valley, and he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the business to date, he said earlier this spring. "We've been working on it for 2 1/2 years now. My entire family's in the medical field and I hate needles, so it's a way to get involved in it," Hermansky said. Hermansky located his shop next door to David Grandon's medical marijuana club, the Grassroots Wellness Center, which offered advice on nutrition, end-of-life planning and support groups. Grassroots has since closed, but Grandon proposes reopening elsewhere at a later point. Like High Mountain Health, Hermansky's Greenhouse will have a medical director on staff to make recommendations for patients and scrutinize records. "Overall, I think more than half of our clientele is going to be elderly and older," he said. Men more than women, mostly reporting chronic pain, are the top recipients for medical marijuana cards statewide. The largest group of cardholders are aged 18-30. Greenhouse is registered in Scottsdale as a non-profit named RCH Wellness Center and is opening just yards away from Catholic Charities Community Services. MANY DIFFERENT STRAINS Like High Mountain, Greenhouse of Flagstaff proposes to sell many different strains of marijuana. Generally they break down into two categories: One that produces a light high that leaves the consumer feeling energetic, and

A proposal by a North Shore couple to change zoning bylaw in order to grow medical marijuana is now in the hands of the Regional District of Central Kootenay Board. Area F Director Ron Mickel chaired the public hearing Monday evening at the RDCK board meeting room on Lakeside Drive that heard from North Shore couple and neighbours of Upper Parkview road location opposed to the change. The property is located minutes from Nelson above Johnstone Road which is a few 100 meters from the Big Orange Bridge. ?I think (meeting) went pretty well,? said a spokesperson for the North Shore couple, which did not want their names divulged in the media for fear of reprisal. ?By giving up a lot of the stuff in the Agricultural 4 proposals . . . kennels, sporting arenas, cow farms and whatever, I feel we alleviated a lot of the neighbour?s concerns.? The North Shore couple has applied to the RDCK to amend the existing Country Residential (R2) zoning at 606 and 621 Upper Parkview Road to Agriculture (A4) for the sole purpose of applying to the federal government to grow medical marijuana under the new proposed Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). The new federal regulations are expected to be released this week. The property, currently used for residential purposes, contains a small hobby farm and home-based landscaping business. If successful in getting a medical marijuana license, the North Shore couple would upgrade the existing site to MMPR standards. ?The (North Shore couple) have decided to apply for the zoning before they make application for a license because they feel if they?re not going to get the zoning then why go through the MMPR application process,? Area F director Ron Mickel said. However, opposition was strong at the public hearing with no less than 15 neighbours of the North Shore Couple appearing to voice their respective concerns. ?Security is my big concern,? said neighbour Rocco Mastrobuono. ?I know of (medical marijuana grow-op) and it has a hell of a time with security.? ?I live in a quiet neighbourhood right now where I can leave my lawnmower out at night and find it there in the morning,? Mastrobuono added. Longtime resident Joan Crabtree echoed the concerns of Mastrobuono. Kelly Robinson, who lives 30 meters from the proposed medical marijuana grow-op, is not happy with the bylaw change. Robinson said, ?this is a two-lot application but the building is going to be on the smaller lot? raising red flags for his family and property values. Other concerns addressed included water in Sutherland Creek, a possible increase in traffic on the narrow roads, noise from the new medical marijuana business and possible construction of new buildings under FortisBC power lines. RDCK Senior Planner Meeri Durand told the hearing the regional district is aware of other medical marijuana grow-ops in the area, but all are within agricultural zoning. ?Most of the other operations are on other agricultural land,? Mickel explained when asked about those grow-ops after the meeting. ?This is the first that has come to our attention that?s on residential land and requires re-zoning.? ?Do I expect many more?? Mickel adds. ?No I don?t, really,? he answered. ?I think the (MMPR) requirements are so onerous and expensive and it?s going to be so severely regulated that your going to need such a huge facility to make any money.? The bylaw amendment will be voted on by the board at the July 18, 2013 RDCK meeting. RDCK directors have the option of tabling the decision, accepting the change or voting against the bylaw proposal. The two lots in question have been in the family of the North Shore couple since 1950. During that time the property has been home for a gravel pit, concrete plant, lumber sales, excavating, retail storage and most recently a landscaping business. ?Our application for AG 4 zoning is not only in line with what originally purchased with our lan

Jonathan Napoli has two young daughters, a farming background, and a garden shop in Roxbury?s Dudley Square. Eric Germaine, a retired South Shore veterinarian with a longtime family home in the Berkshires, has a daughter with experience starting new businesses. Catherine Cametti, known as Rina, is a Norwood native and owner of a local real estate appraisal company, with a degree in business management. All three are preparing to apply for the first crop of licenses to operate a medical marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts. As state health officials finalize rules for what is expected to be a competitive process, a wide range of candidates are stepping forward. The state Department of Public Health has invited prospective medical marijuana purveyors to a public information session Tuesday, but has not announced a date when it will begin accepting applications. The ballot initiative that voters approved last fall, legalizing marijuana for medical use, stipulates that health officials could register up to 35 dispensaries this year, with no more than five per county. ?I feel like I am someone who can do it right with my experience,? said Napoli, 41, who has made a career out of hemp, the plant that marijuana comes from, opening three The Hempest clothing stores in Massachusetts and one in Vermont over the past two decades. A fierce believer in the plant ? his daily diet includes hemp seed ? Napoli said he and his business partners have the $500,000 that is required by the state to be eligible to apply for a license. He said he also has lined up a location for the dispensary, the now-vacant retail condo next door to his garden shop on Washington Street in Dudley Square, just down the street from a $115 million redevelopment project that will house Boston?s School Department headquarters. Napoli?s plans have upset some in the neighborhood, including Joyce Stanley, executive director of Dudley Square Main Streets, a business group whose mission is to revitalize the neighborhood and reduce crime. ?We already have enough crime here,? Stanley said. Fear of increased crime around dispensaries is a complaint commonly heard across the country and in many communities in Massachusetts, the 18th state to legalize medical marijuana. Research is scant on the subject, but two recent studies suggest crime rates are not higher near the facilities, especially if security measures, such as cameras mounted outside the building, are clearly visible. Having a guard outside also appears to ward off crime, said Bridget Freisthler, an associate professor of social welfare at UCLA and coauthor of a study published in February that evaluated security measures and crime rates at 31 Sacramento dispensaries. ?A lot of communities require security cameras, but a lot don?t think about requiring [security guards] outside,? she said. Massachusetts rules require security cameras but are silent about guards. The Germaine family?s dispensary, planned for Pittsfield, would include a ?casino-grade? security system, including outdoor cameras that send live feeds to local police, but at this point, no security guards. Germaine, 64, who is teaming up with his 28-year-old daughter Julia and her boyfriend, Nial DeMena, also 28, said they have the required finances and envision an environmentally friendly dispensary and cultivation site run by solar, geothermal, and reusable battery power. Eric Germaine said he misses health care and was drawn to the idea of a marijuana dispensary by DeMena, who helped care for an aunt in Maine with multiple sclerosis who used marijuana to relieve nausea from her treatments. ?Medical marijuana is not for everyone, but for those who it does help, it?s a deeply rewarding experience both for the patient and the caregiver,? Germaine said. Cametti, a 50-year-old real estate appraiser who is hoping to open a facility in Norfolk County, said she has no personal experience with medical marijuana, b

Smoking cannabis appeared to reduce tremor and pain and improve sleep among Parkinson's disease patients, researchers from Israel reported here. Overall, patients' scores on the standard Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) averaged 33 before they smoked cannabis in the laboratory and averaged 24 after 30 minutes (P "We not only saw improvement in tremor in these patients, but also in rigidity and in bradykinesia," Djaldetti told MedPage Today. "I would recommend use of marijuana to my patients as a last resort if nothing else was working for them or if they had pain." Medical marijuana is legal in Israel for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Djaldetti explained. "All of these 20 patients were cannabis users before we studied them. They were tested before they smoked cannabis in the clinic and then they were tested 30 minutes after smoking." The patients were about 66 years of age and had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for a mean of 7.5 years. Prior to smoking, the 20 patients had an average score of 7.5 in the tremor domain of the UPDRS, but after 30 minutes following smoking the average tremor score declined to 3.5, she said. The rigidity score declined from 7.4 to 6.4. The bradykinesia score declined from an average of 13.2 to an average of 8.6. "There had been reported marked reductions in the Israeli media about the ability of marijuana to reduce tremor," Djaldetti said. "We saw a reduction in tremor but it was less dramatic in our clinic than on television. The patients told us that the beneficial effect of cannabis smoking lasts for about 2 to 3 hours." Since 1996, when Californians approved medical marijuana, 17 other states and the District of Columbia have also approved its use. It is still illegal under federal law, although the Obama Administration has signaled that enforcement of the federal ban in states that have legalized it is not a government priority. It is legal for medical use in Canada and in many other countries. Karin Gmitterova, MD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Bratislava in Slovakia, told MedPage Today, "There is a community of patients that shares their experiences in using alternative forms of medication ... They are more experienced with cannabis smoking in the Czech Republic and patients report that is can be helpful." "It won't replace levodopa, of course," continued Gmitterova, who did not participate in the study. However, "The reduction in the UPDRS score that we see here is not only statistically significant but this is clinically important as well." "When doctors can't help patients, they will find other methods of treatment through word of mouth or the Internet or from family members or friends," he added. Djaldetti said that the researchers "were more taken with the improvements in rigidity and bradykinesia. On cannabis they were able to improve their fine motor skills. We did not see an improvement in gait and posture. I doubt that increasing the size of this study would result in a significant finding for gait or posture." In addition, all of the patients in the study were already on medications for pain relief but those therapies were not providing the relief required, she noted. "We saw a dramatic reduction in pain in our patients and in their ability to sleep. When their pain was reduced, they slept better." News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ? Source: medpagetoday.com Author: Ed Susman Contact: Contact Us Website: Smoking Pot Eases Tremors in Parkinson's

Anything Technologies Media, Inc. EXMT today announced that the company has entered into a distribution agreement with Bioponica, manufacturer of the world's most advanced aquaponic systems. The Company plans to market the Bioponica patent pending Biogarden soilless grow systems and Bio-Bags? a line of plant derived plant fertilizers. The focus of Anything Technologies sales will be to supply hydroponic wholesalers and retailers catering to the medical marijuana industry. "After examining the entire industry as it relates to the next generation of grow systems which support the cultivation of medical marijuana, it was very clear to us that Bioponica's products are the most versatile and durable products available anywhere", Stated Richard Wilson, CEO of Anything Technologies. The Bioponica grow beds are available to retailers in sizes ranging from the 12" x 12" Aquarium Biogarden up to the 4' x 4' Indoor Outdoor Biogarden. Larger commercial growing systems up to 5' x 20' with two 210 gallon tanks. Anything Technologies Media is currently in the process of building a new website to market and distribute its entire product line to supplement its direct marketing efforts to be launched later this summer. We are in the process of building inventory for the EMC-5000. The EMC-5000 is available for sale. Anything Technologies Media Inc., is a Multi-Media Digital applications, production and marketing Company. ATM will be the parent company of subsidiary Corporations, each with their own professional management team with extensive backgrounds in finance, new technologies, manufacturing, marketing and distribution. ATM's goal is to combine the expertise of our team members to create a cohesive force, which will carry the company forward in the marketplace to a preeminent position through revenue sharing and acquisitions. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the future press releases of ATM. News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ? Source: marketwatch.com Author: PRNewswire Contact: MarketWatch.com - Company Info Website: Anything Technologies Media Signs Distribution Agreement with Bioponica

People who use cannabis as medicine from across the state of Washington will gather in Olympia at the Capitol Campus Wednesday, June 19 as a protest. Medical cannabis patients are angry about an amendment they say was "quietly slipped into" the state Senate and House budget bills that would put the control of their medical fate in the hands of the state Liquor Control Board -- an amendment that could "fundamentally change" every section of the state's current medical cannabis laws, according to Steve Sarich, Executive Director of the Cannabis Action Coalition. In a statement he says the regulations would include limits on age, the amount of medication a patient could have, which conditions would qualify, where they could get their medication and who could actually grow it. "The Liquor Control Board has already stated publicly that they believe that the tax-free status of cannabis as a medication would be a ?threat? to the LCB?s projected revenue stream from recreational marijuana sales. Current state law does not tax medications that require a health care provider's signature. This law could single out cannabis as the only medication in the state targeted for taxation," said a release about the protest. Ken Martin, a medical cannabis patient from Spokane said, ?I have a brain tumor and they?re going to decide how much medicine I need and then they?re going to tax it. I don?t pay tax on any of my other medications. This is nothing more than greed on the part of the LCB and the state legislature.? John Novak, board members of the Cannabis Defense Coalition said, "Rick Garza, the director of the WSLCB, testified at a House hearing that over ?90% of the medical cannabis patients are fakers and have no qualifying medical condition?. Patients were furious when they read his totally unfounded statement. Do we really want the state agency that is denigrating patients to be put in charge of regulating patient?s medication?" The coalition points out that no other medication is regulated and controlled by the Liquor Control Board. The protest takes place at 12:30 pm Wednesday at the Sundial at the State Capitol Campus in Olympia. News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ? Source: skyvalleychronicle.com Author: skyvalleychronicle.com Contact: Sky Valley Chronicle Contact Us Website: MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENTS TO PROTEST IN OLYMPIA AGAINST NEW AMENDMENT IN BILL | BREAKING NEWS | Sky Valley Chronicle Washington State News

#marijuana news: NH lawmakers reconcile medical marijuana bills - Boston Globe

“This commonsense legislation will make New Hampshire a safer and healthier place not just for medical marijuana patients, but for all of us," said Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project.New Hampshire Governor Will Sign Medical Marijuana Billtokesignals.comHouse and Senate negotiators reached a compromise June 18 on a measure that will allow [...]

We haven’t talked much directly here about the ongoing NSA/FISA and related scandals in the news. After all, one could say, it’s not directly about drug policy. And yet, it seems pretty obvious to me which “side” the vast majority of my readers is likely to find themselves. This article helps to articulate it. NSA scandal separates liberty lovers from poseurs Most Americans who pay any attention to politics believe the nation’s great chasm is between “Red State” Republicans and “Blue State” Democrats. While the nation’s two major parties have their differences, the real divide is and always has been between those who reflexively trust the authorities and those who recognize that their own government poses the gravest threat to their liberties. The latest scandal, in which a whistleblower revealed two National Security Agency programs that gather the phone and computer records of Americans in a fishing expedition designed to find links to terrorists, has jump-started this debate. As the Associated Press reported, this has “reinvigorated an odd-couple political alliance of the far left and right. A number of Democratic civil liberties activists, along with libertarian-leaning Republicans, say the government actions are too broad and don’t adequately protect citizens’ privacy.” And that’s correct. Drug policy reform has a lot less to do with red vs. green than between authoritarians and those who value liberty. For those who have seen the destruction of the drug war, who could possibly trust the government to be responsible with our communications while operating in total secrecy? Being concerned with these revelations is a no-brainer. The real disturbing part of the story is the large number of sheep who are willing to give up their freedom for some vaguely imagined undefined benefit, and who strangely trust government officials to not abuse power. Finally, I’m a huge fan of the incredible journalistic work done by Glenn Greenwald, who has always been more concerned with performing critically important government watchdog functions than propping up some political party. There are a lot of people in power trying hard to tear him down right now. I hope he gets through this unscathed.