Florida House to Vote on Ultra-Restrictive Bill Activists Dubbed “The Mel Sembler Medical Marijuana Act”

The passage of Amendment 2 was a widely celebrated victory in Florida last November – but now we are months into lawmakers debating over how the new law should be implemented and probably the worst version is the one that has started making it’s way through House committee meetings. House Bill 1397 builds on the current medical marijuana regulations in the state and bans things like edibles, smoking and vaping – all of which were expected to be options under Amendment 2. If this bill were to pass, edibles and smoking would be off the table entirely – and vaping would only be allowed for the terminally ill.

Chronic Pain Is Now a Qualifying Condition in New York State. Here’s What That Means for Patients

After months of regulatory review and public comment, New York last week officially added chronic pain as a qualifying condition for its medical cannabis program.

Ohio’s Lab Testing Restrictions Could Delay Medical Marijuana Access for Patients

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Just when things look like they’re moving forward for medical marijuana programs, it seems that something comes up that could put progress to a halt. In this case, it’s the testing requirements that Ohio has put in place for their new medical marijuana program. Rather than allowing private labs to test the medicine, they would rather see it tested by independent researchers out of state universities for at least the first year. The problem with that? Truthfully there are several issues with that plan, but the biggest one is most universities rely on federal grants for funding and most have avoided stepping into the marijuana industry for fear of losing those necessary funds.

HOW TO GET A LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD OR AUTHORIZATION

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What Is a Medical Marijuana Card and How Do You Obtain One?


A medical marijuana card (also known as “MMID” or “cannabis card”) is an identification card used by patients to enter medical dispensaries (or “cannabis clubs”) and purchase the plant to treat their corresponding health ailment or symptoms. It also allows for the patient to grow at home and use medical cannabis delivery services.

Steelers Legend Franco Harris to Enter the Medical Cannabis Industry

The mayor of the western Pennsylvania town of Braddock is getting support from a beloved Pittsburgh fan-favorite, with the hopes of establishing a growing and processing facility there. Former Steelers star running back Franco Harris recently joined Braddock Mayor John Fetterman in an effort to get support for the facility from the borough council.

Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Dies Due to Lack of Support in the Senate

The conservative state of Tennessee saw their chance to legalize medical marijuana this session – but there just wasn’t quite enough support for it to make it out of legislature so the bill has been set aside for another time and further review and discussion. Introduced by Representative Jeremy Faison, the bill would have allowed medical cannabis for patients with one of many qualifying conditions and while he believes there was enough support in the House, things were not so positive in the Senate where the bill would have likely run into issues.

How Does Cannabis Interact With Other Drugs?

Virtually all chemical compounds, from over-the-counter drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals to illicit substances, interact with other compounds. There are, for example, 82 identified drug interactions with caffeine (of which 25 are classified as moderately severe to severe). Even seemingly benign substances, like grapefruit, are known to interact with many prescription drugs. When it comes to cannabis, most potential interactions that have been identified are relatively mild. And, in fact, some drugs seem to work together with cannabis favorably.

Federal Judge to Decide if DOJ Can Prosecute a Montana Medical Marijuana Provider

In the last couple of decades since medical marijuana was first legalized in California, we’ve seen dispensary raids all over the country – people operating legally under state law are being prosecuted for what is still considered a crime at a federal level. While this went on for years before the lawmakers of the United States decided to step in – and finally there was at least one document put in place that is supposed to prevent the Department of Justice from pursuing those who are operating medical marijuana businesses, as long as they are in compliance with state laws.

Utah Group Begins Push to Legalize Medical Cannabis

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Medical marijuana advocates in Utah are planning to try to get an initiative on the November 2018 ballot that would allow the drug to be used for treatment.

Colorado Caps Medical Plant Count to Cut Down on Illegal Grows

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The Colorado state legislature just took a step closer to capping the number of cannabis plants medical marijuana patients can grow within their property or residence. It’s a move that’s upsetting to many who are fighting for marijuana patients’ rights.

Australian Lawmaker Rips Medical Cannabis Law: ‘Reality Doesn’t Match the Rhetoric’

More than a year after the Australian government legalized medical cannabis, patients in South Australia are still waiting for a scheme to effectively access medicine.

These Digestive Diseases Are Being Treated With Medical Cannabis

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Modern medicine has given us many great things that people couldn’t even imagine just a century ago. For all of its strengths and advancements, however, conventional medical science sometimes has no answers for suffering patients. Many patients with digestive disorders fall into this category, and for a number of those suffering, cannabis provides the only relief from their symptoms. Here are several diseases that are being treating with medical cannabis.

Researchers Say Government Cannabis Doesn’t Meet Expectations At All

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After a five year struggle, researchers finally got approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration last spring to study the use of medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, almost a year later, they have just received their first supply of government grown cannabis. Unfortunately, the bud they received doesn’t exactly live up to expectations – and they are not even sure that they should be using it at all.

When Seniors Visit a Cannabis Store, There are Questions Aplenty

Barbara Krause makes a purchase at Vela Cannabis in Seattle, Washington on March 16, 2017. Krause was part of a group from Sound Vista Village, an assisted living facility in Gig Harbor, that visited Vela Cannabis. (David Ryder for Leafly)

On Thursday afternoon at Vela, the chic Seattle cannabis retailer, customer Maria Scott had a question for the nice young man doing all the talking about the terpenes.

Study Shows THC Removes Alzheimer Plaque From The Brain

Though just the beginning, these exploratory laboratory experiments have suggested that THC, one of the main chemical compounds in marijuana, can help prevent alzheimers by breaking down the memory-reducing plaque that would, otherwise, form in the brain.

The plaque is comprised of proteins, including beta-amyloid, and was reproduced at the Salk Institute for testing.

The researchers grew human neurons it the laboratory.  From there, they introduced the proteins, including beta-amyloid, and created the plaque build-up.

After this, they introduced THC and the results were astounding.

Not only did the THC break down the protein, but it caused the neurons to reduce in swelling.  It’s the swelling that can lead to additional protein build-up, so it seems that THC is working as a cleaner and a preventative.

“Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells,” says Salk Professor David Schubert, the senior author of the paper said in a statement.

Indeed, we have cannabinoid receptors all throughout our body.  Has the last 100 years of marijuana prohibition actually contributed to the development of alzheimers in humanity?  Are we that connected to the plant?  Obviously, if our body has built-in receptors for it; it has quite likely been a huge part of our evolution.  To have stripped it away may have done unjust damage.

Another study actually directly shows alzheimers is caused by a loss of cannabinoids, in which they explain the importance of cannabinoids in memory and learning.

More studies are welcome (and necessary) to identify a causal link between the THC and beta-amyloid reduction, including human trials.

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Cannabis Strains to Treats PMS and PMDD

To the victims, PMDD is PMS on steroids. And, cannabis may be a practical and effective comfort.

Sir Patrick Stewart Relies on Cannabis Spray for His Arthritis

During a recent interview with Esquire UK, British actor Sir Patrick Stewart revealed that he uses a topical medical cannabis spray to alleviate problems he has with his hands.

The Rise of Nationalism Worldwide and What It Means for Marijuana

From the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States to Brexit and rising unrest in Europe, the concept of nationalism is gaining steam in many parts of the world. Tired of what they see as rampant immigration and the relinquishing of national sovereignty to other organizations, many are embracing parties and politicians who want to put their respective country “first”.

Trump FDA, US Attorney Moves Could Shift Cannabis Landscape

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Donald Trump's nominee to head the FDA, left, and Safeway President and CEO Steve Byrd listen to testimony on Capitol Hill in 2009 during the Senate Health Committee's health care roundtable. (Harry Hamburg/AP)

President Donald Trump sent rumbles across the federal cannabis landscape with a pair of moves made late Friday, picking pharmaceutical industry insider Scott Gottlieb to lead the Food and Drug Administration and ordering the 46 remaining Obama-era US attorneys to leave their posts immediately.

Does Cannabis Use Lower Your IQ?

The manner in which cannabis affects IQ has long been a hotly debated topic. Policymakers, parents, researchers, and, of course, the media, passionately (and empathically) weigh in on the debate. The debate often plays out in the press.

Arkansas Senate Shuts Down Bill to Ban Smoking of Medical Cannabis

Arkansas lawmakers swiftly got to work on implementing new laws based on a constitutional amendment to allow medical marijuana passed in the election last November. Unfortunately, not all of the bills introduced are actually aimed at putting the amendment into practice the way voters expected. But some of these efforts have been put to an end, at least for now. Just last week the Arkansas Senate Committee on Health and Welfare had passed a bill to the full Senate for consideration that would have banned smoking medical marijuana.

West Virginia Lawmakers Introduce Medical Marijuana Bills

Lawmakers in the state of West Virginia will have two chances coming up to make medical cannabis legal for a number of patients who would benefit from it. The two bills are extremely similar, though one was introduced to the Senate and the other to the House. Senate Bill 386 was introduced a couple weeks ago by Senator Richard Ojeda, as well as 11 co-sponsors, and is called the Medical Cannabis Act – and this week House Bill 2677 was introduced by Delegate Mike Pushkin.

Maximizing CBD’s Effects and Benefits: 5 Experts Weigh In

This article is sponsored by Firefly, a San Francisco-based technology company that specializes in the research, design, and manufacturing of vaporizer hardware.

Is CBD the magic cannabis molecule, or a misleading fad? There’s certainly a major trend toward CBD-only products on the cannabis market, and a push in some states leery of medical marijuana to legalize only one or two cannabinoids. Yet many are fighting back against this approach.  That’s because there’s an interactive synergy between cannabis compounds, known as the entourage effect, and many benefits attributed broadly to cannabis can only be unlocked through “whole plant medicine” – that is, with THC, CBD, terpenes, and other cannabinoids working together in sync.