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Medical Marijuana Industry News June 8, 2012
Dean Skelos and NY Republicans Oppose Governor’s Decriminalization Plan
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo made national headlines earlier this week when he announced that he was seeking to amend New York’s marijuana laws. Though marijuana was decriminalized in the 1970s, possession of less than 25g is still a misdemeanor crime if it is in plain sight. Police officers often exploit a loophole by demanding that that people empty their pockets, then say the marijuana is in plain site, eliminating the possibility of the lighter civil citation ticket that would be issued. Many New Yorkers have been outraged at the tactics that seem to target the Black and Hispanic communities. Cuomo has expressed a desire to change the eliminate the plain sight provision and now only smoking marijuana in public would be considered a misdemeanor offense. State Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos was joined by other New York Republicans in opposition to Cuomo’s proposal. The Senator issued a well thought out statement and said “Being able to just walk around with 10 joints in each ear, and it only be a violation, I think that’s wrong.” John Vlasto, Governor Cuomo’s spokesperson responded by saying “Carrying 10 joints in each ear would require some set of ears.” Mr. Skelos did say that those keeping small amounts of marijuana should not be penalized just because they were following a policeman’s orders.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Prescription Drug Abuse has become an Epidemic…
Though opiates are legal through pharmaceuticals pills, they pose a major addiction problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently stated that opiate addiction has become an epidemic in the United States. Additionally, many feel that painkiller addiction is so high that a recent crackdown in opiate pills has pushed addicts to seek out illegal heroin because it contains the similar opiates found in products such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. While this may be news to some, marijuana advocates and patients have long been aware of the dangers that many legal medications possess.
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New Hampshire Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill…
New Hampshire lawmakers are attempting to make their state become the 18th state to permit medical marijuana. This week they passed a bill that would make that happen, but many feel Governor John Lynch will not sign the bill due to fears of how it will be distributed. In 2009 a similar scenario occurred where lawmakers passed a bill only to be vetoed by the Governor. An override of the veto fell two votes short and state legislators fear that could happen again. Evalyn Merrick, a state representative who attributes marijuana with helping her personal fight with cancer said “Over the years, we have convinced many legislators to support this critical reform, With support either from Gov. Lynch or from two additional senators, this bill can finally pass and patients will finally have legal access to medical marijuana.”
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Marijuana Advocate and Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson Appears on the Daily Show…
Getting your fair share of the political spotlight is not always easy if you are a third party candidate. However, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson has been doing well in getting his libertarian message out there. Johnson is known for supporting progressive social issues such as same sex marriage and marijuana legalization. This week he appeared on “The Daily Show” to talk about his approach to fixing America. He has also been featured several times on “The Colbert Report”. As always he was not shy about calling for an end to the failed war on drugs and continues to be an advocate of small government.
Click on the video below to see the interview
| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Gary Johnson | ||||
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1956, a Grave Injustice
One of the more infamous events in drug law history was the passage of the Narcotic Control Act in July of 1956. One of its many effects was the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for possession, distribution and trafficking of drugs, particularly Marijuana. At this time, Marijuana was still highly castigated by the majority of the US population, especially those eager-to-please, power-hungry politicians. Henry J Anslinger (the man behind the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937) was still the drug czar of the era, and although this bill was not his brain-child, he certainly championed it as it gave enormous power to his organization (the Federal Bureau of Narcotics). Interestingly enough, some members of the Federal bureaucracy (those in law enforcement) were against this because it gave so much power to a sub-department of the Treasury Department. Some of its provisions wanted bureau agents to carry firearms and serve warrants. It also allowed them to make arrests and obtain wiretaps without warrants.
In the 1950’s, “narcotic” drug use was ramping up in the United States. Also, it was a time where the first congressional hearings were broadcast on television. These Senate hearings discussed organized crime and its continued rise in power. Where was this stemming from? More money = more power, and the crime lords were making vast swaths of money in drug trafficking, specifically heroin, cocaine and marijuana. For a quick tutorial on this, take a few minutes to check out The Godfather. There’s a great scene where the Dons of the Five Families get together and discuss how they will make peace between themselves and carve out their empires by building on drug revenue. Some were against drug sales due to moral objections (although they had no problem with gambling, prostitution and protection rackets) while others saw an untapped market just waiting to explode. Well, the entrepreneurs were right and drugs were indeed the wave of the future. It only takes a little taste to get most users hooked. So, a lot of society’s members were legitimately worried about this rising tide. It was a pity that Marijuana got caught up with the much more dangerous drugs, but alcohol and tobacco were once again ignored.
Let’s get to the meat-and-potatoes of this bill. It “increased the minimum and maximum penalties for all drug offenses to 1-10 years, 5-25 years, and 10-40 years for succeeding convictions; increased the fine in an categories to $20,000; and imposed 5-20 years upon first conviction for any smuggling or sale violation, and 10-40 years thereafter, with a separate penalty of 10-40 years for any sale or distribution by a person over eighteen to a minor, and from ten years to life, or death when a jury so recommended, if the drug was heroin. All discretion to suspend sentences or grant probation, and all parole eligibility-generally available to anyone convicted under any other federal criminal law-were prohibited except for first offenders convicted of possession only.” By removing the chance for parole, inmates had no incentive to reform their behavior and become functional members of society. Furthermore, the law required that anyone convicted of drug crimes must register and receive special licenses to exit and enter any borders of the United States. Failure to comply with this provision led to fines and further imprisonment. There are a few more caveats to this piece of legislation; if there are any interested people, that information can be found here.
This law stood until it was thankfully overturned in 1970. It led to many thousands of arrests and incarcerations. Many of the convicted were young offenders and served the majority of their lives in jail, if they lived long enough to be released. There were a lucky few who were pardoned by President Kennedy in 1962, but there were very few.
Surprised, horrified, and/or upset by this tidbit of history? Well, there’s plenty more where that came from. Luckily this law is gone, but the Marijuana community has many more battles to fight before they can declare victory.
Keep it Clean
Purity of product is one of the most essential requirements of any medication. To date, it is not something that has been overly emphasized for medical marijuana. It’s a naturally occurring plant that grows in the ground; what could be wrong with it? Well, usually nothing. But that is no reason to assume that any crop is 100% pure cannabis. So, what can go wrong with marijuana? There are some naturally occurring problems that plague growers, like molds, fungus, and pests. These strike during the growing process and can damage yields and potency of crops, but have minimal effects on users. The other, more dangerous problems are those that are man-made. The nefarious and artificial treatment of marijuana can be very dangerous and is popularly known as “laced weed.” Both of these problems can be addressed through regulation and proper laboratory testing of marijuana.
The diseases that strike cannabis crops are usually detectable by the vigilant grower. All diseases have symptoms, and the primary caretaker should know how to spot them. Proper climate control is the key to maintaining crop growth. Sometimes the plant’s environment will have a pH (acidity) imbalance and that can effect calcium intake, which severely impairs a plant’s life processes. Calcium is key for proper osmosis within the plant’s cells, which is how plants take in energy and remove waste on a cellular level. Growers will observe plants with yellow leaves or brown stalks, and these are indicators of imbalances in pH or nitrogen shortages. Molds and fungus also strike at cannabis and must be treated immediately or else the crop will be lost. Pythium is one such mold that leads to rot in the roots and stem. Mold and fungus can be controlled with proper humidity. And if a mold or fungus attack is spotted early enough, the effected plants can be removed or sometimes treated with fungicides. However, be wary of treating plants with chemicals. They must be removed, or catalyzed before people can enjoy a safe product.
Pests can also be a big problem for growers, especially as grow operations continue to grow in size and complexity. An unnoticed invader can easily spread and damage a whole operation. One of problems with cloning operations is that all the plants in a crop will be identical. So, if one plant is susceptible to a pest or disease then all of them will be. That makes it very easy for plagues to multiply across a garden in very short time. Some pests that have been striking California growers include spider mites, white flies, and lice. These bugs are small but they pack a punch. But why do they attack our plants? For the sweet sweet sap, the plant’s life-blood. The majority of these pests hide from the eye, underneath leaves but you will notice their presence. They chew into the plant’s veins and suck out the sap. This leaves white spots on leaves, buds and any affected area. But there is good news for growers. There are natural remedies for some of these killers. Spider mites, identifiable by the webs they spin (and the fact they are spiders and not insects), are the favored snack of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Predator Mite). So, get a batch of those guys and a magnifying glass then you can watch as your enemies are eaten and destroyed! White flies and lice can be treated with Assassinator wasps (awesome name) and Amblyseius cucumeris. However, the most effective way to protect a crop is through proper climate control and sterile surfaces. This prevents plagues and pests from finding their way to the plants in the first place.
By far the most notorious impurities in marijuana are those added to it by people, after it is harvested. Manufactured drugs (cocaine, heroin, meth, crack) are routinely cut with impure chemicals to increase profit and decrease potency. For years people have known that they can find sugar, baking powder, drano, other herbs, and even Crisco in their designer drugs (that’s if their drugs even have any of the real drug in it). It doesn’t happen too often in the United States that laced marijuana makes it into the news. Why would someone do that? Sometimes a plant yields a weak potency (perhaps due to previously listed problems) or maybe a dealer wants to add weight to make it seem like a larger crop. And sometimes, they’re looking to get users hooked on other drugs and use a sprinkle of coke or heroin to jump-start a smoker into a profit-bearing coke addict. These are serious issues that can mean life or death for the unsuspecting cannabis user. Marijuana effects people because the chemicals in it mimic those already in our bodies. When foreign chemicals (pesticides, embalming fluids, meth) are inhaled the experience is much different and can be life-wrecking, even deadly. The big problem for most people in this country, is that the majority of users must purchase their marijuana illegally from black market sources, and there is no accountability for purity from these suppliers.
The key to ensuring pure marijuana for patients is regulation and quality-control testing. In states like California and Colorado where medical marijuana is legal, regulation is underway and patients have a communal voice that can call for enforceable standards. In other states, patients have no way to ensure their products will be clean. All they can do is avoid known crop-adulterers and hope the next bag is clean. The Werc Shop is one of the leading labs for cannabis control and testing. They ensure that patients are getting 100% pure marijuana from their suppliers. They test for anything that people should worry about. Their dedicated technicians spot spider mites, find fungi and fungicides, and sniff out poisons. Also, they analyze and break down the chemical contents of the buds. It helps patients figure out what to buy. Some people want a higher CBD content for treating inflammation and pain. Others want something with more THC to treat depression or anxiety. And as research unfolds, letting us know which chemicals help treat which ailments, these “ingredients labels” will be a great aid for future treatments.
New Prescription Painkiller stated to become Ten Occasions More Effective than Vicotin
America’s growing prescription abuse problem continues to be well recorded. With major news shops for example CNN confirming spikes in infants being born hooked on prescription medications, or Fox News confirming more people die every year from prescription drugs than heroin and cocaine combined, you might assume the Food and drug administration could be thinking about a moratorium on approving more recent and much more potent pills.
Obviously this kind of assumption wouldn’t be consistent with recent reviews that describe the brand new drug Zohydro, that is presently getting used in clinical tests. Zohydro, to be precise, may be the title provided to the drug through the North Park based company Zogenix. Three others (Purdue Pharma, Cephalon, and Egalet) also provide began clinical tests while using potent pure type of hydrocodone but appear to become farther from reaching the marketplace. Based on reviews, Zohydro is 10 occasions as strong as Vicodin, which already costs the American public over 484 billion dollars yearly because of health care costs, incarceration and traffic accidents.
Using the prescription abuse cases already rising by 430% throughout the final 10 years, an herbal viagra with the strength of Zohydro is frightening many experts. The leader from the National Coalition Against Prescription Substance Abuse, April Rovero, told the Connected Press that “”I’ve got a large concern that this may be the following OxyContin” and “We simply have no need for this available on the market.Inch Information provided through the Drug Enforcement Administration established that appointments with the er because of hydrocodone use skyrocketed from 19,221 in 2000 to 86,258 in ’09. This really is clearly before Zohydro hits the marketplace, which will be the first drug to make use of hydrocodone in the pure and many potent form. Hydrocodone is part of the opiate family including methadone, heroin, morphine and oxycodone.
News of Zohydro is baffling for a lot of advocates of medicinal marijuana. Certainly the chance of prescription narcotic abuse is much more than well-established but patients have to legally depend on very potentially addictive substances. Medical cannabis advocates could be skeptical why this type of product could be available. Although people for example Karsten Lindhardt, leader of Egalet, believe that hydrocodone is essential for doctors, most are questioning such motives. The Denmark based Egalet is presently testing their very own pure hydrocodone product. Lindhardt stated “Sometimes you circulate someone between various opioids, plus some could have a better effect than the others,Inch while Jackson, co-founding father of Advocates for that Reform of Prescription Opioids feels “The entire supply-side system is to establish to perpetuate this massive unloading of opioid drugs around the American public.” The thought of circulating opium based items, as Lindhardt indicates, might not sit well with lots of patients.
 
Marijuana.internet will give you ongoing updates on the introduction of the hydrocodone items.