Cannibals of Freedom: Who's your Daddy!?!?.- by Daniel L. Price, Esq.

Is summer finally here?!?!  Not sure, since we never really had a spring.  I can say this though, I sat outside on Sunday May 20th this year and my hands were cold after about an hour.  Jeez!

Still, it’s June and time for summer.  Let’s kick it off with a nod to all the Dads for Father’s Day.  Interestingly, Father’s Day has been around since the Dark Ages, when it was observed in Catholic Europe on March 19, as the feast of Saint Joseph.  However, in the US, it was not really celebrated outside Catholic traditions until the early 1900’s.  Also interesting is that it took many attempts beginning in 1908 and until 1972, to get it declared as a National Holiday, when then President Nixon signed it in to law. 

But really, do we need a law to tell us it’s ok to celebrate fatherhood?  Is it not enough that we are legislated and taxed into poverty?  That we must beg for permission to: build a toilet, a house, a barn; teach our own children; use a medicinal plant; drive the roads; earn a living; travel to another country?  Do we need a law to give us permission to celebrate our fathers?  And if we do, “Who’s YOUR Daddy, your father, or the government?  And if we need a law for that, then I guess we can’t complain when the parasites control us in all the other ways listed, and so many more.   

I intend to look at Father’s Day this year as a day of celebrating my freedom to not give a damn about parasites giving me permission to celebrate Father’s Day when they deem it appropriate.  I also intend to celebrate it on the day of my choosing.  In honor of that day, and my freedom to disregard the parasites telling me when to celebrate, I write the following:

Father, seed of my life.  Beginning and end.  I am Alive.  I think, I do.  Mistakes I might make.  Triumphs I may achieve.  Bred not for the pleasure of others.  It is only mine to lead.

My life, my freedom.  It is my path, and no other’s. Not another’s to take.  What then, is the purpose of my life?  For if I do not live for something, then I live for nothing.  Thereby rendering my meaningless.  Is it fulfillment, pride, happiness?  Or is it to live in servitude, drudgery, and forcible restraint?

Fight…fight…for the honor of my birth right.  Remember, all those fathers who died.  Let their fight not be in vain.  Neither responsibility for others’ failures, nor credit for their gains.  I must walk alone the path of my life seeded by my father, as my children theirs. I will not cease. Happy Father’s Day, every day.
                                                                                                                                                                   

Ok, now that I have my rant out of the way, let’s talk practical nonsense.  When you are out and about celebrating this summer, remember, the revenue generators are going to be out in force.  As I have shown in the last few months, they will commit perjury in order to take your hard earned money, because they know that most will not fight them. But there are things you can do to protect yourself while driving.
1. Check that all of your lights are working, including turn signals, brakes, back-up lights, etc., on a regular basis.
2. Use those turn signals!
3. Remember that when turning on to a road, it is the law to turn in the closest lane first, then use your turn signal to enter the far lane if needed.
4. DON’T drink or ingest medicinal marijuana while driving, or before you drive.
5. If you must party, DON’T drive away if you have had any more than two drinks.  For Christ’s sakes laddie, a friend or Uber and Lyft are much cheaper than my legal services.  (Note:  I will gladly help you if you need it, but would rather you party responsibly.) 
6. If you are stopped by the police, you have the right to KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT!  And if you do speak, do so in a polite and calm manner, but don’t confess to speeding, or any other thing to which the officer is trying to get you to confess.
7. If stopped, don’t engage in a political debate.  First, many of those officers are not equipped for that.  Next, it will just piss them off.  Finally, you will not likely win, after all, he/she has a gun dummkopf!
8. If you are arrested, KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT!, then get ahold of an attorney at the first possible moment. 
9. See number 6 and 8 above.
10. Get your father a present, or a card, or at the very least call your father and wish him well!  I mean really?!?!  Who’s Your Daddy?!?!

Till next month, as always, keep rolling on.

Disclaimer:  This is an informational article only.  It is not to provide individual legal advice.  If you need legal services, feel free to contact me, or any attorney of your choosing.

Putting The Kabosh on CBD - by Chad Morrow

It’s with great pleasure to write for the Michigan Medical Marihuana report again, it’s been a couple years since my last article. Michigan is in the process of transitioning to a fully regulated medical marihuana market and with that, a bulletin was issued by the BMMR regarding CBD products that created quite a stir throughout the state, so much so, that BMMR director had a facebook live presentation answering many questions posed to the state from patients, caregivers, CBD manufacturers, and CBD retailers.

Right away, the question was raised, why is Michigan the only state treating CBD like this? Mr. Brisbo explained that no directives or changes to any laws happened, they are just explaining the current Michigan law in the bulletin to alleviate confusion throughout the state. The bulletin was a result of many questions coming into LARA and the determined addressing the state was the best approach. What the law states isn’t the only thing of importance, but the definitions of the words within the law are whats of consequence. The definition of Marihuana in Michigan includes any derivative of the marihuana plant. Hemp is considered part of the Cannabis Sativa plant by legal Michigan definition. That includes all derivatives of the Marihuana and Hemp plant EXCEPT sterile seeds, and any oils derived from the seeds or stalks of the plant.

Questions were posed about the Industrial Hemp Research Act of which the response was simple and understandable. The Act defines Industrial Hemp but only applies that definition of law to those with license under that Act and its of very limited scope. The definition of marihuana was established under public health code in 1978 and amended in 2014 for the Industrial Hemp Act, but outside of that act, all definitions of law reference the Public Health Code, including the MMFLA acts of 2016. It was interesting to learn that while Michigan has many similarities with other states regarding these laws, they also have one subtle, but definitive difference. Michigan law doesn’t differentiate plants with less than .3% THC as hemp. Its still falls under the category cannabis sativa and must be regulated as marihuana. A common misnomer amongst the people of Michigan.

Of course questions of law enforcement were raised? Will they go in and remove all the unregulated CBD products being sold throughout Michigan at gas stations, health food stores, Walmart, and more? Mr. Brisbo wasn’t really clear on what we will or won’t see in the future. The answer given was that LARA is in the educational phase at the moment and while they are in contact with law enforcement, they don’t give direction. Could it happen in the future, he gave the short and simple answer of yes. Which led to a great question posed by a mother of an autistic child who gives her son a CBD dietary supplement mailed to her after purchasing online. The focus here was to not think so much about what the companies may market the product as, definition of Michigan law is what matters. Those products again fall under public health code and are considered Marihuana and must be purchased after going through the tracking and testing system, at a state licensed provisioning center. The law provides for a closed tracked system with face to face sales so no deliveries to your home are considered legal.

Other questions raised were from people that benefit from the use of CBD, who don’t possess a medical marihuana card. Will they have a way to access it without getting a card, something they can’t do for job purposes. An example that comes to mind is someone who must carry a gun on the job but may vape CBD for medical relief. The short answer was, no card, no CBD. Unfortunately that will be detrimental to many of our four legged friends. My 12 year old dog, Tanner, is arthritic and has a tough time getting on beds or in a car. I started giving him CBD pet treats from the CBD Wellness Depot and within 2 weeks I noticed him jumping on the bed with ease and becoming quite more active outdoors. Unfortunately, there’s no means for me to get my dog a medical marihuana card, and knowing the law doesn’t allow for veterinarians to recommend cards for pets, will LARA allow CBD pet treats to be brought into the dispensaries? Maybe that question will be answered on their next live video.

It was a short 30 minute video but packed with information. It wasn’t the most positive of information, but not much from the BMMR is. There are more live facebook videos to come from the BMMR, watch for more recaps in the magazine.

MMMR Recipe: Almond Joy Dip - by Annette Nay Nay

 






INGREDIENTS
1  package cream cheese, softened
1/2  cup medicated butter, softened
1  teaspoon vanilla1  cup confectioners sugar
2  tablespoons brown sugar
1  cup chocolate chips
1  cup coconut flake
1/2  cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add in vanilla and sugars and beat until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with additional chocolate chips, coconut and almonds for serving. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves well with pretzels, fruit slices, and graham crackers.

Psilocybin on the Horizon? - by Kathy Hess

Well, it looks very likely that marijuana prohibition is coming to its end.  Michigan isn’t the first, nor will it be the last state to break the bonds of uniformed, ignorant, justice system bogging, and arguably racist legislation in regards to cannabis.  For decades the plant was thought of as a gateway drug – something that made it more likely for users to transition to harder drugs like cocaine or heroin.

This has been disproven, thanks to the hard work of scientists and researchers, but it turns out that marijuana may actually be a, sorta, gateway after all. California, Oregon, and Colorado have all successfully legalized the recreational use of marijuana and now they're looking forward, toward the possible legalization or decriminalization of psilocybin mushrooms.

Most drugs like psilocybin mushrooms and LSD that cause hallucinations are thought of as goodtime-party drugs. The majority of them are listed as Schedule 1 by the federal government, meaning they're considered dangerous and have no medical use. Other drugs in that category still include marijuana, in spite of its trend toward legalization nationwide, cocaine and heroin.
Due to this classification, not a lot of research has been done about the potential positive effects of psilocybin until recently. Some studies have found that when pairing psilocybin with therapy, the effects of the drug could be effective at treating people suffering from anxiety, depression, addiction and even cluster headaches.

This research uses psilocybin to supplement therapy. So patients aren't just munching on mushrooms. And because it is still in the beginning stages of research, it won’t be available to the average person just yet, or probably any time soon.

It is a great benefit for researchers though. There is still a massive knowledge gap in the medical profession even where medical marijuana is concerned, which leads to many medical professionals refusing to prescribe medical marijuana because that is simply not how they were taught to treat their patients. The movement toward open-mindedness in medicine that could stem from research into psilocybin mushrooms will certainly  be good for the push toward full marijuana legalization across the US.

California may not have been the first state to legalize marijuana, but it is trying to become the first state to legalize, or at least decriminalize, the use, sale, or distribution of psilocybin mushrooms for adults over the age of 21. In Oregon and Denver, where marijuana is legal for recreational use, activists are now also pushing toward a psychedelic frontier, “magic mushrooms,” as well.
Groups in CA, OR and CO are sponsoring ballot measures that would eliminate criminal penalties for possession of the mushrooms whose active ingredient, psilocybin, can cause hallucinations, euphoria and changes in perception. They point to research showing that psilocybin might be helpful for people suffering from depression or anxiety.

“We don’t want individuals to lose their freedom over something that’s natural and has health benefits,” said Kevin Matthews, the campaign director of Denver for Psilocybin, the organization working to decriminalize magic mushrooms in Colorado’s capital.

The recent failure of a nationally publicized campaign to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms in California may not herald well for the psilocybin advocates in Oregon and Denver — though their initiatives are more limited than California’s, which could possibly make all the difference.
The proposal in the Golden State would have decriminalized sales and transportation of magic mushrooms, not just possession. The proposed Denver measure would apply only to that city, while in Oregon mushroom use would be allowed only with the approval of a physician and under the supervision of a registered therapist.

None of the proposed initiatives envisions fully legalizing psilocybin mushrooms, which would allow the government to regulate and tax sales in a similar fashion to medical and recreational marijuana.
Still, familiarity with recreational marijuana may have “softened up” voters and opponents of drug decriminalization. Oregon legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2015, Colorado in 2012. The Oregon and Colorado activists say they hope voters who already accepted pot would now feel comfortable decriminalizing personal use of magic mushrooms as well.

Taking mushrooms can lead to nausea, panic attacks and, rarely, paranoia and psychosis. But they generally are considered safer and less addictive than other illegal street drugs.

Even so, Paul Hutson, professor of pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin who has conducted psilocybin research, says he is wary of the drive for decriminalization. Psilocybin isn’t safe for some people — particularly those with paranoia or psychosis, he said.

“I reject the idea that this is a natural progression from medical marijuana,” Hutson said, noting that the safety of pot is much better established. Mushrooms, he added, “are very, very potent medicines that are affecting your mind. In the proper setting, they’re safe, but in an uncontrolled fashion, I have grave concerns.”

Even psilocybin advocates share Hutson’s concerns. “It is such a powerful compound. People should take it very seriously when experimenting,” Matthews said. “Psilocybin is generally safe, but it puts you in a vulnerable state of mind,” he said. “If you do it in the wrong setting, things can go sideways.”

These efforts to legitimize hallucinogenic mushrooms come at a time of renewed interest in the potential mental health benefits of psychedelics, including mushrooms, LSD and MDMA (known as ecstasy). Two small studies published in 2016 by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and New York University found that a single large dose of psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy, helped relieve depression and anxiety in cancer patients.

Psilocybin could potentially create game-changing treatments for individuals who suffer from anxiety, addiction and depression – but it may be a while before these drugs are available legally for the average American. The trend toward marijuana legalization may be the gateway that enables states to legalize other drugs that were once thought useless but are proving to be more beneficial than many people would have guessed.

Grow Tip - Curing your Cannabis - by Kathy Hess

3 STEP PROCESS
So you’ve grown your first crop and you are so excited to cure and sample what you’ve harvested.  You’re not alone, as it certainly is an exciting time for any new gardener.  But this is not the stage to rush the process, and this stage is arguably just as important as the growing stage.  Yes, it will require a bit more patience and time, but ingesting properly cured weed is important, for the pleasure of the cannabis, and for your health.
No worries, time and patience it might take, but nothing more than these three required steps. & ENJOY.

1. Drying Your Dank
For those who are unfamiliar with the benefits of drying or curing your marijuana plants, it will taste better when dried and cured, and will help you not damage your lungs. Drying can take up to two weeks, and curing can take 14-60 days, depending on the variety. Drying time is dependent on variety, weather in the drying location and where you put your plants to dry. Desert locations will dry marijuana plants faster than tropical locations.
After you harvest and trim your marijuana plants, step one is to dry them. You will want to dry your trimmed marijuana plants upside down. You will want to place them in a dark and cool location that is not humid and has plenty of ventilation. You will want to check your buds daily so you can spot signs of mildew or mold immediately, allowing you to correct any problems right away, and at least get rid of the samples that contain any mold or mildew to prevent it from spreading.
The goal with drying is to dry evenly and slowly. Drying too quickly will cause your marijuana buds to smell like hay or pine needles, or can give them a bad taste. You do not want to dry too slowly, either, because they will be more susceptible to mildew or mold attacks. You will need a fan in the drying room to ensure your plants get adequate air circulation. Once the leaves and buds are crisp, you want to remove the buds from the stems. This is known as a "manicure" for your marijuana buds. This is still easier to have done prior to the drying process, so we still recommend it. You will likely notice your marijuana buds being slightly moist, both on the outside and the inside. Some varieties are able to be smoked now, but you will get a better taste and smell if you follow these additional two processes.

2. Bagging Your Buds
After your moist marijuana buds have been trimmed, you will want to use a paper bag to try them a bit more. We recommend using grocery store paper bags because they have not been bleached and you don't want something you plan to smoke having bleach in it. This step can be a little tricky. First you want to place your trimmed marijuana buds about 3-4" (7.5-10 cm) deep into a paper bag, loosely. You will want to leave the bag open to still prevent mildew and mold. Check your buds daily and rotate the buds around so your marijuana buds can dry evenly. Turning the buds now and again or turning and rotating the bag gently in all directions will accomplish this task. You will notice that as your buds dry, they naturally shrink down into a state that preserves the buds best. Once this happens, the bag can be closed and the buds will naturally compact down. This should leave you with buds that can be smoked, even if there is still a little moisture within the center of the buds. Remember that your climate and environment will potentially change the timing of this step, and only regular checking can prevent any type of damage to your beautiful crop of marijuana buds.

3. Curing Your Cannabis
Your final step is creating the best flavor and smoke you can from your crop of marijuana buds. You will want to use either an air-tight container, like a jar, or something that will protect your crop from air and light. You will want to loosely place your marijuana buds that are totally dry inside the jar. You do not want them compacted down. For the first week to ten days, you will want to open the jar, gently rotate these containers and exchange the air daily. This ensures they finish drying evenly and would let you spot a mildew or mold problem immediately. After this time period, you will still want to still open the jars daily for a while to look for mildew and mold. If you happen to notice some, you should remove the affected buds and place the rest back into the paper bag for a couple days before attempting the jar-step again. The longer you check them daily (up to two months), the more flavor characteristics you will impart on your marijuana buds, and the better the results will be. You will know your marijuana buds are totally dry once the stem in the center of each bud can snap easily with just your fingers. The more you practice this, the easier it will be for you to tell. Once it is completely dry, the marijuana buds can be sealed and stored for quite a long time. You will find many different opinions on how to dry and cure your buds, but this is the best method we have ever found and it has not failed us.

4. Sample that Sinsemilla!
Now it’s time! Sample and share the fruits of your labor. Properly dried and cured cannabis ensures that you nor any possible patients will become ill by inhaling mold, mildew and chlorophyll, which can be harsh on the lungs.  It also makes for a smoother, tastier harvest you can be proud to puff, puff pass.

Adventures of Marijuana Jones - by Kathy Hess

January 27th 2011-Chandigarh

India has captivated me, and its cultural and medicinal use of marijuana is extensive, perhaps the most intergraded with daily life like I’ve never seen anywhere else before. I’ve discovered that cannabis has a long history here, veiled in legends and religion. The earliest mention of cannabis has been found in The Vedas, or sacred Hindu texts, which I was granted access to after a gift of cannabis to the local Hindu leader Krishna das Babaji. These writings may have been compiled as early as 2000 to 1400 B.C. According to The Vedas, cannabis was one of five sacred plants and a guardian angel lived in its leaves. The Vedas list cannabis a source of happiness, joy-giver, liberator that was compassionately given to humans to help us attain delight and lose fear.  Marijuana is attributed to the release of anxiety. It would also appear that the god, Shiva is frequently associated with cannabis, called bhang in India. According to Indian legend, Shiva wandered off into the fields after an angry discourse with his family. Drained from the family conflict and the hot sun, he fell asleep under a leafy plant. When he awoke, his curiosity led him to sample the leaves of the plant. Instantly rejuvenated, Shiva made the plant his favorite food and he became known as the Lord of Bhang.
During the Middle Ages, soldiers often took a drink of bhang before entering battle, just as Westerners took a swig of whiskey. One story tells of the Sikh leader, Gobind Singhs's soldiers being scared by an attacking elephant with a sword in his trunk. Terrified, the men nearly mutinied until Singh gave one courageous man a mixture of bhang and opium. The herbs are recorded to have given him the strength and agility to slip under the elephant from below and kill him without endangering himself. This act of courage led Singh's men to victory over the enemy.

February 23th 2011-Malana

It would appear that cannabis has been popular in India since the beginning of recorded history and is often taken as a drink. Nuts and spices, like almonds, pistachios, poppy seeds, pepper, ginger and sugar are combined with cannabis and boiled with milk. Yogurt is also used instead of milk.
Bhang is also rolled and eaten in small balls. Bhang is about the strength of Western marijuana. Because milk contains fat, mixing cannabis with milk is an effective means of extracting THC but ingesting marijuana takes longer to feel the effects and is less consistent.
Other preparations: Indians are inclined to use cannabis as ganja and charas. Stronger than bhang, ganja is made from the cured flowers and upper leaves of the female plant, and typically smoked. Charas is the strongest preparation and is made from blooming flowers. I had the pleasure of getting to watch a local farmer make charas.  He picked the bud started trimming a few of the leaves off while leaving a portion as well as a decent part of the stem. He then rubbed the bud in his hand until resin and oil from the cannabis began to stick to his hand. Using his thumbs, he pressed firmly on the oils and made it stick to his thumb so that it created a hash blob on his thumb. Basically, he did this till the bud stopped secreting oils on his hand. Similar in strength to hashish, charas contains a lot of resin. Both ganja and charas are smoked in an earthenware pipe called a chillum. The pipe is usually shared among 2 to 5 people, making smoking a communal activity.

April 13th 2011-New Delhi

The hustle and bustle of this city rivals that of New York.  But the vast number and size of their libraries is astounding and has aided in my research greatly.   I’ve stumbled across some documentation that in the 1890’s the British found the use of cannabis so extensive in colonial India, that they commissioned a large-scale study. They were evidently concerned that the abuse of cannabis was endangering the health of the native people and driving them “insane.” The British government asked the government of India to appoint a commission to look into the cultivation of the hemp plant, preparation of drugs from it, trade in those drugs, the social and moral impact of its consumption, and possible prohibition. It would appear that over 1,000 standardized interviews were conducted throughout India by both eminent British and Indian medical experts. The commission appears to be systematic and thorough, even compared to current studies. It sampled a large and diverse group of people in a range of situations, from farmers to hospital psychiatrists. After years of detailed work, The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report produced six volumes of data and conclusions. The commissioners were particularly concerned with whether or not cannabis caused psychoses. After years of thorough and well conducted research, The Commission concluded that suppressing the use of herbal cannabis (bhang) would be totally unjustifiable. They concluded that its use is very ancient, has some religious sanction among Hindus, and is harmless in moderation.
In fact, the study concluded more harm was done to society by alcohol. Furthermore, prohibition would be difficult to enforce, encourage outcries by religious clerics, and possibly lead to the use of more dangerous narcotics. Findings of The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report of 1894, conducted over 100 years ago, are surprisingly relevant today.

May 28th 2011- Mumbai

Cannabis continues to be available in India of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the mid 1950’s Chopra and Chopra conducted a follow up review of marijuana in their nation and found little has changed since the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report of 1894. I’ve observed construction workers, which there are plenty of in this ever expanding and growing city, use bhang to feel refreshed at the end of the day and to fight fatigue. Hindus use bhang for religious ceremonies like Holi and ascetics use it to seek divinity. Sadhus are Indian ascetics who have shunned material life and use cannabis to seek spiritual freedom. They live simply in the forest and wear ragged clothing. By emphasizing physical austerity through celibacy and fasting, cannabis helps sadhus transcend ordinary reality and achieve transcendence.
Today, bhang is so common in some parts of India that it can be found in government licensed street stands. In sum, the herbal plant, cannabis, has a long and continuous history in India. It has lived for thousands of years in stories of gods and warriors and it continues to live today in religious ceremonies and street stands.
I’m lucky that the Indians are almost as diligent about preserving their written history as China, even more lucky that getting access to ancient documents is much easier.  I’ve been able to gather info and conduct my research in an 1/8 of the time it took me in China.  It would appear that my research here is directing me next to the middle east.  Not the friendliest of places for an outsider to be nosing around.  But I think I might be able to keen something from a place westerner’s are still openly welcome.  I’m taking the place to Dubai tomorrow.

Free the Weed 88 - by John Sinclair

 "It’s a medicinal herb,
not a narcotic drug,
and if it’s a gateway to anything it’s
creativity,
enlightenment,
relaxation,
sensuality,
positive curiosity
and sensitivity to great music
and art."

Hi everybody, and highest greetings from the Motor City, where I’ve just today completed my eye cataract surgery and am getting ready to finish my physical testing program next month at the Detroit Medical Center.

I’m feeling far better than when I wrote here last month but I’m still beat up and healing from the several serious spills I took during the past year, including meeting the sidewalk face first after getting hit in the back by a bicycle in Amsterdam last August, tripping in the bathroom and crashing my hip into the commode just before returning to Detroit, falling face down and crashing my head on a big crystal rock in my own bedroom on Thanksgiving night, and finally tripping over my own feet on March 9 in New Orleans and smashing my face and entire corpus onto Carrollton Avenue, necessitating a trip to the new medical centerin the Crescent City

My poor head has recovered fairly well but the rest of my body is not working right yet and I’ve had to reduce my walking as far as possible since I’m afraid of falling down again before I can get fully healed from the last ones. But I’m planning to resume performing on stage next month and thereafter unless something else goes wrong, and I’m really concentrating on keeping it together so I can celebrate my 77th birthday in October.

I don’t mean to piss and moan or to burden you with my personal miseries, because I’m very happy to be alive and mentally I’m in pretty much as good shape as I’ve ever been, but it feels good to get some of this off my chest and explain my somewhat reduced performance level of late. My many friends always want to know how I’m doing and I know a lot of them read this column, so this is my report and I’m standing by it.

What I’m looking forward to a month after my birthday is the opportunity to vote to legalize marijuana in the state of Michigan, something I’ve wanted to do for all my adult life. Following the certification by the State Board of Canvassers of the MILegalize petition, the legalization proposal will appear on the November ballot barring some kind of evil machinations by the degenerate State legislature and the Neanderthal Republicans who make up its majority.
These people never give up. Their forebears in the U.S. Congress in 1937 criminalized marijuana on a whim with no scientific or any sort of proof of harm to justify making smokers and their suppliers the worst sort of criminals subject to the most severe punishments. Michigan quickly followed suit, classifying marijuana as a narcotic and mandating prison sentences of 20 years to life for sales and ten years for possession of marijuana.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with marijuana. It’s a medicinal herb, not a narcotic drug, and if it’s a gateway to anything it’s creativity, enlightenment, relaxation, sensuality, positive curiosity and sensitivity to great music and art. Marijuana is a good thing, and people who smoke marijuana are generally good people, not criminals nor dope fiends nor people to be arrested and imprisoned by the police state.

For 80 years these unscrupulous politicians and their vast police, prosecutorial and imprisonment specialists have terrorized marijuana users and their suppliers with arrest, impoundment, property seizure, drug testing, prosecution, trial, probation, imprisonment and parole. Millions upon millions of law enforcement personnel of every stripe, from patrolman to narcotics agent, probation officer, prosecutor, judge, courtroom personnel, drug testers, rehabilitation experts, wardens, jailers, parole officers, drug treatment specialists, and legions more have plagued our lives and imposed their insane system on every aspect of our lives.

Now that support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high, as no less a source than CBS News has reported, the heavy, oppressive hand of the law will be lifted off our heads once and for all, but it’s going to take more time and even greater levels of struggle to completely free the weed from all unnecessary and exploitative government interference with our smoking, copping and growing. Mark my words: They aren’t going to give up their ill-gotten and long-enjoyed gains without kicking and screaming every inch of the way.

My friend and fellow MMMReort columnist Tim Beck, long-time legalization activist, strategist and organizer of wildly effective voting activity, operates an important listserv called SaferMichCoalition that connects scores of activists, progressive attorneys and politicians, smokers, dealers, thinkers and doers in the state of Michigan.

Last week a listserv member posed the following Thought Exercise: What happens to marijuana lawyers, courts, state labs when marijuana is legalized? Also curious about prosecutors, state labs, court dockets too.

I send out sort of an impertinent message to the list: “They will likely be swept into the dustbin of history, where they belong.”

I meant no disrespect bur rather referred to the fact that the whole horseshit tissue of the marijuana laws had no basis in fact or reality and were made up of whole cloth by vicious politicians to punish certain deviate segments of the populace for insisting on getting high.

My reasoning was, since everything about the marijuana laws was absolutely wrong, we should be able to throw the whole thing away and never have to think about it again.

Free The Weed—Forever!

Listserv member Allen Peisner responded: “As long as the police and courts hate marijuana, they will take leaps and bounds with the law to persecute people. There are many people who have their freedom thanks to skilled marijuana lawyers.

“Criminal defense attorneys are often despised, despite their important role. I understand this and knew it when I became one. I welcomed the challenges.

“Clarence Darrow said: ‘To be an effective criminal defense counsel, an attorney must be prepared to be demanding, outrageous, irreverent, blasphemous, a rogue, a renegade, and a hated, isolated, and lonely person—few love a spokesman for the despised and the damned.’ Who cares if it is a little dusty?”

As one of those many people who have gained our freedom from prison and other forms of state punishment “thanks to skilled marijuana lawyers,” I’d like to offer my thanks and appreciation to the likes of my first defender, Bill Segesta, the great Sheldon Otis, the future socialist judge Justin C. “Chuck” Ravitz, the gigantic Hugh M. “Buck” Davis, and attorneys who were law students then like Dennis Hayes of Ann Arbor, Neal Bush, Otis Culpepper, and a legion of others that helped me get out of prison. Thank you!

— Detroit
May 20, 2018
© 2018 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.

ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL SCHUETTE'S LONG POT TRIP - Tim Beck

In 2008, prior to the passage of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA) by 63% of Michigan voters, Appellate Court Judge Bill Schuette, leader of  "Citizens's Protecting Michigan Kids" pronounced the voter initiative "a pot dream come true for drug dealers" which would put "more marijuana within teens reach."

Fast forwarding to his election as Michigan Attorney General in November 2010, one of Shuette's first acts when he took office in January 2011, was to

concede that the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) should have access to Michigan's confidential medical marijuana patient and caregiver patient registry, in order to investigate alleged crimes. His predecessor, Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, was uncooperative with these same DEA demands

Later that year, Schuette told WJR radio's Frank Beckmann that the MMMA "is out of control...sadly, the law has been hijacked by pot profiteers and drug dealers who just want to make a quick profit and the real victims are the citizens in Michigan and kids who now have access to a gateway drug."
Around the same time, he attacked me by name in op ed pieces in the Detroit News and Grand Rapids Press. He insinuated I was part of a cabal which tricked voters into passing a scam law, creating a paradise for drug dealers and terrible problems for law enforcement in Michigan.
He led seminars across the state, called "Clearing the Air: Implementing and Enforcing Michigan Medical Marijuana Law." Geared toward police, prosecutors and public officials, the forums were a how to manual on ways to sabotage the MMMA, make life tough for patients, and hype the alleged dangers of the cannabis plant.

He went on to orchestrate a series of bills in the Legislature, sponsored by State Representative John Walsh, designed to gut and destroy the MMMA. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. After months of negotiations, by a 3/4 vote of the Legislature, the bills morphed into something more benign, and cleared up several areas of confusion in the law.

After the passage of the "Walsh" bills, Schuette gradually toned down the anti cannabis rhetoric.
In an appearance on the "Off the Record' political TV show on October 9, 2015, he suggested the whole matter of cannabis legalization should be decided by the voters.

"I personally don't think we need to put more drugs in the hands of kids. Families have enough trouble as it is, but let the people decide." he declared.

On May, 9, 2018, the same Bill Schuette, now the leading GOP candidate for Governor of Michigan, declared he supports the Michigan Legislature legalizing cannabis "if it is coupled with an income tax cut."

It would be "terrific" for lawmakers to pass the "Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol" (CRMLA)  legalization proposal and then come back and amend it to "include an income tax rollback." Schuette said this to the editors of "Michigan Information Research Service" ( MIRS) News and WLNS TV (Lansing) journalist Tim Sckubick.

So who is the real Bill Schuette?

For some old timers in the cannabis reform movement, Schuette is the equivalent of Satan. He is said to be responsible for the persecution, arrest, imprisonment and creation of untold needless misery for hundreds of patients and medical marijuana providers in Michigan.

He wrote four anti MMMA legal opinions, which served no useful purpose except to confuse the situation even further.

He instigated a failed Legislative putsch designed to gut the MMMA and essentially repeal the law. His obsession with marijuana went far beyond simply trying to enforce the law as written by the voters.

For others, he is a man who simply changes with the times.
Schuette admitted to getting high on weed in his student days in the late 1970's. In the "just say no to drugs" era in the 1980's, he changed his tune and came to the conclusion that marijuana was a dangerous narcotic which needed to be illegal.

Respected state capitol pundit Bill Ballenger, editor of  "The Ballenger Report" said: "15 years ago not many people thought like you did (that marijuana should be legalized) but times have changed. Personally, I do not think he (Schuette) is the scourge of death that some people may think."
Mr. Ballenger essentially went on to say this is what experienced politicians do. Therefore,  Schuette's recent support for cannabis legalization, coupled with an income tax cut, is "not that strange."

Attorney Mark Brewer, who served as Chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party for 18 years, said basically same thing, but in a different way.

"This is a complete flip flop" Brewer asserted.

"If you notice, Schuette has been strangely quiet about marijuana the last few years. Before that he was quite the demagogue. It seems his money men (backing his race for Governor) told him to shut up and they are the one's who now want legalization."

In the final analysis, Bill Schuette's new found support for marijuana legalization can only help
our cause.

It has made life more difficult for Scott Greenlee and Kevin Sabet's anti cannabis group "Healthy and Productive Michigan" (HPM). It will further neuter the groups ability to create fear, hysteria and outrage among the voting population, in order to defeat cannabis legalization this year.
As of this writing, groups like HPM are getting ever closer to drowning. When the prohibitionist dike they are trying to shore up bursts--  the surging headwaters will rush in and sweep away
the muck.

V.G.I.P Update - by Kathy Hess

LANSING - Recently the conversation about cannabis in Michigan has revolved around legalization of recreational use, but a deadline looms for medicinal dispensaries and other related businesses that may possibly cause pandemonium.

In 2016 legislation passed in Michigan that permitted medical marijuana businesses on a larger scale than what had previously been permissible. Suddenly, medical marijuana wasn’t a person-to-person business relying on caregivers to distribute medical marijuana.

Until now medical marijuana related-businesses have functioned in a “gray” area. In most cases, the businesses had permission to run from municipalities, but the state of Michigan wasn’t allowing it. It’s much like a local version of states that allow marijuana while it remains illegal on a Federal level. Thus dispensaries were allowed to operate in some municipalities while not in others.

“Folks who were operating before this law, were operating with local authorization, not state authorization,” said David Harns, a spokesperson for Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). “We made allowances so we wouldn’t cause an impediment to their licensure as long as they had approval at the local level to operate.”

However, according to the new Emergency Rules, if a business isn’t licensed by by the state by June 15th, they shouldn’t be open. Existing marijuana businesses were obligated to apply earlier this year, but none have been granted a license due to the extensive background checks and financial paperwork the supervisory bodies have to complete for each business. It’s set up an unusual deadline for businesses that were working with local authorization from municipalities that now have to ask,
‘What’s next?’

“LARA has realized the process is arduous,” said Harns, when asked whether businesses are at risk of raids if they pass the June 15th deadline. “It’s long. We’re not referring people to law enforcement — as long as they’ve turned in their application to the state, as long as they have a pending application at the state level and they’re making a good faith effort we’re not doing
those things.”

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean the businesses previously operating with local authority are without risk — the board that will eventually issue licenses will be permitted to consider whether a dispensary continued to operate beyond the June 15th deadline if they haven’t been licensed by that date.

“So, running after June 15th would be considered a business risk because the licensing board can take that into consideration,” said Harns.

As of the end of April, 459 businesses had applied for pre-qualification through LARA. The number of businesses applying grows when you consider those applying as growers, processors, and more — to date, 12 businesses have been pre-qualified the first part of a two-step process for licensing.
In light of the new risks, how is the industry surviving? At the Michigan Organic Solutions in Flint business isn’t just surviving, but thriving. With local approval Michigan Organic Solutions has been operating for eight years and has served more than 17,000 customers.

A co-owner of the business (whom asked to remain anonymous), declined to talk about their license application because of the questions that loom, but said the state of the marijuana movement happening inside the state of Michigan is in constant flux.

Of course, there are still questions about how LARA’s June 15th deadline effects businesses like Michigan Organic Solutions and others that have been providing relief to the hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents for nearly a decade.

There are even long-term questions about what happens if recreational marijuana is voted into law — just last month the Board of State Canvassers’ ruled a measure would go to the legislature. They could enact it or let it proceed to a  statewide vote.

For now we can only hope that the businesses who have been supporting their communities, at their own risk, will be allowed to continue to do so after June 15th.  The 459 businesses who applied complied with the states requirements, it doesn’t make much sense to punish them, or the plethora of patients who depend upon them when it’s the state that can’t meet its own deadline.

World News - June 2018 - by Kathy Hess

Women’s Hunger Strike; Protests Harsh Anti-Marijuana Laws

BELARUS- More than a dozen Belarusian women have participated in a hunger strike, hoping for the release of their sons, husbands, grandsons, and other relatives from imprisonment or drug-related charges.

The “Mothers 328,” termed after Article 328 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, started fasting Friday, April 26, 2018, in Kalinkavichy and Ostrov to protest Belarus’ unforgiving drug laws. Relatives of the women have prison sentences ranging of 5 to 25 years.
The women’s goal is to meet with Belarusian President of Alexander Lukashenko. They call the strike “a step of desperation.”
Belarus’ penal code has no distinction between categories of drugs, meaning possession of cannabis and heroin are prosecuted with the same penalties. According to Legalize Belarus, a youth-led campaign to end Belarus’ drug war, more than 15,000 people have been imprisoned for drug-related crimes, many for minor cannabis possession resulting in five- to eight-year prison sentences.
Such petty possession cases see Belarusian prosecutors push for trafficking charges that guarantee a minimum prison sentence of five years. According to Legalize Belarus, possession of 5 grams of cannabis allows accused offenders to be charged with “intention to distribute.” The Belarusian judiciary has also been called into question by relatives of the convicted for its lack of transparency in its investigations, weak evidence, and cruel court proceedings.
On April 25, 2018, the day before the protest began, the strikers handed their appeals to the city executive committee, which was forwarded to Prosecutor-General Alyaksandr Kanyuk’s office.
Belarus was once a Soviet Union republic, though the country has shied away from Russia since its seizure of Crimea in 2014. Despite showing signs of aligning with the European Union — releasing political prisoners, abandoning a highly unpopular “parasite tax” on unemployed residents — Belarus maintains it’s tough anti-drug laws.
This is partially attributed to harsh drug laws and Soviet-era anti-cannabis propaganda from Lukashenko’s government. Lukashenko is the first, and only, President of Belarus, having served five terms since the passage of the post-Soviet Union Constitution in 1994. Lukashenko’s authoritarian system of government is described by British author and journalist Peter Pomerantsev as the “last dictatorship in Europe.”
According to Aliena Krasoskaja, who heads the Belarusian human-rights organization Region 119, the courts are judging in accordance with somewhat recent legislation.
In 2014, after a January poppy seed ban resulted in a reduction in opiate consumption, Belarus saw a rise in synthetic drug use. Also known as “spice,” these synthetic drugs have caused a spike in overdoses and drug-related deaths. In December 2014, the Lukashenka administration responded with a decree that raised the maximum sentence for drug trafficking to 25 years and lowered the criminal liability age to 14.
In response to what opponents call the oppressive nature and widespread reach of Lukashenka’s decree, human rights advocates are fighting for even modest reconsiderations of Belarus’ strict laws.
Seven of the hunger strikers met with presidential envoy Natallya Kahanava on May 2, 2018, to advocate for more lenient sentences for both their family members and the public at large. A spokesperson for the movement reported that by the sixth day, the mothers were beginning to feel the full effects of starvation — irregular blood pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, according to Euroradio.fm
Hunger strikers were scheduled to meet with Prosecutor-General Alyaksandr Kanyuk two days later, but the meeting was canceled abruptly.
The following day, an ambulance visited the seven hunger strikers in Kalinkavichy, who reported that they continued to feel ill with critically low blood sugar levels. Liudzmila Pimenauskaya, a 66-year-old woman who took part in the strike for her grandson, decided to stop the hunger strike for health-related reasons, and was taken home by relatives.
Lukashenko’s administration did not comment on the matter, and no further meetings have been scheduled.
The women continue their hunger strike.

Imports of Medical Cannabis Likely to Remain

GERMANY- Those who dreaded legalization in Canada could stop the flow of medical cannabis imported to Germany can breathe a sigh of relief. Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) confirmed it will continue to license the import of medical cannabis from Canada.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Health told Marijuana.com, May 4, 2018, the federal government will not interfere with Canada’s medical cannabis program, which remains in compliance with the UN Single Convention.

Regardless of whether Canada will legalize cannabis on July 1 or a little later, legalization will put the country in violation of the UN’s single treaty on narcotic drugs. The agreement prohibits its signatories from growing, trading, and consuming cannabis for recreational purposes.
For example, officials from the United Nations International Narcotic Control Council (INCB) criticized Uruguay in November 2013 for legalizing recreational cannabis, stating that the 1961 agreement had been violated. For this reason, Uruguay is not eligible as a supplier for the medical cannabis market in Germany. The INCB has not done the same for Canada. As to whether Uruguay’s fate will befall Canada when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau realizes his plan to legalize cannabis in the country, officials pointed to Canada’s medical marijuana practices as the safeguard to continue imports.
“To the knowledge of the Federal Government, the existing Canadian legal framework for the cultivation and distribution of cannabis for medical purposes, under which exports to Germany take place, should be able to remain under the planned new Canadian legislation,” a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Health announced May 2, 2018, when asked whether the Trudeau government’s plan will compromise the country’s export options.
“As far as can be seen, the United Nations International Narcotic Drug Control Board, which is responsible for monitoring compliance with the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, has so far violated the conventions of the regulated and controlled cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Canada and the placing on the market of medicinal cannabis.”
Previously, BfArM, which reports to the Federal Ministry of Health, addressed the same question: “[…] Medical Cannabis may only be marketed in Germany in the case of the cannabis derived from a crop grown for medical purposes under State control in accordance with Articles 23 and 28 (1) of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. We assume that Canada will continue to meet these requirements in the future if the harvested cannabis is destined for export to Germany.”

Exports of Illegal Marijuana

CHINA- In an unusual conversation between Canadian and Chinese officials, China has asked Canada to do something about the reported flow of illegal cannabis into the country.
A federal memo originating from the Canadian government, obtained through the Access to Information Act, cites a meeting in April 2017 between deputy ministers from the two countries. The memo stated, “China is concerned about what Canada is doing to stem the flow of illicit cannabis into China and [Canada] will be working with them on this issue.”
Before the documents surfaced, there had been no instances where China directly pointed a finger at Canada regarding illegal drugs of any kind.
The talks over Canadian cannabis heading to China came up during discussions on how to halt the illegal import of Chinese opiates heading into Canada, a problem which has thrown fuel on the fire of a serious opioid epidemic currently gripping North America.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada had no comment on the issue. However, Andrew Gowing from Public Safety Canada told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., “the clandestine nature of illegal cannabis exportation from Canada to any country, including China, makes it difficult to estimate exactly how often it occurs.”
Gowing added that all countries now “live in an increasingly global and interconnected world where crime has no borders. Canadian law enforcement works closely with a number of international partners, including Chinese law enforcement, to disrupt international drug trafficking networks and combat international drug trafficking.”
In January, Statistics Canada reported approximately $1.2 billion worth of cannabis, which totaled about 20 percent of the country’s illicit production, was exported and sold internationally in 2017. Much of that marijuana goes to the United States, with Canadian federal law enforcement estimating between 50 and 80 percent of cannabis grown in British Columbia is bound for America.
Although it’s unclear at this time what Canada plans to do about this massive illegal green wave heading beyond its borders, Gowing stated that the government is aware and doing what they can to curb the issue.
“The government has committed to ensuring that police have the appropriate tools and other resources in place to strictly enforce the law.”

Bank’s Prediction Marks a High Point for Legal Marijuana

CANADA- A statement released in early May 2018 by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), a major financial organization in Canada, revealed that recreational cannabis could reach $6.5 billion yearly by 2020.
The valuation predicts that Canadians will consume more than 1.673 million pounds, of cannabis in the following two years.
“We believe that by 2020, the legal market for adult use cannabis will approach $6.5 billion in retail sales,” CIBC alleged. “For context, this is greater than the amount of spirits sold in this country, and approaches wine in scale.”
Typically, more than 132,277 pounds, of legal medical cannabis is consumed each year in Canada. CIBC pointed out “this is a drop in the bucket compared to illicit purchases.”
This is not the first time a major Canadian institution has predicted high numbers for cannabis. Earlier this year, Statistics Canada projected that Canadians spent $5.7 billion on marijuana in 2017. Greatest of that amount, roughly 90 percent, were illegal purchases.
In October 2016, accounting firm Deloitte projected that if supporting sectors such as lighting, cultivation and manufacturing are factored into the equation, Canadian legal cannabis could ultimately be a $22.6 billion industry.
Up until January 2018, large Canadian banks for the most part wholly disregarded the ever-growing cannabis sector or flat out refused to do business with anyone involved. That included the licensed producers trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. That all changed when CIBC issued its forecast.
Lately keystone institutions that include Bank of Montreal and now CIBC, have shed their ignorance on the issue and are now lending and acknowledging this multi-billion-dollar, soon-to-be-legal business.
This recognition will undoubtedly allow the expanding list of cannabis-related ventures across Canada to breathe a sigh of relief as they too prepare for recreational legalization.
Canada is expected to officially end marijuana prohibition by fall 2018.

National News - June 2018 - by Kathy Hess

Ohio Makes Another Move to get Marijuana on the Ballot

COLUMBUS, — Ohio’s attorney general has certified a petition for another proposed ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis.
The initiative would allow legal residents of Ohio age 21 or older to possess, grow, use, sell and share cannabis in the state. The petition language certified by Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine on May 10, 2018, would preserve the state’s medicinal marijuana program in place.
The petition now goes to the bipartisan Ohio Ballot Board, which must decide if the measure contains one or multiple ballot issues.
Supporters would then need to collect at least 305,591 signatures of registered Ohio voters to put the issue on the ballot. Organizers are aiming for the 2019 ballot.
Constituencies defeated a recreational marijuana initiative in 2015. Issue 3, the Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative, would have permitted adult-use cannabis for Ohioans 21 and older, but it would have approved only 10 franchises to grow and sell cannabis in Ohio. More than 63 percent of voters rejected Issue 3, according to Ballotpedia.
In reply to the corporate monopoly threat posed by Issue 3, Ohio lawmakers placed Issue 2, a constitutional amendment, before voters in the same Nov. 3, 2015 election. Issue 2 would prevent Ohio’s initiative process from being used by individuals or organizations for financial gain. The Ohio Ballot Board would determine whether an initiative would lead to financial gain, then draft a competing issue that would ask voters to grant the petitioner an exemption from the law. Issue 2 was narrowly approved with 51.33 percent of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

Wisconsin Next to go Green for Weed?

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County supervisor wants to ask voters if they want Wisconsin to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older.
Authorization of the plant is gaining momentum across the country, and voters in Wisconsin’s most populous county should have a chance to weigh in on the matter, according to County Supervisor John Weishan.

“It’s time that the state of Wisconsin got with the 21st century,” he said, adding that legal cannabis also could boost tax revenue.
Under Weishan’s proposal, Milwaukee County constituencies would be asked whether they think Wisconsin should regulate the commercial supply of pot and tax it. The proposal passed the county’s judiciary committee on May 10, 2018, and now goes to the full county board. If approved it would go on the Nov. 6, 2018, general election ballot as an advisory referendum.
State lawmakers have not acted on legislative proposals to remove criminal penalties for personal cannabis use.
A Pew Research Center survey says six out of 10 Americans now support legalizing the drug. Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Marijuana Industrialist Wants to Blaze Trail for Marginalized People

NEVADA - Ever wondered what it’s like to work for a marijuana company that is making a positive impact by focusing on hiring minorities and people with disabilities? Introducing GFIVE Cultivation one of the rare minority-owned cannabis cultivation companies in Las Vegas. Larry Smith and childhood friend Shawn Holman,are determined to create a cultivation business that represents their concerns for raising awareness of minorities in the culture.
The story behind GFIVE Cultivation is how this company stands out from the competition. Larry Smith may be the only African-American that owns his license outright.
“First off, in this industry, especially in Vegas, there’s not a lot of minorities that actually own their buildings or their facilities or their licenses,” Larry told Culture Magazine. “Because most African-Americans and Hispanics are targeted for jail time for this, and it’s kind of fucked up to be honest with you, to walk in a room of 300 people and you’re one of the only people there of color. Where we grew up, we were harassed for the plant.”
Aclip on Instagram of a deaf woman working in the GFIVE building means the company hiresthe marginalized can be inspiring. With regards to the hiring process at GFIVE, Larry makes it a point to take in those who are unable to work elsewhere.
“They actually worked in California in the underground market back in the day,” said Larry. “But when they came to apply for jobs here in Vegas, they were getting shut out. I didn’t think that was cool at all. They work hard. They’re human beings just like we are.
This isn’t Larry’s first successful business in Nevada, as he also runs Square Management, Center Mass Brass, and Lein. Talking to others in the music industry about investing in the cannabis company, no one seemed to understand the vision of GFIVE except Damon. King Dusko, Damon’s very own strain, is made At GFIVE.
“I just want a really high-end brand and I want to be able to take GFIVE and come to LA,” Larry said. “I want to go to Atlanta. I want to go to Memphis. We want to be able to grow and take it to another level and be one of the premier companies in the country. […] We’re trying to take it to another level.”

“Not to bash anybody, because there is good cannabis out there, but a lot of those growers are in such a rush to get to market,” Larry said. “They’re not flushing all the remedies and pesticides. We want to make sure we put the best product out there. We’re still learning, we’re still getting there, so it’s just a matter of time before we really dial in. We have some of the best growers.”
“It’s a medicine for us. No matter what they say about recreational, it’s still a medicine for us,” Larry said. “The goal for us is to give people good, clean medicine that hopefully can help them live a better quality of life. That’s what the goal is for Shawn and I, that’s what we try to understand. For example, someone has lupus and they’re having a bad day and their level of pain is a 10. If they can get our cannabis and it can make their level of pain a two — and gives them a better quality of life — then that’s what we want to do. That’s the goal for us.”

Medical Marijuana for the Mormon State?

UTAH — The top DA in Utah’s largest city is speaking out in support of an effort to permit medical cannabis.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill says using medical cannabis should be a decision between a patient and a doctor, rather than a criminal matter. He spoke at a news conference May 8 as supporters of a medical-marijuana ballot initiative fend off opponents’ increasing efforts to keep them off the ballot.

The Utah Patients Coalition has submitted enough signatures to qualify for the ballot by a comfortable margin, but opponents of the initiative are now going back to those voters and asking them to remove their signatures.
Medical cannabis supporters say opponents like the Utah Medical Association are using deceptive tactics to flip voters. The physicians’ group denies misleading anyone and says people should know about their concerns.
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have also come out against legalizing medical cannabis in the predominantly Mormon state. About 55 percent of Utahns identified as Mormon, according to the 2014 Religious Landscape Study by the Pew Research Center.

The “Other” Sessions Faces Opposition

TEXAS- The chair of the House Rules Committee, Texas Republican Rep. Pete Sessions, may face an uphill re-election battle this November in his bid to retain his influential position, partly because of one cannabis reform activist and his new super PAC.
Rob Kampia, a co-founder and prior executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, is leading an effort to unseat Sessions. As chair of the Rules Committee, Pete Sessions (no relation to AG Jefferey Beauregard Sessions) has systematically blocked bipartisan legislation intended to provide safe harbor for medical cannabis states, their businesses, and patients who use cannabis medicinally.
“[Sessions] is in fact what I call a sphincter who is constipating the process,” Kampia told the Washington Examiner.
The super PAC, Texans Removing Outdated and Unresponsive Politicians, was initially started by Kampia after he left the Marijuana Policy Project in 2017. The new super PAC hopes to raise roughly a half-million dollars in support of candidates representing the Democratic and Libertarian parties.
“I am going to bundle a whole bunch of checks and send them to the Democrat without talking to the Democrat. You are going to see a bunch of $2,700 checks flowing from the same people who you’re going to see on our [super PAC] reports,” Kampia
told reporters.
While current polls have repeatedly established that Americans and their elected officials support legalization, as chair of the Rules Committee, Rep. Sessions has continually blocked all less-restrictive cannabis legislation from progressing for the past two years.
In backing of a fellow libertarian, Kampia has contributed funds to the Texas Libertarian Party’s Treasurer, Melina Baker, for representative in Sessions’ 32nd District, covering the
Dallas area.
Kampia “plans to target only a small part of the electorate, particularly students at the University of Texas at Dallas and libertarian-leaning Republicans,” according to the Washington Examiner.
After noting that Sessions had “an easy name to hate,” Kampia conjectured that medical cannabis would now be legalized if not for Sessions. Kampia and his new super PAC hope to elect a representative that will put aside his or her personal beliefs and cast their vote based on the will of their constituents and scientific evidence.

Michigan News - June 2018 - by Kathy Hess

Senate Votes to Ban Canna Beer

LANSING- The Michigan Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to ban marijuana-infused beer and wine, a pre-emptive strike ahead of possible legalization of the drug. Legislation sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, would prohibit the possession or sale of marijuana beer, wine, spirits or mixed drinks — regardless of whether they contain alcohol.
Granted there seem to be a plethora of more important issues our Senate could be working on, like getting the Flint water crisis finally corrected, or fixing our crumbling public school system, but hey, banning products not yet in existence seems to be more important.
“If we don’t ban it, we’re going to have it, and it is a recipe for disaster,” Jones said. “If you want it, go to Colorado or Canada. We don’t need it here.”
Marijuana activists say the proposal is a resolution in search of a crisis, but support comes as Senate Republicans mull over whether to take up a pot legalization proposal by early June or let the citizen initiative proceed to the November ballot.
Jones is in opposition to legalization but believes voters would approve the proposal, so he supports a push to approve the legislation and then revise it later this year. However, the Senate is unlikely to vote devoid of a clear sign House Republicans would follow suit, a scenario Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, has called doubtful.
Jones cautioned that marijuana beer could be sold at bars, creating liability for owners who sell an “edible” product that may take longer to intoxicate a user than alcohol and have a stronger effect. Bars are not supposed to allow patrons to leave and drive if they appear inebriated.
But the legalization proposal would not permit bars to sell marijuana products, said Josh Hovey, a spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Alcohol Like Marijuana. Products containing THC could only be sold through state-licensed dispensaries, which would need to be stand-alone entities.
“So once it passes, people won’t be seeing bars or liquor stores, or even convenience stores for that matter, selling cannabis products, just dispensaries,” Hovey said.
Communities would also need to opt in and could set their own zoning and local licensing regulations, he added.
Michigan’s 2008 medical marijuana law does not allow bars or liquor stores to sell marijuana products, and dispensaries are not allowed to sell liquor, said Rick Thompson of the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
“This seems a lot like a rhetorical legislative exercise because this bill would effect zero people in Michigan,” Thompson said in committee testimony. “There’s zero market for this.”
Thompson argued the proposal could also limit entrepreneurs who want to brew beer with Cannabidiol and other parts of the marijuana plant used by medical patients that do not have the same psychoactive effects like Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical commonly associated with a “high.”
Ontario, Canada, recently awarded a $300,000 grant to help a firm develop marijuana-brewed beer, and California wine makers are experimenting with marijuana-infused wine, according to media reports.
“I’m so happy that instead of becoming stoners in Michigan, they’ll go to Canada or they’ll go to California,” Jones said at the hearing. “Thank goodness.”

Cannabis on the Doorsteps of Campus

ANN ARBOR- A medical marijuana dispensary was approved, located right across from the University of Michigan Law School.
The Ann Arbor Planning Commission voted 7-0, May 16th, to grant a special-exception use zoning permit for the Green Planet dispensary at the corner of Tappan and Monroe streets.
Green Planet is one of numerous accessible dispensaries in Ann Arbor seeking to become certified under new regulations for marijuana businesses, along with several other proposed dispensaries. Green Planet, is located in a teal house next door to Dominick's, a popular campus-area bar across from the law school.
It's right next to the cannabis celebration that happens every April on Monroe Street in conjunction with Ann Arbor's annual Hash Bash.
As a component of getting consent, Green Planet is required to eliminate a curb cut and pavement in the yard area and restore the area.
The commission voted 7-0 to grant approval to the Exclusive Brands LLC, which has been in operation for more than eight years, a dispensary at 3820 Varsity Drive. The company is doing business as the Exclusive PR Center and the dispensary is part of a growing/processing facility.
As part of coming into compliance with city rules, the business is required to install two class-C and four class-B bicycle parking spaces, as well as a public sidewalk fronting the site along
Varsity Drive.
The commission postponed taking action on a newly proposed dispensary known as The Rabbit Club, which wants to open in an old commercial building off Jefferson Street at 450 S. Main St. That's near downtown and the Old West Side neighborhood.
The Planning Commission is tasked with considering dispensaries on a case-by-case basis as special-exception uses, meaning they require special zoning approval. Once the zoning is approved, dispensaries still need building compliance approval, permit approval through the city clerk's office and license approval through the state.

Bay area getting greener

BAY CITY, - Bay City's first medical marijuana grow facility could open for business this summer. Dave Pleitner, of Howell, has presented an application to open Golden Harvests, a grow operation he's building on the 300 block of Morton Street near the old Prestolite factory.
Pleitner claims his mom is the motive behind why he got involved with the prospect of medical marijuana business opportunities. "My mom had cancer, terminal cancer, and we started giving her CBD oil, which is the medicinal side of the plant," he said. "She's cured today. She was only supposed to live two, three months and that was five or four years ago."
Dave believes he was meant to go into the marijuana business because of the cancer incident with his mom. Pleitner's father is also a partner in the company who plans to work behind the scenes.
If approved, Pleitner would be the first to move forward with a grow operation in the city. So far, the city has approved licenses for five dispensaries, known as provisioning centers. Applications require an annual $5,000, nonrefundable fee.

If the application for a Class C license gets approved, Pleitner can grow 1500 plants per year at his operation. He hopes to grow his business organically and stack additional grow licenses as he makes more money. He initially plans to hire five people, but would hire more as the business grows. If all goes according to plan, Pleitner could be growing by July 1.
Once the grow business is running smoothly, Pleitner hopes to obtain processor and dispensary licenses that would allow him to sell edibles and oils at the same site.

Cannabis Approved for Kazoo

 KALAMAZOO, -- The Kalamazoo city clerk will begin accepting applications for medical marijuana facility permits in three weeks. The City Commission voted collectively to grant amendments to sections of zoning ordinances to authorize a process to open medical marijuana facilities, regulate where they can do business and bring city rules in line with state law regarding caregivers.

The edicts place no number limit on the number of growers, processors, safety compliance facilities, secure transporters and provisioning centers allowed within city limits. Instead, zoning restrictions are intended to create a market cap on how many marijuana businesses can exist.
All facilities are reserved to manufacturing and commercial districts.
Applications for all five types of marijuana facilities will only be accepted during a short period in June. The clerk's office will begin accepting the applications, which must be submitted in person, between 8 a.m. Thursday, June 7 and 5 p.m. Thursday, June 28.
A provisional certificate will be issued to successful applications, which can be taken to the state for a required operating license. Within 30 days of receiving a provisional certificate applicants must provide proof to the clerk that they applied for a license with the state.
Each medical marijuana facility must receive a permit from the city and is making applicants wait until they receive a license from the state before opening.
Permit, or application fees have yet to be determined and permits will be issued on an ongoing basis, in a similar manner to other business licenses. The city council also states that applications will not be accepted again until 2019.
Application forms are available from the city clerk's office at City Hall, 241 W. South St. or online at
kalamazoocity.org/medicalmarihuana.