Cover Story: Stop on by The Station - by MMM Report

STOP ON BY THE STATION 

First of it's Kind in the area

Tuscola county is home to The Station Provisioning Center which serves its medical marijuana patients and the first facility of it’s kind to operate under Michigan’s emergency rules. A vintage little building at 302 E. Huron Ave. which used to be a Gas Station, is now the goto shop for many people in the area.

“At The Station we strive to give our patients the attention needed to find the right product for their ailments. Budtenders are knowledgeable and eager to help provide a friendly and stress-free environment. "We hope that every patient has a great experience in our center.”-Mark Bills, The Station Manager.  “We provide our patients with top quality medication and a personalized experience.”

Treating their patients’ ailments with the proper meds is certainly a priority, however safety is also of the most paramount. The Station not only covers the entire property in security cameras, and locked entry ways, the employees are equipped with panic buttons to alert the authorities if the need should ever arise. They do so to add as much protection and peace of mind to its patients (and employees) as possible.

The Station wants everyone to feel at home, and if the friendly security doesn’t do it alone, the warm, clean, inviting décor will get you there.  The knowledgeable staff treats you like the ever-helpful neighbor, guiding you to the best treatment for your symptoms.

The amenities don’t stop there. Located next door to The Station, at 310 E Huron Avenue, is the holistic center ISC.

The Station, together with IHSC, want to fulfill a complete holistic approach to treating the residents of Tuscola county.  They even have plans to bring in some support groups to IHSC, ensure that mind, body and soul are treated. 

“If there’s an interest piqued, we can then help them to get their medical-marijuana cards and they can come through and make some decisions as to whether they’d like to incorporate cannabis into some other holistic treatments.” 

 
The Station not only ensures that its patrons have access to knowledge, support and peace of mind, they also make sure their patients have access to top shelf, lab tested, verified safe and affordable medicines to the card holding patients.
Because at The Station…
Our Patients become our friends.

Cannibals of Freedom: Is the 4th of July a Celebration of Parasitism?? - by Daniel L. Price, Esq.

Finally, summer is here!  But, is there a dark secret lurking under our 4th of July celebrations?  I mean really, what do we celebrate on the 4th?  Sure, most people have picnics, drink the beverage of their choice, wave cute red, white, and blue flags and pennants, and those living on lakes have boat decorating contests, and spectacular fireworks.

I live on Crockery Lake in Chester Twp., MI.  But, the celebration this year will be clouded by the lake association board (“CLA”), and Chester Twp board’s (“TWP”), decision to enact an ordinance which denies lake residents freedom.  The ordinance makes it a crime to have our friends’ boat(s) moored up to our dock(s) overnight.  It also targets one landowner who has a private boat launch on their property, by making it a crime to use the launch, among other things.  As freedom hating as that is, it’s the way the ordinance came about that is under-handed, sneaky, favoritism politics.  Indeed, the Twp. held a public meeting with notice of the ordinance on the agenda.  But, enough residents showed up to complain that the TWP tabled it for that month.  However, the next month, without public notice, the Twp. enacted the ordinance anyway.  Yep, the board essentially told those residents, and freedom, to Fuck Off!!! 

The CLA president stated in an open letter that an unnamed resident had an unspecified problem with an unnamed neighbor, and that it worked to have the ordinance written and pushed through by the Twp.  That person with the problem, rather than using current laws and ordinances and taking the issue to the courts, decided to rob all the residents of some of their freedom.  I guess it’s cheaper to destroy freedom than to fight for it.  It certainly takes less thought. 

The CLA president also assured residents the ordinance would only be enforced if you turned in your neighbor.  Nice!  This creates a situation where if we speak out against the CLA, Twp, or any of its members individually, we will be fined and prosecuted, but if we cozy up to them, we are given permission to break the law without penalty.  Wink!

Of course, the language of justification for the ordinance, which applies to all laws that deprive individuals of their rights, is that it is in the interest of the public health, public safety, public good, and public welfare.  Never mind that these are all incapable of objective definition, because it is a requirement to base laws on the undefinable when their very purpose is to deny us our rights.  Indeed, the “public” consists of individuals and does not exist independent of individuals.  Therefore, laws are not for us, but for those in power, and against us as individuals. 

The following are those known to be responsible in Chester Township:

Twp. Gary Meerman (Supervisor), Jan Redding (Clerk), Dianne Berenbrock (Treasurer), Mike Dunnuck (Trustee), and Troy Goodno (Trustee);

CLA. Bruce Collen (Pres.), Pat Wolters (VP), Bob Blaiwkamp (Treasurer), Linda Lane (Secretary), and Trustees Dennis Arms, Linda Rexford and Del Deur.

I will remember those who fought for our independence when I celebrate the freedoms for which so many men and women gave up their money, property and lives.  I wonder if they would have done that if they knew that future generations of parasitic liberty hating control freaks would act to destroy those freedoms and dump them in the garbage stinking of rotting flesh.  At the same time, the parasites will be celebrating the 4th in honor of destroying freedom to satisfy their insane lust to control others, while spitting in the face of all those who gave up so much.  I note:  The lust to control others is a weed that grows only in the vacant lots of an abandoned mind. 

Let’s celebrate the 4th of July this year with a purpose to honor the freedom that was this nation’s promise.  Then let’s celebrate the struggle to fulfill that promise by thinking not about what we can take from others, but what we can produce for ourselves. Yes, you may be labeled a criminal or a traitor by the government and unthinking parasites for thinking for yourself.  But remember, the men and women who began this country put it all on the line, their reputations, property, money, and their lives.  Many lost everything.  Yet they earned independence for the new nation.  We too can earn our freedom, but it will take independent thought, and guts.  The most important thing to remember is that we must always be aware that when we act to deny others their freedom, we deny our own freedom, as we give others permission to take it from us.

America is at a crossroad.  One way leads to the total destruction of freedom, one leads to freedom.  Choose! 

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.

MMMR Recipe: Watermelon Buzz Blast - by Annette Nay Nay

INGREDIENTS

6 cups of watermelon

1 cups sliced cucumbers

1 juice of a lime

1 cup of mint leaves

1 cup of water

1/4 cinnamon

2 tablespoons of ground cannabis

1/2 almond milk

1/2  cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

Cut watermelon in one inch cubes and cucumbers spread on a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place in a freezer until frozen about 1 to 2 hours. Meanwhile while place mint leaves in a bowl, pour boiling water over them covered estate for about 10 minutes. Drain mint leaves squeeze a lime in. Place reserved liquid in refrigerator to chill. Disregard leaves. Place Frozen watermelon cubes and cucumbers in the in a blender with cool mint liquid , cinnamon cannabis and almond milk. Blend on highest speed, until smooth, about 15 seconds. Serve in. 2 tall glasses, garnished sugar on the rim with watermelon balls on wedges, mint leaves and lime. Mini kabob style .

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL - Chad Morrow

State licensure is slow, communities unsure how to react,
some embrace, some battle, take a look at our Capitol.

The medical marihuana regulatory system and issuance of licenses is something that continues to be a hot topic throughout the state of Michigan. It seems that the majority of Michiganders can’t watch the nightly news or read their local paper without seeing mention of it several times a month. The first licenses were to be issued at the last BMMR meeting and it was canceled just days prior. Since it was cancelled, they’ve issued several bulletins about packaging, Ohio certifications, and Hazardous materials, yet not one license.

Conversations in local municipalities about opting in or out are still happening all over the state. There are communities like Bay City who have not only opted in, but are approving licenses at a rapid rate, being viewed one of the communities grabbing the reigns and leading by example. There are other communities opting out, some wanting nothing to do with any of the facilities, while others are taking a wait and see approach, wanting to see how it goes in the municipalities that allow them first. Then there are the contentious communities that seem to try to move forward only to be then be pushed back. Examples of this can be seen throughout the state. A meeting scheduled in Cadillac to discuss opting in or out with the puble is coming up, a year after Don Koshmider was continually trying to educate the council, they are now having the discussion while he sits in prison for medical marihuana. Kalamazoo township opted in, then a recall effort was made on the council members that voted to opt in, so the opt in has now been rescinded. The City of Detroit has two ordinances on the ballot this November to decide between the cities draft, and the peoples draft that was done via petition initiative. Lets not forget Lansing, a community with an opt in ordinance on the books, provisioning centers open, and a petition initiative to throw out the current ordinance that’s currently turned in enough signatures, but the signatures are being contested in a court battle. For the record,
Lansing’s petition is because they want more provisioning centers than the current ordinance allows!

Lets take a closer look at Lansing. The ordinance allows for 20 provisioning centers and an additional 5 if needed at a later date. In a city with more than double that number already, the majority of them were forced to closer their doors when they either couldn’t meet one of the states many criteria, or they were denied at a local level for one of any number of reasons, including a point system designed to choose the right applicants. That caused many to get a petition initiative going to toss that ordinance in favor of one allowing more. The needed amount of signatures was a little more that 4000 and more than 6000 were turned in. I spoke with Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope who explained many signatures were challenged and thrown out for being duplicates, non Lansing residents, or out of state circulators didn’t fill them out accordingly. Much of this is being challenged in court by the Let Lansing Vote committee. Mr Swope stated the city had asked for a summary disposition in court to have the case thrown out which was denied. So while the case moves forward, Lansing shops are open under an ordinance that may or may not stay. Mr. Swope stated the reason for the cap and the number was a number of reasons, they want a well regulated industry, other business owners were concerned about too many shops in business corridors, and that even some dispensary owners were for the caps. After a committee couldn’t come to an agreement on the language, a council member brought her own version that was basically adopted by the council with the cap. One thing I thought readers would want to know, where did the numbers 20 to 25 come from for the cap? Mr. Swope stated the city had consulted with a company in the industry, Weedmaps, who advised them that a cap is important to regulation, and that if your cap is too low, you’ll fuel the black market, and if its too high, its hard for shops to stay profitable which encourages them to cut corners and/or violate laws. The number suggested was 1 or 2 shops for every 10,000 people. Lansing has a population of 116,000 so they’re in at the high side of that suggestion. Mr. Swope stated 20 to 25 is probably too high for Lansing, but being that they’ll serve the greater area surrounding Lansing, it should be sufficient.

I spoke with Cannabis attorney Joshua Covert in Lansing and his personal take was quite different. First thing to take note of, I had to wait around for him because he needed CBD isolate and it wasn’t as easy as running to the nearest shop to get. He had to go up and down Cedar St, only to leave empty handed because they didn’t have any or it was over $60 a gram. He finally found a half gram for $20 and it was the last half gram in the shop. Before the shops were all shut down, Mr. Covert stated he could buy a whole gram at any number of shops for $20 to $30. In fact he noticed it was on sale for only $15 a gram at Lake Effect in Portage, Mi. He stated in his mind, that “a low cap was set to appease the anti cannabis group, who’s the minority in Lansing, and to ensure success for a limited group of people”. Mr. Covert stated one of his clients shops had an application denied, they appealed the denial and the hearing officer recommended an appeal hearing. He stated Mr. Swope held onto the recommendation for a month, then approved the appeal only to deny the application on points the same day. “My opinion is that the city is denying the high volume, low margin, for patient shops, in favor of the high margin for profit minded businesses. All the places providing cheap affordable medicine were shut down!” Covert was quoted saying. He also stated the Lansing ordinance as written could possibly cause an unfair advantage to Lansing businesses compared to businesses in other communities with the way the current ordinance is worded. “The way they have co locations and licenses set up subjects them to the secure transport and other expenses businesses that set up in other communities won’t be subjected to.”, according to Covert.

Got Meds is a provisioning center that was open for several years, was a staple in the Lansing Medical Marihuana scene, won Cannabis awards in multiple events, and had a huge patient base, but didn’t make the cut in the application process in Lansing. According to Mike Barron, marketing and advertising consultant for Got Meds, the company had everything to pass state licensure but they got pointed out in an extremely restrictive and hazy application process. “Got Meds received zero points for contributions to the community yet Got Meds donated all the lumber and labor to have a fence built for a community park” Barron said. “The company was an online website, just an idea by people back in 2011, basically a concept, it became brick and mortar in 2013, and was closed March 15th, 2018. They re-opened on May 19th after the cities request to have the initiative lawsuit thrown out, confident that the petition would win and the ordinance would have to be redone, knowing their application to the state was in by Feb. 15th and their denial locally was under an ordinance that would soon be invalid. On May 21st Lansing police issued them a ticket, and they were issued the same ticket the following day for being open. They then closed again and have since had both tickets tossed in court. “My thought is this, rather than working with the business owners and community, they seem to be working with a select few. And rather than being reasonable, they’re spending a lot of money fighting what the majority want. There was 85 applicants and each one paid $5000 to apply. If you’re denied, you get half of it back so their expenses of processing the app are covered. But if this ordinance gets tossed, they have to refund all of it. Then they lost all that money and they’re spending money fighting this in court. They spent money on an outside firm to go through applicants and they spent money on an outside firm to go through signatures.” Barron stated. Upon hearing the concerns of other businesses in the corridors and concerns of too many shops around them, Barron stated that the businesses around Got Meds always told him they were busier ever since Got Meds opened, and that other provisioning centers opened up in the same area, filling what had been vacant buildings for quite some time. “Something is fishy over here, all these shops are put under all this scrutiny and these point scoring systems here in Lansing, held to all kinds of standards other businesses aren’t held to here in Lansing. Just take a look at Let Lansing Vote, some of the signatures thrown out were because the circulator was from St. Louis, Missouri, an out of state collector, the clerk invalidated those claiming he filled the forms out wrong, turns out the clerk was wrong and those ones should count and we only missed by less than 50, and that was several pages of signatures incorrectly thrown out.”

One thing is for certain in Lansing, nothing is certain. Mike Barron, Josh Covert, and Chris Swope all agreed on one thing, if Let Lansing Vote is successful, there will be no ordinance in Lansing at that point and Lansing would be considered a city that hasn’t opted in and all current shops open under the current ordinance and emergency rules would have to close. Michiganders passed medical marihuana in 2007, 10 plus years later, the struggle is still ongoing. Patience is a virtue, especially when dealing with POLITICS.

Grow Tip - Pest Controlling your outdoor grow - by Kathy Hess

Most gardeners have taken the necessary precautions to protect your outdoor grow from pests, both big and small.  And while you might have achieved some success in keeping the pesky deer and rabbits from munching on your marijuana, it’s the smallest of pests that become the hardest to defend against. Bugs.

Pesticides, whether synthetic or organic, can leave a residue behind on the plant, even when proper flushing is done. This residue can then remain on the product during the drying and curing process, and could even damage the bud in the end. So how do protect our cannabis from these pesky critters?

Using beneficial bugs and soil treatments in place of any pesticide eliminates this problem.

In addition to being good for the plants and insects that thrive in the garden space, using beneficial bugs instead of pesticides is also good the environment. Each year, an immense amount of chemical runoff is put into the oceans and waterways of the world. That runoff, even with organic pest control pesticides, can create algae blooms, which chokes off the wildlife that relies on those areas for food and shelter.

Pesticides, even those claiming to be organic, can ultimately be harmful to the environment. Introducing beneficial bugs doesn’t just protect the environment they’re placed in, it protects the global environment.

Beneficial Bugs; Most gardeners prefer to use organic insect control as much as possible. This is called integrated pest management. The method of using beneficial bugs in the grow space is really just the act of letting nature be nature. There are no pesticides or chemicals used. Instead, insects are introduced that will be beneficial to the garden and the plants within it. These beneficial insects will prey on the unwanted pests, without actually causing harm to the marijuana plant itself.

While undergoing its natural life cycle, the beneficial bugs will also provide compost for the plant’s soil, and that soil will in turn provide them the moisture, food and life they need. This is why many growers experienced with this method the term organic pest control one step further and call this particular method biological pest control.

Ladybugs are carnivores and will eat just about any insect that has a soft body. They do however, have a particular taste for aphids. As larvae they can eat up to 400 aphids and when they are fully grown, they’ll eat as many as 5,000 every year. They will also munch on pesky mites, especially if they’ve already cleared the area of aphids. These perform best when released in the dark.

Pirate bugs. These winged predators attack and feast on their prey in a most vicious way; and they’ll eat just about anything they come across including thripes, aphids, and whitefly pupae. Like ladybugs, it’s best to introduce these to the garden when it’s dark.




Praying mantis. Praying mantises are fun to look at
in the garden during any phase of their life. But in addition to providing
entertainment value, they’ll also eat anything they can kill. Praying mantises are very fast predators. They are ambushers meaning they sit and wait for their prey to come by. These are great predators to tackle larger leaf eating pests that your lady bugs might be too timid to handle.

Green lacewings. These highly effective carnivores are not picky about what they eat; if they can grab it between their pincers, they will most likely eat it. They like aphids in particular, and larvae will consume up to 200 aphids a week and will walk as far as 100 feet for their meal. Despite its beautiful, poetic name, the green lacewing is deadly to almost any soft-bodied insect pest and its eggs. In its larval stage — when it’s known as the “aphid lion” or “aphid wolf” — it’s a voracious consumer of problem insects, known to devour over 200 aphids in a week. If it runs out of food, it will cannibalize other lacewing larvae. In its adult stage, it lives up to its name, feeding only on nectar and pollen.

Spider mite predators. Their benefit is right there in the name – these beneficial bugs love to eat spider mites. They breed twice as fast as their prey, meaning there are twice as more of them in any one garden. As larvae they’ll consume 5 to 20 mites per day and by the time they’re adults that number will increase to as many as 40.

Whitefly parasites. These bugs love whiteflies and have attacked them even before they’ve been born. In addition to the pests mentioned above that are most sought after by beneficial bugs, the majority of them also enjoy flies and mealy bugs.

Treating the soil: If going with beneficial bugs alone doesn’t feel like a formidable defense for your garden, here are a few of the best non-toxic controls are sold in most good garden centers.

Diatomaceous Earth. These tiny mineral crystals are sharp enough to cut through the skin of soft-bodied insects like aphids, thrips, slugs, and root maggots. Insect eggs are also very susceptible to DE and its dehydrating power. Early application with a duster in the morning on soil surfaces is effective. The rate is 8 to 10 pounds per acre. In a home garden, a little goes a long way. Dust frequently and especially after rain.  DE is also very helpful for rootworms. For rootworms, sprinkle the soil when you plant them. It is non-toxic to  humans but be careful not to breathe it in or get it in your eyes.

Ryanodine or Eight Garden Dust. This is effective control for codling moths. This is a plant resin and is an internal stomach poison that kills leaf eaters. It is also used against corn earworms and borers, houseflies, fruit moths, asparagus beetles, fungus gnats, and fruit flies. It affects pests adversely but is gentle to beneficial insects and safe for mammals. It will not injure plant tissues. Dilute this powder at the rate of 5 tablespoons per gallon of water. When diluting any chemicals, try using a little olive oil or a small amount of mild dish soap with the product. This helps it stick to the leaves.

Free the Weed 89 - by John Sinclair

Highest greetings from Detroit, the most ruined major city in the USA, where I continue to reside and pursue medical solutions to my physical problems as an old man in America. You’ll be happy to hear that I’m getting better and look forward to being able to return to Amsterdam for a few months later this year.
My friends are always curious as to why I’m so crazy about Amsterdam. They think there’s got to be more to it than simply being able to buy your marijuana over the counter in coffeeshops and smoke it among friends without fear of arrest or interference from the vicious forces of law and order.
Well, I’d have to say that’s a pretty good place to start, and it surpasses in civilization qualities anything we have in the United States, wherever you might go. Here in Michigan, for example, we’re about to pass a marijuana legalization act that we wrote ourselves, and it bans public smoking of marijuana! What were we thinking?

Incidentally, it’s fascinating to witness the recent collapse of the Marijuana Policy Project, the white-horse-riding institution that was going to save us from fucking up the marijauana initiative again and came in to write our legalization measure as Regulating Marijuana Like Alcohol. This is just about the dumbest slogan I’ve ever heard in more than half a century of marijuana activism.

Almost as soon as they inserted this asinine language change into our marijuana legalization struggle being led at the time by MILegalize, they started having trouble with the behavior of their leadership and then ran out of money to support the Michigan marijuana initiative. Now, while citizens in Michigan continue to struggle to make sure that enough legalization supporters actually cast their votes this November, MPP is trying to regroup and remain in business.

Me, I’d like to suggest that they get rid of this alcohol regulation concept once and for all and never bring it up again. Marijuana has nothing to do with alcohol and has no business being regulated like alcohol in any particular. Marijuana needs to be regulated like carrots or string beans, and the entire legal bureaucracy dedicated to fucking with marijuana smokers and producers
and sellers must be completely scuttled.

There’s no other solution!

But like I started out to say, there’s more to civilization in Amsterdam and the Netherlands than buying weed over the counter and smoking freely. There’s the generally humane behavior of the police and law enforcement bureaucracy, which doesn’t assault the citizenry with a lot of sirens and flashing lights and speeding cars and heavily armed coppers shooting down innocent citizens in the streets.

One consistent measure of barbarism in public life is the number of prisoners and the prisons that hold them. In the 20 years I’ve been visiting regularly in Holland, they’ve closed down at least a dozen prisons for lack of appropriate inmates, shutting down four just last week. That’s always good news.

Even Michigan is about to close down a prison in the near future, and when they get rid of the anti-marijuana laws, they’re sure to have to get rid of a lot more cells. As one of those Michiganders who’s been there—I spent three years in prison for marijuana possession—that’ll make for another happy day for this old man.

Another great thing about Amsterdam is its sheer physical beauty as a compact urban center organized around a gorgeous system of canals and sporting architecture designed 500 years ago that’s still stunning to contemplate. Public transportation exists on a genius level and life is abundant everywhere you turn in the central city.

But for me the coffeshops are the ultimate mark of civilization. Each one is different, and each reflects the vision (or lack of vision) of the individual proprietors. The trick is to find the one (or ones) that best suit your own physical and emotional needs and then frequent it (or them) as often as you can.

It has been my quest for about ten years to open a coffeeshop equivalent in Detroit where I could hang out and do my work while I’m in the Motor City—sort of a Bohemian Embassy for people in the Detroit Metropolitan Area where we could get together with our friends and smoke some herb, drink some juice or coffee or tea, listen to music from Radio Free Amsterdam

(www.radiofreeamstredam.org) on the sound system, hook up our laptops, tune into the extra-strong wi-fi service and get our work done in a warm, friendly, inspirational atmosphere.

This is the environment I enjoy at the 420 Café and the Dutch Flowers coffeeshops in Amsterdam, and I’m determined to see it take root here—hopefully before I pass on to the afterlife. I spent two years working with a group of characters at a place called the BoHouse on the west side of Detroit trying to effect the establishment of a coffeeshop with a performance venue attached, but all came to naught when they decided to simply grow some weed in the facility and gave up the idea of a public facility where weedheads could meet.

I went on to a place called Detroit Life on Gratiot Avenue in the Eastern Market district and spent two more years in intermittent residence trying to make my idea of a coffeeshop become a reality, but in the end the asshole who had the space raised a sum of money in my name from some investors, threw me out, ripped off my idea and incorporated his venue under the name of a hippie collective I had founded in the 1960s with Rob Tyner of the MC-5 and the great artist Gary Grimshaw, both now deceased.

Fortunately for me, the identity thief was a completely incompetent businessman, failed to make the thing work, and was recently forced to evacuate the premises. Me, I went on to keep talking with other people and pursued about three other potential opportunities, but nothing would work out and I’m still sitting at my desk at home, smoking my joints by myself, making my own coffees and working in utter solitude instead of within the friendly coffeeshop environment I crave.

Even with the idiotic perseverance of the Detroit City Council in trying to stamp out marijuana outlets in the city and eventually limiting the number of dispensaries to somewhere between 50 and 75 shops, there are still lots of places to buy your medicine, leave the premises and smoke it somewhere in private.

But there’s nowhere in Detroit to visit on a daily basis and smoke your weed with friends and fellow patients, listen to music and tune into cyberspace in peace. This is the place I need, and I feel confident that, once available, a local Social Aid & Pleasure Club would meet with a warm and enthusiastic response from Detroit smokers. Let’s hope we get the chance to see, and then we’ll know that our dream has come true. FREE THE WEED!

—Detroit
June 23-24, 2018
© 2018 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.

CANNABIS LEGALIZATION GOES TO THE VOTERS-- AND THE ATTACKS BEGIN - Tim Beck

After weeks of drama and behind the scenes wheeling and dealing, the Michigan Legislature finally punted on June 5th. By failing to pass the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol's (CRMLA) legalization ballot initiative into law within the 40 day timeline specified by the constitution, the matter automatically goes to the voters this November.

If the Legislature had passed the measure into law, they could amend it by a simple majority vote. Now, if passed by the voters, it will take a 3/4 super majority of the Legislative Branch to change one word.

Given their distrust of the GOP controlled Legislature, many activists in Michigan cheered this news, believing the measure is a sure win at the voting booth in November. With poll numbers favoring a yes vote by about 60%, they are likely right.

That said, the opposition has not thrown in the towel. They are fighting hard and mean to defeat the measure.

Right now, the opposition is loosely guided by a group called "Healthy and Productive Michigan" (HPM).

HPM is led by a former a "constituent relations" employee of Attorney General Bill Schuette,
In a June 15th appearance on the political TV show "Off the Record" Greenlee refused to disclose the specific groups supporting HPM, However, in broad general terms, he said his group was backed by law enforcement, various chambers of commerce, drug treatment professionals, public education experts, and members of the "faith based community."

Campaign finance reports filed with the Michigan Secretary of State as of  last April, indicate HPM  received $275,000 from  Kevin Sabet and Patrick  Kennedy's "Project SAM" (Smart Alternatives to Marijuana)  and a few thousand dollars from individual donors in Michigan. Greenlee has been paying himself and another staffer approximately $9,000 per month in salary.

It seems Greenlee is using his salary to motivate and coordinate the efforts of traditional anti cannabis organizations, all of whom opposed the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008. Some of these groups are financed by federal tax dollars to "educate" their communities to the danger of drugs like marijuana. This is all perfectly legal, as long as they do not specifically urge a NO vote on an election issue

In Antrim and Emmet Counties, a federally funded anti drug group called "Safe in Northern Michigan"  put up roadside bill boards picturing: " marijuana leaf + human brain = Low IQ. Do the Math"

In Macomb County, the "Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth and Families" took the lead. With a consortium of drug treatment centers, and the law enforcement group "Michigan High Density Trafficking Area" (HDTA)  they a sponsored a seminar on June 11, to rally government officials, educators and policy makers as to the "Real Impact of Legalized Marijuana"

In early June, Chippewa Valley School Superintendent Ron Roberts issued an attack memo urging the Clinton Township Board of Trustees to stop canna businesses in Clinton Township, due to a serious threat to kids. The memo all but urged a no vote on marijuana legalization. School Superintendents in Fraser and Mt. Clemens sent the same type of letter to their elected officials.

On June 6, the "Genesee County Board of Health " egged on by HPM demanded the the County Board of Commissioners  pass a resolution opposing legalized marijuana.

In my home area in West Michigan, the "Concerned Citizens of South Haven" led by by HPM and the "Van Buren County Substance Abuse Task Force" sponsored a forum called "Marijuana: The Other Side of Cannabis."

The program went on for two hours, but I left after 45 minutes.

The group demanded South Haven stop canna businesses from opening. They said marijuana in South Haven was a was a threat to the kids, a potential crime wave in the making and could bring a flood of homeless persons to South Haven, to score some easy weed. These experts went on to predict a wave of addiction, psychosis, domestic violence, traffic deaths and suicide, if marijuana was legalized. Only pre submitted written questions to the panel were allowed from the audience
So what is the real deal here? What is driving the venom and hysteria in South Haven and other places across the state?

The answer is two pronged: money, coupled with misdirected emotion

Some of the most zealous opponents of cannabis policy reform, are persons who have had substance abuse issues themselves or have family members in that situation. They believe by banning an object like cannabis (or alcohol back in the old prohibition days) they are striking a blow at the source of their problems.

They are wrong. Objects like cannabis or alcohol are not the cause of substance abuse. The problem lies within the individual person. For whatever reason, some folks physical or psychological inner workings make them prone to addiction, hence the term "addictive personalities."

As far as the money angle is concerned, forced rehab for marijuana is a very lucrative business.
 Many persons who get busted for weed, offer (or are ordered) to enroll in a treatment program at their own expense. If not, they can face a stark choice. Jail, probation, community service, drug court, a criminal record, or all of the above in the here and now. This is a cash cow the rehab industry desperately wants to continue to milk.

They all need to re think this one. They must come to grips with reality.

It now seems all but certain, they will face a new world in Michigan beginning this November. At that time, the voters will grant consenting adults in Michigan the right to use cannabis. Just like they now do in Washington State, Colorado, California, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.

V.G.I.P Update -July 2018 - by Kathy Hess

Well folks, we’re almost there!  We can see the finish line, as the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana will be on the ballot this November!  We still have a ways to go, and the fight is going to get bare-knuckled as we get closer to the end. Be sure, there will be several prohibition lobbies and organizations that will be working overtime to try to convince the people of Michigan to vote “No”. They’ve spent millions in states like CA, OR, WA and CO to keep the green illegal. (Obviously millions wasted, but that won’t stop them.) They will use old, disproven, “Refer Madness” tactics to scare people.  But we can do this with knowledge on our side.

We have two important tasks before us. 1.) We have to get out and Vote! Mark your calendars, make a day of it, and offer to take neighbors to the polls with you.  Only 55% of the eligible voters cast ballots in the 2016 election, encourage others to get out and Vote!  2.) We need to educate ourselves, about those running for office in all races and about the true language of the proposal.

If you’re thinking that it doesn’t matter who you vote for this November, as long as you get to vote a “yes” on the marijuana proposal, everything will be fine, you’re sadly mistaken.  Our electorates will still have the ability to amend the proposal after the voters approve it, with 2/3rds majority vote.  If we elect a number of congressman and senators who have been historically (currently) anti cannabis, there is a good chance they could amend the proposal, strip provisions and further restrict the citizens the ability to cultivate, the amount one can posses or the rules on transfer.  So be sure to know where your candidates stand on the issue of cannabis. 

Anti groups will undoubtedly lie about what the proposal will mean for residence, employers and minors.  Know the facts, be ready to dispute their claims, to squash the inevitable fear mongering they will sling.  We’ve broken the proposal into two halves. The first is below; the second half will be in August’s issue.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Here is the 2018 Michigan Marijuana Legalization Initiative proposal (Part 1): 

An initiation of legislation to allow under state law the personal possession and use of marihuana by persons 21 years of age or older; to provide for the lawful cultivation and sale of marihuana and industrial hemp by persons 21 years of age or older; to permit the taxation of revenue derived from commercial marihuana facilities; to permit the promulgation of administrative rules; and to prescribe certain penalties for violations of this act. The people of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act.

Sec. 2. The purpose of this act is to make marihuana legal under state and local law for adults 21 years of age or older, to make industrial hemp legal under state and local law, and to control the commercial production and distribution of marihuana under a system that licenses, regulates, and taxes the businesses involved. The intent is to prevent arrest and penalty for personal possession and cultivation of marihuana by adults 21 years of age or older; remove the commercial production and distribution of marihuana from the illicit market; prevent revenue generated from commerce in marihuana from going to criminal enterprises or gangs; prevent the distribution of marihuana to persons under 21 years of age; prevent the diversion of marihuana to illicit markets; ensure the safety of marihuana and marihuana-infused products; and ensure security of marihuana establishments. To the fullest extent possible, this act shall be interpreted in accordance with the purpose and intent set forth in this section.

Sec. 3. As used in this act: Definitions and terms (omitted for space, basic definitions of terms such as; cultivate, marijuana, department, industrial hemp, licensee, ect.)

Sec. 4. 1. This act does not authorize:
(a) operating, navigating, or being in physical control of any motor vehicle, aircraft, snowmobile, off-road recreational vehicle, or motorboat while under the influence of marihuana;
(b) transfer of marihuana or marihuana accessories to a person under the age of 21;
(c) any person under the age of 21 to possess, consume, purchase or otherwise obtain, cultivate, process, transport, or sell marihuana;
(d) separation of plant resin by butane extraction or another method that utilizes a substance with a flashpoint below 100 degrees Fahrenheit in any public place, motor vehicle, or within the curtilage of any residential structure;
(e) consuming marihuana in a public place or smoking marihuana where prohibited by the person who owns, occupies, or manages the property, except for purposes of this subdivision a public place does not include an area designated for consumption within a municipality that has authorized consumption in designated areas that are not accessible to persons under 21 years of age;
(f) cultivating marihuana plants if the plants are visible from a public place without the use of binoculars, aircraft, or other optical aids or outside of an enclosed area equipped with locks or other functioning security devices that restrict access to the area;
(g) consuming marihuana while operating, navigating, or being in physical control of any motor vehicle, aircraft, snowmobile, off-road recreational vehicle, or motorboat, or smoking marihuana within the passenger area of a vehicle upon a public way;
(h) possessing marihuana accessories or possessing or consuming marihuana on the grounds of a public or private school where children attend classes in preschool programs, kindergarten programs, or grades 1 through 12, in a school bus, or on the grounds of any correctional facility; or
(i) Possessing more than 2.5 ounces of marihuana within a person's place of residence unless the excess marihuana is stored in a container or area equipped with locks or other functioning security devices that restrict access to the contents of the container or area.

2. This act does not limit any privileges, rights, immunities, or defenses of a person as provided in the Michigan medical marihuana act, 2008 IL 1, MCL 333.26421 to 333.26430, the medical marihuana facilities licensing act, 2016 PA 281, MCL 333.27101 to 333.27801, or any other law of this state allowing for or regulating marihuana for medical use.

3. This act does not require an employer to permit or accommodate conduct otherwise allowed by this act in any workplace or on the employer's property. This act does not prohibit an employer from disciplining an employee for violation of a workplace drug policy or for working while under the influence of marihuana. This act does not prevent an employer from refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, or otherwise taking an adverse employment action against a person with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of that person's violation of a workplace drug policy or because that person was working while under the influence
of marihuana.

4. This act allows a person to prohibit or otherwise regulate the consumption, cultivation, distribution, processing, sale, or display of marihuana and marihuana accessories on property the person owns, occupies, or manages, except that a lease agreement may not prohibit a tenant from lawfully possessing and consuming marihuana by means other than smoking.

5. All other laws inconsistent with this act do not apply to conduct that is permitted by this act.
Sec. 5. 1. Notwithstanding any other law or provision of this act, and except as otherwise provided in section 4 of this act, the following acts by a person 21 years of age or older are not unlawful, are not an offense, are not grounds for seizing or forfeiting property, are not grounds for arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, are not grounds for search or inspection, and are not grounds to deny any other right or privilege:

(a) except as permitted by subdivision (b), possessing, using or consuming, internally possessing, purchasing, transporting, or processing 2.5 ounces or less of marihuana, except that not
more than 15 grams of marihuana may be in the form of marihuana concentrate;
(b) within the person's residence, possessing, storing, and processing not more than 10 ounces of marihuana and any marihuana produced by marihuana plants cultivated on the premises and cultivating not more than 12 marihuana plants for personal use, provided that no more than 12 marihuana plants are possessed, cultivated, or processed on the premises at once;
(c) assisting another person who is 21 years of age or older in any of the acts described in this section; and
(d) giving away or otherwise transferring without remuneration up to 2.5 ounces of marihuana, except that not more than 15 grams of marihuana may be in the form of marihuana concentrate, to a person 21 years of age or older, as long as the transfer is not advertised or promoted to the public.

2. Notwithstanding any other law or provision of this act, except as otherwise provided in section 4 of this act, the use, manufacture, possession, and purchase of marihuana accessories by a person 21 years of age or older and the distribution or sale of marihuana accessories to a person 21 years of age or older is authorized, is not unlawful, is not an offense, is not grounds for seizing or forfeiting property, is not grounds for arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, and is not grounds to deny any other
right or privilege.

3. A person shall not be denied custody of or visitation with a minor for conduct that is permitted by this act, unless the person's behavior is such that it creates an unreasonable danger to the minor that can be clearly articulated and substantiated.

Sec. 6. 1. Except as provided in section 4, a municipality may completely prohibit or limit the number of marihuana establishments within its boundaries. Individuals may petition to initiate an ordinance to provide for the number of marihuana establishments allowed within a municipality or to completely prohibit marihuana establishments within a municipality, and such ordinance shall be submitted to the electors of the municipality at the next regular election when a petition is signed by qualified electors in the municipality in a number greater than 5% of the votes cast for governor by qualified electors in the municipality at the last gubernatorial election. A petition under this subsection is subject to section 488 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.488.

2. A municipality may adopt other ordinances that are not unreasonably impracticable and do not conflict with this act or with any rule promulgated pursuant to this act and that:

(a) establish reasonable restrictions on public signs related to marihuana establishments;
(b) regulate the time, place, and manner of operation of marihuana establishments and of the production, manufacture, sale, or display of marihuana accessories;
(c) authorize the sale of marihuana for consumption in designated areas that are not accessible to persons under 21 years of age, or at special events in limited areas and for a limited time; and
(d) designate a violation of the ordinance and provide for a penalty for that violation by a marihuana establishment, provided that such violation is a civil infraction and such penalty is a civil fine of not more than $500.

3. A municipality may adopt an ordinance requiring a marihuana establishment with a physical location within the municipality to obtain a municipal license, but may not impose qualifications for licensure that conflict with this act or rules promulgated by the department.

4. A municipality may charge an annual fee of not more than $5,000 to defray application, administrative, and enforcement costs associated with the operation of the marihuana establishment in the municipality.

5. A municipality may not adopt an ordinance that restricts the transportation of marihuana through the municipality or prohibits a marihuana grower, a marihuana processor, and a marihuana retailer from operating within a single facility or from operating at a location shared with a marihuana facility operating pursuant to the medical marihuana facilities licensing act, 2016 PA 281, MCL 333.27101 to
333.27801.

Sec. 7. 1. The department is responsible for implementing this act and has the powers and duties necessary to control the commercial production and distribution of marihuana. The department shall employ personnel and may contract with advisors and consultants as necessary to adequately perform its duties. No person who is pecuniarily interested, directly or indirectly, in any marihuana establishment may be an employee, advisor, or consultant involved in the implementation, administration, or enforcement of this act. An employee, advisor, or consultant of the department may not be personally liable for any action at law for damages sustained by a person because of an action performed or done in the performance of their duties in the implementation, administration, or enforcement of this act. The department of state police shall cooperate and assist the department in conducting background investigations of applicants. Responsibilities of the department include:

(a) promulgating rules pursuant to section 8 of this act that are necessary to implement, administer, and enforce this act;
(b) granting or denying each application for licensure and investigating each applicant to determine eligibility for licensure, including conducting a background investigation on each person holding an ownership interest in the applicant;
(c) ensuring compliance with this act and the rules promulgated thereunder by marihuana establishments by performing investigations of compliance and regular inspections of marihuana establishments and by taking appropriate disciplinary action against a licensee, including prescribing civil fines for violations of this act or rules and suspending, restricting, or revoking a state license;
(d) holding at least 4 public meetings each calendar year for the purpose of hearing complaints and receiving the views of the public with respect to administration of this act;
(e) collecting fees for licensure and fines for violations of this act or rules promulgated thereunder, depositing all fees collected in the marihuana regulation fund established by section 14 of this act, and remitting all fines collected to be deposited in the general fund; and
(f) submitting an annual report to the governor covering the previous year, which report shall include the number of state licenses of each class issued, demographic information on licensees, a description of enforcement and disciplinary actions taken against licensees, and a statement of revenues and expenses of the department related to the implementation, administration, and enforcement of this act.

Sec. 8. 1. The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this act pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to MCL 24.328, including:
(a) procedures for issuing a state license pursuant to section 9 of this act and for renewing, suspending, and revoking a state license;
(b) a schedule of fees in amounts not more than necessary to pay for implementation, administration, and enforcement costs of this act and that relate to the size of each licensee or the volume of business conducted by the licensee;
(c) qualifications for licensure that are directly and demonstrably related to the operation of a marihuana establishment, provided that a prior conviction solely for a marihuana-related offense does not disqualify an individual or otherwise affect eligibility for licensure, unless the offense involved distribution of a controlled substance to a minor;
(d) requirements and standards for safe cultivation, processing, and distribution of marihuana by marihuana establishments, including health standards to ensure the safe preparation of marihuana-infused products and prohibitions on pesticides that are not safe for use on marihuana;
(e) testing, packaging, and labeling standards, procedures, and requirements for marihuana, including a maximum tetrahydrocannabinol level for marihuana-infused products, a requirement that a representative sample of marihuana be tested by a marihuana safety compliance facility, and a requirement that the amount of marihuana or marihuana concentrate contained within a marihuana-infused product be specified on the
product label;
(f) security requirements, including lighting, physical security, and alarm requirements, and requirements for securely transporting marihuana between marihuana establishments, provided that such requirements do not prohibit cultivation of marihuana outdoors or in greenhouses;
(g) record keeping requirements for marihuana establishments and monitoring requirements to track the transfer of marihuana by licensees;
(h) requirements for the operation of marihuana secure transporters to ensure that all marihuana establishments are properly serviced;
(i) reasonable restrictions on advertising, marketing, and display of marihuana and marihuana establishments;
(j) a plan to promote and encourage participation in the marihuana industry by people from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marihuana prohibition and enforcement and to positively impact those communities; and
(k) penalties for failure to comply with any rule promulgated pursuant to this section or for any violation of this act by a licensee, including civil fines and suspension, revocation, or restriction of a state license.

2. In furtherance of the intent of this act, the department may promulgate rules to:

(a) provide for the issuance of additional types or classes of state licenses to operate marihuana-related businesses, including licenses that authorize only limited cultivation, processing, transportation, delivery, storage, sale, or purchase of marihuana, licenses that authorize the consumption of marihuana within designated areas, licenses that authorize the consumption of marihuana at special events in limited areas and for a limited time, licenses that authorize cultivation for purposes of propagation, and licenses intended to facilitate scientific research or education; or
(b) regulate the cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale of industrial hemp.

3. The department may not promulgate a rule that:

(a) establishes a limit on the number of any type of state licenses that may be granted;
(b) requires a customer to provide a marihuana retailer with identifying information other than identification to determine the customer's age or requires the marihuana retailer to acquire or record personal information about customers other than information typically required in a retail transaction;
(c) prohibits a marihuana establishment from operating at a shared location of a marihuana facility operating pursuant to the medical marihuana facilities licensing act, 2016 PA 281, MCL 333.27101 to 333.27801, or prohibits a marihuana grower, marihuana processor, or marihuana retailer from operating within a single facility; or
(d) is unreasonably impracticable.

World News - July 2018

Greek Medical Marijuana Users Expect to Enter Cannabis Industry

GREECE- Greece legalized cannabis for medical use last year, and in March this year it lifted a ban on growing and producing it, in the hope of drawing foreign investment into the sector.

The law permitting Greeks to grow cannabis has come as a relief to patients, who say that lifting the ban on using it was only half the battle, as long as it remained hard to get.

The number seeking medicinal cannabis has grown "by thousands," said Konstantinos Syros (medicinal user for debilitating pain for more than 20 years), who heads the Organization for Patients Supporting Medicinal Use of Cannabis and lives off a disability pension. "They call me desperately asking for the medicine and the medicine does not exist."

Imports of medicinal cannabis products were given the green light last year, but complicated regulations made it difficult to arrange.

Syros said he has been arrested three times for growing cannabis in his home. Now, he has begun growing hemp in a field near his home in Xylokastro, outside Athens, as part of a collective which makes products including creams and oils. He is planning soon to produce medicinal cannabis himself.

Georgis Economopoulos, a neurologist and head of the Greek Association for Therapeutic Cannabis, said thousands of patients in Greece use cannabis for a range of serious conditions.

"It has thrilled patients and their families, who were tortured with having to go abroad to find cannabis," he said of the law.

Jaqueline Poitras, a member of the Mothers for Cannabis Foundation whose 18-year-old daughter is epileptic, said she had to try 17 different medications with dangerous side effects before using cannabis oil in 2014 to manage seizures.

"If you open the pamphlets in some of these boxes, some of the side effects are things like coma, death," she said. "This should have been the first drug of choice and not the last drug of choice."

Panel to Look at Prescribing Medicinal Marijuana

LONDON- The government has announced measures which could make it easier for people to access medicinal cannabis.

At the moment, it is almost impossible for anyone to get a prescription, despite cannabis oil having proven benefit in controlling epileptic seizures. In the House of Commons, mid June, Home Office minister Nick Hurd, Member of Parliament (MP) announced an expert panel to look at the scientific benefits of cannabis medicine, and any individual applications.

It will be made up of clinicians, led by chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies, Mr Hurd said.
He said the high profile cases of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley had ‘highlighted the need for the Government to explore the issue further and our handling of these issues further’.

It comes after Charlotte Caldwell had to smuggle it in from Canada to be able to get it for her son Billy, with the medicine only released to him in hospital after the Home Secretary stepped in when he started having extreme seizures. Billy was released from hospital today after the medicine brought his condition under control.

It comes after an urgent question this afternoon about whether Billy Caldwell would be allowed the rest of his medication.

Nick Hurd MP told the house: ‘I recognize the need to ensure the approach to licensing works more effectively.’ He refused to go further in talking about legalization of medical cannabis as he said it wasn’t a decision politicians should rush, saying ‘a clinician must be at the heart of the process.’ It would not be a blanket legalization of medicinal cannabis, he said, with measures to ensure it did not lead to backdoor legalization of the drug recreationally.

MPs questioning him afterwards strongly pushed for a change in the law to allow it to be prescribed by doctors, with few defending the status quo.

Nick Hurd MP said there would likely be more announcements on medicinal cannabis in due course, implying that people were most likely to be granted licences to access medicine.

World Health Organization to Collect Cannabis Scientific Studies

A real formal scientific review of Cannabis has never been done – although the WHO, by mandate, has been responsible since the 1960’s for undertaking risk assessments of all drugs that have dependence or abuse potential and furthermore mandated since the 2000’s for updating its reviews every 20 years.

Here is a list of recent scientific studies of cannabis to recently emerge from around the world.
Iran - Palmitoylethanolamide improves treatment of autistic children in a clinical study
According to a clinical study with 70 children with autism the addition of the endocannabinoid PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) to the usual treatment with neuroleptics improved some symptoms of the disease. Scientists of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, published their research on children aged 4 to 12 years in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. They investigated the addition of PEA to risperidone on behaviour of the children within a treatment period of 10 weeks compared to placebo.

The combination of PEA and risperidone improved irritability and hyperactivity measured with a standard test, the ABC-C (Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-Community Edition). There was also a tendency to an improvement of inappropriate speech at the end of the trial for PEA compared to placebo. Authors wrote that “PEA may augment therapeutic effects of risperidone on autism-related irritability and hyperactivity.”

Khalaj M, Saghazadeh A, Shirazi E, Shalbafan MR, Alavi K, Shooshtari MH, Laksari FY, Hosseini M, Mohammadi MR, Akhondzadeh S. Palmitoylethanolamide as adjunctive therapy for autism: Efficacyand safety results from a randomized controlled trial. J Psychiatr Res. 2018;103:104-111.
Czech Republic - Long-term efficacy of a cannabis spray in the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.

In a study with 106 MS patients, who responded to a treatment with the cannabis spray Sativex during a treatment period of 4 weeks and received the cannabis spray or a placebo for another 12 weeks in addition to their standard medication, cannabis “provided better and clinically relevant improvement of resistant MS spasticity compared with adjusting first-line antispasticity medication alone.”

Thomayer's Hospital, Praha, Czech Republic. Markovà J, et al. Int J Neurosci. 2018:1-26.
Poland - Effects of cannabinoids on kidney cancer  The synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 induced cell death in kidney cancer cells, and this effect remained even after blocking the CB1 and the CB2 receptor by use of appropriate antagonists.

Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland. Khan MI, et al. BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):583.
Canada - Social norms around the medical use of cannabis remain unfavourable for many users in Canada

Despite the fact that the medical use of cannabis is legal in Canada for more than 10 years a survey with 276 patients, who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes, showed that there are still problems with acceptance. Only 38% perceived their doctor being supportive, while support from the family and from friends (66.3%) was much higher.

School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. Leos-Toro C, et al. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2018 Jun 5.

Brazil - The mechanism of action of CBD’s antidepressant effects

In a study with mice CBD showed fast anti-depressant effects. And this effect was associated with elevated levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in certain brain regions (medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus). Authors wrote that their data “support a promising therapeutic profile for CBD as a new fast-acting antidepressant drug.”

University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Sales AJ, et al. Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Jun 4.

Italy  - Cannabinoids may be useful in sleep disorders according to a review

According to a review cannabinoids may be effective in some parasomnias. Parasomnias are a kind of sleep disorders characterised by abnormal movements, behaviours, perceptions, emotions and dreams, for example bruxism.

Sleep Medicine and Epilepsy Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy. Manni R, et al. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2018;20(7):26.

 - 2-AG improves memory consolidation

Scientists tested the effects of the endocannabinoid 2-AG (2-arachidonoylglycerol) on memory consolidation in rats. 2-AG facilitated memory consolidation and this effect was mediated by activation of the CB2 receptor.

Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Ratano P, et al. Neuropharmacology. 2018 May 26

Spain - Time of cannabis use onset has no effect on cognitive performance in psychosis

In a study with 349 patients with a first episode of psychosis, of whom 38.7% used cannabis, the drug had no influence on cognition. Of them, 53 started cannabis use early (before the age of 16) and 82 started later. Patients were followed for 3 years. Authors wrote there were no “differences between the early-onset group and the other two groups in long-term cognitive performance, even if they kept consuming cannabis during the first three years of disease progression.”

University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain. Setién-Suero E, et al. Schizophr Res. 2018 May 31.

- Naltrexone and CBD act synergistically in reducing alcohol consumption

In a study with mice low doses of naltrexone and cannabidiol (CBD) reduced the intake of alcohol. Authors wrote that the “combination of low doses of CBD plus NTX was more effective to reduce ethanol consumption and motivation to drink.”

Institute of Neuroscience, University of Alicante, Spain. Viudez-Martínez A, et al. Br J Pharmacol. 2018 Jun 2.

 -  A cannabis spray has positive effects on activities of daily living in patients with Multiple Sclerosis

According to a retrospective analysis patients treated with the cannabis spray Sativex 96.9% of participants had a positive global impression of change during treatment time (mean: 31.9 months). Activities of daily living, for example ability of standing up, were maintained or slightly improved.
Unidad de Neurología, Hospital General de Elda, Spain. Mallada Frechín J, et al. Dis Manag. 2018
China - THC reduces viability and motility of endometrial cancer cells

THC inhibited the viability of aggressive endometrial cancer cells and their motility. This effect was mediated by inhibition of the so-called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and by the down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).

Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China. Zhang Y, et al. Oncol Lett. 2018 Jun;15(6):8527-8535.

Mexico - Endocannabinoids protect nerve cells against toxins

In a study with rats increased levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide protected nerve cells against the toxic effects of quinolinic acid. This substance causes an overactivation of the neurotransmitter NMDA, which may participate in the onset and development of neurological disorders.
National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico.  Aguilera-Portillo G, et al. Mol Neurobiol. 2018 May 25.

National News - July 2018

Police End Sting Operations

MINNIAPOLIS- Police will no longer conduct sting operations targeting small-scale marijuana sellers since a wide racial disparity has been uncovered in the practice.

Everyone being arrested was black, exactly 46 out of the 47 people arrested this year in these stings have been black.  What sets the Minneapolis police department  apart from most others is they actually decided to do something about it.

According to the Star Tribune, in a series of announcements on June 7th, law enforcement officials made it clear that the targeting of low-level sales will end. To improve on the problem further, the charges against all 47 people arrested in the first five months of 2018 will be dismissed.

The complete about face came after Hennepin County’s chief public defender, Mary Moriarity, contacted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and criticized what appeared to be unabashed racial profiling. “Approaching black men and women who are low-income and homeless and then having the county attorney charge them with felony drug sales makes me very angry and disappointed,” Moriarity stated.

Mayor Frey took it up with Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, ordering that the stings be stopped.
“I believe strongly that marijuana should be a lowest-level enforcement priority and that it should be fully legalized at the state level,” Frey stated. “The fact that racial disparities are so common nationwide in the enforcement of marijuana laws is one of the reasons I support full legalization.”
The 47 people who were arrested so far in 2018 were approached by undercover officers posing as buyers. They were all charged with felonies. Some were put in diversion programs, according to the news site, while some were convicted. At least one man went to prison. And the amount they were selling can only be described as minuscule at best.

“Almost all of those cases involve a sale of 1-2 grams of marijuana for a total of $10-$20,” Assistant County Public Defender Jess Braverman wrote in a May 31 court document.
Nonetheless, Arradondo defended his officers, saying that they were not targeting black people because of their race. According to a police spokesperson, while the undercover stings have been put to an end, the police would still be making arrests for marijuana sales.

Medical Marijuana Protected in Justice Department Bill

WASHINGTON DC- For the first time ever, a provision protecting state medical marijuana laws is being included in base funding legislation for the U.S. Department of Justice.

While the provision in question has been federal law since 2014, in years past its enactment has required votes on the House floor or in a Senate committee. But now, in a dramatic sign of the rapidly changing politics of cannabis, the budget rider is part of the initial spending bill for the Justice Department as introduced by Republican Senate leaders.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies approved Fiscal Year 2019 spending legislation including the measure on Tuesday. A full committee vote on the overall bill is expected on Thursday.

“It’s taken years of hard work by patients and their advocates, but we’ve finally reached the point where even in a U.S. Senate controlled by Republicans, a medical marijuana provision is not considered a poison pill and its support requires no further debate,” said Don Murphy, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.

The House Appropriations Committee inserted the medical marijuana protections into its version of the Justice Department bill by a voice vote last month. That means the provision is all but certain to end up in the final FY19 appropriations legislation that is sent to President Trump for his signature later this year, clearing the way for states to keep implementing medical marijuana programs without federal interference through at least September of next year.

“The Senate Appropriations Committee finally read the writing on the wall and accepted the inevitable, that allowing the Department of Justice to interfere with state-legal medical marijuana programs is bad policy and losing politics,” said Justin Strekal, political director of NORML. “Looking at the scorecard, today it’s medical freedom: 1; Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his reefer madness ways: 0.”

While the rider does not protect recreational marijuana consumers or the businesses that serve them, it does continue to shield patients and medically-focused providers in the 46 states that now allow some form of legal cannabis for therapeutic use. And that is a much-appreciated measure of relief in light of the fact that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year rescinded Obama-era protections that generally allowed states to implement cannabis laws without harassment from the Justice Department.

Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are teaming up on separate legislation to change federal law to permanently let states set their own marijuana laws without fear of federal intervention.
The legislation, the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Entrusting States (STATES) Act, would exempt state-legal marijuana activity from the provisions of the federal Controlled Substances Act. It would also protect banks that work with legal cannabis businesses and allow industrial hemp cultivation.

 “This bill again contains language preventing the Justice Department from interfering with states that have medical marijuana laws, ensuring that the prescribing and dispensing of medical marijuana in those states is both legal and regulated,” Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats wrote in a summary of the provision, somewhat overstating its impact because it actually only prevents federal officials from spending money to enforce the prohibition on medical cannabis without actually repealing it. ”Patients and doctors in states that have approved medical marijuana need to know that they are safe from arrest and prosecution by the federal government.”

Marijuana Decriminalization & Reclassifying Cannabis at Federal Level

TEXAS- While the Democratic Party in major states like New York has come out in support of marijuana legalization in recent months, the Republican Party continues to stay silent on the issue. But now one state's GOP is taking a major stand on the issue.

The Republican Party in Texas passed four marijuana related planks for their official platform. The GOP delegates approved planks that included the decriminalization of cannabis possession, an expansion of the state's limited medical marijuana program, support for hemp farming and they called on the federal government to change cannabis' status as a Schedule I controlled substance.

Over 10,000 delegates voted on these policies this weekend, making it the official platform of the Texas Republican Party.

Of course, while Republican delegates may support these ideas, that doesn't mean their candidates will. Senator Ted Cruz is up for re-election this November, and he's repeatedly opposed marijuana legalization, although he has signaled that he will support states who decide to legalize it. And Congressman Pete Sessions is considered one of the most anti-marijuana politicians in America, and he will also be up for re-election this November.

So while it may be a great sign that Republicans in a deep red state like Texas support loosening marijuana laws, it still won't really matter if they continue electing pro-Prohibition candidates.

49 Applications for Medical Cannabis Licenses

VIRGINIA- The “Old Dominion” has received 49 applications from medical-cannabis companies hoping to be among the first to set up shop in the state, giving officials plenty of options as they prepare to hand out five licenses this summer.

The applications, which required a modest $10,000 filing fee, were due last week to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, which is planning to issue licenses to allow one medical cannabis oil dispensary in each of the state’s five health service areas.

When they open, the facilities will be limited to selling cannabis oils. But the first wave of licensees could have a bigger role in the future if the state relaxes medical marijuana laws further or legalizes marijuana for recreational purposes.

“It takes a significant amount of money to build this infrastructure, plus know-how,” said Dave Albo, a former state delegate turned lobbyist representing a Northern Virginia business group, Nova Pharma Processors LLC, that has applied for a license.

Over the next few months, state officials will review the applications and award conditional approvals in mid-August. The chosen applicants will then undergo criminal background checks before final approval in late September.

Under the state’s evaluation system, each applicant will receive a score based on several criteria, including financial standing, expertise growing cannabis, building plans, security measures and marketing efforts. The guidelines note that marketing material should not promote recreational use of the oils or marijuana.

Albo, a Republican who in 2015 sponsored one of the first bills to sanction CBD oil use, said that when advocates first approached him to talk about loosening marijuana laws, he thought Virginia’s tough-on-crime past meant it would never happen. He said he asked the advocates to come back to him with hard medical evidence that it can help people, and they did.

“This is not snake oil,” Albo said. “From our standpoint, it’s about manufacturing medicine.”

Michigan News - July 2018

'Dispensary' is Disqualified

LANSING- LARA has banned the use of several words commonly associated with cannabis dispensaries. One of which is the term "dispensary" itself.

The strict regulations around language are meant to create clarity for patients, according to David Harns - a spokesperson for Michigan's Bureau for Medical Marihuana Regulation.  But considering the state has yet to approve a single license, one has to wonder where their priorities are?
"It's not really a change, it’s more of a clarification," Harns stated. "State law has always said the public health code defines who can use the term ‘dispensary’ and all the other words we put in the advisory."

Medical marijuana advocates aren't entirely convinced though. 

"While changing the use of dispensary to ‘Medical Marihuana Provisioning Center’ is a minor one, it could create confusion for patients depending on what the state decides to call facilities that end up participating in the adult use market,” said David Mangone of Americans for Safe Access.
According to state law, a provisioning center licensed under the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) may not refer to itself as a “dispensary” and may not use the word “dispensary” in its advertising. In addition, state law requires that Medical Marihuana facilities shall not use any of these terms in the advertisement of their medical marihuana business.

•pharmacy                                        •CPhT
•pharmacist                                      •apothecary
•Pharm.D                                          •dispensary
•doctor of pharmacy                          •drugstore
•pharmacy intern                               •druggist
•pharmacy technician                        •medicine store
•licensed pharmacy technician          •prescriptions
 •certified •pharmacy technician        •r.ph.

The Michigan Public Health Code (Section 333.17711) states that the listed words, titles, or letters – or a combination thereof, withor without qualifying words or phrases – are restricted in use only to those persons who are authorized under Part 177 of the Public Health Code – Pharmacy Practice and Drug Control– to use them in the manner prescribed in the code.
The MMFLA, Section 102, defines “marihuana facility” as a location at which a license holder is licensed to operate under the MMFLA. The MMFLA also defines "provisioning center" to mean a licensee that is a commercial entity that purchases marihuana from a grower or processor and sells, supplies, or provides marihuana to registered qualifying patients or registered primary caregivers. The term “provisioning center” includes any commercial property where marihuana is sold at retail to registered qualifying patients or registered primary caregivers.

Cannabis Convictions to be Cleared?

Untold thousands of Michiganders could be in line for a second chance if voters decide to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the Nov. 6 election.

In some other states where recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, voters or lawmakers have decided to make it easier for people convicted of marijuana crimes to get their records expunged or sealed. And Michigan could be on the same path if a bill introduced last week by state Rep. Sheldon Neeley gets a hearing and is passed.

“I hope we will listen to the will of the people. If the November vote is loud and clear, we should take a good look at it and balance the playing field on the usage of marijuana in the state of Michigan,” said the Flint Democrat. “We definitely don’t want people to have a criminal record for a nonviolent crime that is now legal if it passes in November.”

This bill would only deal with misdemeanor convictions, such as use or possession of small amounts of marijuana as well as some cannabis growing. But under the legislation, judges “shall grant” requests for expungement of criminal convictions if the proposal is passed by voters and the convictions are no longer considered a crime under the legalization.

In the past five years, 117,123 Michiganders have been arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana offenses and 49,928 of those people have been convicted, according to statistics compiled by Michigan State Police from records supplied by county prosecutors and courts.

Nationally, according to figures compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 8.2 million people were arrested for marijuana offenses between 2001 and 2010. African-Americans were three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana crimes as whites, according to the data, compiled from the FBI’s annual crime statistics.

Altogether, 3,670 people are either in prison, jail or on probation for felony marijuana convictions, according to the Michigan Department of Correction’s 2016 annual report of its inmate population. Some of those convictions are for high-level marijuana distribution charges, but others are for possession or use of marijuana. Neeley’s bill would allow some of those people to request an expungement of their conviction, but judges wouldn’t be required to grant those requests.
Not many marijuana offenders are locked up in county jails in metro Detroit. In Wayne County, 25 of the 1,725 inmates in the county jail are there on felony marijuana charges and no one is locked up on a misdemeanor pot charge, according to Undersheriff Dan Pfannes. Others may be there on marijuana crimes, but have other charges pending as well, he said. In Oakland County, seven of the 1,300 inmates are in jail on misdemeanor marijuana charges and four for felony crimes, said Undersheriff Mike McCabe.
“If you’re a nonviolent misdemeanor person, you don’t spend a significant amount of time in the Wayne County Jail,”Pfannes said.
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which spearheaded the petition drive that got the marijuana legalization on the November ballot, considered adding a clause that would have allowed for expungement of criminal convictions. California did the same thing in 2016 when voters there passed a referendum to legalize weed by a 57 percent to 43 percent margin.
But there was a fear that because the proposal would deal with more than one state law that it could become vulnerable to a legal challenge.
All of the Republican candidates for governor — Attorney General Bill Schuette, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Saginaw Township doctor Jim Hines, as well as Speaker of the House Tom Leonard, R-Dewitt, and Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, who are running for attorney general, oppose legalizing marijuana, but they have said they would respect the will of the voters if the measure passes. Schuitmaker said it would make sense to expunge low-level convictions, but she would want to check with prosecutors first to see whether the original charge was more severe and pleaded down. None of the other GOP candidates were willing to address the expungement issue before the legalization vote is taken.

Ypsilanti medical marijuana facility seeks expansion

YPSILANTI- An Ypsilanti medical marijuana facility, who has an honest history of serving its ailing patients, is seeking expansion into a larger building to keep up with growing demand.

The Patient Station, 539 S. Huron St., hopes to expand from its current 450-square-foot location into a 10,000-square-foot building next door - 569 S. Huron St.

One of the owners, Jim Namath, 51, said he opened The Patient Station in 2013 after his wife died from cancer. Namath said the facility was meant to be a support center for cancer patients but has grown into much more than that.

He said the he has received over 600 signatures from local residents in support of the expansion and hopes to be able to accommodate more customers.

"We've had a lot of support from the community really wanting us to get this bigger place," he said. "Some people have to wait outside because we can only have so many people inside at once.
Namath said another reason for the expansion would be to open a Compassion Center inside of it. The center would be for stage four cancer patients who use medical marijuana to ease their pain. Namath said he currently has 14 cancer patients, none of whom pays for The Patient Station's services.

"We never turn anyone away. We don't ask if they have money or don't have money," he said. "We know they have stage four (cancer) and we do our best to help them."

Namath added the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana usage in the near future is another factor in wanting to expand.He said he is confident the planning commission will approve
the expansion.

The Patient Station is one of seven medical marijuana facilities in Ypsilanti.

The Bay Might Get Greener with 8 More Candidates On the Way

BAY CITY- The Commission considered applications for eight more provisioning centers, dotted across the city. If all applications are approved, it would bring the total number of approved dispensaries in the city to 13. One grow facility license has been accepted so far. All applicants still need to get approval from the state and pass an inspection by the city before opening
for business.

Here are the company names and locations that the City Commission considered late last month:
Green Dot Holding/Green Essence, 800 N. Henry Street
Bay Area Relief, 312 S. Henry Street
KTC Industries, dba Happy Life, 300 Center Avenue, Suite 102
1600 Broadway, LLC/Bay Area Relief, 1600 Broadway
Mouhammed El-Khatib/Holistic Bay City, 821 Washington Avenue
Dorayd Bacall/Knox of Bay City, 512 Saginaw Street, Suites 101 & 104
Cynthia Anderson/East Bay Management, 712 Washington AvenueLisa Azar, 1020 N Johnson Street
In December 2017, Bay City commissioners approved an ordinance to allow medical marijuana facilities to operate within the city limits. Bangor, Hampton, Pinconning, Gibson and Kawkawlin townships have approved similar ordinances.

Bay City and Kawkawlin Township limited the number of provisioning center licenses in their municipalities at 25 -- an amount that officials in neighboring Bangor Township say is too many. Bangor has issued 15 provisioning licenses, its maximum allowed number. Bay City Deputy Clerk Jamie McFarland said the city has received 25 provisioning center applications for review and currently isn't accepting anymore as officials work through those documents.