Pubdate: Wed, 30 Jul 2014
Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Copyright: 2014 C.E.G.W./Times-Shamrock
Contact:  http://www.metrotimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1381
Author: Larry Gabriel

CANNABIS CUP AND BALLOT COUNTS

Michigan Moves Forward

Well, we can chalk up another medical Cannabis Cup for the state of
Michigan. Truth is, I was too busy to make it to Clio, although the
Wyclef Jean show to cap it off would have been worth the trip on its
own. At least I got to enjoy Lee DeVito's posts from the affair. I
think he sent them in by carrier pigeon - an electronic pigeon.

These kinds of things are the fulfillment of lots of strategic
planning to make sure things go right. The last Cup, held in Detroit
in 2011, was pretty good except for Detroit police felt the need to
stroll through and show off a little muscle. That included shutting
down the medicating area.

A key aspect of preparation for the Cup is determining who gets the
awards. That involves a combination of new tech analysis and
old-school evaluation. The high-tech part involves laboratory analysis
that detects levels of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.

The old-school evaluation is more like a wine tasting (without the
spit-it-out step). That's the part when judges get the buds in their
hands; they look at it, feel it, smell it, and taste it. After all,
the final determinant is the effect it has on a patient.

Part of it involves bragging rights. Growers have considerable egos
regarding their product, and there is little in the way of objective
evaluation to back up their claim.

"Everybody's got the best medicine, and nobody else knows what they're
talking about," says Charmie Gholson, one of the Cannabis Cup judges.
She didn't want to talk about the actual judging, but she did point
out how things have changed since the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act
was passed in 2008.

"A lot of these [growers] are incredibly skilled," she says. "There's
a difference now that it's legal. We can talk to each other and have
classes. I care about medicinal qualities."

Each category, sativa, indica, and hybrids of the two, are evaluated,
as well as oils, tinctures, and edibles.

Jamie Lowell, cofounder of the 3rd Coast Compassion Center in
Ypsilanti, was another of those judges. His category was hybrids.

"It sounded like it was going to be an interesting and fun experience
and an opportunity to utilize some of the tools I've picked up over
the years from being the manager of an operating medical-marijuana
dispensary," says Lowell. "Five years ago I wouldn't have known what
to do. That was before I was able to see the various ranges of strains
and the quality and appeal of those strains. Now I'm able to apply
that perspective to this world-class competition."

Qualities such as presentation, density of buds, the look of the
trichomes, the aroma, how it burns, and how well nutrients are flushed
out are considered. Trichomes are those fuzzy white hairs rich in
cannabinoids that appear on mature cannabis buds.

"I see things that have great essence, the aroma is beautiful, and the
taste is great - that's an indication of some things in there that are
beneficial," says Lowell. "That becomes a little tricky because the
final result of the medicine is a result of all the elements of the
plant that come together synergistically, along with the patient's own
body. It still comes down to what actually takes place when it's used.
There's a particular effect; it's kind of personal."

Experience counts. This isn't just about euphoria, although that is a
valid medical outcome. However there are individual needs of each
patient that need to be weighed, and there is consideration of what
properties are going to meet that need.

"I'm a fan of blending things together, but for this particular
competition we have to judge strains individually," says Lowell. "What
I do in terms of helping out patients, I'm seeing combinations that I
think would be appropriate to try. ... I think we're starting to
realize that the THC number isn't as important as we give it credit
for. In plant medicines, all those components are synergistically
working together. We're relying on the properties of the whole plant."

The cannabis being judged is distributed to evaluators without
information about where it came from. However, there are known
strains, and Lowell is familiar with many of them. Some things can
seem familiar.

"When I look at some of it, I think I've seen this for sure," says
Lowell. "You don't really know for sure, but I've seen some things
that seem very familiar. I know I'm not going to be totally correct,
but that's a fun part of this whole thing."

So there was fun to be had at many levels at Cannabis Cup, but there
are also very serious aspects. Medical marijuana is real. And while
some see it as merely a vehicle toward recreational use, one look at
Colorado belies that. Recreational use in Colorado has been a fact
since Jan. 1, yet the medical system is still thriving. As I've
mentioned here before, there are actually medical refugees moving to
Colorado from non-medical marijuana states.

The Cannabis Cup is also a trade show for businesses involved in
different aspects of the industry. The business end of marijuana
involves serious money and numerous facets that are maturing along
with medical applications. No winks, nudges, or giggles are involved.

Historic Ballot Count

Speaking of getting serious, a lot was made of the five Michigan
cities that either decriminalized possession and use of small amounts
of marijuana for adults, or made penalties more lenient, in the
November 2011 elections. This year's prospects make that look
small-time. Activists have taken aim at 19 cities for petition
initiatives this year.

Hazel Park and Oak Park will vote next week, Aug. 5. So those will be
decided quickly. Berkley, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Montrose,
Mount Pleasant, and Onaway are already verified and on the ballot for
November.

Petitions have been turned in for Utica, Grosse Pointe Park,
Frankfort, Harrison, and Lapeer but have not yet been verified. There
was a big push over the weekend, and organizers felt confident that
they would make it in East Lansing, as well as in Port Huron, where
expectations were that signatures would be turned in by Tuesday's deadline.

Signatures were also turned in for Saginaw, although officials haven't
given out any information. Tim Beck of the Safer Michigan Coalition
said indications were that there may be a court battle, as was
necessary in Oak Park this year and previously in Detroit, to get it
on the ballot.

The prospects for Portage were unclear, and as of this writing, it
looked like Clare and Keego Harbor would fall short of the required
qualifying signatures.

If things pan out as expected, there will be 13 cities voting for
decriminalization in November. That number has already caught the
attention of some poll watchers nationwide. Paul Armentano, deputy
director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws, mentioned Michigan prospects in an article distributed by
AlterNet titled "Why 2014 is a major election year for marijuana reform."

Every time this question comes up for a vote in Michigan,
decriminalization wins. This could be a banner year for Michigan's
marijuana reformers.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D