Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday made 10 appointments to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, filling vacant positions and replacing six commissioners whose terms had expired. The commission is charged with implementing Maryland's medical cannabis program. The appointments include doctors, business people and several members of law enforcement. The appointments are: * Charles P. LoDico, a chemist and toxicologist for the Department of Health and Human Services. His appointment fills a vacancy for a scientist with experience in cannabis. * Barry G. Pope, a clinical pharmacist for Conduent State Healthcare LLC. He has been a registered pharmacist for 20 years. Pope was recommended for this appointment by the Maryland Pharmacists Association, and fills a vacancy for a licensed pharmacist on the commission. [continues 268 words]
When it comes to drug and alcohol rehab centers, California channels its inner Texas: few burdens on business and as free-market as possible. That stands in sharp contrast to New York, Massachusetts and a dozen other states, where would-be rehab operators must prove there's a local demand for their services and obtain a "certificate of need" before snipping opening-day ribbons and scaling those legendary 12 steps. The lack of such a system is a key reason why Southern California is known as Rehab Riviera, with far more centers than the region's population could possibly support, critics say. [continues 1893 words]
Detroit's crackdown on illegally operating medical marijuana dispensaries has shuttered 167 shops since the city's regulation efforts began last year and dozens more are expected. Detroit corporation counsel Melvin Butch Hollowell told the Free Press that 283 dispensaries were identified last year, all of which were operating illegally. "None of them were operating lawfully," Hollowell said. "At the time I sent a letter to each one of them indicating that unless you have a fully licensed facility, you are operating at your own risk." [continues 665 words]
An environmental group has collected another 50 used needles from Mohawk Lake. "That's a lot of used needles and we were only out there for an hour-and-a-half," said Tracey Bucci, of the Grand River Environmental Group, whose cleanup effort at Mohawk Park on Saturday attracted 13 volunteers. "It has really become a major problem. "Most of them had caps on them but many did not and that's a safety concern for people, especially young children and pets." [continues 457 words]
For a while, it appeared that I was attending the wrong news conference on Thursday. The usual Liberal government suspects were there, with their typical tendentious talk, including Health Minister Jane Philpott and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. But I was waiting to hear about the legalization of marijuana, and all these people wanted to advertise was how some new legislation was going to "protect children" and "make safer communities" and even obviate organized crime. What was this announcement all about? It all started with Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary Bill Blair, who led the public relations charge and hit every talking point with an ease and skill that you might not expect from a former Toronto police chief. [continues 551 words]
Authority will take action on marijuana dispensaries that sell food items such as brownies Pot dispensaries run the risk of action from Island Health if they continue to sell marijuana edibles, according to the health authority's top medical health officer. Marijuana-infused food, from cookies, to candies, brownies and chocolate bars have appeared on the menus of Nanaimo dispensaries but Island Health is now making it clear that preparing, selling or distributing the edibles is not allowed. Island Health banned the sale of marijuana edibles at Victoria's Gorge Medijuana Dispensary after environmental health officers responded to a complaint about sanitation in the customer service area and that it was selling edible products. It's through that process that the health authority learned several other dispensaries are also selling edible marijuana products, according to an e-mailed statement. [continues 754 words]
Patients who consumed tainted medical marijuana from government-regulated suppliers are questioning how safe the industry is in the wake of several high-profile recalls due to banned pesticides, which have exposed serious gaps in Health Canada's oversight. After a string of recent recalls by Mettrum Ltd., OrganiGram Inc. and Aurora Cannabis Inc. because of the presence of myclobutanil - a banned pesticide that produces hydrogen cyanide when heated - a number of patients told The Globe and Mail they don't see how Health Canada can assure them the product can be trusted. Revelations that the government isn't testing regularly to prove all companies aren't using harmful chemicals have left consumers concerned for their health. [continues 955 words]
Volunteers clean up 1,000 discards a year in a city weighing supervised drug injection site. Tom Cull has more than 1,000 reasons - discarded needles - for London to support a supervised drug injection site. "We pick them up under bridges, along the watercourse, on the (river) banks, in parks," he says. Once a month, from the beginning of April to the start of winter, he and his crew of volunteers with the Thames River Rally pick up garbage along the river in London. [continues 328 words]
Doctor questions Health Canada-approved message that seeks to allay concerns over banned pesticide found in medical marijuana A top U.S. toxicologist is questioning Canada's response to a tainted-cannabis problem in the medical-marijuana sector, saying patients aren't being given accurate information on the risks associated with a banned pesticide thousands of people may have consumed. Warren Porter, a specialist in molecular and environmental toxicology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says company phone calls and e-mails, approved by Health Canada to patients after a series of recent product recalls are misleading, and appear to be based on faulty science. [continues 891 words]
Carleton students shared their opinions on upcoming pot regulations, Sarah Macfarlane wrote. The federal government is on track to legalize marijuana later this year, which has some people debating the minimum age one should be able to use and possess the drug legally. A task force appointed by the government to investigate cannabis legalization released a list of recommendations from its final report in December, suggesting that cannabis should only be sold to people who are 18 or older. While some believe the drug is comparable to alcohol and should be given similar rules, others are concerned about the effects of marijuana on the brains of users under the age of 25. [continues 659 words]
Christie this week reaffirmed his public commitment to making N.J. a national leader in fighting drug addiction. [photo] Governor Christie speaks about drug addiction at a Walgreens in East Brunswick on Dec. 22, 2016.(Photo: Nicholas Pugliese/STATE HOUSE BUREAU) Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday visited a Walgreens in East Brunswick to highlight initiatives the company is undertaking to promote the safe disposal of unused prescriptions drugs and expand access to a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. His final public appearance before Christmas came on the heels of a related event Wednesday evening where Christie and former Gov. Jim McGreevey led a candlelight vigil on the State House steps in memory of people who have died from or are struggling with addiction. [continues 642 words]
S.C. legislators are gearing up for another fight over a bill that would allow the legal use of medical marijuana in the Palmetto State. A half-dozen lawmakers Tuesday made their first order of business on the session's opening day the unveiling of the S.C. Compassionate Care Act. The bill would allow South Carolinians with "debilitating medical conditions" to use medical pot, when approved by a doctor. Last year, bipartisan efforts to legalize medical marijuana died in House and Senate committees. That effort was opposed by law enforcement officials, who said they feared that legalizing medical marijuana would lead to more pot being available in the state for non-medical uses. [continues 305 words]
Californians may have voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 8 to legalize marijuana, but Americans also elected Donald Trump, whose position on legalization has been a bit -- hazy. That's a potential problem because marijuana is regulated under federal law, giving Trump and his administration veto power over whether California and the seven other states that have voted to legalize cannabis can really do so. So where does the president-elect stand on pot? He has said he supports individuals' right to use medical marijuana "100%," which is good news for the 29 states that allow medicinal use of pot. As for adult recreational use, which Californians approved through Proposition 64, it's hard to say what he believes because his statements have been all over the map, shifting from audience to audience. [continues 667 words]
TUMWATER, Wash. - Behind the covered windows of a nondescript two-story building near the Olympia Regional Airport, hundreds of marijuana plants were flowering recently in the purple haze of 40 LED lights. It was part of a high-stakes experiment in energy conservation - an undertaking subsidized by the local electric company. With cannabis cultivation poised to become a big business in some parts of the country, power companies and government officials hope it will grow into a green industry. The plants here, destined for sale in the form of dried flowers, joints or edible items, were just a few weeks from harvest and exuding the potent aroma of a stash room for the Grateful Dead. But the energy-efficient LED lights were the focus of attention. [continues 1251 words]
SIERRA VISTA - If examples from Washington and Colorado are any indication, should Arizona voters pass Prop 205 this November and legalize recreational marijuana use for adults, there should be little to no federal interference with state law, even in areas with a high number of federal law enforcement agents, such as Cochise County. Just don't try to drive through a U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint with your state sanctioned weed, said Vic Brabble, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman for Arizona. [continues 1491 words]
There are only a few days left before voters' last chance to stop California's spiraling plunge into the marijuana morass now plaguing several states by voting no on Prop. 64. Supporters point out that responsible people can use marijuana without ill effect while ignoring it's the irresponsible that pose the threat. Further, they argue that marijuana DUIs are not as prevalent as alcohol users. I'm struggling to see the difference in that one. Proponents argue that tax revenue reaching more than a billion dollars, along with savings to the justice system of tens of millions, will be a boon to California. This ignores the fact that so many regulations being created will create new enforcement issues that will need to be addressed. A further argument is that this financial windfall will "fund youth prevention programs, marijuana research, better drugged driving tests, environmental remediation and grants to impacted communities." The irony is that Prop. 64 will exacerbate these needs. [continues 83 words]
Here's a sobering fact: One in four teens involved in a fatal collision tests positive for marijuana. It's a devastating, preventable loss. Young drivers, inexperienced by definition, are already at significantly higher risk for motor vehicle collision than any other age group. When they smoke pot, the risk doubles. Twenty-one per cent of teens have gotten behind the wheel within an hour of using drugs, according to data compiled by Parachute, a national charity dedicated to injury prevention. In fact, drug use has overtaken alcohol as a factor in fatal collisions - and young drivers are no exception. [continues 469 words]
Provincial officials head to Colorado to study weed industry Alberta's Justice Minister and Solicitor General is Colorado-bound to see how the state has handled legal weed. Kathleen Ganley said with marijuana's legalization in Canada imminent, it's prudent to look at best practices and lessons learned from a place that's pioneered the way. "The federal government will set the tone, if you will, or set the broad strokes for how restrictive the model is going to be and a whole number of other things, but then provinces will have to step in because some of it will be in provincial jurisdiction ... and of course our policing partners, as well, will have a large role to play, and municipalities probably as well ," Ganley said. "We're looking to all move together. [continues 274 words]
Why the celebrity licensing model is not just the gold standard for a cannabis brand, it's a necessity Cedella Marley's voice has a comforting, familiar lilt, the sound of the Jamaican heritage she shares with her late father. Some 35 years after Bob Marley's death, the Marley family has moved into the cannabis business with Seattle-based Privateer Holdings to launch Marley Natural, a line of hemp body products, elegant black walnut accessories and smartly packaged smokeables. Their biggest target market? Canada - once the recreational market opens up. [continues 2529 words]
On Aug. 22, the Tahoe Daily Tribune ran a story about Incline Village prohibitionist Jason Guinasso. (The piece previously appeared in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza.) The article carried this quote from Guinasso: "At the end of the day, when we just committed to the biggest tax increase toward education, now we're legalizing marijuana to contribute to a lack of performance and addiction? ... It impacts our ability to educate." The article also reported, "He [Guinasso] cites a study from Duke University that tells how a person's IQ drops 8 percentage points by using marijuana." [continues 245 words]
