As an epidemiologist and a parent, I am perplexed with the recent momentum toward legalizing marijuana. Of all the arguments I have heard, I have yet to hear any that are compelling enough to remove the drug from prescription status. One argument I have heard is that marijuana is harmless. This argument ignores the fact that numerous studies have reported harm in peer-reviewed academic journals. A summary of the evidence, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2014, concluded, "Marijuana use has been associated with substantial adverse effects, some of which have been determined with a high level of confidence." Some of those effects were addiction to marijuana and other substances, motor vehicle accidents and chronic bronchitis. [continues 658 words]
Marijuana Advocates Rail Against 'Waste of Tax Dollars' Three of the 17 medical marijuana dispensaries named in injunction applications filed by the City of Vancouver last month have voluntarily closed down and more injunctions are coming by the end of the month, according to councillor Kerry Jang. He called it a small victory in the fight to regulate pot shops in the city. "We are slowly but surely getting compliance," he said. The city has handed out 351 tickets to the 52 locations that remain open past the city's closure deadline of April 29. [continues 210 words]
Another Marquette Law School poll is out. But once again, no questions about cannabis legalization were asked. One has to go all the way back to September 2014 for that. Each time a poll is released, it gets massive media attention. The issues raised by the poll trigger public discussion and shape the state debate. By failing to include public opinions on cannabis, Marquette is stifling debate. Is that for political reasons? Wisconsinites are not oblivious to developments in other states. Twenty-six states now have some sort of medical cannabis law, including Louisiana, where a formerly symbolic law passed in 1978 was recently amended to create a workable state medical cannabis program. Wisconsin passed a similar law in 1982. In Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State and Washington D.C., voters have legalized the adult use of cannabis, and more states will be voting on medical and adult use this November. Here in Wisconsin the topic apparently has been declared taboo. This represents a grave disservice to state voters. Professor Charles Franklin and the Marquette Law School poll must do better if they care about their mission. - -- Gary Storck, Madison [end]
I read where our county and city officials are concerned about the influx of casinos. I would think they would be more concerned about the influx of marijuana and the problems that go with it. You can't get a DUII from going to a casino. No such thing as driving under the influence of casino. You don't have the odor from a casino drifting over your fence from a casino-playing neighbor. Put your heads back on your shoulders and stop and think. Employers will be taxing people, not earning money under the table. In applying for a job, how many employers ask if you have a player card? R. W. Golphenee Medford [end]
An American man committed suicide inside a courtroom in Taiwan after being given a four-year sentence. A witness and a hospital staff member describe what happened. HONG KONG - An American man who had been convicted of growing marijuana in Taiwan killed himself in a courtroom after he was sentenced to a four-year prison term, according to court officials. The man, Tyrel Martin Marhanka, 41, slashed his throat with a pair of scissors on Thursday, the Changhua District Court said in a written statement. He was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved. [continues 280 words]
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy visited what some locals call "the worst intersection in Boston" on Friday as part of his effort to talk to prescribers nationwide about how they can address the country's rising opioid crisis. The Boston stop on Murthy's "Turn the Tide Rx" tour brought him to the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program on Albany Street, at the heart of "Methadone Mile," so nicknamed for the cluster of homeless shelters and drug addiction programs there that draw people battling substance abuse from across the city. Accompanied by the program's top officials and state Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, Murthy toured the facility and met with patients who shared their stories of stigmatization and recovery. [continues 507 words]
Female Entrepreneurs Aim to Lead in Medical Cannabis The burgeoning sisterhood of Maryland's marijuana entrepreneurs gathered in the back room of a Columbia chain restaurant recently, swapping business ideas over chicken wings and cheese cubes. Maryland's long-promised medical marijuana industry doesn't exist yet, and that's precisely why more than 60 women, mostly dressed like a PTA crowd, banded together there - to rise to the top before anyone gets in their way. "How vital are women to the success of the cannabis business in Maryland? If you're asking, I probably don't want to talk to you," said Megan Rogers, a co-founder of the Baltimore chapter of Women Grow and an applicant to open a dispensary. "We're here to ensure that the cannabis industry has no glass ceiling." [continues 1173 words]
First Seeds Are Being Planted Since the 1950s. For the first time in generations, Minnesota farmers are planting hemp. "We're the first ones putting seeds in the ground since the 1950s," said Ken Anderson, watching as a bottle-blue tractor trundled across a field near Hastings on a sunny Friday afternoon. The 8.5-acre tract is the first of at least half a dozen hemp fields to be cultivated this summer under the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's new industrial hemp pilot project. [continues 681 words]
NEW YORK (AP) - Men and women in business suits mixed with hippies sporting blazers printed with marijuana leaf patterns Friday during the last day of the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition. The three-day conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was a gathering of professionals and advocates from nearly every facet of the emerging marijuana industry. Even though restrictions on the drug remain tight in New York, the community gathered to exchange ideas and explore business opportunities. "We are here showcasing the cannabis industry and showing what they do," said Dan Humiston, president of the International Cannabis Association, which organized the conference. [continues 231 words]
People in Over- 55 Age Group Are NZ's Most Prolific Users Cannabis is one of the most widely available illicit drugs in New Zealand - but what impact is it having on our wellbeing? Research from the 2015 New Zealand Health Survey shows that 11 per cent of people aged over 15 have used cannabis in the past 12 months, with one third of this group using it at least weekly. The survey shows it is most widely used by people aged 15 to 24, with 23 per cent of this group having used it in the past year - but when it comes to regularity of use, the over- 55s are the most prolific users. [continues 458 words]