California ready to approve hemp productions, with federal approval… Canada overhauls their medical cannabis production plan… “Little measurable effect” for cannabis users concerning health needs… NORML moves closer to a Super Bowl ad… and more.
LEGISLATION
SF Gate // It’s unfortunate that hemp production “got wrapped up in the hysteria around marijuana decades ago,” says State Senator Mark Leno. So he’s trying to change that. A Leno-sponsored bill would allow farmers to grown industrial hemp – not to be confused with psychoactive cannabis – once a significant hurdle is crossed: the federal ban on hemp farming has to be removed.
Hemp has not been legally grown in the U.S. since 1957. Over $500 million of hemp-related products where purchased last year, just in California.
Huff Post // Canadian farmers grow hemp legally, and now they may be growing cannabis as well, since a new nationwide rule is in place concerning medical cannabis. Starting in April, the present system of small growers (similar to our co-op dispensary rules) will be nullified and replaced by industrial farms.
HEALTH
Cannabis Culture // Using cannabis “has little measurable effect” on a user’s need for healthcare, according to researches at Boston University School of Medicine.
BOOK
So, you have your medical marijuana card, and now you’re legal. But as author Nate Bradley notes in his book, The Medical Marijuana Survival Guide, “Most medical marijuana patients have very few ‘rights’ other then a good legal defense in courts.”
“One of the reasons I wrote this book is because of all the medical marijuana patients that I used to come across when I was a cop,” Bradley notes. The former city police officer and deputy sheriff is now associated with LEAP, the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition group. Early this year he started the California Cannabis Industry Association. A lot of Bradley’s tips are common sense, but as we know, sometimes common sense isn’t all that common.
Walk around your car to make sure everything is operating properly before heading out to the dispensary, he advises; a broken taillight is often reason enough for law enforcement to stop a car. Don’t have lighters visible, especially if there’s no indication you’re a tobacco smoker. If stopped, have your vehicle paperwork available, along with your cannabis card and doctor’s recommendation.
Not everybody at the dispensary is your pal, Bradley says. Facilities with smoking areas may relax you into thinking otherwise.
The book includes tips on how to deal with home encounters, friends and family, even pesky news reporters. It’s a small book, but a useful one.
HISTORY
SFGate // “The president of a company that makes defective automobiles which leads to thousands of deaths and injuries can face a maximum penalty or a minor fine. A person convicted for possession of marijuana can be sentenced to up to 30 years in jail … the law is so seriously out of touch with reality.”
That statement could have been made today, but was actually made in October 1967 by Danny Rifkin, co-manager of The Grateful Dead. Members of the band were arrested for possession of a pound of pot. It’s notable that the raid took place at 3pm. Maybe they figured a rock band was more likely to be home in the afternoon than at 3am.
Find photos and more detailshere.
IN OTHER NEWS….
Huff Post // According to the United Nations, cocaine and marijuana usage increased 35 percent worldwide in the decade between 1998 – 2008, adding to the research showing the drug war to be “an expensive failure.
SF Gate // Illegal immigrants who use cannabis are more likely to be jailed than those who commit murder, according to a new report.
Seattle Post Intelligencer // Budweiser may not be the only organization asking Super Bowl viewers to “grab some buds” this year. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has made it to Round 2 in an online contest for small businesses. Here’s a preview of what viewers might see.
SF Gate // San Francisco band Thee Oh Sees will be performing at The Chapel in their home town for three nights next week. Bill Dwyer, leader of the group, says he trims pot plants in the off-season.
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[NOTE: There will be no CANNABIS NEWS ROUNDUP next week. EXPECT THE NEXT CNR ON OCTOBER 18.]