Medicinal Marijuana Washington DC

D.C. picks six companies to grow medical marijuana

2012-03-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

The District has selected six companies to grow marijuana and supply medical cannabis to users — clearing the way for growers to start producing hundreds of plants in as little as a month.

The Health Department is expected to announce Friday that it has selected the winning bidders for cultivating plants that will feed the dispensaries city officials hope to approve by the summer. All the growers will be in Northeast, including a company partly owned by celebrity talk show host Montel Williams.

Combined, they will be tasked with producing thousands of plants annually, in possible violation of federal law. Two years ago, the D.C. Council voted to establish as many as 10 cultivation centers, where up to 95 marijuana plants could be grown at a time at each location. Once harvested, the marijuana will be sent to five distribution centers for patients to buy.
Mohammad N. Akhter, director of the Health Department, said he and a task force evaluated dozens of bidders before selecting the six applicants. Akhter said they were chosen based on their ability to grow “quality” marijuana “in a safe environment” that includes heavy security.
Akhter said he also tried to ensure that the cultivation centers were not too tightly clustered in the same blocks.
“I have taken every single step that I could to make sure this is done in a safe environment in which we can have a quality product that can meet the needs of the patient in a way that the community is also satisfied,” he said in an interview. “These are the best people who can do the best job.”
Williams’s cultivation center, Abatin Wellness Center, has been approved for the 2100 block of Queens Chapel Road in Langdon, according to a city list obtained by The Washington Post.
The department also selected Montana Apothecary dba Alternative Solutions in the 2100 block of 24th Place NE in Langdon; District Growers in the 2400 block of Evarts Street NE in Langdon; Holistic Remedies in 1800 block of Fenwick Street NE in Ivy City; Phyto Management in the 3700 block of Benning Road NE in Benning; and Venture Forth dba Center City in the 2200 block of Channing Street NE in Langdon.
Before the applicants can open, however, Akhter said they must apply for their business license and building permits from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. He added that the permitting process may take less than two weeks, meaning the marijuana growers may be able to start production in less than a month.
But Helder Gil, a spokesman for DCRA, said it could take some providers longer to open if they plan to make major renovations, including additional electric or water supplies.
“If they are just doing minor stuff . . . they can get a building permit quickly and then come in and get the sign-off,” Gil said.
The Health Department does not expect to complete the approval process for dispensaries until June.
“It takes about 90 days to grow the plants and have them ready,” Akhter said. “By the time growers are ready with the plants, the dispensaries should be in operation.”

‘Walmart of Weed’ opens first store in Washington, DC

2012-03-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A company dubbed the “Walmart of Weed” is putting down roots in America’s capital city, sprouting further debate on marijuana — medical or otherwise.

Just a few miles from the White House and federal buildings, a company that candidly caters to medical marijuana growers is opening up its first outlet on the East Coast. The opening of the weGrow store on Friday in Washington coincides with the first concrete step in implementing a city law allowing residents with certain medical conditions to purchase pot.

Like suppliers of picks and axes during the gold rush, weGrow sees itself providing the necessary tools to pioneers of a “green rush,” which some project could reach nearly $9 billion within the next five years. Admittedly smaller than a big box store, weGrow is not unlike a typical retailer in mainstream America, with towering shelves of plant food and vitamins, ventilation and lighting systems. Along with garden products, it offers how-to classes, books and magazines on growing medical marijuana.

“The more that businesses start to push the envelope by showing that this is a legitimate industry, the further we’re going to be able to go in changing people’s minds,” said weGrow founder Dhar Mann.

Although federal law outlaws the cultivation, sale or use of marijuana, 16 states and the District of Columbia have legalized its medical use to treat a wide range of issues from anxiety and back pain to HIV/AIDS and cancer-related ailments. Fourteen states also have some kind of marijuana decriminalization law, removing or lowering penalties for possession.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans, or 17.4 million people, said they used marijuana in 2010, up from 5.8 percent, or 14.4 million, in 2007, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A Gallup poll last year found a record-high of 50 percent of Americans saying that marijuana should be made legal, and 70 percent support medical uses for pot.

Marijuana advocates also tout revenue benefits, as well as cost and efficiency savings for not prosecuting or jailing people for pot.

But a recent push from the federal government to crack down on medical marijuana dispensaries has led several states to delay or curtail their dispensary programs for fear of prosecution. It means some medical marijuana users may seek to grow their own — paving the way for companies like California-based weGrow to open a budding number of locations across the country to help legal users and larger cultivators grow their own pot plants.

WeGrow doesn’t sell pot or seeds to grow it. The store, however, makes no secret that its products and services help cultivators grow their own plants for personal use or for sale at dispensaries.

Selling hydroponic and other indoor growing equipment is legal, but because those products are used to cultivate a plant deemed illegal under federal law the industry has tried to keep a low profile.

“For the longest time, it’s been a don’t ask, don’t tell industry,” Mann said. “Most people still want to hide behind that facade.”

Mann, who opened the first store in Sacramento last year, said he started his venture after he was kicked out of a mom and pop hydroponics store in Berkeley, Calif., just for mentioning marijuana. WeGrow has since opened a location in Phoenix and also will open stores in San Jose and Flagstaff, Arizona, in the near future. The company has franchisees in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and plans to expand into Oregon, Washington state and Michigan.

The frankness of the business comes as public attitudes toward marijuana use and legalization in the U.S. transform. But federal pressure on customers means companies catering to the marijuana industry could take a hit — in their wallets and with jail time.

“There’s a whole host of risks associated with investing and opening up shop here,” said Jason Klein, a D.C. attorney who represents medical marijuana operators. “These entrepreneurs see themselves as doing yeoman’s work, putting themselves in personal risk … to get medicine to the sick people who deserve it.”

D.C. officials on Friday are set to announce those eligible to apply for permits to grow and sell medical marijuana to dispensaries under the district’s 2010 law. Applicants must sign a statement saying they understand a license doesn’t authorize them to break federal law.

“They do so at their own peril because I can’t imagine that the federal government is going to allow marijuana selling for any purpose right in their backyard,” said Kevin Sabet, a former senior adviser to the president’s drug czar and a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Substance Abuse Solutions.

“Whether it’s D.C. or all the way out in California, the government’s been pretty clear that medical marijuana doesn’t pass the giggle test.”

Sabet said the idea of dispensaries trying to be passed off as a medical establishment is a joke, adding that the grow store will be the first in a series events where people are going to try to “make big money off an illegal drug.”

The national medical marijuana market was estimated to be worth $1.7 billion in 2011 and is projected to reach $8.9 billion within five years, according to an economic analysis done for the American Cannabis Research Institute. The study also says that nearly 25 million Americans are potentially eligible to use medical marijuana based on current state laws.

“There’s great potential for the industry across the country,” said Steve Fox, a spokesman for the National Cannabis Industry Association, a D.C.-based trade group representing marijuana-related businesses. He said support for the businesses has emerged in states like California, Colorado and Washington state. “They are showing that just like any other industry, there’s a demand for a product and these businesses are sprouting up to address the need.”

The issue of marijuana in the nation’s capital isn’t new. A public referendum to legalize medical marijuana overwhelmingly passed in the late 1990s but Congress blocked it from taking effect for years. Allowing the city’s latest move on medical marijuana use could also indicate an attitude shift on a federal level.

“The political winds on a federal level really affect our ability to get things done on a local level,” said Brendan Williams-Kief, spokesman for D.C. councilmember David A. Catania, who co-sponsored the medical marijuana legislation. “When the (legislation) was passed, it happened at a time when there was a Congress that was less-inclined to exert their will on the District. … But they’re always up there on the Hill looking down.”

Klein believes that, despite being next door to Congress, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Justice, the D.C. medical marijuana program will avoid the ire of the federal government because it was crafted to tightly control the industry.

“It’s the sort of thing the feds will probably just look the other way elsewhere, but given the fact that it’s right under their noses, is going to really be unique conundrum,” Klein said. “I’m really looking forward to getting a couple of Congress people in a cab and caravanning them over to a dispensary … so that they can see that this is not the danger that they imagine it might be.”

For Alex Wong, the franchisee of the D.C. weGrow store, his involvement in the industry is both personal and professional. The mid-40s entrepreneur was drawn to the business after seeing the firsthand effects of his mother’s colon cancer and learning that medical marijuana might have made her more comfortable during treatment.

“It is a viable medicine,” said the. “All I can do is use my small business expertise to lend a hand in this movement.”

Rafael Lemaitre, spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, issued a statement saying science and research — not politics — should drive the approval process for medicine, and to date the “smoked form of marijuana has not met the modern standard” established by the Food and Drug Administration.

“Chronically ill and suffering patients deserve access to modern medicine that is proven to be effective and safe,” Lemaitre said. “We ardently support continued research into medical uses for the components of marijuana and will continue to do so.”

Mann, however, says medical marijuana cultivation and distribution is going to happen with or without federal government approval.

“Regardless of how rigorously they want to enforce intervention, it’s not going to stop the industry,” Mann said.
___
This story was written and provided by The Associated Press Wire. (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

From Beyond (1986)

2010-11-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

This movie is OD! Light one sit back and be amazed...

Devin The Dude - Just Cooln

2010-11-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

Willie Nelson charged w/ Herb Possession in Texas

2010-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Willie Nelson (far right) and my Uncle Adolf (in the middle). These two are long time friends and old running mates, its a bummer Willie got bagged for 6 ounces of herb in Texas...Seems like the feds are trying to make a point? Check out the full story after you lift off

A U.S. Border Patrol spokesman says country singer Willie Nelson was charged with marijuana possession after 6 ounces was found aboard his tour bus in Texas.

Patrol spokesman Bill Brooks says the bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca, Texas, checkpoint about 9 a.m. Friday. Brooks says an officer smelled pot when a door was opened and a search turned up marijuana.

Brooks says the Hudspeth County sheriff was contacted and Nelson was among three people arrested.

Sheriff Arvin West didn't immediately return a phone message left at his home Friday, but he told the El Paso Times that Nelson claimed the marijuana was his. The singer was held briefly a $2,500 bond before being released.

Nelson spokeswoman Elaine Schock declined to comment when contacted via e-mail by The Associated Press.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/26/entertainment/e175250S19.DTL#ixzz16V6h0XZw

Veterans in D.C. May Not Benefit From Medical Marijuana

2010-11-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

The two conditions that hamper veterans most -- post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain -- are not qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in the District, according to the legislation as written.

Though the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs eased rules this summer penalizing veterans who use medical marijuana in those states where its use is legal, many -- if not most -- veterans in the District will not be eligible for medical marijuana.

"Between those two conditions, you're talking about the majority of trauma patients in the VA system [seeking medical marijuana]," said Michael Krawitz, executive director of Veterans for Medical Marijuana.

The current text of the law stipulates five conditions qualifying as ailments for which marijuana can be issued: HIV, AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, and multiple sclerosis and other conditions that cause "severe and persistent muscle spasms."

According to the legislation, further serious, chronic, and debilitating conditions may be stipulated by rulemaking.

Many parameters of the medical marijuana dispensation program remain unclear and will be decided by the incoming Vincent Gray administration.

Even a change to the rules will not improve the chances that certain soldiers will receive medical marijuana for treatment.

At Walter Reed Medical Center, medical marijuana is not an option, no matter what D.C. law says. "There has been no consideration by [Department of Defense] or Army medical communities to use marijuana for therapeutic purposes," says Terry Goodman, deputy director for public affairs at Walter Reed. Marijuana -- in any context -- is "a controlled substance" and "a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice."

The Rand Corporation released a report in 2008 saying that nearly 20 percent of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Maryland re-emerged last week as a campaign issue in the runup to the election on Tuesday.

via Kriston Capps

Security Guard Fail

2010-09-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

Cannabis Oil Heals Diabetes

2010-09-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Jack Herer is a saint.

Politics of Pot: Marijuana on Four Ballots Energizes Political Debate

2010-09-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Marijuana is on the ballot in four states this November, including the first effort of its kind in California to fully legalize pot, but don't expect politicians to get high on the idea any time soon.

Guide To Grow and Smoke Your Own Purple Haze Bud

2010-09-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

JUDGE EDUCATES THE WEAK MINDED! LEGALIZE!

2010-09-02T08:33:00.001-07:00

Jack Ruby Sound System 1980s Part 1

2010-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is from the documentary "Deep Roots Reggae" by Mikey Dread. In this scene you see the Jack Ruby Sound System with MC's and the like. Great Dub Reggae with MC's.

Martin - Security Guard

2010-09-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Cannabis Olive Oil Recipe by Doctor Diane

2010-08-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Good ole' Doctor Diane, enjoy!

Roadblocks In D.C. Marijuana Law Won't Quell Entrepreneurs' Excitement

2010-08-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

The District is writing strict new rules to regulate its nascent medical marijuana industry, but some of the entrepreneurs best positioned to lead the way have blemished backgrounds -- including drug convictions -- at odds with the city's vision. Lift off to see how to be DC's next herb vendor.

Among the District's 300 proposed rules is a requirement that operators would need to be "of good character" -- no felony convictions or misdemeanor drug convictions allowed.

"Historically, the people who have dealt with marijuana have, unsurprisingly, come from a non-compliant background, you might say," said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the Washington-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "They have a compulsion to not follow the law. So these rules might be viewed as just another bump in the road or a minor impediment for these guys."

Businessmen like Stephen DeAngelo, a ponytailed Washington native who runs one of the largest legal pot dispensaries in the world, say they just want to use their expertise "to help any way we can." DeAngelo has several out-of-state drug convictions and was arrested on drug charges in Montgomery County in 2001. He has launched a consulting service, CannBe, to advise pot capitalists, such as those hoping to stake their claim to the District's highly anticipated green rush next year.

Officials are also wary of DeAngelo's closely guarded plans -- he unexpectedly partnered with a team of Rhode Island investors that is planning to sell medical cannabis out of a 75,000-square-foot warehouse in downtown Providence, stoking concerns that he is expanding his empire nationwide.

"We started this with the intention of selling medical cannabis in a safe, seemly and responsible way," said DeAngelo, whose Harborside Health Center along the Oakland, Calif., waterfront employs 80 people and pulls in more than $20 million in revenue per year. "We didn't want to set up a chain-store arrangement . . . but we do want to replicate the model for others."

DeAngelo, 52, said the 2001 arrest was a "case of mistaken identity," and his Maryland attorney, Bruce L. Marcus, said charges were never filed because it "lingered for eight years and prosecutors forgot it was still out there."

Many of the potential applicants CannBe might advise -- from dispensary owners and "bud-tenders" (those who handle and package marijuana) to growers, lab technicians, lawyers and "pot docs" (medical marijuana-friendly doctors who can prescribe) -- also fail to meet the standards envisioned by the D.C. Council or have other ideas for the city's medical marijuana industry than those outlined in the pages of draft regulations released by the District two weeks ago.

One thing is certain: The District is uninterested in controversy.

"People are scared D.C. could be Amsterdam on the Potomac and, if Congress changes leadership, they're going to come barreling down on us," said Wayne Turner, a longtime AIDS activist in the District who was instrumental in drafting the 1998 referendum on medicinal marijuana. "We're going to be under so much scrutiny that any slip-up is going to be noticed."

A local advantage?

City health and regulatory officials tasked with crafting and overseeing the District's strict new medical marijuana law are carefully reviewing about 300 proposed rules, listening to stakeholders and hoping to avoid some of the mistakes made by the 14 other states that have enacted medical marijuana statutes over the past decade.

In Maine, officials realized only after they approved licenses for eight state dispensaries that half of them were connected to a very profitable medical marijuana group in Berkeley, Calif., when local businesses were preferred. In Colorado, more than 700 dispensaries have been licensed, overwhelming regulatory and law enforcement agencies.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's (D) administration is expected to formally solicit bids in the fall to operate up to five dispensaries and as many as 10 "cultivation centers," which can be run by nonprofit and for-profit organizations and will be overseen by the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and its enforcement arm, the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration.

Competition is expected to be fierce. Winning bidders would ideally have experience growing medical marijuana, giving a leg up to established outfits. But D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), chairman of the council's Health Committee, and other city officials have expressed a preference for locally owned vendors. "This is for D.C. residents only," he said.

But some local aspirants have problems, too.

Alan Amsterdam and Adam Eidinger, the owners of Capitol Hemp in Adams Morgan and Chinatown, have started the D.C. Patients' Cooperative and are eyeing a location somewhere in Adams Morgan or Capitol Heights, where advisory neighborhood commissioners have publicly supported the marijuana legislation.

Amsterdam, 43, opened the first American-owned marijuana coffee shop in 1998 in the Netherlands. He pleaded guilty to marijuana possession after being arrested in Rockville in 1995 but received a suspended sentence. It's still unclear whether he would be able to be involved in his shop's day-to-day operations. "My lawyer is working on it," he said. "He says everything is kosher."

Amsterdam's original plans for a "showroom-type feel" for his dispensary had to be scrapped after D.C. proposed, he said, "the most restrictive regulations in the nation."

Another local businessman, Brian Rubin, owner and manager of Maryland Hydroponics in Laurel, which is expanding with a D.C. location near Tenleytown, brings a certain amount of notoriety with his aspirations for applying for dispensary and growing licenses. Rubin, 42, grew marijuana while living in the Netherlands for a decade and was known up and down the Eastern Seaboard for his "Potomac Indica" strain of pot.

"We're totally geared up. The cultivation centers are ready to go," said Rubin. "We're just waiting for the law to go into effect. It's a little bit of a gamble, but we wanted to be the first one there."
ad_icon

All of the attention might not be a good thing for Washington's pot capitalists. "I don't think they're serving themselves well by weighing in this much so early in the process," Catania said. "I just think, frankly, that they're creating a lot of nervous energy."

D. Paul Stanford, a Portland, Ore., marijuana activist who runs "pot doc" clinics operating in nine states, said he is moving forward with plans to locate a nonprofit office here. But officials say Stanford's operation could run afoul of regulations that require physicians offering marijuana referrals to have an "ongoing" and "bona fide" relationship with the patient, and Stanford's lengthy criminal history might be an issue; he was convicted in 1987 in Oregon of distributing a controlled substance, a felony.

A full-time doctor, nurse and at least five other employees would staff Stanford's clinic and screen potential patients through medical records, questionnaires, interviews and physical exams. Stanford's nonprofit, the Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, pulls in roughly $5 million per year.

"We have a protocol, we require documentation and we're looking to lend credibility to the process, not take away from it by supplying medical marijuana to those who aren't qualified," he said.

As part of Stanford's plan, a Denver-based ophthalmologist, Dr. Eric Eisenbud, is working on becoming licensed in the District, and Stanford is searching for office space.

Stanford said he is researching the idea of operating a dispensary in the District but has no imminent plans to apply for a permit. "It won't be any huge gold rush," he said.

D.C.'s strict rules

The District's rules would include a first-in-the-nation provision requiring dispensaries to price marijuana on a sliding scale so the city's poorest patients can obtain medicinal pot for free and a 95-plant limit on those who grow and sell marijuana, which is mirrored in New Mexico and designed to avoid federal intervention.

But the limit on plants could severely cut into supply, causing shortages, reduced profits and black-market deals, according to those who want the D.C. law expanded. New Mexico's 2,000 medical marijuana patients routinely exhaust its supply within 24 hours of it hitting the market.

Dispensaries would also have to pay an annual $10,000 registration fee, and all company officers, managers and employees would have to pay annual city dues. Security systems would need to be installed and special packaging labels used, records would need to be kept for at least three years and advertising would be minimal -- no green leaf images or neon signage.

Despite the extensive rules, many would-be medical cannabis dealers say they expect the dispensaries to be profitable.

Jeffrey Kahn, a practicing rabbi for 27 years, is considering opening a dispensary in the Takoma section of Northwest Washington with his wife, Stephanie. Kahn, 58, has already held a town hall forum with neighbors and is committed to renting an old law office on Blair Road NW, if he gets a license. He's set aside "several hundred thousand dollars" for the venture.

"We want to be very open and very up-front with the community on this and get their input early in the process," said Kahn, the former executive director of the D.C.-based nonprofit Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative.

Catania said officials will be tough on anyone coming to D.C. to take part in the city's new legal drug trade. "We have a lot of time to see how it works," he said. "And we're going to be doing a lot of thorough background checks all the time."

Marijuana Horticulture The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Growers Bible

2010-08-27T09:04:00.001-07:00

University Bans Medical Marijuana On Campus?!

2010-08-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Students who are prescribed marijuana under the new D.C. law permitting the drug for medicinal use will not be able to possess or use the medicinal herbs on campus under the current GW student conduct policies, a University official said in August. This has many students infuriated, lift off for the complete story

Although medicinal marijuana was approved by the D.C. Council in July, GW's Code of Student Conduct currently prohibits "possession or use of illegal drugs or controlled substances," making it a violation for patients who attend GW to use the drug on campus.

"At this time GW Policy does not permit students to possess or use marijuana for any purpose," Assistant Dean of Students Tara Pereira said in an e-mail. "We are aware that a new District of Columbia law permits physicians to recommend the use of marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions, and we will be studying this issue further as the District Government takes steps to implement the new law."

If a student is caught using marijuana on school premises, the first offense of possession or use of marijuana can lead to a $50 fine, participation in a drug abuse education program and loss of housing. Reports of suspicious odors in dormitory rooms can culminate in an administrative housing search of the premises.

Other universities in states where marijuana has been legalized for medicinal purposes - there are currently 14 - have taken creative approaches to mediate the differences between state law and university policies.

The University of Colorado, for example, bans use of the drug on campus, but is waiving freshman patients from its on-campus housing requirements. The University of Montana also releases some students with medical marijuana cards from housing, but maintains its drug policies for fear of losing federal funding.

The contradiction between federal and state laws also led Rutgers University to turn down an offer from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to become the provider of New Jersey's medical marijuana, after the state legalized the drug earlier this year.

On the other side of the spectrum in Los Angeles, where there are more than 600 dispensaries according to the Los Angeles Times, the University of Southern California's policy is "to conform to all applicable laws and follows the current stance of the medical and mental health professions regarding the use of other psychoactive substances… including marijuana." However, the school maintains a smoke-free policy in its buildings and enforces state laws about marijuana possession and use, USC's student newspaper the Daily Trojan reported

Susan Mottet, committee counsel for Councilmember David Catania, I-At Large, who introduced the bill to legalize medicinal marijuana in the District, said in January that universities must balance policies with practicality.

"I would imagine universities would allow students to also [smoke medical marijuana] on campus somewhere because laws and policies can't say you can use some medications and not other medications. At the same time, they are going to be wary about allowing students to smoke marijuana in a dorm room with a roommate," Mottet told The Hatchet in January, when the bill was first introduced. "I imagine they will have to revisit their policies that relate to that."

Although cards have not yet been issued, according to the new D.C. law, District physicians are now licensed to recommend medical marijuana to patients with HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, conditions characterized by severe and persistent muscle spasms, cancer, any condition that cannot be effectively treated by ordinary measures or to "mitigate the side effects of some medical treatments," according to a statement from D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Fenty released proposed regulations Aug. 6 that must undergo a 45-day public comment and D.C. Council approval period before they can be enacted. Medical marijuana will be regulated by the Department of Health, the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and Metropolitan Police.

"All District residents deserve access to the full slate of medical treatments available," Fenty said. "My administration will work to ensure that medical marijuana is dispensed safely and efficiently."

On the day the medical marijuana bill became law - Congress allowed the bill's 30-day review period to expire without objection - Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.'s non-voting delegate in Congress, said the law will be tightly regulated. She also commended the council for passing the legislation.

"We have faced repeated attempts to re-impose the prohibition on medical marijuana in D.C. throughout the layover period," Norton said in a statement. "Yet, it is D.C.'s business alone to decide how to help patients who live in our city and suffer from chronic pain and incurable illnesses."

by Gabrielle Bluestone

Holistic Biochemistry of Cannabinoids by Robert Melamede

2010-08-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

This is a five part series, enjoy.

Good Monday Morning!

2010-08-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Burning Spear - Foggy Road 1979

2010-08-20T04:17:00.001-07:00

Cooking With Cannabis

2010-08-20T04:15:00.001-07:00

Grass, A Marijuana History - Narrated by Woody Harrelson

2010-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the second video selection of our "Movies" depot. Each week a new movie is posted, you can find new videos to the right hand side of your screen. You can also click on the "Medicinal DC Movies" header to view all posted movies. Enjoy!

Medical Marijuana Advocates Gain D.C. In Movement

2010-08-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Supporters of marijuana use for medical purposes are gaining ground nationwide, but a Southern Baptist ethicist said their agenda is based primarily on an emotional argument that plays on people's compassion. What do you think? Lift off for full story

Medical marijuana is now legal in the District of Columbia after the Democrat-controlled Congress declined to overrule a D.C. Council bill that allows the city to approve as many as eight dispensaries where people can purchase the drug.

The council approved the bill in May, nearly 12 years after 69 percent of District voters approved a referendum on medical marijuana. The U.S. constitution gives Congress jurisdiction over the capital city, and each year since 1998 Congress had blocked the marijuana law, but this year the initiative proceeded undeterred after Congress had 30 legislative days to review it and declined to act.

"I am particularly concerned that our U.S. Congress failed to prevent the medical marijuana provision from going into effect in the District of Columbia," Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy and research at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told Baptist Press.

"It is distressing that the liberal leadership in Congress would refuse to fulfill its duty toward the people of the District. Drug abuse is already rampant in D.C.," Duke said. "Congress' inaction will lead to a weakening in public sentiment toward drugs. More drug abuse is certain to follow in America's capital as a result."

With approval granted to the District of Columbia, it joins 14 states in allowing persons deemed chronically ill to use marijuana legally. D.C.'s law includes a unique provision requiring the drug to be provided at a discount to poor residents who qualify.

"No one should be too poor to buy pot if they live in Washington, at least if the marijuana is for a medical condition. That's the conclusion of a new medical marijuana law enacted in the nation's capital," the Associated Press reported Aug. 4.

David Catania, a D.C. councilman and the chairman of the city health committee that drafted the law, told AP, "We may, in fact, set an example for other states."

Residents who qualify are not expected to be able to purchase medical marijuana in the District until sometime next year as the mayor and the department of health must establish regulations on who can bid for a dispensary license.

Meanwhile, a campaign called "Just Say Now" plans to spend $500,000 to mobilize young people to vote this fall in the five states where legalization of marijuana will be on the ballot -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon and South Dakota.

Janie Lorber wrote on The Caucus, a New York Times blog, that "weed could be the secret to high voter turnout this November."

"The theory is that young people are more likely to come to the polls if marijuana is on the ballot," Lorber wrote Aug. 5.

California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, and in November voters will decide whether to make their state the first to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Other states will vote on whether to approve medical marijuana use or to expand what is already allowed. The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, is behind many of the efforts to liberalize marijuana laws, providing major funding in Arizona and South Dakota particularly.

"This is about protecting our most vulnerable citizens from a really cruel and unnecessary law that forces them to live in fear when all they want to do is acquire medication that makes their life worth living," Andrew Myers, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project's Arizona campaign, told The Arizona Republic. "This is about protecting people who are seriously or terminally ill from being arrested just for following their doctor's advice."

Duke of the ERLC said such arguments go a long way in gaining votes for medical marijuana, but behind them is a dangerous reality.

"People do not want to see someone suffer from illness, so they are prepared to approve measures they are told will bring relief. Unfortunately, medical marijuana does not deserve that kind of response," Duke said.

Marijuana is a hallucinogenic and extremely debilitating, Duke said, and it can be addicting even while it is a poor pain reliever.

"People who use marijuana to help them deal with severe pain must also use other pain-relieving drugs because marijuana is not that effective in relieving severe pain," Duke said.

"The primary contribution medical marijuana will make to society is that it will decrease society's legitimate concern about the dangers of marijuana use and lead to greater acceptance of the drug," he said. "Medical marijuana causes people to drop their guard and sets them up for broader legalization efforts. That's why legalization of medical marijuana almost always precedes efforts to legalize the recreational use of marijuana."

In related news, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in July that it will formally allow patients treated at its hospitals and clinics to use medical marijuana in states where it is legal. The new policy settles a conflict with federal law, which still prohibits marijuana use for any reason.

"When states start legalizing marijuana, we are put in a bit of a unique position because as a federal agency, we are beholden to federal law," Robert Jesse, the principal deputy under secretary for health in the veterans department, told The New York Times.

At the same time, Jesse said, "We didn't want patients who were legally using marijuana to be administratively denied access to pain management programs."

In a policy shift last fall, the Obama administration announced that the Justice Department would not prosecute people who use or distribute medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
via Baptist Press

Pot Shop 101: How Much to Start Up a D.C. Marijuana Dispensary?

2010-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn and wife Stephanie Kahn have a simple plan for bankrolling their controversial proposed medical-marijuana facility on Blair Road NW. "We plan on financing this from our personal life savings," he says.

How much are we talking? Well, that's a bit, um, hazy at the moment... Lift Off for full story

The biggest expense will likely be the price of the herbal remedy itself, according to Stephen DeAngelo, executive director of Harborside Health Center in Oakland, Calif., which both Rabbi Kahn and fellow aspiring dispensary operators with the nonprofit District of Columbia Patients' Cooperative have toured in preparation for creating their own facilities. DeAngelo tells City Desk, "Out of every dollar we take in, about 62 percent of that goes to paying for the actual medicine. The balance of that goes towards paying our rent, our payroll, our insurance—all the other typical expenses that a business has."

While not a single legal pot plant is yet in production in the District, thus making the budgeting process quite difficult for would-be sellers, we can safely assume that all other costs aren't even the half of it. That said, Mayor Adrian Fenty's proposed medical-marijuana regulations at least provide specifics about some of the other start-up costs:

* The annual fee for a medical marijuana dispensary registration shall be ten thousand dollars ($10,000) + an initial application processing fee of five thousand dollars ($5,000)

If you plan on growing your own, tack on an additional ten grand:

* The annual fee for a cultivation center registration shall be five thousand dollars ($5,000) + an initial application processing fee of five thousand dollars ($5,000)

Next, you'll need to register all your corporate partners...

* The annual fee for each director, officer, member, incorporator, or agent registration shall be two hundred dollars ($200)

And every "bud-tender" on staff:

* The annual fee for an employee registration shall be seventy five dollars ($75)
* The annual fee for a Manager's license shall be one hundred and fifty dollars ($150)

You may also need a permit for moving the medicine between manufacturing and distributing facilities:

* The fee for a transport permit shall be twenty-five dollars ($25)

Not included in the regs: your necessary certificate of occupancy ($33 application fee).

Then there's the whole matter of rent. According to real estate analysts Delta Associates, the average retail rent in D.C. (as of the end of 2009) is about $35 per square foot annually. For a modest 1,500-square-foot dispensary, such as the one the Kahns are proposing, that works out to roughly $4,375 each month, or $52,500 for the whole year. (Add on an additional month's rent for the probable security deposit.)

Next up, payroll. The proposed regs specify that each dispensary "shall be staffed with at least two persons during its hours of operation," with those hours of operation being anytime between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Let's say you open on a more limited basis, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A dispensary employing two staffers at all times (minimum wage: $8.25 per hour) would thus run up at least $1,155 in weekly payroll (or, $60,060 annually).

Then there's security to think about. The Kahns, for instance, are planning to hire an off-duty cop to monitor the premises, beginning from a half hour before opening until a half hour after closing. A police officer working "reimburseable detail," as it's called, runs about $55 an hour—roughly three times the price of your average security guard. Let's say you go the cheaper route ($18 per hour); that's $1,386 per week (or, $72,072 annually).

Already, we're looking at well over $200,000, without even factoring in the cost of the required video cameras and alarm system, insurance, a good licensing lawyer—and, most importantly, the pot itself. If we accept DeAngelo's 62-percent figure on the cost of product, then we're talking around half a million dollars (if my math is correct).

In its own financial impact statement, the District predicted the average cost of marijuana sold at dispensaries at about $350 per ounce. Therefore, a dispensary would need to sell about 1,429 ounces of herb annually to cover its basic costs. That's about 119 ounces per month. Patients, meanwhile, are limited to just two ounces per month, and the District expects to register only 300 patients citywide in the first year. Which means dispensary owners may need to dip into their own inventory to make the math look right.

via Washington City Paper

Medical Marijuana Alzheimer Research, CNN Int.

2010-08-16T10:01:00.000-07:00