Free Talk Live

By Michael Elliott Esq.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY GROUP

Editor’s Note: The following message to members of the General Assembly appeared in an ad in the March 29 issue.

A year ago, the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division (MMED) announced that without additional funding it would be forced to lay off most of its staff. In response, my organization, the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, led the effort to pass an emergency funding bill, HB 1358, that passed the House but died in the Senate. The recently published MMED audit is the direct result of this inaction....

Economy of Medical Marijuana

Did you know that the United States government provides medicinal pot to only four citizens? Marijuana legalization measures have been appearing frequently in petitions and on ballots across the country and the world, but opinions vary. Currently 16 states and Washington D.C. have made medical marijuana available to certain patients. Learn about the medical marijuana market and where it might be heading.

The Teamsters added nearly 40 new members earlier this month by organizing the country's first group of unionized marijuana growers. Such an arrangement is likely only possible in California, which has the nation's loosest medical marijuana laws.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/20/3042051/medical-marijuana-growers-join....

Department of Public Health has guidelines for edible marijuana treats --- "You know you're a Californian when you have to ask if the brownies someone brought to a potluck are "special" or not. But while the casual peddler of edible marijuana on sunny days in the City's parks still faces arrest, the City's Department of Public Health has rules for legitimate edible cannabis treats at medical marijuana dispensaries."

Pot Shops Don’t Boost Teen Drug Use, Study Says

In the never-ending battle over medical marijuana, the latest flashpoints include a myth-busting study, a popular singer and legal twists in several states.

South Florida became home to two 48 foot billboards urging the passage of medical marijuana legislation earlier this week. Both billboards are located in high traffic areas and highlight senior use of medical marijuana.

An initiative which would legalize medical marijuana has qualified for the November ballot in Arizona.

The Arizona Secretary of State on Tuesday informed the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project (AMMPP) that it had turned in the required number of signatures -- 153,365 -- to qualify for the ballot. The initiative will be presented to Arizona voters for approval on November 2, reports the Tucson Citizen.

In 2006, voters in South Dakota become the first -- and the only -- in the nation to reject a state initiative legalizing medical marijuana, defeating it by a margin of 52% to 48%. This year, they will have a chance to reconsider. The South Dakota Coalition for Compassion announced this week it has gathered enough signatures to put its medical marijuana initiative on the November ballot.

Colorado is working to becoming the first state to regulate production of medical marijuana. Regulators say pot consumers deserve to know what they're smoking, and producers should have safety regulations such as pesticide limits for plants destined for human consumption. Now, patients have no way to verify pot-shop claims that certain products are organic, or how potent a strain might be.