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Non-Psychotropic Cannabinoid Is
"Safe," "Well Tolerated" In Humans, Study Says "CBD is non-toxic ... and does not
alter psychomotor or psychological functions" |
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Sao
Paulo, Brazil: The administration of the
non-psychotropic cannabis plant constituent cannabidiol
(CBD) is "non-toxic" to healthy cells and is "well
tolerated" in humans, according to review
data published online in the scientific journal Current Drug Safety.
Investigators
at the University of Sao Paulo, Clinical Hospital reviewed over 130 papers
assessing the impact of CBD in humans and animals. Studies describing the effects
of multiple cannabinoids or CBD extracts were excluded from the analysis. Authors
reported: "Several studies suggest that CBD is well tolerated and safe
in humans at high doses and with chronic use. ... [S]tudies suggest that CBD
is non-toxic in non-transformed cells and does not induce changes on food
intake, does not induce catalepsy [muscular rigidity], does not affect
physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature),
does not affect gastrointestinal transit and does not alter psychomotor or
psychological functions." They
concluded, "Based on recent advances in cannabinoid administration in
humans, controlled CBD may be safe in humans and animals. However, <continued
on page 3 > |
Bi-Partisan Group of Governors Call on
President Obama to Re-Schedule Marijuana
Olympia,
WA, USA: A number of governors from states that have
legalized the medical use of marijuana are calling on President Obama to
reschedule marijuana federally, to avoid the current conflict with state and
federal law. Independent
Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Democrat Governors Christine
Gregoire of Washington, and Peter Shumlin of <continued
on page 3 > _________________________________________ Hospice Health Professionals Support
Legalization Of Cannabis For Therapeutic Use
Philadelphia,
PA, USA: A majority of hospice health professionals
favor allowing the legally regulated use of cannabis for terminally ill
patients, according to survey data published online in the Journal of
Palliative Medicine. Investigators
at the University of Pennsylvania utilized a 16-item questionnaire to assess
the knowledge, experience, and views of hospice professionals regarding the
use of marijuana in terminally <continued
on page 3 > |
California: State
Lawmaker Meets With US Attorney Regarding Federal Crackdown On Cannabis
Providers
San
Francisco, CA, USA: California Assemblyman Tom
Ammiano met last week with Melinda Haag, US Attorney for Northern
California, to voice his concern over the Justice Department's recent crackdown
on the state's medical cannabis providers. <continued
on page 3 > _________________________________________ NORMLs
Top Ten Stories for 2011 #1 NORML
Sues To Halt Government's Prosecution of Medical Cannabis Providers | In October, the United States Deputy Attorney General, along with the
four US Attorneys from California, announced their intentions
to escalate federal efforts targeting the state's medical cannabis
dispensaries and providers. In response, members of the NORML Legal Committee filed suit in November against the federal government
arguing that its actions were in violation of the Ninth, Tenth, and Fourteenth
<continued
on page 4 > |
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* Volume 8, Issue 12 * December * 2011
* www.MercyCenters.org *
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* The MERCY News * |
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_____________________ The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news, announcements
and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across America and around
the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1469 Capital
St. NE, Suite 100, Salem, Ore.,
97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube!
in Salem,
Oregon area thru Capital Community Television, Channel 23.
Call In – 503.588-6444 - on Friday at 7pm, or See us on Wednesdays
at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and Saturdays at
06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and
concerned citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for
those involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the
Salem, Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective marijuana
laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower voters to
implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching people to
fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1469 Capital
Street NE, Suite #100, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to
help folks get their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a
grower or getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along
other info and resources depending on the issue. visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1469 Capital Street NE, Suite
#100, Salem, 97301, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable deposit
required. Transportation and Delivery
Services available for those in need.
For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of Clinics
around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public
–or- Cardholders Only * visit: http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the
Medical Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
2 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
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<continued from NON-PSYCHOTROPIC CANNABINOID IS "SAFE,"
"WELL TOLERATED" IN HUMANS, STUDY SAYS, page 1 > further studies are needed to clarify these reported in vitro and
in vivo side effects."
Cannabidiol
is presently classified under federal law as a schedule I prohibited substance. Such substances are
required by law to possess "a high potential for abuse," "a
lack of accepted safety ... under medical supervision," and "no
currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol, a
Cannabis Sativa Constituent," appears in Current Drug Safety. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from BI-PARTISAN GROUP OF GOVERNORS CALL ON PRESIDENT
OBAMA TO RE-SCHEDULE MARIJUANA,
page 1 > Vermont
have petitioned the federal government to reschedule marijuana under the
federal Controlled Substances Act from Schedule I to Schedule II, which would
permit the drug to be prescribed by physicians as a medicine. "What
we have here on the ground is chaos," said Governor Gregoire., adding
that patients "who ... either feel like they're criminals or may be
engaged in some criminal activity, and really are legitimate patients who
want medical marijuana." Connecticut
Democrat Governor Daniel Malloy has said he will also be joining the group of
governors petitioning the federal government. Democrat
Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado has announced that he will be making a
similar request to the Obama administration prior to January 1, 2012, as
required by state law. Rescheduling
marijuana to a lower schedule under federal law would not authorize medical
marijuana dispensaries, such as those that exist under state law in
California, Colorado, New Mexico and Maine, and that have been authorized in
a handful of |
additional states, but it would begin the process of making marijuana
available from licensed pharmacists. For
more information, please contact NORML Legal Counsel Keith Stroup at keith@norml.org. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from HOSPICE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SUPPORT LEGALIZATION OF
CANNABIS FOR THERAPEUTIC USE,
page 1 > ill
patients. Authors concluded,
"The study results revealed that, like the general public, hospice
health care providers are generally in favor of legalization of marijuana
and, if legalized, would support its use in symptom management for their
terminally ill patients." Various health
professional organizations, including the American Nurses Association and
the American Public Health Association, have enacted resolutions in support
of allowing patients the legal alternative to use cannabis therapy.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano,
NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of
the study, "Assessment of hospice health professional knowledge, views,
and experience with medical marijuana," appears in the Journal of
Palliative Medicine. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from CALIFORNIA: STATE LAWMAKER MEETS WITH US ATTORNEY
REGARDING FEDERAL CRACKDOWN ON CANNABIS PROVIDERS, page 1 > Ammiano
said that the meeting with Haag -- who describes cannabis dispensaries as
"magnet(s) for crime" and alleges that they "send the wrong
message to those in our society who are the most impressionable" -- did
"not result in any (policy) changes." According
to a report in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Haag
offered no specifics at the meeting regarding what actions state lawmakers
could take to regulate dispensaries in a manner that would not instigate
federal intervention or prosecution.
In 2009, Ammiano sponsored legislation to legalize and regulate the
commercial production and sale of cannabis for adults age 21 or over. State
lawmakers are believed to be considering legislation
in 2012 that would seek to more strictly regulate the state's medical
cannabis industry. Last
month, members of the NORML Legal
Committee, led by Matt Kumin and David Michael from San Francisco and
Alan Silber from Roseland, NJ, filed
suit against the federal government in an effort to halt the Obama administration's ongoing
crackdown on California's medical cannabis producers and providers. For more information, please contact
contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Keith Stroup, NORML
Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.canorml.org. |
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<continued
from NORMLs TOP TEN STORIES FOR 2011, page 1 > Amendments of the US Constitution. Plaintiffs also argued, using the
theory of judicial estoppel, that the Justice Department had previously
affirmed in federal court that it would no longer use federal resources to
prosecute cannabis patients or providers who are compliant with state law.
NORML's lawsuit remains pending. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/11/10/federal-lawsuit-seeks-to-halt-obama-administration-s-crackdown-on-california-s-medical-cannabis-patients-and-providers.
#2
Members of Congress Introduce First Bill Since 1937 To Legalize Cannabis | House lawmakers introduced legislation in Congress in June to end the
federal criminalization of the personal use of marijuana. The bipartisan
measure -- HR 2306,
the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011' -- prohibits the federal
government from prosecuting adults who use or possess cannabis by removing
the plant and its primary psychoactive constituent, THC, from the five
schedules of the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970. The bill
awaits Congressional action. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/06/23/members-of-congress-introduce-first-federal-measure-since-1937-to-legalize-the-adult-use-of-marijuana-bipartisan-coalition-backs-the-ending-federal-marijuana-prohibition-act-of-2011.
#3
Gallup: Majority of Americans Support Legalizing Cannabis | A record 50 percent of Americans now believe that marijuana ought to
be legalized for adult use, according to a nationwide Gallup Poll of 1,005 adults published in October. The
2011 survey results mark the first time ever that Gallup has reported that
more Americans support legalizing cannabis (50 percent) than oppose it (46
percent). Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/10/19/gallup-record-percentage-of-americans-now-support-marijuana-legalization.
#4 Over
One Million Americans Now Use Cannabis Legally Under State Law | Between one million to one-and-a-half million US citizens are legally
authorized by the laws of their state to use marijuana, according to data
compiled in May by NORML from state medical marijuana registries and patient
estimates. Read the full story at: http://stash.norml.org/americas-one-million-legal-marijuana-users.
|
#5
Marijuana Prosecutions For 2010 Near Record High | Police made 853,838 arrests in 2010 for marijuana-related offenses
according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime
Report, released in September. The annual arrest total is among the highest
ever reported by the agency. Marijuana arrests now comprise more than
one-half (52 percent) of all drug arrests in the United States. Read the
full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/09/19/marijuana-prosecutions-for-2010-near-record-high.
#6
Largest State Doctors Association Calls For Legalizing Cannabis | The California Medical Association in October called for the "legalization and regulation" of
cannabis for adults. The association, which represents some 35,000
physicians, recommends that cannabis be taxed and regulated "in
a manner similar to alcohol." Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/10/19/california-state-s-largest-doctor-s-association-calls-for-legalizing-and-regulating-cannabis.
#7
Connecticut Decriminalizes Cannabis Possession Offenses | Statewide legislation took effect in July reducing the penalties
for the adult possession of up to one-half ounce of marijuana from a criminal
misdemeanor (formerly punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine) to a
non-criminal infraction, punishable by a $150 fine, no arrest or jail time,
and no criminal record. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/07/07/connecticut-marijuana-infraction-measure-signed-into-law.
#8
Vaporized Cannabis Augments Analgesic Effect of Opiates in Humans | Vaporized cannabis significantly augments the analgesic effects of opiates
in patients with chronic pain, according to clinical trial data published online in the journal Clinical
Pharmacology & Therapeutics in November. Investigators surmised that
cannabis-specific interventions "may allow for opioid treatment at lower
doses with fewer [patient] side effects." Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/11/10/study-vaporized-cannabis-augments-the-analgesic-effects-of-opiates-in-human-subjects.
#9 State
Governors Call on Obama Administration to Reclassify Cannabis | In December, governors from Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington
formally requested the Obama administration to reclassify cannabis under
federal <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> law in a
manner that would allow states to regulate its therapeutic use without
federal interference. The administration in July had previously rejected
a nine-year-old petition calling on the agency to initiate hearings to
reassess the present classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance without any 'accepted
medical use in treatment.' Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/12/08/bi-partisan-group-of-governors-call-on-president-obama-to-re-schedule-marijuana.
#10
Delaware Becomes 16th State To Legalize Limited Medical Use of Marijuana | State
lawmakers in May approved legislation
to allow patients with a qualifying illness may legally possess up to six
ounces of cannabis, provided the cannabis is obtained from a state-licensed,
not-for-profit 'compassion center.' The law is anticipated to be implemented
in 2012. Read the full story at: http://norml.org/news/2011/05/19/delaware-becomes-16th-state-to-legalize-limited-medical-use-of-marijuana.
NORML
and NORML Foundation are supported by cannabis consumers and other caring
citizens. Please make an end of the year donation
to help us keep going strong into 2012. Donate
$25 or more _____________________________________________________________ Colorado: Justice Department Threatens To
Target State-Licensed Cannabis Facilities
Denver,
CO, USA: United States Justice Department officials
are planning to target the operators of several of the state's licensed
cannabis facilities, according to a CBS Denver News report broadcast last week. According
to the report, Justice Department officials will be targeting facilities
alleged to be located within 1,000 feet of schools, regardless of whether the
operations are properly licensed by the state, which does not mandate such
zoning restrictions. "Dispensaries that receive the letters will be given 45 days to shut down or move operations. If they |
don't
comply, they will be shut down by the US attorney in Colorado." Since
2010, state officials have explicitly licensed cultivators and dispensers of
cannabis for therapeutic purposes. At least 700 state-licensed cannabis dispensaries are presently
operating in the state. The
federal threat appears to be inconsistent with statements made by US Attorney
General Eric Holder before Congress just one week earlier when he told House Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) that it "would
not be a priority" for federal officials to take actions against
"people (who) are acting in conformity with the (state's) law." In
October, United States Deputy Attorney General James Cole, along with the
four US Attorneys from California, announced their intentions
to escalate federal efforts targeting the state's medical cannabis
dispensaries and providers. Since that time, Justice Department officials
have also spearheaded separate actions targeting medical cannabis operations
in Montana and Washington. For more
information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or
Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500. _____________________________________________________________ Study: Inhaled Cannabis Modulates Appetite
Hormones In HIV Patients
San
Diego, CA, USA: Cannabis inhalation is
associated with increased levels of appetite hormones in the blood of
subjects with HIV infection, according to clinical trial data
published online in the scientific journal Brain Research.
Insulin,
ghrelin, PYY, and leptin are hormones individually modulated in response to
food intake and energy homeostasis. Researchers
reported: "Compared to placebo, cannabis administration was associated
with significant increases in plasma levels of ghrelin and <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous
page>
leptin, and decreases in PYY, but did not
significantly influence insulin levels. ... Cannabis-related changes in these
hormones had a magnitude similar to what has been observed with food intake
over the course of a day in normal volunteers, suggesting physiological
relevance." They
concluded, "These findings support further evaluations of interventions
directed at manipulating the endocannabinoid
system for the treatment of eating disorders and obesity." For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "A pilot study of the effects of cannabis on
appetite hormones in HIV-infected adult men," appears in Brain Research. _____________________________________________________________ Cannabis Beneficial To Patients With
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
"Inhaled
cannabis improves quality of life measurements, disease activity index, and
causes weight gain" Tel Aviv, Israel: The inhalation of
cannabis Investigators
at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel assessed the efficacy
of inhaled prescription cannabis in patients with long-standing IBD, such as
Crohn's disease. Researchers
reported: "After three months' treatment, patients reported improvement
in general health perception, social functioning, ability to work, physical
pain and depression. A schematic scale of health perception showed an
improved score. ... Patients had ... weight gain ... during treatment and an
average rise in BMI (body mass index)." They
concluded, "Three months' treatment with inhaled cannabis improves
quality of life measurements, disease activity index, and causes weight gain
and rise in BMI in long-standing IBD patients." An
estimated 6,000 Israelis are
supplied with locally grown cannabis for therapeutic purposes as part of
a limited government program. |
Survey
data published in August in the European Journal of Gastroenterology
and Hepatology reported
that an estimated one-third of patients with colitis and one-half of subjects
with Crohn's acknowledge having used cannabis to mitigate
their disease symptoms. Most
recently, clinical trial data published in September in the Journal of
the Israeli Medical Association reported that the use of cannabis is
associated with a reduction in Crohn's disease activity and disease-related
surgeries. Researchers
at the Meir Medical Center in Israel are presently evaluating the safety and efficacy of inhaled
cannabis for patients with Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis in a double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial, according to a summary of the US federal government
website clinicaltrials.gov. For more information, please contact
Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at paul@norml.org. Full text of
the study, "Impact of Cannabis Treatment on the Quality of Life, Weight
and Clinical Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Pilot
Prospective Study," appears in Digestion.. _____________________________________________________________ Bay Area Mobile Cannabis Lab Launches to Conveniently
Test Medical Marijuana Quality Fairfield, CA
(PRWEB) | Botanitec, an innovative new Bay Area mobile
cannabis lab, has just been launched to bring state-of-the-art
quality testing services directly to the source. The new third-party mobile
testing lab provides on-site efficient, affordable, high-quality analysis of
medical marijuana with an emphasis on data integrity. The marijuana testing
service ensures quality through purity testing, potency testing, and the
CannaQA safety certification program. Botanitec, Inc. was founded by Mary Williams, who has a
background as a mechanical engineer and nursing home administrator. Her
experience in nursing home management exposed her to the world of cannabis,
and she recognized immediately the real need patients have for the
therapeutic effects of this healing herb, and especially its value to the
aging baby boomers in our society. As she became more interested in the
medicinal value of cannabis, she realized her experience in quality control
in the aerospace and tool manufacturing industries would be valuable in the
emerging cannabis industry, so she decided to create a new model of
analytical testing. <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> Mary formed the
company with other engineers and biological scientists with solid laboratory
principles and protocols as its foundation. Botanitec's policies and
procedures are based on a rigorous process of validation to report test
results with 95% confidence levels based on proven statistics to assure
results are both reproducible and repeatable. The Botanitec team members have
years of experience in supply chain management, product safety testing, and
developing QA/QC systems that they are excited to bring to the medical
marijuana industry. "Our mission is to push quality upstream and work
with dispensaries and cultivators in developing test plans, which will ensure
patients receive top quality products from a competent supply chain,"
explains Mary. The mobile cannabis lab allows Botanitec to test and
certify product at the source, reducing risk of contamination. Botanitec
screens for chemical contaminants (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides),
biological contaminants (bacteria, fungus, viruses and parasites), and
physical material hazards (bug parts, metal, plastic, soil, etc.). The Bay Area
marijuana testing service also tests for potency (THC, CBD and CBN
content) and moisture levels. There are currently no uniform quality control standards
for medical cannabis, so Botanitec created the CannaQA Certification Program
to give medicinal marijuana patients assurance that products bearing the seal
are certified safe by an unbiased third party. CannaQA certification includes
nitrogen-sealed packaging to preserve purity, a certificate of conformity
bearing the testing lot number, a label on each bag with test results, a
tamper-proof CannaQA card for dispensary/website display, a Patient Portal
where patients can access a password-protected website to see the test
results on their medical marijuana, and HIPPA level client confidentiality. "We've found patients want two simple questions
answered regarding their medical marijuana: 'Am I getting what I'm paying
for?' and 'Is this free of contaminants that are bad for my body?'"
explains Mary. "Botanitec provides answers to these questions and
more." Implementing strong cannabis quality assurance and
control systems and certification with lot date code traceability ensures the
medical cannabis patients receive is of the highest quality possible. Botanitec
provides the information medical marijuana patients need to know their
medicine is safe and comes from |
a tested source
that demonstrates concern for patient health and safety. # # #
Read more at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/04/prweb9076401.DTL#ixzz1ijDsmdhE | This item courtesy of the Daily
Buzz, a FREE industry newsletter for cannabis professionals. _____________________________________________________________ Federal
Agency Recognizes Cannabis Fights Cancer
In
March, an agency of the U.S. federal government for the first time
acknowledged that cannabis has been shown to fight cancer, and said health
care providers may recommend it for that purpose. But after five days of
media attention, the National Cancer Institute removed from its website any
mention that cannabis may be used to combat tumors. The NCI
originally said that "the health care provider may recommend medicinal
Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct
antitumor effect." That directly contradicts the federal government’s
oft-repeated contention that cannabis has no medical use. The NCI
website still notes that "cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes
for thousands of years," and says people living with cancer may find
cannabis effective for combating nausea, stimulating appetite, relieving
pain, and improving sleep. It also classifies cannabis as a Complementary
Alternative Medicine (CAM) and summarizes several decades of research on the
potential role of cannabis and its constituent chemicals in cancer treatment. The antitumor effects of cannabinoids include reducing the
spread of cancer cells, selectively cutting off the blood supply to tumors,
and reprogramming malignant cells to die off. Researchers have demonstrated
these effects on human cancer lines including skin, breast, bone, liver,
adrenal, leukemic and brain cancers. More information at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/ASA_jan2012_newsletter.pdf _____________________________________________________________ Trio
of Medical Cannabis Bills Introduced in Congress
Three
bipartisan medical cannabis bills were introduced in Congress in 2011 with
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<continued
from TRIO OF MEDICAL CANNABIS BILLS INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS, previous
page> ASA and other patient advocates. The
bills would respectively reclassify
cannabis as a drug with medical use, HR 1983, the State’s Medical Marijuana Protection Act of 2011,
would provide a medical necessity defense in federal court and reclassify
cannabis from a Schedule I substance with no medical use to Schedule III, a
level that would allow doctors to prescribe it like other medications. HR 1984,
the Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011, would allow banks and
other financial institutions to provide services to medical marijuana
businesses without being subject to "suspicious activity" reporting
requirements. Several banks have closed the accounts of medical cannabis
providers under pressure from the Department of Treasury. HR 1985,
the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011, would change the federal tax code
"to allow a deduction for expenses in connection with the trade or
business of selling marijuana intended for patients for medical purposes
pursuant to State law." The IRS has been aggressively auditing dozens of
the most successful medical cannabis dispensing centers, disallowing their
operating expense deductions and claiming back taxes. More
information at: _____________________________________________________________ ASA
Builds Grassroots with Trainings and Online Tools
ASA
expanded its grassroots support nationwide last year through online activist
bootcamps, web-based training tools, an ASA Advocates App, and roaming
stakeholder meetings. In
February activists from coast to coast gathered for ASA’s first virtual
conference, a two-day "Activist Boot Camp" of trainings that
combined a more than 300-page workbook of materials with informational DVDs. |
Virtual
bootcamp participants from Denver to Detroit, Portland to Chicago, Las Vegas
to St. Louis, learned about effective outreach, coalition building,
leadership development, lobbying public officials, organizing protests and
rallies, and working with the media. ASA also
spent the year holding in-person stakeholders’ meetings and raid preparedness
trainings in Colorado, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as
well as throughout California. Facilitated
by ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and California Director Don Duncan,
the meetings helped participants share experiences and identify goals,
problems and solutions. The raid preparedness trainings gave community
members tools and strategies for responding to interference by law
enforcement.
The Medical Cannabis Think Tank and Policy Shop provides the
information and support activists need to analyze pending or proposed
legislation and to lobby officials for the best laws possible. The ASA Online Training Center gives advocates access to all
ASA’s training and educational materials, including streaming video
presentations and comprehensive manuals and worksheets for developing
advocacy skills. ASA also
improved its Raid Response Center to better cope with federal
interference, including how to prepare for and respond to law enforcement
actions. In
December the ASA App launched, putting a full range of ASA tools and
information in the hands of advocates through iPhones and iPads. The app will
be available on Android this spring. Visit - http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/ASA_jan2012_newsletter.pdf
for More Information, like - Think Tank & Policy Shop Online Training Center
Raid Response Center
ASA App for iPhone & iPad |
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mercycenter@hotmail.com > (503)
363-4588 <
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