Medical
Beach cities begin talks on medical marijuana regulations
11/21/16--Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach are all in the process of drafting moratoriums for medical marijuana distribution within their city limits in the wake of passage of Amendment 2. The moratorium will block the establishment of businesses able to distribute medical marijuana for a temporary period of time. Read Marijuana activists gather at Wickham Park for cannabis fest
11/21/16--Eau Gallie-based Florida Cannabis Action Network hosted a pro-pot festival at the Wickham Park Amphitheater. Festival activities included a "Canna-Wellness Challenge" featuring a 5K race and disc golf tournament. A small group of tents near the amphitheater housed nonprofit groups, cannabis-based products, and food vendors. Bands and speakers took the stage throughout the day, joined by costumed medieval re-enactors. Read Marijuana advocates applaud approval of more dispensaries
11/20/16--Stockton residents approved allowing the permitting of two medical cannabis dispensaries in addition to the two already operating legally within city limits; approved the permitting of four legal cultivation sites in Stockton; and increased the business-license tax to be levied on medical cannabis establishments. The city has projected that opening all of the allowable medical dispensaries and cultivation sites could pour up to $1 million a year in new revenue to Stockton’s general fund. Read East Lansing eyes new rules for medical marijuana facilities
11/17/16--East Lansing City Council could consider a draft ordinance in December. The new ordinance could regulate larger operations, such as growers planting up to 500, 1,000 or 1,500 plants; processors who sell marijuana or marijuana-infused products to a “provisioning center;” people who transport marijuana between facilities; provisioning centers that sell marijuana to patients or caregivers; and safety compliance hubs that test marijuana from other facilities. Read Medical marijuana law raises concerns for ND Health Dept.
11/16/16--The North Dakota Department of Health is scrambling to solve a number of legal issues in connection with the state's newly-approved medical marijuana law. Voters recently approved a measure that allows patients to use marijuana with a qualifying medical condition. But North Dakota Deputy State Health Officer Arvy Smith says there are problems with the measure's language that need to be fixed. Read Clinic that screens, monitors medical marijuana patients opens in Pekin
11/16/16--The Medical Cannabis Pain Management & Wellness Clinic, a new business in a small Pekin, will register people eligible for the state’s medical marijuana program, then analyze how those patients respond to the drug’s treatment. The new clinic is the fourth in the state operated by Medical Cannabis Outreach, but the only one that will conduct studies of the results of its clients’ marijuana therapy. Read Medical marijuana benefits for vets are costing Canada a fortune
11/16/16--According to figures provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, the number of retired soldiers obtaining medical marijuana from the government saw a staggering 15-fold increase over just three years, with a corresponding 50-time increase in cost. From just 112 veterans on the plan in 2013, the federal government now covers the medical marijuana prescriptions for 1,762 veterans nation-wide. The cost has gone from $400,000 to $20 million in that time. That’s a jump of 5,000 percent. Read Few doctors sign on to recommend medical marijuana in Maryland
11/14/16--Just 1 percent of the 16,000 doctors who treat patients in Maryland have signed up for the state's medical marijuana program, and two of the largest hospital systems in the state have banned their physicians from participating. The lack of enthusiasm threatens to undermine the fledgling program by limiting access to the drug that has shown promise in easing pain and other severe conditions. Read Sterling Heights plans crackdown on marijuana grow operations
11/11/16--Sterling Heights officials announced plans to “aggressively crackdown” on nuisance marijuana grow operations being conducted within the residential neighborhoods. The Police Department has received dozens of complaints from the residents, according to Sterling Heights Police Chief John Berg. There are several residents who can’t enjoy living in their homes or being in their backyards due to this problem. Read Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says he may re-examine views on legal marijuana
11/9/16--After Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question legalizing the sale and use of recreational marijuana, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he may have to re-examine his own views on the matter. Malloy supported decriminalization of marijuana and enacting a medical marijuana program in Connecticut, but he has said that legalizing the drug for recreational use goes too far. Read Arkansas health department to oversee new medical marijuana industry
11/10/16--The day after Arkansas voters approved legalized medical marijuana, the state’s Department of Health unveiled plans for how it will set up the necessary infrastructure to launch the new medical marijuana industry and regulate it once businesses are up and running. According to the Department of Health, it will take several months to establish a regulatory system that will oversee labeling and testing, develop a conditions list, and monitor a library for dispensaries to verify how much cannabis is doled out to cardholders. Read Doctor certified 11,800 medical marijuana patients in a year
11/3/16--A Michigan physician granted medical marijuana eligibility to more than 11, 800 patients in a single year. An audit, which argues that the state is not adequately monitoring doctor approvals in its medical marijuana certification system, said that physician certified an average of 45 patients per weekday during the 2014-15 fiscal year, when roughly 84,000 patients applied for a registry card. Auditors also found 22 other physicians who certified nearly 47,000 Michigan medical marijuana applicants, an average of eight per work day. Read Family fighting for city’s medical marijuana measure to help daughter
11/7/16--After exhausting all the traditional pharmaceuticals, Natalie and David Dragotto began giving cannabis oils to their daughter, Gianna Dragotto, who has Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. As a result, her seizures due to this condition have slowly decreased. However, it's illegal to produce the oils, therefore not regulated, making it impossible to tell if the products are safe. The Dragotto's have been advocating for Measure X to allow medical marijuana businesses to develop their products in a safe and clean environment. Read New local medical marijuana dispensary helps family
11/6/16--Suffering from epilepsy, nine-year-old Haley Hilt has been struggling to find a cure to help. Any measures used to try and prevent them came up short, time and time again, but medical marijuana treatments remained as the other option to try and treat Haley. Since starting the treatments, her seizures have decreased nearly 75 percent, but for a while the family had to always drive three hours to and from White Plains to get Haley’s medication until a nearby dispensary newly opened in Albany. Read
Ohio seeking expertise on marijuana processing and testing
11/4/16--The Ohio Department of Commerce, which has to regulate the cultivation, processing, and testing laboratories under the state’s new Medical Marijuana Control Program, wants to work with a knowledgeable contractor. The vendor must have experience working or consulting in another medical marijuana program, in addition to a series of other requirements posted for review. Submissions are due Nov. 11. Read L.A. City Council president wants to legalize pot shops
11/1/16--City Council president Herb Wesson wants voters to approve the Cannabis Enforcement, Taxation and Regulation Act, which would repeal Proposition D on July 31, 2018, and would leave regulation specifics, including licensing, to the City Council, according to a list of recommendations to the body. Representatives of Wesson's office have previously said he's open to expanding the number of city-recognized shops beyond 135 and would consider legalizing delivery services. Read Denver’s marijuana policy office merges with licensing agency
11/3/16--Denver’s Office of Marijuana Policy will be folded into the Department of Excise and Licenses. Ashley Kilroy, the city’s marijuana policy adviser, will head both departments, according to the Denver Business Journal. Since Denver initiated recreational cannabis sales in 2014, the two departments have collectively administered medicinal and adult-use marijuana rules. Read Michigan MMJ program criticized for doctor certifications
11/3/16--Michigan’s medical marijuana program has come under criticism after a state audit found that a small number of doctors were responsible for certifying tens of thousands of patients for MMJ, a finding that raises questions about the state’s oversight of the industry. In response to the criticism, the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs began auditing medical marijuana card recommendations in September, according to reports. Read Third cannabis firm to sue Maryland medical marijuana regulators
11/2/16--Alternative Medicine Maryland was denied a license to grow Maryland medical marijuana and has filed a lawsuit against state cannabis regulators alleging that they didn’t follow a law calling for racial diversity in the potentially lucrative industry. The suit asks a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge to halt the burgeoning medical marijuana program until the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission takes action to ensure racial and ethnic diversity among licensed growers. Read Poll shows narrow split over Arkansas medical marijuana Issue 6
11/2/16--Arkansas voters were narrowly split over a proposal to legalize medical marijuana before the state Supreme Court disqualified a competing measure from next week’s ballot. Forty-nine percent of respondents supported Issue 6, which would allow patients with certain medical conditions to buy marijuana from licensed dispensaries. Forty-seven percent opposed the measure, while four percent didn’t know or declined to say how they felt. Read Santa Cruz has first-ever marijuana czar
10/28/16--As the Santa Cruz County Cannabis Licensing Manager, Dan Peterson has the complex job of licensing, regulating, and taxing medical marijuana. Along with tackling Santa Cruz County medical marijuana regulations, he will have to deal with the most high profile measure on the California ballot this November: Proposition 64. if Proposition 64 is passed by voters, Peterson says it does not mean pot shops will suddenly begin blooming on street corners all over Santa Cruz. Read Science of marijuana propels founder Pure Analytics cannabis lab
10/30/16--Samantha Miller, chief scientist and president of Pure Analytics, plans to vote no on Proposition 64 even though, as a card-carrying medical marijuana user, she believes marijuana should be decriminalized. Prop. 64 limits possession to about one ounce, or 28.5 grams, of marijuana for people age 21 and older. That limit, for Miller, is “a show stopper.” She commented, “I hate to see mostly young people and people of color persecuted by the criminalization of possession.” Read Patients rights group challenges city council to change local marijuana law
10/25/16--Representatives of Kern Citizens for Patients Rights initiative announced Friday they had successfully submitted a petition to the City Clerk's Office to better regulate medical marijuana within Bakersfield. The petition demands better regulation of medical marijuana activities within the city limits. The patient’s rights organization knows they’re fighting an uphill battle and expect the city council to reject any upcoming initiatives for recreational marijuana - and an even harder fight for legal medical usage. Read Pennsylvania advances rules under new medical marijuana law
10/25/16--The state moved a few steps closer to setting up a medical marijuana program on Tuesday as the health department posted draft rules for dispensaries and said temporary regulations for growers and processors would be made public in a few days. The draft regulations for dispensaries would prohibit facilities within 1, 000 feet of schools or day care centers and require employees to be at least 18 years old. Visitors would be notified they are under video surveillance inside the establishments. Read Plans for massive marijuana greenhouse advance
10/25/16--Denver-based AmeriCann Inc. is preparing to build the state’s largest marijuana greenhouse, a sprawling, high-tech complex that could eventually expand to nearly 1 million square feet. The facility, to be built in phases over several years, is designed to bolster the state’s struggling medical marijuana program. But, if voters decide on Nov. 8 to legalize the sale of marijuana for recreational use by adults, AmeriCann expects to accelerate construction and would likely rent some of its cultivation space to a retailer of recreational cannabis. Read Shoppers Drug Mart formally applies to distribute medical marijuana
10/25/16--Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada's largest pharmacy chain, has formally applied to be a distributor of medical marijuana. The move is the next step in a logical progression for the chain, which earlier this year was looking into the possibility of entering the burgeoning business. Read Steep Hill launches new high detection cannabis pesticide testing in CA
10/19/16--Steep Hill, the global leader in cannabis testing and analytics, published an early report on the prevalence of pesticide contamination in the medical cannabis supply chain in California. According to the lab's new technology and recently launched "quantified pesticide analysis," 84.3% of cannabis samples submitted in Steep Hill's Berkeley lab tested positive for pesticide residues. These results were significantly higher than expected and are cause for concern for California cannabis consumers. Read Michigan could gain millions in tax revenue in legal marijuana market
10/16/16--A fully developed legal market for medical marijuana in Michigan could lead to millions of dollars in new state tax revenue. Some analysts' estimates suggest it could top $63 million a year. Michigan could be the third-largest state medical marijuana market by 2020, with $556 million in projected sales that year, according to a 2016 report from ArcView Market Research. The state would rank behind California and Colorado, and ahead of Arizona and Oregon, the report suggests. Read I-182: The marijuana initiative
10/14/16--According to David Winter of KULR 8 News, arguably the most controversial measure on the ballot this election season is I-182, the marijuana initiative. This week, Winter covers the pros, the cons, and the cost of all four statewide initiatives, in addition to providing perspectives on I-182. Read Marijuana, cash seizures on Highway 101 mark the arrival of pot harvest
10/14/16--North Coast narcotics agents are busy intercepting money and pot along Highway 101, and other locations at the end of the busy outdoor growing season. Cash buyers heading north to Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties as well as those returning south with buds from the fall harvest are being stopped near Cloverdale by officers participating in interdiction efforts. Read Nine states will vote on legalizing recreational and medical marijuana
10/14/16--Nine states have marijuana measures on the ballot this November. In five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — voters will decide on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. In four others — Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota — voters will weigh in on medical marijuana, which is already legal in nearly half the country. Read Patients still waiting, 900-plus days after state changed law
10/14/16--It has been more than 900 days since former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed the bill legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Dispensaries are anticipated to open by next summer, but legal fights with the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission over licenses to grow the plant has many concerned that access will keep patients waiting longer. Read Now available in N.J.: Cherry or grape cannabis lozenges
10/13/16--The first cannabis-infused lozenges approved for sale in New Jersey were offered to registered medical marijuana patients Tuesday at a dispensary in Camden County, one year after it opened. The Compassionate Sciences Alternative Treatment Center in Bellmawr announced it would sell a bottle of 30 grape- or cherry-flavored lozenges for $75, or $60 if patients qualify for financial assistance. Read What happens to medical marijuana if Proposition 64 passes?
10/12/16--From privacy protections for patients, exemption from state sales taxes, and protections for medical cannabis patients who are parents, Yes on Proposition 64 spokesman Jason Kinney said the measure bolsters the rights of medical marijuana patients while keeping the state’s previous medical marijuana rules intact. Read Which Bay Area county issues the most medical marijuana cards?
10/13/16--Currently, a Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) is required to use marijuana in California. The San Francisco Chronicle examined each of the nine Bay Area counties to compare which county has the most MMICs for the 2016-17 fiscal year, and also how the demand for MMICs has grown per county since 2004. Read Legalizing marijuana in Arizona could strengthen drug cartels
10/11/16--According to an article by The Associated Press, if Arizona’s ballot measure passes, pot shops would soon arise in a place that has long been a center of drug smuggling. How drug cartels respond to legalization has been a focus of debate in Arizona. Law enforcement leaders say the change will strengthen cartels, allowing them to infiltrate the legal pot market, and driving them to sell more hard drugs. Advocates of legalization say it will undercut the cartels by eliminating a key segment of their business. Read Hawaii dispensaries not yet growing medical marijuana plants
10/12/16--Medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii have all identified sites to grow their products, but have not begun cultivating the plants because they haven't been given approval from the state Department of Health. One reason is because the state doesn't have a software system to track the product from seed to sale. Furthermore, no laboratories have applied with the state to test the product, and medical marijuana cannot be sold from dispensaries before it's tested. Read Sonoma County unveils marijuana land use ordinance
10/6/16--More than 200 people attended a Cannabis Community Meeting held by county officials to explain a proposed land use ordinance. Cultivation of up to six plants for personal use is allowed across the board in the county’s 24 different land-use zones, except for medium- and high-density urban residential zones. Read Marijuana dispensaries eye Salisbury locations
10/8/16--American Cannabis Company and Nature’s Remedy of Massachusetts have indicated they’d like to site medical marijuana facilities in Salisbury. In light of the new interest in Salisbury, selectmen decided to hold a workshop with both entities at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Town Hall. The workshop is open to the public. Read Another medical marijuana facility wants to sell in Canton
10/9/16--Nature’s Remedy of Massachusetts presented a proposal on building a new medical marijuana dispensary at 20 North Street. If approved, the facility would be the second medical marijuana dispensary proposed in Canton. Read Debate over when Ohio physicians recommend medical marijuana
10/11/16--According to The Ohio Patients Network, purchase the state’s medical board is ignoring part of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana law that allows for patients to possess medical marijuana before the full regulatory system is put in place. Yet, the State Medical Board of Ohio says physicians are not permitted to issue a state of Ohio approved recommendation until he/she has obtained a certificate. Read Autistic children could soon be prescribed medical marijuana
10/3/16--The Minnesota Department of Health is considering adding autism to the growing list of conditions in which the patients can be prescribed medical cannabis. The consideration carries with it a lot of emotion for families looking for something to help their loved ones with a condition where so little is known. Read Top lobbyist represents winner of controversial medical marijuana license
10/3/16--Holistic Industries LLC, represented by top-earning lobbyist Gerard E. Evans, was awarded a lucrative Maryland marijuana-growing license after a state commission pulled it from the ranks of losers and gave it a winning slot. Holistic was originally ranked too low to receive one of 15 state growing licenses, but members of the state's Medical Cannabis Commission reconsidered an earlier vote. Read Doctor subpoenaed in Illinois medical marijuana investigation
9/27/16--Dr. Bodo Schneider, who works at a clinic where many patients try to access the state's medical marijuana program, has been subpoenaed in a state and federal investigation. The investigation is in response to alleged improper controlled-substance prescriptions from the southern Illinois doctor. Read Amoeba Music gets license to sell marijuana
9/27/16--Amoeba Music has been granted a marijuana dispensary license for their Berkeley, California location. The new dispensary can be found in the store where the jazz section is currently located and has been a goal for Amoeba’s co-founders for a while now. Read Mass. marijuana doctor should not have lost license, judge says
9/26/16--Dr. John C. Nadolny, medical director of Canna Care Docs, should not have had his medical license suspended for allowing nurse practitioners in his office to certify patients for medical marijuana use, according to a state administrative law judge. The Board of Registration in Medicine had ruled that Nadolny was an immediate threat to public safety. Read Retail marijuana could hurt medical marijuana
9/28/16--A new report from GreenWave Advisors believes that legalized retail marijuana will disrupt the emerging medical sector. GreenWave wrote, “Though Arizona permits only medicinal use, new cardholder applications were down sharply in May, perhaps in anticipation of a favorable election outcome for recreational use.” Read Michigan medical marijuana laws changing
9/26/16--Medical marijuana laws in Michigan will soon change. Governor Snyder hopes that these new laws give a solid framework from where the prior legislation may have been unclear. The new laws aim to give patients a safe way to buy medical marijuana. Read Medical marijuana program continues to grow
9/26/16--The number of patients in the state of Connecticut receiving medical marijuana treatment keeps growing, now at 13, 440, according to Department of Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner Michelle Seagull. Read Florida’s medical pot regulations may go up in smoke
9/26/16--Next month, Judge John Van Laningham’s expected ruling in a southwest Florida case regarding medical marijuana regulations could throw the state’s budding cannabis industry into total disarray. Read These 3 states may vote against legalizing marijuana this November
9/24/16--Based on select poll results, three states could wind up rejecting their respective marijuana initiative or amendment: Arizona, North Dakota, and Massachusetts. According to Motley Fool writer Sean Williams, while these three states could be a complete toss-up, the one given is that it's still far too early for investors to consider marijuana as a viable, long-term investment opportunity. Read Nevada medical marijuana card processing moves online
9/21/16--The Nevada Dispensary Association announced that the card application process is now offered online, reducing both the need for a visit to the DMV and a drive to a new Las Vegas-based Division of Public and Behavioral Health office. Read Seniors told medical marijuana ‘isn’t just smoking a joint’
9/21/16--During a medical marijuana session at the Oswego Senior Center, Cat Stewart of Cresco Labs informed attendees that there are a lot of options for treatment. According to Stewart, a big part of the job now "is to educate and break down the fears and barriers people associate with cannabis that is preventing them from exploring other health care options." Read Judge orders medical cannabis for post-op chronic pain
9/21/16--Cook County Judge Neil Cohen has ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to add Post-Operative Chronic Pain to the list of disorders treatable with medical cannabis. Read Colorado lawmakers call for adding PTSD to medical pot list
9/21/16--Colorado is poised to add post-traumatic stress disorder to its medical marijuana program, joining 18 other states that consider PTSD a condition treatable by pot. A panel of state lawmakers voted 5-0to endorse the addition of PTSD to Colorado’s 2000 medical pot law. Read Medical marijuana dispensary awarded provisional certificate
9/22/16--After two years of effort, Patient Centric of Martha’s Vineyard has been awarded a provisional certificate by state health officials to grow, process and sell medical marijuana on the island. Read Medical cannabis sales soar in German pharmacies
9/16/16--The sale of legally-bought weed has doubled in Germany for chronically ill patients, with politicians hoping to legalize more general medical marijuana usage by 2017. Read Company that didn’t win medical marijuana license sues state commission
9/20/16--Bethesda-based GTI Maryland was bumped out of the running for one of Maryland's lucrative medical marijuana grower licenses. The company is suing the state commission that issues the permits, throwing the already delayed program into further uncertainty. Read Beachwood facility wants to administer medical marijuana
9/20/16-- Menorah Park Center for Senior Living, an assisted living center in Beachwood, is working to become the first facility in the state to administer clinical pot. Read Advocates urge state to speed up medical marijuana card processing
9/20/16--There is a growing demand for medical marijuana cards, but the state's Medical Marijuana Registry office only has a handful of workers who process and verify approximately 1,200 applications a month. Read