Study Advocates Cannabis Might Heal Crohn's Disease

Using cannabis could heal Crohn's disease, according to study available in the medical journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The research recommended marijuana exploit might guide to a "complete remission" of the disease, according to The Weed Blog.

Scientists at the Meir Medical Center in Israel performed the study by examining the effects of smoking pot versus smoking placebo cigarettes on 21 people with Crohn's disease, according to the Huffington Post.

Crohn's disease is a chronic confusion that results in the irritation of the digestive track. Its symptoms include rectal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea, according to Crohn's And ColitisInfo.com

Concerning half of the patients who smoked pot every day as part of the study practiced absolute remission of the disease. Others said that their symptoms decreased after they smoked marijuana.

None of the participants in the study experienced unusual or dangerous side effects.

For More Info: Medical Marijuana Updates

NORML Gets Together Among Former Mexican President

At a gathering with drug reorganization advocates in San Francisco, ex- Mexican President Fox articulated sustain for California's efforts to lawfully normalize cannabis, medical and otherwise. He said that California has a brawny enriching influence on Mexico, and that evolution here would assist labors there.

Speakers integrated Dale Sky Jones for CCPR, Nate Bradley for LEAP and me for California NORML, who noted that marijuana proscription is a global trouble founded on international treaties, which need to be permanent during global collaboration by the U.S., Mexico, and other countries. Many thanks to President Fox, Jamen Shively, and Steve DeAngelo for arranging this gathering. - Dale Gieringer, CA NORML

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox took his campaign to decriminalize marijuana to San Francisco on Monday, unification pot advocates to urge the United States and his own country to legalize the sale and recreational use of cannabis.

Fox met for three hours with the advocates, including Steve DeAngelo, the Oakland-based executive director of California's largest marijuana dispensary, and former Microsoft executive Jamen Shively, who hopes to create a Seattle-based pot brand now that Washington State has legalized recreational use.

Legalization, Fox told reporters after the meeting, is the only way to end the violence of Mexican drug cartels, which he blamed on America's war on drugs. Every day, Fox said, 40 young people are killed in drug-related violence.

Fox's position on legalizing drugs has evolved over time since the days when he cooperated with U.S. efforts to tamp down production in Mexico during his 2000-2006 presidential terms. He has been gradually more verbal in his resistance to present policies, assistance two prior efforts to decriminalize marijuana in Mexico.

Mexico's current president, Enrique Pena Nieto, has contrasting substantiation. But he recently said that he would consider world opinion on the matter, predominantly in light of recent voter-approved initiatives to legalize marijuana in Washington state and Colorado for leisure use.

In San Francisco on Monday, Fox said he had signed on to attend and help develop an international summit later this month in Mexico to strategize a path to end marijuana prohibition.

Participants scheduled to attend the three-day meeting starting July 18 in San Cristobal include an American surgeon, the dean of Harvard's School of Public Health and a Mexican congressman who plans to introduce a bill to legalize marijuana in Mexico this summer, Fox said.

The bill, which he expects to be introduced by Mexican lawmaker Fernando Belaunzaran, would legalize adult recreational use of marijuana, Fox said.

Support for legalizing marijuana in the United States has been growing. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws, according to the pro-legalization National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. But the drug remains illegal under federal law.

Lifting the prohibition on cannabis in Mexico, however, appears to face more of an uphill battle. Mexican lawmakers have rejected previous legalization efforts and polls have shown little popular support for the idea.

For More Info: San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary  

More

Google's Hushed Medical Marijuana Involvement

Medical marijuana is unquestionably a mounting business-really, it could well be amongst the biggest developing industries at the side of the grapheme sector. And it looks like one of the Internet's biggest entities is intensely alert of that. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) emerges to be receiving in on the medical marijuana action.

Just last week, Michigan Compassion, a company that bonds growers with patients to set up a medical marijuana association, expected $120,000 in Google advertising services. Consequently, the company will, preliminary next month, be able to endorse its offerings via Google's renowned AdWords policy, significance its results will be served up beside normal offerings when pertinent keywords are searched on Google.

In exacting, Michigan consideration is hoping to draw the attention of those searching for in rank related to chemotherapy. Nausea due to that process is widespread, and medical marijuana can ease that.

The Huffington Post quotes vice president of Michigan Compassion Amish Parikh:

"The goal is to link the negative effects of chemotherapy and the positive effects of cannabis."

Now, this is surely small modifying for Google, whose company's contributions wing is reliable for the push. AdWords supposedly brings the company some $40 billion or more in annual revenues, so as long as $120,000 this way isn't a big deal.

What is a big deal is Google wholeheartedly throwing its considerable weight behind the embryonic medical marijuana association. Gradually, and in fits and starts, we're seeing the association of the different nodes of the network that a modern business sector needs to succeed.

We've already seen companies like Privateer Holdings develop ways to sidestep the difficulty of finding asset capital in the marijuana sector due to the federal administration's behind-the-times attitude toward marijuana. And even Google had long been opposed to supporting advertising involving marijuana.

It's possible to argue that Michigan Compassion gets a pass because it isn't directly related to growing the drug, but that's a fragile dispute. It's much more likely Google's changed deportment reflects Silicon Valley's growing support for the medical marijuana sector.

Even more fascinatingly, Google noted that the marijuana-friendly search results would only show up in states that already support medical marijuana. That would include 19 states and D.C., but it's very likely more states will join the list in short order.

The Huffington Post report suggests that even LinkedIn, the professional networking company, has offered its services to Michigan Compassion, which will undoubtedly help make its services more visible.

The funding for Michigan Compassion came via the Google Grants program, a non-profit version of AdWords. It allows participating non-profit organizations to spend up to $10,000 a month on AdWords promotions, reports Search Engine Watch.

Young Medical Marijuana Patient-NJ

Two year old Vivian Wilson sleeps with a heart and oxygen observe hooked up to her toe. Whilst she wakes up, the tot ought to put on an eye scrap and be set aside from direct daylight. An all night bag, that contains oxygen tanks and other health check paraphernalia are stacked behind the settee. Vivian is diagnosed with a rare and severe type of brain disease referred to as Dravet syndrome. These are couple of ways that her folks unrelentingly manage everything that comes into contact with their youngest girl; World Health Organization suffered her initial seizure once she was two months old. None of it's enough. Medications facilitate, as does a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet — each meal weighed to a tenth of a gram. Vivian’s folks, Brian and Meghan Wilson, listed her in New Jersey’s meditative marijuana program in desperation, hoping that a strain of pot that has stopped most seizures in an exceedingly tiny however growing number of kids in Colorado and California may facilitate her.

But before her registration card arrived in February, the couple aforementioned they found out the state’s restrictive law and medical community’s temperament to participate in the program is preventing any minor from obtaining help. Meghan Wilson aforesaid she has been writing to and calling lawmakers to elucidate her daughter’s condition and to ask them to relax a number of the medical marijuana program restrictions for the few kids World Health Organization might have it.“All you wish to try and do is see Vivian have one seizure and you're open to anything,” she said. “The state says the (medical marijuana) program is active, however it’s extremely not,” she said, noting only concerning one hundred thirty of 900 registered patients are known as in to shop for marijuana from the one operational dispensary as a result of supply is scarce.

The law needs 3 physicians — a specialist, a prescribing doctor and a medical specialist — to suggest a toddler for the program. The Wilsons are still searching for a psychiatrist. A Rutherford doctor World Health Organization aforesaid he has suggested 3 kids to the program aforementioned state health officers have asked him to carry off on creating any new recommendations until other willing specialists is found. “I am actively looking,” aforesaid Anthony Anza lone, World Health Organization says his follow has helped recruit ninety patients. If the Wilsons clear that hurdle, they’ll need to overcome alternative legal restrictions on what growers might turn out.

Vivian’s specialist, a national knowledgeable in pediatric brain disorder, thinks its price work. Innovation is left to trial and error of cultivators just like the Stanley Brothers, a metropolis, Co., company. They developed Charlotte’s web 2 years past after meeting with Charlotte’s mother, Paige Figi, aforementioned Amanda Stanley, the married woman of farmer Joel Stanley. It was at her 1st birthday celebration in Apr 2012. Minutes when she had joyfully mamma her plump fists into her cake, Vivian began to shake violently and struggled to breathe. Paramedics had issue gap up her airway. She spent eight days within the hospital. Her folks and doctors place her on a physician-monitored low-carbohydrate diet consisting largely of cheese, eggs, butter, oils, cream, avocado and a restricted quantity of fruits and vegetables. Devinsky, Vivian’s medical specialist, aforesaid the high-fat diet “changes brain electricity in an exceedingly positive way” for brain disease patients.

“The initial time we tend to try the patch on the advice of a number of the moms on our Face book support cluster, she had the biggest smile on her face all day. I feel her brain felt quiet for the first time.” But none of those changes go way enough to provide Vivian an effort at leading a healthier, happier life, her folks say. It’s not clear what percentage of families wish their kids to participate within the state’s 5-month-old medical marijuana program. Leusner, the voice for Health Commissioner O’Dowd, declined to mention what numbers of the 912 registered patients’ are beneath eighteen. Gusciora aforesaid he would raise O’Dowd to induce concerned “by making a team of family medical doctors that would address this.”Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union), the Wilsons’ district representative, aforesaid she is willing to travel a step farther.“I am ready to supply amendments to the law. However you and i both apprehend the governor has been terribly against the entire issue, so is definitely a barrier,” Stender aforesaid. “But this can be terribly compelling and heartrending. I told Mrs. Wilson as her representative i might do what I may to assist her female offspring.”

Birthday of 1st US President

George Washington is an American hero whose eminence is not completely accounted for by the evidence of his life. Similar to Lincoln, the man was markedly greater than anything he did. A military genius, he wrested autonomy from despotism; a statesman, he helped develop a secure administration from political disorder; a compatriot, he refused a crown. Wisdom, patience, tolerance, courage, consecration to the virtuous causes dynamic his each act. Ingratitude, prejudice and disloyalty never disillusioned him, but served to reinforce his character. He grew in decorum and in capability to the need of his growing liability and command, but he never became egotistical and aspiration and opportunity never tempted him from the tapered path of honor.

Quick Facts And Trivia

• Birthday: February 22, 1732
• Birthplace: Wakefield, Virginia (near Pope's Creek, Virginia)
• College or University: None
• Religion: Episcopalian
• Occupation or Profession: Planter, Surveyor, Military
• Military Rank: General
• Married: (January 6, 1759) Mrs. Martha Dandridge Custis
• Children:
• 2 stepchildren - John "Jackie" Parke Custis (1754 - 1781) and Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis (1756 - 1773)
• 2 stepgrandchildren - Eleanor "Nelly" Parke Custis and George Washington "Washy" Parke Custis
• President number: First President of U.S.
• Political Party: None (Washington opposed the idea of political parties)
• Runner Up: none
• Vice President: John Adams
• Age at Inauguration: 57
• Served: 1789-1797
• Number of terms: 2
• Other Offices or Commissions: President of Constitutional Convention, Lieutenant General and Commander in Chief of new United States Army
• Died: December 14, 1799
• Age at Death: 67
• Place of Burial: Mount Vernon, Virginia

Other Interesting Facts And Trivia

• Washington was the only president to be elected unanimously.
• Washington became known as "the father of his country."
• Washington was the only president inaugurated in 2 cities - New York and Philadelphia.
• Washington was the only president that did not live in the White House. He was involved in the planning of the Capitol.
• Washington did his own bookkeeping and recorded every penny of expense or profit. His ledgers still exist today.
• There were 13 stars on the United States flag when Washington became President in 1789.
• Five states were added to the Union during Washington's presidency - North Carolina (1789), Rhode Island (1790), Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), and Tennessee (1796).
• By the time Washington became president, he had only one real tooth left. He had many sets of false teeth.
• George Washington grew hemp/marijuana at Mount Vernon as one of his three primary crops. The use of hemp for rope and fabric was ubiquitous throughout the 18th and 19th centuries in the United States.

To get quality medical cannabis products, visit: San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary.

Cannabis in California-Ending the 100-Year War

All are invited to California NORML’s conference marking the  100th anniversary of marijuana prohibition in California. This two-day event,  held January 26 & 27 at Ft. Mason Conference Center in San Francisco will  explore the history, causes and costs of the war on cannabis, and strategies  for ending it.

  When: Jan 26 and 27

  Where: Ft. Mason Conference Center, San Francisco

  Website: http://www.canorml.org/100years

 

  Friday,  January 25, 2013

  SPARC  Party, 1256 Mission, San Francisco

    7:30PM $20

  Saturday,  January 26, 2013

  DAY  ONE OF CONFERENCE

  Ft. Mason Conference Center, San Francisco

  DOORS  OPEN: 8:45

  THE  100 YEAR WAR ON CANNABIS IN CALIFORNIA

    (9:15-9:45)

  Ellen Komp, CalNORML- Cannabis before prohibition

  Author Mike Gray - The US goes Drug Crazy

  Dale Gieringer, CalNORML - Prohibition in California

  PIONEERS  OF CANNABIS LAW REFORM

    (10:00-11:00)

  Michael Aldrich, Amorphia

  Michelle Aldrich, CMI

  Gordon Brownell, original CalNORML director

  Debby Goldsberry, Cannabis Action Network co-founder

  Dennis Peron, Prop. 215 author

  WHAT'S  NEXT FOR MARIJUANA REFORM?

    (11:00-12:00)

  Stephen Gutwillig, Drug Policy Alliance

  Rob Kampia, MPP

  Paul Armentano, NORML

  LUNCH  BREAK 12:00-1:00

  PROP  215: STATE OBSTACLES (1:15-2:15)

  Senator Mark Leno - Legislative solutions

  Michael Levinsohn - Child Protective Services issues

  Omar Figueroa - Criminal defense strategies

  James Anthony - Cultivation rights and local ordinances

  RESPONSES  TO FEDERAL INTERFERENCE (2:30-3:30)

  Moderator: Bill Panzer, California NORML

  Supervisor John McCowen -

  Federal Sabotage of Mendocino's Ordinance

  Henry Wykowski - Taxation and federal law

  Betty Aldworth, NCIA - Lobbying strategies from the states

  Joe Elford, ASA - Rescheduling lawsuit and federal focus

  Khurshid Khoja, Emerald Growers Association - Challenges to regulation of  cultivation

  THE  STATE OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY (3:30-4:30)

  Moderator: Liana Held, Liana Limited

  James Slatic, MedWest - The investor perspective

  Troy Dayton, The ArcViewGroup - Funding cannabusinesses

  Steve DeAngelo, Harborside Health Center -

  Standing our ground

  David Lampach, Steep Hill Lab - Setting industry standards

  7:30-10:30  CENTIVERSARY FUNDRAISING PARTY AND AUCTION, SAN FRANCISCO $100

  Sunday,  January 27, 2013

  DAY  TWO OF CONFERENCE

  Ft. Mason Conference Center, San Francisco

  DOORS  OPEN 9:00

  LESSONS  FROM WASHINGTON, COLORADO, & PROP 19 (9:30-10:30)

  MODERATOR: Lauren Vazquez, Fired Up Lawyer

  Alison Holcomb - Winning in Washington

  Mason Tvert - Colorado's Success Story

  Graham Boyd - Polling in CO & WA

  and what it means for the future

  Richard Lee - Language lessons from Prop 19

  Tamar Todd, DPA - Likely federal responses to WA and CO

  CALIFORNIA  LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY REFORM (10:30-11:30)

  Rep. Tom Ammiano - Medical marijuana legislation in 2013

  Dan Rush, UFCW - Lobbying & legislation

  Larry Bedard - The CMA and legalization

  Don Duncan, ASA - 2013 opportunities

  Kristin Nedeval, Emerald Growers Association -

  Regulation of distribution; opportunities after legalization

  LUNCH  BREAK 12-1

  THE  NEXT CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE (1:15-2:30)

  Beau Kilmer, RAND Corporation

  Dale Sky Jones, Oaksterdam University; CCPR - Coalition

  for Cannabis Policy Reform

  Joe Rogoway - Drafting Issues; A Legal Perspective

  Amanda Reiman, DPA - Key components; managing the federal response to WA and CO

  John Gilmore - A funder's perspective

  GROWING  OUR MOVEMENT (2:30-3:30)

  Marsha Rosenbaum, DPA - Meetings parents' concerns

  Deborah Small, Breaking the Chains - Cannabis

  legalization as a path to racial justice

  Ann Lee, RAMP - Helping

  conservatives to embrace legalization

  Kyndra Miller - Women's role in future elections

  Nate Bradley, LEAP - Winning over law enforcement

  Stacia Cosner, SSDP - Bridging the gap between

  movement leadership and grassroots activists

  ACTIVIST  STRATEGIES FOR REFORM (3:30-4:30)

  Lanny Swerdlow - Starting Brownie Mary Democratic Clubs

  Robert Jacob - Running for local office

  Kandice Hawes - forming NORML and NWA chapters

  Mikki Norris & Chris Conrad - Tell Michelle campaign, Legalizing Industrial  Hemp, Pot POWs

  Ed Rosenthal - Green Aid, The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Education  Fund

To get quality medical cannabis products, visit: San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary.

Medical Marijuana Study

Among the rows of plants growing at a government-approved medical marijuana farm in the Galilee hills in northern Israel, one strain is said to have the strongest psychoactive effect of any cannabis in the world. Another, rich in anti-inflammatory properties, will not get you high at all.

Marijuana is illegal in Israel, but farms like this one, at a secret location near the city of Safed, are at the cutting edge of the debate on the legality, benefits and risks of medicinal cannabis. Its staff members wear white lab coats, its growing facilities are fitted with state-of-the-art equipment for controlling light and humidity, and its grounds are protected by security cameras and guards.

In the United States, medical marijuana programs exist in 18 states but remain illegal under federal law. In Israel, the law defines marijuana as an illegal and dangerous drug, and there is still no legislation regulating its use for medicinal purposes.

Yet Israel's Ministry of Health issues special licenses that allow thousands of patients to receive medical marijuana, and some government officials are now promoting the country's advances in the field as an example of its pioneering and innovation.

Israelis have been at the vanguard of research into the medicinal properties of cannabis for decades.

Israeli researchers say cannabis can be beneficial for a variety of illnesses and conditions, from helping cancer patients relieve pain and ease loss of appetite to improving the quality of life for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and neuropsychological conditions. The natural ingredients in the plant, they say, can help with digestive function, infections and recovery after a heart attack.

The marijuana harvest, from plants that can grow over six feet tall, is processed into bags of flowers and ready-rolled cigarettes. There are also cannabis-laced cakes, cookies, candy, gum, honey, ointments and oil drops. The strain known as Eran Almog, which has the highest concentration of THC, is recommended for severe pain. Avidekel, a strain rich in CBD and with hardly any psychoactive ingredient, allows patients to benefit from the drug while being able to drive and to function at work.

Working with Hebrew University researchers, the farm has also developed a version in capsule form, which would make exporting the drug more practical, should the law allow it.

Professor Mechoulam, now 82, said in an interview that he had been urging producers over the years to grow cannabis with less THC and more CBD, something in which nonmedical marijuana growers had little interest. He said what Tikkun Olam had done was not great science but "a very practical development."

In Israel, he said, research in the field is "definitely a work in progress," and he cautioned, "Science is not a 100-meters Olympic race; it is not who is first on the line that is important."

The real advances, he said, are being made not on farms but in laboratories around the world, including in the United States and Europe. The professor, who collaborates with many teams abroad, said that chances were that in the next few years well-defined mixtures of the compounds, refined into something more like a medical drug, would replace today's medicinal marijuana.

To get quality medical cannabis products, visit: San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary.

Miss USA 2012-About Marijuana

To get quality medical cannabis products, visit: San Francisco medical marijuana dispensary.

Marijuana legalization-Colorado, Washington

Voters in Washington and Colorado approved ballot proposals Tuesday to legalize marijuana for leisure use, the biggest victory ever for the legalization group.

"The consequence of these events cannot be modest," said NORML, a pro-legalization organization, in news liberate. "Tonight, for the first time in history, two states have legalized and harmonized the adult use and sale of cannabis."

But in many ways, it's just the start of the battle. Marijuana is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government, which overrules states' rights.

"The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, in a statement. "This is a complex process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break out the Cheetos or goldfish too rapidly."

The Drug Enforcement Administration repeats its stance that marijuana is an illegal drug and that possessing, using or selling it is a crime.

"The Drug Enforcement Administration's enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged," said the DEA in a press declaration. "In passing the Controlled Substances Act, Congress strong-minded that marijuana is a Schedule I control substance. The Department of Justice is reviewing the ballot initiatives and we have no additional observation at this time."

The Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office released an identical statement, saying that its position on marijuana as an illegal drug is "unbothered."

The voter approval of legal weed in Colorado and Washington could lead to a Supreme Court scuffle with the federal government, according to Jeffrey Miron, senior lecturer of economics at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, where he has performed economic studies on nationwide drug legalization.

Analysts had estimated the Washington voters would endorse their legalization ballot, because it proposes a heavy tax for marijuana that made the proposal gorgeous to budget hawks. The Washington initiative calls for a 25% tax rate imposed on the product three times: When the grower sells it to the processor, when the processor sells it to the retailer, and when the retailer sells it to the customer.

Voters shot down a third legalization referendum, in Oregon, which was expected. Analysts had projected that it wouldn't go through and criticized various aspects of the initiative, particularly the fact that it would have handed most of the regulating power in the marijuana industry to the growers rather than independent supervisors.

There were half a dozen marijuana referendums in total, with three of them proposing legalization for recreational purposes, and the others dealing with medical marijuana. Massachusetts voters approved a referendum legalizing medical marijuana, while Arkansas voters shot down a similar proposal. Montana voters approved a referendum to place restrictions on its existing medical marijuana laws.

To get a good quality of edibles marijuana selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Hoard of 2,700 years old marijuana found

An Ancient Cannabis was found in Yanghai sepulcher in China. In Gobi desert near Turpan in northwestern china, 789g (28oz) of desiccated pot was discovered. This cannabis is 2700 years old and it is placed in a container made of fleece and in a wood vessel. It had been maintained due to very dry position and alkaline ground. It seemed green, even though it had missing its unique stench. Remains of pot have been exposed away in the chronological earth (such as Egypt), but the helpful situation in which this storage cache was discovered has permitted it to be the earliest so far that could be allowed to carbon dating and genetic research. It was also seem to have a moderately high component of THC, the main gist in hemp. A try to emerge 100 of the seed products was ineffective.

In previous years, those unbelievers of the mind-altering use of hemp in prehistory have avowed that it was only used to make string, fabric and so forth, but they cannot get away with that now. This example was clearly “cultured for psychoactive purposes”, a deed in the peer-reviewed Publication of Experimental Botany declares. “To our information, these studies offer the initial certification of cannabis as a pharmacologically effectual broker,” had written the paper’s cause writer, United States professional Dr Ethan B Russo. It could not be recognized whether the pot was used or inspired, because there were no pipe joints or other clues. Perhaps the main factor of this discovers is that the marijuana was disclosed in the grave of a light-haired, blue-eyed White man, not an Asiatic personage. He would have been a contributor of the somewhat inquisitive Cheshi team, a group of roaming individuals of Indo-European origin who populated the area. The grave also included bridles, archery devices and a harp, verifying the 45-year-old person's great position.

The scientists consider he had been a shaman. Another enthralling problem regarding this situation is that a British Lab that watches quality of crop for generating Sativex (a pot-based medication accepted in Canada) was used to perform the test on the marijuana find, but it took several weeks to cut through the red record effecting the access of the example into Britain from Chinese suppliers – an ideal cameo showing how unusual our new European behavior to mind-altering medication are in contrast to our forefathers. It is now verified that our politicians who constantly declare that more assessments on marijuana are needed, and require on categorizing it as a risky medication, are not only going against the suggestions of their own sections of professionals but also the lengthy testimony of record. Herbalism is also known as Herbal medicine which is the study and use of plant’s medical properties. Plants have the capability to produce a large number of chemical substances that are used to do significant biological action, and to protect against predators attack such as fungi, insects and herbivorous mammals. Many of these chemical substances have useful effects on human health when used by them, and can be used to treat human diseases.

For more info: visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

First Medical Marijuana Dispensary in NJ

New Jersey's first medical marijuana dispensary has been cleared to begin selling the drug to patients who register with the state Department of Health.After weeks of setbacks, Greenleaf Compassion Center received a permit Monday to open for business in a former drug paraphernalia shop in Montclair, Essex County. The nonprofit organization will be allowed to offer only strains with reduced potency.

Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd said Greenleaf had passed its final inspections, but could not say when the dispensary would open for business. Asked if it would do so before the end of the year, she said: "I would expect that."In August, when patients could begin signing up, O'Dowd had anticipated that Greenleaf would start dispensing marijuana in September. On Monday, she would say only that Greenleaf would open when it was ready.

Greenleaf chief executive Joe Stevens and his partner, Julio Valentin Jr., did not return calls seeking comment.In August, Stevens also said he expected an early-September launch, but later explained that Montclair officials had told him it would take a few weeks to issue a certificate of occupancy after the building was renovated. He also said he did not know the Health Department would require laboratory testing of the marijuana before granting final approval.

O'Dowd said photo ID cards would be mailed to the 190 patients who registered with the Health Department after their doctors certified that they had medical conditions that can be alleviated by marijuana. An additional 130 patients are still going through the registration. More than a year ago five other nonprofit companies received preliminary approval to open dispensaries, but they have been stymied by the lengthy process.

New Jersey is one of 17 states to allow medical marijuana despite a federal ban on the use of the substance. Federal officials have told the states they will not enforce the ban if marijuana is dispensed only to sick people and if state regulations are obeyed. O'Dowd said her agency wanted to make sure New Jersey's program could withstand legal challenges and had taken the time to put together regulations to protect the public as well as patients. One of the challenges in implementing the program, she said, is that "the federal government views this as an illegal product."

Some dispensary owners and patients believe the state has been overly cautious and restrictive, causing patients to needlessly suffer. Compassionate Care Foundation, one of the two nonprofits that plan to open a dispensary in South Jersey, has had to push back its estimated opening date many times in the last year because of problems getting local and state approvals. Its principal officers have had to undergo more than eight months of background checks, including extensive scrutiny of their finances.

William J. Thomas, the dispensary's chief executive, said last month that his company might be forced to abandon its plans if the background checks are not finalized soon. O'Dowd said Monday those checks had not been completed. Thomas did not return a call and e-mail seeking comment.

Patients also have been getting anxious, especially those who paid the state's $200 registration fee in August and were expecting to receive their medicine last month. "As each day passes, there's someone new who is suffering and someone new at risk of being prosecuted for self-medicating" by purchasing marijuana on the black market, said Rich Caporusso, a Medford man who was among the first patients to register.

He has Crohn's disease. He said his doctor believes his pain can be controlled by marijuana without the side effects of stronger drugs. In April, he sued the Health Department, saying it was stalling and ignoring patients' pain.

The medical marijuana law that then-Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed in January 2010 was supposed to be implemented that summer. But when Gov. Christie took office a few weeks after the signing, he wanted a full review of its provisions and also assurances from the federal government that there would be no prosecution.

The Health Department also took months to craft stringent regulations to limit the drug to patients with terminal illnesses, multiple sclerosis, and other serious ailments. Jay Lassiter, an AIDS/HIV patient from Cherry Hill, said the Health Department's announcement was "wonderful news." He said he hoped there were no more snags.

He said the news was bittersweet because it came too late for Diane Riportella, a friend and patient activist who had testified at hearings, urging the Health Department to stop the delays in implementing the program. She died last month of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). "She should have been first in line," Lassiter said.

For more..

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Marijuana relieves Muscle Pain

Where numerous other treatments have failed to safely relieve stiffness in patients with multiple sclerosis, cannabis extract proved twice as effective as a placebo. It also helped with pain, spasms, and sleep.

Problem:Muscle stiffness, often painful, affects up to 90 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet no reliable treatment has been found. Drugs that have undergone clinical trials have been proven to be either ineffective or, in the case of baclofen, to further weaken those with the disease. This phase-III trial considers the clinical effectiveness of cannabis, already turned to as an alternative treatment by patients.

Methodology:At different sites across the UK, adult MS patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment: 144 received cannabis extract in the form of a pill, while 135 others were treated with a placebo. A rating scale was used to evaluate improvements in muscle stiffness, its associated pain, muscle spasms, and sleep quality.

Results:Just fewer than 30 percent of subjects treated with cannabis extract experienced relief from muscle stiffness, making their success rate almost double that of the placebo group. Pain, spasms, and sleep quality were also improved in the treatment group to about the same extent. At the end of the twelve weeks only one in four patients were taking the maximum daily dose of 25 mg of cannabis. None of the side effects experienced by those in the treatment group were particularly severe. Most occurred during the first two weeks of the trial (when they were allowed to increase their dosage) and were therefore probably attributable to the rapid dose escalation.

Conclusion:Cannabis extract was confirmed as a viable treatment option, and an effective form of pain relief, for those experiencing muscle problems associated with MS.

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Medical Marijuana Rally Against U.S. President

Ten years ago, when Steph Sherer started using medicinal marijuana as a way to cope with the chronic pain caused by a neck injury, she didnt know shed be at the forefront of a movement that would spread throughout the United States to the one million patients who use cannabis to help treat serious illnesses, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and HIV/AIDS.

"Two days without an anti-inflammatory medicine, my body starts to stiffen up, and after about three days I cant get out of bed. So, that could be my life; that is one choice," Sherer said. "Or the second thing is I could take the 2400 mg of ibuprofen each day that are required for me to be able to move, and then my kidneys would begin to shut down again."

Instead, Sherer, 36, began using medical marijuana to deal with her pain and became an activist on the issue by creating the nonprofit organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA), which protects patients rights to safely and legally access marijuana throughout the U.S.

ASA started in 2002, and since then it has helped create and get legislation passed on the local and state level and is an advocate for patients rights in 17 states and Washington, DC where medical marijuana is now legal.

On Thursday ASA held rallies in at least 15 cities across the U.S. at local campaign headquarters for U.S. President Barack Obama, protesting what they call, a nationwide crackdown on medical marijuana facilities.

"There have been more raids under Obama in three-and-a-half years than eight years of Bush," Sherer said, during the rally in Washington, DC.

Proponents of medical marijuana say they are also upset with Obama, because of comments he made while campaigning in 2008. He said that state and local governments should be the prevailing bodies to handle regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries and not the federal government, explained David Bienenstock, west coast editor of High Times and High Times Medical Marijuana.

"No one in the medical marijuana community expected him to lead on this issue, but we expected him to keep a common sense promise," he said.

In an interview a few months ago, Obama addressed the issue of the recent offensive on dispensaries and his earlier statement in 2008, where he said the U.S. Department of Justice should not "try to circumvent state laws (on medical marijuana)."

"What I specifically said was that we were not going to prioritize prosecutions of persons who are using medical marijuana," Obama said in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year. "I never made a commitment that somehow we were going to give carte blanche to large-scale producers and operators of marijuana-and the reason is, because its against federal law."

But, Bienenstock said the federal government has been intervening on the local and state level and shutting down some medical marijuana dispensaries in different parts of the country, as well as making it difficult for others to rent a facility for their cannabis business. This, in turn, makes it impossible for some patients to receive the medicinal marijuana they need and forces many to go to the black market to obtain it, according to Bienenstock.

"A lot of people in the medical marijuana community feel very betrayed by these enforcement actions," Bienenstock said. "If you have a senior citizen with a debilitating condition, and you are now asking that person to go out on the street to get their medicine, it just has a terrible effect on them. How is a 79-year-old going to go out and buy pot for pain problems?"

"This issue has not really come up in our presidential race right now, and Obama has the luxury of running against someone who is against marijuana," said Bienenstock, referring to Republican Mitt Romney. "I dont think he (Obama) has realized that there is a political cost to disenfranchising so many people and going back on his word."

To get a good quality of medical marijuana edibles and medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

National Butterscotch Pudding Day with Marijuana

When : Always September 19th

National Butterscotch Pudding Day gives us good reason to enjoy a tasty dessert. Okay, so Butterscotch may not be as popular as vanilla or chocolate. But, it sure is good. If you like butterscotch, just the thought of butterscotch pudding has already got your mouth watering in eager anticipation.

Like all food related special days, its easy to participate and enjoy. In this case, just eat some Butterscotch pudding.

Tip: Its an even more special day, if you make the pudding with marijuana yourself.

Have a Happy National Butterscotch Pudding Day!

Origin of National Butterscotch Pudding Day:

We found no factual information about this special day. We do not know who started this day, and we don't know why. But, we intend to thoroughly enjoy some Butterscotch pudding.

We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a "National" day. We found no congressional records or presidential proclamation.

To get a good quality of medical marijuana edibles and medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Medicinal Uses of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Cannabis research has moved beyond its use as an illegal recreational drug. Increasingly, focus is on its potential as a therapeutic substance, particularly in serious chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.

This new title describes current research findings relating to the medicinal use of cannabis and cannabinoids. Topics covered include the pharmacology, formulation, safety and efficacy of cannabis as a therapeutic agent; growth and breeding of cannabis as a medicine; cannabis for neuropathic pain treatment and for multiple sclerosis; clinical studies and the development of cannabis-based medicine; and forensic and international control of cannabis.

Written by experts in the UK and USA, this is an essential reference for pharmacists, doctors, pharmacologists and all other healthcare professionals with an interest in cannabis-derived medicines for symptom relief of intractable diseases.

To get a good quality of herbal products and medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Legal Marijuana In Federal Custody

Ronnie Chang Is A Legal Medical Cannabis Patient In Federal Custody

By Terrie Best, San Diego Americans for Safe Access Court Support Coordinator

Court Support requested for Ronnie Chang. Ronnie, a state legal medical cannabis patient, is in federal custody and his attorney, Michael J. McCabe is fighting to modify terms of his release so Ronnie may return to caring for his elderly mother. McCabe has enjoyed several victories in state court for medical cannabis patients Eugene Davidovich and most recently, Dexter Padilla.

Ronnie Chang had been arrested following the raid of Club One Collective/Extreme Holistic Care in San Marcos but was able to post bail. Then the bond was pulled due to a mysterious audit of the bond company which uncovered the unsecured bond. In June, the bondsman was forced to take Ronnie into custody because of the unsecured nature of the bond. The U.S. prosecution, Paul Satarita, denied knowledge of the audit but continues to pressure for a plea.

On July 30th, a motion to modify Ronnie's pretrial release was denied by Judge Michael M. Anello without prejudice because of the pulled bond. Anello then gave the defense two weeks to secure the bond with collateral.

Defendant and client will be back in court to disclose whether they have been able to satisfy collateral for the 200,000 dollar bond.

WHAT: Chang Motion to Modify Terms of Pretrial Release

WHEN: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 2:00PM

WHERE: Dept. 5, on the 3rd Flr. of the San Diego Federal Courthouse, 940 Front St. at Broadway, San Diego, CA, 92101

Later, in September, Ronnie Chang and his co-defendants James Brand, Gary Maddox, Hal Pilotte, Peter Suhan and Amanda Ventura (allegedly connected to Club One Collective/ Extreme Holistic Care) will also be in court with their attorneys Michael McCabe, Paul Turner, Knut Johnson, James Dicks and Mark Bluemel, this time to argue motions challenging the legality of the wire tap used in this case.

The illegal wire tap hearing is scheduled for September 10th, 2012 also in Department 5 of the San Diego Federal Court Building at 940 Front Street, at Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101.

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Is marijuana a medicine?

Evidence of the medical uses of marijuana comes in different varieties:

Molecular  Biology: A cannabinoid  revolution was sparked in the late eighties by the discovery that the  active ingredients of marijuana acted through a network of chemical receptors  localized in specific sites in the brain and immune system that became known as cannabinoid receptors. The natural cannabinoid manufactured and utilized  by the human body is called anadamide

Controlled clinical studies on the medical effects of marijuana are  being forbidden right now by the federal government (this link goes off-site),  so we have no firm evidence as to the safety and effectiveness of marijuana in  actual patients. Marijuana remains legally classified by the federal government  as a Schedule I narcotic, as useless and dangerous as heroin, so the policy of  the government impedes the very scientific research that could prove it false.

Reports by physicians: A survey of American oncologists published in  1990 revealed that 44% of those surveyed had advised cancer patients  to smoke marijuana for relief of nausea from chemotherapy and radiation  treatments. Cannabis was first reported as a medicine by a physician 5000 years  ago in an ancient Chinese apothecary, and this trend has been repeated by every  society in written history where cannabis was present. This includes America up  until 1937, when the first federal laws criminalizing marijuana were passed by  Congress over the loud objections of the American Medical Association.

Reports  by patients: Here are web sites containing testimonials from people using marijuana to treat  symptoms from cancer chemotheray, AIDS wasting syndrome and side effects of  AIDS medications, pain and muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis and other  serious illnesses:

1. Yes on Prop. 215 by Californians for Compassionate Use
2. Americans for Compassionate Use
3. Republicans for Prop. 215
4. Cancer Patient Doreen Bishop's Struggle for Medical Marijuana
5. An archive of articles and press clippings at the Hyperreal Drug Archive 

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

Health Benefits to Smoking Marijuana

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.

New research shows medical marijuana's perils

Chemical compounds in marijuana can suppress the body's immune functions -- potentially speeding the growth of some cancers but possibly helping in the fight against arthritis, multiple sclerosis or allergies.

The good-news, bad-news findings were published in this month's European Journal of Immunology, based on a study led by University of South Carolina researcher Prakash Nagarkatti. An immunologist who has been exploring the potential of cannabis for eight years, Nagarkatti refers to the findings as "a double-edged sword."

Nagarkatti's earlier studies dealt mostly with marijuana's potential to treat leukemia. The latest report, at first glance, seems to contradict his earlier findings. But Nagarkatti says the seeming contradiction just emphasizes the complexities of both marijuana and cancer.

"Cancer is not one illness. It is a very wide range of illnesses," said Nagarkatti, the Carolina Distinguished Professor in the department of pathology, microbiology and immunology at the USC School of Medicine.

"And marijuana has over 400 different chemicals. It's such a complex plant that we don't know the impact of all of those chemicals." The latest study on lab mice opens avenues for more research on the subject. Nagarkatti hopes it'll lead to human clinical trials.

He also knows it will stir up the medicinal marijuana debate. "I'm getting a lot of e-mails from both sides already," he said. Many comments tacked onto early online reporting about the study blast Nagarkatti as anti-medicinal marijuana. Those commenting don't realize his earlier studies showed the promise of marijuana components, or that this study indicated as much positive and negative.

The research focused on cannabinoids, compounds found in the marijuana plant, and their impact on myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Research shows those cells suppress the immune system. Nagarkatti, along with co-authors Venkatesh Hegde and Mitzi Nagarkatti, found cannabinoids trigger creation of huge amounts of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in mice.

If the findings in mice are replicated in humans, doctors might re-think the use of the one FDA-approved, marijuana-derived drug -- Marinol -- to battle the nausea of chemotherapy and stimulate appetite in HIV-AIDS patients.

While reducing nausea, marijuana's cannabinoids might also speed death by suppressing the immune system critical to battling many forms of cancer and infections. Of course, since HIV-AIDS also destroys the immune system, the impact of marijuana on the system in those cases might be minimal.

Conversely, cannabinoids might be a new tool for doctors to treat arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In those auto-immune diseases, your immune system goes into overdrive, destroying healthy cells. By suppressing immune response, cannabinoids could lessen the severity of those diseases. It also could help people battle allergies and fight transplant rejection, Nagarkatti said.

While smoking medicinal marijuana has been legalized in some states, the only FDA-approved application of cannabinoids in the U.S. is Marinol. Nagarkatti is fascinated by the medical possibilities of marijuana cannabinoids, but he doesn't recommend self-prescribing its use. "It's a complex mixture of chemicals that's not something to be played with," Nagarkatti said.

To get a good quality of medical cannabis selection visit San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary.