medical marijuana

Nebraska’s Governor Opposes Medical Marijuana, Even if it Helped His Own Children

February 4, 2019 by Staff Writer

From the time we can understand anything, we are taught to trust doctors. The vast majority of people in the United States carry an innate trust of medical professionals. They are experts and they are there to help us. We trust them with our secrets and our very lives.

Yet, when it comes to medical marijuana, that trust seems to get suspended for some. It’s not enough for your doctor to think you should use medical cannabis; there has to be a law to allow him/her to do so.

And for that, in many states, you need the permission of lawmakers. Lawmakers who have had no reason to look into the issue of medical cannabis and clearly haven’t done so.

For example, in Nebraska, Governor Pete Ricketts doesn’t think anyone should have the option of using medical marijuana legally until the FDA has said it’s okay. “I’ve sat down with the families and they’re very sympathetic and I certainly understand where they’re coming from with regard to a child,” Governor Ricketts told News Channel Nebraska. “But we also have to remember we have to protect the entire public…to protect the public safety you really have to make sure it goes through the FDA process….And I know it’s a long process but that is what’s happening and we are getting those drugs.”

The NCN reporter pressed the Governor more in regards to his own children and whether or not them needing medical marijuana would sway his position, to which he responded, “[a]gain we have to think about the broader issue of public safety here with regard to how we have drugs in our country. To make sure they’re safe and effective and what dosage for what ailments, what side effects and that’s what the FDA process does.”

Despite the fact that FDA-approved drugs kill tens of thousands of people every year in this country and marijuana kills no one – although Gov. Ricketts did assert that “every few days someone in Colorado dies in a marijuana-related car accident” – some people really believe that the only safe and effective medicines on Earth cannot be medicines until they have gone through the FDA approval process.

So if the parents and doctor of a child feel that child could benefit from medical cannabis, in the eyes of the Governor of Nebraska, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that until the FDA says it’s okay – no matter how long that takes and no matter what the reason.

This is the ignorance that condemns so many people to criminality every day simply for choosing a better way to live.

Nebraska’s Governor Opposes Medical Marijuana, Even if it Helped His Own Children
Source: Marijuana Times

What’s Behind Oklahoma’s Quick Rollout of Medical Marijuana?

January 26, 2019 by Staff Writer

We have covered the state of Oklahoma quite a bit here at The Marijuana Times. From its rocky start last summer up to the impressively quick rollout, we’ve learned a lot from the state’s medical marijuana program.

In fact, just the other day, I wrote the following paragraph:

It’s not like a simpler approach isn’t possible with cannabis law reform. Look at Oklahoma. I’ve covered the state quite a bit on our video show Cannabis News and things are moving quite fast there. After what most would deem a rocky start, the medical marijuana program in Oklahoma has gone from non-existent to in place and showing explosive growth in the space of 6 months. And what will happen in Oklahoma? A lot of people will grow, sell and consume cannabis legally. Tens of thousands of patients will find relief.

Re-reading that paragraph made me wonder two things: why did I use “quite” twice in one sentence, and how is it that Oklahoma has been able to do what few other states have? To be sure, there are several superficial reasons, but I wanted to know more than that. What is so different about Oklahoma that they can bring about a functioning medical cannabis industry in a few months when it takes other states up to a year to even write the form that licensees will need to fill out? When you want answers, there are few better places to go than to the source; in this case, Chip and Cynthia Paul of Oklahomans for Health.

“Oklahomans For Health was founded in 2014 by my wife Cynthia and I, and another gent,” Chip told us about the beginning of this journey. “We petitioned the state in 2014 and were successful in building momentum and also changing the conversation in Oklahoma (we have a 90 day window). We petitioned again in 2016 and reached our signature threshold. We were denied the 2016 ballot due to a challenge by then Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. We won that case in Oklahoma State Supreme Court and were awarded the ballot on June 26th, 2018.”

According to Chip, the measure passed against heavy odds. “We were opposed by every sitting State Agency head, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, every major hospital system, the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, most city Chambers, and of course most LE agencies,” he said, adding that the opposition outspent the Pro-MMJ forces about 12-to-1.

And the short answer as to why the state has been so quick to get the program going? They were forced to. “Since it is an activist law, we wrote it with triggers and dates,” Chip told us. “The state had to have the entire program rolled out within 60 days. We certainly were indicating that we would take legal action if they did not meet the dates. There was a lot of griping about the dates, but the Oklahoma State Department of Health hit the marks and rolled the program out on time.”

I also asked about what still needs to be done when it comes to the medical cannabis program, and Chip pointed out that some regulations were still needed since the state’s Department of Health became sort of gun shy after their initial heavy-handed attempts to restrict the program were shot down. Among Chip’s list of things still needed:

-a testing license and we need lab testing defined and required in the regs

-some better security regulations around outdoor grows

-state defined zoning which would keep cities from over reaching on permitting/zoning requirements

The “program is getting very good feedback both nationally and in the local press,” Chip told us, and so far “the cannabis industry, for the most part, has been very responsible about how they have conducted themselves even under loose regulations.”

All in all, Oklahoma shows what is possible. To get an un-restrictive medical marijuana measure on the ballot in a “red state” and have it pass with 57% of the vote while getting massively outspent by the opposition is incredible enough, but it’s just the first chapter of the book activists and lawmakers in the state are writing on just how to get a full industry up and running in a matter of months.

The lesson activists should take away from this is to keep a tight rein on ballot measure language. Set hard deadlines and force those who will implement the measure to abide by them. Stay vigilant and as unyielding as possible. After all, the ailments that those who use medical cannabis suffer from are not going to back down – and the people fighting for better access have no reason to either.

What’s Behind Oklahoma’s Quick Rollout of Medical Marijuana?
Source: Marijuana Times

Medical Marijuana Legislation Introduced in Kentucky

January 19, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

A new year brings a new effort to pass medical cannabis legislation in Kentucky. The path is often hard, but the momentum has built year after year and many think this is the year that substantial progress will be made on medical marijuana in the Bluegrass State.

Legislation filed recently could provide the access that so many in the state desperately need. “There are 40,000 – 60,000 Kentuckians who have little to no relief provided by traditional medicine for symptoms of debilitating illnesses,” Diane St. Onge, a Kentucky State Representative (R-Ft. Wright) and one of the sponsors of medical marijuana in Frankfort, told The Marijuana Times. “Their quality of life is severely compromised. Often they take upwards of 30 pills a day which interact with each other rendering the patients unable to drive, to work, to function in anything other than a highly compromised world.”

For Diane, the time for medical legalization has come. “Medicinal marijuana has been legalized in 33 states. It is time for legislators to do the will of 82% of Kentuckians – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike – and offer an alternative remedy to the pain these Kentuckians face day in and day out. HB 136 provides for a highly structured, regulated and licensed framework, within which those qualified individuals in a bonafide doctor/patient relationship, can become eligible for a medical marijuana card.”

Allowing people access to the medicine of their choice doesn’t seem like a battle that should be necessary. Those who oppose medical cannabis will tell you that they are simply looking out for patients and that they are protecting them from themselves. But who has more right to decide what you ingest than you do?

More than anything else, the fear and stigma that surrounds marijuana needs to be overcome in states like Kentucky. What else would account for the hesitancy on the part of many lawmakers when it comes to advancing medical cannabis reform measures? Every year patients from all over the state descend on Frankfort and plead their case, and every year they are denied relief.

Who is harmed if a doctor recommends that a patient use cannabis? I can certainly show you who is harmed if a doctor is not allowed to make that recommendation.

Rep. St. Onge told us she believes that HB 136 would pass if it made it to a vote on the House floor. “There is also some support for medical marijuana in the Senate and as we allay fears with references as to how these have been addressed by this bill, we gain more support daily,” she said.

Hopefully 2020 will be the year the legislature gathers to improve the medical marijuana bill passed this year. Patients cannot wait any longer, and there is really no good reason to make them do so.

Medical Marijuana Legislation Introduced in Kentucky
Source: Marijuana Times

Ohio Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Officially Open

January 18, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Medical cannabis dispensaries in Ohio officially sold the first legal plant medicine this week. According to a report from Ohio 10 TV, four dispensaries were open for the first day of sales. This is good news for patients in need of cannabis medicine, but the state’s program is definitely not without its fair share of complications.

The state government has issued over 56 licenses to dispensaries, but unfortunately, only four of those were open this week – two in Wintersville, one in Canton, and one in Sandusky. A dispensary in the Cleveland area also expects to open within the next few days, according to Ohio 10 TV.

And only cannabis growers are currently licensed and certified to operate. Processing and manufacturing facilities for cannabis will still have to wait longer to be licensed, which is naturally causing some challenges. The medical program in Ohio currently allows for physicians to recommend patients use medical cannabis if they have one of 21 qualifying conditions. At this time, only cannabis flowers are being sold. Edibles, vape pens and tinctures will be available for purchase once the processing centers are open and operating.

As we are seeing with other legal states, the prices of the first legal cannabis being sold in Ohio are sky-high. An ounce of cannabis in Ohio medical cannabis dispensaries costs an astronomical $500. This, of course, isn’t including what it costs to see a doctor for a recommendation, and any costs for a medical card itself. This is a shame, because such high costs encourage the black market to flourish.

In addition to the high costs of the product itself, the medical cannabis program in Ohio has been delayed several times. Cannabis sales were initially slated to being last September, but regulators say that the quality of license applicants was lacking. Ohio Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, a cannabis legalization advocate, made a public statement criticizing the regulatory officials in the state for delaying sales and making patients wait for the cannabis medicine they need. He says that the number of dispensaries and processor licenses needs to continue to grow, creating “An opportunity for the new governor to do right by people who are suffering,” he said.

Yuko went on to urge Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to prioritize the growth of the medical cannabis program in the state. At any rate, at least some Ohio patients are finally given access to the medicine that they need and have been waiting for, and hopefully the program continues to expand successfully.

Ohio Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Officially Open
Source: Marijuana Times

Michigan Sees A Shortage of Medical Cannabis So Unlicensed Facilities Are Re-opened

January 17, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

At the beginning of the year Michigan legislature required that all non-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries shut down until proper licensing is obtained. Unfortunately, the closing of over 70 dispensaries left very few with their doors open to patients. This, in turn, abruptly left many patients without access to their medicine.

Last Wednesday, the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board agreed in a unanimous 4-0 vote to allow dispensaries that are in the process of applying for a license and have a local buy-in to re-open their doors – at least until March 31st.

“We have heard from Michiganders closely affected by the ongoing transition to licensed marijuana facilities,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release Tuesday. “It is important that we ensure that patients have access to their medicine while the medical marijuana industry continues to develop.”

Along with the lack of open dispensaries, 72 unlicensed provisioning centers were closed at the start of the year and there are not enough established licensed growers in the state. All of this has led to an extreme shortage of product. Regulators have now put temporary regulations in place in an effort to fix this problem, allowing licensed provisioning centers to continue buying marijuana from a caregiver or temporarily operating facility and sell it without testing it until March 31st.

“There is a shortage of supply in the market because there are only a handful of licensed growers in Michigan,” Jeff Schroder with law firm Plunkett Cooney said. “This would allow dispensaries and retail provisioning centers to purchase their quantities from caregivers again.”

However, patients are required to sign an acknowledgement that states that the product has not met complete testing requirements before they are able to purchase it. As it stands now, there are nearly 300,000 medical marijuana cardholders in the state of Michigan. For several years they have been purchasing their medical marijuana from local dispensaries that get their product from unlicensed growers or even local caregivers – so most of them are frustrated with the less than smooth transition to a more regulated market.

“I think it’s a step forward,” said The Reef’s Rush Hassan. “It’s definitely a short term solution but it does open up patient access for these products.”

Until the medical marijuana industry in the state is functioning optimally, it will be almost impossible to successfully roll out the recreational industry that was legalized in November 2018. Hopefully by the time these temporary regulations expire at the end of March there will be enough licenses for the industry to properly sustain itself.

Michigan Sees A Shortage of Medical Cannabis So Unlicensed Facilities Are Re-opened
Source: Marijuana Times

Is Medical Marijuana Denial the New Flat Earth?

January 16, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

No matter how many people say something is true, there will always be a segment of the population that will deny the truth of it no matter what evidence they are shown. To be clear, there is something to be said for a healthy amount of skepticism; humanity wouldn’t have lasted long without it.

But the stalwart denial of something in the face of overwhelming evidence goes beyond mere skepticism. In most cases, it doesn’t matter on a practical level. For instance, if people gather in groups online and in real life to discuss why they believe the Earth is flat, it really doesn’t affect anyone else. Prohibitions haven’t been enacted by governments over adult human beings based on Flat Earth. People haven’t gone to jail for thinking the Earth is round and acting accordingly.

Marijuana, however, was prohibited by those who claimed it had no worth and was dangerous for people to use. For their own good, citizens had to be barred from possessing, growing, selling or consuming cannabis.

While much of this has been wiped away, there still remain to this day people who claim that cannabis has no medical value. I’m not talking about government officials who say that because the only substances they will admit are medicine are those that are FDA-approved; I’m talking about people who really believe that every person who claims to have medical ailments alleviated by cannabis use is either delusional or lying because they are trying to justify their urge to get high.

Is this group of people small? Maybe so, relatively speaking. But they each have a vote and many of them also have deep pockets and they use those deep pockets to fight legalization measures across the country.

Sadly, all it would take for these people to see their error is for someone they know to get sick and be helped by medical cannabis. It happens all the time. But some refuse to see. The evidence is there, even if they don’t see what medical marijuana can do on a personal level. Studies show people using cannabis to get off prescription painkillers, and there are studies that show cannabis use being effective for treating pain, nausea and a myriad of other ailments.

But beyond the studies are the millions of people who will tell you that they use cannabis to help with medical problems – millions of people who are able to function because cannabis exists. Telling those people that you think marijuana has no medical value makes you sound like a moron.

And if you truly believe that cannabis has no medical value, maybe moron is the best word to use to describe you. Perhaps your absolute refusal to look deeper into an issue you espouse an opinion on brings you the ridicule you deserve.

Is Medical Marijuana Denial the New Flat Earth?
Source: Marijuana Times

The Power of Ignorance

January 14, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Ignorance doesn’t discriminate. It is not exclusive to any race, creed, religion, economic status or intelligence level. This is because ignorance often comes down to a simple lack of perspective – and lack of perspective is a flaw every human can succumb to.

In our minds we tend to exclude some groups of people from those who fall prey to this flaw; we put our trust in them as authorities and experts, and we often – whether we mean to or not – let them make decisions for us.

But a so-called person of authority can be just as ignorant about a subject as anyone else. The fact that people see them as an authority or expert on a matter may be the very reason they are blind to seeing a subject from another perspective.

As an example, let us examine a recent op-ed written by Dr. John C. Ropp III, chairman of the Board of the South Carolina Medical Association. It is a screed of jumbled misconceptions and odd justifications so full of ignorance about cannabis that one would have to assume the author had never really looked into the issue at all.

You see, Dr. Ropp thinks that the consideration of medical marijuana in South Carolina is ill-considered because he feels that doctors shouldn’t be the ones in charge of making decisions about cannabis, at least until others in the federal government tell them that it’s okay.

Of legislators in South Carolina, Dr. Ropp said they “intend to have this debate as though it were a medical issue by making physicians the singular access point for the ‘marijuana drug.’” Beyond the offensive ignorance inherent in the phrase “as though it were a medical issue”, Dr. Ropp seems to be saying that there is a problem with doctors making decisions on matters of health, an odd abdication of responsibility by someone who presumes to speak for all doctors in the state.

Dr. Ropp feels it is wrong to force “physicians to decide who can and cannot have access to marijuana.” On this I can agree with the good doctor. The only person’s permission needed for someone to ingest marijuana should be the person themselves. But, of course, Dr. Ropp thinks that no one should have the power to decide such matters, at least not until the government has decreed it so.

Dr. Ropp then spends two paragraphs explaining the Controlled Substances Act and why marijuana is placed under Schedule 1, as if the placement of cannabis on that list is in any way justified.

“As physicians, our main concern is medical safety and efficacy, which can only be clearly determined for marijuana after controlled scientific testing on a widespread peer-reviewed basis,” he writes. “For decades, the DEA, FDA, and National Institutes of Health have all agreed on this same process.”

So until the authorities that have wrongly kept marijuana as Schedule I for almost 50 years decide that they made an error and rectify the situation, Dr. Ropp thinks putting the power to recommend marijuana in the hands of doctors is a dangerous proposition. Until the FDA – the agency that has approved drugs that kill tens of thousands of people every year while cannabis has never killed anyone – deems cannabis a medicine, it should not be considered as one.

Ignorance is a powerful thing, but it shouldn’t have the power to deny human beings sovereignty over their own bodies when it comes to what medicine they are allowed to ingest.

The Power of Ignorance
Source: Marijuana Times

City of Detroit Cracking Down on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

June 5, 2017 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Under a new medical marijuana ordinance that took effect a little over a year ago, the vast majority of medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city of Detroit have been deemed illegal by authorities. In that time some 167 dispensaries have been forced to close their doors, their patients forced to look elsewhere for their medicine.

In total, 283 dispensaries have been told to cease operations since they were not legally licensed under city rules. “None of them were operating lawfully,” Detroit corporation counsel Melvin Butch Hollowell said. “At the time I sent a letter to each one of them indicating that unless you have a fully licensed facility, you are operating at your own risk.”

The coming weeks will see another 51 closures; as of right now, only 5 are legally licensed to operate. Five dispensaries in a city with over 4 million people in its metro area, in a state with almost 250,000 registered patients.

“The voters of the state made medical marijuana legal so we have to manage that in a way that is consistent with keeping our neighborhoods respected and at the same time, allowing for those dispensaries to operate in their specific areas that we’ve identified as being lawful,” Hollowell said. “There was very significant public input in this process.”

While local control and input is a good thing, there is also the suffering of thousands of medical marijuana patients in Detroit, one of the poorest and most crime-ridden cities in the nation, to consider.

For example, under the new rules, dispensaries are barred from operating within a 1,000-foot radius of a church, school, park, liquor store, another dispensary, library or child care center. Can’t that list be pared-down? Why 1,000 feet from a liquor store or another dispensary? What danger exists at 900 feet that doesn’t exist at 1,100 feet in that situation? And this at a time when the Michigan Liquor Control Commission recently lifted a regulation that state liquor stores have to be at least a half-mile from each other.

One can see why a neighborhood would want sensible requirements for any business that operates near their location. But why is medical cannabis singled out for harsher treatment than other industries, like the alcohol sales industry? Where are the people who depend on those closed dispensaries supposed to go?

Some, to be sure, will go to the handful of legal dispensaries left in the city. But most will end up buying from the black market or even worse, going without their medicine completely. Some of those people will migrate back to addictive and deadly prescription drugs.

But I guess as long as Johnny’s Liquor Store isn’t 700 feet from Bob’s Medical Marijuana Dispensary then all is right with the world.

City of Detroit Cracking Down on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Source: Marijuana Times