Testing It Up

When it comes to the discussion of banned substances, one can always expect the mention of marijuana, whether in the beginning, middle or end of every conversation. It is, after all, one of the most widely abused drugs by teenagers and adults worldwide.

In the United States, there are over a million people who use marijuana as a natural medical treatment for the symptoms of illnesses, such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. But despite the so-called benefits of the drug, less than 20 states have medical marijuana laws. And three months ago, Colorado and the State of Washington were the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational use of marijuana for people aged 21 and older. This historical event, though, was met with a bulk of criticism from opposing groups that expressed fears of increased marijuana use, particularly among youth.

For Dr. Robert Martin, co-founder of CW Analytical laboratories (a testing facility that ensure the potency and safety of medical cannabis and marijuana products), marijuana legalization has a few good things about it.

“..It is my opinion that a nationwide legalization is just what America needs. It would stop a great deal of injustice in our legal system and perhaps assist law enforcement…,” Dr. Martin explained in an exclusive interview with TestCountry. “It would enable millions of patients in need of self-medication to treat themselves with no fear of contraindications, especially the liver. Finally, it would begin to stop the black market trade of cannabis currently alive and well in the U.S.”

Dr. Martin also tells TestCountry the types of regulations currently in place to ensure the quality and safety of medical marijuana. He said that while medical marijuana dispensary operators continue to grow, the majority “do not follow any quality control protocols to ensure patient safety.”

“…With widespread use of pesticides and the evolving knowledge of microbiological implications, I recommend safety testing for all recreational products, as well,” Dr. Martin added.

To read the full text of the interview, visit Exclusive Interview With Dr. Robert Martin.

Hawaii lawmakers are set to meet on Friday to hear the testimony on House Bill 699, the legislation that seeks to regulate and tax marijuana in the state.

The bill, also known The Personal Use of Marijuana Act, was introduced by House Speaker Joseph Souki. It aims to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce or less of marijuana and the private cultivation of a limited number of marijuana plants for adults 21 years of age and older. Additionally, it would allow for the commercial cultivation and sale of pot, The Daily Chronic reports.

Souki’s proposed marijuana legalization measure would regulate pot in a manner similar to alcohol. But the bill won’t change existing laws regarding driving under the influence of marijuana or the ability of employers to maintain their current workplace drug policies.

“Most Hawaii voters recognize that marijuana prohibition has been just as ineffective and problematic as alcohol prohibition,” said Pam Lichty, president of the Honolulu-based Drug Policy Action Group. “By regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol, our state can control its production and sale, generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue and savings, and allow law enforcement officials to focus on serious crimes.”

The survey conducted by QMark Research between Nov. 19 and Dec. 4, 2012 showed more Hawaii voters were open to the idea of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Of the more than 600 residents surveyed, 57 percent were in favor of legalizing, regulating and taxing the sale and personal use of marijuana by adults; 65 percent think the War on Drugs campaign is not worth the financial expenditures; and nearly 80 percent favor a tightly regulated dispensary system for safe and legal access of medical marijuana.

“Voters and elected officials nationwide are fed up with laws that criminalize adults simply for using a product that is objectively less harmful than alcohol,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications at the Marijuana Policy Project. “Prohibition has failed, and it is time for a more sensible approach to marijuana. H.B. 699 proposes just that.”

On April 20, Wednesday, advocates for the legalization of marijuana trooped to various 4/20 observances to call for the legalization of cannabis.

The term 4/20 was coined in 1971, by a group of teenagers in San Rafael, California, who called themselves the Waldos. The Waldos set out to search for an abandoned marijuana crop, agreeing to meet up at the Louis Pasteur statue, on the grounds of the San Rafael High School, at 4:20 p.m.

In October, 1988, Steven Hager, creative director of High Times, designated 4:20 p.m. as the time of the day when cannabis is consumed. He wrote: “”I believe 420 is a ritualization of cannabis use that holds deep meaning for our subculture… It also points us in a direction for the responsible use of cannabis.”

One of the sites where 4/20 is traditionally celebrated is at the University of Colorado at Boulder, named as the #1 Party School by Playboy Magazine.

This year, thousands of people gathered for a daylong rally in Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado, which included a concert, smoke-off, and legalization rally. Footage posted on 9News.com showed smoke rising from the Civic Center Park and the University of Colorado campus on Wednesday afternoon.

The good turnout is being associated to the fact that 4/20 is a day before the 40th annual convention of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), a group whose aim is to have pot legalized.

9News.com shared the opinion of 9Health reporter Dr. John Torres, who said: “Some studies have shown that it [marijuana] causes some problems in the lungs. It can cause cancers and other long-term issues like COPD or emphysema. Other studies have not shown that. And again, this is one of those things that’s very controversial.”

Stepping up its drive to close pot shops, the Los Angeles city attorney’s office has notified operators of 140 medical marijuana dispensaries that they must close immediately.

The office sent letters to the concerned dispensaries whose owners  did not file applications by the February 18 deadline to participate in a lottery to choose 100 shops that will operate in the city. The office received 228 applications, which are being reviewed to make sure they meet qualifications. One of the requisites is having been operational since September 14, 2007.

Assistant city attorney Asha Greenberg has warned that violators could be sued and could face penalties. LAPD will also investigate the shops that don’t follow the order immediately.

What do you do when you need a ride home? Normally, we call a cab or ask someone to get us. Shane Hale of Kentucky, however, has a different idea — he needed a ride home, so he stole an ambulance in front of a hospital!

The crew of Perry County Ambulance told police they were inside Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center in central Kentucky for a few minutes, but they left the keys in the ignition. Hale jumped in the ambulance and took off. When the crew came back, the ambulance was gone.

Hale was later spotted on a highway by off-duty State Police Detective Chris Fugate, who noticed something unusual and decided to follow the ambulance. When pulled over, it was discovered that he was highly intoxicated. He wouldn’t say how much he had, but admitted he had some marijuana. He also said he just “borrowed” the ambulance and was going to return it in the morning.

Hale, who is being held at the Kentucky River Regional Jail on a $40,000 cash bond, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, criminal mischief and driving DUI on a suspended license.

A new weGrow store opened in Sacramento, California on Saturday, February 26, and a post on the CBS Health Blog asked an expected question: Is medical marijuana going mainstream?

The establishment, however, is not what people might expect of, or associate with, a “store.” You will not be seeing shelves upon shelves of weed, or various weed-based products, according to the post; so it will not exactly be a CVS or Walgreens or, for that matter, Wal-Mart – although the new weGrow store is already being referred to as the “Wal-Mart of Weed”. WeGrow will offer merchandise, as well as have how-to experts available, to help medical marijuana patients hydroponically grow pot.

What will be available for sale are hydroponic growing equipment, and plant nutrients such as “Kushie Kush” and “Big Bud”. They will also offer classes on cultivating pot. At the weGrow opening, Frederick H. Nesbitt III whipped up omelets for the crowd, according to a feature on Time.com. Nesbitt is the executive chef of CannabisCatering.com, which specializes in marijuana dishes. The omelets he served that day, however, were of the “traditional” kind.

The weGrow store in Sacramento is a 10,000 square foot emporium. According to the Sacramento Bee, the weGrow enterprise began as a warehouse store in Oakland last year. This is a new direction for hydroponics outlets, as these initially avoided mentioning marijuana because cultivating pot is illegal under federal law. As more states approve the use of medical marijuana – there are now 15 states that allow its use to relieve pain and nausea for chronic conditions such as cancer an AIDS – an increasing number of hydroponics stores have also cropped up.

WeGrow Sacramento serves as a “beginning” of sorts for the company. They also intend to put up similar stores in Arizona, Colorado, New Jersey and Oregon.

Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, announced on Friday that his administration has agreed to partially rewrite the proposed regulations that will govern the program allowing medical marijuana in the state, according to a report on Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

Gov. Christie said: “This agreement reflects a good-faith compromise between the administration and the primary sponsor of the legislation on the best way to move forward on a responsible, medically based program that will avoid the significant fraud and criminal diversion that other states have experienced.”

The new plan will allow medical marijuana to be grown and distributed at more places than previously allowed, as well as allow terminally-ill patients to have easier access to the drug.

In January this year, New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana. Christie, however, aimed for stricter controls than what the law originally provided for, and what other states have implemented.

Initially, only two centers could grow pot, and only four could distribute it. With the new regulations, this number has increased to six for both. It also initially called for all patients using medical marijuana to be able to show that they have exhausted all other treatments prior to resorting to the use of medical marijuana, something that advocates found to be too restrictive for patients who had terminal illnesses. This has been relaxed to exclude patients with terminal illnesses. Home delivery is now also allowed.

The new regulations also capped the level of THC at 10 percent; this level, according to medical marijuana advocates, is too weak.

A report on The Philadelphia Inquirer shared that the daughter of the late reggae icon Bob Marley, Makeda J. Marley, has pleaded guilty to marijuana possession charges on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old resident of Chester County was charged with the following: possession of a passel of marijuana plants, consisting of 11 mature and 3 juvenile plants, and tampering with evidence. According her lawyer, Thomas K. Schindler, Makeda Marley and her late father share the belief that marijuana has religious value. Schindler said: “She doesn’t go around telling people that she’s Bob Marley’s daughter, but if it comes up, she acknowledges it… It troubles her that this is illegal.”

Bob Marley practiced Rastafarianism, a religious movement that believes that Africa is the Promised Land, and considers Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Smoking marijuana is considered as a spiritual act for Rastas. It is considered as a sacrament that “cleans the body and mind, heals the soul, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, brings pleasure, and brings them closer to Jah,” and is often accompanied by Bible study.

Bob Marley died of cancer in 1981, when he was 36 years old.

The feature shared that Makeda Marley is also awaiting trial on charges of drunken driving. The criminal complaint reportedly stated that Ms. Marley allowed police to do a search in her basement. She went to get a key, but was seen trying to remove a marijuana plant.

Ms. Marley’s sentencing will be on October 25, by Chester County Court Judge Thomas G. Gavin.

According to a feature on The Washington Post, liquor regulators have been given a role in the new medical marijuana program of the District of Columbia. This was included in the draft rules on the program, which is scheduled to take effect on January 1; the rules were released by Mayor Adrian Fenty.

The regulations state that licensing and oversight of facilities engaged in the growing and distribution of medical marijuana will be handled by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration. The registration of users who are legally allowed to use medical marijuana, on the other hand, will be handled by the city health department.

The liquor regulators are said to be looking forward to this involvement in the new program, as shared by Attorney General Peter Nickles. The regulation of medical cannabis, according to alcohol board chairman Charles Brodsky, can be related more to alcohol than to prescription drugs. Brodsky said: “We oversee a highly regulated product in the stream of commerce, and I think we do it pretty well.”

This expertise, which includes a corps of administrators and inspectors, is being leveraged as a cost-effective option for the program, according to Nickles.

This proposition, however, is not sitting well with the advocates of medical marijuana. They have, after all, worked towards the recognition of cannabis as an option for medical treatment as opposed to a recreational drug, and having liquor regulators handle the program seems to negate that fact.

Wayne Turner, a co-author of the medical marijuana initiative passed by voters in 1998, said: “Dispensaries are the front line, and the liquor board is completely inappropriate to run this program. Are we talking about medical marijuana Jell-O shots here?”

In a previous post, we shared with you the case of John Ray Wilson of New Jersey, a patient with multiple sclerosis who was sentenced to five years in jail for second degree manufacturing of marijuana and third degree possession of psychedelic mushrooms. at the time of Wilson’s conviction, the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act has not yet been signed; it was only signed in January this year.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Wilson was freed from Southern State Prison after posting bail of $15,000. A court had ruled earlier in the week that he can be released as he appeals his drug-related conviction.

The New Jersey medical marijuana law will reportedly take effect on August 1, according to lawmakers.

Wilson shared: “Whenever they open the program, I would register and abide by the law.”

Under the New Jersey law, registered users of medical marijuana will not be allowed to grow their own; they will have to source the pot from treatment centers authorized by the state. Wilson was caught growing pot plants in the yard of his rented home in Franklin Township, but insists that the plants were only for his own use.

Medical marijuana advocates are unsurprisingly up in arms regarding Wilson’s case. Even our own readers left some comments regarding the issue, most of which called for the lifting of prohibition altogether. Reader Jillian writes: “Since the prohibition isn’t providing a benefit to society, and since it’s causing so much misery to so many people, we have to conclude that it should be ended as soon as possible and replaced with a system that causes far less harm.”