Thursday, October 11, 2012

Understanding the Hawaii Medical Marijuana Program

The Hawaii Medical Marijuana program is one of the most lenient and accepted programs in the country. Under this law patients and caregivers are protected from any criminal proceedings if he/she is caught with marijuana. The patient has the right to carry, consume and plant his or her own marijuana and also has access to the Dispensary system.
Under the Hawaii Medical Marijuana program it is imperative that a patient obtains a medical recommendation from a doctor. It is advised that patients bring Medical Documentation of the diagnosis or treatment plan in order to assist the registered physician in recommending you cannabis. Once the physician is convinced that Marijuana will be a suitable treatment, the doctor will recommend cannabis as a Medical treatment.
The patient, can then go with this recommendation to the Department of Health and apply for a Medical Marijuana card. Once everything has been cleared the patient will be required to pay a yearly fee which is generally under $100 USD. Once the patient has a medical marijuana license, he or she would be officially enrolled in the Hawaii Medical marijuana program and will be exempt from regular Marijuana Laws.
The patient will have to follow strict regulation in order to remain within the program. The Hawaii Medical Marijuana program is pretty easy to follow, and if you simply follow common sense, you would not be in danger of any trouble. In essence all you have to do is not have more than 2 ounces of useable marijuana and no more than 6 plants growing in your house with only three mature at a time. The limit might be higher but the fact of the matter is that Drug Enforcement Agencies don’t really care about sick people; they only care about locking people up. That is why it is better to take an extra precautionary measure in order to be void of all problems so that you don’t face any legal issues or felonies issued against you.
This program created a safe avenue for people in suffering to obtain medicine that changes their lives dramatically. In addition to this, the Medical Marijuana program also allows police officers to focus on real crimes while generating a phenomenal revenue stream that would have gone to criminal organizations. Some people believe that Marijuana is bad for people, but this message is erroneous. Throughout history people of all walks of life have used Marijuana to heal their sicknesses; it has been used for construction, food, textiles, fuel and much more. In fact the benefits of Marijuana overshadow the negatives of it by a huge sum.
It is because of programs like the Hawaii Medical Marijuana program that the perception of medical cannabis is changing. People are seeing that the plant is not so evil after all and that under a regulated system, society works better. People aren’t getting busted for consuming a plant, people aren’t being jailed for seeking comfort and people are being provided top quality marijuana to directly treat their symptoms and diseases.

Deciphering the ever complicated Marijuana Laws

It wasn’t really till 1937 until the first ever Marijuana Laws were created. It started out as a tax on growing hemp, or as prohibitionists coined the term “marijuana”. Before 1937 and for thousands of years Marijuana was completely legal. Anybody young or old had access to the plant because it was seen as an essential part of society as it provided; rope, cloth, food, medicine, construction materials and much more. This was a problem for some of the “underdog” industries of their time and thus they created Marijuana Laws to outlaw their competition and corrupt society through yellow journalism and suggestive propaganda.
People didn’t even know that they were outlawing Hemp; they thought Marijuana was this new drug on the street that was spawned from pure evil. The truth of the matter is that since 1937 Marijuana Laws only became more severe and started focusing on punishing all those who had anything to do with it.
In 1971 Nixon declares a War on Drugs. Not because drugs are bad, that’s not the real reason; the reason was because he was getting a lot of heat from Vietnam. He had thousands of protestors standing outside his lawn not willing to go until he made a decision. So in order to be able to move such a big crowd he declared a war on drugs. Nixon knew that most of the protestors were smoking marijuana and thus with an excuse like the “War on Drugs” he could legally break up a protest under the pretence of “eradicating the evils of this world”.
And since then the War on drugs and Marijuana Laws only became more intense and more unfair. In 1974 California tried to re-legalize but the initiative was shot down.  It wasn’t until 22 years later that California managed to alter the Marijuana Laws within the state. They passed a law that protected people with debilitating diseases from any criminal proceedings if caught with smoking marijuana. Also these patients had a legal right to grow their own marijuana as well.
Since then the Medical Marijuana program has expanded like wild fire and within the time frame of 15 years there are 17 states with a legal marijuana program, and ten more pending. More importantly in 2012 in Washington, Oregon and Colorado the local citizens will be voting on legalizing marijuana once more for recreational use for adults 21 and over. This would mean that for the first time since it was illegalized in 1937, it would be made legal once more.
Yet that legality will only be effective on the State level as under the current Federal Marijuana Laws it is still considered illegal. The battle will still be long and there will still be plenty of resistance from the people running the United States. The same prohibitionists that implemented their shady tactics are the same people still running the country. But as people begin to realize that they have power and that through a collective movement, they can re-legalize their freedom.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Is the Colorado Medical Marijuana Program in danger?

The Colorado Medical Marijuana program is one of the most locally accepted system in the US. Colorado has long been fighting for Marijuana legalization and their current Medical Marijuana program is definitely one that has worked and provided essential medicine to patients in a safe environment.
This year in November however Colorado will be voting whether they will legalize weed for recreational purposes which beckons the question; What will happen to the Colorado Medical Marijuana program when that happens?
The Answer? Nothing, it will still be in place even under a fully legalized model. The reason the Medical Marijuana program will still remain intact is because Medical Marijuana has a different purpose than commercial marijuana. Medical Marijuana is exactly that…Medicine! This means that if a patient is suffering from a disease or disorder, he/she requires a constant flow of the same type of medicine. There cannot be discrepancies in potency, especially if the patient is on an established treatment plan. In essence the best method of using Marijuana as a Medicine is through converting the plant matter into Essential Hemp Oils. These oils are basically high concentrate THC which is the active ingredient in Marijuana.
Also, under full scale legalization, the Medical Marijuana industry actually would benefit. They would have more access to cannabis and would have less restriction in terms of research which means that eventually we can expect to see “designer strains” that will target specific diseases and symptoms while excluding other elements of Marijuana. Thus the Colorado Medical Marijuana program should still be intact even if the state legalizes Marijuana for adults 21 and over.
Patients would still be able to obtain their Medical marijuana; they would still get a Medical Marijuana card. There would actually be no reason to halt the program as this division of cannabis will solely focus on the ill. Recreational Marijuana would just be that, recreational. People will design weed that makes you high and that would be its major focus and it will help people in many ways as they will be able to grow weeds at their own.
Finally Legalizing Marijuana would usher in a new category within cannabis, the industrial aspect. Hemp fibers are some of the strongest in the world and can be used for thousands of different textiles. With hemp you can make food, fuel, construction materials, plastics, cloth, rope, and many more. Hemp could supply all paper needs for humanity and would hinder deforestation severely.
The Colorado Medical Marijuana program will only become more specialized under a legalized society. It would mean that doctors and scientists could actually do some serious testing and would be able to address a wider pool of diseases. The program would only benefit from a legalized system and patients would be able to access medicine of higher quality and precision. Also Medical Marijuana has high standards in terms of cultivation and processing the cannabis in a sterile environment. Thus patients nor doctors nor dispensaries should fear, the Medical Marijuana program is only in the beginning of its long and prosperous life.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

How to obtain a Medical marijuana card Oregon?

If a patient in the state of Oregon has a Medical marijuana card Oregon he or she has the right to consume, purchase and grow cannabis for medicinal purposes. This means that if the patient is caught with cannabis on their possession, their Medical marijuana card Oregon would grant them immunity to any criminal proceedings.
A patient can obtain this card only through the recommendation of a registered physician. The physician would do a proper physical examination and would revise the patient’s medical history to determine whether the patient would indeed benefit from the use of cannabis. If the doctor believes that cannabis will in fact be a proper treatment, he or she would write out a recommendation. NOTE – doctors can’t “prescribe” marijuana since it is still illegal on a Federal Level, they can only recommend it.
With this recommendation a patient would be able to apply for their own Medical marijuana card Oregon at the department of health. The department would double check if the patient has any criminal records, and whether the recommendation is real. If everything is in order the patient is required to pay an annual fee and in turn would be given a Medical marijuana card Oregon.
With this card the patient can have up to 24 ounces of useable marijuana. Before it was less than this amount but the latest amendments raised the limit. The patient would not be able to be protected under law if he or she exceeds this limit. 24 ounces is almost a half a kilo, so there should be no reason why a patient would exceed it.
In addition to this a patient has the right to grow his or her own marijuana. To be on the safe side a patient is recommended to grow up to 6 plants at a time with only 3 of them being mature at the same time. If the patient sets up a good grow cycle he/she would be able to harvest every month or so and would never run out of medication.
Currently Oregon is attempting to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. This would mean that any adult over the age of twenty one would have legal access to marijuana and would be able to purchase pot in designated stores. Some people fear that this would promote drug use, but if you come to think about it…Hollywood promotes drug use and we’re not making them illegal are we? The many reasons prohibition might think of to make the public believe that marijuana is the ultimate sin are nothing more than bigotry and ignorant jargon. There are hardly any scientific findings to back up these claims and with some slack investigation, Marijuana generally proves to be the exact opposite of what is claimed. With technology and the Internet people are beginning to change their perception on the plan, and this year might be the first time in the History of the War on Drugs that a State within the United States actually re-legalized the plant under Federal Prohibition. It reminds me of the times that alcohol was illegal…doesn’t it?

Colorado Marijuana Initiative Picking up Pace

Marijuana has been an essential part of humanity for thousands of years. It wasn’t until 1937 that Marijuana first became illegal, and since then catastrophic social consequences stemmed from seventy years of prohibition. The Colorado Marijuana initiative, composed of many different pro marijuana groups, have managed to first institute a system of Medical Marijuana within Colorado, but now this November have managed to put full scale recreational legalization of cannabis on the map.
If the bill were to pass, Colorado might be the first state to actually legalize Marijuana for recreational purposes to all adults twenty one and older. Colorado Marijuana programs have been a raving success since it began and with this new proposition we can expect a lucrative venture as a result. More importantly this would be a direct attack against organized crime while reducing stress on an already saturated judicial system. This would mean that thousands of people who currently are consuming marijuana illegally, would be safe from all criminal proceedings if caught with the State sanctioned amount of Cannabis.
This wouldn’t mean that anybody can just whip out a joint and smoke it in the streets, you would have to exercise common sense. Also the drug would still be illegal on the Federal level, so maintaining things on the down-low might be the best approach. The Colorado Marijuana legalization effort might be the first sensible policy against criminal enterprises ever in the history of the drug war. This would directly take the money out of the hands of these criminals and put it back into the hands of the people. In addition this would limit the amount of people currently being arrested for marijuana consumption. A NORML statistic shows that cannabis consumers get arrested every 38 seconds. Imagine if the police could spend their time on actually pursuing real crimes such as Rape, Murder and Theft.
The Colorado Marijuana legalization effort might also be the “beginning of the end” of prohibition worldwide. Prohibition in fact is an American Model and was pushed on the entire world with the help of the United States who continually enforced it. Nixon called it his “War on Drugs” and since then we have seen a rise in crime, drug consumption, dead bodies piling up in Latin America, corruption in politics, some of the world’s largest banks assisting in laundering money and the list goes on. There even was a CIA plane that crashed in Southern Mexico with more than 4 tons of cocaine on it. The point being that the entire system was rotten since the first day it was institutionalized.
Hopefully Colorado will manage to take the first step in ending the madness. Hopefully the Federal government can respect the decisions of the States, respect their own right to decide. I fear if the Federal government ignores States’ Rights, it could bring on a very controversial and possible violent period within the future of the United States. It could very well be the reason the Obama Administration is working so hard to maintain Indefinite Detention legal.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Is the Medical marijuana card Oregon program in danger if Marijuana is legalized?

The Medical marijuana card Oregon program is one of the most lenient in the country and allows a patient to have up to 24 ounces of marijuana on hand. This November, Washington, Colorado and Oregon will vote on whether Marijuana will be legalized and regulated much like alcohol. This would mean that adults over the age of twenty one will be able to legally purchase and consume marijuana without facing any criminal charges.
Obviously some people are wondering what will happen to the Medical marijuana card Oregon program if this were to be passed into law. The one thing that patients and dispensary owners do not have to worry about is the full scale legalization of Marijuana. The Medical Marijuana industry will remain intact even if marijuana was legalized completely. What would happen in the case of full scale legalization is that the medical marijuana industry would only become more specialized as more research will be available with less restriction.
This means that one could expect designer strains to be produced that would target specific diseases and symptoms while taking out the euphoric effect in some strains. The Medical marijuana card Oregon program would in fact become more professional and would cater specifically to sick people, while the recreational program would target the rest. This means more attention to patients, higher quality medicine and quicker treatments.
Also when growing and cultivating marijuana for medicinal purposes, there are certain standards that must be followed in order to ensure that the product is in fact medicine. This would include working in sterile environments, tailor made strain development, consistency in potency and further education in what strain treats what disease best. For the Medical marijuana card Oregon program this could mean a higher quality service overall, with better equipped staff and more dedicated professionals.
Some industry professionals worried about these facts, whether or not the program would fade into the pages of history. The fact of the matter is that marijuana is still such an unexplored plant that the odds of the medical marijuana industry fading away are next to nothing. Yes patients would have alternatives to obtaining marijuana, but if you want high grade medicine, you would always go to a medicinal dispensary for help.
So patients or dispensaries have to worry, in fact they should welcome full scale legalization. It might not occur this time around in Oregon due to lack of support, but in states like Washington and Colorado more than half of the population supports the new legislation and we can expect at least one of these States to actually legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. If this were to happen it could mean the end of prohibition on a global level. If the same country that has been promoting the War on Drugs for so many decades actually legalize on of their Schedule I drugs, continual supporting of the prohibition of Marijuana would be the biggest most public hypocritical statement of all time. Do what I say…not as I do?

Medical marijuana San Diego Program explained

The Medical marijuana San Diego program ensures qualified patients safe access to Marijuana for medicinal purposes. This program forms part of the state wide Medical Marijuana program. Under this program a patient can legally purchase, transport, consume and cultivate a certain amount of cannabis without facing any legal repercussions.
The program was first legalized in 1996 and since then has continued to grow like wildfire. Currently there are more than a thousand dispensaries located in the state of California. The Medical marijuana San Diego program provides patients with a Marijuana card, which can only be obtained through a doctor’s recommendation.
A registered physician would have to verify whether Marijuana is a suitable treatment for the patient and generally does a physical examination and reviews the patient’s medical files. Once the doctor has verified that marijuana can help the patient, he will write a recommendation and give it to the patient. Normally these checkups would cost you anywhere between $35-$45 dollars depending on the doctor.
The patient would then have to go, under the Medical marijuana San Diego program, to the department of health or other licensed Marijuana card distributors and would pay an annual fee. Once this has been paid the patient would be granted access to the program and start reaping benefits of this program.
Every county in California has their own approach to Marijuana regulation and thus it is imperative to find out exactly what the legal limit is for you. To be safe patients should not have more than 2 ounces of useable marijuana and should not grow more than six plants at a time with only 3 being mature at a time. This can be used as a rule of thumb since most states abide by these guidelines.
The Medical marijuana San Diego program provides a safe venue for patients to obtain their medicine. The dispensary program has proven to lower revenue on illegal marijuana sales and has provided a significant chunk of tax revenue for the state. The program has served thousands of patients and has helped fight and control diseases such as; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Anxiety Disorders, Stress related diseases, Eating Disorders, Chronic pain, and more.
In fact Essential Hemp Oils, obtained from Medical Marijuana, can be used to kill many aggressive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer and even brain and lung cancer. The tests are still very early in the phase but the evidence is piling up and the verdict that Marijuana is the cancer curing drug everybody has been looking for is coming in. Soon we can expect that Marijuana become completely legal and regulated and will eventually trickle down into different sub markets within the Cannabis kingdom.
Currently more than half of America favours Marijuana legalization and it seems that almost only the Federal Government with their corporate allies are opposed, and of course criminal cartels as well are not in favour of legalization. Nonetheless the medical marijuana program has proven that it works, and real good at that!

Oregon Medical Marijuana might become Oregon Marijuana

The Oregon Medical marijuana program is one of the most lenient programs in the US. A patient is very well protected, has a massive limit in terms of useable cannabis and maybe after this November, would be able to not be limited merely to Oregon Medical Marijuana.
This November the citizens of Oregon will vote on whether or not they will fully legalize marijuana for adult consumption. This would mean that everybody 21 and over would have legal access to certain amounts of marijuana. This doesn’t mean it’s a free for all, in fact far from it. The initiative doesn’t even impede law enforcement’s ability to crack down on “illegal” marijuana. It simply provides another venue, similar to the Oregon Medical Marijuana program but entails a larger demographic.
We have to face the truth, Marijuana has been around for thousands of years and people aren’t going to simply quit smoking it now because “someone” says it’s. Thousands of years testify to the good name of cannabis and with programs such as the Oregon Medical Marijuana initiative, evidence kept on piling up.
Not only have they found that cannabis kills cancer, but also that under legalized and regulated system drug consumption actually drops. But not just Marijuana, alcohol and tobacco consumption drops significantly in states that have Legal Marijuana programs. It’s no wonder that the government is so opposed to legalizing marijuana especially since their major corporate allies would suffer. And to come to think that the alcohol companies of today were the gangsters of yesteryear.
But what would happen to the Medical Marijuana industry if marijuana was made legal? The answer; absolutely nothing! The Medical Marijuana initiative would only become more specialized; it would develop designer strains specifically targeting symptoms and diseases. The standards of cultivation would be regulated and everything would be done within sterile environments. The Medical Marijuana community has absolutely nothing to fear in the case of full scale legalization; in fact they should welcome it.
Also full scale legalization would provide thousands of new jobs and revenue lessen the strain on the prison system and the police departments and would provide a safer alternative in terms of recreation. Currently people drink alcohol for recreational purposes and it contributes to thousands of deaths each year, violence and a long list of social issues. Marijuana on the other hand doesn’t do any of these things. No one has ever died from consuming marijuana, people tend to be more peaceful under its influences and would much rather avoid violence. The main reason the plant isn’t legal is because it brings too much competition to the current market monsters such as Big Pharma, Tobacco, Alcohol, Lumber, and Fuel and so on. Marijuana is the plant that can bring direct competition to these industries and with enough people behind it, would most probably dominate those markets.
Hopefully this November the people of Oregon will stand together and vote yes on legalization cannabis for recreational uses. It’s the smart sensible thing to do!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

A Patients Guide to the Connecticut Medical Marijuana Program

The Connecticut Medical Marijuana program allows qualifying patients to obtain Medical Marijuana as treatment to debilitating diseases such as Cancer; HIV/AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Pain, Eating Disorders, Epilepsy and more. Connecticut became the seventeenth State to adopt such a program. The law was passed this year in May 2012.  In order for a patient to be able to obtain a Connecticut Medical Marijuana license, the patient must first be examined by a physician.
If the registered physician deems the patient fit for the program, he/she will write a recommendation. In turn the patient would then go to the Department of Health where he/she could apply for a Medical Marijuana card. Only then you can expect to get a Connecticut marijuana card.
The Connecticut Medical Marijuana system is quite different from other states. There are a few modifications to the traditional Medical Marijuana programs. The first modification is that only qualified pharmacists would be able to apply for dispensary licenses, and dispensaries would not be able to grow. Registered Production facilities will supply the medicine and would be required to maintain consistency in potency of cannabis and purity in process. In order to apply for a dispensary license, the pharmacist would have to a fee of $25000.
In addition to this each dispensary will only be able to supply a monthly dose per patient, the dosage which would be determined by the Department of Health based on the doctor’s recommendation and analysis of the treatment.
As we can see that Connecticut is truly bringing in a Medical Marijuana system. Many people don’t understand what the concept of Medical Marijuana truly contains. It isn’t the “Marijuana on the streets” re-packaged and given a different name, far from it. In the future we will begin to see specific strains of marijuana grown to deal with certain issues. Medical Marijuana in fact will be a system that only ill people can access. The rest of the Marijuana industry would become “commercial cannabis” which would be a separate system.
The Connecticut Medical Marijuana program begins to outline the basic skeleton of the system. By limiting dispensaries to the care of pharmacists we can see that they have a genuine interest to supply top notch medicine. We should expect to see a few amendments within the system in terms of regulating the growing process of Medical Marijuana, Sterilization and standardization of strain potency, development of essential hemp oils, designer strains targeting specific diseases and more. The Medical Marijuana program should not be confused with regular marijuana. If you deal with medicine there must be a standard applied, you cannot simply give Marijuana to a patient and believe he/she would get better.
Medical Marijuana requires a treatment plan, quantities and phenotype analysis in terms of the disease or discomfort of the patient. It seems that Connecticut is one of the first states to actually understand the concept and have designed a law that will become the foundation of the Medical Marijuana system throughout the US and the world.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Analysis of the Montana Medical Marijuana Program and the Future of Cannabis in America

The Montana Medical Marijuana program is currently being restricted due to the Montana Supreme court ruling. The system was originally institutionalized in 2004 and since then had more than 27,000 registered card holders until last year a restriction was placed.
Under some scrutiny the state decided that the Montana Medical Marijuana system within Montana was not “constitutional”. They claimed that patients had a right to pursuit means of bettering their health, but that doesn’t include drugs of any kind, especially marijuana.
The Federal Government considers marijuana to be a schedule I drug, which means it holds no medical value and has a high potential for abuse. There is absolutely no scientific or medical basis to support the claim of the Federal government as many independent research groups have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Marijuana does indeed have medical value. In fact, recent studies have found that essential hemp oils actually cure certain types of cancer. In essence it instructs the mutated cells to self-destruct while promoting the healthy ones. Despite all of these findings, thousands of testimonials and empirical evidence; the Federal Government maintains the status of marijuana.
Currently within the United States, systems like the Montana Medical Marijuana programs are being instituted. Currently there are seventeen states that have adopted the Medical Marijuana program. Three of those States are voting this November on legalizing Marijuana for recreational purposes. In addition to this, there are ten states still pending on their own Medical Marijuana programs. More than half of the United States support full scale legalization and the number is only growing.
Marijuana has only been illegal for 70 years and was made illegal through corporate greed and mass manipulation. Marijuana was one of the first crops to be grown in Young America and continued to serve the nation until 1937. Since then millions of Americans have been jailed, criminal enterprises were enriched and corruption and social chaos emerged. It wasn’t until 1997 when California implemented the first pseudo legal Medical Marijuana system. Since then systems like the Montana Medical Marijuana program and others flourished.
Even though the Federal Government continues to wage a war on personal freedom, the movement for re-legalization is occurring. Every year more Americans begin to embrace the idea of Marijuana. They understand that there are few risks involved; it is safer than current commercial and legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. America understands the billion dollar potential in commercial and industrial cannabis based on the medical Marijuana model and is growing tired of the millions of imprisoned Americans arrested for minor drug offenses.
As this trend continues to grow we can expect a new dawn in the history pages of America, where they took back what was taken from them. The only reason why Marijuana became illegal in the first place was because it is the only plant that can compete with all major industries; Oil, Lumber, Big Pharma, Textile, Synthetics, Construction and more. Marijuana can produce more than 40,000 unique products…including food.

What it would mean for America to have “Legal Marijuana”?

The Federal Government has warned the public that Marijuana is dangerous and will destroy your life (1937). In turn they convinced people that this mystery drug marihuana was indeed something that can drive you crazy. Movies such as Reefer Madness and Marijuana: the Devil’s Weed sparked a massive public distaste for the drug. Legal Marijuana in turn, became very illegal marijuana shortly after.
One must understand that the reason Marijuana was illegalized was not founded on scientific or medical evidence but private intent of rich billionaires. In fact the only people who spoke against the illegalization of Marijuana in 1937 was the US Medical Board stating; “They did not know that Marijuana was Hemp”.
Before Marijuana, the plant was referred to as Hemp. Hemp was the number one cash crop in America and was used in various different industries. In fact the First Model T by Hendry Ford was made out of Hemp plastics.
We fast forward to today, “Legal Marijuana” is a concept that is still far from being achieved. Currently Marijuana is under a pseudo legal status under the Medical Marijuana programs. Basically this Pseudo Legalization specifies that patients with debilitating conditions have a right to use Marijuana to ease their pain. This system creates a conflict with the Federal prohibition and in turn has become a very controversial topic.
But would Legal Marijuana really have such horrific impacts on society as the Federal Prohibitionists claim it would? The answer is no. Below I have listed out a few prohibitionist arguments and debunked them with rational thinking and common sense.
Legal Marijuana will promote drug abuse within America, especially the youth!
This outlandish claim sounds like it would have some scientific fact to support it. The fact of the matter is that statistics show that in countries where they have decriminalized drugs and focused on a health awareness approach, drug use significantly dropped, especially among the youth. In Medical Marijuana states statistics also show that people are consuming less alcohol which is infinitely worse than marijuana.
That it would have major “negative social impact” and easier access for young people!
Once more, it seems that prohibitionists place an awful lot of emphasis on the youth and the dangers for the youth. Currently it is more difficult for young people to obtain alcohol than marijuana, because marijuana is within an unregulated market currently, meaning that there is no age limit, no screening just drug dealers making profits. In terms of negative social impact; the current prohibitionist system is causing hundreds of thousands of arrests, spending billions of dollars on trying to combat people’s habits, inflated police force and budget and much more. A Legal Marijuana system would ensure that young people would not have access to cannabis, the quality and consistency of the plant would be regulated and finally all the profits that come from the legal sale of marijuana would be pumped back into health and education. This means that there actually would be a budget for drug rehabilitation. The current system of prohibition in terms of dealing with drug addiction can be compared to making graveyards to cure cancer.

Understanding the process of obtaining Medical Marijuana Cards

In 1997 California was the first State within the United States of America to legalize Marijuana for Medical reasons. This Medical Marijuana program allowed patients with debilitating diseases to be able to obtain Marijuana in order to treat their unique condition. They would only be able to enter into this program with a recommendation from a registered physician. In turn once they have been deemed fit for the program they would be eligible to obtain their own Medical Marijuana cards.
The Medical Marijuana card looks like a normal driver’s license but provides protection to the patient or caregiver in terms of Federal marijuana laws. Having Medical Marijuana cards basically is like having a license to smoke and grow marijuana.
Each state has their own specifications in terms of what the Medical Marijuana cards allow patients to do. The general rule of thumb is that a patient would have access to at least an ounce, in most cases two ounces, and can grow anywhere between 6-10 plants with only 3-4 mature plants at a time. Some States vary on these numbers, for instance in Oregon a patient can have up to 24 ounces of useable marijuana without facing legal repercussions.
The Medical Marijuana system allows patients to have safe access to a lifesaving drug that not only alleviates symptoms, but in recent studies show that it has the potential to cure many different types of cancers and other chronic diseases.
The License doesn’t work in states that don’t have Medical Marijuana programs, in fact only in a few Medical Marijuana states. These States have what are called “Reciprocity laws” which means that patients from “out-of-state” and that are qualified Medical Marijuana patients are eligible to participate in the “in-state” program.
The Medical marijuana system has provided billions of dollars in tax and has created a thriving industry and helped thousands of suffering patients. The problem however is that the Federal prohibition of Cannabis still interferes with the State operations. In most cases all Federal action within a State needs to be addressed in State courts meaning that if the DEA or any other Federal agency does decide to raid a medical marijuana facility, the States generally overturn the charges. Yet even a mere raid can cost a dispensary millions of dollars to get back to its previous status.
Currently the United States has more than 50% support of full scale Marijuana legalization. Washington, Oregon and Colorado will vote this November on the fate of Marijuana. If the people manage to win majority vote, you would not require Medical Marijuana Cards to obtain marijuana in these states if you are an adult above the age of twenty one. There have been an incredibly amount of resistance from the Federal Government, but they are facing a losing battle. Every single day the opinion of the general public is swaying in favour of marijuana legalization. Once that occurs, the world will begin to see the dawn of commercial and industrial cannabis.

United States and the Marijuana Laws

In the United States there is one controversial issue that is not receiving the attention it deserves. It seems that the Federal government is completely ignoring the debate regarding Marijuana Laws. Currently in the United States, Marijuana is legal…and not legal. Seventeen States have created unique adaptations to the Marijuana Laws and created a Medical Marijuana system.
In essence this means that certain uses of Marijuana are considered legal within a state that contains Medical marijuana laws. Yet the Federal Government continues to maintain Marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which means that it has “no medical value” and has a “high potential for abuse”. It must be noted that this classification of Marijuana has absolutely no scientific or medical basis and is merely classified as such because of corporate industries.
Marijuana is the only plant that can cause a major rift within many different industries including; Lumber, Pharmaceutical, Alcohol, Tobacco, Synthetics, Construction, Paper production and more. In fact Marijuana can be turned into more than 40,000 unique items including food and grows in every single environment on this planet. In other words if Marijuana was legalized the average American would be able to grow hemp, process it in a unique way and create a new market in textiles based on hemp products. But neither Hemp nor Marijuana is legal under the current Federal Marijuana Laws.
This prohibition, that has lasted for more than seventy years and has caused major negative impact on society as a whole, is a direct violation of the most fundamental right of humanity; freedom of choice. What is a man that is not free to choose? There was a term that was used to describe these men; slaves. The current Federal Marijuana Laws in essence suggests that all Americans are in fact slaves; they do not possess the right to choose which substance they may ingest.
Slowly the oppression of Prohibition is being lifted, as more and more states begin to adopt Medical marijuana programs. Washington, Colorado and Oregon are all voting this November to see whether they can legalize marijuana on a commercial level. The Federal Government has already made it clear that they will not accept the State’s right saying that their law supersedes all State laws. The founding fathers spoke of this day, a day where the government would grow so big that it would believe that “it” is bigger than the people.
Today we can see American civil rights being raped by the civil government, we can see mass incarceration, and we can see the violation of States rights and an increasing police force. Under prohibition we have seen so many injustices occur, things like Operation Fast and Furious, where in essence the government was selling guns to Mexican Drug cartels that, along with the Mexican government and prohibitionist rhetoric, are responsible for more than 50,000 deaths. The count is in fact much higher, but the “official” statistic is roughly there. Soon America will find itself opening a new chapter in its history, a post-prohibitionist America. The tide is moving in that direction, the only problem is who will resist it, and when they do…what would be the outcome?

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program Explained

The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana program had a controversial a year prior to being institutionalized in January of 2006. The Medical Marijuana program allows patients to gain access to marijuana as a treatment for life debilitating diseases. The patient must first obtain a written recommendation from a registered physician claiming that Marijuana is an adequate treatment for the patient.
Once the patient has received his or her written recommendation, he/she must go to the State Health Department where they will be able to apply for a license. After the review has been completed the Patient must pay $75 USD for the card of which will be shipped within the month after application.
With this license patients will gain entry into the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana program which means that a patient or a caregiver of a patient can have up to two and a half ounces of dried marijuana and can grow up to twelve plants, of which only four can be mature at a time. In order to qualify as a caregiver you must be over the age of twenty one and have absolutely no felonies in the past. A patient can have up to two different caregivers of whom can be dropped at any time. A caregiver would also require a license as a “caregiver”.
The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana program implements a policy of reciprocity, which means that patients from other Medical Marijuana States are also protected under the Rhode Island marijuana Laws. This means that if you are a patient from any Medical marijuana State, you would be able to consume, acquire and transport Marijuana without any legal repercussions.
Within Rhode Island there is what they refer to as a “compassion center” which is basically a “pot club”. There are only 3 permitted Compassion Centres in Rhode Island that can attend to an unlimited amount of patients. The compassion centre is responsible for growing, cultivating and curing the cannabis prior to selling it to the patients. Patients still have the option to grow their own cannabis if they choose, the compassion centre was more developed for patients who didn’t have the means or knowledge to grow, and for out of state patients.
The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana program is one of the finest models in the country; they have managed to create a fair system for patients in and out of state to obtain easy and safe access to their much needed medicine. Systems like the one in Rhode Island have managed to lift the prejudice against cannabis. In 1937 Marijuana was first made illegal in the United States after a near decade worth of propaganda. It was only until 1997 that Marijuana managed to find a means of pseudo legalization under Medical Marijuana. For seventy years Marijuana prohibition has destroyed many lives, jailed millions of America, killed hundreds of thousands of people and increased corruption within our political systems. As more states begin to opt in for legal marijuana society we’ll begin to see more benefits emerge, Health is just the tip of the iceberg.

Everything about Maine Medical Marijuana

The Maine Medical Marijuana program is a system implemented within the state of Maine that allows qualified patients to obtain Marijuana to treat a wide list of diseases. Under this system the patient and primary caregiver will be safe from any legal repercussions in terms of possession, cultivation, consumption and transportation of Marijuana.
A patient has the option to grow his or her own marijuana, or could have a caregiver do it for them. In order to become a caregiver you are only allowed to have five patients and must pay $300 per patient if you are going to grow. In addition to this you cannot have any criminal records and must be of twenty one years of age or older. If you fulfill all of these requirements then you can become an official caregiver.
The Maine Medical Marijuana program allows patients to have up to six plants of marijuana of which only three can be mature. In addition to this a patient can have up to two and a half ounces of useable marijuana on hand. A caregiver also can carry two and a half ounces of useable marijuana.
A patient also has a third option to obtain his or her medicine. Maine was the fifth state to institute Medical Marijuana dispensaries which means that a qualifying patient would have the option to walk into one of these dispensaries, almost as if it’s a pharmacy, and purchase their medication. The process usually starts with an initial screening by a security guard. In essence he’ll only make sure that you are registered and that the paperwork is real. Once the patient has been verified he/she will be granted entry into the dispensary.
Usually the medicine will be displayed under a glass display or in a catalogue of some sorts. There are many ways to ingest cannabis and you will be presented with a wide selection of methods. Depending on your condition, the dispensary operator will help you select which strain of Marijuana will best suit your condition. The general rule of thumb is that Indica is more for pain relief, nausea, muscle disorders and so forth whereas Sativa generally treats anxiety disorders, stress, depression and more.
The Maine Medical Marijuana program has helped out hundreds of patients in dire need of medication. Prior to the legal Marijuana system, patients were forced to obtain their medication on the black market, which not only placed their lives in danger, but helped enrich these cartels and were at risk of being convicted with a criminal offense. Due to these compassionate systems patients now can legally obtain their medication at a higher purity level and consistency of potency.
The Maine Medical Marijuana program along with many others is shaping the view America has on Marijuana. Within the next few years more than half of America will have a Medical marijuana program institutionalized within their states. As this continues to grow we will begin to see new categories within Marijuana, Commercial and Industrial with time.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Demystifying the Delaware Medical Marijuana program

The Delaware Medical Marijuana program was first institutionalized in December of 2011. This system allows qualified medical marijuana patients to purchase, consume, and grow marijuana without facing any criminal charges. The patient must first obtain a doctor’s recommendation stating that Marijuana would indeed treat their illness or disease. There are many diseases and disorders that classify a patient for a Medical marijuana card, a few of them include; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Anxiety disorders and more.
Once a patient has obtained his/her physician’s recommendation, he/she can go to the department of health and apply for a Delaware Medical Marijuana license. With this license a patient will be eligible to grow and purchase marijuana in order to treat his/her debilitating condition. In Delaware as of February all Medical Marijuana Dispensaries have been halted due to a threat from the Department of Justice.
In essence what the Department of Justice said was they “might” target legal dispensaries and process them despite the fact that in the state of Delaware Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes is legal. This is an outright violation of state rights. None the less the Delaware Medical Marijuana program might be lacking dispensaries, but caregivers and patients still have a legal right to access their medication.
Currently the only method a patient can use to obtain medicine currently is either by growing it or having their primary caregiver grows the plants for them. In Delaware a patient can have up to six ounces of useable marijuana.
In addition the Delaware Medical Marijuana program permits out-of-state patients to also participate within the program and will not be subjected to arrest if caught with Marijuana. The patient must always carry his or her Marijuana license when ingesting cannabis in order to avoid any legal repercussions.
The State of Delaware is one example of how the Federal government undermines the efforts of the states. Even though currently there are seventeen legal Medical Marijuana states, the Department of Justice continues to raid dispensaries and compassion centres. All of these dispensaries have proper paperwork and is not breaking the law in any way and there should be absolutely no reason why the Federal government would think otherwise. None the less, under the Obama administration more dispensaries were raided than under the Bush administration so it is important that you should ensure that everything is done legally and as per existing laws so that you don’t land in a problem.
Even though America is becoming more open to the idea of full scale legalization, the Federal government is fighting it tooth and nail. The reason why the Federal government is so blatantly against the legalization of Marijuana is because there are corporate interests involved. Most of the major donations directed to prohibition of Marijuana come from tobacco and alcohol companies which kill more people per day than Marijuana has ever done throughout human history.
The Delaware Medical Marijuana programs is part of a movement that is opening a new page in history of humanity, soon we can expect, commercial and industrial marijuana to come into the scene.

California Marijuana Program and laws

California was the first state within the United States to legalize Medical Marijuana. Due to California Marijuana began to increase yearly revenue and attended to the medical needs of patients that qualified to get a California Medical Marijuana Card.
The concept was first legalized in 1997 and since then has been responsible for more than one thousand legal dispensaries to open within the state of California. The California Marijuana laws stipulate that a doctor can recommend Marijuana as a medical treatment for a number of diseases. If you were to qualify under doctor’s recommendation, you will pay a fee of roughly $150 USD per year and will have access to the California Medical Marijuana Program. The Marijuana Card, as many people call it, looks very similar to a driver’s license.
With this license you will have access to dispensaries that are located all over the state of California. You will have to pass a screening process which is very minimal. It basically consists of a guard simply verifying if your card is legitimate. If so you will gain access to the dispensary. The high content of THC found in the California Marijuana offers is some of the best in the world. There are literally thousands of strains that have different effects on the body and mind of the patient. For pain related disorders patients are recommended to consume Indica, and in terms of anxiety disorders the Sativa phenotype is recommended.
The Dispensary operator will help you with your selection of cannabis depending on the illness you have. The California Medical Marijuana laws stipulates that qualified patients also have the ability to grow their own Marijuana if need be. You will have to verify the exact amount of plants that you can grow as it depends on the county in which you reside. In some places such as Humbolt County you can grow up to sixty plants as opposed to places such as Los Angeles where only six plants are allowed. It is imperative that you verify this information prior to starting a grow operation.
In essence it is pretty straight forward in terms of obtaining your California Medical Marijuana card and is recommended if you do qualify for the medication. The program truly looks out for the interest of the patients that are suffering and facilitates the means of obtaining thus said medication.
We truly can thank the California Marijuana initiative for opening the doors to a system that actually benefits the patients by supplying them with a safe and regulated environment. Currently there are seventeen States that have also opted in for a Medical Marijuana program and there is ten more pending. As the tides are shifting we can see that commercial marijuana might become a very real possibility in the near future as States such as Oregon, Colorado and Washington are voting on regulating it like alcohol. Yet despite the fact that cannabis might become commercial, the Medical Marijuana initiative will continue to prevail due to high medical standards in terms of cultivation, processing, packaging and more.

Comprehending the San Diego Medical Marijuana Program

The San Diego Medical Marijuana program was first institutionalized in 1997 as the rest of California. Under this program patients are protected when purchasing and consuming marijuana to treat their debilitating diseases. A patient can only have access to this system the moment he or she obtains a physician’s recommendation. With this recommendation the patient will be eligible to apply for the marijuana license at the state department of Health. The license cost roughly $100 USD of which the card will be sent to the patient’s house within the period of four weeks.
Once the patient has obtained thus said Medical Marijuana card; the San Diego Medical Marijuana program permits the patient to grow his or her own medication, or to go to a dispensary. A dispensary is like a pharmacy where patients can obtain their marijuana. In order to enter into the dispensary the patient will be screened by a security guard. This process basically involves the security guard verifying whether the identification of the patient is legitimate. Once the verifying process is complete, the patient will be granted access to the inside of the Medical Marijuana dispensary.
The Marijuana will usually be displayed in a glass case or in a catalogue and will come in a wide array of methods of ingestion. The dispensary operator will assist the patient in selecting the right strain for the disease involved. Generally a patient will use Indica for all pain related diseases while Sativa is more directed for dealing with anxiety issues, depression and so forth.
There are a lot of diseases that can qualify a person to be eligible for the San Diego Medical Marijuana program. Some of these diseases include but are not limited to; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, Anorexia, Bulimia, Stress related disorders, chronic pain, immune deficiency disorder and more. You can check with your doctor whether you have an illness that qualifies you for the program as it is important and you can’t get your card without it.
The San Diego Medical Marijuana program offers a safe access for patients to their medication. The State of California deemed it fit for patients in need of marijuana to minimize their suffering to use it. Even though the Federal government still claims that Marijuana has no medical value recent studies are painting another picture.
In fact, throughout history Marijuana has been used to cure many different diseases and have been used by significant figures in history including Queen Elizabeth. The usage of Marijuana can be traced back to roughly 4000 BC and was used for things such as medicine, textiles and even construction. As the world become more used to the idea of legal marijuana once more, we can expect the glory days of cannabis make its way back into the main stream.
We can expect in the near future, roughly 3-5 years commercial cannabis emerge on the scene. States like Washington and Colorado are voting this November on a full scale commercial legalization effort, once that happens, the rest of the United States will follow.

Monday, September 17, 2012

All you wanted to know about Nevada Medical Marijuana program

The Nevada Medical Marijuana program has been in effect since 2001 which mean that all criminal penalties to qualified registered patients will be administered if a patient is caught with the possession, cultivation or consumption of cannabis. A patient may qualify for various illnesses and conditions. Some of the more prominent almost, “pre-approved” conditions are; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Muscle Dysfunction, Anxiety disorders, Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s and more.
Either the caregiver or the patient may only legally possess up to one ounce of useable marijuana and can cultivate up to seven plants, of which three may be mature. The rest of the plants must remain in vegetative state. The only way a patient can obtain a Medical Marijuana license is by obtaining a physician’s recommendation. Once the patient has a recommendation he/she can go to the State-Run registry and will have to pay an annual fee. Sub sequentially the Marijuana card will be sent to the patient’s home address. People who have criminal records are not eligible for a Marijuana license.
If a patient is not registered or is caught with more than the state limit they can claim “affirmative defence for medical necessity”. Patients “out-of-state” are not allowed to participate in the Nevada Medical Marijuana program so you have to resident of Nevada.
In order to qualify as a caregiver the person must be at least 18 years of age and will be responsible for the patient in his/her care. The caregiver may also cultivate cannabis in order to supply the medical needs of his/her patient. Patients are only allowed to have one caregiver, whereas caregivers may have more than one patient.
Once a patient qualifies to participate in the Nevada Medical Marijuana program he/she will have the option to either cultivate or to purchase their medicine at a dispensary. Only registered patients are allowed to use the services of dispensaries. When a patient receives his/her medical marijuana card they will be granted access to the dispensary. When going to a dispensary the patient will be screened to verify if the license is legitimate, this is normally conducted by a security guard. Once the patient has been verified he/she will be granted access to the dispensary. The medicine usually is displayed under glass or in a catalogue. Marijuana can also come in a wide range of presentations; raw marijuana, cookies, sodas, lollipops and more. The dispensary operator will help the patient decide on what strain will best suit his or her specific condition.
The Nevada Medical Marijuana program has facilitated the process for patients to obtain medicine they so desperately need in a safe environment. As more states begin to implement the Medical Marijuana system we can see the taboo being lifted. As this trend continues we can soon expect new categories of marijuana to arise, Medical, Commercial and Industrial. Yet there is a lot of resistance to the legalization of marijuana, especially from big tobacco and Pharmaceutical companies and many others. Cannabis is a very versatile plant that is able to infiltrate many industries, not just consumables.

What to do and not to do in the Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Program

The Los Angeles Medical Marijuana program first became live in 1997 when activists stood in unity and managed to pass Prop 219. This proposition basically states that patients with debilitating diseases and disorders have a legal right to obtain cannabis in order to minimize their suffering. This means that a qualifying patient will be able to possess, consume, transport, cultivate and purchase a limit that was instituted by the state.
In order to obtain a patient’s Medical Marijuana license it is imperative that one first receive a diagnosis from a registered physician. There are plenty of dispensaries and doctors located all over the state of California. Once the doctor has determined whether a patient does qualify for the Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Program, he/she will receive a written recommendation. The patients, in turn can then go to the Department of Health, or online, and apply for their very own Marijuana license.
With this License the patient will have the ability to cultivate and to enter into dispensaries. Dispensaries are similar to pharmacies except for the fact that it specializes in marijuana. The patient would usually need to be screened prior to entering into the dispensary. This means that the security guard will verify whether your Los Angeles Medical Marijuana card is legitimate. Once this has been verified, the patient will be granted access to the dispensary.
Once inside the patient can expect to see the cannabis under glass or in a catalogue of some sort. The dispensary operator will assist the patient in obtaining the right strain of marijuana to effectively deal with the disease or disorder. There are numerous ways to ingest marijuana; smoking, vapour, eating, oils. Generally dispensaries offer each method to suit to the needs of the patients.
The Los Angeles Medical Marijuana program allows patients to grow their own cannabis in order to empower the patient in growing his or her own medication. The patient also has a limit on how much useable marijuana he/she can have on site. The general rule of thumb for most states comes out to 6-10 plants with 3-4 mature plants at a time. In terms of useable cannabis you can safely have roughly two ounces (56 grams) without facing any legal repercussions. You should make sure that you are keeping only that much amount which is allowed legally else you might find yourself in a big mess.
Marijuana is definitely still a very controversial issue, and as more states begin to adopt a Medical Marijuana system such as is the case of California, We’ll begin to see the attitude of the general public also change. This November in States such as Washington and Colorado the people of these states will be voting on whether to legalize Marijuana for recreational purpose for adults over the age of twenty one. If this is the case then the new era of Commercial Cannabis will spring into actions. In essence this would be the first step towards ending Marijuana prohibition on a global scale, not just the United States of America.

Colorado Medical Marijuana program in detail

The Colorado Medical Marijuana program is one of the most accepted legal marijuana systems, at least at a local public level, within the entire country. Currently Colorado is attempting to legalize Marijuana for all adults above the age of twenty one and will vote on the legislation this coming November.
The Colorado Medical Marijuana program is very similar to the Californian model and supplies patients with Medical Marijuana cards and dispensaries where patients purchase their medicine. In order to qualify for a medical marijuana license you will require a recommendation from a physician that believes that your specific condition may be treatable with Marijuana.
There are several almost “pre-approved” conditions that will grant you access to the Colorado Medical Marijuana program; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, MS or other Muscle disorders, Glaucoma, Arthritis to name a few. As a rule of thumb any chronic disease will also qualify a patient for a medical marijuana license.
The Marijuana card, as some people call it, resembles that of a driver’s license and requires an initial fee and sub sequentially an annual fee. With this card you will be granted access to Marijuana Dispensaries, which are legal “pharmacies” where you can find the preferred strain that best deals with your discomfort, seeds and anything else you may need. A Dispensary operator will assist you with your decisions. In most cases if you are suffering from pain related issues you would most likely use the Indica Phenotype and in cases of anxiety disorders, Sativa phenotype.
Patients also have the right to grow their own Medical Marijuana on their property but are limited to the amount of marijuana they can grow. If you are caught with more medicine than the state limit a patient can argue that it was for medical purposes. It is recommended that during the arrest that the patient discloses nothing with the arresting police officer. The state limits in terms of possession works as follows:
1.    6 plants – 3 mature, 3 in vegetative stage
2.    2 ounces of useable marijuana
If in any case you violate this law you could be restricted from the Colorado Medical Marijuana program for one year. You can avoid any legal repercussions by simply maintaining a low profile. This means no driving while under the influence or public display of any kind, it is still considered illegal.
The best option for patients would be to grow their own medicine or have a caregiver do it for them. The dispensaries in Colorado are not regulated by the state and thus can be different based on county or municipality. In Colorado even minors can be marijuana patients if they have parental consent.
The concept of Medical Marijuana was whole fully accepted by the state of Colorado and it might be the case this year that Marijuana becomes a legal substance for all adults over twenty one. This new law will usher in the age of Commercial and Industrial Cannabis which is a completely different aspect than Medical Marijuana, mainly due to the strict medical standards in terms of cultivating, harvesting and packaging Medical Marijuana.

All you want to know about Arizona Medical Marijuana

The Arizona Medical Marijuana system is said to be one of the toughest in the country. Only recently did Arizona allow dispensaries to be opened, before there were no marijuana dispensaries in Arizona. This begs the question as to “how patients obtain marijuana in Arizona?” Well the answer is quite simple, the Arizona Medical Marijuana system stipulates that patients can obtain marijuana from “cannabis clubs” or “caregivers”.
In May they began the application process for dispensaries but it only lasted for a short period of time limiting the possibilities of many dispensaries. Currently the system is going to integrate the dispensary system into their current medical marijuana program.
Under the Arizona Medical Marijuana system patients still need to get a Marijuana card to opt in for both of these services. It seems that Arizona Marijuana laws are becoming less strict and more accepting to the industry. They have experimented with the program and found no real negative social impact as is claimed by the Federal Government. With the new dispensaries in operation one can expect the Medical Marijuana program to rapidly expand in Arizona.
It still is imperative to understand what you can and cannot do under the Arizona Medical Marijuana system to avoid any legal repercussions. Patients can have up to 2.5 ounces of Marijuana without breaking the law. A patient or a caregiver can have up to twelve plants but it must be in an enclosed environment. Patients and caregivers cannot have a prior drug related offence and must sign a statement saying that they will not sell any marijuana to anyone. On the plus side patients can exchange Marijuana as long as it doesn’t exceed 2.5 ounces.
In other words, you have to carry a lot of marijuana to be found guilty of a felony, much more than a patient requires. In fact if you are on the move you would require no more than three grams at a time which is well under legal limits.
If you are found guilty for any offense related to breaking Arizona Marijuana laws, you could be convicted of a minimum four month prison sentence up to twelve years depending on the offense. Also a minimum of $750 or the equivalent of the drug offense will be fined.
If you are a patient suffering from a disease that is treatable with Marijuana, you can opt into the Arizona Medical Marijuana program by seeing a physician today. If your physician finds that you qualify for the program you will be issued a recommendation and in turn by paying an annual fee you will be granted access.
As more States begin to opt in for the Medical Marijuana programs we can see a massive stigma being lifted from the general public. Soon we can expect new categories emerge within the Marijuana world including; Medical Marijuana, Commercial Marijuana and Industrial Marijuana. Nevertheless the Medical Marijuana programs will on exist even after full scale legalization due to the medical standards that are required when cultivating and harvesting Medicinal Marijuana.

All you want to know about Arizona Medical Marijuana

The Arizona Medical Marijuana system is said to be one of the toughest in the country. Only recently did Arizona allow dispensaries to be opened, before there were no marijuana dispensaries in Arizona. This begs the question as to “how patients obtain marijuana in Arizona?” Well the answer is quite simple, the Arizona Medical Marijuana system stipulates that patients can obtain marijuana from “cannabis clubs” or “caregivers”.
In May they began the application process for dispensaries but it only lasted for a short period of time limiting the possibilities of many dispensaries. Currently the system is going to integrate the dispensary system into their current medical marijuana program.
Under the Arizona Medical Marijuana system patients still need to get a Marijuana card to opt in for both of these services. It seems that Arizona Marijuana laws are becoming less strict and more accepting to the industry. They have experimented with the program and found no real negative social impact as is claimed by the Federal Government. With the new dispensaries in operation one can expect the Medical Marijuana program to rapidly expand in Arizona.
It still is imperative to understand what you can and cannot do under the Arizona Medical Marijuana system to avoid any legal repercussions. Patients can have up to 2.5 ounces of Marijuana without breaking the law. A patient or a caregiver can have up to twelve plants but it must be in an enclosed environment. Patients and caregivers cannot have a prior drug related offence and must sign a statement saying that they will not sell any marijuana to anyone. On the plus side patients can exchange Marijuana as long as it doesn’t exceed 2.5 ounces.
In other words, you have to carry a lot of marijuana to be found guilty of a felony, much more than a patient requires. In fact if you are on the move you would require no more than three grams at a time which is well under legal limits.
If you are found guilty for any offense related to breaking Arizona Marijuana laws, you could be convicted of a minimum four month prison sentence up to twelve years depending on the offense. Also a minimum of $750 or the equivalent of the drug offense will be fined.
If you are a patient suffering from a disease that is treatable with Marijuana, you can opt into the Arizona Medical Marijuana program by seeing a physician today. If your physician finds that you qualify for the program you will be issued a recommendation and in turn by paying an annual fee you will be granted access.
As more States begin to opt in for the Medical Marijuana programs we can see a massive stigma being lifted from the general public. Soon we can expect new categories emerge within the Marijuana world including; Medical Marijuana, Commercial Marijuana and Industrial Marijuana. Nevertheless the Medical Marijuana programs will on exist even after full scale legalization due to the medical standards that are required when cultivating and harvesting Medicinal Marijuana.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Hawaii Medical Marijuana program details

The Hawaii Medical Marijuana program was first passed into law in January 2000. Under this program qualified patients have the right to grow and consume cannabis for a wide array of diseases.
The system of Medical Marijuana is one of the most lenient in the country and even has statues protecting patients when they have more than the legal limit of cannabis by claiming that it is for “medical necessities”. These Medical necessities could be range from a wide list of things, the most prominent being to create essential hemp oils. You require roughly 1 pound of optimum cannabis to produce two to three ounces of essential hemp oils.
The process of obtaining a Medical Marijuana card under the Hawaii Medical Marijuana program is very similar to that of California. In essence all you need is to have a registered physician’s recommendation and to pay an annual fee and you’ll have access to the dispensaries in the area. Patients also have the right to grow their own medication as well as registered caregivers in order to facilitate the process of obtaining their medicine even further.
A patient qualifies for a Medical Marijuana card due to having a disease or chronic impairment, or any other serious disease such as; Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Glaucoma, MS, Anxiety disorders and much more. Patients who also have adverse effects to pharmaceutical medication can also qualify for the Hawaii Medical Marijuana program.
The current system has been in operation for twelve years and has proven that the Medical Marijuana programs all across the United States is working and not doing what the Federal Government feared would happen. In fact in states such as California drunk driving statistics went down significantly and other social impacts lean more towards the positive side of the spectrum. As more and more states begin to legalize cannabis for medical purposes, the stigma and taboo of Marijuana is slowly lifting once more. States like Hawaii, California, Washington, Colorado and more created an industry that proved to be socially responsible and very lucrative.
The Hawaii Medical Marijuana program has served hundreds of patients and supplied them with their much needed medication. It has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt the medicinal value in marijuana and continues to do so, on a daily basis. Many studies indicate the beneficial qualities of Marijuana. With the discovery of the Endocannabinoid system and the relation to the lymphatic system, Marijuana is becoming a more important medicine daily. In essence Marijuana helps boost the immune system and maintains organ functioning properly.
As more of these discoveries are made, people are realizing the importance of the plant within society. The Legalization movement is gaining quick grounds and soon will open doors to new realms within the broad term of Marijuana. One can expect commercial cannabis and Industrial Hemp to come into the picture. Patients need not worry about the Medical Marijuana program. Even in a full scale legalization effort, supplying marijuana to the needs of patients is a medical process and must maintain strain purity and consistency, thus the need for Medical Marijuana remains.

Can you apply for DC Medical Marijuana?

It’s quite strange that the District of Columbia houses the very government that maintains Marijuana prohibition, but at the same time have a DC Medical Marijuana program where qualified patients can obtain Marijuana as a medicine without facing any legal repercussions. It was only in May of 2012 that DC adopted a Medical Marijuana Program and as of now only have 4 dispensaries within the District.
The DC Medical Marijuana program has had its hitches along the way with slow marijuana card licensing, distribution and pretty much setting up the infrastructure. The process of implementing a new system takes time and most patients accepted the delay. As of now patients cannot register at the health department as of yet, but soon will be able to and will be directed to a registered physician. The physician will administer a physical examination, check over your medical history and in if you qualify will write you a recommendation. Sub sequentially you will have to pay an annual fee and wait for the Department of Health to issue the license. Once you have obtained the Medical Marijuana license you will have access to the four dispensaries located within the District of Columbia. It might still take several more months before this system is operational.
Patients that have previous criminal records, especially drug related charges, are not eligible for the DC Medical Marijuana program. Also if you are to break any of the legal requirements of the Medical Marijuana system you could be liable for criminal processing and a restricted from enrolling in the program in the future.
Unlike other states, DC doesn’t allow the patient to grow his or her own medicine. This responsibility lies solely on dispensaries and caregivers. A caregiver must also obtain a license to grow and will be instructed on how many plants he/she may grow. A patient is allowed up to two ounces of consumable marijuana without facing any criminal repercussions.
The DC Medical Marijuana program is still very young, even though the bill was passed nearly two years ago. Nonetheless we can see that the initiative behind the legalization of Medicinal Cannabis is even ringing in the District and is beginning to provide a safe access for patients in need of Cannabis. It still has a while to go before working out all the “bugs” within the program, but at least patients residing in the District of Columbia will soon be able to take advantage of the benefits of the program.
As more states continue to adopt this system the taboo behind cannabis is being lifted. People are realizing that Marijuana is not as “evil” as prohibitionists claim. In fact studies show the exact opposite; Marijuana provides benefit to people. As these positive trends continue we can expect to see new divisions within the world of cannabis; Medical Cannabis, Commercial Cannabis and Industrial Hemp. These would be the main three subdivisions within a fully legal Marijuana system. Medical Marijuana would always have a place due to the high standards in cultivation, harvesting, curing and maintaining consistency in regards to potency.