Illegal Grow Ops in Humboldt Being Targeted for Environmental Harm
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Illegal Grow Ops in Humboldt Being Targeted for Environmental Harm

We recently released an article about how marijuana arrests are still a significant thing in the state of California. Despite medical marijuana being legal since 1996 and a very lenient regulation system surrounding it, it is not stopping the state or the national forest service from spending money to crack down on marijuana grows. Humboldt County has long been known for the delectable cannabis grown on its land and still to this day it is estimated that over 25% of the local economy stems from marijuana.
USA Today recently rode along with a team hired to go air bound and locate illegal cannabis grows in the area, many of which are located deep inside unpopulated parts of national forests. Many of the illegal grows that they are targeting are causing detrimental harm to the environment through deforestation and dumping fertilizer rich waste into rivers. Unfortunately, the large amounts of unpopulated areas in Humboldt county is a mecca for cultivators.
Due to the very lax and highly unregulated “legal” market in the state, it is hard for law enforcement to truly be able to target illegal grows thus they are starting to utilize environmental laws rather than criminal laws surrounding cannabis to come down on these harmful operations. A lot of the operations that are found in violation of environmental laws are illegal operations with plans to distribute cannabis illegally out of state rather than legally to the California medical marijuana industry.
This is a downside to the fact that prohibition is still highly in effect across the nation. If the prohibition of cannabis were to be eradicated like it should be, people could simply grow at home and essentially over a short period of time it would force out the mass majority of the black market. If people did not have to grow in fear, chances are their methods of cultivation would leave little to no harmful footprint on the environment.
The majority of the grows being targeted in California currently are all about money and they have had a significant negative impact on small family farms that have been thriving in the area for decades which are passionate about the land as well as the art of cultivating high-quality medicine. The Humboldt County government would like to see any illegal growers currently in the area transition into the legal market, however, they know that not all of the cultivators on their land want to thus the continued efforts to flush them out before they do more damage to the environment.
images: usatoday

European Cannabis News Update
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European Cannabis News Update – The Highs and Lows

It seems that the news coming out of America pertaining to cannabis is quite abundant. Things, however, are quite different in Europe. This does not mean that there isn’t any news surrounding cannabis coming from Europe. In fact, there have been several recent updates. Let’s take a look at some of the recent developments with cannabis in Europe.
CROATIA: Back in October of 2015, Croatia decided to soften the relevant legislation and legalized cannabis for medical use. This made them the very first country in the Balkans to permit legal access to medical cannabis for patients who suffer from serious illnesses. The purchase of marijuana, however can only be made legally from pharmacies. The Croatia government has partnered with a Canadian company to import its products to Croatia for distribution. Patients will have access to two varieties of liquid capsules that contain the active medicinal ingredients found in cannabis. This shows great progress as this will be the first export of Canadian cannabis. It is a big step for Croatia. The health ministry warned that it remains illegal to grow marijuana and that medical marijuana can only be legally prescribed by doctors.
ITALY: Recently the Italian government made a decision to update their draconian cannabis laws including ones that could have prosecuted scientists that worked in labs that performed medical marijuana research. The recent changes to the law now prevent this kind of situation from occurring. This was a good start, however, it did not do much for patients who utilize cannabis as a medicine. On July 25th, legislation was presented in Italy’s lower house that proposes the legalization of cannabis as well as a distribution system. Italy’s Parliament will continue debating other cannabis-friendly legal reforms and will also discuss adult-use. Politicians will have to decide if the bill will pass through to the upper house for a final approval.  Senator and Deputy Foreign Minister Benedetto Della Vedova, expressed his support openly for both cannabis legalization and the parliamentary group(Intergruppo Cannabis Legale) that supports more cannabis friendly policies.
GERMANY: Germany is the biggest country in Europe and every change in German Cannabis policy has a big impact in the European Union. Germany’s Minister of Health, Hermann Groehe, announced that next year the country will start a medical cannabis program. With Germany being the biggest country in Europe, this also means that they will be home to the largest population of individuals who would benefit from legalization. For many years, the Netherlands has been the primary source for German patients to obtain cannabis. As Cannabis has become more popular over the last few years, the Netherlands can no longer guarantee that they can keep up with the demand going forward. Also, the German population has realized that the cost would be cheaper for them if they built their own supply chain. They plan to cultivate and produce their own medicinal marijuana and the cost for the patients’ treatment is expected to be covered by their insurance companies. German Justice plays a catalytic role in these changes. Just recently the German Court ruled that a seriously ill man has the right to grow his own medical marijuana when he asked for his right to be confirmed. The German Federal Administrative Court (the highest court in the German justice system) made a landmark decision(one that cannot be appealed or overturned) and ruled in favor of a multiple sclerosis patient’s rights to cultivate their own cannabis at home for medical purposes.
ENGLAND: A few months before the infamous Brexit occurred, there was a big debate on whether the policy of the country should change to be softer than it was. A grassroots movement campaigned for that change and managed to collect more than 200,000 signatures for a petition requesting a more cannabis friendly legal framework. As with every debate, all the opinions were heard. Some studies performed by the Institute for Social and Economical Research made predictions that a legal cannabis market would cut the UK deficit by £1.25 billion. The government seemed to realize the economic aspect of the issue and that legalization could mean huge profits during these difficult times of economic crisis.  Despite the fact that the debate surrounding legalization is still pending in England, events such as the Product Earth Expo are showing promise for the future.
Unfortunately, we cannot report that things are equally promising in France.
FRANCE: Although France wants to be known as a liberal and free country, when it comes to Cannabis, the laws are very strict. Cannabis use has been illegal in the country since 1970. Even the smallest of amounts are punishable by one year in prison and a $4,200 fine. In a recent interview, the socialist minister Jean-Marie Le Guen stated that “prohibition had not caused drug use to fall”, and members of his party expressed their disappointment and called decriminalization “a bad idea.” The one and only medical cannabis product that was supposed to be legally available in the country since January of 2014, is still not available for those who need it. Many individuals speculate that the reason why stems directly to the French alcohol industry as they see cannabis as a threat, just like the alcohol industry in the U.S.

Court Rules In Favor Of The Motorist Pulled Over In Kansas With CO Tags
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Court Rules in Favor of the Motorist Pulled Over in Kansas with CO Tags

In December of 2011, a gentleman by the name of Peter Vasquez was pulled over on a Kansas highway while traveling alone at night, away from his home state of Colorado. He was pulled over and his car was searched based on the justification that he was traveling from a state that was known for being a “drug source” simply because marijuana is legal in Colorado. The search yielded absolutely no illegal substances and he was let go. The situation did not end there, though. Just recently the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled that the two Highway Patrol officers from Kansas that pulled Peter over, had indeed violated his constitutional rights. This ruling changes the law and it now states that officers are no longer able to pull over motorists in the state of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah on the basis of their license plate originating from a legal cannabis state.
This violation of Peter’s constitutional rights is obvious and it is great to see that the court agreed. The situation that occurred with Peter luckily brought into light how police feel they can utilize their badge to do as they wish. When police officers go through training and are hired to a squad, they take an oath to protect and serve the members of their community. Pulling over a motorist on a highway such as Peter Vasquez simply because his license plates were from a state that allows its residents to have legal access to a safe natural medication and safer recreational choice than alcohol, is not protecting and serving. It is in the basic form nothing other than harassment.
The case of Peter Vasquez is not just an isolated incident either. There have been numerous reports of motorists from CO being detained and their cars being searched based only on the premises that they had CO license plates. Take for example 70-year-old Darien Roseen. Darien owns a home in CO and in Washington State. While traveling through Idaho going between his homes, Darien started being tailed by Idaho State Trooper Justin Klitch. Mr. Roseen started to feel uncomfortable as the Trooper continued following him, so he decided to pull into a rest area. This is when Trooper Klitch detained Darien.
His reasoning was that Roseen had failed to use a signal and had tapped the curb when pulling into the parking spot at the rest area. The real reason though was quickly apparent after the officer immediately accused him of “having something in his vehicle that he should not have,” simply because he had CO plates and was a licensed medical marijuana card holder. This is when Roseen consented to a search and was detained in the back of a cruiser and taken to the local sheriff’s dept while another officer drove his car to the station and the car was searched entirely. The search of course returned absolutely no marijuana and he was later let go without another mention of the traffic infractions he had originally been detained for.
Hopefully as time progresses this type of harassment will naturally go away as more states choose to follow in the footsteps of Colorado and legalize responsible adult use of cannabis.
image: wikimedia

CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Marijuana News, Medical by

Spray Away Arthritis, Depression, and Anxiety with the MediPen

Do you suffer from depression, anxiety, or even arthritis? If so then you know that the medications used to treat these conditions come with many dangerous side effects. These side effects are different for everyone and some can be rather severe. When it comes to treating these conditions, what would you say if I told you they’re working on a way to spray away these problems? Well, this is just what’s happening at an NHS facility in Cardiff.

Studies that have focused on CBD research have become more common over the past few years. Thanks to the information being learned by doctors and scientists, people are starting to finally see the benefits that cannabis has to offer beyond recreational smoking. This cannabis-based spray which does not contain THC is in the works to help treat conditions including anxiety, arthritis, and depression. In an essence, you would be able to spray away these problems. It may sound like a magical potion, but this is very much a reality. Patients around the world are finding a multitude of benefits from consuming CBD.

Approximately 2 years ago a cannabis-based drug was approved in Wales, making them the first UK Nation to legalize access to this cannabis-based drug, but only to those with multiple sclerosis. The new drug does not contain THC and has no psychoactive effects associated with it. Instead, it contains CBD or cannabidiol. It is vaporized in an electronic pen device that looks much like an e-cigarette called MediPen. The MediPen will be available for sales online for as little as £50 and is available in 17 different flavors total. All cannabis plants utilized in the CBD product within the MediPen are grown in the Netherlands to the highest of quality, and bred specifically for a maximum CBD content.

When it comes to cannabis and cannabis-based drug research in the United Kingdom, it is not an area that is taken lightly. Both Cardiff and Vale University Health Board are intensely studying the effects of cannabidiol but have very strict guidelines and stringent processes in surrounding how these studies are conducted. MediPen aims to help change the perception the public has towards cannabis by working hand-in-hand conducting tests with the assistance of the NHS. By focusing on CBD and the amazing amount of health attributes associated with it, companies in the UK just may have a way one day for you to spray away arthritis, anxiety or depression.

New Study Shows Women May Not Receive The Same Analgesic Effects From Cannabis As Men
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New Study Shows Women May Not Receive the Same Analgesic Effects from Cannabis as Men

A new study performed by the Columbia University Medical Center shows that cannabis may be more effective at relieving pain for males than females. Most cannabis-based studies so far have been performed on animals rather than humans thus the information that we have can only be taken with a grain of salt until more studies are done including human-based trials.
The recent study performed by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Canter was conducted on 42 human subjects who classified as regular consumers of cannabis. The study was focused on observing the difference in potential pain-relieving effects of cannabis on male vs female patients. 21 men and 21 women participated in the study. The placebo-based trial required the participants to smoke marijuana (some smoked marijuana with THC while others were given a placebo form without THC) and then they immediately participated in a pain response test. The study showed that the pain felt by males was significantly lower than the pain felt by females despite the fact that women have a much higher overall tolerance to pain.
According to the researchers who performed the study, “These results indicate that in cannabis smokers, men exhibit greater cannabis induced analgesia relative to women.” They also feel that this study warrants the need for more in-depth research regarding gender-specific benefits that cannabis may offer. Luckily a recent decision by the federal government is going to allow for more research to be performed. Hopefully, over the course of the next few months and years, we will start to see a seen an influx in the amount of human based cannabis trials being performed.
While the study performed by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center may have been human based it can also only be taken with a grain of salt as there are several different factors that could have influenced the results on this very small group of participants. Some of the factors that play a big part in the results of a study such as this include the participant’s tolerance to cannabis, the potency of the cannabis being utilized, the balance of cannabinoids within the cannabis being consumed and even factors such as the consumption method itself can all have effects on the outcome. What we can take from the results of this study is there is definitely a significant need for further research to be performed to allow us to truly understand the best ways to utilize cannabis for the medical benefits that it provides.
image: BigStock

Responsible Use Denver Submits Signatures to Put Initiative on Novembers Ballot
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Responsible Use Denver Submits Signatures to Put Initiative on November's Ballot

You can go into just about any town in America and locate a bar. Every day around 5 o’clock you can watch as people flock to these taverns to go in and enjoy a few cocktails to unwind from their day. You can also open up the news almost every day and find a story about how a drunk driver caused an accident which ended up taking the life of an innocent person. In states such as Colorado, Washington, and Oregon where cannabis consumers can purchase marijuana you will not find cannabis clubs where people can partake in a toke from a joint with friends to unwind from their day and that is a sad fact.
Science has shown that alcohol is significantly more dangerous than cannabis and it has also proven that alcohol drastically impairs your ability to drive whereas cannabis has little to no effect on an individual’s driving capabilities. One group in Denver Colorado is looking to change this and recently submitted over 8,000 signatures to be approved in hopes of putting their initiative on this November’s ballot.
Responsible Use Denver had the language of their initiative approved earlier this year and the team of 20 activists have been tirelessly working to obtain enough qualifying signatures to allow the residents in the city to vote on their initiative this fall. The initiative introduced by Responsible Use Denver aims to legalize the inception of private cannabis clubs where adults over the age of 21 can become a member and have a place to socialize with like-minded people while enjoying a toke.
The initiative put forth by Responsible Use Denver would allow for individuals over the age of 21 to apply for licensing to open a Private Cannabis Club. The stipulations include but are not limited to the following;

  • Applicants must be over the age of 21.
  • Private Cannabis Clubs can’t exist on the same premises as a bar or restaurant.
  • Private Cannabis Clubs can only be accessed by members that are 21 years of age or older.
  • Private Cannabis Clubs will not sell, distribute, or manufacture cannabis or marijuana-based products on their premises.
  • All consumption must take place in an enclosed area that is ventilated separately from any other existing areas.
  • Premises must be clearly marked with signage that notes the area can only be accessed by adults over the age of 21 and that the business is a Private Cannabis Club where cannabis may be consumed.

image credit: facebook.com/responsibleusedenver

Great Interest Is Being Shown In Oregon Retail Marijuana Market
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Great Interest is Being Shown in Oregon's Retail Marijuana Market

In 2014 voters in the state of Oregon voted yes on measure 91 to legalize recreational marijuana for individuals over the age of 21. With an existing medical marijuana program already in place, medical marijuana dispensaries were able to open their doors for retail sales on on October 1st, 2015. The move to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to cater to retail consumers was taken to allow time for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees the recreational market in the state, to properly implement a retail industry. Retail marijuana dispensaries are set to open their doors on October 1st of 2016.
Over the last few months, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission has received over 1,300 recreational cannabis related business applications. At this time Oregon has not implemented a cap on how many recreational facilities can be implemented in the state. So far they have approved almost 200 licenses with the majority of them being granted to cultivators. Many applications have been delayed as they have either been incomplete or there has been questionable logistics surrounding applications for outdoor cultivation.
With the process of approval taking between 45 and 60 days any medical marijuana dispensaries that are hoping to transition into the recreational market are urged to get their applications submitted immediately as they only have until the end of the year. On October 1st of 2015 when medical marijuana dispensaries were allowed to open their doors for retail consumers no taxes were being applied to recreational sales. This did, however, change on January 1st when Oregon implemented a 25% sales tax on all retail cannabis sells. This retail cannabis tax is expected to decrease to 17% once the Oregon Liquor Control Commission takes control over retail sales this fall.
Oregon offers many benefits for retail cannabis consumers. Unlike many other states where cannabis is legal for recreational purposes, Oregon offers cannabis social clubs where cannabis consumers can socialize with like-minded individuals. This is not something you currently see in states such as Colorado, which pioneered recreational cannabis legalization in the United States. If you are a resident of the state you are allowed to cultivate a small number of cannabis plants for personal use which is something that is not legal next door in Washington state. Oregon also offers many spectacular natural landscapes including mountains and oceans which are loved by individuals throughout the cannabis community.
If you are looking to move to a state where you can blaze and not worry about going to jail or if you are looking to open a retail cannabis business, Oregon would be a great place to check out as the market is set to grow expeditiously in the state in the coming years.
image credit: BigStock

Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opened This Week In FL
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Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opened This Week in FL

The Sunshine State AKA Florida has experienced a considerable loss in their tourism dollars and is also seeing a decrease in the number of snowbirds that are flocking to the state. The loss of tourism and number of residents who live in the Sunshine State during the winter months is in large part contributed to cannabis legalization in states such as Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. Many tourists are choosing to go to one of these states to spend their vacation time as well as their hard-earned dollars.

Elderly who retire to Florida are changing their tune and heading to rec pot states. They are finding that cannabis is cheaper than their prescription drugs and offers them a healthier lifestyle. Florida has faced issues with trying to legalize cannabis for many years now. With corrupt politicians and special private interest groups controlling the outcome along the way, there has been one blockade after another when it comes to having safe legal access to medical cannabis in the state of Florida. Luckily there is somewhat of a system in place, but it is only benefiting a small handful of individuals.

In April of 2016, Governor Scott signed HB 307 allowing entities to be implemented that are licensed to dispense medical cannabis to patients who qualify based on terminal status. In July of 2016, the doors to the first dispensary opened in Tallahassee and has been providing medicinal marijuana to qualifying patients since. Trulieve which is a part of George Hackney, Inc. was thrilled to be the first entity in the state to supply medicinal marijuana and were even more thrilled when they opened the doors to their second dispensary on Thursday.

The newest location can be found at 24761 US Highway 19N #630 in Clearwater, Florida. Trulieve offers both low THC and high THC cannabis products at their locations and they provide delivery services statewide to qualifying patients. Trulieve is expected to open more locations before the end of the year.

Now that Trulieve has opened its doors in Clearwater, qualifying patients in the area can finally start getting some relief by utilizing a safe all natural plant. Pharmaceutical drugs and prescription drugs alone account for more deaths than cocaine and heroin combined in the United States. Both intentional overdoses and accidental overdoses have been on the rise continually with no sign of relief in sight.
That was until cannabis became legal in the state of Colorado. Statistics have shown that overdose rates from prescription drugs have dropped by 25% or more since cannabis was made legal on a recreationally or retail basis. Other states are starting to see similar results and Florida could stand to use some of these results themselves. The Sunshine State also has considerable problems with heroin, cocaine, and pills.
Being that they are right on the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean it makes them a major port for drug trafficking. By allowing safe access to medical cannabis in the state of Florida many people could see a higher quality of life. We can only hope that this November, residents will be able to vote for a more comprehensive and helpful medical marijuana program that includes all the patients that could benefit from cannabis, not just those who are terminally ill.
image credit: wikimedia

Snoop Dogg and NFL
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Snoop Dogg Isn't Playing Around When it Comes to the NFL

Snoop Dogg is one who is always known for speaking his mind when it’s needed most. There has been an ongoing debate over the last several years regarding whether or not NFL players should be able to utilize marijuana. Despite the NFL’s lack of policy change for players regarding cannabis, one of their recent decisions has Snoop blazingly pissed off. After hearing that the NFL made a decision to allow NFL players to own guns and even went as far as to add gun responsibility to their player conduct training, he went to Instagram to let the NFL know just what he thought about it. 
Anyone who has common knowledge regarding cannabis knows that NFL players could benefit substantially from being able to utilize marijuana for medicinal purposes. For some reason, the NFL thinks that players owning guns is more important than them being able to utilize a natural plant for medical applications. Snoop Dogg was also quick to point out that NFL players are already a little wired up and how cannabis can help ease their agitation.
In the past few years, there have been several NFL players including  Eugene Monroe and Ricky Williams that have come out of the cannabis closet and started to speak up for the players in the league regarding just how beneficial marijuana can be.
Eugene Monroe is reportedly the first active NFL player to have ever openly campaigned for legalizing the consumption of medical marijuana. Unfortunately after spending an off-season advocating for medical marijuana and spreading knowledge about how NFL players could benefit from cannabis, he was released from his position as an offensive tackle with The Ravens. Despite being released from the team, Eugene has no plans of stopping and has vowed to continue advocating until the league accepts “medical cannabis as a viable option for pain management.”
Leonard Marshall is former NFL player that is also speaking up about the benefits that players both in the league and retired can gain from cannabis. Being a former linesman for the NY Giants, Leonard knows firsthand the injuries that can come along with being a part of the league. Unfortunately, he also knows about just how quick an injury can turn into an addiction to opiates. This is why the former linesman is now advocating for the NFL to remove cannabis from their list of banned substances. He is also urging the league to invest money into research surrounding how cannabis can help combat traumatic brain injuries which are suffered by many players throughout the NFL.
If you would like to check out the original NSFW video posted on Instagram by Snoop, you can find it here.

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Thousands of Californians are Being Arrested for Cannabis Each Year

Despite the fact that Californians voted to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 and reduced the consequences of possessing small amounts of marijuana to be a minor nonarrestable infraction back in 2011, there have still been thousands of cannabis-related arrests made in the state in the past 10 years. According to a report released by the Drug Policy Alliance, there were almost a half million marijuana arrests made in the state in the past decade. In 2015 alone there were almost 9,000 felony arrests for cannabis.
In between 2006 and 2015, there were 465,873 cannabis-related arrests in the state including felony and misdemeanor charges. During this period of time, there were roughly 14,000 marijuana felony arrests made each year. Misdemeanor charges related to cannabis averaged at around 70,000 per year between 2006 and 2011 when a joint could land you a charge rather than a ticket. After the changes in 2011, cannabis related misdemeanor arrests dropped significantly to just over 20,000 and in 2015, this number dropped again to just over 17,000 which is something worth celebrating.
Unfortunately, when looking at the statistics surrounding who accounts for the majority of these arrests it is disheartening to see that minorities still make up the majority of the arrests despite the fact that individuals in the Caucasian, African-American, and Latino communities use and sell cannabis at about the same rates. According to the statistics in the report released by the DPA, African Americans are twice as likely to be arrested for a marijuana misdemeanor and 5 times more likely to be arrested for a felony charge than Caucasians. The report also showed that Latinos are 26% more likely to be arrested for a cannabis related felony charge than Caucasians.
Another statistic that is equally disheartening is the fact that as of 2015 individuals under the age of 18 accounted for two-thirds of the misdemeanor marijuana related arrests in the states. This is a substantial increase from 2011 when this demographic only accounted for one-third of misdemeanor marijuana arrests.
Californians are set to vote on retail cannabis legalization this November. If Proposition 64 passes, you can expect to see the number of misdemeanors and felony charges drop significantly as it would legalize many of the activities that individuals are still being arrested for today such as possessing cannabis concentrates, giving ganja to others, and cultivating a few plants for personal use.
Will it fix the racial disparities that are so widely evident throughout California as well as prohibition and legal states? Probably not unfortunately and this is why the war on drugs needs to be ended immediately. Until that happens cannabis will be just one more way they are trying to divide us all.
Image Credit Stock Photo/pow420