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  • Medical Marijuana Use For Autism Approved By Colorado Governor

    Medical Marijuana Use For Autism Approved By Colorado Governor

    The monumental new law was approved on World Autism Day.

    Autism spectrum disorder has been added to the list of disabling conditions that may be treated with medical marijuana in the state of Colorado.

    High Times reported that Governor Jared Polis signed a house bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana for the treatment of autism last Tuesday (April 2); House Bill 1028 had initially passed the Centennial State’s House and Senate in 2018, but was rejected by Polis’ predecessor, John Hickenlooper, who cited a lack of support from pediatricians and certain autism groups as the root of his decision.

    A young person may become a medical marijuana patient if they are diagnosed with a disabling medical condition by two physicians.

    The bill’s passed the House unanimously on February 7.

    Parental groups who advocated for the bill say that the outcome was worth the long wait. “This passage happened for a reason,” said Michelle Walker of Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism. “Because with 1028, we were able to ensure that individuals with autism and autistic people would have access, whereas the previous program created would have restricted access. Now, we’ve expanded access.”

    Currently, nine states including Colorado, and Puerto Rico, include autism as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana treatment. Five other states, including California and Massachusetts, as well as Washington, D.C., are regarded as “autism friendly,” because they allow doctors to use their own discretion when recommending marijuana for debilitating conditions.

    Though opinions vary as to the effectiveness of cannabis for autism, families have reported seeing positive results in their autistic children after using medical marijuana.

    Medical professionals have often cited the lack of a large clinical trial that could determine the effectiveness and safety of using marijuana to treat children with autism.

    Trials have taken place in Israel and Chile, and the first large-scale clinical trial in the United States began in 2018. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the trial will examine whether a cannabis-based compound called CBDV is effective in treating aspects of autism spectrum disorder. It is expected to be completed in 2021.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Michigan Grapples With Marijuana Licensing

    Michigan Grapples With Marijuana Licensing

    Michigan has been slow to give out business licenses to sell marijuana.

    A judge in Michigan ruled this week that the state could not shut down marijuana retailers while they await a review of their application for a license to sell marijuana.

    The ruling highlights the latest in a series of hurdles facing states in the process of setting up a retail marijuana market. In Michigan, which became the first midwestern state to legalize recreational cannabis last November, marijuana business owners have complained about the state’s slow approval process. 

    Because the state has been slow to give out licenses, dispensaries have been allowed to remain open while their applications were reviewed, according to the Detroit Metro Times.

    There had been a deadline of March 31, but on Thursday (March 28) a judge from the Michigan Court of Claims barred the state from shutting down the shops. 

    “Until further order of the court, [The Bureau of Marijuana Regulation] will maintain the status quo and not enforce the March 31 deadline with respect to both temporary operating facilities and caregiver products,” said David Harns, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

    Even though Michigan legalized marijuana, the slow pace of setting up its legal market has allowed illegal sales to continue to thrive. Not to mention the steep cost of obtaining a license to sell marijuana—which includes a $6,000 application fee and $66,000 a year for the license.

    The state has struggled to license enough dispensaries to keep up with demand, Harns said in February. 

    “We are focused on moving ahead by setting [a] regulatory framework to help create an industry in which licensed businesses can be successful,” he said. “We are constantly in contact with stakeholders, licensed operators and applicants to get a better understanding of how the regulatory environment affects them.”

    Michigan isn’t the only state that has legalized marijuana only to grapple with licensing issues.

    In March, the Sacramento Bee reported that California officials had approved only a fraction of its total applications received. The state gave out temporary licenses as a way to keep the legal market going despite the slow approval process.

    However, those temporary licenses are set to expire in the coming months and California has yet to approve enough permanent licensing to support the legal cannabis industry. 

    “This is the worst way to transition a multibillion-dollar agricultural crop, which employs thousands of Californians. Without legal licenses, there isn’t a legal, regulated market in California,” said State Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat who sponsored a bill to extend the validity of temporary licenses. 

    McGuire added, “In a time where the Golden State is working overtime to bring the cannabis industry out of the black market and into the light of a legal regulatory environment, we can’t afford to let good actors who want to comply with state law fall out of our regulated market just because timelines are too short and departments have been unable to process applications in time due to the sheer number of applications.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Florida Ends Medical Marijuana Smoking Ban

    Florida Ends Medical Marijuana Smoking Ban

    “It’s a triumph owed to the relentless advocacy of Floridians who refused to be silenced,” said the state’s Agriculture Commissioner.

    Nearly two years after the state approved a medical marijuana program, officials in Florida have made it possible for people to smoke medical marijuana by lifting a ban on selling marijuana buds in the state. 

    Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill that removed the ban on Monday (March 18). He had been pushing for the legislature to pass such a law that would lift the ban, after a court in Florida ruled that prohibiting smokable medical marijuana violated the state’s constitution, which was amended to allow medical marijuana use. 

    “Over 70% of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016,” DeSantis tweeted last Monday. “I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld.”

    Because of the change to state law, Florida will not appeal the court ruling, DeSantis said. 

    “Now that we have honored our duty to find a legislative solution, I have honored my commitment and filed a joint motion to dismiss the state’s appeal and to vacate the lower court decision which had held the prior law to be unconstitutional,” he tweeted. 

    Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a statement reported by CBS News that the removal of the ban was a victory for voters who had come out in favor of medical marijuana.

    “It’s a triumph owed to the relentless advocacy of Floridians who refused to be silenced,” said Fried. “Our state must not disregard the voice of its people—when the people’s will is nullified by those with authority, liberty cannot survive.”

    The law takes effect immediately, but in practice it will take time for the Florida health department to set standards for prescribing smokable marijuana, so there could be a delay for patients, CBS reported.

    With the new law, medical marijuana patients who are older than 18 will be able to access 2.5 ounces of marijuana every 35 days. 

    Yet, by Thursday, at least one medical marijuana patient in Florida was able to purchase marijuana flower, according to Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, the dispensary that made the first sale. 

    “Offering these whole flower products to our patients in their purest, most-effective form is something we—and patients—have been looking forward to since we opened the doors of the state’s first dispensary,” Rivers said in a statement, reported by The Orlando Sentinel. 

    Doug Dixon, 59, was the first patient to make a legal smokable marijuana purchase in the state.

    “I didn’t know if I would ever see it in my time,” he said. “But it is good to see it. It is good to have the alternative. These pharmaceuticals are killing people. I have lost so many family members.’’

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • NIDA's Nora Volkow: There's No Evidence That Cannabis Can Treat Opioid Addiction

    NIDA's Nora Volkow: There's No Evidence That Cannabis Can Treat Opioid Addiction

    Volkow says that patients using cannabis for opioid use disorder treatment may be putting themselves at risk of relapse.

    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow has stated that there is no evidence that cannabis use is an effective treatment for opioid use disorders.

    This statement comes as NIDA is planning to assess the possibility of such a treatment, with two or three studies either planned or already underway, according to USA Today. 

    Though Volkow says it’s not impossible that cannabis compounds could help treat addiction to opioids, she stresses that no evidence exists yet.

    Meanwhile, the Maryland General Assembly is currently considering allowing medical marijuana for this purpose, and New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have already passed laws green-lighting cannabis as an acceptable treatment for this growing issue.

    Volkow’s concern is that if cannabis compounds are not effective for treating opioid addiction, then patients being treated in this way are at high risk of relapse, and by extension, overdose and death.

    “If you don’t treat it properly, your risk of dying is quite high,” Volkow said in an interview with USA Today. “My main concern is by basically misinforming potential patients about the supposedly beneficial effects of cannabis, they may forgo a treatment that is lifesaving.”

    Opioid addiction relapse is particularly dangerous due to the fact that opioid tolerance can be drastically reduced by extended periods of non-use. If an individual relapses by going back to the same dose they were using before they quit, there is a greater chance of overdose and death.

    However, there may be some preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of cannabis in treating opioid use disorder. One 2018 study by Beth Wiese of the University of Missouri, St. Louis and Adrianne R. Wilson-Poe of the Washington University School of Medicine reviewed “emerging evidence” of this type of therapy.

    In their conclusion, they wrote that the “compelling nature of these data and the relative safety profile of cannabis warrant further exploration of cannabis as an adjunct or alternative treatment” for opioid addiction.

    For the most part, the only accepted treatments for opioid use disorders are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—which reduce cravings without producing a full-blown high.

    However, access to these medications can be restricted due to price, stigma, lack of education, and regulatory limits. Young people, people of color, and those living in rural communities have the most difficulty accessing this type of treatment.

    Cheryl Glenn, Maryland delegate and sponsor of the Maryland bill to allow cannabis as treatment for opioid use disorder, argues that the situation is too dire to bar people addicted to opioids from any treatment that could be effective.

    The Maryland legislature will soon consider an amendment to Glenn’s bill that would require patients to try other treatments before resorting to cannabis. Glenn currently opposes this amendment, arguing for patient choice in their health care.

    “My mother died from kidney cancer, and no one told the doctor he had to try this medication first, second or third,” she said. “I think the same respect ought to be given when you look at opioid disorders.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Video: Police Search Cancer Patient’s Room For Marijuana

    Video: Police Search Cancer Patient’s Room For Marijuana

    The patient’s partner said that the incident shows how important it is for marijuana laws to protect patients who use it to ease their suffering. 

    A Facebook Live video of police searching the room of a stage IV cancer patient for marijuana has gone viral and sparked a conversation about the rights of terminally ill patients to use cannabis. 

    Nolan Sousley posted the video, which now has more than 9,000 shares. 

    Police were called to the hospital after a security guard reported smelling marijuana from Sousley’s room. Sousley admitted that he took THC capsules in the parking lot, but insisted he had no marijuana in the room. 

    “I had some capsules that had some THC oil in them. I took them outside, in the parking lot. I want to know why it’s a big deal,” Sousley said in the video. 

    He pressed the officers, saying that medical marijuana is going to be legal soon in Missouri, which is rolling out a medical marijuana program that won’t take patients until June. 

    “But then it’s still illegal,” an officer said. 

    “I don’t have time to wait for that,” Sousley said. “What would you do?”

    He asks the officer if he would do anything to save his life.  “Marijuana saved your life?” the officer responds skeptically.&nbsp

    In the video, police searched bags in the room, but Sousley refused to let officers search one bag. 

    “It has my final day things in there, and nobody’s going to dig in it,” Sousley said. “It’s my stuff, it’s my final hour stuff is in that bag. It’s my right to have my final—I’m not digging it down here in front of everybody.” 

    However, after the video ended, one of the police officers went through that bag with Sousley’s permission and did not find any marijuana, according to the Springfield News Leader.

    Sousley’s partner, Amber Kidwell, said that the incident shows how important it is for marijuana laws to protect patients who are using marijuana products to ease their suffering. 

    “It’s huge for us, because it’s a medical thing,” she told WRAL. “It’s a medical cannabis to help him with his life. A better quality of life. Why do we not get that opportunity to give him a better quality of life?”

    Kidwell said that it’s hard enough fighting cancer, without law enforcement rifling through the hospital room. However, she also said that the incident lead to a lot of support. 

    “We’ve had an outpouring of people reaching out for support and love, and through this we’ve had a lot of people reach out… a lot of people have reached out who have cancer also, and hearing their stories has been really important for us. When you get an outreach and outpouring of people telling you their story also… for us, this is a terminally ill patient who should have the right to choose (their own treatment).”

    Sousley said he didn’t want to argue. 

    “Terminal lives matter,” he said. “Love thy neighbor. Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. Give everybody a hug.”

    The police department did not comment, other than to say it had received threats after the video went viral. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Walmart Unfairly Fired Employee For Medical Marijuana Use, Judge Says

    Walmart Unfairly Fired Employee For Medical Marijuana Use, Judge Says

    The judge’s ruling is reportedly the first of its kind in Arizona and may positively impact similar cases in the future.

    A former Walmart employee and medical marijuana patient who was fired after testing positive for THC after a workplace injury has won a wrongful termination suit against the mega-retailer.

    An Arizona judge ruled in favor of Carol Whitmire, who in 2016 was injured while on the job at Walmart. Company policy requires that employees who visit urgent care must submit to a drug test, and Whitmire – who used medical marijuana for shoulder pain and sleep issues – tested positive for cannabis metabolites.

    When Walmart fired Whitmire, she brought a wrongful termination suit against the company, claiming that it had discriminated against her in violation of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA).

    As High Times noted, the judge’s ruling could have a positive impact on similar cases in the future.

    Whitmire had been a Walmart employee at two Arizona locations for about eight years prior to her injury. According to the lawsuit, a bag of ice fell on Whitmire’s wrist in 2016, prompting a visit to urgent care.

    Per Walmart’s policy, Whitmire also underwent a drug test, and informed Walmart’s human resources department that she had been a registered medical marijuana patient for five years.

    As the Phoenix New Times noted, court records showed that Whitmire only used marijuana before bed to treat chronic shoulder pain and as a sleep aid, and never came to work impaired.

    Whitmire’s complaint contended that on July 4, 2016, she was suspended from work as a result of the urine test, and eventually fired on July 22. With the help of the Equal Opportunity Commission and the civil rights division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, she filed a discrimination charge against Walmart, and followed it with a wrongful termination charge which, as the New Times noted, alleged violation of the AMMA, Arizona Civil Rights Act, and the state’s worker compensation law.

    In his ruling, Arizona US District Judge James A. Teilborg granted partial summary judgment to Whitmire in regard to the discrimination claim under the AMMA. The Act notes that it is illegal for an employer to hire or fire based on a “positive drug test for marijuana components or metabolites, unless the patient used, possessed or was impaired by marijuana on the premises of the place of employment or during the hours of employment.” Teilborg denied the claims of discrimination under the civil rights act or worker’s compensation laws. 

    Teilborg also addressed Walmart’s statement about the legality of the charges under the state’s Drug Testing of Employees Act by noting that the testing could not prove that Whitmire was impaired at work or that the presence of metabolites the urine sample could “sufficiently” establish impairment.

    In a statement to the Phoenix New Times, the company wrote that they were “pleased the Court dismissed several of the claims, and we will continue to prepare our case.”

    Whitmire’s lawyer, Joshua Carden, described the ruling as “the first of its kind in Arizona,” and added that the court will decide on damages or possible reinstatement for Whitmire in May 2019.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Florida Reconsiders Ban On Smoking Medical Cannabis

    Florida Reconsiders Ban On Smoking Medical Cannabis

    Governor Ron DeSantis is pressuring lawmakers to repeal the ban after the state lost a court case on the issue.

    Patients in Florida who participate in the state’s medical marijuana program may soon be able to light up, but they may not be able to roll their own joints. 

    This week the Florida House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana, but only from pre-rolled, filtered joints, according to The Orlando Sentinel. 

    Currently Florida does not allow patients to smoke medical marijuana, while it is legal in pill, oil, vape or edible form. Some medical marijuana proponents argue that smoking provides the best therapeutic relief because it draws from all of the cannabis compounds, not just isolated ingredients like CBD or THC.

    John Goodson, a military veteran, says that he has tried other forms of medical marijuana, but they “are not as helpful as the smokable cannabis” for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

    “I have PTSD from Iraq,” he said. “It really shook my nerves to come up here, but it’s by far the most effective drug that I’ve had.”

    However, state officials are concerned that allowing smoking would blur the lines between medical and recreational use of cannabis. 

    Governor Ron DeSantis is pressuring lawmakers to change the medical marijuana statute after the state lost a court case on the issue. The court ruled that the ban on smoking medical marijuana violated the constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana in Florida.

    DeSantis said that he would give lawmakers until March 15 to figure out a solution, or he would drop the state’s appeal of the case, essentially allowing the court’s ruling in favor of smoking marijuana to stand. 

    House Health and Human Services Chairman Ray Rodrigues said that lawmakers are working together to come to a solution in line with the constitution, that also leaves some safeguards in place. 

    “If that [court] decision were to stand, what we would be facing essentially would be the wild, wild west when it comes to using medical marijuana. We believe there should be guardrails around that. That’s why we’ve reconvened and put this bill together moving forward,” said Rodrigues. 

    The state senate has approved a measure that would essentially remove the ban on smoking. Patients would be allowed to buy marijuana, roll their own joints and smoke with paraphernalia they purchase. 

    It’s not clear how the House and Senate measures will ultimately be resolved, but it does appear likely that Florida medical cannabis patients will soon be able to smoke weed in some form.

    “We’ll ultimately find a place to land this,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, who is sponsoring the Senate bill. “I think the March 15 deadline no longer seems out of reach.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Illinois Pain Patients Can Now Swap Opioids For Marijuana

    Illinois Pain Patients Can Now Swap Opioids For Marijuana

    The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program could be a game changer for pain patients in Illinois. 

    Last week, Illinois launched a program that will allow people to get access to legal marijuana to substitute for opioid prescriptions without going through the state’s restrictive medical marijuana program. 

    The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program is said to be the first of its kind. Illinois residents who are 21 or older can get certified from a physician that they have a prescription for opioids, or have a condition that could be treated by opioids. Then, they can access medical marijuana using their state ID. 

    Illinois has a medical marijuana program, but it is very limited and enrolling can be a long, drawn-out process. The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program is meant to bypass delays and help more people deal with pain without opioids, Conny Meuller-Moody, the program’s director, told Rolling Stone.

    “Just halfway through the first day of the launch and we’ve already seen a lot of interest and patients and physicians have successfully registered for the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program. We’re optimistic the program will benefit many Illinois residents and offer them an alternative for managing their pain,” she said. 

    Christine Karhliker, who works at a Chicago-area dispensary, said that patients are excited about the program. 

    “It is a big deal. It’s been a long time coming. Patients have been waiting for this day,” she told Fox 2 News. “I think it’s going to make a difference to the people that don’t want to be on opioids and haven’t been able to break away. It’s going to give them some relief and they’re going to realize I don’t have to have this heavy prescription with all these side effects.”

    Under the program, patients pay $10 to get authorized for 90 days of cannabis use instead of opioid use. They can re-enroll after the initial 90 days, if they would have otherwise received a refill on an opioid prescription. 

    Illinois doctor David Yablonsky said that the medical community is looking forward to the program as well.

    “At least we’ll have an opportunity now as physicians to work with patients to try this instead of these dangerous and potent narcotics, you know opioids,” he said. “I hope it saves lives and that people come in and have a healthy alternative.”

    Sam Dorf, chief growth officer at a Chicago-based marijuana company, said that the program shows that attitudes toward marijuana are changing, particularly in regards to medical use. 

    “With the Opioid Bill, Illinois is at the forefront of recognizing the benefits of cannabis for health and wellness and combatting opioid abuse,” Dorf said. “It will serve as a great pilot program for other states to watch and as they develop their programs.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Colorado Cannabis Bill Aims To Ease Restrictions For Parents

    Colorado Cannabis Bill Aims To Ease Restrictions For Parents

    Parens of children who depend on cannabis-based medications for epilepsy and other medical conditions are championing the new bill. 

    A Colorado bill aims to make it easier for parents of children enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program to get the cannabis-based medications that their children need. 

    According to current state law, children in the medical marijuana program — who are often severely ill — can have only one primary medical marijuana caregiver who is permitted to pick up his or her cannabis medications, according to Westword.com.

    Having to choose just one parent who has this permission can be stressful for families like that of Christine and Matthew Cerrato, whose four-year-old son Ethan uses cannabis to treat epilepsy and other medical conditions. 

    Because their son in so young and medically fragile, the Cerratos need to travel 80 miles to secure his medication, which is not sold locally. This is complicated by the fact that Ethan is often in the hospital: He was there 11 times just last year. 

    “For the first year, I was the caregiver. But when we’d be at the hospital, I couldn’t just leave this small child, who is sick yet also very cognitively aware, with strangers. But on the other side, what else can I do, let him lapse in treatment? There is this really bizarre gap here,” said Christine. Matthew is Ethan’s primary medical marijuana caregiver, so only he can go to the dispensary. 

    “We’ve got other kids and have to take care of groceries and meals. Matt has the availability to go [to the dispensary], but if he’s sick or occupied, he still needs to go, even though I’m totally healthy and able-bodied to do this myself,” Christine said. She pointed out that although their family can manage, other parents find the situation even more complicated to navigate. 

    “But we’re still lucky: We’re part of this gap that is married, in the same home, and Matt’s not traveling for work. We’re able to manage it, but I’ve had friends in the cannabis community go through ugly divorces… . Whatever the parental situation might be, it just doesn’t make sense,” she said. 

    When Christine posted her frustrations on Facebook one night, State Representative Matt Gray answered. After learning more about the issue he introduced the bill to allow both parents to be medical marijuana caregivers. The measure will be considered this week, but Gray says he doesn’t anticipate any opposition. 

    “This is a common-sense idea. The idea that one parent can give their kid medicine and the other can’t is kind of ridiculous,” he said. 

    Christine hopes the strange law changes soon. 

    “We’re all busy. Both of us being able to make Ethan’s purchases just makes things run more smoothly,” she said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • CBS Rejects Medical Marijuana Super Bowl Ad

    CBS Rejects Medical Marijuana Super Bowl Ad

    “It’s a public service announcement really more than it is an advertisement,” said the medical marijuana company’s head of marketing.

    Ahead of this year’s Super Bowl LIII, there’s one industry that’s been shut out of advertising during the big game—medical marijuana. 

    The Super Bowl ad would have been fairly tame, introducing three people who have benefitted from medical marijuana and urging viewers to call their representatives to request changes to cannabis laws. CBS, however, wasn’t having it.  

    “CBS will not be accepting any ads for medical marijuana at this time,” the network told Acreage Holdings, an investment company that’s established in the cannabis industry, according to USA Today. 

    Although medical marijuana programs are legal in 33 states and Washington, D.C., cannabis remains a Schedule I substance that is banned by federal law as well as the rules governing the National Football League. The president of Acreage admitted he wasn’t shocked that the ad was rejected. 

    “We’re not particularly surprised that CBS and/or the NFL rejected the content,” said George Allen, president of Acreage. “And that is actually less a statement about them and more we think a statement about where we stand right now in this country.”

    Acreage has operations in at least 15 states and has high-profile former politicians on its board of advisors, including former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner and former Governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld. Allen said the company is accustomed to navigating inconsistent laws—and attitudes—regarding marijuana. 

    Allen said, “One of the hardest parts about this business is the ambiguity that we operate within. We do the best we can to navigate a complex fabric of state and federal policy, much of which conflicts.”

    The ad—which would have cost Acreage $5.2 million for a 30-second spot—was focused more on advocacy than on sales, said the company’s chief marketing officer. 

    “It’s a public service announcement really more than it is an advertisement,” said Harris Damashek. “We’re not marketing any of our products or retail in this spot.”

    The ad featured three people: a military veteran who used marijuana to cope with pain, a man who was on opioids for 15 years before switching to cannabis, and the mother of a child with a seizure disorder who said that medical marijuana saved her son’s life. 

    Then the words “The time is now” appear, and viewers are urged to call their representatives in Congress. 

    Allen said, “Look, from my third-grade government class, we live in a representative democracy. In theory, our elected officials are supposed to support legislative action that is in keeping with the will of the people.”

    Damashek plans to release the ad online eventually. 

    “It’s not quite ready yet, but we anticipate and look forward to getting the message out far and wide.”

    View the original article at thefix.com