Get Medical Marijuana In Your State!
All of our information comes from, and will direct you to, that state’s specific governing body. We will not direct you to any 3rd party or otherwise externally collected information. We believe that putting patients in touch with information directly from their state is the safest way of helping people obtain medical marijuara. We’ve sorted through those sometimes laborious state run websites and will guide you to the right sections, forms, applications, applicable rules and laws, and anything else you need to get medical marijuana safely and legally.
Detroit High Times Medical Marijuana Convention
High Times is throwing a convention in Detroit today complete with an official High Times Cannabis Cup. It’s all taking place on private property and their is an outdoor medication section that will be accessible to patients with a Michigan state medical marijuana ID card. Despite precaution being taking the climate is a bit tense considering recent court decisions and statements by state Attorney General Bill Schuette that have restricted access to medical marijuana and sent some patients to jail.
George Clinton is preforming at the event and it’s expected to draw in large crowds. As Michigan’s medical marijuana law does not allow for medicine to be consumed in a public place or within public view its uncertain if the police will be cracking down on the event. It’s certain that police will be on hand but no one is sure if they have the legal grounds to make any sort of arrests given the event is taking place on private property.
Attendees who buy a VIP ticket for $60 have access to tonight’s concert and admission for both days. Otherwise the price is $30 for two days without the concert, or $20 for one day.
Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and the convention will go off without a hitch.
NJ Medical Marijuana Stalled Further
Christie asked the federal government to issue New Jersey a freedom-from-prosecution guarantee on the medical marijuana issue. He’s using that as a reason to thwart the Legislature’s approval (and clearly, based on poll after poll, the public’s blessing) for a reasonable approach to regulating and selling marijuana to those with a physician-documented need for it.
If the U.S. Justice Department were coming down hard on California or Oregon or Delaware, suing them for violating federal law with their medical marijuana programs — all of which are much more liberal than New Jersey’s proposal — then Christie’s request for legal insulation would seem logical instead of cynical.
New Jersey already has one of the most conservative medical marijuana laws on the books with state approved strains and only a handful of state sanctioned dispensaries to obtain the medecine. The fear from federal prosecution while states like California, Oregon, and Colorado continue to operate unhindered with much more liberal laws is just irrational. Christie is simply playing politics and protecting his own federal interests and aspirations while sick patients continue to stand by and wait, hoping that cooler heads will ultimately prevail.
Source
Medical Marijuana Bills Proposed In Congress
On March 26th three medical marijuana bills were introduced in Congress with support from patient advocates. The most significant of the three bills is one introduced by Congressman Frank (D-MA), which reclassifies marijuana from its current status as a dangerous drug with no medical value. Another bill, introduced by Congressman Polis (D-CO), will allow banks and other financial institutions to provide services to medical marijuana businesses without being subject to “suspicious activity” reporting requirements. The third bill, introduced by Congressman Stark (D-CA), changes the federal tax code “to allow a deduction for expenses in connection with the trade or business of selling marijuana intended for patients for medical purposes pursuant to State law.
If passed, the Frank bill would not only recognize marijuana’s medical value, but also provide a medical necessity defense in federal court, a right not currently afforded to patients and caregivers who are in compliance with their local and state laws. The Frank bill would also usher forth greater research into the therapeutic properties of cannabis and create incentives for the development of new cannabis-based medication. Advocates hope the Polis bill, if passed, will end the current ban on services for medical marijuana businesses by institutions like Wells Fargo, CitiCorp and Bank of America. The Stark bill has the potential to end dozens of audits by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) currently taking place, and settle once and for all whether the IRS can demand tax on gross or just net proceeds.
I feel pleased that we have some people fighting for us at the federal level and that this bickering between the states and the feds might finally find some common ground. For real change to occur it’s absolutely paramount that it happens at the federal level.
Source: OpposingViews.com
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Arizona Medical Marijuana Dispensary Applications On Hold
In a reaction to the letters from US Attorneys going out all over the country to various states with Medical Marijuana laws in place Arizona governor Jan Brewer has asked state Attorney General Tom Horne to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking a declaratory judgment about the legality of Arizona’s program. Dispensaries were going to start submitting their applications on June 1st but this is now on hold until a judgement is issued. The state will continue to issue Medical Marijuana cards to patients however. Hopefully this can be resolved swiftly and the legislation that has already been passed to allow dispensaries to serve the needs of patients will be allowed to commence.
New Jersey Medical Marijuana Expected This Summer
With the law already passed by the New Jersey legislature more than a year ago all that reamains is for the dispensing mechanism to be put in place which is expected this summer. Medicine can only be dispensed at one of the 6 state approved dispensaries referred to as Alternative Treatment Centers. Home grows, or even deliveries, are not permitted. This has caused some tension on both sides of the aisle with some advocating a change to allow delivery or personal cultivation and others continuing to fight the bill at its core and do away with it because of federal tensions. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services is the regulating body who is still sorting out the dispensing rules and costs along with collecting pre-registrations from doctors who would like to make recommendations for patients. It’s been a long battle and one of the most restrictive laws to date but New Jersey should see medical marijuana sometime this summer.
Rhode Island Dispensaries Put On Hold
Once again federal and state law clash over this subject and for the moment the federal jurisdiction is edging out over 3,459 patient’s rights. Rights that should be protected under laws enacted and voted on by the people. Rhode Island is not unique in this fight as other New England states such as New Hampshire and Washington D.C. continue to face the same challenges. So the fight will go on until the will of people finally perseveres.
