420 Policies and Laws

[Crow]

So when do the "Coffeeshops" and "Jazz Clubs" start swingin' again

That one is a toughie (since indoor smoking in the workplace is prohibited by law, but would that apply to the smoke of cannabis?)... That is still being determined by Public Health officials...

There may be a way around it though... A vapor lounge is one idea. You could also make the establishment a members-only institution (there are already lounges for medical cannabis patients). Another route to take would be running the establishment through volunteers (thereby exempting the facility from being considered a 'workplace'). Or, combine all three; making it a volunteer-run members-only vapor lounge.

Time will tell... But I'd love to see cannabis-friendly coffee shops in Seattle... It just makes sense!

[sirloot]

So when do the "Coffeeshops" and "Jazz Clubs" start swingin' again

[Crow]

California company offers help to state in setting up retail-marijuana plan

A company that makes vending machines to dispense marijuana is one of dozens of firms and experts that have offered to help the state set up new rules now that the drug has been legalized.

A company that makes vending machines to dispense marijuana is one of dozens of firms and experts that have offered to help the state set up new rules now that the drug has been legalized.

But don't expect any marijuana-vending machines in your company cafeteria or on a state ferry any time soon.

"The reality of the way the law reads, only a licensed-retail outlet can sell marijuana. That pretty much prevents any corner-vending machines," said Mikhail Carpenter, spokesman for the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

Medbox, a California company that makes automated dispensing machines for medicine, contacted the Liquor Control Board in December to offer its help creating a retail-marijuana program.

"I want to be completely clear that in Washington, these machines would be located behind a counter, inside a retail outlet, where it would be operated by a dedicated technician. There will be no direct-customer contact with the machine," wrote Dr. Bruce Bedrick, Medbox CEO, to the Liquor Control Board.

Bedrick said his company was setting up offices in Washington and would work with the state to create "one of the safest and most reliable retail-marijuana programs in the nation."

Medbox pharmaceutical-dispensing machines now operate in 130 locations, including medical-marijuana dispensaries, according to the company website. The machine dispenses a dose of medicine or other product after verifying a patient's identity through a fingerprint and checking for a valid prescription.

The company highlighted its machines' record-keeping ability as a way to document transactions and ensure the state receives its cut of taxes.

Medbox is one of dozens of companies that have contacted the state to offer its services as the Liquor Control Board wrestles with how to implement the new law, which went into effect Dec. 6.

The board has been charged with drafting rules and regulations over the next year to grow, process and sell marijuana. Staff is currently drafting a request to solicit formal plans for carrying out the legalization.

The Liquor Control Board this year got out of the state-licensed liquor business with voter approval of private liquor sales in November 2011. Now the board is trying to understand a product that has been approved for medical use in many states but is still illegal under federal drug laws.

"We have a lot of experience licensing and regulating. The particulars of marijuana is something we could use some input on," said Carpenter.

The board has received more than 160 comments from the public on rules and restrictions for a marijuana-grower license. It will accept comments through Feb. 10. Similar rule-making is planned for processor and retail licenses.

In November, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize possession of one ounce of marijuana for people over the age of 21.

Material from Seattle Times archives is included in this report.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @lthompsontimes.

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Source

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Keep in mind, this is only one of many proposals sent to the WSLCB (Washington State Liquor Control Board).

I highly doubt the Board will go along with Dr Bruce's Medbox. It just doesn't make sense to place the machines behind the counter for cashiers to operate. You don't see tobacco or alcohol (or some other commodity) being dispensed in that manner.

Automat-style facility, perhaps?



That's the only way I could see the Medbox being applied by the state to handle sales of cannabis. Otherwise, it will have to be sold in the same fashion as alcohol.

[Crow]

I'm a medical marijuana user and grower in Los Angeles. Always looking for fellow smokers/snus-ers to hang out with. I really do enjoy having a portion of snus after smoking.

Welcome to SnusOn!

... and Welcome to the Cannabis Thread!

[galv0nix]

I'm a medical marijuana user and grower in Los Angeles. Always looking for fellow smokers/snus-ers to hang out with. I really do enjoy having a portion of snus after smoking.

[Crow]

[Recipe] Cannabis Topical Balm & Topical Spray

Source: Harvest Honey

Topical Balm

Ingredients:
- 4 cups olive oil
- 1 cup Coconut Oil
- 3 oz. Cannabis Leaf
- 1 oz. Cup Dried Rose Buds/Petals
- 1 oz. Dried Lavender
- 6 ml St. Johns Wort oil
- 3 ml of frankincense oil
- ½ - 1 cup of PURE beeswax (pastilles for easy melting, and amount will vary depending on desired consistency)
- 12 wide-mouth, mini mason jars.

Directions:
• Grind herbs down to a fine powder.
• Heat coconut oil, olive oil, frankincense oil and herbs in a double boil using a glass HEAT SAFE bowl, covered, for 3-4 hours. Be sure that the oil never boils, only the water below at a low boil.
• Remove from heat, let steep for several hours.
• Strain through 4-5 layers of cheese cloth
• Mix the bees wax to the desired consistency. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you can re-melt the balm and add more wax.
• Once it’s the texture you want, melt it down once more just enough to pour

Topical Spray

Ingredients:
3 oz. Cannabis leaf or flower
14 g lavender
1 handle of 100+ proof clear alcohol (ethyl over isopropyl whenever you can!)
Small spray bottle


Directions:
• remove about ¼ of the bottle of alcohol and store for later use.
• Grind the cannabis and lavender down to a fine powder.
• Add the 3 oz. of cannabis to the bottle and store in a cool dark place for 1-2 months, shaking at least once a week to agitate the trichomes and infuse the alcohol.
• Strain through 4-5 layers of cheese cloth and replace the ¼ cup of alcohol that was separated in the beginning.
• Pour into spray bottles to apply.

Herbal Guide:

St. Johns Wort: Has been used for treating wounds, sores, burns, ulcers, swellings, cramps, rheumatism, tumors, caked breasts, and other skin problems. It has also been used to treat sunburn (although people with fair skin should stay out of extended exposure to sunlight while taking St. Johns Wort because it might cause burns or blistering depending on exposure.)

Lavender: Is used in relieving stress. Lavender is a good disinfectant of wounds and burns. Having antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, lavender oil can be used for treating headaches and muscle pain.

Rose Petals: Offers cooling sensation and can be used to clear toxins and help bring down fevers from rashes and inflammatory issues. Rose also has a natural uplifting and restoring effect on the nervous system.

Frankincense: For centuries, frankincense has been used to treat indigestion, insomnia, asthma, emphysema, congestion, and anxiety. It has also been used in treating respiratory or breathing conditions as well as skin inflammation, cuts, and in treating wrinkles. Often used for its aroma therapeutic, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties.

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As a side-note, I highly recommend adding some form of menthol to your mix.

Also, try adding your own blend of plants and adjust the recipe accordingly. You don't have to follow this recipe to the letter, do a little experimenting of your own to find the perfect topical to treat your ailment.

Keep in mind, this recipe is calling for cannabis leaf. So, you may want to start with a smaller batch that contains at minimum 3,5 grams (⅛ ounce) and no more than 28 grams (one ounce) of medical-grade cannabis.

[Crow]

2012: The Year In Review — NORML’s Top 10 Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

#1 Colorado and Washington Vote To Legalize Marijuana

Voters in Colorado and Washington made history by approving ballot measures allowing for the personal possession and consumption of cannabis by adults. Washington’s law, which removes criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for personal use (as well as the possession of up to 16 ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form, and 72 ounces of marijuana-infused product in liquid form), took effect on December 6. Colorado’s law, which allows for the legal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and/or the cultivation of up to six cannabis plants in private by those persons age 21 and over, took effect on December 10. Regulators in both states are now in the process of drafting rules to allow for state-licensed proprietors to commercially produce and sell cannabis.

#2 Most Americans Favor Legalization, Want The Feds To Butt Out

A majority of Americans support legalizing the use of cannabis by adults, according to national polls by Public Policy Polling, Angus Reid, Quinnipiac University, and others. A record high 83 percent of US citizens favor allowing doctors to authorize specified amounts of marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses. And nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose federal interference in state laws that allow for legal marijuana use by adults.

#3 Connecticut, Massachusetts Legalize Cannabis Therapy

Connecticut and Massachusetts became the 17th and 18th states to allow for the use of cannabis when recommended by a physician. Connecticut lawmakers in May approved Public Act 12-55, An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana. The new law took effect on October 1. On Election Day, 63 percent of Massachusetts voters approved Question 3, eliminating statewide criminal and civil penalties related to the possession and use of up to a 60-day supply of cannabis by qualified patients. The law takes effect on January 1, 2013.

#4 Schedule I Prohibitive Status For Pot “Untenable,” Scientists Say

The classification of cannabis and its organic compounds as Schedule I prohibited substances under federal law is scientifically indefensible, according to a review published online in May in The Open Neurology Journal. Investigators at the University of California at San Diego and the University of California, Davis reviewed the results of several recent clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of inhaled or vaporized cannabis. They concluded: “Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”

#5 Marijuana Arrests Decline, But Still Total Half Of All Illicit Drug Violations

Police made 757,969 arrests in 2011 for marijuana-related offenses, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report. The total marked a decline from previous years. Of those charged in 2011 with marijuana law violations, 663,032 (86 percent) were arrested for marijuana offenses involving possession only. According to the report, approximately 43 percent of all drug violations in 2011 were for cannabis possession.

#6 Long-Term Cannabis Exposure Not Associated With Adverse Lung Function

Exposure to moderate levels of cannabis smoke, even over the long-term, is not associated with adverse effects on pulmonary function, according to clinical trial data published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Investigators at the University of California, San Francisco analyzed the association between marijuana exposure and pulmonary function over a 20-year period in a cohort of 5,115 men and women in four US cities. They concluded: “With up to 7 joint-years of lifetime exposure (e.g., 1 joint/d for 7 years or 1 joint/wk for 49 years), we found no evidence that increasing exposure to marijuana adversely affects pulmonary function. … Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana … may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function.”

#7 Cannabis Use Associated With Decreased Prevalence Of Diabetes

Adults with a history of marijuana use have a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and possess a lower risk of contracting the disease than do those with no history of cannabis consumption, according to clinical trial data published in the British Medical Journal. Investigators at the University of California, Los Angeles assessed the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and marijuana use among adults aged 20 to 59 in a nationally representative sample of the US population of 10,896 adults. Investigators concluded, “Our analysis of adults aged 20-59 years … Showed that participants who used marijuana had a lower prevalence of DM and lower odds of DM relative to non-marijuana users.”

#8 Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Not Associated With Neighborhood Crime

The establishment of medical cannabis dispensaries does not adversely impact local crime rates, according to a federally funded study published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Researchers reported: “There were no observed cross-sectional associations between the density of medical marijuana dispensaries and either violent or property crime rates in this study.”

#9 Rhode Island Becomes The 15th State To Decriminalize Pot Possession Penalties

Governor Lincoln Chafee signed legislation into law in June amending marijuana possession penalties for those age 18 or older from a criminal misdemeanor (punishable by one year in jail and a $500 maximum fine) to a non-arrestable civil offense — punishable by a $150 fine, no jail time, and no criminal record. The decriminalization law takes effect on April 1, 2013.

#10 Cannabis Reduces Symptoms In Patients With Treatment-Resistant MS

Cannabis inhalation mitigates spasticity and pain in patients with treatment-resistant multiple sclerosis (MS), according to clinical trial data published online in May in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association. Investigators at the University of California, San Diego assessed the use of inhaled cannabis versus placebo in 30 patients with MS who were unresponsive to conventional treatments. “Smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in symptom and pain reduction in patients with treatment-resistant spasticity,” authors concluded.

Source

[Crow]

I laughed so much that I thought my guts will come out thru my mouth

As long as you had fun!

[GN Tobacco Sweden AB]

.............and ??????????????

I laughed so much that I thought my guts will come out thru my mouth

[Crow]

I tried only once in my life when I was 39 and....

.............and ??????????????

[bill77.017]

I tried only once in my life when I was 39 and....

I tried it a couple of times in my 20's. Good bit of fun though!!! : )

[Skell18]

Cannabis should be legal, period.

So should snus in the EU but it isn't

[GN Tobacco Sweden AB]

I tried only once in my life when I was 39 and....

[Crow]

Cannabis should be legal, period.

[Ansel]

Vaporizing cannabis should be legal.