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William Wrigley Jr., II who helped sell his company to Mars Inc. in 2008, is now planning on entering the medical marijuana industry. Does this add more credibility to the industry? It certainly does. Is there medicinal value to cannabis? There indeed is, despite a federal court ruling that cannabis, or more specifically, CBD, has no therapeutic value.

Most recently, a study done in Montreal, Canada had one patient say, “I’m not joking when I say medical marijuana is like a miracle.” So, saying cannabis or CBD has no medicinal value, is just preposterous. Just look at some scientific journals that we cited months ago. They are conclusive: Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and CBD have therapeutic value that improves people’s lives.

WeedUpdate from Across the Country

California

California does not have any laws allowing medical marijuana in schools. However, a judge recently ruled that a five-year-old with a severe case of epilepsy can carry with her CBD and emergency cannabis oil. This ruling is compassionate public policy and should be encouraged.

Meanwhile, there is a battle brewing between the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) and some local California cities about a clause in Prop 64. The BCC has recently clarified the provision stating that no local jurisdiction shall prevent cannabis delivery on public California roads. That means cannabis delivery companies can deliver anywhere in the state. This clarification has upset some cities that have or are planning to ban recreational marijuana businesses from operating in their jurisdiction.

Florida

A circuit judge in Florida ruled that putting caps on the number of licensees and forcing a seed to sale vertical integration violates the constitutional amendment approved by 71 percent of the voters. We’ll see what kind of precedent this sets since most states require a seed to sale vertical integration to track what is happening to inventory. It does, however, raise the cost of entering the legal cannabis industry. In this case, the judge wants to keep to access to medical marijuana affordable, which serves the needs of everyone in the state.

But the real story behind this is a long one. There has been a fight between the state legislator and the voters for a few years. The only reason voters amended the constitution is because legislators would not approve bills legalizing medical cannabis. Now lawmakers are making it difficult by overreaching and overregulating the cannabis industry. Let your representatives know what you are thinking. The next step is to pass another constitutional amendment. This time it will be to legalize recreational marijuana.

Indiana

State activists for medical marijuana, which includes 100s of people, lawmakers, and veterans, gathered at the Indiana State Library. They say it’s time that medical cannabis is seriously looked at in Indiana. Indiana has not passed any laws legalizing marijuana, so this is a significant improvement. Senator Karen Tallian wants to start a cannabis commission to legitimize legalizing cannabis stating,

When you have a commission, you have legitimacy. If we have a structure, it will convince people of a legitimate program, a legitimate organization.

Find your representatives in Indiana and contact them to tell them your stance on medical cannabis.

Kentucky

Sean Vandevander, a pro-marijuana independent, is running for mayor of Louisville. He wants to craft legislation to decriminalize, regulate, and tax medical cannabis in Kentucky. He states that this will help the state reduce crime, provide more jobs, improve education, and raise more tax revenue. As of now, Kentucky has no laws legalizing cannabis in any way. Support Sean Vandevander for trying to change that.

Maine

Some cities and townships in Maine are already banning medical marijuana dispensaries from their communities. However, South Portland is welcoming them with open arms. The city is getting ready with new proposals for medical marijuana zoning and licensing regulations. South Portland residents also overwhelmingly voted for recreational marijuana in 2016.

New Jersey

Even though State lawmakers announced that a bill legalizing recreational cannabis would be ready by the end of summer, they have now pushed the date until the end of September. The bill(s) need to be approved by the State Senate first before it’s ready for Governor Murphy to sign. However, more cities are putting bans in place, such as Secaucus. By the time legislation is passed, 15 towns will have imposed some ban on dispensaries and growers. Find your representatives in New Jersey and let them know your opinion on cannabis legalization.

North Dakota

State officials announced that a ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis has been approved for the November ballot. The bill allows for unlimited possession and growing of marijuana. It also paves the way for legislation expunging prior convictions. Great news! Make sure to get out their and vote!

Oklahoma

An injunction to stop the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s new rules affecting the medical marijuana program has been filed in court. Even though the new regulations remove the requirement for a pharmacist to be present at dispensaries, allows for smokeable weed, and removes limits on THC, the injunction is citing other issues. The injunction claims that the State is trying to dictate the doctor-patient relationship, which is overstepping its legal authority. Furthermore, a requirement to get prior approval by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs would put many applicants unfairly at a disadvantage was also cited.

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