Medical Marijuana

(CNN) – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told a desperate father Wednesday that he will decide by Friday whether or not to sign a medical marijuana bill that would make a version of the drug available to the man's epileptic daughter.

 

The bill, S2842, was passed by the state assembly June 24 with a large majority in the Democratically-controlled legislature, 55-13, but Christie has so far not said whether or not he will sign it. The measure would expand to children the medical marijuana access already in place for adults.

 

According to CNN affiliate WCBS-TV New York, Brian Wilson is the father of two year-old Vivian, who suffers a version of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. Normal epilepsy medications have so far failed to work for Vivian and her family believes medical marijuana may be able to help.

 

Trying to get an answer on the bill but unable to get a meeting with the governor, Wilson and members of his family crashed a small Christie campaign stop at a local diner in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. They beseeched the governor to sign the bill and allow for a version of medical marijuana to be administered to Vivian and other children like her.

 

"I was wondering what the holdup was, it's been like two months now," Wilson said to Christie.

 

Christie responded that while the decision may be simple for Wilson, it's not as simple for the Republican governor. Christie is thought to be a major contender for his party's 2016 nomination for president.

 

"These are complicated issues," Christie told Wilson.

 

"I know you think it's simple and it's not."

 

Christie has in the past expressed trepidation about marijuana. "I am not going to turn New Jersey into Colorado and California. I'm not legalizing marijuana in New Jersey," he said in July.

 

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com

As legally allowed medical marijuana becomes more widespread, it is no surprise that many are realizing there is legal money to be made off of this traditionally illegal cash crop. Even Illinois has adapted medical marijuana laws, and soon it will be legal to buy weed in Chicago as long as you have a prescription. With so many dollar signs hanging in the air, ready to be snatched, it is no surprise to see agriculture giant Monsanto getting poised to jump into selling genetically modified marijuana as well.

 

Is Monsanto Evil?

 

Monsanto has been getting a lot of bad press recently due to the way it has dominated the food agriculture business and for being suspected of playing a role in the mass death of honeybees. Monsanto is a publicly traded Missouri-based company, and is the leading provider of genetically altered seeds for US agriculture.  Monsanto was also recently named the world’s “Most Evil Corporation” by the NaturalNews website. Monsanto garnered 51% of the votes with second runner up, British Petrolium, or BP getting only 9% of votes

 

Monsanto already distributes medical marijuana grown without RNAi, and has sold genetically altered marijuana for over a decade. Monsanto also contributed funds to state-run initiatives to legalize marijuana for medical use. While the company maintains that its products are safe for human consumption, it has been widely debated that this truly is the case. While moving into medical marijuana may be a winning move for Monsanto stockholders, it may also be a strong case of “buyer beware” for the end consumers of the product.

 

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com

People have always commented on my calm demeanor, and my ability to get along with just about anyone that I talk to. I always assumed it was because I was easy going as a result of consuming so much cannabis during my life. It turns out that science backs up my theory. See below:

 

A new study published by the journal Neuropharmacology has found that cannabinoids may reduce aggression, and improve social interactions.

 

For the study, researchers “examined the role of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1r) in aggressive behavior”, and found that a compound meant to mimic THC (a prime compound of cannabis) ”significantly decreased the aggression levels” of the mice that it was administered to. The researchers also examined mice which were bred without CB1 receptors, and found them to be more inherently aggressive than normal mice.

 

Researchers conclude; “These results suggest that CB1r plays an important role in social interaction and aggressive behavior.”

 

The full study can be found by clicking here.

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com

Before his owners started dosing him with a daily drop of marijuana, Garfield the cat’s nine lives were rapidly running out.

 

The 18-year-old feline — whose name has been changed to protect patient confidentiality — suffered from a host of painful conditions.

 

These included thyroid and heart disease, severe arthritis, renal failure and chronic pancreatitis, a condition that caused him to lose his appetite and experience pain in his abdomen, said veterinarian Dr. Kathy Kramer of the Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital.

 

But when his owners started giving Garfield a daily drop of medical marijuana in the form of a tincture, the cat seemed to take a near-miraculous turn for the better.

 

Now the ailing feline, who had previously lost the desire to eat, demands his food and seems to have less pain, said Kramer.

 

“He’s still got a lot of health issues, but for now he is stable and he eats like a champ,” she said.

 

Garfield’s owners are part of a growing movement of animal lovers looking at pot to treat pain in their sick and aging pets.

 

Some are medical marijuana users themselves, and think that if the drug helped them, then maybe it could free Fido from his health problems, too.

 

But while many think the drug is a safe and natural alternative to other painkillers, some veterinarians caution that more research is needed before they can start recommending it to pet owners.

 

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/

Greenbelt Management of Fairfield hopes to build its production facility in a 15,000-square-foot area of Middletown's Remington Rand building. In Connecticut, only West Haven has rubber stamped such plans.

 

After passionate arguments on both sides, the Middletown Common Council became the second municipality in Connecticut to green-light a lease for a medical marijuana production facility to be built in a city-owned building on Monday 6-3.

 

The lease with Fairfield-based Greenbelt Management at 180 Johnson Street — the former Remington Rand warehouse — is contingent on the firm being awarded one of the three to 10 licenses that would be issued by the state Department of Consumer Protection. They'll have to pay $25,000 to the city of Middletown as a non-refundable lease fee.

 

Principal partner of Greenbelt Jason Nickerson was "thrilled" with the passage and admitted to being unsure of how councilors would vote on the matter. "I was on the edge of my seat a little bit. We had other backup plans in mind, but I'd really like it to be in Middletown," he said.

 

He pointed to a meeting Aug. 27 in which he was optimistic about moving toward getting a production license from the state. Last month, West Haven's planning and zoning board approved a request from Advanced Grow Labs. Watertown and Bridgeport have firms moving forward with the state license process.

 

Republican councilors Linda Salafia, Phil Pessina and Joseph Bibisi voted against the resolution. Pessina, referring to his 40 years in law enforcement, said he was "standing on principle."

 

"I'm not truly convinced ... that medical marijuana does what it does," Pessina said. Referring to a police officer he knew who was dying of cancer, he said, "he stood on his deathbed and he fought against this drug and he did not take marijuana to ease his pain and suffering because he stood on principle."

 

Read more: http://naugatuck.patch.com

MODESTO (CBS13) – A Modesto 5-year-old suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, which his father says has improved with the help of medicinal marijuana.

 

When Jayden was just 4 years old, he was taking up to 22 pharmaceutical pills a day and still having more than 50 seizures every day. But thanks to medical marijuana, Jason David says his can finally enjoy being a kid.

 

“Jayden was having 300 to 500 myoclonic twitches and seizures a day,” said David. “Grand mal seizures were lasting an hour and a half. After five minutes we were seeing brain damage.”

 

Jayden has a rare form of epilepsy. Since he was a baby, he’s had to take several medications a day to control his seizures. But David says it made Jayden comatose.

 

“My son started dying from them,” said David. “The last two months before I used medical marijuana, Jayden was yelling and screaming, crying out in pain. He wasn’t eating; he wasn’t sleeping.”

 

David says he was faced with a life or death decision. So he started doing research and he prayed.

 

“I asked God for a sign and he showed me medical marijuana,” said David.

 

The marijuana medicine is a compound called cannabidiol (CBD). Jayden takes a drop of the sweet tasting oil on his tongue.

 

“One day after I came home from church, I gave it to Jayden and that was the first day Jayden ever went seizure free in his life,” said David.

 

David says Jayden no longer twitches for hours in a wheelchair. He walks, sings and even loves on his dad — all things he never could do before.

 

Read more: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com