Support for Hemp Farming is growing

As more states legalize marijuana, supporters see a burgeoning business for hemp, and big profits for U.S. farmers if they are allowed to grow the crop.

Hemp, like marijuana, is a cannabis plant. Even though it does not does not create a high like marijuana, federal drug laws lump it together with pot.

“Although it comes from the same plant, it’s like non-alcoholic beer,” said author Doug Fine, who predicts a new “green economy” in his book "Too High to Fail."

“I can’t give a rational explanation as to why something as valuable as hemp - which other countries are making so much money off and importing to us - why we’re not growing this by the millions of acres,” Fine said.

Farmers in the U.S. are effectively banned from growing the crop under a federal law that requires a special permit from the DEA and lots of security.

The National Farmers Union recently adopted a new policy urging the Obama administration and Congress to “direct the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to differentiate between industrial hemp and marijuana and adopt policy to allow American farmers to grow industrial hemp under state law without requiring DEA licenses."

The U.S. is the largest consumer of hemp products, which are sold mainly at health shops and nutrition-conscious grocery stores like Mountain View Market in Las Cruces. But most of the hemp in the seeds, milk, and soap are from plants grown in other countries, including Canada.

Fine blames the war on drugs. He supports legalizing both hemp and marijuana. Every border state except Texas has approved medical marijuana use.

“The fact that we have exploding criminal cartels south of the border and no impact on supply and demand north of the border mandates that we change this misguided policy,” Fine said.

His message resonates with a growing number of Americans. Edit Treadwell came to hear Fine’s talk in Las Cruces, sponsored by Southwest Seniors.

“The amount of money that this country spends fighting something that we know now is a losing battle seems ridiculous,” said Treadwell after hearing Fine talk about commercial hemp. “We need jobs, and if this industry was developed, that would be beneficial."

Marijuana Goes Corporate

 It’s hard to ignore the prevalence of medical marijuana dispensaries in California and elsewhere. They are on the corner and in the news. If you are a tax lawyer, it is even harder to ignore them, for there are big tax problems in this industry. See Voters Say Yes To Marijuana, IRS Says No. But when I said I thought the industry was going corporate—Is Medical Marijuana Going Corporate?—I didn’t realize how true it was.
Now I’m getting merger notices. Yes, marijuana M&A is here. In this case, it’s about the vapor machines that can obviate smoking and instead dispense the meds without even using a match (or a lighter for that matter).

Medbox, Inc. (OTC Markets: MDBX) announced the acquisition of 100% of Vaporfection International Inc., manufacturer of Vaporfection vaporizers. Medbox was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times Business Section: Wall Street sees opportunity in marijuana.
Vaporfection makes “herbal delivery systems.” The deal involved the issuance of 260,864 MDBX stock warrants. Medbox sells and services automated, biometrically controlled dispensing and storage systems for medicine and merchandise. And Vaporfection seems quite a catch.
Vaporfection claimed Best Vaporizer in Product of the Year at the Cannabis Cup Amsterdam 2011, and Best Vaporizer at the Kush Expo LA 2012. The company’s patented designs cause marijuana to release its medicinal ingredient into the vapor. The resulting vapor is pure, virtually odorless, and goes into the patient’s respiratory system.
Vaporfection was created by Amir Yomtov in 2006. In 2011, the company was purchased by entrepreneur Herb Postma. Mr. Postma continues to manage Vaporfection and notes that under Medbox, Vaporfection revenues are projected to exceed $4 million in 12 months. All this sound rosy, but not to the feds.
After all, legal dispensaries are still labeled as drug traffickers under federal law, and that creates big tax problems. Section 280E of the tax code denies tax deductions for any business trafficking in controlled substances. The IRS says it must enforce Section 280E. Yet the U.S. Tax Court has opened the door a crack by allowing dispensaries to deduct other expenses distinct from dispensing marijuana. See Californians Helping to Alleviate Medical Problems Inc. v. Commissioner. 
If a dispensary sells marijuana and operates the separate business of care-giving, the care-giving expenses are deductible. Some expenses might relate to both. If only 10% of the premises are used to dispense marijuana, 90% of the rent is deductible. But good record-keeping is essential. See Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Persist Despite Tax Obstacles. 
But even good records won’t make vaporizers or drug paraphernalia deductible. In Olive v. Commissioner, Martin Olive sold medical marijuana at the Vapor Room, where he used vaporizers so patients didn’t have to smoke. However, with only one business, Section 280E precluded Olive’s deductions.

The Great Marijuana Rehab Scam

[Reality Catcher]

Feds Say You’re Addicted To Pot, But They’re Addicted To Cash

​Why does the U.S. federal government keep pushing outdated lies about marijuana’s health consequences and potential for addiction?
Because it’s a lucrative business, according to Paul Armentano of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Armentano, deputy director of NORML, points out that the feds are wasting their time — and your money — researching what must be the Loch Ness Monster of the drug policy world (as in nobody can prove it exists), “marijuana addiction.”
Yes, you read that right. “Marijuana addiction.”

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Cannabis related disorders (CRDs), including cannabis abuse or dependence and cannabis induced disorders (e.g., intoxication, delirium, psychotic disorder, and anxiety disorder) are a major public health issue.”
OK, first things first. You gotta love that these acronym-loving policy wonks have come up with an actual abbreviation for the bad things pot’s supposed to do to you. Just making something up because you wish it so is one thing, but give it a catchy acronym like CRDs and suddenly it’s real, right? Right?
And how, exactly, did those luminaries at NIH come to that remarkable conclusion?
Because, first of all, um, “Nearly one million people are seeking treatment for marijuana dependencies every year” and besides, “sufficient research has been carried out to confirm that the use of cannabis can produce serious physical and psychological consequences.”
Which brings us to…

The Great Marijuana Rehab Scam

NORML’s Paul Armentano:
Keeping government bureaucrats honest about pot

​As Armentano points out, there aren’t “one million people seeking treatment for marijuana dependence”; it isn’t even close. The real number, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the actual number of persons seeking drug treatment for marijuana “as a primary substance for admission in 2007, was 287,933. That’s a lot less than “a million.”
But there’s more. If there really are 288,000 folks are year who need help quitting marijuana, then maybe there’s reason for concern, right? Wrong answer, Believer Of Bureaucrats. Almost all of these “people seeking treatment” are FORCED to do so by court orders, under threat of jail, after having been busted for possessing small amounts of pot.
Great use of public resources, eh? Just think about all those spaces in addiction recovery support groups that could have available for real addicts having problems with meth, crack, and heroin. Never mind those guys! We’ve got the potheads going to rehab!
According to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than a third of the 288,000 people entering “drug treatment for marijuana” hadn’t even smoked any pot in the 30 days prior to the admission. Doesn’t sound much like they were addicted, does it?
Another 16 percent admitted they’d only used marijuana three times or less in the month prior to their admission. That just doesn’t sound much like the sort of out-of-control behavior we associate with drug addicts. Do these people meet the clinical standard of being in “the state of being psychologically and physiologically dependent on a drug”? Of course not.
These people don’t belong in drug rehab with real addicts. The only reason they are there is that they were given the choice between pretending to be drug addicts and attending the meetings, or going to jail. That’s a no-brainer, right? Having been both places, I’d certainly rather spend a few evenings with recovering addicts (even if they sometimes tend to be a little whiney) than a few months with pissed-off inmates just looking for an excuse to “touch you up.”
A report published by SAMHSA indicates nearly six of 10 individuals “enrolled in drug treatment for marijuana” were forced there by the criminal justice system (I’d suspect the actual number is even higher).
The criminal justice system is the largest single source of referrals to the substance abuse treatment system, according to SAMHSA. The majority of these referrals come from parole and probation offices, i.e., parolees and probationers who fail urinalysis tests because they smoked a little weed.

The Myth of Marijuana’s “Serious Consequences”

When she tries to quit, she might not be quite as hungry or sleepy. It’s just horrible. Quick, get that woman a transdermal THC patch!
[Reefer Madness]

Any serious and impartial study of the adverse effects of marijuana use almost immediately runs into one striking and unavoidable fact: It’s glaringly apparent that marijuana’s potential negative effects are minor when compared to those of legal drugs such as opiates (physically habit-forming and capable of causing overdose deaths), alcohol (same on both counts) and tobacco.

A clinical trial from the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence raises serious doubts about the physical and psychological consequences of quitting pot, as well, Armentano points out.
Researchers at four separate universities in Germany studied the self-reported “withdrawal symptoms” of 73 subjects judged to be “cannabis dependent”; all subjects resided in an inpatient facility. It was determined than less than half of the subjects reported any withdrawal symptoms of clinical significance. Remember, these are all people who’d been diagnosed as being “cannabis dependent” — whatever that’s supposed to mean.
Even among the minority who did report such symptoms, “The intensity of most self-reported symptoms peaked on day one and decreased subsequently.”
What were these scary-sounding symptoms of quitting pot, anyway?
Well, the most frequently mentioned physical symptoms on day one were sleeping problems (21 percent), sweating (28 percent), hot flashes (21 percent), and decreased appetite (15 percent). Psychological symptoms included restlessness (20 percent), nervousness (20 percent), and sadness (19 percent).
Now, I’m not trained in psychology (oh, wait! I am), but those symptoms sound pretty much like what I’d expect to feel if you locked me in a rehab facility (for pot!), tell me I’m not free to go, and that smoking weed is no longer cool. Restlessness? Damn right. Nervousness? Check; I get arrested if I leave. Sadness? Duh.
Bottom line, marijuana’s “withdrawal symptoms” are so mild and subtle as to be laughable compared to those associated with quitting alcohol or heroin addiction (which can be fatal) or quitting tobacco (which many addicts report is harder to kick than heroin).

Follow The Money

You see a bud, but the feds see a bundle.
[Coaster420]

​So why does NIDA soberly claim that “therapeutic interventions” are necessary and important, “given the extent of use of cannabis in the general population”? (Adolescent pot use has actually been falling steadily since 1979.) Why is it so crucial to manufacture this bugaboo and to pretend it’s scary?

Well, there are currently no accepted medications to aid in “quitting marijuana,” and to help in combatting those fearsome CRDs (remember them?) And some companies (and, well, government officials) see a huge profit potential in fighting the marijuana monster.
In 2009, Kentucky-based pharmaceutical corporation All Tranz Inc. announced it was the proud recipient of a $4 million NIDA grant to promote a “transdermal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) patch” for the supposed “treatment of marijuana dependence and withdrawal.”

Dr. Nora Valkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) claims thousands of pot addicts are desperately seeking treatment
[The Clean Slate]

“NIDA is interested in exploring the role of transdermal THC delivery as an innovative way to treat marijuana withdrawal symptoms and dependence,” said the agency’s director, Nora Volkow.

And here’s where it gets exquisitely surreal.
“This is especially relevant to our efforts to fill a critical gap in available treatments for the many Americans struggling with marijuana-related disorders and their detrimental medical and social consequences,” Volkow helpfully tells us.
So, Nora. You’re telling us there’s a huge crowd of desperate marijuana addicts trying to kick the weed, who need these enormously expensive THC patches so that they can still feel hungry?
Wow, yeah, man. Sounds like an emergency, all right.
Never mind that the symptoms of “marijuana dependence and withdrawal” are rare, and mild even when they do occur. Never mind that THC permeates the skin, at best, slowly and inefficiently (because of its fat solubility).
Forget all that, because there’s a research center to staff, tax dollars to spend and Reefer Madness myths to keep alive. Facts be damned; there’s some money to be made here.

Resources and article:
http://tokesignals.com/the-great-marijuana-rehab-scam/

Medbox creates Medical Marijuana Info site

Site provides free information for patients, dispensary operators, consumers, law enforcement, and Legislators

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Medbox, Inc. (OTC Markets: MDBX) (www.medboxinc.com), a leader in providing industry-specific consulting services and patented systems to medical and retail businesses worldwide, announced that they are launching a new website to help educate all interested parties about the many facets of the legal medical and retail marijuana industry.
The site, which will be launched in May, can be found at www.canna411.org and will provide a depth of information that is comprehensive and unduplicated in any one source. "We have noticed that there is a lack of correct information readily available about medical marijuana," commented Dr. Bruce Bedrick, CEO of Medbox, Inc. "Our intention is to give facts that can be useful to the many parties interested in this subject, from state legislators and city council, to law enforcement, dispensary operators and the patients they serve."
According to the Los Angeles Times, the lack of information on the product even affected a Los Angeles City Councilman when he attempted to obtain medical marijuana to ease his cancer treatment. "There are no sanctioned drug trials funded by Big Pharma or diagnostic manuals to tell you which of the dozens of strains with crazy names works best with your condition. Or the best delivery method. It's all trial and error," the Times reported.
Bill Rosendahl, Los Angeles City Councilman, found out that he had a rare form of cancer and was desperately ill. Even the heaviest prescription painkillers, like OxyContin, brought only momentary relief, he said, according to the Times.
However, finding the right strain and proper dose to relieve his pain proved more of a challenge. Eventually he found the exact method of intake (Rosendahl cooks his cannabis leaves in butter, creating an edible paste), and identified the best strains and dosage for his condition.
There are marijuana strains that are good for dozens of conditions, including ADD, pain relief, nausea and anxiety, or to build or even suppress an appetite.
"Medical marijuana has the support of most of the public, law enforcement and legislators, as it has been proven to provide relief for certain diseases and chronic conditions," Dr. Bedrick commented. "Now it is time to bring this proven and safe treatment out of the dark and shine a light on all aspects of this important medicine. Our intention with this new website is to have sections dedicated to the many stakeholders in this issue," Bedrick added. "For the patient about proper use, dosing and strains; to law enforcement regarding regulations; to legislators about transparency, compliance, and taxation issues; to dispensary operators about how to maintain compliance and work within the current laws; and to the general public to simply provide correct and factual information."
The new website is scheduled to be launched by May 15, 2013, and will be announced in a future press release.
To view the article in the Los Angeles Times, visit: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/08/local/la-me-holland-pot-councilman-20130308
For more information on Medbox, please call (800) 762-1452 or go online to www.medboxinc.com.
About Medbox, Inc: 
Medbox is a leader in the development, sales and service of automated, biometrically controlled dispensing and storage systems for medicine and merchandise. Medbox has offices throughout the world, including New York, Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tokyo, London and Toronto, and has their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles.
Medbox provides their patented systems, software and consulting services to pharmacies, dispensaries, urgent care centers, drug rehab clinics, hospitals, prison systems, hospice facilities, and medical groups worldwide.
Medbox, Inc. is a publicly traded company, and is listed on the OTC Markets, ticker symbol MDBX.
For more information on Medbox, please contact the Medbox Investor Relations Department at (800) 762-1452 or go online to www.medboxinc.com.
SOURCE Medbox, Inc.

Medical Marijuana comes to Maryland - 10 years late

 

It's the nice governor is dropping his opposition to the medical marijuana law now being considered by the legislature. It would have been an important first step if this were 2003 ("O'Malley administration backs medical marijuana bill," March 8).

 

However, it's 2013, and Maryland is once again behind the curve. The front lines in the battle between big government and individual rights are being waged in Colorado and Washington state, where state governments have the courage to listen to a majority of the electorate rather than to the big pharmaceutical companies and their million-dollar bribes. But perhaps I'm being too cynical.

 

At least Maryland is finally going to join the 18 states and the District of Columbia that have at least enacted some sort of reform. And anyone doubting the efficacy of medical marijuana can go look up the double blind, placebo-controlled study just published in this month's The Journal of Pain, conducted at the prestigious University of California at Davis.

 

The researchers studied vaporized marijuana of varying THC content — the active ingredient in cannabis — and found reductions in pain comparable to the opiates for all varieties of marijuana tested.

So when you start getting the letters of condemnation from Drug Enforcement Administration agents, members of the police/prison industrial complex and, of course, the random "experts" from the government (who are really just paid hacks for Big Pharma), remember this latest study that proves their objections to be just as dishonest as the "campaign contributions" they've been using to keep politicians doing their bidding all these years.

Minnesota medical marijuana push to wait till 2014

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota won't have a showdown over medical marijuana this year.

Heather Azzi of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, a pro-marijuana policy group, said Wednesday that bills to permit marijuana for medical reasons will be introduced in the next week or two. But Azzi, the group's political director, said the legislation won't move through Legislature this year.

"We just had a lot of background work to do before we got started," she said.

Supporters hope to latch onto efforts to relax marijuana laws in other states. Voters in Washington state and Colorado approved ballot measures last fall making it legal to possess small amounts of marijuana. It was a step beyond laws in 18 states that give people with certain conditions clearance to use marijuana after getting a physician's approval.

Medical marijuana proposals are circulating in at least a dozen states. Last week, Maryland's health secretary expressed support for legislation there, arguing the federal government has not brought charges against any state employees in other states who may have been involved with distributing medical marijuana.

Minnesota lawmakers approved a medical marijuana bill in 2009, but it ran into a veto by then-Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Current Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton told The Associated Press in December that he wasn't interested in decriminalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use. "I don't think we need another drug operating in our society," he said then.

There are no indications Minnesota's law enforcement community is willing to budge from its opposition. Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said supporters have yet to seek his group's input on the new proposal but he said any plan similar to the 2009 bill would be a nonstarter.

"It would be a regulatory and enforcement nightmare," Flaherty said.

Azzi said the new bill will include added precautions, including a provision for safety centers to check for marijuana impurities.

"There has to be a way for us to mitigate their concerns," she said. "We will be meeting with them between now and January to do just that."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Minn-medical-marijuana-push-to-wait-until-2014-4351239.php#ixzz2NTRbW11N

Medical Cannabis and It's Impact on Human Health

In this myth shattering, information packed documentary, learn from physicians and leading researchers about medicinal cannabis and its demonstrated effects on human health.

This game-changing movie presents the most comprehensive synopsis to date of the real science surrounding the world's most controversial plant.

Topics include: * What the consensus is from over 1500 scientific and medical trials * What conditions have been proven to benefit from medical marijuana * Its historical use as medicine dating back over 5300 years * Methods of delivery and their different advantages * Government sponsored studies intended to show Marijuana having negative effects that yielded the exact opposite results * Common myths about negative effects of Marijuana and what the research really says about these topics