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  D.C. Picks Six Companies To Grow Medical Marijuana

Posted by CN Staff on March 30, 2012 at 07:42:13 PT
By Tim Craig 
Source: Washington Post  

Washington, D.C. -- The District has selected six companies to grow marijuana and supply medical cannabis to users — clearing the way for growers to start producing hundreds of plants in as little as a month.The Health Department is expected to announce Friday that it has selected the winning bidders for cultivating plants that will feed the dispensaries city officials hope to approve by the summer. All the growers will be in Northeast, including a company partly owned by celebrity talk show host Montel Williams.
Combined, they will be tasked with producing thousands of plants annually, in possible violation of federal law.Two years ago, the D.C. Council voted to establish as many as 10 cultivation centers, where up to 95 marijuana plants could be grown at a time at each location. Once harvested, the marijuana will be sent to five distribution centers for patients to buy. Mohammad N. Akhter, director of the Health Department, said he and a task force evaluated dozens of bidders before selecting the six applicants. Akhter said they were chosen based on their ability to grow “quality” marijuana “in a safe environment” that includes heavy security. Akhter said he also tried to ensure that the cultivation centers were not too tightly clustered in the same blocks.“I have taken every single step that I could to make sure this is done in a safe environment in which we can have a quality product that can meet the needs of the patient in a way that the community is also satisfied,” he said in an interview. “These are the best people who can do the best job.”Williams’s cultivation center, Abatin Wellness Center, has been approved for the 2100 block of Queens Chapel Road in Langdon, according to a city list obtained by The Washington Post. The department also selected Montana Apothecary dba Alternative Solutions in the 2100 block of 24th Place NE in Langdon; District Growers in the 2400 block of Evarts Street NE in Langdon; Holistic Remedies in 1800 block of Fenwick Street NE in Ivy City; Phyto Management in the 3700 block of Benning Road NE in Benning; and Venture Forth dba Center City in the 2200 block of Channing Street NE in Langdon.Before the applicants can open, however, Akhter said they must apply for their business license and building permits from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. He added that the permitting process may take less than two weeks, meaning the marijuana growers may be able to start production in less than a month. But Helder Gil, a spokesman for DCRA, said it could take some providers longer to open if they plan to make major renovations, including additional electric or water supplies.“If they are just doing minor stuff . . . they can get a building permit quickly and then come in and get the sign-off,” Gil said. The Health Department does not expect to complete the approval process for dispensaries until June. “It takes about 90 days to grow the plants and have them ready,” Akhter said. “By the time growers are ready with the plants, the dispensaries should be in operation.” But the District could still face big challenges in the implementation of its medical marijuana program.In recent weeks, some residents and community activists fought attempts to open the cultivation centers in their neighborhood. In January, D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange (D-At large) successfully pushed to limit the number of cultivation centers that could operate in Northeast. Last week, council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) won approval of a bill barring cultivation centers from high-profile retail corridors — including the location Phyto Management wants to open on Benning Road. It was not clear Thursday night how the bill would affect the company’s plans, but Alexander pledged to work with the group to find a new location.The fight over the cultivation centers could pale in comparison with the community opposition that could surface as the Department of Health reviews the applicants to run the distribution centers. But under the law, they are not allowed 300 feet from a school, recreation center or a city park.Another challenge could come from law enforcement officials because, under federal law, the sale or possession of medical marijuana is illegal. Federal authorities have declined to publicly sanction the program, which restricts patients to no more than 2 ounces of marijuana per month. But Akhter said he remains optimistic that the city’s program will withstand legal scrutiny, citing his view on the medical benefits of marijuana. Under the city regulations, patients suffering from cancer, HIV-AIDS, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma qualify for the program.“I know one thing for sure, there are a lot more dangerous drugs that we prescribe,” said Akhter, a former senior associate dean for public and international health at Howard University College of Medicine. “We made this program exactly like for other drugs we prescribe for other purposes.”Although medical marijuana patients will not be able to grow their own marijuana, the District’s first purveyor of medical pot supplies plans to open on Rhode Island Avenue NE on Friday.WeGrow, a company billing itself as the “Wal-Mart of Weed,” will sell materials needed to cultivate and care for the plants, but not the plants or seeds themselves.Staff writers Mike DeBonis and Katie Rodgers contributed to this report.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Tim CraigPublished: March 30, 2012Copyright: 2012 Washington Post CompanyContact: letters washpost.com URL: http://drugsense.org/url/RuA7zFGaWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 

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Comment #21 posted by museman on April 01, 2012 at 11:45:38 PT
runruff
There are some who claim that CJ is a sinkhole the size of the SuperDome! They should call this day, lawyers day -for obvious reasons. Let all the fools out once a year to raise hell and havoc -but then we should put them back in their cages -you know the ones they put other people in who don't agree with their foolishness?Yes April Fools...LEGALIZE FREEDOM
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #20 posted by ekim on April 01, 2012 at 09:42:41 PT
cnn on now 
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/30/zakaria-incarceration-nation-2/?hpt=hp_c1
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by ekim on April 01, 2012 at 09:22:03 PT
first week in June
http://www.hemphistoryweek.com/
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by runruff on April 01, 2012 at 08:39:49 PT
EVERYONE!
A sink hole the size of the Superdome just swallowed Cave Junction!APRIL FOOLS!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by Hope on March 31, 2012 at 14:49:43 PT
Note to prohibitionists...
She recommended krill. She didn't prescribe it.They seem to think that a doctor should prescribe everything instead of recommending some things.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by Hope on March 31, 2012 at 14:47:59 PT
Omega-3
My doctor recommended that Krill stuff.That just didn't feel right. I didn't like it. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by Hope on March 31, 2012 at 14:29:12 PT
Thanks, The GCW
I'll check it out.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by The GCW on March 31, 2012 at 14:21:50 PT
Hope,
Almost any health food store has hemp seeds and oil.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by Hope on March 31, 2012 at 13:49:17 PT
Thanks, The GCW.
That's very interesting. I need to find a source of some good hempseed oil, now.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by The GCW on March 31, 2012 at 11:15:29 PT
Hope,
Omega 3?Hemp seed oil is a bull's-eye. It also has Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) which is only available in 5 locations. One of the others is mother's milk... GLA is known to help the immune system.http://www.pkdiet.com/pages/herbs/food/hempseed.htm Plus hemp seed oil has the minute trace element of THC which is good for the spirit. For those who can not or don't use cannabis but want that trace of THC, so they are not THC deficient, hemp seed oil is good.And the government doesn't want anyone to have even a trace of THC in their system due to the spiritual realities. That alone is worth eating hemp seed oil (and hemp seeds) on salads. Hemp seeds are also good in things like smoothies.-0-The section, "Why is hemp seed oil better than other oil supplements for obtaining EFA essential fatty acids?" explains more about GLA and other articles offer more info. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by Hope on March 31, 2012 at 10:43:51 PT
Sweet
I had just sat down here, opened this page and took my Omega-3's (Fish oil)when I read Afterburner's post.Reading about the Weedman, the Rev., and checking Afterburner's diligent post, and started thinking about the huge group of people we all have become, I couldn't help but think about perseverance and "Never give up. Never give up. Never ever give up." diligence.Huzza! The light of dawn is not so elusive as it was. It's clear and easy to see.But we know to be on our guard from every angle. Diligently.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by afterburner on March 31, 2012 at 07:02:20 PT
More Health Effects
Omega-3 fats lower systemic inflammation to slash cancer and heart disease risks. 
Friday, March 30, 2012 by: John Phillip.
See all articles by this author.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035404_omega-3s_inflammation_heart_disease.htmlJuicing cannabis miraculously saves lives after physicians declare the battle lost.
Friday, March 30, 2012 by: Raw Michelle.
See all articles by this author.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035400_juicing_cannabis_remedies.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by RevRayGreen on March 31, 2012 at 04:03:51 PT
(PT 1 GCS 3/30/12)NJ WEEDMAN interview
ROADAMENTARY – Green Central Station (PT 1 GCS 3/30/12)NJ WEEDMAN interviewThe legend, NJ WEEDMAN, stops in to visit Rev Ray Green, on his way to jury nullification and hopefully freedom…EPISODE III of season III, Green Central Station was recorded today at DMLive.tv studios, with Saint Michael in the house BRINGING IT as he always does and as only St.
Mike can...http://www.dmlive.tv/roadamentary-dsm-ia-green-central-station-meets-nj-weedman/
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 30, 2012 at 10:13:28 PT
Washington Post Gets Calls About Pot Jobs 
D.C. Medical Marijuana: 'Washington Post' Gets Calls About Pot Jobs March 30, 2012Washington, D.C. -- Medical marijuana has been considered a growth industry, with far-reaching benefits beyond the patients. In some cities where medical-marijuana programs are in place, real estate agents, garden suppliers, irrigation and hydroponics experts and security operations have seen a boost.In the nation's capital, where District of Columbia officials are implementing a medical-marijuana law and recently announced the selection of six companies to grow and supply cannabis, there's also bubbling interest in jobs with those companies.After writing a story in The Washington Post about the city's selection of medical-marijuana companies, including one part-owned by talk show host Montel Williams, reporter Tim Craig received a number of calls from job seekers.URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/dc-medical-marijuana-wash_n_1391750.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by afterburner on March 30, 2012 at 09:43:27 PT
15 minutes from The White House
"Venture Forth dba Center City in the 2200 block of Channing Street NE in Langdon."Driving directions to 2200 Channing St NE, Washington, DC 20018, USASuggested routes  4.6 mi, 15 mins,
  In current traffic: 27 mins,
  Rhode Island Ave NW	
[From:The White House,] 
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500, USA
		1. Head north on 17th St NW toward H St NW 	0.3 mi	2. Turn right onto K St NW 	
		
0.7 mi	3. Turn left onto 11th St NW 	0.5 mi	4. Turn right onto Rhode Island Ave NW 		
2.4 mi	5. Turn right onto Evarts St NE 		
0.5 mi	6. Turn right onto Queens Chapel Rd NE 		
0.2 mi	7. Take the 2nd left onto Channing St NEDestination will be on the left253 ft	
2200 Channing St NE
Washington, DC 20018, USA--Google Maps
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by runruff on March 30, 2012 at 09:36:37 PT
"lives"
"the rest of their lives..."
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by runruff on March 30, 2012 at 09:34:45 PT
Exodus to retirement!
In the next ten years we will see a flood of former useful idiots [AKA DEA:Drug War Profiteers] lining up to spend the rest of their on the public tit!Some of us would love to change that eventuality.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by ekim on March 30, 2012 at 08:51:45 PT
New Documentary
http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/38508-cannabis-science-reports-its-first-documentary-release-date-of-april-5-2012-%E2%80%9Cchronic-future-killing-cancer%E2%80%9D-a-documentary-about-the-truth-and-benef/page__pid__371233#entry371233
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by CropReport on March 30, 2012 at 08:21:21 PT
FoM
It is happening in D.C. and everywhere. Herb Spring :)
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by CropReport on March 30, 2012 at 08:07:45 PT
HEY DEA,
"All your base are belong to us" ;)
[ Post Comment ]

 


Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 30, 2012 at 07:46:17 PT

This Is Really Exciting
I would go to Washington just to see it all evolve. If it happens in D.C. it will happen everywhere. 
[ Post Comment ]





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