cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - August 28, 2008





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - August 28, 2008
Posted by CN Staff on August 28, 2008 at 12:29:43 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
California: Attorney General Issues Guidelines Recognizing Patients' Medi-Pot Use August 28, 2008 - Sacramento, CA, USSacramento: State and local law enforcement should not arrest state qualified patients who possess, cultivate, or travel with medical marijuana, according to new guidelines issued this week by the California Attorney General's office.
According to the guidelines, authorized patients and primary caregivers may possess up to eight ounces of dried marijuana, and may maintain no more than six mature plants or 12 immature plants, unless a doctor recommends more. However, a recent decision by California's 4th District Court of Appeals determined that legislators could not legally impose limits on the amount of medical cannabis patients may possess. State Attorney General Jerry Brown is appealing the decision.The guidelines encourage patients to participate in the California Department of Public Health's registration program to obtain a medical marijuana identification card. Currently, the cities of San Diego and San Bernardino are challenging the legality of the ID-card program. Under the new guidelines, the distribution and non-profit sales of medical cannabis is permitted by qualified "collectives and cooperatives." By contrast, the guidelines warn that 'storefront' business that engage in the for-profit sales of medical marijuana "are likely operating outside the protections" of state law."We are not going to harass legitimate clubs," Brown said. "[But we will] target … those clubs that are part of a larger criminal operation."Full text of the Attorney General's guidelines. For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500, or Dale Gieringer, CA NORML Coordinator, at (415) 563-5858.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7689 Pot Compounds Reduce Multi-Drug Resistant Infections, Study Says Cannabinoids Show “Exceptional” Antibacterial Activity Against MRSA August 28, 2008 - Novara, ItalyNovara, Italy: The administration of natural plant cannabinoids can significantly reduce the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (aka MRSA), according to preclinical data to be published in the Journal of Natural Products.Investigators at Italy's Universita del Piemonte Orientale and Britain's University of London, School of Pharmacy assessed the antibacterial properties of five cannabinoids - THC, CBD (cannabidiol), CBG (cannabigerol), CBC (cannabichromine), and CBN (cannabinol) - against various strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria, including MRSA. "All compounds showed potent antibacterial activity," authors determined. Researchers noted that cannabinoids showed "exceptional" antibacterial activity against EMERSA-15 and EMERSA-16, the major epidemic MRSA strains occurring in UK hospitals. Authors concluded: "Although the use of cannabinoids as systemic antibacterial agents awaits rigorous clinical trials, … their topical application to reduce skin colonization by MRSA seems promising. … Cannabis sativa … represents an interesting source of antibacterial agents to address the problem of multidrug resistance in MRSA and other pathogenic bacteria." According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, MRSA is responsible for more than 18,500 hospital-stay related deaths each year.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Full text of the study, "Antibacterial cannabinoids from cannabis sativa: A structure-activity study," will appear in the Journal of Natural Products.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7687Massachusetts: Three Out Of Four Voters Favor Marijuana Decrim MeasureAugust 28, 2008 - Boston, MA, USBoston, MA: Nearly three out of four Massachusetts voters support a statewide ballot initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by persons age 18 or older, according to a Channel 7 News/Suffolk University poll of 400 registered voters.Seventy-one percent of respondents said that they would vote "yes" on the November ballot measure, which would replace criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana with a civil fine of no more than $100. Only 22 percent of respondents opposed the proposal.Among respondents over 65 years of age, 70 percent said they backed decriminalization.The strong poll numbers indicate that the measure "is all but certain" to pass in November, the poll's authors declared in a press release.If voters approve the measure this fall, Massachusetts would be the first state to enact the decriminalization of marijuana since Nevada's legislature did so in 2001 and the first to do so by voter initiative.Currently, twelve states have enacted versions of marijuana decriminalization -replacing criminal sanctions with fine-only penalties for minor pot violators.Michigan voters will also decide on a separate statewide initiative this November that seeks to legalize the medical use of cannabis for qualified patients. If enacted, Michigan will become the thirteenth state since 1996 to authorize the legal use of medical cannabis, and the ninth state to do so by voter initiative.For more information, please contact NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at (202) 483-5500, or visit the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7688Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: August 28, 2008Copyright: 2008 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by Richard Zuckerman on August 30, 2008 at 18:30:10 PT:
WILL THE CONVENTION ADDRESS "MARIJUANA"?
Will the Cannabis/"Marijuana" decriminalization issue be addressed at the Democratic Convention or Republican Convention?
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Comment #6 posted by Storm Crow on August 29, 2008 at 16:04:38 PT
"They invariably constitute danger to the society.
Why, we most certainly DO "constitute danger to the society"- just not in the way he says. Cannabis users THINK! And now that we have thought, we are beginning to ACT! The old "status quo" has got to go! Change IS coming and cannabis is the catalyst!
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Comment #5 posted by bluntobject on August 29, 2008 at 08:47:26 PT:
Nigeria? 
You know it's hard to read about some corrupt government in Africa (and Nigeria ranks right up there with Zimbabwe in that race). When I see these corrupt militeristic leaders preaching hate about the dangers of cannabis; it's sickening. Anyone can see that everything else they stand for involves corruption, so why would they have an credibility on any issue -- even cannabis. For the record, Nigeria is the #1 internet scamming location in the world. More internet scams come out of Nigeria that any other country in the world. I wouldn't put too much stock in anything that comes out of Nigeria. 
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Comment #4 posted by observer on August 29, 2008 at 01:24:22 PT
Pot Smokers: Invariably Danger to the Society
This just in from Nigeria. The Oyo State Council of obas and chiefs have decided to speak out against the criminogenic properties of cannabis. 
They also commented on the dangers which marijuana otherwise called Indian Hemp posed to the society and therefore charged the Police Command to apprehend dealers and smokers of the stuff to make the state safer for all to live in. "Once under the influence of marijuana, robbers automatically lose their mental faculty and their reasoning became completely jaded. They invariably constitute danger to the society. It is for this reason that killing and maiming of defenceless citizens become their pastime," the traditional rulers remarked.
http://www.champion-newspapers.com/news/article17_290808.htm
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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on August 28, 2008 at 20:44:58 PT
What, You Mean It's Not Just Soros?
{ Nearly three out of four Massachusetts voters support a statewide ballot initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by persons age 18 or older, according to a Channel 7 News/Suffolk University poll of 400 registered voters. Seventy-one percent of respondents said that they would vote "yes" on the November ballot measure,... Among respondents over 65 years of age, 70 percent said they backed decriminalization.
 }Gee whiz, that's a majority, isn't it?
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Comment #2 posted by observer on August 28, 2008 at 17:49:44 PT
Curiouser and Curiouser
Pot Compounds Reduce Multi-Drug Resistant Infections, Study Says Cannabinoids Show “Exceptional” Antibacterial Activity Against MRSACannabis is anti-cancer, AND anti-MSRA (a possibly flesh-eating superbug bacteria) .. wow! What can you say? In this universe, it looks like the more corrupt officials lie about cannabis, the more miraculous things are then discovered about the healing properties of cannabis, things which completely contradict and overturn the official lies. Curious. I expect officials/authorities/experts to now trip over one another in haste to screech out, "But don't smoke pot! Don't take cannabis! Don't use marijuana! Etc." as their official party-line knee-jerk reaction to this news. On second thought, there will probably be little reaction to this news because this is precisely the type of news the "free" press (Mighty Wurlitzer, Operation Mockingbird, etc.) spikes and studiously ignores. Like the growing mountain of information about the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids. Carefully and energetically ignored. Flesh-eating risk of MRSA superbug (April 2005, Daily Mail; UK)
http://drugsense.org/url/HxihNJOX 
(The Daily mail is quick to trumpet reefer madness, and peddle MRSA fears. Think the Daily Mail will now tell their readers cannabis fights the flesh-eating MRSA superbug?) 
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 28, 2008 at 13:08:00 PT
Colorado: Marijuana Group Ready To March
By Dan Kelley, Rocky Mountain News August 28, 2008LINCOLN PARK -- About 100 people are set to march to Invesco Field in support of the legalization of medical marijuana as the smell of cannabis wafts through the crowd.The group, which calls itself Citizens for Safe Access, says marijuana can reduce pain associated with cancer and AIDS."It's great for cancer patients," said Mike Oren, a marcher. "It should be categorized as a pain reliever rather than an illegal drug. My mom could have used it when she had cancer."The group is set to leave at 2 p.m.Copyright: 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co.http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/28/marijuana-group-ready-march/
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