cannabisnews.com: Marylands Marijuana Program Would Be Conscientious
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Marylands Marijuana Program Would Be Conscientious
Posted by CN Staff on August 17, 2011 at 20:43:33 PT
By Tom Howell Jr., The Washington Times
Source: Washington Times
Annapolis, MD -- A program to legalize medical marijuana in Maryland would likely put distribution in the hands of academic-research programs and make the drug available to a limited number of select patients, state officials said Wednesday.Members of a state-appointed work group to study and craft new medical marijuana legislation said they will likely pursue a plan that tightly regulates distribution and use of the drug, to steer clear of federal concerns and avoid abuse seen in some other states that allow the drug through doctors’ prescriptions and dispensaries.
“I wouldn’t say this is necessarily legalizing in a very broad sense,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and chairman of the work group. “This is a pretty narrow concept that, conceivably, could be helpful. It recognizes that there are potential benefits and potential risks.”Some state legislators have sought to make medical marijuana more available to many seriously ill residents who are undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from diseases such as AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis, and could receive relief from the drug.The General Assembly passed a law this year that established the work group and allows medical marijuana users to now be acquitted of possession charges if they can prove medical necessity.While medical marijuana is currently legal in 17 states and the District, the Justice Department has contended that its distribution still technically violates federal laws.Agency officials have mostly turned a blind eye to the drug’s medical use but have expressed increasing concerns over its widespread availability in some states and have even raided some commercial distributors.State officials said Wednesday they could best avoid such issues by allowing only distribution through state-approved academic centers.While Dr. Sharfstein said it is now “hard to tell’ how the state’s program would look, he said the most likely scenario would involve a system in which the centers would request state permission to run treatment programs, and would then select qualified patients to whom they would provide carefully monitored dosages.Sen. David R. Brinkley, a Frederick Republican and work group member, said Maryland is one of many states that hopes to allow medical marijuana “in a conscientious way,” but that often-vague federal disapproval has stood in the way.“These patients don’t have the luxury of time, and they sure as heck don’t understand the back and forth” between federal and state officials, said Mr. Brinkley, who sought legislation last year to legalize the drug for medical use. “Our big issue is trying to put something together so we can say ‘Here are the guidelines.’ ”Work group members are expected to be split into three subgroups, in which they will set criteria to determine treatment regulations and patient and provider eligibility, address federal concerns, and pursue grants for a potential program.Dr. Sharfstein said the work group hopes to pave the way for the new medical marijuana legislation, which he said could be enacted within the next one or two years, at the earliest.If a law is passed, he said, academic centers would likely have to propose their own medical marijuana programs for approval by state health officials. The academic centers would then use an established set of criteria to select patients.Source: Washington Times (DC)Author: Tom Howell Jr., The Washington TimesPublished: August 17, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Washington Times, LLC Website: http://www.washtimes.com/Contact: letters washingtontimes.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/9GJkMrl6CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by afterburner on August 22, 2011 at 09:43:11 PT
canis420
"legal like tomatoes..."Now, that's funny.
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Comment #7 posted by Canis420 on August 21, 2011 at 01:59:29 PT:
Konagold
At the end of that article they inferred they could possibly insert, by gene splice, specific traits of cannabis into other species...such as tomatos maybe...legal like tomatos (ref)
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 19, 2011 at 06:19:53 PT
runruff
Yup! You're right! LOL!
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on August 19, 2011 at 05:45:43 PT
" ...over the top of my head. "
Didn't have to go very high, did it?
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 18, 2011 at 20:49:10 PT
konagold
It's good to see you. That is interesting but it goes right over the top of my head. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by konagold on August 18, 2011 at 16:14:19 PT
attn FOM Genome of Marijuana Sequenced and Publish
A Netherlands-based company called Medicinal Genomics has just announced the successful genetic sequencing of Cannabis sativa, the highly regulated annual plant that has been widely consumed for centuries as an intoxicant and a medicine. The plant, known in the vernacular as grass, tea, or mooster, has been legalized in 16 U.S. states for use as a medical treatment for various disorders over the last decade, and according to Medicinal Genomics' Kevin McKernan, the legal market for the substance is currently growing by 50 percent every year.The genetic sequence has been published only in its raw state, not yet assembled into a more usable form. When the process is completed, though, it should be possible to isolate the genes responsible for the creation of the pharmaceutically active compounds by the plant, including THC, CBD, and some 60 other cannabinoids. Understanding these genes and their expression will make possible a fine degree of control over the production of these compounds, with significant implications for both the medical and recreational users of the drug. Particular drug-producing genes could be isolated and concentrated in particular strains of the plant, or even inserted in other species.The genome of C. sativa is roughly 400 million base pairs long; the human genome has 3 billion.http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-08/genome-marijuana-sequenced-and-published
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on August 18, 2011 at 07:17:38 PT
It is cruel and unjust!
Gasbarfbags serve a purpose, Meg does not! Therefore I see this as an unfair comparison and downgrading of a respectable receptacle!
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Comment #1 posted by RevRayGreen on August 18, 2011 at 05:49:32 PT
Johnny Reeferseed vs Iowa Govn'a Terry Brandstad 
Johnny Reeferseed vs Iowa Govn'a Terry Brandstad 8/9/11 WHO RADIO http://youtu.be/sr-GXx-CHBoJust remember, Marijuana also got MORE votes than GOP gasbarfbag Meg Whitman in 2010.
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