Posts

Limited High-CBD/Low-THC Medical Mairijuana Bills Advance in Texas

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

AUSTIN, TX — Lawmakers in both chambers of the Texas legislature have given preliminary approval to companion legislation to allow the use medical marijuana extracts rich in cannabidoil (CBD) for patients suffering from uncontrollable epilepsy, advancing the bills out of committee and sending them to the floor of their respective chambers for a vote.

House Bill 892, co-sponsored by 11 Republicans and 5 Democrats, was approved by an 8-1 vote in the House Public Health Committee on Monday.  Meanwhile, Senate Bill 339 was approved by a…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Louisiana Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

BATON ROUGE, LA — Lawmakers in the Louisiana Senate have approved a bill that would give patients suffering from some conditions access to medical marijuana.

The full Senate voted 22 to 13 with strong bi-partisan support on Monday to approve the proposal, sending the measure to the House for consideration.

The bill, Senate Bill 143, would allow the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules and regulations for dispensing medical marijuana statewide, and give the Department of Agriculture and Forestry oversight of marijuana cultivation…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Tennessee Governor Signs Limited Cannabis Oil Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

NASHVILLE, TN — As expected, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed an extremely limited medical marijuana bill that will allow cannabis oil to treat seizures.

Gov. Haslam signed the bill, Senate Bill 280, Monday morning.  The bill contains an emergency clause, making the law effective immediately.

The new law will legalize the possession — but not cultivation or sale — of some cannabis extracts to treat severe seizure disorders, such as epilepsy. Instead, the bills allow patients to bring cannabis oil in to Tennessee for…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

WIth a Stroke of His Pen, Puerto Rico Governor Legalizes Medical Marijuana

/in , , , , , , , , , /by

SAN JUAN, PR — On Sunday, Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro García Padilla signed an executive order that will bring medical marijuana to thousands of patients in the US territory, legalizing the medical use of marijuana by executive order.

Noting that several studies conducted in the United States have demonstrated the therapeutic value of cannabis and its derivatives, García Padilla signed Executive Order 2015-10, which directs the island’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Ana Rius, to authorize the medical use of “some or all” substances…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Pennsylvania Senate Could Vote on Medical Marijuana Next Week

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

HARRISBURG, PA — Lawmakers in the full Pennsylvania Senate could vote on a bill to allow some forms of medical marijuana in the state next week.

The bill, Senate Bill 3, would first have to clear the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is scheduled to consider the bill on Monday, according to the committee’s legislative calendar.  If approved by the committee, which is expected, the bill would move to the floor of the full Senate for a vote, which could happen as early as Wednesday.

The bi-partisan bill, introduced by…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

California Assembly Passes Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 258, the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act, Thursday by a vote of 52 to 8, sending it to the Senate for consideration.

The bill was introduced by Assembly Member Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) and sponsored by medical cannabis patients’ advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

Medical cannabis patients in California are routinely removed from the organ transplant waiting list if they test positive for cannabis use – even legal doctor-recommended medical…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

US House Narrowly Defeats Amendment to Allow VA Docs to Discuss Medical Marijuana

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States House of Representatives voted 213-210 Thursday to defeat an amendment to allow doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals to discuss the use of medical marijuana with their patients.

A total of 175 Democrats and 35 Republicans voted in favor of the amendment, and 205 Republicans and 8 Democrats voted against it.  A similar amendment narrowly failed on the House floor last year by a vote of 195 to 222.

The appropriations amendment to the first fiscal 2016 appropriations bill of the year, which…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Clinical Trials of CBD for Children with Epilepsy

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Gov. Mary Fallin signs bill to allow children with epilepsy access to CBD trials, but states “I will never support the legalization of marijuana in Oklahoma.”

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Mary Fallin signed House Bill 2154 into law on Thursday, authorizing a medical pilot program allowing the medically supervised use of cannabidiol (CBD) — a low THC non-intoxicating derivative of marijuana — for children with epilepsy.

House Bill 215, which passed the legislature earlier this month, will allow children…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Why Georgia Won’t Become the 24th Medical Marijuana State

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

With the passage of House Bill 1 in Georgia this week, the state will become the 36th state with some form of medical marijuana protection for patients, but the law falls short of making the state the 24th “medical marijuana state,” in spite of stories to the contrary. The act was approved by both the Georgia House and Senate earlier this week and now moves to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal where it is expected to be signed soon.

While definitions on what is and is not a medical marijuana state are clearly subjective, the newly passed…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Georgia Governor to Sign Limited Medical Marijuana Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

ATLANTA, GA — A spokesperson for Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said the Republican will sign legislation that will allow access to low-THC cannabis oil for patients suffering from some conditions.

Gov. Deal will sign the bill after the legislative session ends next week, spokesman Brian Robinson said Thursday.  The Governor is also expected to issue an executive order directing state agencies to begin preparing to enact the legislation on Friday.

The restrictive bill, which advocates say does not quallify Georgia to be considered a…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Georgia Lawmakers Give Final Approval to Limited Medical Marijuana Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

ATLANTA, GA — Lawmakers in Georgia’s House voted 160-1 on Wednesday to give final approval to a bill that will allow access to low-THC cannabis oil for patients suffering from some conditions.

Titled the Haleigh’s Hope Act, House Bill 1, was approved earlier this week by the Senate 48-6.  The House had previously approved the bill by a 158-2 vote in February, but changes in the Senate required a new floor vote in the House.

The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal, who is expected to sign the bill into law as early as…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Idaho Senate Passes Limited Cannabis Oil Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

BOISE, ID — The Idaho Senate has approved a bill to allow the use of some oils extracted from cannabis plants to treat children with severe forms epilepsy.  The bill now moves to the House for consideration.

Senators voted 22-12 on Tuesday to approve Senate Bill 1146, which if enacted would decriminalize cannabidiol oil (CBD), a non-psychotropic extract of marijuana. Proponents of cannabidiol oil argue that it reduces the amount and length of seizures in children with intractable forms of epilepsy.

Originally, the bill didn’t legalize…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

PA Medical Society: “Too Few” Studies on Medical Marijuana

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Removing cannabis from our pharmacopeia 7 decades ago may have resulted in thousands of opioid deaths:

“From a pharmacological perspective, cannabinoids are considerably safer than opioids and have broad applicability in palliative care. Had cannabis not been removed from our pharmacopeia 7 decades ago and remained available to treat chronic pain, potentially thousands of lives that have been lost to opioid toxicity could have been prevented.”
“The medicinal cannabis user should not be considered a criminal in any state and the DEA and…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Delaware Approves Minor Changes to Medical Marijuana Regulations

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

DOVER, DE — Lawmakers in the Delaware House have given final approval to a bill updating regulations regarding Delaware’s long-delayed medical marijuana program.

Senate Bill 7 passed the House unanimously on a 40-0 vote with no floor debate Tuesday, and now goes to the Governor for his signature.

The bill does little to change Delaware’s fledgling medical marijuana program, essentially defining the membership of a nine-member oversight committee that will evaluate and make recommendations regarding implementation of the program,…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Georgia Senate Approves Limited Medical Marijuana Bill

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

ATLANTA, GA —  The Georgia Senate has overwhelmingly passed a limited medical marijuana bill that would allow access to low-THC cannabis oil for patients suffering from some conditions.

Titled the Haleigh’s Hope Act, House Bill 1, which has already been approved by the House, was amended in the Senate and now returns to the lower chamber for some tweaking.

The original bill’s author, Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) said that he feels confident that the House will approve the substitute bill from the Senate Health and Human Services…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

Medical Marijuana Advocates to Host 3rd Annual National Conference in Washington DC

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Scientists, patients, doctors, advocates, lawyers, policymakers unite to further advance public health policy reforms

WASHINGTON, DC — Medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) will hold its third annual national Unity Conference, “Wellness is Winning,” in Washington, D.C. on March 27-31, 2015.

The conference will highlight medical and legal experts, policymakers, and a wide array of workshops and panels focusing on scientific research, strategic planning, and skills building. On Tuesday, March 31st, ASA will host…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…

House Version of Federal Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Support for Letting States Set Their Own Marijuana Policies without Federal Interference Growing Rapidly in Congress

WASHINGTON, DC—Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) have introduced the House companion to a groundbreaking bill legalizing marijuana for medical use that was introduced in the Senate two weeks ago by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) co-sponsored the bill soon after.

“Reforming our nation’s failed drug policies…

CONTINUE READING: Click Here to Continue Reading Article…