Minnesota is moving closer to securing protection for medical marijuana patients.

“Medical Cannabis Bill Passes Senate Committee in Bipartisan Vote, 8-3″

One of those testifying was Joni Whiting of Jordan, a disabled Vietnam veteran who had strongly disapproved of marijuana use until her daughter was diagnosed with melanoma and began suffering unbearable nausea and pain from the treatments. “I was opposed to marijuana,” Whiting said, “but the nausea my daughter suffered from the chemotherapy was so bad she lost a lot of weight, and the pills the doctor prescribed didn’t help — including Marinol, the THC pill. Marijuana allowed her to eat and also helped ease her pain, and she looked better than I’d seen her in months. I would have rather spent the rest of my life in prison than have denied her the medicine that kept her pain at bay and allowed her to live 89 more days.”

This is exactly why medical marijuana needs to be approved. Even marinol pill does not work as effectively, and safely as the natural cannabis.

Minnesota’s medical marijuana bill, S.F. 97, cleared its first major hurdle this afternoon, passing the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee in a bipartisan vote of 8 to 3. The committee received spoken and written testimony from a number of patients and family members describing the relief provided by medical marijuana when conventional treatments had failed.

“I believe this will be the year medical marijuana becomes law in Minnesota,” said Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing), a sponsor of the bill. “We’ve seen now from the experiences of 13 states — one-quarter of the country — that these laws work well, and that the dire warnings of opponents simply don’t come true. The voters understand that there is no reason to subject suffering patients to arrest and jail for using a doctor-recommended medicine.”

More and more law makers are choosing the side of compassion and reason…

“I’m pleased to co-author this important legislation that will empower doctors and patients while protecting sick and dying Minnesotans from the threat of criminal prosecution,” said Sen. Debbie Johnson (R-Ham Lake). “Most FDA-approved drugs assist in managing short-term pain. Chronically ill and terminal patients need alternatives. Medical marijuana is one of those alternatives.”

Even Republicans are behind the effort to legalize medical marijuana.

Thirteen states, including one-quarter of the U.S. population, now permit medical use of marijuana under state law. The newest such law was enacted by Michigan voters last November, passing with a record-setting 63 percent “yes” vote. Medical organizations which have recognized marijuana’s medical uses include the American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and American College of Physicians, which noted “marijuana’s proven efficacy at treating certain symptoms and its relatively low toxicity,” in a statement issued last year.

wow, they have arrested eight people over the photo of Michael Phelps smoking cannabis through a glass “bong” or aka water pipe.

This is insane, and calls for an immediate look into the decriminalization of marijuana at the federal level.

A Columbia, S.C., television station reports that eight people have been arrested after a photograph surfaced of Olympic star Michael Phelps smoking what looks like a bong.

WIS-TV says seven people have been charged with drug possession and one person with distribution.

The television station also reports that police have confiscated the bong that Phelps allegedly used during a party at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia.

He should’ve used a vaporizer and brought up the healthy aspect of using a vaporizer over inhaling smoke!

It’s time for America to stop wasting millions of tax payer dollars arresting, prosecuting, and jailing millions of it’s own citizens who choose to use cannabis. It’s time to reschedule cannabis today!

Well, I don’t think any of us in America expected this housing foreclosure mess, and financial crisis that is upon us. Needlesstosay, we are putting off the move to California at this time, but I will surely post about it in the future. However, since the election is coming, I guess it is my duty to address the clear question about the two candidates who are running for the President of the United States in November. Which one supports medical marijuana? Which one wants to lock up people for smoking cannabis?

Clearly, I do not need to go into John McCain‘s thoughts on the subject to make it known, he is against anything to do with ‘medical marijuana.” He does not believe it has medicinal qualities, nor does he support its decriminalization, nor the legalization, for that matter. This man supports throwing people in jail, for the crime of possession, or even smoking a marijuana joint. Really, we need to do away with this mentality and get to the real issues facing America.

Barack Obama, on the other hand. Has a clear, and long record, of supporting medical marijuana. He has also voted to stop the raids on medical marijuana patients. This is all good news, and should come into play, come election day, if you are a supporter of medical marijuana.

Barack, gets it! He understands, some patients, need safe access to marijuana, or cannabis, for medicinal use.

We encourage all voters to think for themselves, but if you support medical marijuana, the choice is abundantly clear. Vote Obama!

In the past Senator Barack Obama has promised to end the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients, as well as their caregivers. He has voted against amendments to undermine state laws regarding cannabis as medicine.

It’s time for this country to go green, and by green I don’t mean energy, although that’d be nice too. Let’s knock some sense into congress and finally get meaningful legislation regarding medicinal marijuana in the next four years!

On June 2, 2007 Obama said this about raids: “I don’t think that should be a top priority of us, raiding people who are using … medical marijuana. With all the things we’ve got to worry about, and our Justice Department should be doing, that probably shouldn’t be a high priority.”

While the economy is certainly on everyone’s mind, we need to vote in someone who fill move forward with a new plan regarding rescheduling cannabis and helping change marijuana laws in this country. Go Obama!

Do not think the drug companies or “Big Pharma,” short for Big Pharmaceutical companies, do not support the use of Cannabis as Medicine – as many find, you’d be surprised.

Watson has released a generic form of the brand name “Marinol” which is a cannabis/marijuana based medication under the name Dronabinol.

This shows that although many believe the drug companies do not “want” marijuana legalized as a medicine, that perception may indeed be false – as I show there are already over 100 million Americans taking cannabis-based pills, and a legion of others who grow and process their own through organic gardening and hydroponics.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that, under a supply agreement with Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Watson has launched the authorized generic version of dronabinol in the 2.5, 5 and 10 mg once daily dosage strengths. Dronabinol is the generic version of Solvay Pharmaceuticals’ MARINOL (dronabinol) CIII Capsules, indicated to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments. Dronabinol is also indicated to treat anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). For the 12-months ending December 2007, Solvay reported MARINOL sales of 105 million.

Wow, 105 Million are on pills that cost an average of over $1000 a month for a supply. No way the drug companies will pass up a chance like this to make more money. Watson, leading generic pill maker is famous for its generic Vicodin and by releasing a generic form of Marinol (Drobabinol) you can see the wheels turning to bring this medication to as many patients as possible.

Under the terms of the supply agreement, Solvay Pharmaceuticals will supply the dronabinol capsules to the Company’s subsidiary, Watson Pharma, which will market, sell and distribute the product in the United States. Solvay Pharmaceuticals will receive a share of the profits from Watson’s sales of the generic product in the U.S. market. Further details on the agreement have not been disclosed.

“Marinol” is a brand name for “dronabinol” – here is a little info about it.

Dronabinol should not be used by any patient who has a history of hypersensitivity to any cannabinoid or to sesame oil. Patients should not drive, operate machinery, or engage in hazardous activity until they establish that they can tolerate dronabinol and perform such tasks safely. Dronabinol should be used with caution in patients with a history of seizure disorder; patients with cardiac disorders; patients with a history of substance abuse (including alcohol abuse or dependence); patients with mania, depression, or schizophrenia (along with careful psychiatric monitoring); patients taking sedatives, hypnotics, or other psychoactive drugs; and in elderly patients, pregnant patients, nursing mothers, or pediatric patients. The most common side effects probably related to dronabinol are dizziness, feelings of exaggerated happiness, paranoid reaction, drowsiness, thinking abnormal, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

While I applaud the science behind this, I also encourage the allowance of patients and caregivers to grow their own and remain as independent of Big Pharma as they can. Obviously, pill-form cannabis is needed, and now Watson has released a generic form more sick and dying patients will be relieved of pain, hopefully at a cheaper price.

Regarding Dronabinol and its effectiveness:

Dronabinaol does not contain the other significant chemical constituents present in cannabis. While it is made of synthetic THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) there are dozens of other “cannabinoids” present in cannabis that work together (science still does not even know how exactly) to produce the medicinal feeling and relief associated with medical marijuana.

The cost of these pills are so much higher than the black market street price for marijuana it is insane. Reportedly it costs more than the expensive male performance pill Viagra, ranging from $20-$25 a pill – and taking three a day would cost a patient $75 a day – street cannabis is cheaper than that, and growing your own is virtually free of charge.

The idea that we should “synthesize” something that grows naturally on this planet is somewhat an awkward approach to medicine in my mind. Synthetic THC is not the same as the natural organic combination of cannabinoids found in cannabis, and it never will be.

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Corona, CA, is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, markets, sells and distributes brand and generic pharmaceutical products. Watson pursues a growth strategy combining internal product development, strategic alliances and collaborations and synergistic acquisitions of products and businesses.

To help highlight the reason I started this web site as my personal medical cannabis support site – I show you everyday web sites we use are active in squashing public discourse regarding certain things – my only concern of course, “medical marijuana.”

Why would a social network site like Digg, bother wasting time trying to quell discussion on a topic such as medical marijuana, I have no idea, but one thing for sure – it does.

Here is a screenshot of the error message I just got trying to submit an article on our favorite topic, medical marijuana…

I can understand blocking certain topics that may encourage illegal activity or the breaking of laws, but considering medical marijuana is in fact legal in many of the United States of America, I find it embarrassing that sites like Digg are actively discouraging the sharing of info related to the medicinal use of marijuana.

This is exactly the reason I launched this site – if it was up to those controlling the air waves this topic would have went away a long time ago. Either way, I just got this error and felt like sharing this find with you.

What article was I trying to share?

I was expanding my previous thoughts on how many plants a patient is allowed, as well as daily cannabis amount allowance on this page called: 71 Ounces Of Medical Marijuana Barely Enough.

Never relent.

This image can be used as a “Desktop Background” – just right click and choose “Set As Desktop Background” if you are using Firefox – or “Set As Background” for Internet Explorer users. Either way, what this does is place the image as your background on your computer’s Desktop.

This is the first of more to come “marijuana or cannabis related backgrounds” and desktop images created by the RescheduleCannabis.com Design Team.

The backgrounds on this page are free to use, but please do not alter the image in a way to remove our web site name from the graphic. Otherwise, have fun and Happy 4:20.

All I can say right now is I am so glad mankind has pushed for the technology we have today, because this news story shows exactly how someone can be completely innocent but proven guilty by the media and police – even though you did NOTHING.

I will leave out the guys name and picture because he is innocent, but this is very popular in the news at this moment.

An 18 year old male was delivering cookies for MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) – the cops claimed the cookies were “laced with LSD” and “smelled of marijuana.” So they arrested the kid, and threw him in jail.

One small problem, the lab tests indicate no drugs at all in the cookies. So now we throw people in jail because a cop “thinks” he smells marijuana on a cookie?

The major flag in all this is where did they pull out the “laced with LSD” accusation? Their “field test” consists of taking a piece of the cookies, putting it in a bag and dripping some liquid on it, if the liquid turns blue – bingo its drugs. But nowhere does it indicate “LSD or marijuana.” And if a cop “smelled” marijuana why would they tack on “laced with LSD” to the charge?

“Our officers took a good whiff and thought they smelled like marijuana,” McGuire said, adding that preliminary tests instead detected traces of LSD.

A cop’s nose is no reason to lock someone up in jail under false accusations… keyword in the above quote “thought” as in “they thought wrong.”

No cops became ill and no officer was sick from eating the cookies. They rushed to judgment on something without any real evidence and ended up locking up an innocent kid trying to do community service… which by the way, how is delivering cookies to cops considered community service? People really need to look into exactly how MADD gets its funding and how it works in regards to things like this – getting tax dollars to deliver cookies to cops? I mean come on – this money can be spent elsewhere. The last thing cops need is cookies. Especially this group of cops… (more…)

Cannabis is and will forever be medicine. No law can change that fact. It was medicine before this country (America) and it will be around long after you and I are dead. Man cannot change this plants reason for existence and no legislation can strip away its magical medicinal properties and natural healing abilities.

What is medical cannabis?

Medical cannabis refers to the use of the Cannabis sativa plant as a physician-recommended herbal therapy as well as synthetic THC and cannabinoids. So far, the medical use of cannabis is legal only in a limited number of territories, including Canada, Belgium, Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, and some U.S. states. This usage generally requires a prescription, and distribution is usually done within a framework defined by local laws.

Personally my interest in medical cannabis started with suffering from Migraine. And of course, living in california – which provoked me to get this web site going.

So I started digging around and educating myself about cannabis used as medicine… (more…)

We need to see more action like this across America, but I applaud Oregon for pushing ahead.

(SALEM, Ore.) – A proposed law for Oregon would radically alter the availability of marijuana for adults, by allowing the herb to be purchased in liquor stores. The Oregonians For Cannabis Reform 2010, say the Oregonian Cannabis Tax Act would make cannabis products legal and available in a retail environment. Proponents say it will mean millions and millions of dollars for Oregon’s state coffers and many predict that the move would literally salvage the state’s unstable economy.

Backers of this Initiative say their plan would send 90 percent of the proceeds from the state’s sale of marijuana to Oregon’s General Fund, which could lower the state tax burden significantly. Portions of the revenue would be used to fund drug abuse education and treatment programs.

But right now, the people bringing this opportunity for Oregon voters forward, says their effort needs money, equipment, and, most of all, volunteers.

But they say the payoff will be enormous, as the Cannabis Tax Act (CTA) will take the lucrative marijuana market out of the black market, where children and substance abusers often control it today, and place it in state liquor stores, where the age limit of 21 and older is strictly enforced.

Advocates also say it will be like a rebirth of the Oregon farmer. Farmers will be licensed to cultivate cannabis for both medicinal and adult private use. Farmers will be able to grow industrial hemp without a license, for paper, fabric, protein and oil, under the new proposed law.

Forcing patients to turn to the black market for medicine is not good, by removing the marijuana from the criminals and allowing patients to grow their own or buy their own legally, will help make this country a better place. Right now our streets are controlled by drugs – marijuana should never be sold on the street as a drug, it is a natural plant and should be allowed to be grown for free. America is making criminals rich and rewarding the black market by keeping marijuana illegal.

We need America to give this powerful plant back to farmers. At one time American farmers were not only allowed to grow cannabis, but encouraged to do so. The US government even made a film about it called “Hemp For Victory” where farmers were encouraged to grow hemp to help the US win the war! Then the drug war started and marijuana became illegal.

More than marijuana, the CTA will restore industrial hemp, the most productive agricultural source of fiber protein and oil, and a huge aspect of American heritage. Hemp seed oil is diesel fuel. The first cordage, cloth and paper were invented from hemp fiber.

Advocates say the laws would virtually wipe out the black-market. “The CTA allows police and the courts to concentrate on real criminals that hurt others, not arrest, prosecute and jail harmless, productive adult cannabis users. Stop our government from tearing families apart. Let’s show real family values and end cannabis prohibition.”

The OCTA will wage its campaign to help stop the War on Cannabis by challenging the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act- it’s credibility and effectiveness. This is the law that was precededd by mass hype and hysteria fed to the American public by Harry Anslinger, a dubious U.S. politician who worked with Dow Chemicals and Dupont in the 1920′s and 30′s, to demonize marijuana and place it in an illegal category, in order to get their new “synthetic rope” on the market. In truth, the natural hemp fiber is to this day, superior in strength, quality and durability.

It would appear that Anslinger was a conservative who truly believed marijuana to be a threat to the future of American civilization, yet his biographer maintained that he was an astute government bureaucrat who viewed the marijuana issue as a means for elevating himself to national prominence.

Paul Stanford of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, told KATU that the measure would also put a dent in illegal dealing of the weed.

“We want to take marijuana out of the hands of children and substance abusers, who control the market today, and put it in the hands of the state’s liquor control commission and the age limit of 21 will be strictly enforced,” Stanford said.

We have waged a war on marijuana for decades now with no positive results, just billions of dollars spent prosecuting citizens for possessing a joint of marijuana. It is time to start thinking on a different level and push for legislation like the Cannabis Tax Act and do what was already intended to be done in the 1970′s. Marijuana was to be taxed in many states in the 70′s and even states like Louisiana have a Marijuana Taxation Stamp that was introduced well over 30 years ago, however the politicians have swept the program under the rug in most states and continually fight against medical marijuana despite states having voted for the taxation of marijuana in the 70′s.

While I do not promote the use of marijuana as if it were alcohol, and do not really support the idea of it being sold at liquor stores (so more people get rich off of it) this is medicine and people need access to it, this does not mean I want it sold at liquor stores. I prefer medical marijuana dispensaries, but this is a good start and any legislation is better than none. As long as patients have safe access I guess it doesn’t really matter where they get it or who profits from it. I am just a firm believer in allowing patients to grow their own not have to go to a liquor store to buy it. Those who can grow, grow, those who cannot will have to buy…

(Oregon) – With a doctor’s prescription and a little backyard space you can turn your backyard into a medicinal garden providing patients with medicine. Here is something I found this morning regarding a patient having to protect and defend himself against people trying to stop him from growing his own natural and 100% legal medicinal cannabis.

Stephen Vinzant says he has been growing marijuana at his residence legally for three years and has a state-issued medical marijuana card to prove it.

His next-door neighbors — who run a counseling center for recovering drug addicts — are not impressed.

Their differences will get a public airing Monday when Phoenix Counseling Center owner Keziah Hinchen will attempt to convince City Council members that they should put an end to Vinzant’s outdoor pot crop.

Hinchen plans a presentation to the council outlining the difficulty of assisting people with substance abuse issues while a “fresh crop is growing right next door.”

Vinzant said he moved to the property three years ago, at which time he began growing the state-allowed crop of 12 mature plants and 36 immature plants.

Half of the plants are for Vinzant’s mother, who suffers from chronic restless leg syndrome and the other half are for Vinzant, a Vietnam-era vet who said he suffers from post-traumatic stress, a bad back and arthritis.

During the past two growing seasons, Vinzant said, “no one squawked about anything.”

Then the treatment center changed ownership, a client discovered the plants during last year’s harvest and, Vinzant said, “totally freaked out.”

Hinchen said the counseling center serves as an extended campus for local schools by providing services to adolescents with substance abuse issues “and something like 85 to 95 percent of them have issues with marijuana.”

“So here’s this guy and he’s got this great big marijuana garden in his backyard,” Hinchen said. “The plants are 20 feet away from the fence — 20 feet away from people who have addiction issues. When it starts getting ripe, you can smell it. So here we’re saying, ‘Stay away from marijuana’ and here it is. They smell it, they see it . . . it’s right there!”

The problem with the above way of thinking is that just because medicinal marijuana is there, does not mean they should show no control and forget about it. Alcoholics enter grocery stores all day long and alcohol is available everywhere that ex-drinkers frequent. Marijuana is medicine, these people cannot stop a patient who is within his legal rights and within state law from gowing his own medicinal cannabis. He even built a cage around the plants and there are fences and locks in place!

And the local police agree with me, he is within his rights and state law…

Jackson County sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Rick Valentine said state laws regarding medical marijuana use are tricky to navigate.

“I don’t know of anything in the statutes that prohibits having a medical marijuana grower next to a rehabilitation center,” he said.

“We’ve had calls where people complained about their neighbor growing medical marijuana but they’re within state law.”

And this is exactly the reason we need safe access to medicinal marijuana and regulation – to not only protect patients and users, but those citizens who live next door to patients, as well as, the officers who are caught in this drug war that is plagueing and destroying our society. Marijuana is medicine and not the evil “street drug” it has been made out to be, by forcing it underground and into the hands of the drug czars.

Patients should never be required to turn to the black market for medicine, the same way anxiety, depression, pain medicine is prescribed to Americans every day… marijuana should be available to anyone who needs it. Especially Migraine sufferers who suffer daily pain and anxiety regarding when and if an attack will occur and cause nausea at the workplace and interfering with work hours the way it has me for decades.