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The committee killed a bill on Feb. 20 that would legalize medical marijuana for suffering patients in North Carolina in an effort to stop the influx of phone calls and emails from citizens on the issue. “We did it to be done with it, so people could move on for the session,” responded Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam (R) of Wake, NC. He claims that lawmakers were being “harassed” with phone calls and emails about medical marijuana. You see… typically when members of committee’s know that a bill won’t pass (or don’t want it to be passed), it will sit in …

On Wednesday, the 97th General Assembly of the State of Illinois introduced House Bill 0030. What is House Bill 0030? In most states with similar programs such as California, patients can get a doctors recommendation with pain. Illinois’ bill is much more restrictive naming specific medical conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, nail patella, and Alzheimer’s. It also recognizes patients suffering from chronic illnesses, or their treatments that produce one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome, seizures (Epilepsy), and muscle spasms (Multiple Sclerosis). The bill creates the “Compassionate Use of Medical …

The three proposed House Bills, and Senate Bill 933 we covered earlier this month were passed by Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder yesterday afternoon. After many long months of meetings and testimony from doctors, law enforcement officials, and patient advocates alike, the bill was passed with the needed three-fourths support from legislators and the Governor’s signature. The new bills add clarification and somewhat harsh restrictions to the voter approved act passed four years ago. Many people worry that the changes are unnecessary and may make the medicine harder to get for legitimate patients. A short summary of the bills, …

The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill. To call Joe Stevens and Julio Valentin’s struggle an uphill battle, would be an enormous understatement. The opening of New Jersey’s first medical marijuana dispensary, Greenleaf Compassion Center, took hundreds of signatures, conference calls, and meetings before Stevens and Valentin’s dream finally materialized before them. “We are here for the patients, the people of New Jersey with debilitating conditions. They are the ones who are suffering.” – Julio Valentin The arduous 21-month process was mainly a waiting game for the two, as reports came …

According to a recent article by the New York Times, Californians are more likely to give you the boot at public venues for sparking up a cigarette, than a joint. A study by the California Office of Traffic Safety found that motorists are more likely to be driving under the influence of marijuana than under the influence of alcohol. “Marijuana can be smelled in suburban backyards in neighborhoods from Hollywood to Topanga Canyon as dusk falls — what in other places is known as the cocktail hour — often wafting in from three sides. In some homes in Beverly Hills …

California’s Lieutenant Governor, Gavin Newsom, now joins the movement publicly. When asked about marijuana legalization, he told the New York Times in this interview: “These recreational marijuana users are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it… These laws just don’t make sense anymore. It’s time for politicians to come out of the closet on this.” Is this the beginning of the end for marijuana prohibition? Only time will tell… but we think so. MANTIS_RECOMMEND = { property: …

Barack Obama stated this Friday that recreational marijuana users in Colorado and Washington, should not be a “top priority” of federal law enforcement, and there are “bigger fish to fry.” However, that sounds like what he has previously said about not prosecuting patients and caregivers in the states in which medical marijuana is legal. Yet, the feds have continued to raid thousands of dispensaries, legal for-profit grow operations, as well as personal grow operations run by medical patients across the country. With Obama making statements supporting recreational pot smokers in Washington and Colorado, we hope the Justice Department’s policies will …

UPDATE: All bills have been approved. Read the updated story. Michigan lawmakers made some amendments this morning to the, “Michigan Medical Marihuana Act,” of 2008. The law simply allows the possession and use of medical marijuana. The purpose of the changes was to further clarify the act, as well as add more restrictions to patients and caregivers. While many people feel the bills are unnecessary, the Republican-led Senate passed the two bills, HB 4834 and HB 4851, with overwhelming support (29-9 and 30-8 votes respectively). In addition, Senate Bill No. 933 states that an employer is not …

There is a particular “buzz,” in the air in the state of Washington tonight…the eve of marijuana legalization. You can just sense it. Or… maybe I mean smell it? While many people have done their research, and are extremely informed on the new law, we believe that we need to clear the smoke on this subject for some. That is why we have provided everyone with a list of the top 10 things everyone should know about the new Washington Marijuana laws. As of tomorrow, December 6, adults 21 and over may carry up to …