Thursday, July 30, 2009

Buy “99 Diamond Kush” and Win a $1,800 Heart-Shaped Diamond

The King of Pot is at it again! Bruce Perlowin has created the Gemstone Candles to show everyone that the treasure is within – it is within all of us. The flame that burns to reveal the treasure within represents the fire that purifies. It is often these burning experiences that reveal the treasure within.

If you live in LA area and are a Medical Marijuana Patient, hurry over to the 99 High Art Collective, 1108 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA 90291 (310-450-8699)

When you buy a eight of “99 Diamond Kush” at 99 High Art Collective, you get to buy one “Gemstone Candle” for $40.00. Out of the 420 Gemstone Candles there is ONE $1,800(retail value) heart shaped 1/3 carat diamond.

The Gemstone Candles have quartz from Quartzite, Arizona on the top portion of them, however, hidden within each candle are semi-precious gemstones (peridot, garnet, amethyst, citrine, topaz, etc.- which was a Crackerjack of an idea) worth between $30.00 to $40.00 (retail). These are all calibrated cut gemstones.

The winning candle has a Mother of Pearl pendant inside of it. The person that finds the Mother of Pearl wins the diamond. But you must keep it a secret until all the candles are sold. You can’t even tell any of the collective workers, owners, directors, etc. If you tell anyone you are disqualified from winning the diamond – so you must keep the secret – until all the candles are sold.

So rush down to the 99 High Art Collective in Venice and get your 99 Diamond Kush and Gemstone Candle before they are all sold out. Get your chance of winning the diamond.

Oaksterdamn Univ. wants to tax marijuana without limit

On the heels of The Gang of Four's stunning victory to tax money the sick and dying spend for medicine, Oaksterdam U has announced filing of their "Tax Cannabis 2010" initiative. Richard Lee owns Oaksterdam U as well as one of the four licensed dispensaries in the city of Oakland, Coffee Shop SR-71.

Please visit the page and make your comments on the subject....

Click on title for full story.....

Oakland proposes statewide semi-legalization of pot

Oakland marijuana activists are looking for nearly 434,000 signatures statewide to support a ballot measure that would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of pot.

”Marijuana is California's largest cash crop,” said Greg Allen, an attorney who has been a medical marijuana activist for more than a decade. Allen said the latest movements toward taxing marijuana will have significant economic benefits for the state. Legalizing it would also lower the price of marijuana, possibly leading to less criminalized behavior associated with the underground marijuana market, Allen said.

click on title for full story....

A proposed ballot measure may allow possession of 1 Oz. Marijuana

A proposed ballot measure filed with the California attorney general's office would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of pot. Homeowners could grow marijuana for personal use on garden plots up to 25 square feet.

Click on Title for full story.....

Legalizing Hemp

Oregon — Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced last week his intent to take pen in hand and make Oregon the seventh state to legalize the growing of hemp.

By signing into law Senate Bill 676, which allows farmers to grow hemp statewide and was passed by a veto-proof 27-2 margin, Kulongoski is among the few politicians taking small steps to reverse an agricultural mistake made 72 years ago.

Click on title for full story....

Cannabis Planet - Premiers this Friday & Saturday at Midnight

Cannabis Planet - Premiers this Friday & Saturday at Midnight

July 27, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA – Cannabis Planet Productions, Inc. announces the debut of a new, 30 minute weekly television program, Cannabis Planet, premiering this Friday night, July 31st at Midnight on KDOC TV, (Los Angeles – consult your local listings). The show will air on both Friday and Saturday at midnight this week, then will air twice weekly, Thursday's at midnight after Rod Serling's Twighlight Zone, and again each Saturday at midnight.

Cannabis Planet will focus on the merits of the cannabis plant (medicinally, industrially, agriculturally) and the benefits this plant brings to planet earth, mankind, and the United States.

Cannabis Planet is Co-Hosted by Ngaio Bealum (Publisher of West Coast Cannabis Magazine) and Sarah Diesel (Medical Cannabis Activist). Horticultural legend and best-selling author Ed Rosenthal will serve as the resident Cannabis expert and will provide weekly growing tips.

Weekly topics will include Cannabis News and Information, profiles of Medical Marijuana Collectives,
Cannabis Cooking, Celebrity Interviews, Music, Entertainment and more.

Click below for a preview



Click on the Title for full story......

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Green Cross issues press release condemning Oakland marijuana tax

Minutes ago The Green Cross of San Francisco issued a press release condemning the Oakland Gang of Four's push to tax medical marijuana. The Green Cross is a fully licensed and permitted medical cannabis collective that has been operating in San Francisco since 2004.

The collective has recently been featured in articles nationwide as a symbol of how mainstream medical marijuana has become.

The press release states the tax measure is a bad model for the movement and bad for patients. "This is the first step towards pricing out patients and demeaning the medical movement."

They point out that in 2004 Oakland passed a marijuana lowest priority ordinance that lead to the opening of private, non-patient, adult-use cannabis clubs licensed by the City of Oakland. This marijuana lowest priority ordinance, Measure Z, also called for active lobbying for legalization.

While the Green Cross supports decriminalization, and approves and defends personal choice, they are adamant that cannabis is medicine.

The Green Cross points out that medical marijuana dispensaries are taxed at the state and local level through sales tax, payroll tax, and income tax. Adding a "sin tax" only punishes patients.

Punishing patients to gain social acceptance of a rushed unproven experiment involving general adult use is irresponsible and unfair. The medical community has worked hard to fight for the rights of patients and caretakers. Kevin Reed, President of the The Green Cross may have said it best, when he commented that “this frantic, ‘we need money, legalize now’ movement may totally derail what we have been tirelessly working for during the last thirteen years. Proponents of legalization run the risk that people may not like what they see, the legalization-for-all social experiment might fail, and bring the medical cannabis movement down with it.

The Green Cross notes that Tom Ammiano's AB 390, The Marijuana Control, Education, and Regulation Act, would leave California medical marijuana laws untouched, thereby protecting patients and caregivers.

Oaksterdam University in place to teach next generation of pot entrepreneurs

Listening to another news report that stated there are more medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles than Starbucks coffee shops, I thought it would be a good time to look at Oaksterdam University, a “school” that teaches students the finer points of marijuana law and cultivation techniques. The school sits on a busy street corner in downtown Oakland, California with several of its business entities found throughout the neighborhood. There is a book store to sell students books and supplies, as well as hats, t-shirts and smoking paraphernalia; a glass blowing shop across the street; and a medical marijuana dispensary around the corner.

click on title for full story.....

Medical marijuana class is Saturday

The Montana Caregivers Network is holding a class in Great Falls on Saturday to explain the medical marijuana law as well as teach caregivers some growing techniques.

The class will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Great Falls and costs $26. Participants are asked to register by calling 406-207-7078.

Click on title for full story....

San Diego Faces a Medical Marijuana Industry

SAN DIEGO — Using marijuana for medical reasons has been allowed in California for a dozen years. But court challenges to medical marijuana and federal prosecutions, have put a limit on groups that want to provide and sell it until now. KPBS Health Reporter Tom Fudge tells of this year's dramatic increase in activity around medical marijuana.

Five months ago, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told some reporters that federal raids on state-sanctioned marijuana dispensaries would stop. His statement marked a dramatic change from the Bush administration. And it got the attention of Steve Walter, assistant chief of narcotics for San Diego District Attorney's office.

"Shortly after that happened I started getting a lot of phone calls from members of the public wanting to know if the could open a dispensary," says Walter, "asking me for guidance on how you go about doing it."

Attorney Patrick Dudley, who has defended some distributors of medical marijuana, says he got about two calls a day for two months following the Holder statement. Dudley estimates there are now more than 60 medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of San Diego. The growth in the medical marijuana industry has raised a lot questions, and it's caused two local cities to call for a time out. Chula Vista and National City have passed moratoriums that prevent the creation of any dispensaries for at least 45 days. Steve Castaneda, a Chula Vista councilman, says his city wants to know the rules and protect the public interest before it moves forward.

"We're trying to understand how best to insure that we have the restriction and regulations and that we have the business owners that will comply with the laws that we set forth," he says.

Proposition 215, passed in 1996, allows people to cultivate and to consume marijuana with a doctors recommendation. But it left many questions unanswered. More recently, the legislature has passed clarifying laws and the State Attorney General has issued guidelines. Current law allows medical marijuana users and care givers to form non-profit collectives to grow and provide marijuana. Sales to anyone outside the group is still a crime, under state law.

One of the more established marijuana dispensaries in San Diego is called Hillcrest Compassionate Care. Founder Paul Derrick Cody says his collective is run on donations from members. Cody himself uses a wheelchair as a result of a spinal cord injury.

"Pain is something that is continuous on a day to day level," he says. "Cannabis is something that allows my legs to relax, that allows the spasms to subside. But more so, I've known other people that the cannabis has helped across the board."

Cody says it has helped people who are bipolar and schizophrenic. Its helped people with Alzheimer's disease and people suffering from post-traumatic stress. Ads for dispensaries suggest marijuana could help reduce anxiety, insomnia, depression, even asthma.

Prop 215 allows doctors to recommend marijuana for anything they think it will help. Prosecutor Steve Walter says he agrees with those who say prop 215 has become a bit of a joke.

"This was something that was sold to the electorate as a proposition that was going to help those who were grievously ill. But I think the vast majority of the people who are doing this are just doing it to get high," says Walter.

Marijuana does have some proven medical uses. Studies run by the University of California have found marijuana is very effective in treating pain in AIDS patients. A UCSD study of people with multiple sclerosis found marijuana reduced pain and muscle spasms. That study also showed people who used marijuana suffered a significant loss in cognitive skills. Yes, they did get high.

Attorney Steven Feldman has been a proponent of marijuana legalization. He says the desire some people have to get high doesn't mean medical marijuana is a joke.

"I'm sure that people use marijuana for recreational purposes. But that doesn't mean that we should outlaw the use of the opiates that are used for patients in serious pain. Nor does it mean that we should outlaw the use of those marijuana patients who benefit from the use of marijuana," says Feldman.

Tomorrow San Diego's city council committee on public safety and neighborhood services will take up the subject of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Pot activists file ballot measure in California

SAN FRANCISCO — Oakland pot activists fresh off a victory at local polls on the taxing of medical marijuana took their first official step Tuesday toward asking California voters to legalize pot.

A proposed ballot measure filed with the California attorney general's office would allow adults 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of pot. Homeowners could grow marijuana for personal use on garden plots up to 25 square feet.

The measure's main backer is Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee, who helped push a first-of-its-kind tax on city medical marijuana dispensaries that passed with 80 percent of the vote last week.

The statewide measure needs nearly 434,000 signatures to make the November 2010 ballot.

"It's one more pretty amazing element in the momentum toward ending statewide prohibition," said Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance.

His group would rather wait until 2012 to build more support for a ballot initiative but would be happy with an earlier victory, he said.

A similar but less restrictive pot legalization initiative was filed two weeks ago by a group of Northern California criminal defense lawyers.

The Tax, Regulate and Control Cannabis Act of 2010 would set no specific limits on the amount of pot adults could possess or grow for personal use. The measure would repeal all local and state marijuana laws and clear the criminal record of anyone convicted of a pot-related offense.

Both ballot measures would be competing with a bill introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.

The San Francisco Democrat is pushing legalization as a way to generate revenue for the cash-starved state from California's massive marijuana industry. He plans to hold hearings on the legislation this fall.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

California and Their Laws on Medical Marijuana

Sellers of marijuana as a medicine here don’t fret about raids any more. They’ve stopped stressing over where to hide their stash or how to move it unseen.

Now their concerns involve the state Board of Equalization, which collects sales tax and requires a retailer ID number. Or city planning offices, which insist that staircases comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Then there is marketing strategy, which can mean paying to be a “featured dispensary” on a Web site for pot smokers.

After years in the shadows, medical marijuana in California is aspiring to crack the commercial mainstream.

“I want to do everything I can to run this as a legitimate business,” says Jan Werner, 55 years old, who invested in a pot store in a shopping mall after 36 years as a car salesman.

State voters decreed back in 1996 that Californians had a right to use marijuana for any illness — from cancer to anorexia to any other condition it might help. But supplying “med pot” remained risky. The ballot measure didn’t specify who could sell it or how. The state provided few guidelines, leaving local governments to impose a patchwork of restrictions. Above all, because pot possession remained illegal under U.S. law, sellers had to worry about federal raids.

But in February, the Justice Department said it would adhere to President Barack Obama’s campaign statement that federal agents no longer would target med-pot dealers who comply with state law. Since then, vendors who had kept a low profile have begun to expand, and entrepreneurs who had avoided cannabis have begun to invest.

Some now are using traditional business practices like political lobbying and supply-chain consolidation. Others are seeking capital or offering investment banking for pot purveyors. In Oakland, a school offers courses such as “Cannabusiness 102″ and calls itself Oaksterdam University, after the pot-friendly Dutch city. As shops proliferate, there are even signs the nascent industry could be heading for another familiar business phenomenon: the bubble.

Medical use of pot now is legal in 13 states. It is also facing some resistance. New Hampshire’s Democratic governor, John Lynch, vetoed a med-pot bill this month, citing inadequate safeguards. Los Angeles, which passed a moratorium on new dispensaries in 2007, is trying to close a loophole that has led to an explosion of new ones.

Click on title for the full story............

The Marijuana Producers and Distributors of California Ask: Let Us Pay Taxes!

Please sign the petition to let marijuana producers and distributors pay taxes

The producers and sellers of marijuana offer the state of California at least one billion dollars in additional tax revenue every year -- and nobody is arguing.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SIGN THE PETITION.

Drug czar blasts medicinal value of marijuana

In a major display of blatant ignorance, U.S. Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske, stated, “Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal value.”

The director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy spoke in Fresno yesterday about the recent raids and marijuana eradication efforts going on in Fresno County, and made the following statement regarding the proposal of legalizing marijuana in California.

“Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine.”

The operation, SOS (“Save” our Sierra), has claimed over $1.25 *billion* in cannabis in Fresno County. 80 people have been arrested so far, and the operation is planned to continue. Talk about throwing away money. I guess all those people with IOUs can just keep waiting for their money.

The “czar” described marijuana as harmful and addictive, all the while neglecting to address the dangers and addictive qualities of pharmaceuticals and other legal substances like paint, glue, gasoline, and food.

Click on title for full story.........

For revenue, New Mexico looks to medical marijuana

Given the ongoing budget crunch the state of New Mexico and local governments are facing, a central question on many people’s minds is how to raise revenue.

While it’s still in its infancy in this state, New Mexicans might take heart from the emerging medical marijuana sector. We only have one nonprofit and a relatively small group of patients so far, so there’s not much to tax. But looking west, we might eventually take a page from California.

The state of California raises $18 million a year in state sales tax from medical marijuana dispensaries. And the city of Oakland just became the first city in the country to impose a sales tax on its local dispensaries. The expected revenue won’t be much, according to a New York Times report, but the mayor is still exploring “all measures that will help with our budget situation.”

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Willie Nelson And Art Bell For Marijuana Family Farms

Bruce Perlowin of Medical Marijuana, Inc. on LA Talk Radio with Star Jasmine

MARINA DEL REY, CA- Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) proudly announces that LA Talk Radio has chosen Medical Marijuana, Inc. as the subject of a key interview. We are lucky to have the full interview here in its entirety, for your listening pleasure.

Cannabis Dispensary Maps

Here is an incredible map of dispensaries. You really should check it out:
http://www.weedbay.net/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=493

Medical marijuana vote a victory for patients

The Denver Post
"A proposal that would have effectively shut down medical-marijuana dispensaries was rejected Monday night by the Colorado Board of Health.

In addition to voting down a plan to limit medical-marijuana caregivers to five patients each, the board also refused to require that caregivers help patients with daily activities. The board did, however, agree to changes meant to prevent fraud — and left the door open to revisiting the cap on patients another time.

"We're happy the board did the compassionate thing," said Brian Vicente, the director of Sensible Colorado. "This is a win for Coloradan sick patients and the voters."

Click on title for full story.....

Medical Marijiuana Home Delivery

Members have the benefit of home delivery from some California medical marijuana collectives, though drivers risk arrest for distribution. Watch the video here:
http://www.time.com/time/video/?bcpid=1485842900&bctid=28761858001

TIME Magazine online: Is Marijuana the Answer to California's Budget Woes?

Proponents of marijuana legalization have advanced plenty of arguments in support of their drug of choice — that marijuana is less dangerous than legal substances like cigarettes and alcohol; that pot has legitimate medical uses; that the money spent prosecuting marijuana offenses would be better used on more pressing public concerns.

While 13 states permit the limited sale of marijuana for medical use, and polls show a steady increase in the number of Americans who favor legalization, federal law still bans the cultivation, sale, or possession of marijuana. In fact, the feds still classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug, one that has no "currently accepted medical use" in the United States.
(See a TIME video on Medical Marijiuana Home Delivery)

But supporters of legalization may have been handed their most convincing argument yet: the bummer economy. Advocates argue that if state or local governments could collect a tax on even a fraction of pot sales, it would help rescue cash-strapped communities. Not surprisingly, the idea is getting traction in California, home to both the nation"s largest supply of domestically grown marijuana (worth a estimated $14 billion a year) and to the country"s biggest state budget deficit (more than $26 billion).

On Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California legislative leaders a tentative budget agreement to plug the state's deficit, but it would involve making sweeping cuts in education and health services, as well as taking billions from county governments. Democratic state assemblyman Tom Ammiano has introduced legislation that would let California regulate and tax the sale of marijuana. The state's proposed $50 an ounce pot tax would bring in about $1.3 billion a year in additional revenue. Ammiano's bill was shelved this session but he expects to introduce a revised bill early next year.
(Read "Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?")

Click on Title for full story and video links.....

CNN - Oakland, California, passes landmark marijuana tax


Story Highlights

• 80% of voters choose to impose tax on Oakland's medical marijuana facilities
• Oakland, California, becomes first U.S. city to impose such a tax
• Cannabis club leader says he supported effort; he'll owe about $350,000 next year
• People opposed to medical marijuana facilities say tax sends wrong message



Click on title for full story and video........

Oakland, CA Approves Landmark Medical Marijuana Tax

The voters of city of Oakland, CA, have approved the first tax on medical marijuana in the country. The city has four dispensaries that took in about $19.7 million in revenue in the last fiscal year.

While affecting only the city of Oakland, it is hoped that the new tax will could help legitimize medical marijuana; the entire state is also considering such a tax.

The measure will levy an $18 tax for every $1,000 in gross marijuana sales. Oakland firms in the city already pay a $1.20 business tax on each $1,000 in sales. Voters approved Measure F by a margin of 80%, according to preliminary results released by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

Click on Title for full story..........

Medical Marijuana, Inc. Expands Internationally To Canada And Adds More Collectives in CA

MARINA DEL REY, CA--(Marketwire – July 16, 2009) - Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) expands internationally by signing Growers with Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. MMI has also added five additional collectives in the United States as follows; Soultree Art of Healing Co-Op in Daly City, California; Netexdive Products in Valley Center, California; Chron Don’s Clinic in Garden Grove, California; Association for Alternative Therapy in Westminster, California; and Better Health Group in San Rafael, California.

Bruce Perlowin is living up to his reputation of having built the largest Marijuana business in the US. Now he is doing it legally and because of his vast experience in the business, who better to help medical marijuana become a legitimate business? Check out the latest activity and news on the company's website: www.medicalmarijuanainc.com

Cannabis Hemp: Is the oldest plant known to man future-proof too?

It will come as absolutely no surprise to some, that in 1971, the year British Petroleum took out the largest bank loan in history to finance its offshore oil explorations (a statistic which still stands today), the serving British government implemented the Misuse of Drugs act. A law which would take away the cannabis plant from those that need it most, forever.

Ever since, successive governments have told the wider population how bad cannabis is for us. Indeed the evidence delivered through a carefully crafted press campaign which spans almost a century, has been delivered with such force and magnitude, the very mention of the word 'Cannabis'
these days brings about much sharp-intaking-of-breath, accompanied by lots of nudge's and wink's. But does it really deserve the bad rap it gets in the press?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Finding Medical Marijuana Made Easier

(CBS) Finding medical marijuana is going high-tech.

Apple is the latest to offer an electronic means to find cannibus clubs -- dispensaries of medical marijuana in states where it's legal. A new application for the iPhone enables people to locate such dispensaries.

"Early Show" national correspondent Hattie Kauffman reported Tuesday that the program is gong for $3. It literally pinpoints legal pot sellers in the vicinity of the device.

Jason Beck, owner of Alternative Herbal Health Services, runs a store that sells brownies cooked with cannabis, as well as other pot products.

Beck is among a growing crowd of cannabis clubs in Los Angeles. Over 800 medical marijuana shops, Kauffman said, are sprouting up like weeds throughout the city. In some neighborhoods, she said, there are more dispensaries than there are McDonalds or Starbucks.

A Google search of one section of Los Angeles, Kauffman said, found 24 Starbucks and 10 McDonalds, but it was cannabis clubs that dominated the neighborhood -- with 39 locations.

L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes wants to limit the number of these dispensaries. He told Kauffman, "Money does some funny things to people."

Kauffman asked Reyes if the legitimate demand for medical marijuana is that big. The demand is certainly there, Reyes responded, but, "Whether it's legitimate or not -- that's the question."

Reyes agreed with Kauffman when she remarked there may be some fraud taking place on prescription pads. "Exactly," he said. "Right on point."

But dispensers such as Beck say it's not about competition, it's about treating those who are most in need of medical marijuana.

"With 800, 900, potential facilities in Los Angeles County alone," he said, "you can't tell me that every single one of those shops is for the benefit of the patients."

Kauffman observed that, with new means to find medical pot, and with all the potential profits, cannabis clubs are finding that the grass -- is greener.

New iPhone App Finds (Medical) Marijuana

Is there anything the magical iPhone can't do? One thing seems for sure--that list seems to be getting shorter and shorter.

A new app developed for the popular handset lets users find the closest available source of medical marijuana. Created by AJNAG (Activists Justifying the Natural Agriculture of Ganja), the app is available now for $2.99 via the iTunes App Store.

"Our goal is to put the power of cannabis change in your pocket while you enjoy the most sticky and potent iPhone application available!" claims the organization. The app provides a map displaying medical marijuana resources. It also provides information for lawyers who specialize in marijuana-related cases.

New calculations billions in healthcare savings from legal medical marijuana - preliminary survey

Has anyone calculated the savings gained by legalizing marijuana?

Ask your friends and family members. How many pills a day do you take? What does that cost? How much would it cost to grow a plant in your garden? How much profit would the pharmaceuticals and insurance companies make if you grow that plant in your garden? Would their profits turn to losses?

Please help with this unofficial survey.

Click here http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/C27741F976BA6482/to take survey or leave comments below.

Pot Tax: Only a Matter of Time

California is considered by federal authorities the nation’s largest producer of marijuana … 8.6 million pounds a year worth somewhere around $13.8 billion. It was only a matter of time.

Americans have been paying for their sins for most of history. Tobacco and booze are examples. Now comes a proposal from LA Councilwoman Janice Hahn to tax the 400-plus medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in the city.

“In this current economic crisis,” she says, “we need to get creative about how we raise funds.”
In the meantime, California is sitting on a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano that would legalize pot and then tax it. It will likely not get to committee soon but it’s sitting out there. (The Sac Bee story.)

The State’s Board of Equalization estimates that with 16 million ounces of marijuana consumption a year, the state could harvest $990 million in a special $50 per ounce levy and another $392 million in sales taxes.

No estimate from Hahn on how much LA might stand to gain by taxing medical pot, but Councilman Bill Rosendahl calls it a “creative solution that will help bring revenue to our city and also recognize the additional benefits that the medical marijuana industry can contribute.”

If the past forecasts the future, there is little doubt that one day … probably sooner than later considering the state of the City’s finances … a Pot Tax will be put in place. It’s just a matter of time. (Ken Draper is the editor of CityWatch. He can be reached at Editor@CityWatchLA.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) ◘

Medical marijuana and pesticides

Sister Jane was one of the pioneers of the Medical Marijuana movement. She devoted her life to it and it killed her.

One of her last acts was an attempt to revive the Medical Cannabis Association which she organized in 1998. On page 35 of the Spring 2005 issue of O'Shaughnessy's, following the article by Fred Gardner announcing her illness, is found her article Can Trade Group Set Standards for Growers and Dispensaries?

It was hoped that all dispensaries and providers of medical cannabis would be a part of this organization, which would not only insure the safety of the medicine but provide a tool with which to regulate cultivation and distribution in the best interest of the patients.

The hope did not pan out. Most dispensaries exist in a bubble, competing for quality product and patient/members. Their commitment to research and education is nil. The average dispensary staff person has no idea what an appropriate dosage or strain would be for any particular condition, and most patients themselves are unaware of their own preferences.

She envisioned the organization as a method of grading and tracking producers and strains with a simple code such as B0045ROMULANI100S0100904. This would be on every package in barcode format, easily scannable. The first character is the safety rating: A, B, or C. Next the vendor identification, the strain name, the ratio of Indica to Sativa, and the date. Ideally, a sample from each crop would be sent to a lab and tested for pesticide contamination as well as spectroscopic analysis of the cannabinoid profile.

She hoped to combine this information with feedback from patients and the conditions for which they were using cannabis to create a database that would show what varieties and what dosages are effective for any given condition.

For Full Story, click on the Title.....

Friday, July 17, 2009

Push to tax medical marijuana in CA Video

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's a new push to tax medical marijuana in California. Supporters say it could provide more than $1 billion in revenue for cash-strapped cities across California.
Medical marijuana is legal

BiomedReports: FDA and News Updates for Simulations Plus (NASDAQ:SLP), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC:MJNA), PerkinElmer (NYSE:PKI) and Oculus (Nasdaq:

On 07/16/09, Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC:MJNA) expands internationally by signing Growers with Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. MMI has also added five additional collectives in the United States as follows: Soultree Art of Healing Co-Op in Daly City, California; Netexdive Products in Valley Center, California; Chron Don's Clinic in Garden Grove, California; Association for Alternative Therapy in Westminster, California; and Better Health Group in San Rafael, California.

Click on title for full story....

City council members want to explore possible marijuana tax

A trio of City Council members called Wednesday for exploring the possibility of taxing medical marijuana sold within city limits.

The motion, presented by Councilwoman Janice Hahn and Councilman Dennis Zine, and seconded by Councilman Bill Rosendahl, directed the City Administrative Officer to "report on the feasibility of imposing a 'cannabis business tax' on legally operating medical marijuana dispensaries in the city."

"In this current economic crisis, we need to get creative about how to raise funds," Hahn said. "A tax on medical marijuana could enable the city to continue providing services we might otherwise have to cut."

Zine added, "Part of becoming a legitimate business in the city of Los Angeles means supporting local government by paying a fair share of municipal taxes."

Click on title for full story....

420 Radio show sponsored by Medical Marijuana, Inc. on July 10, 2009

Medical Marijuana, Inc. is sponsoring the 420 Radio show on July 10, 2009 (http://www.latalkradio.com/420.php). Bruce Perlowin will again be speaking about his new venture in the medical marijuana industry with Jamie Simon.

Medical Marijuana, Inc. Expands Internationally To Canada for The Tax Remittance Card

MARINA DEL REY, CA--(Marketwire – July 16, 2009) - Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) expands internationally by signing Growers with Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Medical Marijuana, Inc. has also added five additional collectives in the United States as follows;  Soultree Art of Healing Co-Op in Daly City, California; Netexdive Products in Valley Center, California; Chron Don’s Clinic in Garden Grove, California; Association for Alternative Therapy in Westminster, California; and Better Health Group in San Rafael, California.

Medical Marijuana, Inc. is the first public company to recognize the vast and unequaled opportunities that exist in the rapidly expanding Medical Marijuana market. The Tax Remittance Care and Stored Value Platform System will provide verifiable solutions to manage the difficult task of revenue and taxation collection. The "Point of Sale" (POS) system will recognize the dispensary's tax ID number, state and local tax rates and then provide "Automated Clearing House" (ACH) settlement of the taxes to the proper financial institutions. The customers of the dispensary are issued a plastic debit card or medical revenue card. The ease of access to certifiably secure transactions lessens the risk of loss at each level of the transaction.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bruce Perlowin is making news AGAIN!

Bruce Perlowin has long been know as the KING OF POT. That is since he was caught in the 80's and convicted as the largest marijuana smuggler in history. If you look at his story (http://bruceperlowin.com/kingofpot.html) you will see the genius behind the operation.

Now Bruce Perlowin is creating history again with the first publically traded company Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) in the medical marijuana industry. The company offers a payment solution and tax remittance card which collects the taxes on a daily basis, making it simple for compliance with government regulations. Check out the company, Medical Marijuana, Inc. at: www.medicalmarijuanainc.com

Others are now starting to tell the story and bring attention to Bruce Perlowin's genius activities. (http://theganesagroup.blogspot.com/2009/07/read-this-article-on-worlds-best.html)

Now would be a good time for people who want a good investment in this edgy time, to buy at least $420 of stock in this company. There are now 13 states in which medical marijuana is legal and this is just the beginning. The revenues that can be achieved from a cash crop like marijuana are staggering. So many wonderful products can be produced from hemp, not to mention the benefits of medical marijuana.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Pain Clinic Test Patients for Marijuana Use

NORML has received a surge of complaints within the last six months. Many medical marijuana users report that they can’t find a clinic willing to take them on. Others, like Kristin, have been abandoned by clinics that suddenly adopted aggressive drug-screening policies.

Clinics say they are legally compelled to drug-test chronic pain patients so as to avoid liability for overdoses and diversion of prescription drugs, particularly opioids such as oxycontin –which have nothing to do with cannabis.

Chronic pain patients have good reason to object to being denied medical access to cannabis. Chronic pain is the leading indication for medical cannabis use, accounting for 90% of the patients in Oregon’s medical marijuana program. More than 60 studies have shown cannabinoids to be effective in pain relief, according to a compilation by the International Association of Cannabis Medicine which includes four controlled studies of smoked marijuana by California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

Click the title for full story.......

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Legal Pot Campaign to Light Up Airwaves Wednesday

SACRAMENTO, CA- It was just two months ago that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was open to debate on the issue of legalizing marijuana in California.

Now the Marijuana Policy Project, a nationwide group pushing for the legalization of pot, is set to run ads on local television stations beginning Wednesday, urging that marijuana be made legal in California.

The ads feature a Fair Oaks woman who uses medical marijuana and says she and others would be happy to pay taxes on the drug if it were legal.

'Medical Marijuana' For Sale On Twitter

Drugs are being openly sold on social networking sites due to a legal loophole in the United States. "Medical marijuana" services are available on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

One of the most prominent, Artists Collective, offers free delivery in Los Angeles.
"Now in... A plethora of medicated cookies and brownies," the group's Twitter feed told more than 500 subscribers. They have 4,526 MySpace 'friends' and a Facebook fan site.

Californian state law allows marijuana to be produced and sold for medicinal reasons.

California Stations Reject Ad Calling For Pot Legalization

Three television stations in San Francisco and Los Angeles have rejected an ad promoting the legalization and taxation of marijuana, set to run on consenting stations and cable networks in the state beginning Wednesday. Two ABC affiliates joined one NBC station in the decision to reject the spots.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, has called for a debate on legalizing marijuana. "I think it's time for a debate," he said in May. "And I think that we ought to study very carefully what other countries are doing that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, what affect it had on those countries, and are they happy with that decision."

Click on title for full story......

"We Want to Pay Our Fair Share"

This MPP Foundation commercial, featuring an actual California marijuana consumer, began airing on cable and broadcast television in much of California on July 8.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Annual Conference for Cannabinoid Research

Over 250 researchers from around the globe will convene next week to attend the 19th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). The three-day conference will take place from July 8 to July 11 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois.

Scientific presentations include analyses of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids for the treatment of numerous conditions – including cancer, social anxiety disorder, alcoholism, acne, and stroke.

Registration information and conference agenda is available online at: http://cannabinoidsociety.org/SYMPOSIUM.2009/index.html.

The ICRS is a scientific association with over 400 members, all active researchers in the field of endogenous, plant-derived and synthetic cannabinoids.

SENATE COMMISSION TO STUDY MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION

PROVIDENCE — Weeks after legalizing the sale of marijuana to sick people, lawmakers have voted to explore how much Rhode Island might collect in revenue if it were to make all sales of marijuana legal and impose a "sin tax" of $35 per ounce.

During the General Assembly's aborted rush to adjournment Friday, the Senate approved a resolution — introduced earlier the same day — to create a nine-member special commission to study a swath of issues surrounding marijuana. Among them: "The experience of individuals and families sentenced for violating marijuana laws ... The experience of states and European countries, such as California, Massachusetts and the Netherlands, which have decriminalized the sale and use of marijuana."

Click on title for full story..

California's pot clubs offer to pay more tax in fiscal crisis

Vendors of "medical marijuana" at legal herbal clinics in Oakland, California are offering to pay increased taxes in a move that many believe could save the state from bankruptcy.

Medical marijuana is big business in California. In Oakland last year "pot clubs" rang up sales of more than $20m (£12m). Currently those clubs pay a minimal tax of $1.20 for every $1,000 of marijuana sold.

However, in a move rare among business owners, the medical marijuana clinics are offering to raise the tax they pay to $18 for every $1,000 of weed sold. The marijuana tax, which voters will be asked to endorse in a ballot this month, would bring in about $400,000 of annual revenue in Oakland alone. If adopted statewide, the taxes could be worth billions.

California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, declared a statewide fiscal emergency in California last Wednesday after legislators failed to agree on a budget to address its $24bn deficit. Tax revenues are plunging as the state suffers particularly badly in the global recession, and government offices are closing three days every month to cut costs.

The results of the postal ballot on the marijuana tax in Oakland will be announced on 21 July.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA MOVES MAINSTREAM

As Californians consider legalizing marijuana, the Green Cross in San Francisco is a signal of just how mainstream pot has become. In some ways, the medical marijuana dispensary is just like any other retail business: It takes credit cards; it's reviewed on Yelp; and it promises delivery within an hour - there's even a $10 discount if the pot is late.

"Drivers are clean-cut, professional, and bring your goods in a discreet white paper bag," wrote one Yelp user. "Like ordering a pizza, but, of course, much better," wrote another.

Click on the title for full story........

Interview with Bruce Perlowin – CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc.

Radio interview with Bruce Perlowin – CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. – Click on the show of July 3, 2009
http://www.latalkradio.com/420.php

Bruce outlines the basics of the tax remittance card and shares how dispensaries and collectives benefit from the MMI card.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Medical Marijuana Tax Collection System Attracts New Dispensaries

One of the biggest problems facing the fledgling medical marijuana industry in the US, is making sure Uncle Sam gets his share of the big green pie, and thanks to the new 'tax remittance card' which is availabe from Medical Marijuana Inc, (PINKSHEETS: MJNA), dispensary/collective operators keen to stay within the bounds of the law, can now demonstrate a fully trackable distribution and payment system, alowing the operator to hopefully head off any federal (read 'tax') issues later.

And many state sanctioned marijuana vendors, including another 3 Californian operators now believe not having a computerised safety net to fall back on simply isn't worth the risk.

Dianna Kaplan is the marketing consultant assisting Medical Marijuana Inc. Speaking to CannaZine Cannabis News recently she said, "The addition of these collectives shows their intent to comply with tax laws and provides a more solid basis to build their business on."

The Healing Centers 1 & 2 in Orange County, California, 2 Green Thumbs in Tuolomne County, California and Mother Nurture Collective in San Diego County, California plan to implement the tax remittance card in September 2009.

The Healing Centers of Laguna Hills and Irvine, California in Orange County began operating because of the foresight they had in assisting qualified patient access to medical marijuana. The Healing Center embraces all aspects of the professional operation of medical marijuana collectives from staff to education in the medical marijuana industry.

For more information visit: http://medicalmarijuanainc.com/

Medical Marijuana, Inc. Signs the First Cannabis Collective in Venice, California to Use Tax Remittance Card

MARINA DEL REY, CA--(Marketwire – July 2, 2009) - Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) expands into Venice, California by signing ‘99 High Art Collective,’ which will begin to implement Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s tax remittance card in the 4th quarter 2009. “The high energy marketing efforts of our Agents are building major momentum, moving us full steam ahead, as we now have 13 Cannabis Collectives who have agreed to use our Tax Remittance Card”, says Rob Griffin, Chief Operations Officer of Medical Marijuana, Inc.

High Art, High Love, High Quality Medicine. A Cutting Edge Art Gallery Opens Up In Venice Beach With Light Paintings of Psychedelic Pioneers By Dean Chamberlain. Breaking away from the typical gallery model, "99 High Art Collective" will open its doors on July 3rd 2009, not only as a high art gallery, but also as a Medicinal Cannabis dispensary, with world renowned artists and according to their proprietor and patients, "...very high quality art, love and organic medicine".

Medical Marijuana, Inc is developing a suite of solutions and tools for the Medical Marijuana Industry that will enable efficient tax compliance and business management, delivered in a secure (patent pending) infrastructure.

For further details on Medical Marijuana, Inc. contact: info@medicalmarijuaninc.com
www.medicalmarijuanainc.com
www.twitter.com/medmarijuanainc
www.MySpace.com/marijuanainc